Posted in: Movies | Tagged: Akira Koieyama, capcom, entertianment, film, Gaku Space, Mike Moh, NYCC, street fighter, video games

It's Not A Story Just About Ryu And Ken Anymore – NYCC: Street Fighter Panel

Arno Bogaerts writes for Bleeding Cool

The New York Comic Con Street Fighter panel on Sunday offered little in the way of exciting new announcements, but it was a nice get-together for the fans of Capcom's fighting game franchise with one of the longest Q&A sessions of the day.

Things got kicked off with a trailer for the new Ultra Street Fighter IV patch, which again will fix some balance and character issues. The new Omega mode was teased, an over-the-top, bizarre version of the game where all characters gain ridiculous new abilities (like Ken shooting fireballs out of his feet). Meant just for fun, of course.

The trailer for Machinima's ridiculously good web series Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist was up next. The DVD and Blu-ray will contain a 152 minute film version, with additional and extended scenes. Including an extended version of the "who is Dan?" scene, an epilogue where sensei Gouken (Akira Koieyama) writes his last letter to his students Ryu and Ken before facing his brother Gouki/Akuma and Ken Masters' video diaries. A funny clip was shown where Ken records his time training in Japan with a 1984 camcorder. A part of the epilogue to the series was shown as well.

Joey Ansah, co-creator of the series and playing the role of Akuma, came on stage and introduced the Assassin's Fist cast: Mike Moh (Ryu), Gaku Space (young Gouki/Akuma) and Akira Koieyama (Gouken). In an entertaining Q&A session they talked about martial arts styles, their training schedules and own Street Fighter gaming experiences. Joey Ansah, before getting the chance to make the series, met Capcom's Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono and beat him 6-0 to prove he was serious.

Ansah's favorite character in the series was Akuma, the character he portrays. For the younger Gouki actor Gaku Space, however, it was Poison. Mike Moh (Ryu) likes evil Ryu and Cammy. Ansah and the cast would like to do one-off theater screenings of the series in each major city. Also, a spin-off with Gouken's own journey into the world was discussed.

On the subject of the sequel series, Street Fighter: World Warrior, Ansah told the audience it's not a story just about Ryu and Ken anymore. They will try to fit in as much of the classic Street Fighter II cast as possible. That means the four lords of Shadaloo, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief, Blanka, Cammy … the works. Ansah likes them more than the Street Fighter 3 cast, but considered introducing those characters as well if the series is allowed to progress further into the future.

The panelists had fun recounting their wirework when performing their Shoryukens. Going up in the air, it seems, is much more simple than landing gracefully afterwards. After the panel concluded, the cast signed some free posters at the Funimation booth.

Arno Bogaerts writes about comics, superheroes and philosophy. He is an editor for Belgian pop culture blog Brainfreeze and Glitch Magazine and contributed to several "Superheroes and Philosophy" publications.

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