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Darkstalkers
| Darkstalkers | |
|---|---|
 English version logo of the series | |
| Genres | Fighting game |
| Developers | Capcom |
| Publishers | Capcom |
| Platforms | Arcade game, various |
| First release |
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors 1994 |
| Latest release |
Darkstalkers Resurrection 2013 |
For other uses of the word Succubus, see Succubus (disambiguation).
Darkstalkers, known in Japan and Asia as Vampire (Japanese: ヴァンパイア Hepburn: Vanpaia), is a series of 2D fighting games developed and released by Capcom. It is set in a pastiche Gothic horror universe and features a highly stylized, cartoonish graphic style. The series' characters are based on either various kinds of monsters or their hunters.
Darkstalkers introduced many of the concepts used in later Capcom fighting games, including its first use of 16-bit color animation sprites later employed in the Street Fighter Alpha and Marvel vs. Capcom series. Some individual characters (usually Morrigan and often Felicia) appeared in the later Capcom games, as well as in a few crossover games by other companies.
Besides video games, the Darkstalkers franchise also includes a cartoon TV series, an anime miniseries, a comic book series, and several manga and art books.
Video games
| Western title | Japanese title | Release | Arcade | Home versions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors | Vampire: The Night Warriors | 1994 | CP System II | PlayStation (1996); PlayStation 2 (2005); PlayStation Network (2011) | The first game in the series. |
| Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge | Vampire Hunter: Darkstalkers' Revenge | 1995 | CPS II | Sega Saturn (1996); PS2 (2005) | The second game in the series. |
| Darkstalkers 3 | Vampire Savior: The Lord of Vampire | 1997 | CPS II | Saturn, PS (1998); PS2 (2005); PlayStation Network (2012) | The third game in the series. |
| N/A | Vampire Hunter 2: Darkstalkers' Revenge | 1997 | CPS II | PS2 (2005) | An update of Vampire Hunter. |
| N/A | Vampire Savior 2: The Lord of Vampire | 1997 | CPS II | PS2 (2005) | An update of Vampire Savior. |
| Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower | Vampire Chronicle for Matching Service (DC) Vampire Chronicle: The Chaos Tower (PSP) |
2000 | N/A | Dreamcast; PlayStation Portable (2004) | A compilation game. |
| N/A | Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection | 2005 | N/A | PS2 | A compilation game. |
| Darkstalkers Resurrection | Vampire Resurrection | 2013 | N/A | PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade | A compilation game. |
Arcade games
Vampire / Darkstalkers
Main article: Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors
Vampire Hunter / Night Warriors
Main article: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge
Vampire Savior / Darkstalkers 3
Main article: Darkstalkers 3
Home-exclusive games
Vampire Chronicle / Darkstalkers Chronicle
Main article: Darkstalkers Chronicle: The Chaos Tower
Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection
Main article: Vampire: Darkstalkers Collection
Vampire Resurrection / Darkstalkers Resurrection
Main article: Darkstalkers Resurrection
Future
In August 2010, Capcom Producer Yoshinori Ono stated during an interview about Street Fighter X Tekken that a new installment to the series would be his "ultimate dream"; however, only fan demand would cause it to happen. He went on to say that it would take one million requests before Keiji Inafune, then head of research and development at Capcom, would comply. At that point, Capcom have received 5,000 requests.[1][2] By March 2011, Ono reported that Capcom had received over 100,000 requests. He later expressed during an interview at a Nintendo 3DS launch in London that, "One day, if it goes half a million, Capcom may raise its eyebrow a little bit and I could do what I did in London in 2007 when I announced the comeback of Street Fighter. In the near future, with your help, it may become true. It's on its way, because we're pretty much where we were with Street Fighter a few years back. So keep it up."[3]
On July 21, 2011, at San Diego Comic-Con, Ono revealed during the Street Fighter X Tekken panel that while a new Darkstalkers title had not been approved, he reassured the series' fans that "Darkstalkers is not dead". He then proceeded to take a photo of the attendees at the panel holding up their money to send to decision makers at Capcom to show support for the game.[4] In June 2012, a message "Darkstalkers are not dead" appeared in a trailer for the PlayStation Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken; when asked about it, Ono wrote on his Twitter: "I can't announce about Darkstalkers yet."[5] Ono later teased the presence of Darkstalkers at a panel for Street Fighter's 25th Anniversary Celebration at San Diego Comic-Con on July 12, 2012. Instead of taking a photo to send proof of demand to Capcom's upper management like he had done in the past, he stated, "This year, you don’t have to do that, and it’s not necessarily bad news!", but refrained himself from saying anything else.[6]
Following the announcement of Darkstalkers Resurrection at New York Comic-Con in October 2012, a concept trailer was shown during Capcom's Street Fighter 25th Anniversary panel. Derek Neal, the producer for Darkstalkers Resurrection, and Yoshinori Ono told interviewers that the re-release bundle was the first step towards revitalizing the franchise.[7][8][9] Neal also claimed that Capcom is using Darkstalkers Resurrection as a test to gauge audience interest in a new Darkstalkers installment.[8]
Characters
| Character | Appears in | Voiced by | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darkstalkers | Night Warriors | Vampire Savior | Vampire Savior 2 | Vampire Hunter 2 | ||
| Anakaris | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Kan Tokumaru |
| B.B. Hood/Bulleta | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Miyuki Matsushita |
| Bishamon | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Kan Tokumaru |
| Dark Jon Talbain/Dark Gallon | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yuji Ueda |
| Dee | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| Demitri Maximoff | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| Donovan Baine | No | Yes | Console ports only | Yes | Yes | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| Felicia | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Kae Araki |
| Hsien-Ko/Lei-Lei | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Michiko Neya |
| Huitzil/Phobos | CPU only | Yes | Console ports only | Yes | Yes | Juurouta Kosugi |
| Jedah Dohma | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Isshin Chiba |
| Jon Talbain/Gallon | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yuji Ueda |
| Lilith Aensland | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Hiroko Konishi |
| Lord Raptor/Zabel Zarock | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yuji Ueda |
| Marionette | No | No | Console ports only | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Morrigan Aensland | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yayoi Jinguji |
| Oboro Bishamon | No | No | CPU only | Yes | Yes | Kan Tokumaru |
| Pyron | CPU only | Yes | Console ports only | Yes | Yes | Nobuyuki Hiyama |
| Q-Bee | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Miyuki Matsushita |
| Rikuo/Aulbath | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yuji Ueda |
| Sasquatch | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Kan Tokumaru |
| Shadow | No | No | Console ports only | Yes | Yes | N/A |
| Victor von Gerdenheim | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Kan Tokumaru |
Related media
Cartoon
Main article: Darkstalkers (TV series)
Anime
Main article: Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge (anime)
Manga books
A manga adaptation was authored by Run Ishida and published in Japan by Ascii in 1996.[10] This manga was later adapted by Viz Comics under the title of Night Warriors: The Comic Series and published as a six-issue comic book which were later collected in a single trade paperback volume.[11]
A five-volume series Vampire Savior was authored by Mayumi Azuma and published by Gangan Comics.[12] It stars Lilith Aensland and an original character, John Stutely.
A one-shot Red Earth crossover manga Darkstalkers / Red Earth: Maleficarum was authored by Mami Itou in 1997. It was announced to be released in English by UDON Comics in 2010.[13]
Comic books
Main article: Darkstalkers (comics)
Other books
In 2008, UDON released the Darkstalkers Graphic File, a collection of screenshots, storyboards and concept art from the series.[14]
In 2009, UDON and Capcom released a 15th anniversary art book Darkstalkers Tribute. It consists of submitted artwork from fans of the series, along with artwork from some of UDON and Capcom's own artists and several famous manga artists such as Yasuhiro Nightow.[15] The book was first available in August 2009 at several anime conventions before being widely released the following September.
Reception
In 2010, UGO.com's K. Thor Jensen ranked Darkstalkers at number 19 on the list of the games that need sequels, adding "I know they're all about the 3D these days, but let's get a team of crazy artists like the ones who came up with the original roster and let them go wild on a whole new group of supernatural contenders."[16] In 2011, Andrew Hayward of Complex Magazine ranked Darkstalkers as first on the list of most missed fighting franchises, stating: "Every time Capcom announces a new fighting game, the hardcore community gets whipped up about Darkstalkers' continual absence, and demands a modern iteration. The supernatural 2D franchise wasn't a big hit, but fervent fans have kept its name alive and seem unwilling to let it fade away."[17] Complex also included Darkstalkers 4 among the 15 games they hoped would be announced at E3 2011.[18] In 2012, Complex ranked Darkstalkers at number 40 on the list of the best video game franchises, commenting: "Its unique brand of brawling made it instantly memorable, as well as its colorful cast of bizarre combatants. ... Or is it the completely out there movesets? We're not sure. All we know is we'd love to see a modern incarnation."[19]
References
- ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2010-09-29). "Street Fighter X Tekken". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-09-29-capcom-talks-street-fighter-x-tekken-interview. Retrieved 2012-09-29.
- ↑ Yoon, Andrew (2010-10-02). "Only 995,000 more requests before Capcom's Inafune considers a new Darkstalkers game". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/02/only-995-000-more-requests-before-capcoms-inafune-considers-a-n/. Retrieved 2012-10-02.
- ↑ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2011-03-24). "Darkstalkers game requests up to 100k". Eurogamer. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-03-24-darkstalkers-game-requests-up-to-100k. Retrieved 2011-03-24.
- ↑ North, Dale (2011-07-21). "SDCC: Darkstalkers are not dead... if you've got money". Destructoid. http://www.destructoid.com/sdcc-darkstalkers-are-not-dead-if-you-ve-got-money-206700.phtml. Retrieved 2012-07-21.
- ↑ Catalyst (2011-06-04). "'Darkstalkers are not dead' T-shirt featured prominently in latest Street Fighter X Tekken episode #2 clip". Eventhubs. http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2012/jun/04/darkstalkers-are-not-dead-tshirt-featured-prominently-latest-street-fighter-x-tekken-episode-2-clip/. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
- ↑ Spencer (2012-07-12). "Capcom’s Yoshinori Ono Hints At Darkstalkers". Siliconera. http://www.siliconera.com/2012/07/12/capcoms-yoshinori-ono-hints-at-darkstalkers/. Retrieved 2012-07-13.
- ↑ Crecente, Brian (2012-10-11). "'Darkstalkers Resurrection' bundle brings back second and third franchise titles". The Verge. http://www.theverge.com/gaming/2012/10/11/3490410/capcom-unveils-new-old-darkstalkers-game. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Mallory, Jordan (2012-10-11). "Capcom: Ono dreams of revitalizing Darkstalkers, 'wants Darkstalkers 4'". Joystiq. http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/11/capcom-ono-dreams-of-revitalizing-darkstalkers-wants-darkstal/. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ↑ Clements, Ryan (2012-10-11). "NYCC: Darkstalkers is Back". IGN. http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/10/11/nycc-darkstalkers-is-back. Retrieved 2012-10-12.
- ↑ "Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge". Google Books. http://books.google.com/books/about/Night_Warriors.html?id=hh_ePQAACAAJ.
- ↑ "Night Warriors: Darkstalkers' Revenge". Comic Vine. http://www.comicvine.com/night-warriors-darkstalkers-revenge/49-19040/.
- ↑ "Vampire Savior". Comic Vine. http://www.comicvine.com/vampire-savior/49-36863/.
- ↑ "Udon Entertainment to Publish Darkstalkers / Red Earth: Maleficarum Manga". Anime News Network. 2010-05-22. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-05-22/udon-entertainment-to-publish-darkstalkers/red-earth/maleficarum-manga. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
- ↑ "Capcom Store - Buy Darkstalkers Graphic File book". Capcom. http://www.comicvine.com/night-warriors-darkstalkers-revenge/49-19040/.
- ↑ "Capcom Store - Buy Darkstalkers Tribute Art Book". Capcom. http://shop.capcom.com/store/capcomus/en_US/pd/productID.158311300/Darkstalkers-Tribute-Book.html.
- ↑ Jensen, K. Thor (2010-11-23). "25 Games That Need Sequels". UGO Networks. http://www.ugo.com/games/darkstalkers-1. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
- ↑ Hayward, Andrew (2011-09-23). "The 10 Most Missed Fighting Franchises". Complex. http://www.complex.com/video-games/2011/08/the-10-most-missed-fighting-franchises/darkstalkers. Retrieved 2011-09-23.
- ↑ "Hype Dreams: The 15 Games We Hope Are Announced At E3 2011". Complex. 2011-03-29. http://www.complex.com/video-games/2011/03/games-we-want-e3-2011/darkstalkers-4. Retrieved 2011-03-29.
- ↑ The 50 Best Video Game Franchises | Complex
External links
- The original source of this article at Wikipedia
- Darkstalkopedia
- Darkstalkers series - Capcom Database Wiki
- Darkstalkers series at MobyGames
- Hardcore Gaming 101 retrospective
- Comprehensive list of Darkstalkers games and characters
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