WIP Focus: Dr. Doomsday by Tenchimuyo4ever

Volzzilla has shared with us another interview. This time with Tenchimuyo4ever who is working on bringing the Amalgam character known as Dr. Doomsday who is obvious a mashup of Doctor Doom and Doomsday. Here is the interview. Volzzilla's comments are in bold and the responses are unbolded.

As part of Amalgam week, I discussed how things are progression with the Dr. Doomsday WIP with Tenchimuyo4ever.

1) So how did you decide upon bringing Dr. Doomsday to MUGEN?

We were first going over our list of potential villains for the game and we noticed that Dr. Doomsday was the villain with the most appearances in the actual Amalgam comic history. Realizing that, we decided that he has to be in the game as a boss. Sic and I both knew that Deanjo, one of our sprite editors was already working on Doomsday and I originally wanted him to work on Dr Doomsday but he said his WIP list was pretty full and that he wanted to get more of them out way first. Looking at my own WIP list during the time, I figured that I needed a few more, so I decided to work on him myself. Even though I was going to design and sprite the character myself, I still wanted Dean to play a hand in his creation since he was working on Doomsday so he designed the original base. I tweaked it a little bit, created a stance and then AOS Dr Doomsday was born.

2) Please share your thoughts about his general comic back history and about the character in general.

When it comes in terms of power, the DC counterpart is pure strength and not to mention the one character that has managed to kill Superman himself. To think of a character that powerful in terms of strength and then to have the high intelligence of Dr. Doom combined, would be a threat to the entire Amalgam universe. Like Dr Doom he's made the most appearances out of all the villains in the few published Amalgam comics and he's the type of character that can out match characters like FerroMan and Super Soldier alike. And to make things worse for the Amalgam heroes, his energy abilities are his actual abilities instead of being restrained to a suit of armor.

3) So tell the readers what bases you are using other than the obvious.

Well the bases are a little simpler than it looks. Obviously Zangief is part of the base while his upper body is Hugo from Sf4. The cape is taken from Dr Doom and the head and cowl are custom-sprited.

4) How is the progress going on Dr. Doomsday?

The progress is going great so far. I did have an earlier version of him coded for a video but I recently updated the sprites with more detail. Some of the punch animations are a little harder to create but with time and hard work it's something I can accomplish.

5) What has stood out the most during the creation process in a positive manner? What has been giving you the most trouble?

What stands out for this character is the feel you get when you look at that stance. The stance he uses look kind of unorthodox yet powerful - it's not the type of stance that someone would go into in a fight unless they were unmanageable and Dr Doomsday isn't too far from that. Also the animations that I have done so far make the good Doctor look like he's not putting in too much effort into some very powerful attacks. So far the basic attacks have been a little difficult to sprite being that Hugo is kind of very lanky in a lot of his poses.

6) What concepts for special and hyper moves can we expect from the Doomsday portion of the character? Same question, but from the Dr. Doom side. What other special and hyper moves that are totally unique can you share with the audience?

The Doomsday side of the character is going to be present in a lot of physical attacks. Dr. Doomsday is going to utilize attacks that are so powerful, that they will shake the entire screen. When Dr Doomsday walks, just his very footsteps make the entire screen shake,his grapples are going to be powerful enough to leave large craters in the ground and if you defeat him while his energy bar is full he can revive himself similar to how Gill can from Sf4, since Doomsday never dies =]. The Dr Doom side of the character is going to utilize many projectiles in a few different fashion, though he won't have as many as Dr. Doom, but the way he utilizes them have a more power effect being that he combines these abilities with his grapples.

7) Sounds like he will be very difficult to beat! Do you have any special plans in regards to intros/exits with any other characters?

I plan on him having special intros with Dr Doom and Doomsday both of course. I also plan on him having a special intro with FerroMan and possibly Super Soldier.

9) So what are your general thoughts on beta releases? Can you give a possible timetable on a beta to release and/or a goal for the full release?

Well being that he's one of the bosses of our game, he will be one of the later characters released…but don't worry Amalgam fans, I have another unannounced WIP to satisfy you until Dr Doomsday is done. I will be announcing this WIP sometime after one of my character releases =].

If you’d like to keep track of this progress:

http://sicgraphicsmugen.darkbb.com/character-wip-f10/aos-wip-dr-doomsday-t205.htm?sid=4a6d385f1db3318e76b42e4269a184e0

For more information of the character’s comic history:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Doomsday

Mugen Announcements!

I have two announcements from the geniuses at Scruffy Dragon.


1. An Amalgam screen pack!
2. Buyog has released an updated Parasite!

Mugen: Spawn

Spawn is a famous character. I feel ambivalent about him. Unarguably, Todd McFarlane has created a character that must be recognized as a major player in fiction. I have written a previous post on my main blog. Interesting enough there are a few versions of the character adapted for mugen. Of the five I know about, three are the most important.

Spawn Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Spawn - Edited by Hioushi	9	8	9	Download
	HellSpawn - Edited by Hioushi	9	7	8	Download
	Dark Saviour'	8	8	7	Download

Out of the three, I like the first Spawn on my list the best. The reason why is because of how he looks. I tend to be a purist for Spawn's look. However the HellSpawn version is really strong. In addition the 3rd version has some really special moves. For example, that version has a healing factor. Here is a video of the tests I ran for Spawn.

Light Saber Fight ....in Lingerie

No words...I have no words. I thought that this was very funny! "These aren't the Girls you are looking for." It will be a Classic!

Mugen: Ferro Man 2.0

We have another release of Ferro Man! You can download it from: http://www.scruffydragon.com/. This version is worth your time. It plays differently than the previous version. It has new moves!!!

Here is the video of me putting it through it's paces.

Mugen: Mr. Fantastic Update

ZVitor has released an updated version of his Mr. Fantastic. Get it from the character download section of the Infinifity Mugen Team website. The character is even more awesome.

Mugen: Parasite

I haven't seen Parasite much in the comics but I have seen him a lot in animation. He has seemed most often to be a Superman villain but it was always fun to watch him mixing it up with the Justice League. Gaining the powers and memories of an opponent just by touching them is really cool. That being said, I have never seen any character like Buyog's Parasite. I mean it's ambitious and awesomely executed. The character is intended to copy the powers of several mugen characters. That's pretty awesome. To find out more about the character, read the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parasite_(comics)






Here is my quick-look chart

Parasite Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Buyog	9	6	8	http://www.buyog.com/MUGEN/parasite.html

The fighting system is so unique...so amazing...that Buyog has been nice enough to make a video for how it works. It is so well done I'd like to post that video soon.





As for how the character plays very well. To fully understand what he has to offer the ReadMe file is extremely helpful. I need a lot of practice working with this character to bring out his full potential. Buyog pointed out that there are some bugs but I can tell you that none of them took away from the fun of playing with this character. Here is a video of me putting this work of art through its paces!

Grudge Match: Plastic Man vs Mr. Fantastic

Ever wondered who win Plastic Man vs Reed Richards, aka Mr. Fantastic? I have. And I have heard many arguments. Simply put, Reed's powers are more limited than Plastic Man's Powers. Plastic Man can form his body into Anything! So in a contest based on powers alone, I have to give it to Plastic Man. However, as everyone knows that fights are not settled on super powers alone. Reed's got the technology and the genius intellect to use his powers to get the upper hand. Therefore in a real fight I really think Mr. Fantastic would win, especially if Plastic Man, would make Reed angry by doing or saying something stupid...like hitting on his wife! I decided to stage the fight in Mugen. It's ZVitor's Mister Fantastic vs Mambojambo's Plastic Man. Both characters are computer controlled at AI level 4. Here is the video:

Announcement: Here's the Skinny on the "Favorite Fiction" Blog

I thank everyone who has read and supported this blog, especially Volzzilla for his help with generating great content. I wanted to let everyone know that I may be out of contact for a time because my wife is scheduled to go into labor soon. It's a boy! I've got some articles and posts already set to come out but for new breaking stuff may come out later than I normally will post them. I'm gonna be kinda busy doing husband and daddy stuff and I thank God. Thank you all for your support and readership.

Mugen: Thing

The Thing is one of the most beloved characters of fiction. Although he has rock-hard skin and super strength and near invulnerability, he has a soft compassionate heart. He can't stand to see innocent people to suffer. He clobbers anyone who hurts others. He has great courage. Although some might think he looks like a monster, he is more of what a man is truly supposed to be than a lot of characters and people in real-life. He's also tragic. The accident that gave him his super powers also robbed him of any chance of a normal life because of his immense size and appearance. What makes him a hero to me is that instead of always giving in to self-pity, he does the right thing to help others no matter how he might feel personally. He protects his friends and family and complete strangers even though they may fear him because of how he looks. We can all learn a lot from Benjamin J. Grimm - The Thing.

Here are some links to more information about him:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thing_(comics)
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Thing_(Benjamin_Grimm)

The Thing Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Warner	8	9	9	http://www.freewebs.com/warner12/personajeschars.htm

Warner's Thing has great AI, as proven in the March Madness tournament on this blog. I like this mugen character but it is not easy for me...as shown in this video. I wholeheartedly recommend this character but I wasn't able to show him at his best. Here is the test I ran.

Mugen: Crystal

Crystal is one of the most amazing characters in the Marvel Universe. She is an elemental she control the four elements of fire, water, earth, and wind. Think The Avatar only older and much prettier. She's been around since the 1960's and is one of the most connected characters in the Marvel Universe. She has been a member of the Fantastic Four, the Avengers, and the Inhumans (her family). She was married to the Avenger Quicksilver. Think of it...Magneto is her father-in-law. Imagine the family dynamics! Here are some links for more information about her.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_(comics)
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Crystal

Crystal Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Magus, Smogon & Jeff	9	6	8	http://www.scruffydragon.com/f/chars_marvel_two.html

The character is really fun to play with. There are really good moves that give you the feeling of wielding fire, water, and wind. Quite fun!

Mugen: Venom

Venom is really one of Spider-man's greatest foes. He's not interested in stealing or ruling the world. His only true goal is to kill Spider-man. The truth is that I think that Venom is a great example of how people are. What I'm getting at is that Venom is really two beings who hate Spider-man each of whom hate him for no really good reason. They blame him for what happened to them when in my opinion it wasn't Spider-man's fault. Venom has appeared in every Spider-man animated series since 1994 and they managed to keep his origin consistent. The 1994 version is most like the comic book and the current version in Spectacular Spider-man more closely resembles the origin told in the Ultimate Spider-man comics. Originally, Venom is Eddie Brock, Peter Parker's rival in news journalism, and an alien symbiote that Spider-man wore for months thinking that it was just a costume and not alive. Eddie Brock hates Spider-man because he exposed Brock's biggest story as a lie. If I remember correctly, Brock wrote a story saying that he knew who a villain serial killer called Sin-Eater really was but Spider-man captured him and exposed Sin-Eater's true identity. Brock lost everything as a result...his job and reputation. Of course he blamed Spider-man for his losses. The costume hates Spider-man because when Peter Parker realized that his new threads weren't threads, but a living being that wore him when he was sleep and was attempting to permanently bond to him, he rejected it. Put together, Venom thoroughly hates Spider-man, has all of his powers, plus the powers of the sybiote (tendrils, near physical invulnerability), does not set off Spider-man's spider-sense, and adds Spider-man superhuman strength to Brock's peak-human strength making Venom stronger than Spider-man. I think that there are a lot of people in real life like Eddie Brock. People who would rather blame others for their mistakes rather than take responsibility. I have found four versions of Venom for mugen.

Venom Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Juan Carlos	8	8	9	Download
	Big Eli	9	8	9	Download
	Sludge	8	7	9	http://www.infinityMugenTeam.com
	Infinity Mugen Team	8	8	9	http://www.infinityMugenTeam.com

Venom's mugen incarnations are great. Here is my video:

Mugen: Omega Red

Omega Red is interesting to me because I like the idea of a government attempting to gain power and then have that weapon rage out of their control. Few things are more dramatic than kind of premise. Omega Red is an attempt that communist Russia made to create their own super soldier. Everybody wants their own Captain America. Once Omega Red became successfully empowered, he turned against the men who made him. This means that it keeps falling to the X-men to stop Omega Red. I think largely due to the fact of the long standing rivalry between Wolverine and Omega Red. Here is some more information on the character.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omega_Red
http://www.marvel.com/universe/Omega_Red

Omega Red Mugen Versions

Image	Creator	Fun Factor	AI	Look	Downloads
	Kong	8	6	8	http://www.infinitymugenteam.com/

The Omega Red character is fun to play with. My favorite move is how you can use his tendrils to throw a character across the screen. Here is a video showing the character in action.

WIP Focus: Kratos, by Kratos and DooM Part 1

Volzzilla has done it again. He has shared another interview with a very talented creator in the MUGEN community, Kratos. The best thing about Mugen is the wide variety of characters available from very different universes so that battles that we always wanted to see can finally be done. I'm really glad to see a character based on Kratos. Volzzilla's comments and questions are bolded and Kratos' are unbolded.

Hold onto your chains ladies and gentlemen, I just sat down with lead programmer and gameplay designer, Kratos, for an exclusive interview about the upcoming God of War Mugen character. Check out the article to see what's in store for this vengeful Spartan.

1) Why did you personally decide to start work on this character?

There are a couple reasons for this. One is that I'm a huge God of War fan (haha, that's obvious). Another is that I was going to work with DooM on a Kratos character about 2 years ago, but it never took off. It wasn't until recently that I learned that he was going to start spriting Kratos again. I saw the sprites on MFG and it was a major overhaul. They were bigger and better. So I contacted DooM through msn, we got to talking and before you knew it, we were partners once again. But this time we're in it to finish.

2) Why are you primarily drawing from GoW 2 and 3 for inspiration for this character and not the first game and the PsP versions?

We feel there is much more potential for gameplay and story if we focus the character on GoW 2 and 3. GoW 1 is a great game, but we feel that 2 expands upon it and really breaks into Kratos' persona. The story is deeper, and we get to see much more of Kratos’ abilities. We haven't learned much about GoW 3 besides what's available for public knowledge, but what we have seen so far is very interesting and could make it's way into the character.

3) I've been reading your WIP threads about how the weapons system will be an accessible inventory system you can switch on the fly. Can you go into more detail about this system please? What weapons will you be using?

Right, the weapon system will be on the fly. That means no graphical inventory. Kratos will use a weapon button. That means you can setup for some pretty sick combo's by weapon switching during them. I won't go into full detail right now about what weapons you'll see, because surprises are good. But here are a few that we have planned:

• Typhon's Bane - A magical bow and arrow-like weapon that allows Kratos to fire rapid blasts of wind.

Blade of Artemis - This is a large, curved, cumbersome blade given to Kratos by the goddess Artemis. It is quite slow, but also does more damage to enemies than the Blades of Chaos.

Barbarians Hammer - A slow but powerful close combat weapon originally wielded by the Barbarian King. With it, Kratos can deliver powerful slams and smashes, and also summon legions of souls.

4) Considering he was a pretty significant component of GoW2, will we see Pegasus implemented in any way?

Yes. I think one of the greatest parts of GoW 2 was the Pegasus ride. We probably won't be seeing Pegasus in the combat aspect of the character, but actually in the intro and/or outros.

5) Magic was also one of Kratos' main attacks, what spell concepts are you planning to use in the MUGENized version of him?

There will definitely be magic abilities. These are only some of what's planned.

• Atlas Quake - A wide area ground pounding attack in which Kratos summons earthquakes and rocky debris.

• Head of Euryale - The severed head of Euryale, which can be used to turn enemies to stone (similar to the Medusa's Gaze from the first game).
  
  We will reveal more magic abilities later as the character progresses.

6) Any plans on implementing fatalities? If so, can you please go into more detail about that?

If Kratos does have any fatalities, you won't see an actual Fatality screen. This isn't Mortal Kombat and I don't think it would go with him very well. Much like the original games, fatalities would most likely be in the form of QTE Finishers. Though this is all still being worked out. If we include them, we want to make sure it's done right.

7) What's been the most challenging part of your project so far, and what challenges do you think you will encounter as you continue the character?

So far the challenge is making everything look right. DooM is an amazing spriter, and when I code the animations, they also must look fluid and natural. We don't want the character to just play great, but look great as well. God of War pushed the PS2 graphically, and we're looking to do the same in Mugen.




I would say overall this would be my most challenging project. This character is going to be more complex than anything I've worked on. We're setting the bar so high I'm going to have to learn a thing or two about things I never coded. And lastly, the AI of the character…I haven't coded AI before. So this will be something new to me. Though I am looking forward to it. It's going to be a challenge not just because I haven't coded an AI before, but also because the AI I want to code has to be perfect for this character.

8) Anything else you would like to share?

I'd like to thank the community thus far for the support we've received on this character. DooM and I are always open to questions and suggestions. After all, this is a character made by the fans for the fans. Keep an eye out in the coming weeks for more news. And for all those who don't know yet, God of War: Mugen Carnage - The Official Site is the dedicated site for our character. See y'all around...in Hades!

Thanks, Kratos! All right, so that wraps up the interview with Kratos. Stay tuned for part 2 when we interview lead spriter and website designer DooM. Are DooM and Kratos planning to unveil something new? Find out next week.

To follow their progress, take the following links:

http://www.infinitymugenteam.com/Forum_345/index.php?topic=21237.0

http://forum.mugen-infantry.net/index.php?topic=124375.0

http://mugenguild.com/forumx/index.php?topic=93833.0

For more info on Kratos in general, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_of_War_(series)

Scruffyversary Parasite Week - Stolen power showcase

If you have not seen this video, take a look. Buyog and his team have done something awesome.





For more information you should visit:
The Lair - Buyog's Mugen Lair
Scruffy Dragon