The Official BlazBlue: Continuum Shift (360/PS3) Thread of Cyborgs and Furries

[sephi22]

Name: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift
Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Aksys Games
Genre: 2D Fighting
Platforms: Arcade/Playstation 3/Xbox 360
Release Date(s): JP: July 1, 2010 | NA: July 27, 2010 | EU: October 2010
Price: $39.99
Alternate Version(s):

GENERAL INFO:​

BlazBlue (pronounced Blaze-Blue) is a 2D fighting game series developed by Aksys Games, makers of the popular Guilty Gear franchise. It is considered as a spiritual successor to the Guilty Gear franchise and uses few of the same mechanics in its gameplay. Its soundtrack is composed by Daisuke Ishiwatari, who's also the creator and music composer of the Guilty Gear franchise.

BlazBue is a 2D fighting game boasting high-resolution 2D sprites and beautiful cel-shaded 3D backgrounds. BlazBlue's gameplay allows for flashy air combos, and can best be described as a mix of Guilty Gear, Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom games. It is a 4-button fighting system, and uses 4 kinds of attacks - A, B, C, and Drive. Drive or D attacks can be considered as 'one button special moves' and do a different function depending on the character. Hence, each character feels different from the rest because of their drives.

BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger debuted in November, 2008 and took Japanese arcades by storm. The console version was released in June, 2009, and was met with critical acclaim. It was praised for its gentle learning curve, amazing art style, attention to detail and outstanding netcode. It won IGN's Fighting Game of the Year award over Street Fighter IV, and even received a favorable mention by popular webcomic Penny Arcade.

Spoiler: show

BlazBlue returns for its second outing - BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, which is a balanced revision of last year's game. It includes a rebalanced gameplay, additional modes, 3 new characters, an expansive story mode, new challenge mode, and excellent online support. Full features are discussed below.

FEATURES:​

• Fast, Balanced 2D Fighting: Continuum Shift brings back Calamity Trigger's fighting system, now more balanced and improved than ever before.

•15+ Distinct Characters: Hazama, Tsubaki and Mu join the cast. Makoto Nanaya has been confirmed as a downloadable character, and other DLC characters may also join the fray. Each character also has an 'unlimited' mode which is a uber-powerful 'boss' version of the character, effectively doubling the number of characters.

• Brand New Story Mode: Calamity Trigger's story mode gave players 10+ hours of exposition. The story continues in Continuum Shift's story mode.

• New and Returning Single Player Modes: Arcade, Practice, and Survival modes return from Calamity Triggor, and new modes are added including Legion Mode, Challenge Mode, and Tutorial Mode.

• Beginner Control Scheme: New visitors to the world of BlazBlue need not fret. Beginner Mode assists new players with a simplified control scheme so they can enjoy the game right away and even learn fundamentals without becoming encumbered by technical inputs.

• Unmatched Network Support: Fight in Player Match lobbies for upto 8 players or level up in Ranked Matches. Save your favorite replays after each match and show them to your friends. BlazBlue boasts the best fighting game netcode on consoles and possibly the best netcode ever after GGPO.

SCREENSHOTS​

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GAMEPLAY SYSTEM​

Click the spoiler for my detailed explanation of some of the game's core fighting mechanics.

Spoiler: show

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BlazBlue's fighting system varies considerably from popular 2D fighting games like Street Fighter in that it allows more freedom in form of multiple offensive and defensive tools. Some of these are discussed below. You can find a detailed explanation of Continuum Shift's fighting system here.

OFFENCE:​

BlazBlue gives you some awesome offensive tools. BlazBlue's combo system gives the player a lot of freedom to create combos. Counterhits are more lethal than Street Fighter, and even overheads can lead to devastating combos.

Heat Guage:

BlazBlue's version of the Super Gauge is called the Heat Gauge.
Used to perform Distortion Drive, Rapid Cancel, etc. The Heat Gauge is all the way at the bottom of the screen. Whenever characters attack, the amount of Heat Gauge they are receiving is based on the move they use. When character's health bar below 20%, Heat Gauge start to increase automatically.

Distortion Drives:

BlazBlue's highly combo'able 'Super' moves. DDs use 50% of the Heat Gauge. Hence, at 100% heat, the player can do 2 Distortion Drives. DDs can be considered as extra-powerful special moves. What this means is that most supers can be cancelled from normals, special moves, throws, and some drives even let you combo after them. Some drives can also be combo'ed from other drives.
Distortion Drives in Continuum Shift have minimum damage (20% of the total damage) that is not affected by scaling. Using it in the end of a combo is stronger than before.

Astral Heat:

The mother of all finishing moves. If you land an Astral Heat, its game over. However, there are certain requirements that need to be met before you can use an Astral Heat. You should have atleast one Break Burst icon, you should have 100% Heat, you should be 1 round away from winning, and your opponent's life should be below 35%.Even if all these conditions are met, keep in mind that Astral Heats are easy to dodge if not combo'ed into.

Rapid Cancel:

You know how Focus Attack Dash Cancels (FADC) eliminates your recovery frames in Street FIghter IV? Rapid Cancels work on the same principle. Rapid Cancels use 50% of the heat gauge. Pressing A+B+C during any attack stops the attack and puts you in a neutral state. You can use this to make attacks safer, increase your combo length, make uncombo'able moves combo'able, etc.

Throws:

Throws are just awesome in BlazBlue, and work unlike any other game. If you're tired of repeatedly getting thrown in other games, or don't find throws useful, you're going to love BlazBlue's throw system.
First of all, every character has two ground throws as well as an air throw, which are done by pressing B+C. Throws are unblockable, but are techable. Secondly, throws work like standard attacks - as in you can combo from them and into them!

For example, you can do a forward/back throw, and immediately follow up with a combo, special move, or super. Likewise, you can start a combo, and throw your opponent during the hitstun, and follow the throw with another combo. Similarly, you can start a combo, launch the opponent into the air, dash towards him before he can air recover, and do an air throw, which also allows you to continue your combo. Throw damage does not scale, so using throws in the middle of combos is highly beneficial.

While throws sound pretty amazing, they are actually easy to break. The game actually tells you the correct timing to break a throw. Whenever someone tries to throw you, an exclamation mark appears above your character. Pressing B+C at that instant breaks the throw. If the opponent throws you in the middle of their combo, two exclamation marks appear and you get even more time to break their throw. There are two situations when throws become unbreakable - when its a command grab/super or when your opponent throws you in the middle of your attack.

DEFENCE:
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BlazBlue is a game which rewards offensive gameplay. Turtling and running away is discouraged, and there is even a limit to blocking and shielding from attacks. The game wants you to attack at every chance you get, and continuously defending won't do you too much good. There are two ways of defending in BlazBlue - Guard and Barrier.

Guard:

Guarding is holding back to block an opponent's attack. Like other 2D games, blocking high does not avoid low attacks, and blocking low does not avoid overhead attacks. However, there is a limit to the amount you can block. This is controlled by your Guard Primers (see picture).

Every character has a move that on block, destroys one of the opponent's guard primers. When all guard primers are gone, the opponent experiences a guard crush, and he/she is vulnerable for a few seconds. After a guard crush, all primers are restored. Once a primer is crushed, it takes about 15 seconds to reform. However, if you continue blocking, your primer won't regenerate, and if you attack the opponent and force him/her to block, your primer will regenerate quicker. Hence, offence is rewarded in BlazBlue.

Instant Guard: Instant Guard is a bit harder to do than the basic one, and more rewarding to return. By holding back to defend an attack right before getting hit, your character flashes white to indicate you instant block successfully. Characters recover much quicker from guard stun with instant guard and has less knockback effect.

Barrier:

Barrier is an useful defense mechanism. By pressing any back direction plus A and B, your character forms a protective shield as they block. While using Barrier drains the Barrier Gauge, it has a lot of benefits as well. Barrier is a reliable way to defend the air unblockable moves. Unlike Instant Guard, Barrier has a greater pushback effect and negate both chip damage and Guard Primer reduction. Note that you still have to guard different level of attacks accordingly such as stand guard an overhead or crouch guard a low attack. In addition, Barrier is not effective vs unblockable.

Like guard, there is a limit to the amount of barrier you can use. Once your Barrier gauge depletes, you enter a danger condition where you take significantly more damage with each move.

Negative Penalty:
My favorite mechanism in BlazBlue and the greatest Anti-Turtle mechanic.
When the player is being too defensive, the negative penalty warning sign appears. If that player continue to be defensive, red aura will surround the character and he/she will take doubled damage. Unless that character is playing positive for a period of time, Negative Penalty does not go away until the round ends.

Actions that count as positive: Moving forward, jump forward, dashing forward, opponents block or get hit by the attack, your character get hit or blocks the attacks.
Actions that count as negative: Jump away, back dash, back air dash.

Break Burst:

Break Burst is BlazBlue's version of 'Combo Breaker'.
Break Burst, activate by pressing A + B + C + D when Burst icon is available, can be used to stop opponents' combos and pressure strings, or to extend combos as it launches opponent. Unlike Barrier Burst in the previous version, you don't lose your Barrier gauge after burst in this game. However, your character loses half of the Guard Primer points, rounds up. You can save the Break Burst icon for the next round. You start with one burst and get one extra burst next round if you lose the round. Although burst does not guard breaks opponent any more, you can now finish opponent after the burst.


These are just some of the major aspects of BlazBue's fighting system. Discussing each small aspect in detail would be akin to writing a book. So I would urge everyone to visit the link given at the start of this section.

STORY​

[Calamity Trigger]
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Prior to the events of BlazBlue, humanity was on the verge of extinction from the "Black Beast", a creature of Darkness. The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Armagus", a fusion of magic and technology, to defeat the Beast.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium Armagus (the Library for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Armagus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Armagus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Armagus. This dissent would eventually form years later into The Ikaruga Civil War, when the Ikaruga Union openly rebelled against the Library. After the war, the Library imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the Library with the death penalty.

On December A.D. 2199, several years after the Ikaruga Civil War, a branch of the Library was utterly destroyed by an SS-class traitor named "Ragna the Bloodedge" also known as "The God of Death", in an attempt to destroy the entire Library. The Novus Orbis Librarium Armagus, hoping to stop him, immediately put the largest bounty ever for anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possessed a powerful form of Armagus known as the "Azure Grimoire", also known as the BlazBlue. This led to the Librarium, as well as the Ikaruga Union and other fighters, to be after not just his bounty, but also his grimoire.

[Continuum Shift]​

The game is set after the Events of Blazblue: Calamity Trigger. A few days have passed since the reported raid by Ragna the Bloodedge, The 13th Hierarchical City "Kagutsuchi" forgets to celebrate New Years, as his alleged involvement in the "Mysterious Bombing" and "Huge Pentacle Sightings" becomes the talk of the town.

With the Novus Orbis Librarium offering no official explanation, the citizens voice their own theories, exaggerating and spreading rumors like wildfire. The name "Ragna the Bloodedge" is engraved in the minds of the people. Completely indifferent to the state of the city, the silver-haired Grim Reaper grips his massive sword and quietly bides his time—waiting for the chance to achieve his true objective. And then, the enormous "power" that has ensnared the "Grim Reaper" begins to activate...

[Calamity Trigger True Ending]
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Spoiler: show

*Note: Ending Calamity Trigger's story mode with every character unlocks the 'true ending' mode, which shows what truly transpired.

CHARACTERS​

BlazBlue has fewer characters when compared to other 2D fighting game franchises like Street Fighter or King of Fighters. However, BlazBlue's characters have something that other fighting game characters don't - character. No two fighters in BlazBlue play the same (or even remotely similar). Not only do these characters have different normal, special and super moves, but even exclusive gauges and meters. Each character's personality is also fleshed out in the game's extensive story mode, and its impossible not to fall in love with at least one character.

BlazBlue: Calamity Triggor has 12 characters in total. BlazBlue Continuum Shift replaced the character 'Nu-13' with a balanced palette swap 'Lambda-11' and also added 2 brand new characters - Hazama and Tsubaki Yayoi. The console version of Continuum Shift will have an exclusive character - Mu-13 on disc. Exclusive DLC characters have also been announced. (See Downloadable Content section)

Name: Ragna The Bloodedge
Drive: Soul Eater
Ragna's Drive - Soul Eater - let's him steal health from his opponents. Every time you perform a Drive attack, or any special move, Ragna regains a small amount of HP. Ragna's Distortion Drives allow him to recover a considerable amount of health
Bio:

The main protagonist of BlazBlue, also known as the Grim Reaper. After destroying countless branches of the NOL, he was labeled as the most wanted criminal and received the largest bounty in NOL history on his head. He possesses a powerful form of Armagus called the Azure Grimoire, which is often either the secondary or primary target of those after his bounty.

He is Jin's biological brother, whose rivalry with him stems from an incident that happened with their sister, Saya, who is presumed to be dead. His right arm is mechanical because his real one was cut off by Terumi who took control of Jin's mind. He was resurrected by Rachel as a vampire, causing one of his green eyes to turn red, and his once blond hair to white. During the events of Continuum Shift, Ragna has taken Noel into his care, and starts caring for her much like he did with his sister Saya

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

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Name: Jin Kisaragi
Drive: Frost Bite
Jin's Drive - Frost Bite - allows him to freeze his opponent for a few seconds, which leads to increased combo'ability and damage. Jin's Drive can be used on the ground, in air, at the beginning or middle of a combo, and hence is very versatile. Jin can also use Drive versions of any of his special moves by pressing the D button at the end of the move's command. This gives the particular move freezing properties.
Bio:

Jin Kisaragi is a Major in the NOL, and one of its elite commanding officers. He is always cool and calm, but is also jealous, ambitious, and possessive, with little care for others, treating them like they are mere obstacles. He displayed formidable actions to gain his rank during the Ikaruga Civil War.

When he heard that Ragna the Bloodedge had arrived on the scene, he quickly abandoned his post to hunt him down by himself. The truth, however, is that Ragna is Jin's biological brother, and Jin's early feelings of rivalry were furthered by his visions of the future and his Nox Nyctores' amplification of his emotions. Terumi caused Jin's mind to hack off Ragna's arm and supposedly kill Saya, and Jin often says that he's looking forward to killing Ragna again. He possesses a notable psychosis, said to be caused by his sword, the Nox Nyctores "Yukianesa". While the sword grants him manipulation over ice, it also enhances primal feelings and is often blamed for "insanity".

His future alter-ego is the White Knight of the six heroes named Hakumen.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

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Name: Noel Vermillion
Drive: Chain Revolver
Noel's Drive - Chain Revolver, allows her to chain her attacks together, leading to a rhythmic rushdown that is difficult to deal with. It allows you to cancel each attack into another attack or special move. The ability to do this after a low or an overhead makes this even more formidable.
Bio:

This young girl was found amidst the burning fields of Ikaruga where she was rescued, and then adopted by the family of Vermillion. It was because of her outstanding combat activity that she became a high-ranking member of the NOL using the Nox Nyctores "Arcus Diabolus Bolverk" revolver, which apparently does not fire actual bullets but rather inflicts damage by creating distortions in dimensional space.

She was made Jin's subordinate by the NOL, although Jin treated her poorly due to her resemblance of Saya. When Jin rushed off to hunt down Ragna without permission from the NOL, Noel was assigned to stop him and bring him back to his post at the Library.

In Continuum Shift, she begins staying with Ragna, who starts caring for her much like he did with Saya. After realizing that Jin has left the hospital he went to after the injuries received by Ragna near the end of Calamity Trigger's True End Story, Noel sets off to find him on her own accord.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

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Name: Iron Tager
Drive: Voltec Battler (Magnetism)
Most grapplers in fighting games struggle with characters who love staying full screen away. Not Tager. Tager's drive - Magnetism, puts the opponents in a state where they are automatically sucked in by Tager's moves. It even makes your opponents think twice about quick recovery in the air, as they'll fly into Tager's waiting hands. The fact that Tager's command grabs/supers can do 30-50% damage makes this even more fearful.
Bio:

Originally the leader of an Ikaruga unit, Tager suffered a mortal wound during the Ikaruga Civil War and was forced to withdraw. He was revived as an enormous cyborg by Kokonoe, whom he pledged loyalty to afterward. After his revival, he bears a similar resemblance to a demon, which resulted in him dubbed as the "Red Devil of Sector Seven".

He is feared by many, but in truth he is very calm and calculated, only engaging in violence when necessary. He devotes himself to science and is polite and courteous to characters that don't get in his way. He has resumed his duties since his revival as a cyborg and is currently not only pursuing Hakumen, but also Ragna as a secondary target.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

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Name: Rachel Alucard
Drive: Silpheed
Rachel's Drive - Silpheed - lets her summon gusts of wind that can be used for offence or defence. The wind pushes your opponent back, and can be used to make Rachel quickly travel around the screen. Also, the wind gives special properties to some of Rachel's special moves, either making them do more damage or making them more combo'able.
Bio:

A vampire and the current head of the noble Alucard family, Rachel slipped out of her castle in search of fun because she hates to be bored. Due to her hair ties, many characters call her rabbit, a name that irritates her to no end, though Ragna seems to be the only one who can get away with it.

Rachel can apparently create a small pocket dimension called Requiem, which is her interface with dream world. She is often accompanied by her familiars, Nago and Gii, whom she often treats very roughly, and is supervised by her butler and guardian Valkenhayn. Rachel is the only character seemingly aware of the full extent of the story, as well as the fact that time is repeating.

Much of the reason for her frequent interference is an attempt to push them toward breaking the loop. Interestingly enough, in some late interactions it is revealed that she is one of the most powerful beings in the BlazBlue universe, and as such the only one capable of taking on Terumi. In battle she has extensive control over lightning and wind.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

*Note: Rachel is one of the best characters in CT, but she has been significantly nerfed in CS. Hence, all the combos given in the video might not work in CS.

Name: Taokaka
Drive: Dancing Edge
Taokaka's Drive - Dancing Edge - lets her travel quickly across the screen, away or toward her opponent. It let's her attack her opponent's from any angle - from the air or from the ground. It also let's her extend her air combos and force the opponent into the corner.
Bio:

A resident of the Kaka village and member of the Kaka tribe, Taokaka is a catgirl, wearing a large coat that obscures her true face, only exposing red eyes and a row of teeth. She is considerably food-obsessed and forgetful, often falling asleep on a whim, becoming hungry moments after a meal, or forgetting details moments after hearing them.

She is good friends with Litchi, affectionately referring to her as "Boobie Lady". Although, she doesn't seem to refer to anyone other than herself by name; she calls Ragna "good guy"(because he buys her food), Bang "scruffy man", Arakune "black squiggly", Noel "lacking lady", Hakumen "mask man", ν-13 "flappy-flap", and Jubei "cat person". She is unable to recognize that Ragna the "good-guy" and "Rawrgna" the criminal are the same person. Interesting to note is the fact that the Kaka tribe, which she hails from, is actually genetically engineered from the genes of Jubei, one of the six heroes.

Taokaka exhibits superhuman physical strength, being able fight continuously with other characters like Bang Shishigami and Noel Vermillion without any signs of exhaustion, and is also capable of surviving a fall from the top of Kagutsuchi completely unharmed.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

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Name: Litchi Faye-Ling
Drive: Mantenbou
Mantenbou is the name of Litchi's staff. Litchi's drive let's her shoot her staff across the screen, which acts as a projectile and hits on its way and its way back. Litchi can also plant her staff into the ground which reduces the range of her normals. However, she can enter a stance where she stands on top of the stance. An grounded staff is required for her Astral Heat and one of her supers.
Bio:

A renowned doctor living in Orient Town, located in Kagutsuchi. She owns a clinic there and is helped by her assistant Lin Hua. She worked with Tager and Kokonoe in Sector Seven until the incident where an unnamed man of importance to Litchi became Arakune.

She defends the local townspeople from Arakune and seeks to restore him to his former self through any means necessary, even through death. She also seems to respect Bang, even apologizing to him if she defeats him in a match, although she remains unaware of the true extent of his feelings for her. She is often subject to adoration for her noticeably large bust, particularly from Taokaka who likes to grope them. She is well-known and trusted by the Kaka clan living beneath Kagutsuchi, often bringing them food or teaching their members.

At some point she took an object from the Boundary, her panda hairpiece named Lao Jiu. It acts as an amplifier of Seithr, and seems to allow her control over her staff. She is also the main character in the supplemental "Teach Me, Miss Litchi!" episodes, where she attempts to teach Taokaka the intricacies of the BlazBlue world.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

Name: Arakune
Drive: Crimson
Arakune's Drive - Crimson - summons a cloud that on hit, curses the opponent for a certain duration, during which each of Arakune's normals summons a different bug on screen which hits the opponent. This substantially increases Arakune's zoning capabilities, as well as increasing his combo damage and combo'ability. The best strategy against Arakune is to avoid being cursed at any cost.
Bio:

A black blob-like creature with a white mask who formerly worked alongside Tager and Litchi in Sector seven. After an attempt to study the Boundary, he became what he is today, now housing innumerable insects with his now-blobby body and thriving on knowledge. His horrible condition has rendered him virtually insane and lacking any reliable memory, as well as distorting his speech to near incoherency .

He seems to not understand why others can't understand him, creating a crude mask for himself thinking it would allow others to understand what he's saying. He currently lives in the sewers of Kagutsuchi where the Seithr concentration is highest and will attack anyone who visits there. He has also been known to attack and devour his victims to sustain himself, specifically targeting the Kaka clan, the closest living creatures. He thirsts for power and knowledge above all else and considers the Azure the pinnacle of such. Anytime he meets Ragna he becomes obsessive in his desire to consume the Azure.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

Name: Bang Shishigami
Drive: Burning Heart
Bang's Drive - Burning Heart - is an attack that can absorbs a number of hits before it lands. Pressing a button when Bang is absorbing his opponent's attack makes him teleport to a certain location before counter-attacking. Each time you successfully land Bang's Drive, it activates one of Bang's four seals. Once all seals are activated, Bang can activate Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan, one of the most powerful and fun transformations in the game - increasing the power of Bang's attacks and considerably improving his speed.
Bio:

After losing his home in the Ikaruga Civil War and his master Tenjo at the hands of Jin Kisaragi, Bang and his followers began living in Kagutsuchi waiting for the right moment to strike back at Jin and the NOL. There, he declares himself a hero of love and justice and dedicates himself to exterminating evil and overturning injustice wherever he goes.

He is quite over-exuberant, prone to speeches and tangents as well as making dramatic entrances. He has a romantic fascination with Litchi, always willing to go charging in headlong if he sees someone making her upset. He is overzealous in every way, subtlety not usually at the forefront of his mind, however his fiery spirit and will have earned him the respect of a few characters..

Activating Bang's Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan drive changes the background music to the song "Omae no Tetsui ni Kugi wo Ute". This song, along with his choice of clothing, movement and mannerisms, is derived as a parody of the tokusatsu hero concept, more specifically Kamen rider. Bang's personality, as well as his dialogues in the Story mode, is reminiscent of Dan from Street Fighter. Unlike Dan, however, Bang is one of the best characters in the game.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

Name: Carl Clover
Drive: Automation
Carl's Drive - Automation - allows the player to control Carl's robotic companion Nirvana. The ability to control both Carl and Nirvana makes Carl one of the most unique characters in any game. Nirvana can be used for zoning, combos, as well as for two of Carl's three drives. Nirvana can take damage like any other character, and once her hit-points are gone, she is inactive for a few seconds after which she is reactivated with full HP.
Bio:

Carl is a young boy who, like Noel and Jin, was a student at the Military Academy, but dropped out without warning while Noel and Jin graduated. Currently, he is after Ragna's bounty and the Azure Grimoire, leading him to become a vigilante.

He travels with a maid-like puppet called Nirvana, whom he believes to be his sister Ada. He is unwilling to see that she is in fact the Nox Nyctores Deus Machina: Nirvana, a causality weapon in the form of a marionette which amplifies its owner's desires to kill. After several people attempted to disassemble or remove Nirvana from him, Carl became extremely paranoid and possessive over his "sister." In the end it is unknown whether Carl is insane or if Nirvana is truly Carl's sister, Ada.

It seems that Rachel's butler Valkenhayn has some history with Nirvana, as he is able to talk to and understand her just as Carl is. During a conversation, Nirvana tries to attack him but he mentions that they "are not enemies anymore" and manages to persuade her to calm down.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

Name: Hakumen
Drive: Zanshin
Hakumen's Drive - Zanshin - makes Hakuman perform a parry that can counter the opponent's move or push him/her away depending upon the input. It is hard to land but can turn the tide in Hakumen's favor if used correctly in a clutch situation. Hakumen relies less on his Drive as compared to other characters.
Bio:

One of the Six Heroes, Hakumen is a samurai-like cyborg wielding a sword as tall as he is and wearing a mask that completely hides his face. He lead mankind to defeat the Black Beast, then when attempting to warn the people that they needed to "repent for their sins" lest the Black Beast return, they trapped him in a space known as the "Edge", where he drifted for nearly a hundred years until Kokonoe discovered him. Kokonoe helped him return to the world, hoping to use him to defeat Terumi, but he set out to achieve his own agendas before being completely salvaged from the Edge.

Hakumen often says that his sword will purify the world of sin and vanquish that which is evil. In truth, Hakumen is a Jin from the future, whose soul was bound to the Susano'o unit after falling into the Gates of Sheol and saved by Rachel. He now possesses the ability to generate seemingly indefinite amounts of energy at will, and his sword is apparently capable of killing characters that otherwise could not be killed or would simply regenerate.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger):

Spoiler: show

Name: Λ - 11 (Lambda)
Drive: Sword Summoner
Lambda/Nu's drive - Sword Summoner - allows her to summon phantasmal swords seemingly out of thin air. She can summon multiple projectiles in quick succession and can zone her opponent from full screen away. Pressing the Drive button along with the correct directions can lead to projectile combos that start on the ground, and continue in the air. The swords can also be summoned in a diagonal direction, making it very difficult for opponents to get close to Lambda/Nu.
Bio:

An imitation Murakumo Unit created by Kokonoe by combining the body of the 11th experimental replica of Saya with the soul of ν-13, recovered after falling into the Gates of Sheol during the conclusion of Calamity Trigger's Story Mode. Kokonoe completely erased her memory and as a result, Λ-11 is only interested in carrying out Kokonoe's orders, although some fragment of her original self manages to resurface when she confronts Ragna.

She was originally mentioned in the opening of Calamity Trigger's Story Mode as a failed experiment, and pallete swap ν-13 in Continuum Shift's character roster. Gameplay wise, she plays like v-13 with some new and altered moves. Her unlimited form is going to be basically Nu.

Character Basics| Specials | Strategy | Combos Video (Calamity Trigger) (Nu):

Spoiler: show

*Note: Lambda is a palette swap of Nu - one of the top characters in CT. Lambda lacks a few moves Nu had, and has some moves that Nu didn't. Hence, the combos in the video might not work with Lambda. However, it is enough to give an idea about her playstyle.

Name: Tsubaki Yayoi
Drive: Install
Tsubaki's Drive - Install - lets her charge her Install meter which increases the damage and properties of her special moves and drives. Some of her normal attacks can be cancelled into her drive. The number on her Install guage shows her current stock. The higher this number, the higher damage one of her drives does.
Bio:

Jin's childhood friend/relative and Noel's former roommate from the Military Academy and a member of the NOL's 0 Division. She's described as a straight A student, and has a rather no-nonsense personality. She's very serious and reserved, and is a member of the dignified Yayoi family. By the end of the Story Mode's True End, she is assigned by Hazama to kill Noel and Jin. Originally appeared as sub-character in the BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Story Mode.

In Continuum Shift she is a playable character. In battle she wields an Armagus,"Izayoi" that can control light. However, it eventually causes its user to go blind. In-game, Izayoi also allows her to charge her moves with her Drive, "Install," although exactly how this process works story-wise has not yet been elaborated on.

Character Video (High Level Play):

Spoiler: show

*Note: Due to this being a new character in Continuum Shift, there are no official tutorial videos available. Videos showing High Level Play should be enough to give you an idea of this character's playstyle.

Name: Hazama / Terumi Yuuki
Drive: Ouroboros
Hazama's Drive - Ouroboros - allows him to shoot serpent like chains from his body. Pressing the drive button along with a direction shoots the Ouroboros in that direction, and pressing the drive button once again transports Hazama to that location. You can also shoot the chain at an opponent, then pull yourself toward him/her and continue the combo from there.
Bio:

The main villain of BlazBlue and one of the Six Heroes. Terumi is actually a ghost who taken alias as Hazama, a captain of the NOL's Intelligence Division. At first, he appears to be supervising Noel's actions to keep her in line, but he has a sinister hidden agenda. In truth, he is actually Terumi Yuuki, the main villain of BlazBlue and the culprit mastermind behind responsible for cutting off Ragna's arm, hack off Jin's mind, possibly killing Saya, and is the most likely cause of the space-time distortions.

He seems to be at odds with the other remaining members of the Six Heroes. Kokonoe has a murderous attitude toward him because he killed her mother, Nine, and in Terumi's own words Rachel is the only being currently capable of "keeping up" with him. At the end of the Story Mode he issues confidential verbal orders to Tsubaki to kill Noel and Jin. Originally appeared as sub-character in the BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger Story Mode.

In Continuum Shift he is a playable character. He wields a Nox Nyctores called "Ouroboros", which allows him to summon chains that hang in the air and can be used to swing him back and forth or attack his opponents. In the Arcade Ending, it is revealed that he was the creator of the Murakumo Units as well as the Black Beast, which according to him was a failed product in his quest to create the "Sword to Slay the Gods", Kusanagi. He also created the Azure Grimoire, and even has his own Grimoire similar to Ragna's.

Character Video (High Level Play):

Spoiler: show

*Note: Due to this being a new character in Continuum Shift, there are no official tutorial videos available. Videos showing High Level Play should be enough to give you an idea of this character's playstyle.

Name: μ -12 (Mu)
Drive: Steingunner
Mu's Drive - Steingunner- allows her to use the power of th elegendary sword Kusanagi to summon floating orbs in the air. These orbs can fire projectiles at the opponent. Due to Mu being a console exclusive character, there is limited information about her drive.
Bio:

Mu appears to be another cyborg replica of Saya, similar to Nu and Lambda. However, her true origins remain unknown. She is a console exclusive character.

Character Announcement Video (Casual Play):

Spoiler: show

*Note: Due to this being a console exclusive character in Continuum Shift, there are no tutorial or match videos available.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT:​

Downloadable content has been confirmed for the game. The first DLC release will contain the Makoto Nanaya as a playable character. Also, Nu-13 will be available as an unlimited version of Mu-12. It is rumored that 2 more characters will be unveiled as DLC at a later date, but this has not been confirmed by the developers. The developers have also mentioned that they are deciding on a balance patch for the game which should hit a few months after release. The characters will be simultaneously patched for arcades and home release if such a patch happens.

​

VIDEOS:​

REVIEWS:​

There are no reviews for this title yet.​

LINKS:​

Official: Aksys Games | BlazBlue
Resources: System | Character Forums | Shoryuken
Wiki Pages: CT | CS | Characters | BlazBlue Wiki
Other Official Threads: GAF CT | GAF CS
Achievements/Trophies: 360

 

[sephi22]

UPDATES:​

ADDITIONAL DLC CHARACTERS CONFIRMED: 04/07/10

Previously rumored playable characters Valkenhyne and Platina the Trinity have been confirmed as DLC characters for Continuum Shift. Valkenhyne is Rachel's butler and one of the six heroes. Platina has multiple personalities - a young girl, a young boy, and Platnum - one of the six heroes.

CONTINUUM SHIFT PC (ARC)​

Spoiler: show

Around January of this year, the arcade code of BB:CS was leaked on to the PC. It is believed that this is not the final code of the game, but is a build close to the final build. The game works exactly like an arcade title. You can set a button for 'Insert Coin', play 2 players, etc.

I usually don't condone piracy of niche titles, but I can make an exception in this case. BlazBlue isn't exactly for everybody and this PC leak of the game is great for testing whether you like or dislike the way the game plays. The console version naturally has a lot more features than this release, so anyone who downloads this and likes it would probably get the console release too. In fact, the picture above is a Print Screen taken by me.

You can find the game hosted on Rapidshare/Megaupload/Torrents if you search for it. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

[sephi22]

Any suggestions/questions/typo sightings are welcome.
Ask me anything about BlazBlue. I want everyone here to adopt it. Cheers.

 

[Roark]

You know i'm getting this day one ... love the online in this .... if they've even improved the code 10% ... we have an amazing game on multiplayer ..

I miss my rage when i play this game ...

 

[sephi22]

I miss my rage when i play this game ...

I don't. Your rage in SSFIV more than makes up for it.
It's going to be tough getting this on day 1, since its delayed for PAL regions and that's what UAE is.
Will have to contact my local mom-n-pop store owner. Otherwise its play-asia all the way.

 

[TwinDream]

GOOD thread Sephi u really outdone ur self wel m not interested in blazeblue only SSF4 series

 

[Black Basara]

Day 1 for me i love blazblue ! Good work Sephi with detail info.

 

[R3Z0N]

Nice work on the thread, where did you copy it from? lol. Anyway Looking forward to this game day 1 download for me O_O

 

[Bad Mofo]

Awesome, awesome thread! You've hyped me up for it now.

This game is too fast for my aging nerves to handle. Still, till give it a shot.

 

[Roark]

man this game gives me an adrenaline rush everytime i play it ... tho i do have a gripe, the building up music and chick voice of rebel 1 ... action ... was what really built the mood for me ... i don't like the new voiceover for that ... is there any option to keep the old one ...

 

[Black Basara]

I played this game on Xbox 360 and i loved it more compare to SF4, it has such a variety of combos and this game is really balance and the multiplayer doesn't crap on you. People who don't like this game should throw themselves in to a pit of molten lava.

 

[Bad Mofo]

^ Overkill, much?

But what the hell was that "Rebel one, ACTION" crap about anyway!?

 

[fareedusmani]

awesome thread, i will get it inshallah and main rachel ALUCARD , because she has the name of one of my favourite video game characters...

---------- Post added at 03:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:27 PM ----------

hazama looks cool too and LOL at iron tager...

 

[sephi22]

GOOD thread Sephi u really outdone ur self wel m not interested in blazeblue only SSF4 series

Thanks. No problem.

Day 1 for me i love blazblue ! Good work Sephi with detail info.

Nice to see another BB fan here.

Nice work on the thread, where did you copy it from? lol. Anyway Looking forward to this game day 1 download for me O_O

Actually you can download an arcade build for the PC and try it today itself. I'll put that in the OP soon.
And I spent 5 hours on this thread.

Awesome, awesome thread! You've hyped me up for it now.
This game is too fast for my aging nerves to handle. Still, till give it a shot.

I've been trying to learn it properly myself. Apparently all I did was spam C with Hakumen and win. Now I got to learn some combos.

man this game gives me an adrenaline rush everytime i play it ... tho i do have a gripe, the building up music and chick voice of rebel 1 ... action ... was what really built the mood for me ... i don't like the new voiceover for that ... is there any option to keep the old one ...

The game ships with the current arcade announcer, and the Calamity Trigger announcer won't be on the disc. But there is good news.

Q: Will there be an option for alternate character announcer voices?
A: Yes, there will be a DLC pack available to add some new announcer voices. Carl, Jin, and Taokaka's Japanese voice actors provide these new voices. Each actor has two version--a Japanese one and an "English" one. There will be no alternate voice packs with the English voice actors.

This was mentioned in the Aksys games Q&A. I guess I'll set Jin's voice as the announcer myself.

But what the hell was that "Rebel one, ACTION" crap about anyway!?

Aksys doesn't believe in 'Round 1 FIGHT!'. It always has to be dramatic for them. Remember Guilty Gear? 'Heaven or Hell, LETS ROCK!' Atleast that sounded cool.

awesome thread, i will get it inshallah and main rachel ALUCARD , because she has the name of one of my favourite video game characters...
hazama looks cool too and LOL at iron tager...

You're going to love the netcode. And yeah, Alucard does brings memories of Castlevania.
Iron Tager and Iron Triggor sounds like a match made in heaven. Though I see Triggor maining either Hazama (because he's 'cool') or Jin (keeping the blond tradition alive).

 

[R3Z0N]

I'm gonna play the proper game not some arcade shit Home Consoles FTW!

 

[sephi22]

I'm gonna play the proper game not some arcade shit Home Consoles FTW!

Alright.
Still, info added in second post.

 

[Roark]

Ahhh my jin and my ice car spams ... good times, with a little variation of the c combo spam ... hmm this basically means i need this game in region 1 or 3 .. for the dlc ...

Jin voiceover for the win ... besides i have no idea what rebel 1, action !!! meant but i loved it anyway ..

 

[R3Z0N]

Rebels are suppose to be rounds in Blazblue, for example for round one they say rebel 1 and action obviously means start/go.

 

[sephi22]

Rebels are suppose to be rounds in Blazblue, for example for round one they say rebel 1 and action obviously means start/go.

We already know that Dude.
Mofo, and Roark have both played BB.
I can vouch for Roark. He's 100% the game. We know Rebel are rounds.

What he's wondering is why 'Rebel' of all things? What sense does it make in the context of the game?

---------- Post added at 02:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 02:17 AM ----------

Ahhh my jin and my ice car spams ... good times, with a little variation of the c combo spam ... hmm this basically means i need this game in region 1 or 3 .. for the dlc ...

I think they're pulling the old stunt again.
Delay Europe's copy by months. But make up by giving them extra shit on disc, and make that shit DLC for US copy owners.
I bought those Unlimited characters DLCs and guess what? Didn't even play as them even once.

Anyway, if its between getting US copy now or waiting till October, I'll do the former. Entropay isn't supported by PSN anymore so I'll have to buy a PSN card. I'll share the DLC with any Region 1/3 owners here who own BBCS.

 

[Roark]

ahhh blackbasara where were you when i was fighting the entire forum and getting flamed over my support of BB ...

Yes anyone that doesn't like the game should jump in a pool of molten lava, might as well take his ps3 along with him ...

Sigh i really want to play as jin again, his psychotic nature and emotional spasms kept me entertained for hours ....