News: BlazBlue Coming to the US This Summer

As if answering the question on everyone’s minds following the Famitsu announcement yesterday, Aksys confirmed this afternoon that the console version of Arc System Works’ new fighter BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger will hit US consoles this summer.

Announced for PlayStation 3 and XBOX 360 by developer Arc System Works and publisher Aksys Games, this new 2D fighter joins King of Fighters XII and Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion as one of the major releases for fighting game fans that will be hitting over the course of this year.  The console port of the game also includes a host of improvements over the arcade original that launched last winter.

• Online play over the Playstation Network and XBOX Live
• 6-player lobby support, allowing groups of players to match up and fight
• A full story mode featuring alternate paths, multiple endings, and voiced dialogue
• Animated cutscenes provided by anime studio GONZO
• New Astral Heat finishing attacks for the entire cast
• Achievement and Trophy support
• 720p HD graphics, including hand-drawn sprites and detailed backgrounds

There’s no question in my mind that if you’re a fan of Guilty Gear in any way, your first fighter purchase of 2009 (after Street Fighter IV, of course) simply has to be BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger.  If you want to learn more, check out Aksys’ official site, or G4′s new preview of the game.  It’s gonna be a good year for fighting games.