BlazBlue, following in the age old fighting game tradition of "upgrades before sequels," ships its most recent installment to North America today. BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND is as chock full of new features as it is with syllables and unnecessary capital letters, which makes it exciting for fighting game fanatics and grammar enthusiasts alike.

Passive improvements in the EXTENDed edition include online multiplayer with Team Battle as an option, a fully revised combat system in which every character has been rebalanced with new strategies and combos, and the inclusion of all previously released DLC color packs, announcer packs, and Unlimited characters. 

The game also comes with four new story scenarios, and a few new and exciting modes. Challenge Mode received a revision in keeping with the newly balanced characters, to keep players sharp. In Abyss Mode players power up their characters and descend through levels of increasingly difficult opponents, and if that somehow proves too easy, they can switch over to Unlimited Mars Mode and take on the strongest possible enemies in the game.

On top of all these new bells and whistles, players who by the BlazBlue: Continuum Shift EXTEND Limited Edition for PS3 or XBox 360 get, along with one of the longest titles in fighting game history, a special 2012 calendar, a 40 page art book, and a 17 track CD. Those who buy the game for the Playstation Vita will have to settle for the game itself which, to be fair, is quite refined for a launch title.