Week of January 19th to the 25th, 2014.
Fighting Games Weekly is the weekly discussion thread for all things fighting games. News, events, streams, videos, players, drama, everything fighting game related.
Don't know what to watch right now? Check the FGCPros Twitch Group or Jaxel's Stream Viewer. If you want to watch multiple streams at once, you can use Jaxel's customizable multiviewer as well. If you are looking to see what events are coming up past this week, check out the FGC Event Calendar that our own Malice215 put together.
New to FGC-GAF is the FGC-GAF Index which lists the fighting games GAFers plays as a neat reference with some rough statistics to boot. To add yourself to the index, quote this post and use the survey link below. Please remember to save/bookmark the "Edit your response" link so you can edit your responses if/when you buy a game already on the list or a new game that releases in the future.
Last week's thread. An archive of previous FGW threads is available here.
Fighting Games Weekly is the weekly discussion thread for all things fighting games. News, events, streams, videos, players, drama, everything fighting game related.
Don't know what to watch right now? Check the FGCPros Twitch Group or Jaxel's Stream Viewer. If you want to watch multiple streams at once, you can use Jaxel's customizable multiviewer as well. If you are looking to see what events are coming up past this week, check out the FGC Event Calendar that our own Malice215 put together.
New to FGC-GAF is the FGC-GAF Index which lists the fighting games GAFers plays as a neat reference with some rough statistics to boot. To add yourself to the index, quote this post and use the survey link below. Please remember to save/bookmark the "Edit your response" link so you can edit your responses if/when you buy a game already on the list or a new game that releases in the future.
Last week's thread. An archive of previous FGW threads is available here.
Every year, NeoGAF (though, timetokill and Cheesemeister really) get together and rates their favourite video games of the year. After some heavy number crunching, the results are in for GAF's favourite fighting games of the year:
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U [ 850 pts, 20 HM ]
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS [ 141 pts, 15 HM ]
- Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- [ 62 pts, 6 HM ]
- Nidhogg [ 49 pts, 8 HM ]
- Ultra Street Fighter IV [ 41 pts, 6 HM ]
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax [ 35 pts, 6 HM ]
- Killer Instinct: Season 2 [ 14 pts, 3 HM ]
- Lethal League [ 11 pts ]
- One Finger Death Punch [ 6 pts, 1 HM ]
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle [ 6 pts, 1 HM ]
EVO 2015 Lineup Announcement [ Tuesday ] [ 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
- It's that time of year once again, where we find out what games will be appearing at the largest fighting game tournament in the world.
- UFGT's Winter sister tournament returns, along with the world-famous Mystery Tournament.
- This event continues through Saturday.
- More information is available here.
- The premiere high stakes Marvel tournament is back at home again, featuring a FT10 between BIFU|Coach Steve and CTRL|Ray Ray as the main exhibition.
- More information is available to go here.
- This Long Island Monthly features USF4 played in a Swiss-style format.
- More information is available here.
Every week, FGW will spotlight one GAFer to get a better picture of their history with fighting games, their preferences, and much more. For this week's FGW Player Spotlight, we will be taking a closer look at our largest and most masculine, Manbig!
What fighting games do you currently play, what is your all time favourite and why?
As I type this, I have Guilty Gear Xrd spinning in my PS3. When I want to hate myself, I will dabble in some Tekken Tag Tournament 2 online.
My all time favorite fighting game is Tekken: Dark Resurrection. Tekken has always been my favorite franchise. The reason that I have to go with DR though is because it was the last Tekken game to be free of most of the hit/hurtbox issues that currently plague the series. It's also the game that I really learned how to play fighters with. Lots of good memories playing with the NYC crew in Chinatown Fair after getting out of work.
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?My all time favorite fighting game is Tekken: Dark Resurrection. Tekken has always been my favorite franchise. The reason that I have to go with DR though is because it was the last Tekken game to be free of most of the hit/hurtbox issues that currently plague the series. It's also the game that I really learned how to play fighters with. Lots of good memories playing with the NYC crew in Chinatown Fair after getting out of work.
I'm a mind games > execution guy. So for 3D fighters, I also will take a guessing game throw break system over a reaction based throw break system any day of the week. Being able to hold your throw break input while blocking in VF5:FS completely removes the execution barrier of the throw breaks and just allows you to just make the read and stick to it. I think that is genius.
As far as my least favorite mechanics go, while I can live with stuff like Ultras or the Rage Arts that are being introduced in Tekken 7, I REALLY do not like raw damage boosts as comeback mechanics. Stuff like Tekken's rage and Marvel 3's X factor are just way too over the top. At least least when it comes to Ultra's, it's an all or nothing situation. It'll give you maybe one strong combo. X Factor turns every combo into a very easy to execute touch of death and rage puts poking and a lot of safe moves into low end juggle damage territory. That stuff has got to go.
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?As far as my least favorite mechanics go, while I can live with stuff like Ultras or the Rage Arts that are being introduced in Tekken 7, I REALLY do not like raw damage boosts as comeback mechanics. Stuff like Tekken's rage and Marvel 3's X factor are just way too over the top. At least least when it comes to Ultra's, it's an all or nothing situation. It'll give you maybe one strong combo. X Factor turns every combo into a very easy to execute touch of death and rage puts poking and a lot of safe moves into low end juggle damage territory. That stuff has got to go.
Ever since my brother borrowed Fatal Fury and Street Fighter 2 for SNES, I have been into fighting games. Once Tekken 5.0 hit Chinatown Fair though, I started to learn that there was a lot more to fighting games than I had initially thought. It was when Tekken: DR arrived that I started to finally understand the thought process and strategies involved in playing through each match. This was when I gained a whole new level of appreciation for both the games and the people that get good at them.
As far as other genres go, I love RPGs of all kind, I greatly enjoy arcade style racers, and I'll dabble in the occasional shooter here and there. I do play a little bit of everything, but those are the big three for me.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?As far as other genres go, I love RPGs of all kind, I greatly enjoy arcade style racers, and I'll dabble in the occasional shooter here and there. I do play a little bit of everything, but those are the big three for me.
Craig Marduk
I always like characters that do lots of damage in a few hits and look badass while doing it. I'm not big on the characters that do lots of damage, but have to do 100 hit combos, or do lots of damage in a few hits, but look stupid as hell while doing it (Bob and Lars for example), but you take a dude like Marduk that just looks like he can do what he actually does during the matches, and that is something that I can appreciate.
Describe your style of play, and how do you play (local, online, etc.).I always like characters that do lots of damage in a few hits and look badass while doing it. I'm not big on the characters that do lots of damage, but have to do 100 hit combos, or do lots of damage in a few hits, but look stupid as hell while doing it (Bob and Lars for example), but you take a dude like Marduk that just looks like he can do what he actually does during the matches, and that is something that I can appreciate.
When Tekken 6 arrived at Chinatown Fair and Henry Cen was pretty damn hard headed about keeping the price at $1 per game. Top that off with the set up being fairly laggy, and that was the end of my playing offline consistently days. So I'm pretty much 99% an online player now.
As far as my actual play style, during my years of playing with the local NYC Tekken scene, there was always a "play it safe" mentality. Taking big risks was almost looked down on for whatever reason. People would whine can just call you "random." While I never fully agreed with this, I still ended up adopting a lot of it for whatever reason. Maybe it was subconsciously. So I do a lot of poking and fishing for safer, medium damage moves, and rarely go for the really big risk/reward stuff.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?As far as my actual play style, during my years of playing with the local NYC Tekken scene, there was always a "play it safe" mentality. Taking big risks was almost looked down on for whatever reason. People would whine can just call you "random." While I never fully agreed with this, I still ended up adopting a lot of it for whatever reason. Maybe it was subconsciously. So I do a lot of poking and fishing for safer, medium damage moves, and rarely go for the really big risk/reward stuff.
I think that my biggest strength is my ability to theorycraft viable strategies and set ups once I have a grasp of a game's basic mechanics. It is because of this that I think that I would be a pretty good coach. I already have a track record with helping a few people by teaching them how to beat my main character in tournaments. AAK and a few people in Aris' stream chat can vouch for me on that one.
My biggest weakness is definitely execution. It doesn't matter how much I practice, my fingers just do weird stuff sometimes when I'm trying to do some basic inputs. For example, trying to press two face buttons at the same time has a tendency to end up as a plink for me fairly often. This isn't all that bad for 2D fighters, but in Tekken, it gets me killed quite often. I just try to deal with it as I ago, since I don't map top buttons as multi buttons due to the tournament regulations that I am used to.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?My biggest weakness is definitely execution. It doesn't matter how much I practice, my fingers just do weird stuff sometimes when I'm trying to do some basic inputs. For example, trying to press two face buttons at the same time has a tendency to end up as a plink for me fairly often. This isn't all that bad for 2D fighters, but in Tekken, it gets me killed quite often. I just try to deal with it as I ago, since I don't map top buttons as multi buttons due to the tournament regulations that I am used to.
I don't think I would say that I have had a fighting game career at all lol. I have competed in a few local Tekken tournaments during the DR days, but I've never traveled or anything. I did place 4th this one time at this tournament that local player Bloodhawk set up as a "Non top player" tournament back in like 2006, but that was about it and probably wasn't even worth mentioning.
My worst moment was punching a hole in my old closet after playing a bunch of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. A real low point for anyone playing games is that moment when you throw the controller, but I took it to another level here. I hadn't thrown a controller since I was like 12, and have yet to do it again since, but that was a real low point right there.
What do you want from future fighting games?My worst moment was punching a hole in my old closet after playing a bunch of BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger. A real low point for anyone playing games is that moment when you throw the controller, but I took it to another level here. I hadn't thrown a controller since I was like 12, and have yet to do it again since, but that was a real low point right there.
I want more games to adopt what games like KOF and "anime fighters" do with character animations. Even if it's only a visual change with no practical influence, I think that it can go a long way toward making each character feel unique. From the way that they stand, to the way that they crouch, to even the way that they do moves to specific characters, I want to see more of the character's personality shine. Tekken has an interesting example of this. Bryan Fury is kind of a sick bastard, so he will actually laugh or scream for joy when he gets hit by certain moves. Another cool example is the way each character in Guilty Gear reacts to Dr. Fausts super. I think that this is genius and am surprised that it hasn't been done more often.
The other thing that I want to see is more comprehensive training modes and tutorials. I think that this one goes without saying really. I am glad to see that Guilty Gear Xrd seems to have a fantastic tutorial and mission mode that teaches you how to utilize most of the advanced mechanics. In training mode, frame data should also always be visible, VF style. That's about it.
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?The other thing that I want to see is more comprehensive training modes and tutorials. I think that this one goes without saying really. I am glad to see that Guilty Gear Xrd seems to have a fantastic tutorial and mission mode that teaches you how to utilize most of the advanced mechanics. In training mode, frame data should also always be visible, VF style. That's about it.
If Ninth Pixel posted in these threads, I would say him, but I don't think he does, so community vote?
Since Dahbomb strongly encourages pre-orders, what games do you plan to buy that have been officially announced?
If Marduk gets announced for Tekken 7, then I'll be getting that for sure. If I like what I see with Street Fighter V and Tekken x Street Fighter, I'll be getting those as well. Lastly, any new KOF that gets announced will immediately have my support.
Code:
WINTER The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match
02/17 Dead or Alive 5: LAST ROUND (EU: 02/20)
04/15 Mortal Kombat X
2015 Dragon Ball Xenoverse
2015 Rivals of Aether
2015 Skullgirls Encore
2015 Under Night In-Birth (NA/EU)
TBD Beast's Fury
TBD JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Eyes of Heaven
TBD Next The King Of Fighters Title (tentative)
TBD Rise of Incarnates
TBD Street Fighter V
TBD Tekken 7
TBD Tekken X Street Fighter
TBD Yatagarasu: Attack on Cataclysm
TBD Yatagarasu: Legend of Raven
Super Desperation Radio [ 9:30PM EDT | 6:30 PDT ]
- Hellpockets and various other members of the KoF community discuss KoF and happenings in the FGC.
- Out of the ashes of The BOX Arena, comes the San Diego FGC's newest organized weekly for UMvC3.
- Weekly FGC show dedicated to match analysis, teaching, commentary, news, debates, and more! Hosted by UltraDavid and James Chen.
Kachitagari TV (JP) [ 9PM JST | 8AM EDT | 5AM PDT ]
- Bon-chan, Kazunoko and Fuudo's new show, focusing primarily on SSFIV AE ranked matches but is branching off into other games as well.
- Logan Sama, organiser of the old WSO weeklys in London, invites some of London's finest to Capcom UK HQ for first to 5 sets in USF4.
- NYC VF crew presents VF5:FS tournaments casuals out of The Next Level arcade in Brooklyn.
- New Jersey's largest weekly featuring UMvC3 and Injustice.
- JamessMK & DarKNaTaS host a raw and uncut weekly talk show discussing events in the FGC with various FGC personalities.
- Weekly FGC show dedicated to match analysis, teaching, commentary, news, debates, and more! Hosted by UltraDavid and James Chen.
- iPlaywinner hosts a weekly talk show featuring alpha stream monsters Harrison and Honzo Gonzo.
Game Spot Versus KoF Casuals (JP) [ 7PM JST | 6AM EDT | 3AM PDT ]
- KoF 1998UM, KoF 2002UM and KoF XIII C action from Japan.
- A weekly show featuring Mago, Tokido, and Momochi. They go over the tournaments they will participate and have participated in overseas and in Japan, as well as the general news in SF. For long periods of the year, there is a student-teacher session involving one of the 3 Topanga members taking a player under their wing and teaching them how to play SF. The show features rank matches (sometimes random char. matches) and ends with a 8 man online tournament featuring players around 4.5kpp such as Poongko, Inco, and more.
- NYC's biggest weekly at The Next Level Arcade in Brooklyn featuring SSFIV AE, UMvC3 and TTT2. If the Teamsp00ky link is not working, it is likely on the backup stream on Arturo's channel.
- Often, WonderChef will stream Injustice pools up until Top 4.
- SoCal's biggest weekly at Super Arcade in Walnut, featuring Injustice and SSFIV AE. Season details are available here.
HBTB Live [ 8PM EDT | 5PM PDT ]
- Hold Back To Block hosts a weekly roundtable discussion of various happenings in the FGC.
- A bi-weekly Smash podcast discussing recent events, news and issues in the Smash community, hosted by Scar, Prog, Cactuar and Sheridan.
- Galloping Ghost Arcade presents an Injustice weekly out of Chicago.
- A weekly FGC talk show hosted by iPlaywinner, featuring a varying, ensemble cast of prominent members of the fighting game community.
- Aris' new weekly show, discussing whatever he wants to! The format resembles old ATP podcasts.
- The UMvC3 and KoF XIII branch of Wednesday Night Fights also hosted at Super Arcade in Walnut, California.
The Smash Break Bi-Weekly [ 6PM EDT | 3PM PDT ]
- The Break hosts a new Melee bi-weekly to replace Rokunaya Bi-Weeklies which are ending.
- Arturo streams a BlazBlue and Guilty Gear bi-weekly out of Next Level arcade in Brooklyn.
- For those who know how to use Nico Live, also join the GODSGARDEN community page on Nico to know when Ura KaoTV! goes live.
- A bi-weekly Skullgirls event hosted by members of the Skullgirls development team, often featuring preview builds of the game.
Rebel Up [ 7PM EDT | 4PM PDT ]
- Super Arcade's anime bi-weekly, featuring GG, BB, P4A, SG, Gundam and older anime games as well.
GGPO VanBats [ 4PM EDT | 1PM PDT ]
- Weekly GGPO Vampire Savior ranbats streamed by GAFer Rotanibor.
- SuperDojo and Team OXY partner up to create a new weekly for the SoCal Melee community, featuring doubles and singles.
On GAF we have various members that stream fighting games from time to time too. If you would like to add your channel to this thread, send me a PM.
Often, some fighting games can seem intimidating to players new and old. Below are a bunch of resources that may be of aid to new players, or handy as references.
- Learn How To Play Fighting Games Free eBook from Shoryuken is a fantastic primer for new players to the genre.
- Footsies Handbook is a guide to the potentially elusive, but integral part of doing well in any fighting game.
- NeoGAF's Arcade Stick Thread is the place to go for questions about anything arcade stick-related.
- Step Up Your Game is an editorial series by Justin Wong that covers a multitude of topics, notably focusing on strengthening your mental game and playing smarter instead of harder.
- Tips for first time competitors will help you straighten out those nerves and expectations when you head out to your first tournament.
- Domination 101 is almost a cult classic article in the FGC, which has Seth Killian telling us how he really feels about the idea of "cheapness" in fighting games.
- Team-building Guide by our very own Karsticles, which helps make it easier to approach team-building in MvC games, and games with similar synergistic elements.
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If you have any suggestions for the OP, please do not hesitate to post in this thread or (preferably) PM me to let me know.
