Week of June 16th to June 22nd, 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.
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.
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.
South East Asia Major 2014 [ Additional streams: 2 - 3 - 4 ] [ Friday ] [ 8PM SGT | 8AM EDT | 5AM PDT ]
- SEAM return to unite players from all over southeast Asia, and attracting many Japanese players that don't go to a plethora of events every year.
- Capcom Pro Tour Event
- Location, rules, prizes, payout, prizes, platforms, schedule and more information is available.
- Smash returns to MLG, joining Injustice and Killer Instinct tournaments, all featuring large prize pots.
- This event continues through Sunday.
- Location, format, prizes, platforms, rules and more information is available here.
- The second Hyper Battle is upon us, attracting prime King of Fighters talent to Denver, Colorado to square off.
- Schedule, fees, payout and more information is available here.
- Kansas City's monthly will be having it's first USFIV tournament.
- Location, schedule, fees, platforms, rules, format and much 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 2nd favourite trenchcoat, Tik-Tok!
What fighting games do you currently play, what are your all time favourites and why?
I currently only play Ultra Street Fighter 4. Some days I feel like I want to learn UMVC3 but then I come to my senses.
As far as my all time favourite game, well that's a bit tough to say. Street Fighter 2 captured my youth and is probably dearest to my heart. As soon as I got a little older and started getting in to other.. shall we say 'recreational pass times', I loved zoning out and playing Mortal Kombat 2, Soul Calibur 2, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Tekken 3 with my friends.
Street Fighter 4 in all it's incarnations is definitely the game I've spent the most time with though and despite all the criticisms (my own included) I still love the game.
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?As far as my all time favourite game, well that's a bit tough to say. Street Fighter 2 captured my youth and is probably dearest to my heart. As soon as I got a little older and started getting in to other.. shall we say 'recreational pass times', I loved zoning out and playing Mortal Kombat 2, Soul Calibur 2, Marvel Vs Capcom 2 and Tekken 3 with my friends.
Street Fighter 4 in all it's incarnations is definitely the game I've spent the most time with though and despite all the criticisms (my own included) I still love the game.
I think the idea of custom assists as shown in Skullgirls is a great idea. I'm big in to the concept of being able to tailor a game to suit my own play style and that fits it nicely, even though I only played Skullgirls a couple times.
Depending on how it's implemented I think the multiple choices for playstyles on a single character in Mortal Kombat X sounds like a great idea too.
I'm absolutely not a fan of Option Selects. I know that's more of a by-product of the the system and not really a mechanic but I still hate it. I feel like in fighting games in general it should be about reading your opponent and then executing the right move to counter what you think they're going to do. Anything that allows you to circumvent that philosophy shouldn't be in games. For that reason I'm also not a fan of Focus Attack Dash Canceling in general. Even though it leads to fancy combos I hate that it's a get out of jail free card, and I'm glad that they nerfed most of the FADC forward moves.
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?Depending on how it's implemented I think the multiple choices for playstyles on a single character in Mortal Kombat X sounds like a great idea too.
I'm absolutely not a fan of Option Selects. I know that's more of a by-product of the the system and not really a mechanic but I still hate it. I feel like in fighting games in general it should be about reading your opponent and then executing the right move to counter what you think they're going to do. Anything that allows you to circumvent that philosophy shouldn't be in games. For that reason I'm also not a fan of Focus Attack Dash Canceling in general. Even though it leads to fancy combos I hate that it's a get out of jail free card, and I'm glad that they nerfed most of the FADC forward moves.
I remember going to a Pizza Pizza downtown Toronto at lunch time with one of my older brothers when I was really little and they would all be really in to this game with two guys punching and kicking each other. I wasn't big enough to stand at the machine and use the controls so I would play the cocktail cabinets that had Wonderboy in Monster Land in it, or Shinobi, but I always really wanted to play it. Years later I saw Street Fighter 2 at a local arcade and was captivated instantly. The graphics at the time were unlike anything else I had seen, the cast of characters was so diverse and amazing, and the backgrounds and music were all awesome. I saw all those buttons and though to myself "This is the future!". It got to the point in my youth where I couldn't pass a Street Fighter 2 cabinet without popping a quarter in and playing the game until I beat it, but every time I was just hoping some one else would come along and try to play me because that was where the game was REALLY interesting. It wasn't until a while later that I realized that it was the sequel to the game I used to see my brother play at that pizza shop. When Street Fighter 2 came out on consoles my brother and I and my other friends played that game far more than we ever should have been allowed to.
I play all sorts of other genre's but I'm just a filthy casual at all of them. The Zelda series is my all time favourite series outside of Street Fighter, and Metal Gear Solid 1 is probably my favourite game of all time... or A Link to the Past... or Ocarina of Time... no definitely Metal Gear Solid 1... maybe.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?I play all sorts of other genre's but I'm just a filthy casual at all of them. The Zelda series is my all time favourite series outside of Street Fighter, and Metal Gear Solid 1 is probably my favourite game of all time... or A Link to the Past... or Ocarina of Time... no definitely Metal Gear Solid 1... maybe.
The first character I gravitated to in Street Fighter 2 was Zangief. I remember seeing him when I was a kid and thinking 'Ok this dude is twice the size of the other guys, and is solid muscle and has a Mohawk. How could he possibly lose??' Coincidentally that's who I play in SF4 too. I've always liked grapplers in games as a result. Astaroth in the Soul Calibur Series, King in Tekken. I also like Voldo in Soul Calibur cause he's a total creep and no one wants to lose to a creepy pervert like Voldo.
Describe your style of play, and how do you play (local, online, etc.).
I like to play a style that annoys and frustrates my opponent and causes them to make mistakes. I like playing grapplers because getting command grabbed is one of the most soul crushing things in fighting games. I'm not a big frame data guy or a scholar of matchups. I just play by feel and try to make a lot of hard reads, even though this is a terrible way to play, for me, it's the most fun.
I don't get to play as often as I'd like anymore, real life gets in the way etc etc. But I try to make it out to our local casuals whenever I can and I'll try to go out to the Toronto majors when they happen to support the scene and see my friends and stuff. I almost never play online anymore, unless it's to let Kadey beat my ass.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?I don't get to play as often as I'd like anymore, real life gets in the way etc etc. But I try to make it out to our local casuals whenever I can and I'll try to go out to the Toronto majors when they happen to support the scene and see my friends and stuff. I almost never play online anymore, unless it's to let Kadey beat my ass.
My biggest strength is that I'm really good at making hard reads. This is also one of my biggest weaknesses as since I 'guess right' so often, I tend to rely on it far more often than I should, instead of just being patient and letting my opponent hang themselves.
I also have old man hands that are pretty much constantly in pain, and leads me to have some of the worst execution you'll ever encounter.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?I also have old man hands that are pretty much constantly in pain, and leads me to have some of the worst execution you'll ever encounter.
I've never been a great tournament player so my 'Best' moments are pretty few and far between.
One time I can think of off hand was during a tournament, during Super Street Fighter 4, when JS Master was pretty much at the height of his skill and winning every single local easily. I had to face him in the third round of winners and he decided to counter pick with Sagat vs my Zangief, because he said he didn't like the Balrog matchup. I playfully called him a bunch of filthy names you shouldn't say to another human being, but it was JS and I'm still not sure he actually is human. A sizeable crowd had formed around us to watch the match and I proceeded to dismantle his Sagat and the crowd got hype as hell. After that he picked Blanka, and beat me almost exclusively using his normals. That was probably the worst moment.
I have a great time every time I go to one of the Toronto majors, for me at this point fighting games are more of a way for me to socialize with my friends in the community and less about competing. It's the shit that happens in the hotel rooms at night that are the best moments for me.
What do you want from future fighting games?One time I can think of off hand was during a tournament, during Super Street Fighter 4, when JS Master was pretty much at the height of his skill and winning every single local easily. I had to face him in the third round of winners and he decided to counter pick with Sagat vs my Zangief, because he said he didn't like the Balrog matchup. I playfully called him a bunch of filthy names you shouldn't say to another human being, but it was JS and I'm still not sure he actually is human. A sizeable crowd had formed around us to watch the match and I proceeded to dismantle his Sagat and the crowd got hype as hell. After that he picked Blanka, and beat me almost exclusively using his normals. That was probably the worst moment.
I have a great time every time I go to one of the Toronto majors, for me at this point fighting games are more of a way for me to socialize with my friends in the community and less about competing. It's the shit that happens in the hotel rooms at night that are the best moments for me.
I'd love to be able have a true create a fighter mode in a future Street Fighter game. I want to be able to start by picking how my character looks using a creator that is as in depth as an MMO or RPG game. What their voice is like, what their costume looks like etc etc. But beyond that what I want is to be given a set amount of points, and then be able to spend those points on my characters move set. So I can pick and choose moves from bad versions of all the existing characters in the game plus a bunch of extra move sets. Then I can spend points to make those moves better, by having faster startup time or less recovery, or increasing the hitbox / decreasing the hurtbox on it, or making it cancelable. Then let me load it up on my NFC figurine and bring it with me to my friends house/tournaments etc.
Obviously the potential to make some really broken stuff is there with that but you would just have to find a way to balance it by figuring out how much certain properties would cost in points.
If Capcom wanted to monetize their fighting games I feel like this is a good way to go. You could sell cosmetic upgrades like costume pieces, different hair, colour packs, voices, etc. Just don't make the actual moves DLC.
Aside from that just some no brainer stuff, like adding rematch to online multiplayer, have an option for random select rematch that picks new random characters, better netcode etc. I'm sure theres a million things I could think of if I thought about it.
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?Obviously the potential to make some really broken stuff is there with that but you would just have to find a way to balance it by figuring out how much certain properties would cost in points.
If Capcom wanted to monetize their fighting games I feel like this is a good way to go. You could sell cosmetic upgrades like costume pieces, different hair, colour packs, voices, etc. Just don't make the actual moves DLC.
Aside from that just some no brainer stuff, like adding rematch to online multiplayer, have an option for random select rematch that picks new random characters, better netcode etc. I'm sure theres a million things I could think of if I thought about it.
Vulva or Count Blackule but only under the stipulation that he is not allowed to complain about DeeJay
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 Cross Counter Live rises a new discussion show from Gootecks and Mike Ross!
- 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.
- 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.
- Description needed.
- 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 weekly Skullgirls event hosted by members of the Skullgirls development team, often featuring preview builds of the game.
Rebel Up [ Secondary ] [ 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.
- Level|Up 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.
Additionally, if you want to really get involved, you may want to check out the various OTs for specific games:
Additionally, if you want to really get involved, you may want to check out the various OTs for specific games:
- BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma
- Chaos Code
- Darkstalkers: Resurrection
- Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate and Core Fighters
- Divekick
- Gundam Extreme VS Full Boost
- Injustice: Gods Among Us
- JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle
- Killer Instinct
- The King of Fighters XIII
- Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins
- Mortal Kombat
- Persona 4: Arena
- PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale
- Project M 3.0
- Skullgirls
- Soul Calibur: Lost Swords
- Soul Calibur V
- Street Fighter X Tekken v.2013
- Tekken
- Tekken Revolution
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2
- Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
- Ultra Street Fighter IV
- Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
- 8WayRun - Soul Calibur franchise community
- DOACentral - Dead or Alive franchise community
- Dream Cancel - King of Fighters franchise community and resource, more US-centric
- Dustloop - Forums/community for Arc System Works-developed games
- Eventhubs - Frequently updated news blog, resource and forums for all things fighting games
- FreeStepDodge - Dead or Alive franchise community
- Homing Cancel - Arcana Heart community
- iPlaywinner - Large fighting game news site and resource, and the home to Teamsp00ky and iPlaywinner
- Jet Upper - UK-centric news source and community
- Mayonaka Midnight - Persona 4 Arena community and resource
- Melty Bread - Melty Blood community
- Mizuumi - A resource for various "poverty" games
- Orochinagi - King of Fighters franchise community and resource, more EU-centric
- Reddit Fighters - Reddit's own fighting game community subreddit
- Shoryuken - The largest FG community and multigame resource on the web, with a large Capcom games community
- Skullheart - fan Skullgirls community and resource made official
- TekkenZaibatsu - Tekken franchise community
- Test Your Might - Mortal Kombat and Injustice community and resource
- UKFGC - UK-centric news source and community
- Smash Boards - The largest Smash Bros. Community
- VFDC - Virtua Fighter franchise community site
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If you have any suggestions for the OP, please do not hesitate to post in this thread or PM me to let me know.
