Week of June 23rd to June 29th, 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.
CEO 2014 [ Additional stream: 2 ] [ Thread ] [ Friday ] [ 1PM EDT | 10AM PDT ]
- Jebailey's Community Effort Orlando is here once again, one of the biggest and must-see tournaments of the entire year.
- This event continues through Sunday.
- Capcom Pro Tour Qualifier.
- Location, rules, format, schedule and 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 gambler supreme, vulva!
What fighting games do you currently play, what are your all time favourites and why?
I currently only play Ultra Street Fighter 4. I don't really have much time to play games anymore, so in my spare time I pick this game up since it's the one I play in tournament and frankly out of laziness. It's a game I'm already very comfortable with, so I'm not spending time re-learning every nuance like I would with a new title.
My favourite of all time would probably be KOF 98 Ultimate Match or Street Fighter Alpha 2. I'm absolutely awful at both, but those were the coolest games to me and made me get really excited to play fighting games, and still get me excited to this day.
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?My favourite of all time would probably be KOF 98 Ultimate Match or Street Fighter Alpha 2. I'm absolutely awful at both, but those were the coolest games to me and made me get really excited to play fighting games, and still get me excited to this day.
My favourite mechanic in a current fighting game would probably be the HD meter from KOF13. I love the idea of being given an opportunity to enhance your combos and make the most of a good opportunity without having the same punishment as you would in other titles where a similar effect would be tied directly to your super/ex meter. I think this is a great idea because it encourages a player to approach the match with a completely different mindset to when is the right time to use the meter. It rewards you for creating a great opportunity to use the meter while it doesn't leave you at complete disadvantage if you drop it. The other side to this is that it is universal through the game, so it doesn't just give certain characters the ability to do more high damage and unique combos for a limited time.
My least favourite is absolutely X Factor. I can't stand any aspect of the concept of it and will never understand the appeal or justifications for it. I don't believe players should automatically be given a tool that's so strong as a comeback mechanic as a way to combat poor performance earlier on. I understand it can be used strategically for other purposes such as using it as a cancel after an unsafe gambit falls flat, which I'm fine with, however the strength it contains as a comeback mechanic just rubs me the wrong way.
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?My least favourite is absolutely X Factor. I can't stand any aspect of the concept of it and will never understand the appeal or justifications for it. I don't believe players should automatically be given a tool that's so strong as a comeback mechanic as a way to combat poor performance earlier on. I understand it can be used strategically for other purposes such as using it as a cancel after an unsafe gambit falls flat, which I'm fine with, however the strength it contains as a comeback mechanic just rubs me the wrong way.
My brother came home from University one summer while I was still in High School. He asked if I wanted to play Street Fighter (we had CE on the Genesis). As a younger brother, I always looked up to him. He proceeded to destroy me with Honda, and I had no idea what to do. So I started wanting to play more and more. I wanted to be better than my older brother at something and that seemed like the most tangible. He wasn't even good at the game by any real stretch, but I just wanted to beat him at a game that was so cool and interesting to me.
Once HDR finally came out, I invested so many hours in to that game. My first tournament ever was an HDR tournament where I did pretty badly. However, my brother also got HDR and we could play each other online while each away for school. When I started absolutely destroying him and making him not want to play against me anymore, I felt a bit of accomplishment.
I play other games when I can, but these days I honestly don't find the time for them. My favourite game of all time is Startropics and am aching for the day Nintendo make another one. Otherwise the only games I ever sneak in when the time is there are puzzle games like Pochi & Nyaa/Puyo Pop or shooters like Espgaluda/Mushihimesama Futari/Radiant Silvergun etc. The current generation of AAA games or even multiplayer games outside of fighting games just don't interest me at all but shooters, puzzle games and fighting games will always hold my interest.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?Once HDR finally came out, I invested so many hours in to that game. My first tournament ever was an HDR tournament where I did pretty badly. However, my brother also got HDR and we could play each other online while each away for school. When I started absolutely destroying him and making him not want to play against me anymore, I felt a bit of accomplishment.
I play other games when I can, but these days I honestly don't find the time for them. My favourite game of all time is Startropics and am aching for the day Nintendo make another one. Otherwise the only games I ever sneak in when the time is there are puzzle games like Pochi & Nyaa/Puyo Pop or shooters like Espgaluda/Mushihimesama Futari/Radiant Silvergun etc. The current generation of AAA games or even multiplayer games outside of fighting games just don't interest me at all but shooters, puzzle games and fighting games will always hold my interest.
My favourite fighting game character would have to be Leona from the KOF series. I love her style of play and just her overall movement. Throwing things like the low grenade while charging forward in to an overhead just feels so good to me. Her aerial DM in which she can counter a whiffed move always makes you feel like a king when you land it. I loved that her upslash was such a strong anti-air. I always gravitate towards charge characters as well, which was a huge factor. Her character design also just really appealed to me for some reason.
Describe your style of play, and how do you play (local, online, etc.).
I'm absolutely a turtle. I love sitting back and waiting for someone to do something dumb. I stick with charge characters usually for this very reason. I'm content to sit back and just throw fireballs or something that will nag at you and press you to do something and then it's my turn to start thinking. It's nice to be able to apply pressure when things are going well, but ultimately my comfort zone is a full screen away and able to chip away at your character making you want to do something to put an end to my annoying gameplay.
I play online on occasion, I'll probably play more once USF4 comes out for PC, but I go to weekly casual sessions at a local game shop. They opened up a basement loaded with monitors and consoles and players all gather together to run sets and try to improve. We'll do occasional tournaments as well to push each other a bit, but it's mostly a friendly environment. I also play in tournaments as frequently as I can, but unfortunately that's not always practical.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?I play online on occasion, I'll probably play more once USF4 comes out for PC, but I go to weekly casual sessions at a local game shop. They opened up a basement loaded with monitors and consoles and players all gather together to run sets and try to improve. We'll do occasional tournaments as well to push each other a bit, but it's mostly a friendly environment. I also play in tournaments as frequently as I can, but unfortunately that's not always practical.
My biggest strength at this point in my game is that I don`t get angry about losses anymore. I used to get so angry when I would lose over what I thought to be bullshit, but I`ve moved past that now. Every loss ends up being a chance for me to see where I went wrong or what I should do differently in an approach. By not letting myself get so angry and clouded in frustration, it helps me progress in my gameplay.
My biggest weakness is that I can be stubborn. I'll know something doesn't work, get punished for it and still repeat it. In my mind it seems like the right thing to do, yet I continue to get blown up for it which ultimately leads to severe damage. I don't adjust well in the match. Because of this, any information I take in while playing ends up being too late to apply to the needed moment.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?My biggest weakness is that I can be stubborn. I'll know something doesn't work, get punished for it and still repeat it. In my mind it seems like the right thing to do, yet I continue to get blown up for it which ultimately leads to severe damage. I don't adjust well in the match. Because of this, any information I take in while playing ends up being too late to apply to the needed moment.
I'll get the worst out of the way since I can't narrow down a single best and I hate focusing on the bad. I was going to EVO in 2011, car broke down driving from LA to Vegas. Ended up missing my pool and spending the night asleep in some parking lot of an autoshop in Barstow. It put a huge damper on the whole event for me and I was just so frustrated.
As for the best, I guess it all stems around my first EVO. I flew down to LA to see the area before EVO and practice a bit, with absolutely no plan. I just knew I wanted to do it, so I booked a flight and signed up for EVO. When I arrived in LA, within no time I found an arcade in Little Tokyo and was playing over there. Ended up meeting someone who was watching me play and we talked for a bit. That person never left my side until I flew back to Canada after EVO.
At that first EVO I didn't do great, I think I went 1-2 or 2-2 maybe. However my one win that I got, I double perfected an Abel player which sent him home. I wasn't an arrogant player then, and I'm certainly still not, but it was so hard not to feel myself over that moment. The biggest fighting game tournament in the world, my first time really doing something just for myself and I managed to pull that off was such a rush.
As a follow up to that EVO, I went back to LA to fly back to Toronto and spent those last days with some new friends and that person who I met in the arcade. That person's now been my girlfriend since July 2010. So in some ways, I owe my relationship and everything that's brought me in life (academically, work and so on) to playing Street Fighter.
What do you want from future fighting games?As for the best, I guess it all stems around my first EVO. I flew down to LA to see the area before EVO and practice a bit, with absolutely no plan. I just knew I wanted to do it, so I booked a flight and signed up for EVO. When I arrived in LA, within no time I found an arcade in Little Tokyo and was playing over there. Ended up meeting someone who was watching me play and we talked for a bit. That person never left my side until I flew back to Canada after EVO.
At that first EVO I didn't do great, I think I went 1-2 or 2-2 maybe. However my one win that I got, I double perfected an Abel player which sent him home. I wasn't an arrogant player then, and I'm certainly still not, but it was so hard not to feel myself over that moment. The biggest fighting game tournament in the world, my first time really doing something just for myself and I managed to pull that off was such a rush.
As a follow up to that EVO, I went back to LA to fly back to Toronto and spent those last days with some new friends and that person who I met in the arcade. That person's now been my girlfriend since July 2010. So in some ways, I owe my relationship and everything that's brought me in life (academically, work and so on) to playing Street Fighter.
The future of fighting games is an odd thing for me to think about. I would like fighting games to move away from the emphasis on comeback mechanics. Instead I would love for all future fighting games to provide stronger tools inside the game to help players learn and understand how the games function. If more players were introduced to and educated on how to effectively play most games, the need for a comeback mechanic would be much lower. Right now they seem to mostly be in place so the casual player doesn't feel that all hope is lost. If a player can learn how to play properly and know all their options they might be less inclined to feel lost. Instead with a strong training mode or teaching system in place for the game mechanics and general fighting game knowledge packaged in with the game, more players will also be able to become more immediately competitive which can help those players feel the rush and pleasure from doing well and knowing they earned their victory.
I'm aware some fighting games have done this like VF4:Evo and Skullgirls, but for this inclusion to actually be effective it needs to be in games people play.
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?I'm aware some fighting games have done this like VF4:Evo and Skullgirls, but for this inclusion to actually be effective it needs to be in games people play.
jlai or Teknopathetic. jlai's the strongest player on gaf and Teknopathetic really helped me early on in understanding aspects of fighting games that went over my head. I'll always remember him telling me to press less buttons. 5 years later and that advice still rings in my head.
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:
For more resources across the internet, check out previous FGW threads!
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
For more resources across the internet, check out previous FGW threads!
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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.
