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Fighting Games Weekly | June 2-8 | The Final Kountdown

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
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Week of June 2nd to June 8th, 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.​


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We're going to #PutQinEVO!
  • Over the past week, GAFer Shouta has helped organize donations from various FGC-GAF members to help get fellow member QisTopTier to EVO. Q suffers from Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy, and has always dreamed of going to EVO, so FGC-GAF got together to try and make it happen. From Q himself, here is an update on his progress with the disease:
    I can't raise my arms above chest level, a can barely lift a gallon of milk, the upper muscle in right arm is pretty much dead so I have almost no lift on my fingers which means I lost the ability to play stick as my fingers would be pretty much glued to the buttons. My lower back muscles are pretty much shot now and my spine is pressing inwards now pushing my stomach out. As far as my legs go I can barely lift one of my legs to get into a car and I have to pull the other one up. I can't get out of a seat without using my arms to push downwards to help my legs. I can still walk for super short burst but it puts a huge burden on my knees and back leaving me sore for days.​
    We've already got enough contributors to fly Q out and cover the necessities, but if you want to help give Q some extra spending money for food, etc. you can contact Q directly.
Mortal Kombat X Announcement [ Monday ] [ 11AM EDT | 8AM PDT ]
  • After much teasing on twitter by Ed Boon, the next Mortal Kombat is set to be revealed early on in the week. Or maybe something else, depending on how much he is actually trolling.
Ultra Street Fighter IV Digital Release [ Thread ] [ PSN: Tuesday | XBL: Wednesday ]
  • The digital upgrade for the latest, and allegedly final iteration of Street Fighter IV releases ahead of the retail version in anticipation of EVO in a month.
  • For more focused game discussion, check out the game's official thread!
Spring Fighter 2014 [ Saturday ] [ 10AM EDT | 7AM PDT ]


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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 darkblade77!

What fighting games do you currently play, what are your all time favourites and why?
I currently play Blazblue and Skullgirls. (Incidentally, I play the worst characters in each game as of right now)

All time favorites... just on aesthetics/visual design and basic handling, Last Blade 2 is way up there. Garou and SF3:Third Strike, and Project Justice are also pretty high on my list by the same criteria. I also had a lot of dumb fun with Bloody Roar and Power Stone 1 when they hit, so honorary mentions there.

Critical analysis/mechanics-wise... I'll chalk this up to me not knowing enough to weigh in on it yet. I am working on this, though.
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?
I'm having trouble thinking of many system-level mechanics I *like*. I can understand and respect the necessity for some of them, but they don't translate to 'like'.

I like the fact that Skullgirls has high-low/left-right unblockable protection, and that it's done in a way that still allows people to viably use those setups.

Overdrive in BB is a mechanic I *like*, not because I'm good at using it or because it's a good mechanic to begin with, but just because it's an exciting mechanic to see used in matches that feels way more honest than, for example, X-Factor.

I really don't like clashes in Injustice. They interrupt the flow of the match and outside of looking cinematic, there's no real reason the meter conversion into life+/- and positioning couldn't just happen like any other special move/burst/whatever.

I don't like PSABR's meter => kill system. At all. I am kind of thankful I got to see it done, but that's about it.
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?
I didn't get to go to arcades very often in Louisiana, so the fighting game bug didn't really bite me until I got my hands on emulators as a tangent of the ePSXe craze. Then it was SNK city for a pretty long time.

In high school we had an AP Physics course with an overworked professor who let us do whatever for large periods of time while he graded the other classes he taught, so we would play Garou:MOTW for most of the period on the computer in the back.

Emulation play eventually got me into Capcom VS-style games a bit as well; I played a lot of Xmen vs SF and MSH with my friends. My first console game I got into that I legitimately owned was SNK vs Capcom: MotM for Neo Geo Pocket Color. After that, as far as I can remember I've bought all the fighting games I've played(outside of when I've used GGPO.net).

As for other genres, I'm big on RPGs of all shapes and sizes, from Valkyrie Profile to Baldur's Gate to Atelier Rorona to Fallout to Grandia, etc.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?
KOF 97/98 Kyo Kusanagi. What a way to get into rekkas. And Mu Shiki is still one of my favorite super moves of all time.
Describe your style of play, and how do you play (local, online, etc.).
I've always liked rushdown-style play, and most of of my character picks are about that. My pressure has always waxed on the 'mindless' side, so I'm trying to improve that and also work on my neutral.

I go to local events maybe once a month at most; most of my play is online.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?
Biggest strength as a player is probably pattern recognition. My hands often can't take advantage of it, but I do notice player habits pretty quickly in games I actively play.

My biggest weakness as a player is just not putting in the time to be decent at games I like playing.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?
I think it'd be a stretch to call what I have a 'career'.

Best moment in recent memory was that Saltybet tournament though. The look on the other guy's face when he realized May (AC) was wrecking him without me pressing buttons was priceless.
What do you want from future fighting games?
A legitimate effort to bridge the gap in understanding between low and mid-level play. This can be either through better AI, better tutorial/training options, whatever. It needs to be pushed harder than it is now.

Also, more emphasis on sharing and explaining community-gleaned information as the game evolves.

Right now, at best we provide the players the tools to improve and hope they move on from there. I think we can do more than that, and we should do more than that if we want more of the fickle guys who bite at FGs for a little while to get invested in playing them for real.
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?
QisTopTier, Tizoc, sixteen-bit, Tik-Tok, whichever valid one first L->R.


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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.
Gootecks & Mike Ross Show [ 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
  • Out of the ashes of Cross Counter Live rises a new discussion show from Gootecks and Mike Ross!
Marvel Mondays [ 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
  • Out of the ashes of The BOX Arena, comes the San Diego FGC's newest organized weekly for UMvC3.
UltraChenTV: First Attack & Lv3 Focus [ 11:30PM EDT | 8:30PM PDT ]
  • Weekly FGC show dedicated to match analysis, teaching, commentary, news, debates, and more! Hosted by UltraDavid and James Chen.


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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 [ 8PM EDT | 5PM PDT ]
  • NYC VF crew presents VF5:FS tournaments casuals out of The Next Level arcade in Brooklyn.
The Break Weekly [ 8PM EDT | 5PM PDT ]
  • New Jersey's largest weekly featuring UMvC3 and Injustice.
The On Blast Show [ 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
  • JamessMK & DarKNaTaS host a raw and uncut weekly talk show discussing events in the FGC with various FGC personalities.
UltraChenTV: The Tuesday Show [ 11:30PM EDT | 8:30PM PDT ]
  • Weekly FGC show dedicated to match analysis, teaching, commentary, news, debates, and more! Hosted by UltraDavid and James Chen.
The Show That Sucks [ 1AM EDT (following day) | 10PM PDT ]
  • iPlaywinner hosts a weekly talk show featuring alpha stream monsters Harrison and Honzo Gonzo.


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Game Spot Versus KoF Casuals (JP) [ 7PM JST | 6AM EDT | 3AM PDT ]
  • KoF 1998UM, KoF 2002UM and KoF XIII C action from Japan.
TOPANGA TV (JP) [ 9PM JST | 8AM EDT | 5AM PDT ]
  • Description needed.
Next Level Battle Circuit [ 8PM EDT | 4PM PDT ]
  • 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.
Wednesday Night Fights [ 12AM EDT (following day) | 9PM PDT ]


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HBTB Live [ 8PM EDT | 5PM PDT ]
  • Hold Back To Block hosts a weekly roundtable discussion of various happenings in the FGC.
Melee It On Me [ 9PM EDT | 6PM PDT ]
  • A bi-weekly Smash podcast discussing recent events, news and issues in the Smash community, hosted by Scar, Prog, Cactuar and Sheridan.
Ghost Battle Series [ 9PM CST | 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
  • Galloping Ghost Arcade presents an Injustice weekly out of Chicago.
The Fray [ 10PM EDT | 7PM PDT ]
  • A weekly FGC talk show hosted by iPlaywinner, featuring a varying, ensemble cast of prominent members of the fighting game community.
ATP LIVE! [ 11PM EDT | 8PM PDT ]
  • Aris' new weekly show, discussing whatever he wants to! The format resembles old ATP podcasts.
The Runback Season 4 [ 12AM EDT (following day) | 9PM PDT ]
  • The UMvC3 and KoF XIII branch of Wednesday Night Fights also hosted at Super Arcade in Walnut, California.


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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.
Thank God It's Team Stickbug [ 7PM EDT | 4PM PDT ]
  • Arturo streams a BlazBlue and Guilty Gear bi-weekly out of Next Level arcade in Brooklyn.
KaoTV! (JP) [ 11PM JST | 10AM EDT | 7AM PDT ]
SALTY! [ 11PM EDT | 8PM PDT ]
  • A weekly Skullgirls event hosted by members of the Skullgirls development team, often featuring preview builds of the game.


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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.


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GGPO VanBats [ 4PM EDT | 1PM PDT ]
  • Weekly GGPO Vampire Savior ranbats streamed by GAFer Rotanibor.
Super Smash Sundays [ 4PM EDT | 1PM PDT ]
  • Level|Up and Team OXY partner up to create a new weekly for the SoCal Melee community, featuring doubles and singles.


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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:
GAF isn't the only FG community in town though. Here are a whole bunch of other FG communities across the internet that may be of interest:
  • 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 t- 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

- - -

If you have any suggestions for the OP, please do not hesitate to post in this thread or PM me to let me know.
 

notworksafe

Member
So on the week Ultra SF4 is released we have a Mortal Kombat centeric thread title....GAF has hit an all time low.

Eh it fits with GAFs theme of quitting a game two weeks after it comes out. Might as well just speed up the process and get it out of the way now.
 
So on the week Ultra SF4 is released we have a Mortal Kombat centeric thread title....GAF has hit an all time low.

The thread titles are based on the members, and most of them aren't SF players so it doesn't get as much attention. That's always been my theory anyways. I think the one week Daigo bodied Xian 10-0, the thread title the week after was another Marvel reference. It's honestly not a big deal since their is a big USF4 thread floating around somewhere else on GAF. But I think that's the way it goes around here. For a while it felt like we had a Marvel or drama related title every week for months on end.
 

vulva

Member
I respect Boon's scummy tactic of trying to divert attention away from SF by making an announcement the day before Ultra drops.
 
I respect Boon's scummy tactic of trying to divert attention away from SF by making an announcement the day before Ultra drops.

never really thought about that tbh. ultra is only going to appeal to people still playing SF, not really new people.
 

vulva

Member
never really thought about that tbh. ultra is only going to appeal to people still playing SF, not really new people.

It already worked though! Week of Ultra release, we have an MK title. We're victims of brilliant aggressive marketing. Wake up sheeple, you're all just MKlones now
 

Jazz-ism

Banned
generic usf4 hype post
oh wait its sf4 and its just going to be the version of the game we should have had 3 years ago :/



Q what games will you enter at evo? as soon as i get my next check i will spot u enough for an evening buffet if you are still taking donations
 

QisTopTier

XisBannedTier
Q what games will you enter at evo? as soon as i get my next check i will spot u enough for an evening buffet if you are still taking donations
BBCP and USF4. Then the SG side tourney. Need to find details on the GG side tourney.

and yeah I am.
 

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
The announcement of a new game is more important than an update.
And not just any update, but the 4th major update to a game released in 2008/9. Zzz.

NRS is about to push out their second mainline MK title before Capcom can greenlight SFV, SMH.

Anyways, looking forward to the announcement in the morning. Excited about so many different things: the art style, engine (UE4?), potential for more divergent character design a-la Injustice, defining mechanics, how they further improve on rewards and progression from Injustice and (one can dream) less jank animation/gameplay.
 

Shito

Member
And not just any update, but the 4th major update to a game released in 2008/9. Zzz.

NRS is about to push out their second mainline MK title before Capcom can greenlight SFV, SMH.
I don't know, for me it's more of a compliment for Capcom than the other way around. When you make a competitive game, the best thing it can happen to it is to last long.
LoL is getting quite old as well and I don't see anyone complaining about its age. ^^
 
Anyways, looking forward to the announcement in the morning. Excited about so many different things: the art style, engine (UE4?), potential for more divergent character design a-la Injustice, defining mechanics, how they further improve on rewards and progression from Injustice and (one can dream) less jank animation/gameplay.

At this point, I feel it would take something truly catastrophic for NRS to alter how they animate or how you input combo strings, as it appears to be a stylistic and intentional choice(in reference to the older games, I assume).
 

enzo_gt

tagged by Blackace
At this point, I feel it would take something truly catastrophic for NRS to alter how they animate or how you input combo strings, as it appears to be a stylistic and intentional choice(in reference to the older games, I assume).
Yeah I think it's pretty much intrinsic to the franchise, but a small, small part of me feels like NRS are prime risk takers and could try something drastic moving into next gen.
 

Zissou

Member
At this point, I feel it would take something truly catastrophic for NRS to alter how they animate or how you input combo strings, as it appears to be a stylistic and intentional choice(in reference to the older games, I assume).

Doesn't explain Injustice's jank art/animation.
 
Yeah I think it's pretty much intrinsic to the franchise, but a small, small part of me feels like NRS are prime risk takers and could try something drastic moving into next gen.
I'll hope with ya', then.
Although, my idea of "drastic" is a sequel to Shaolin Monks. :p
Doesn't explain Injustice's jank art/animation.
I thought that it did. Injustice felt very clearly built off of Mortal Kombat 9.
 

Skilotonn

xbot xbot xbot xbot xbot
An MK announcement over the actual release of Ultra.

People already talking about the down-right terrible jankiness and art style of MK since UMK3, two things that aren't tied to graphical power, so I see that I don't have to elaborate on those fronts on what to expect.

I'm glad that the titles also never affect the thread for me either though so no worries from me.
 

alstein

Member
I'm just hoping the next MK is like the last one, but with good gameplay and online. They got all of the little things right and none of the big things.

I want to like the game.

Curious: is Smash high-execution? Seeing Mario Kart 8 is making me think about a Wii U- and I'm winding down my FG habit these days (I'm only getting Ultra, LM, and P4U this year)
 
An MK announcement over the actual release of Ultra.

People already talking about the down-right terrible jankiness and art style of MK since UMK3, two things that aren't tied to graphical power, so I see that I don't have to elaborate on those fronts on what to expect.

I'm glad that the titles also never affect the thread for me either though so no worries from me.

I respect the passion of the "NRS" community, especially given how terrible I think MK and Injustice are in several respects.

None of those problems with the games are unfixable and those communities backed by actually playable games would be a great positive for the fgc. If anything it is much more important for the future than ultra, which is nice but not a game changer.

I have grave doubts, but fingers crossed.


Vega's super in a combo video. Now I have seen everything.
 

Skilotonn

xbot xbot xbot xbot xbot
I respect the passion of the "NRS" community, especially given how terrible I think MK and Injustice are in several respects.

None of those problems with the games are unfixable. Those communities backed by actually playable games would be a great positive for the fgc. If anything it is much more important for the future than ultra, which is nice but not a game changer.

I have grave doubts, but fingers crossed.

Alright, fair enough, but still.

It's clear that it's their choice to go where they've been going, regardless of hardware power so that's on them I guess. A lot of it simply being just terrible choices or terrible coding, like whatever it was that player 1 always won in Injustice (I think it was trading hits or air grabs, can't remember). I won't hate, I'll just continue to have no interest in their games like I've had since Ultimate MK3.
 

Zissou

Member
I'll hope with ya', then.
Although, my idea of "drastic" is a sequel to Shaolin Monks. :p

I thought that it did. Injustice felt very clearly built off of Mortal Kombat 9.

Perhaps the engine kept them stuck their MK past mechanically, but there was no creative/artistic/historical reason why Injustice had to look and play how it does, no?
 
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