Week of April 21st to the 27th, 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.
2 Old 2 Furious: Championship Edition [ Friday ] [ 8:30PM EDT | 5:30PM PDT ]
- Next Level's recurring retro Capcom game tournament returns once again, featuring ST, Alpha 2, CvS2 and SFEX2+.
- Location, schedule, format, rules, fees and more information is available here.
- SEGA's annual VF5:FS Championship returns, taking place in Super Arcade once again.
- Location, rules, schedule and more information is available here.
- Team PIE's Topanga-esque league for NY SF begins with a B League qualifier.
- Prizes, fees, format, location 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 Dante lab monster, Frantic!
What fighting games do you currently play, what are your all time favourites and why?
I currently only play UMvC3 as that's the game I've put the most time into and can actually say I'm pretty good at. Passable, really. I'd eventually like to get into most of the current fighting games, but time restraints kinda restrict me from doing that(or at least prevents me from getting to the level of skill I want to be at). The ones that appeal to me most, at this point, are KoFXIII, BBCP and Skullgirls, although I also really want to pick up Ultra when it drops. I'm mainly into 2D fighting games over 3D, but I want to try them out too at some point. There's just too many fighting games to try, and not enough time to try them! Or money in my wallet to purchase them...
I more or less got into fighting games with MvC3, so I'll go with that as my favorite(and I really do enjoy the game a lot, barring some serious issues that it has).
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?I more or less got into fighting games with MvC3, so I'll go with that as my favorite(and I really do enjoy the game a lot, barring some serious issues that it has).
Team building in fighting games is a lot of fun, and probably my favorite overall mechanic. It opens up a creative aspect in character selection, and it personally gives me more incentive to experiment with other characters and see who I like. I also like that I can sort of mix and match playstyles between characters, so in certain matchups I can use a predominantly rushdown character, while in another I can use a more zoning character, and the best part is that I can use any of those styles in the same match without having to be stuck with a single character's playstyle. Overall, it just allows for a more varied game, and that's something that I really enjoy.
Other mechanics I like and wouldn't mind seeing more along the lines are Overdrive from BBCP and the ability to pick custom assists in Skullgirls(though this is primarily a team game thing). They both accentuate character individuality and strengths in their own ways, and I really like that.
My least favorite mechanic is, without a doubt, TACs from MvC3. Poorly designed, poorly thought out, poorly tested, etc. It has potential to be better, but the way it's currently implemented is a straight up atrocity. But it promotes creativity so it's okay! [/niitsuma]
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?Other mechanics I like and wouldn't mind seeing more along the lines are Overdrive from BBCP and the ability to pick custom assists in Skullgirls(though this is primarily a team game thing). They both accentuate character individuality and strengths in their own ways, and I really like that.
My least favorite mechanic is, without a doubt, TACs from MvC3. Poorly designed, poorly thought out, poorly tested, etc. It has potential to be better, but the way it's currently implemented is a straight up atrocity. But it promotes creativity so it's okay! [/niitsuma]
I was never big on fighting games, but I'm a huge DMC fan and have dropped unhealthy amounts of times into DMC3 trying to SS rank DMD(and never accomplishing that goal, sadly), and I resolved a long time ago that if Dante was ever featured in Capcom crossover fighting game that I'd play it. So, there you go, my rather silly reason for getting into fighting games. It helped that DmC was announced shortly after MvC3, so I was further attracted to picking up MvC3. I've more or less stuck around because I find the mechanics of MvC3 to be very involving and deep. There's always something new to discover, and the rabbit hole is near endless. That sense of discovery is what keeps me going back for more... even when there is a shit ton of stuff in the game that makes me want to kill something. I do recall scrubbing hard with Street Fighter II: The New Challengers on Sega Genesis, and while I enjoyed it back then, I was young and stupid and didn't really understand what the hell I was doing so I never really continued playing fighting games after that.
I play pretty much any genre, and have no real biases towards any as long as I find the game fun(and I can enjoy games even if they're flawed. I am a Marvel player, after all!), though I find the modern day FPS games to be very drab and boring. I haven't really played a non-hybrid FPS game in years. I used to be big into FPS games, and the first game I actually felt the drive to get competitive in was UT99, but after the point where they started drifting from that style of FPS to realistic military style shooters, I just stopped playing them. I still play FPS style games, but they're usually hybrids or non competitive(Deus Ex HR, Borderlands, Metro 2099) whereas I used to really enjoy competitive FPS games.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?I play pretty much any genre, and have no real biases towards any as long as I find the game fun(and I can enjoy games even if they're flawed. I am a Marvel player, after all!), though I find the modern day FPS games to be very drab and boring. I haven't really played a non-hybrid FPS game in years. I used to be big into FPS games, and the first game I actually felt the drive to get competitive in was UT99, but after the point where they started drifting from that style of FPS to realistic military style shooters, I just stopped playing them. I still play FPS style games, but they're usually hybrids or non competitive(Deus Ex HR, Borderlands, Metro 2099) whereas I used to really enjoy competitive FPS games.
Dante, and it's entirely because they got him so accurate to the games. He, in a lot of ways, basically lets me play DMC3 again, except now it's a fighting game instead of a combo an action game. If not for the fact he was so accurate to the games, and if not for the fact he fits my on-the-fly playstyle of both rushdown and zoning, I'd have probably dropped MvC3 a while back since there isn't any character that I have as much fun playing as him... although Strider comes pretty damn close.
If I were to pick an actual fighting game character, I don't think I could pick a favorite since I haven't actually played any of them. If I were to pick a character I'd want to play most in a fighting game I haven't played, I'd pick Hazama for Blazblue(it's the classy suit), Vice and Elizabeth for KoFXIII(though I think Vice's design was more appealing in earlier KoF games, but it kinda carries over), Peacock for Skullgirls(the only character that genuinely appeals to me in the game), and Yang for Ultra(primarily because his moves look cool). My tastes in characters are all over the place, really.
Describe your style of play, and how do you play (local, online, etc.).If I were to pick an actual fighting game character, I don't think I could pick a favorite since I haven't actually played any of them. If I were to pick a character I'd want to play most in a fighting game I haven't played, I'd pick Hazama for Blazblue(it's the classy suit), Vice and Elizabeth for KoFXIII(though I think Vice's design was more appealing in earlier KoF games, but it kinda carries over), Peacock for Skullgirls(the only character that genuinely appeals to me in the game), and Yang for Ultra(primarily because his moves look cool). My tastes in characters are all over the place, really.
My playstyle depends entirely on my mood and opponent. I can play super lame, to the point of playing keepaway for all 99 Marvel seconds, play a game centered around spacing and counter poking my opponent, or just rushing that shit down with constant offense. I'm not particularly choosey about which style I play, and since I play a character in Marvel that can play any style of my choosing, I will switch between them on a whim half the time. Overall, though, I'd say I lean towards conservatism and I really enjoy the spacing game. I also really enjoy putting people in resets, even when I can kill. And, while not totally related to my playstyle, I really enjoy theory crafting.
I primarily play online because it's convenient if very, very frustrating. As far as a local scene goes, the new Ultra Arcade isn't far from where I'm at, but I don't have a car at the moment to get there in a reasonable amount of time(and time is my biggest enemy atm) so I haven't been out there yet. I definitely want to hit it up some day, though.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?I primarily play online because it's convenient if very, very frustrating. As far as a local scene goes, the new Ultra Arcade isn't far from where I'm at, but I don't have a car at the moment to get there in a reasonable amount of time(and time is my biggest enemy atm) so I haven't been out there yet. I definitely want to hit it up some day, though.
I feel that my biggest strength is probably my reads more than anything. There are just times when I know exactly what my opponent wants to do, and so I have the perfect counter and it all works out splendidly(but when my read is wrong...). Outside reads, I'm pretty good at spacing I know where to be, when to be...I'm just not always there when I should be. Sometimes I'm off by just a few pixels, and that ends up costing me, but I know where I should have been, when I should have been! I just didn't execute it right! I also suppose that I don't really give up. If something is difficult for me, no matter what it is(execution, matchup, etc), I will keep on grinding until I've got it.
My biggest weakness is easily the fact I get frustrated when I can't get a handle on my opponent. And this leads to problems. When I get frustrated, I tend to stop thinking and start autopiloting, and when I stop thinking and start autopiloting, I don't really try to adapt, and when I don't try to adapt, I keep getting bopped, and when I keep getting bopped, I get more frustrated and then the cycle repeats. It's an all around downward spiral of failure that never ends unless I have an epiphany mid-match. Which sometimes does happen, but only rarely.
The I just didn't execute it right up there also happens a lot. I know what I should be doing, and when I should be doing it, but I fumble in executing it(often due to lag since I play online, but other times it's just me being stupid) and get bopped. I can be a very sloppy player because of it. But, through the slop, you can sometimes catch glimpse of some skill. Sometimes. I've gotten better at being less sloppy over the years, but it still happens pretty often. Then again, Marvel is often times a sloppy game. I also need lots and lots of water while playing. If I don't get water, I start playing worse. There's a joke about dehydration and salt in there somewhere.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?My biggest weakness is easily the fact I get frustrated when I can't get a handle on my opponent. And this leads to problems. When I get frustrated, I tend to stop thinking and start autopiloting, and when I stop thinking and start autopiloting, I don't really try to adapt, and when I don't try to adapt, I keep getting bopped, and when I keep getting bopped, I get more frustrated and then the cycle repeats. It's an all around downward spiral of failure that never ends unless I have an epiphany mid-match. Which sometimes does happen, but only rarely.
The I just didn't execute it right up there also happens a lot. I know what I should be doing, and when I should be doing it, but I fumble in executing it(often due to lag since I play online, but other times it's just me being stupid) and get bopped. I can be a very sloppy player because of it. But, through the slop, you can sometimes catch glimpse of some skill. Sometimes. I've gotten better at being less sloppy over the years, but it still happens pretty often. Then again, Marvel is often times a sloppy game. I also need lots and lots of water while playing. If I don't get water, I start playing worse. There's a joke about dehydration and salt in there somewhere.
I can't say I've had a career in fighting games, but the worst moment I can recall that was available for all to see was me losing to one of the laggiest players ever from France using a Simple Mode Firebrand in Kadey's lobby. It was simultaneously hilarious and horrible at the same time.
The moment that I would consider my 'best' was seeing my videos(primarily Dante tech videos) being circulated in several stream chats, and seeing several Dante players actually utilizing my tech in tournament matches. It felt pretty good seeing that, and just about the only thing I've actually done in the FGC. Even if my tech isn't the craziest, or the most wowing out there, it's nice to see that they're appreciated and that people are actually using them.
What do you want from future fighting games?The moment that I would consider my 'best' was seeing my videos(primarily Dante tech videos) being circulated in several stream chats, and seeing several Dante players actually utilizing my tech in tournament matches. It felt pretty good seeing that, and just about the only thing I've actually done in the FGC. Even if my tech isn't the craziest, or the most wowing out there, it's nice to see that they're appreciated and that people are actually using them.
The UMvC3 fan-fiction patch that I helped make!
In all seriousness, more PC versions of fighting games and speed of light netcode is on the top of my list. Maintaining a diversity between fighting games is good, too. Don't want all the games to be the same. Also wouldn't mind if fighting games in general simplify the execution(although I'm mainly thinking about 1-frame links and head scratching pretzel motions, though I think both are starting to fade away) while retaining deep and engrossing mechanics. Games with lots of character diversity and giving characters interesting moves/tools is also greatly appreciated, since I love having lots of options at my disposal.
I guess they could be fun, too. But who plays games for fun, anyways?
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?In all seriousness, more PC versions of fighting games and speed of light netcode is on the top of my list. Maintaining a diversity between fighting games is good, too. Don't want all the games to be the same. Also wouldn't mind if fighting games in general simplify the execution(although I'm mainly thinking about 1-frame links and head scratching pretzel motions, though I think both are starting to fade away) while retaining deep and engrossing mechanics. Games with lots of character diversity and giving characters interesting moves/tools is also greatly appreciated, since I love having lots of options at my disposal.
I guess they could be fun, too. But who plays games for fun, anyways?
My fellow Dante aficionado, Azure J.
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.
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.
- 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. P4:A is usually streamed on CounterAssaultTV until Top 3.
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.
- 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 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
- Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition v.2012
- Tekken
- Tekken Revolution
- Tekken Tag Tournament 2
- Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
- Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
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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.