Week of April 7th to the 13th, 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.
Super Smash Bros. Direct [ Thread ] [ Tuesday ] [ 6PM EDT | 3PM PDT ]
- Nintendo is hosting a special Smash-focused Nintendo Direct that is likely going to give the most extended look at the title since the initial reveal.
- This event continues through Sunday.
- Prizes, format, rules and more information is available here (Japanese).
- Civil War returns again, flaming the rivalry between the north and the south once again.
- This event continues through Sunday.
- Location, platforms, fees, rules, format, payout and more information is available here.
- Super Arcade plays host to a mecha fighting game tournament, featuring Gundam Full Boost, VOOT, and Virtual-On Force.
- Format, platforms, rules, location, fees 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 A Pretty Panda's alt account, Professor Beef!
What fighting games do you currently play, what are your all time favourites and why?
Currently, I play SF4 and UMvC3 because those are the only two fighting games out now that I actually enjoy playing. My favorites would probably be CvS1 and 2, Rival Schools 2/Project Justice, Power Stone 1 and 2, Tech Romancer, Super Smash Brothers Melee, Marvel Super Heroes, the Naruto Clash of Ninja AND Ninja Storm series, King of Fighters (11 specifically, but they're all mostly good), Def Jam: Fight For New York, and WWF No Mercy. Top of the heap for me is Final Fantasy Dissidia, which is the best fighting game that nobody will ever play because of the system that it's on.
Dissidia is my favorite if only for the level of fan-service which completely dwarfs anything that even Nintendo, of all companies, has managed to deliver. It helps that the combat system is fun, the characters are balanced (minus Edea), there's customization for each character that doesn't break the game, and it's just fun as hell.
What are your favorite mechanics from the current selection of fighting games and why? What are your least favorite and why?Dissidia is my favorite if only for the level of fan-service which completely dwarfs anything that even Nintendo, of all companies, has managed to deliver. It helps that the combat system is fun, the characters are balanced (minus Edea), there's customization for each character that doesn't break the game, and it's just fun as hell.
I don't really like a lot of mechanics that most games have now. I'd say the only one I truly like is EX Mode from Dissidia. When you hit the opponent (or get hit), tiny spheres will fly out, which your character can collect. Once you fill up your EX Bar, you can activate EX Mode which will grant unique bonuses and allow access to a super move. Think of it like Dark Force from Vampire Savior, but with a "controllable" timer. Each character gets their health regenerated (a small percentage every 4-ish real-time seconds), gets a raised critical hit percentage, and one or two special abilities. Some examples include all of Cloud's sword attacks becoming unblockable, Tidus' movement/attack speed being doubled, Terra's attacks hit twice, etc.
The ones that I don't mind would be Rage from Tekken, and Clashes from Injustice. They're not stupidly overpowered to the point where it becomes a constant thing you have to watch. In Injustice's case, it's still something you have to worry about, but it's not overpowered at all and it's done really well.
Least favorite mechanic is X-Factor, bar-none. Pretty sure the "why" has already been discussed to death, so I don't have anything to include to the discussion on that one. The Assist mechanic in Dissidia is really close. I like the spirit of what they were trying to do, but the implementation was horrible, and it ended up changing the metagame for the worse.
What got you into fighting games? Are there any other genre of games you play?The ones that I don't mind would be Rage from Tekken, and Clashes from Injustice. They're not stupidly overpowered to the point where it becomes a constant thing you have to watch. In Injustice's case, it's still something you have to worry about, but it's not overpowered at all and it's done really well.
Least favorite mechanic is X-Factor, bar-none. Pretty sure the "why" has already been discussed to death, so I don't have anything to include to the discussion on that one. The Assist mechanic in Dissidia is really close. I like the spirit of what they were trying to do, but the implementation was horrible, and it ended up changing the metagame for the worse.
I've been playing fighting games since I was 9 or so, against my cousins or against the CPU. I never decided that I wanted to *really* play competitively until CvS2 came out. I had played in my fair share of Melee tournaments before that. A lot of my friends would complain that I'd win all the time in various games, so I thought "maybe I can actually try and get some recognition for this." I went to my first EVO in 2008, went 1-2 in CvS2, and had a great weekend. Combofiend walked up to me after my 2nd loss and said "did you just play there?" "Yeah." He shook his head, then said "get a stick, bro. Drop the pad." Haven't dropped the pad ever since then.
The other genres I play are mainly RPGs and action/adventure games. Doesn't particularly matter if they're western or not, so long as the game itself is good. In any other game besides fighters, I try to look for support roles (tanks, healers, etc). Especially if the combat isn't any fun.
What is your favorite fighting game character and why?The other genres I play are mainly RPGs and action/adventure games. Doesn't particularly matter if they're western or not, so long as the game itself is good. In any other game besides fighters, I try to look for support roles (tanks, healers, etc). Especially if the combat isn't any fun.
A lot of people are going to assume I'm going to say T.Hawk. And while I do love playing as him, he's actually not my favorite character. My actual favorite character is Joe Higashi from KoF. The hair, his moves and playstyle, his overall demeanor, I love it all.
Describe your style of play, and how you play (local, online, etc.).
I like using grapplers in fighters, because fuck combos and counting frames. Big damage, lots of health, and good normals are all you need. Any character that plays like that is a character I'm going to gravitate towards. If the grapplers aren't fun, then I'll move to someone who is fast so I can annoy the other player. That being said, the only reason I use Joe/Frank/Ryu in UMvC3 is because they're the only characters in the entire game that I enjoy using. If Joe weren't in the game, I probably wouldn't have bothered with it.
I mainly play online because despite living in the Bay Area, everyone is too damned far away for me to reliably and consistently meetup. Now that I have some money in my bank account though, I can finally start looking for more local tournaments. I've already registered for both NCR and EVO, and all my plans have been finalized.
What do you feel are your biggest strengths and weaknesses as a player?I mainly play online because despite living in the Bay Area, everyone is too damned far away for me to reliably and consistently meetup. Now that I have some money in my bank account though, I can finally start looking for more local tournaments. I've already registered for both NCR and EVO, and all my plans have been finalized.
I wouldn't really call it a "strength," but I'm particularly good at remembering what certain moves can or can't do in certain situations, no matter how much pressure I'm under. I'll be watching streams, and I'll yell at my laptop because someone who uses the character(s) I use won't use a move in the right situation - or at all - and it will end up biting them in the ass. When I decide to learn a character, I make sure to find out if there's any sort of hidden things about their normals or specials or anything. It's like how EX Condor Spire will beat Burn Kick - on wakeup or any other time - for free. This is because Burn Kick counts as a projectile hit, and EX Spire is projectile-invincible. It's something that awful Viper players never think about.
Best and worst moments in the your fighting game career?
I have two "best" moments. The first was when me and a friend of mine were playing in a team tournament for Clash of Ninja 2. Two guys showed up and wanted to play, and we stomped a mudhole in them. After they got up, the TO said "ALRIGHT, WE NEED THE NEXT TEAM TO COME UP." We had apparently played our first round match and treated it like it was a regular match against 2 awful players!
My other proud moment was winning two Smash tournaments in the same night. It was during the height of Brawl pre-release hype, and Gamestop was running a multi-stage tournament. I had won the first stage of the tournament, and when I walked outside, there was a huge crowd of people actually chanting my name. Felt damn good (I still have the awful trophy that they gave me, too). It wasn't all that late after I left the Gamestop, so I went to see how my coworker was doing at the nearby Game Crazy, and apparently his store was holding a Melee tournament just for the hell of it. I won the whole thing with Bowser, even beating a Marth in the finals.
My worst moment would be in the next stage of the Gamestop Brawl pre-release tournament. The guy running it forced random stages and 2 minute Timed Brawl. It would only get worse when the stage for the 3rd game was New Pork City, and my opponent got one kill and ran away using Pit the entire time. "Salty" would be a supreme understatement for how I felt that day.
What do you want from future fighting games?My other proud moment was winning two Smash tournaments in the same night. It was during the height of Brawl pre-release hype, and Gamestop was running a multi-stage tournament. I had won the first stage of the tournament, and when I walked outside, there was a huge crowd of people actually chanting my name. Felt damn good (I still have the awful trophy that they gave me, too). It wasn't all that late after I left the Gamestop, so I went to see how my coworker was doing at the nearby Game Crazy, and apparently his store was holding a Melee tournament just for the hell of it. I won the whole thing with Bowser, even beating a Marth in the finals.
My worst moment would be in the next stage of the Gamestop Brawl pre-release tournament. The guy running it forced random stages and 2 minute Timed Brawl. It would only get worse when the stage for the 3rd game was New Pork City, and my opponent got one kill and ran away using Pit the entire time. "Salty" would be a supreme understatement for how I felt that day.
Less ASW games, to be perfectly honest. =P
Who should be on next week's GAF Player Spotlight?
Karsticles, if he hasn't already. If so, then ViewtifulJC.
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 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
- 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 - Mainly 2D, Capcom game centric hub, and probably one of, if not the largest FG community on the internet
- 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.
