Month: January 2016

There are few players out there as highly decorated as Ryan Hart. Aside from multiple tournament wins, including two at Evolution, the Prodigal Son has also been added to the Guinness Book of World Record a whopping three times.

Now, with Street Fighter V coming out in less than a month, Hart recently began a brand new blog series for sponsor Falcon Arena detailing his thoughts on the upcoming game. The first part sees him talk mostly about online play, specifically ranked.

Here, he describes some things he’s hoping for when it comes to ranked matchmaking, specifically in terms of filters and making sure people can play who they want to. Hart hopes that the matchmaking system should allow people to see their opponents stats before they accept the match so that new players aren’t discouraged when they suddenly get matched up against veterans and end up avoiding anyone that they feel they can’t beat.

The meat of Hart’s writing, however, is included in the second and third parts, which deal with topics like character selection, execution, and balance.

While he admits that harsh execution barriers exclude even those who study a game thoroughly, Hart believes they can add an extra layer of appreciation for the work high-level players put into their craft. That said, he’s unfazed by the notion Street Fighter V may have easier combos.

“One must not get mixed up in the idea that simplifying the combos makes winning easier, this is a misconception. Easier combos makes playing the game easier but not winning. Beginners don’t lose because they cannot do combos,” Hart continues. “Having the ability to create out of the box, devise strategy, deal with pressure, adapt on the fly, and stay ahead of the opponent mentally are some things that separate the wheat from the chaff.”

Of course, this is just part of the overall discussion, so be sure to follow the link below to read more of Hart’s thoughts on these matters.

Source: Falcon Arena, image via Mad Catz

One of the more controversial new characters in Tekken 7 is the cat ear-wearing dancer Lucky Chloe. When she was first announced, players were split on whether or not her cutesy design and antics belonged in the Tekken series.

For those who count yourselves as fans, Bandai Namco Entertainment has partnered with Kotobukiya to release a Lucky Chloe figure as part of their Tekken Bishoujo line

As with all items in this collection, Lucky Chloe features a sculpt based on art by Shunya Yamashita, a Bandai Namco-affiliated designer who previously contributed to Tekken Tag Tournament 2. The piece in question captures the newcomer in a cute fighting pose, complete with her trademark furry jacket and headphones.

Lucky Chloe is set to retail at ¥7500 (~$64 USD) and should be available at a variety of online retailers. Shipments are planned for July.

Click to view slideshow.

Sources: Kotobukiya via Crunchyroll, Haruhichan