Month: January 2017

Posted on

Razer Panthera Receives XInput Driver for Use with PC Street Fighter V

One of the biggest issues facing arcade sticks hitting the market these days is no longer, “How are the parts?” With most sticks being released with Sanwa parts or some other high-quality alternative, that’s rarely a cause for concern. Rather, the question is becoming, “Does it have XInput support?”

A lot of people have experienced frustration and headaches trying play Street Fighter V on PC with their current arcade sticks, as some did not have XInput support–a requirement for the game. Anything with DirectInput only would simply not work out of the box.

When the Razer Panthera released, it did not have a XInput driver at the ready. However, that has changed, as they have just released their XInput driver: downloadable here. The driver works when the stick is set to PS4 mode; setting the stick to PS3 mode will cause the Direct Input driver to be used.

While this stick is now confirmed to work with Street Fighter V and The King of Fighters XIII, the driver is not currently recognized in Killer Instinct. An update fixing this should be expected soon.

Source: IPlayWinner

Posted on

Pre-Genesis 4 Interview with Shroomed: Discussing Melee Character Choices, 2017 Goals, and More

With his recent sponsorship switch to Immortals, DaJuan “Shroomed” McDaniel, one of the top 10 ranked Super Smash Bros. Melee players in the world, seems poised to do some damage competing at Genesis 4 this weekend in San Jose, California. The former Dr. Mario specialist–now Sheik main–will be playing Melee in both singles and doubles tournaments, as well as participating in the Draft Crew Battle.

Marcos “El Cubano Loco” Blanco: Congratulations on your recent sponsorship with Team Immortals. What made you switch from Winter Fox to your current sponsor?

DaJuan “Shroomed” McDaniel: Thanks! The main reason I switched from Winterfox was I felt like I wanted to be part of an organization with a stronger support system and a bit more resources. I’m very excited for my 2017 season with the Immortals. I’ll be making some waves this year!

Marcos: You, SFAT and PewPewU have been doing well for yourselves these past few years, with consistent performances at almost every major you have competed in–especially in 2016. What changed for all three of you to start performing more consistently?

DaJuan: We just started training a little harder and thinking about the game more in-depth. I feel like analysis is becoming a bigger and bigger part of the game. Studying the people you’re likely to play and things like that. Being prepared for a certain high-level opponent makes a huge difference.

Marcos: Last year at Genesis 3, all three of you got placed 5th, 9th and 17th respectively. How do you each feel about your G3 performance, what did you learn from it and how did the G3 experience affect your performances at other big tournaments in 2016 overall?

DaJuan: I can’t speak for SFAT or PewPewu, but I feel pretty awful about my performance. I didn’t feel very focused last year for a variety of reasons. I’m a lot better about blocking out other factors now.

Marcos: Who or what inspired you to play competitive Melee? Any players or people in the community you look to for support and inspiration?

DaJuan: I’m a competitive guy in general, so when I found out a game I love had such depth and an amazing community behind it, I was hooked. I used to really look up to Armada until I realized that would stop me from surpassing him. Nowadays I look to myself for inspiration.

Marcos: I’ve seen you play Marth at the Folsom Street Foundry Melee weeklies in San Francisco and at majors from time to time, but I believe in a recent tweet you said you might be playing even more Marth in the future. Is it for specific character matchups, players, or both? Will you ever go back to Dr. Mario?

DaJuan: I’ve always loved playing Marth in friendlies. I think he’s the character with the most diverse combo game and I always have a good time playing him. I started playing him in tournament for the Ice Climbers matchup, because it’s so stressful with Sheik and I began playing him versus Fox since that matchup is tough as well. Not sure if I’ll play him in other matchups yet. I have no plans to play Dr. Mario in tournament again, but will still have fun with him on net play.

Marcos: All three of you seem so close to transitioning from your “demi-god” status to “god” status. What do you think is holding you all back and what do you need to do overcome that tremendous hurdle?

DaJuan: For me, I’d say I need to work on my execution. I miss too many conversions due to input errors. My strength right now is neutral game. If I can bring my combo game up to par, I have no doubt I will start climbing the ranks. SFAT seems to be doing a good job of steadily improving with his routine, now so I don’t think he should change anything. Not sure what PewPewU is lacking. I’d say consistency if anything.

Marcos: What have been your biggest accomplishments personally as of late, as well your future goals to strive towards, in the world of competitive Melee in 2017 and beyond? How much longer do you all think you can keep competing for, and why?

DaJuan: I didn’t have any notable accomplishments in 2016. It’s the first year I didn’t beat a single god in a tournament set. My immediate future goal is to bring my execution up to at least 85-90 percent. It’s impossible to execute perfectly in Melee 100 percent of the time, but I feel my execution is much lower than it should be. I plan to compete until there is no tournament scene or my hands fall off. I love this game too much to quit.

Marcos: Who do you consider your biggest rivals in Melee and why?

DaJuan: SFAT has always been my biggest rival. We started off as enemies, and now we’re friends but still rivals. If I had to guess why we’re rivals, I’d say it’s due to our egos. We battled for NorCal for quite some time, and both felt like we were superior to the other. Outside of SFAT I’d say Leffen. He’s a homie, but I just want to wipe that smug look off his face.

Marcos: What does the Genesis series mean for you both a professional and personal level? How do you feel you will do this weekend in both singles and doubles?

DaJuan: Genesis is probably my favorite tournament series. I’m probably biased as a NorCal native though. Personally, I feel a little more pressure than normal to perform since it’s our home turf. I’m feeling confident this year, so I think I will do well.

Sources: Immortals, SSBM Rank, PushBlockGaming, ShowdownGG, Event Horizon Gaming