Author: John "Zidiane" Silvia

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Vanessa’s boxing is in full swing with this King of Fighters XIV combo exhibition

SNK is on a roll with these recent DLC character reveals, with each character met with even more widespread hype. The latest character, Vanessa, has been a long-time fan favorite, and seeing this boxy mama in 3D is quite the treat.

Though we saw her in the latest trailer, our first glimpse of her combos is coming from Gatoray–a big advocate for KOF in general–while his original source for this footage is listed as mp.weixin.qq.com. We get a good preview of what her combo routes and conversions are going to look like, with some corner strings, standard Max Mode conversions, and a 5-bar combo.

Source: Gatoray, via mp.weixin.qq.com

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Latest Conversations and Fireballs sees LI Joe discuss his post-Evo life, & For Honor as an esport

After his performance at Evo 2016, Joe “LI Joe” Ciaramelli has been dealing with a lot of new situations. He talks with Micheal “Bizzaro Mike” Martin about his life since then, and goes into detail about a lot of the stress and burden that he’s now taken on thanks to his placing, expressing new-found respect for players who deal with that burden constantly. He also talks about new opportunities that have presented themselves since then, that he’s excited for.

He also goes into a rather new topic in the FGC as of late: For Honor. He talks about his first interactions with the game, smash.gg circuits for the game, as well as his thoughts on its mechanics and how they offer better appeal to spectators as an esport than traditional fighters.

Source: Yahoo! Esports

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Yamazaki gameplay shows off how he draws the life from his opponent in The King of Fighters XIV

After being gone for nearly 15 years, Yamazaki is making his first playable appearance in The King of Fighters series since The King of Fighters 2003. This of course has fans excited–along with the other two announced characters, Vanessa and Whip.

While we have a while to wait until these characters are actually released, here we get our first bit of gameplay featuring the violent Orochi gangster. We don’t get to see a whole lot yet, but we do get to see a few strings and a nice look at his Double Return and Climax moves.

You can also check out the first glimpse of Whip gameplay here.

Source: snkGame

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Charges: Skullgirls 2nd Encore CMV features cool applications of charge moves

Skullgirls is an interesting game, in terms of both its mechanics and its community. A game that was once non-existent in the tournament scene is now in the middle of a vibrant revival, which is an impressive feat for any game. The title itself boasts some of the most free-form combos of the genre, which leads players to constantly find new applications for certain setups and combos. Here, we see one aspect become the focal point for an entire combo video.

YouTuber Morahan put together this video, and credits several community members with helping out along the way. We see a lot of use out of Cerebella’s Excellebella assist, which allows both Squigly and Valentine to charge Stances and Vials respectively, something they can’t usually do on their own. The video is a delight, so please enjoy!

Source: Morahan; via tip from Mizaki the Red Shinobi

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desk exploits an obscure Street Fighter II: The World Warrior glitch for some brand new combos

We all know there’s some truly insane stuff waiting to be found in older titles, and Street Fighter II is no exception. As displayed in the video uploaded today by desk, there is one glitch in particular involving Vega (Claw) that allows him to be hit after a sweep knockdown.

This glitch can be exploited for all sorts of normally impossible combos, such as double fireball combos, mid-combo jump-ins, and sweep loops. desk also takes advantage of another very specific glitch: one that adds a few additional hitstun frames when sweeping someone who is outside of the corner, causing them to be knocked into the corner.

For a full breakdown on how all this works, be sure to check the video description–where desk goes over the details on how he learned about this glitch, and just how long it took to discover this.

Source: desk

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Organizer Carolyn Dao talks region rivalries for Red Bull Proving Grounds: “West Coast = Best Coast”

Over the past week we’ve been talking to all of the organizers involved in the coming Red Bull Proving Grounds qualifying regional events, such as Chicago, Texas, and Vancouver. Next up is a particularly notable regional qualifier, held by the first female event organizer participating in the Red Bull Proving Grounds series. She’s in charge of the NorCal Rivals event, which, as its name implies, is stationed in Northern California. We talked to her about the abundance of potential top players in the area, rivalries, and strong faith in the West Coast Army.

John “Zidiane” Silvia: Would you mind introducing yourself for the folks who don’t know you?

Carolyn Dao: Hi, I’m Carolyn Dao, aka MamaDao. I’ve been hosting NorCal tournaments in my garage since 2012, before I eventually branched off in Macro Micro Gaming’s Alpha Clash, then ShowDown GG’s Churning the Butter. Recently I stepped back from the FGC to go back to school, but Red Bull gave me an opportunity I couldn’t refuse.

Zidiane: So, the event that’s going to be hosting the Red Bull qualifiers is NorCal Rivals, correct?

Carolyn: Yup! It’s the first tournament where I get to be my own boss and call the shots.

Zidiane: Oh really? So it will be your first foray on this level of organization altogether. How did you end up running the event yourself, rather than working under someone else?

Carolyn:  I left ShowDown to focus on school, but Rick “TheHadou” Thiher called me up and asked what they could do to get me to come back. I have a lot of anxiety and the thought of running something myself always scared me, but the other Proving Grounds TOs are all willing to share their support if I need it. I also finally have enough experience where I feel like I’m ready.

Zidiane: Okay. So, it was thrust upon your lap kind of suddenly, but you were ready to step up.

Carolyn: Yeah. They “gave me wings” [laughs].

Zidiane:  So, as far as NorCal Rivals goes, what’s the player base like there? It is of course NorCal, there’s a lot of history and great players there, but what does it look like from your perspective?

Carolyn: A lot of our players are pretty much some of the best in the world. Although there is the CPT point rule for Proving Grounds that will knock out the obvious choices like Justin Wong, FChamp, KBrad and Ricki Ortiz, we still have great players like EchoFox’s Julio Fuentes, LPN, Snake Eyez, the Jeon Brothers, Kelvin & Brian, Rom, Pavocado, El Cubano Loco, WinterFox’s XSK Samurai, and a ton more.

Zidiane: From what it sounds like, you guys have more great players than you know what to do with.

Carolyn: The best part is they’re all hungry to play. Traveling to SoCal last year was what really held them back from Proving Grounds.

Zidiane: The location is much better for you guys now?

Carolyn: It’s literally five minutes from the main gaming house that includes Julio, Kelvin, Brian, me, and Joser. So, it’s amazing.

Zidiane: I’m sure it was expected that NorCal would be able to compete in some fashion, but that seems particularly great. I bet everyone was thrilled with that announcement.

Carolyn: Yeah, a lot of people were just excited to see me back. They were saying that Rivals is the “revival” of the NorCal FGC. Plus, the venue is Dave and Busters, which is a great place to grab a drink after a really salty match.

Zidiane: So, NorCal is about as West Coast as you can get, as far as this whole WC vs EC rivalry thing goes. I’ve talked to a few other TOs this past week, but they all sort of didn’t really consider themselves part of East or West Coast. Does the West Coast branding mean something more to you and your players?

Carolyn: For a long time, it was always the NorCal vs. SoCal rivalry, so we didn’t really focus on East Coast as a threat. I’m not a player, so I can’t really talk about how they feel competition-wise. Tournament wise, I always see them calling us “too esports,” but I think that’s important for the growth of the game. In a way, Proving Grounds sort of feels like a sports anime where the 2 rival teams need to work together to fight a bigger threat.

Zidiane: So, if one or the other of you makes it to that final stage against East Coast, do you think there’ll be cooperation to take out whichever East Coast team is standing in the way?

Carolyn: Oh, for sure. NorCal and SoCal travel back and forth a lot just to train, so when the time comes we’ll definitely have each-others’ backs. Even during the ESL East vs West King of the Hill, the West Coast collectively helped each other train in their matchups.

Zidiane: So, in a way, whoever makes it to that stage, you’re already planning on making sure they have all of West Coast’s support.

Carolyn: Yup! West Coast = Best Coast.

Zidiane: As far as your players go, do you have any idea of who might make that top 3 and represent NorCal? It sounded like you had a lot of killers out there, but do you have your money on anyone specific?

Carolyn: It’s hard to tell with the CPT points being a barrier of entry, but my top picks will be Julio Fuentes, LPN, and one of the Jeon brothers.

Zidiane: Can you give a bit of background on them, for people who haven’t heard of them yet?

Carolyn: Julio, who is now currently Echo Fox, is arguably one of the best Kens out there and has been passionately playing since 3rd strike. I knew he was a hidden gem when I helped “sponsor” him back in 2012 for SFIV:AE. LPN is our “jack of all trades” player on Circa that is focusing on Alex and Birdie last time I checked. Players need to really stay on their toes to keep up with him. The Jeon brothers include Kelvin Jeon and Brian Jeon aka “bjUNCHAINED.” To be honest this is my favorite rivalry to watch because they always go toe to toe and the sibling rivalry hits too close to home. That’s probably why I couldn’t choose just one in my top 3 list. Kelvin is a Mika turned Urien player, and Brian is a Necalli with a hint of Karin player. I love this top 3 list because even during the Churning the Butter days, you could never tell who was going to take 1st.

Zidiane: Sounds like there are rivalries every which way.

Carolyn: Yeah, I put a lot of thought into the name.

Zidiane: So, as far as the Proving Grounds itself, you’ll of course need to compete against everyone else on the West Coast in a round robin, but there’s only one East Coast team to worry about at the end. If you guys make it to that level, do you have any opinions on who you’d want to go up against from East Coast? Anyone you’d rather avoid, or someone you think you guys could take?

Carolyn: Avoiding players is for the weak and free! in terms of players to watch out for, I would keep an eye out for Smug, Dieminion, Idom, Alucard, Shine, and now Punk who is breaking out at a fast pace.

Zidiane: Hmm. The past TOs seemed ready to prove themselves, but you seem like you’re ready for the final stages already! It’ll be great, seeing what NorCal does in the coming days. That’s about it for my questions today, though. Did you have any last words you wanted to say before heading out?

Carolyn: I’d like to really thank Red Bull for giving me this opportunity to step up to the plate. There are a lot of expectations and I’ll try my hardest to hold up to them. Also, shout outs to 10/0 productions for mentoring me and listening when I need to vent. I’m happy and pumped to be back!

If you enjoyed hearing about this TO, be sure to check out the other interviews we have with other regional organizers: Chicago, Texas, & Vancouver.

[Feature image by Avery Wong Photography]

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Chicago’s Red Bull Proving Grounds rep speaks on their teamwork: “There’s no region that we can’t beat”

One of the most notable entries on the West Coast region in the upcoming Red Bull Proving Grounds team tournament is Chicago. It’s the most recognizable region in the Midwest, and holds some of the biggest FGC majors of the year. Being the face of the Midwest, a lot of players will be working hard to earn the recognition they feel they deserve, while many more will be watching from home and rooting for their victory.

Today we take some time to talk with Noah, the TO of Mix-Up Monthly, which happens to be their Regional representative. Read on to hear his thoughts on their chances in the coming events.

John “Zidiane” Silvia: First things first, would you mind introducing yourself for the readers who may not know you?

Noah Vandercook: My name is Noah Vandercook, I’m a proud 09’er who is now a FGC TO for Chicago, mainly working with Ignite Gaming Lounge.

Zidiane: Ignite Gaming Lounge, is that a monthly? Weekly?

Noah: So, Ignite is a LAN center/internet cafe type of place in Chicago; there we have weeklies every Monday: Mix-Up Monday. It’s kind of a big catch-all for any FGC folks, but especially SFV. Thanks to the support of Red Bull, we were able to start the monthly, Mix-Up Monthly.

Zidiane: Nice. How big is the playerbase there?

Noah: There’s a healthy scene of like 20-30 players that come out dedicated for SFV, but since we run Mondays people’s availability can be all over the place, so the base can rotate around a little. The monthlies have really brought people out of the woodwork, giving a good 70-100 people from the area for SFV, and it’s still growing.

Zidiane: Are there any particular standout players in the area, that people already might know about?

Noah: From Chicago, the big two are GLB and The Cool Kid93; those guys are consistently at the top, and were two of the players than made it out last year. Other notables that make appearances are EliTheCurry from IN, Squall from OH, and Gllty from MO, though usually we do an alright job of protecting the city.

Zidiane: Oh, you get people from states over? What’s the furthest someone’s traveled to come play at that monthly?

Noah: Missouri for sure, that’s like 6-8 hours. It speaks to how cool this opportunity–and I would like to think, the quality of our event–is that players would travel from that far out to compete. Plenty of folks driving 4+ hours from IN, WI and IA just for a piece of the action.

Zidiane: It’s certainly a worthwhile opportunity being one of the Red Bull Proving Grounds regions, no doubt. Speaking of, how did you guys end up getting Red Bull’s attention for this, would you say?

Noah: Well, I got lucky. For a while I was doing my own thing with Ignite, putting on the weeklies and the occasional larger tournament on the weekends. I actually ended up stepped away from it a little just from getting burned out. Then out of the blue early last year Rick came to me about the whole thing, because as the Combo Breaker TO they rightfully went to him first. Since he was based out of MN at the time it would be near impossible to run a Chicago monthly, so I guess even though I stepped away, the work my community and I did still left a mark. Because of that I was tapped, and the rest is history.

Zidiane: It’s always nice seeing dedication pay off like this. How about the players? How are they feeling about the announcement?

Noah: They have some understanding of it from last year, so they are excited to get the chance again. The updates to the format really have people excited, both that the qualifying players will be a team, and how they’ll also be playing for their friends back home.

Zidiane: It’s a very unique format, to be sure. So, 3 of your players will end up being promoted as Team Chicago. If you had to guess right now, which players would you pick for representing your region?

Noah: Cool Kid and GLB for sure, the third spot is really up the air. Last year it was Squall, but a lot of the crew he plays with are getting to that level. Then you have the rest of Chicago that have quietly started getting godlike; even last year there was a lot of fierce competition in that area of placing, so if the same people start coming out each month then it can get really exciting.

Zidiane: It sounds like a region filled with potential unknown killers.

Noah: Very.

Zidiane: So, as far as the rest of the event goes: this is being sold as a East Coast vs. West Coast event. You’re of course on Team West Coast, but it seems like the Midwest area is sorta separate form that particular rivalry. Do you feel like that’s the case?

Noah: Yes, the Midwest has always been excluded from those sorts of talks, but I’m confident that people won’t be so quiet after this year.

Zidiane: Sounds like you guys are pretty confident. You will have to go through the entire West Coast team in that Round Robin first, though. How do you guys feel about that portion of the competition? Anyone you’re worried about, or not?

Noah: There’s nobody that we can’t overcome. I think one of the Midwest’s biggest strengths is our comraderie, which shines when we have the will–we work hard together. That was made clear last year, when the 3 qualifying players starting sharing knowledge early and often, but now that it’s a full-on team format I know that there’s no one that we can’t beat.

Zidiane: I see. So you’re saying you guys are the best team players, and that’s gonna be the thing that wins this for you.

Noah: Absolutely.

Zidiane: Well, that being the case, assuming you get to the final round, you’ll have to go up against just one East Coast team. Do you have any thoughts on which team you might meet on that stage?

Noah: Probably Philly, and to be honest I am not sure who to expect out of the others. Orlando and Houston have strong scenes and are new to the circuit, so it’s really anyone’s game.

Zidiane: Especially with the new format, it’s really an exciting time. We can’t really tell what’s going to happen. That’s about it for the questions I had today. We’ll try to come back and revisit Chicago after some of the qualifiers start taking place, but was there anything you wanted to say before heading out?

Noah: Thanks to everyone involved. The coolest thing about RBPG is that it brings a lot of people together, people who otherwise are used to being on their own little islands. There’s been little reason for TOs to work together like this in the past; we get to learn from one another, which in turn is great for everyone involved.

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Vancouver TO talks Red Bull Proving Grounds: “West, East, we’re out to show we’re a cut above everyone”

We’re continuing where we left off, interviewing all of the Tournament Organizers involved with the upcoming Regional Rivalries event. We talked to Houston last time, hearing how the Lone Star State’s ambitions seem to match their pride. This time we hear from Vancouver, the West Coast Canadians hungry for a shot at proving themselves on the biggest stages. Read below to get a look into the organizer of British Columbia’s Versus Colosseum, and what he thinks about their chances coming up.

John “Zidiane” Silvia: Can you introduce yourself for people who may not know you?

Clinton Bui: My name is Clinton Bui and I’m one of the main tournament organizers for Vancouver Street Battle. I am also the host and coordinator for their events both within our venue and when we run projects for other sponsors. I have been organizing events for over a year now, and have delved into both the FGC and Smash in Vancouver.

Zidiane: What games do they play up there in Vancouver?

Clinton: We have a pretty diverse crowd in British Columbia; in addition to Super Smash Bros Melee and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, we run Street Fighter V, but we also have some excellent players for BlazBlue, Guilty Gear, Under Night In-Birth, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and King of Fighters. We also ran Pokkén Tournament events when it was released, and are looking to add Tekken 7: Fated Retribution once the game drops.

Zidiane: So Smash, Capcom, and a bit of anime. Sounds standard enough. What’s the player pool like? Any stand outs, or players that come from outside of just your immediate area?

Clinton: We have a huge crowd for Smash for Wii U since we were the first venues to consistently support the game with tournaments. Melee is quite large in BC as well, with upwards of 200+ players. As for Street Fighter, I would have to say Air is definitely a notable name, being one of the best players in Canada during Street Fighter IV. But we have some up and comers for Street Fighter V such as Ceroblast, dvd, Geki, Noodle and Patrick.

Zidiane: So, yours is going to be one of the 11 cities on the Red Bull Proving Grounds events, and you’ll of course be part of the West Coast team. How did that come about?

Clinton: I would say it’s thanks to the hard work of everyone in the community. Air, the founder of Vancouver Street Battle, has been running events for over 6 years at this point. It’s thanks to those grassroot tournaments that we managed to establish a player base that could support this hunger for competition. I would also say it’s thanks to the support of Canadian Joysticks, Jackson Dang, and Vancouver Street Battle’s Long Tran for the amazing stream quality to give visibility to the events and local players.

Without a doubt, it’s also thanks to Red Bull for recognizing the community that we built. It wouldn’t be possible without the contribution and dedication of all the players. We’ve even had some high profile tournaments like Canada Cup, with big name players stopping by to compete, so Vancouver is definitely a city to keep an eye out for.

Zidiane: Sounds like it. Was everyone surprised when they ended up announcing your inclusion in the event?

Clinton: Of course! We immediately noticed a buzz in the community when Red Bull Proving Grounds was announced. This is an opportunity for Vancouver to shine on the world stage, and I can definitely see our players being able to be the driving force to make it happen. We’re lucky to have the spotlight on our city, and we’re looking forward to rising up to the occasion.

Zidiane: I see. Now, when US players think West Coast, they usually don’t think Canada. It seems like many of the East Coast vs. West Coast players consider Canada its own separate thing. Do you feel like that’s the case, or do you feel that same allegiance to “Best Coast”?

Clinton: I feel as though Canada has always represented itself as a single entity rather than by coasts. With that said, I still feel like there are provincial rivalries that exist within the scenes in Canada. When we compete on the world stage, we’re out to make a statement.

Zidiane: Seems like it creates an interesting dynamic. While you’re Team West Coast, you’re also Team Canada, but at the same time the only other Canadians are on Team East Coast. Speaking of, it’s kind of interesting that Team East Coast has two Canada regions, while West Coast only has one. Does that mean your region will be bringing twice the heat, or do you think Team East Coast just was genuinely short on players?

Clinton: We’re definitely in need of more players, but I feel as though that there is no time better than Red Bull Proving Grounds to scope for talent within our cities. With the support of Red Bull, we’re looking to bring the best of the best out to compete for Vancouver.

Zidiane: You’re saying you guys just don’t have enough players?

Clinton: I believe in the players, since we have set up the perfect training grounds for them at Vancouver Street Battle. I would say that you can never have enough players, and as numbers increase we will see improvements in all the players. We’ll show our skill to the other cities once the battle begins.

Zidiane: So this is more of a chance for you guys to finally step up and get noticed?

Clinton: We’re not looking to just get noticed, we’re in it to win.

Zidiane: Speaking of winning, I’m not sure everyone is familiar with your players. For those looking to keep up, which 3 players would you say are most likely to make it out as Team West Canada?

Clinton: I would put my money on Air, Ceroblast and dvd as our current top contenders.

Zidiane: Who are they?

Clinton: Air is our number 1 Street Fighter IV player, and he is transitioning into Street Fighter V as a Kolin main. Ceroblast is a relatively new player that came from professional League of Legends, of all things. He’s been competing at local events with a keyboard at tournaments up until recently. dvd is a player that found Street Fighter V as a game that suited his playstyle, and has been dominating our local scene up until recently. We’re always looking forward to seeing how he will progress as the season continues.

Zidiane: Alright. So, after Team West Canada makes it to the final stages, are there any specific regions you’re gonna be looking out for?

Clinton: Everyone is bringing their A game, so we’re not counting anyone out. All regions are a threat.

Zidiane: All you can really do is prepare for everything, but you don’t have any opinion on the other contenders? You’ll have to fight everyone on West Coast in that Round Robin, but you’ll be going up against just one East Coast team if you win. Anyone you’re familiar with, feel confident you can beat, are afraid of?

Clinton: Gonna need to consult for that one [laughs]. Ready regardless of whoever steps up against us. West, East, we’re out to show we’re a cut above everyone.

Zidiane: Fair enough, I suppose. Well, that’s just about it for questions. Did you have any words you wanted to get out there before we’re done?

Clinton: I just wanted to give a shout outs to Red Bull for providing us with this opportunity, and I would like to encourage players in and out of Vancouver to go and play at your local venues. Follow Vancouver Street Battle for the latest local tournaments on facebook, Canadian Joysticks for your fight sticks, and Akshon esports for local esports news coverage! We have much more to come this year, and I hope the players can look forward to it!

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Catch the lastest Tekken 7 play with top 8 & finals footage from Final Round 20

Though Tekken 7 has not yet been released on console for fans everywhere, it still has the habit of popping up at most major tournaments. One such event was Final Round 20, which is well-favored by the Tekken community. The game’s presence this year serves to hype up fans even more for the game’s imminent home release.

The matches that took place in Tekken 7’s top 8 have since been uploaded to Bandai Namco’s YouTube channel, which you can see in the playlist below. Whether you missed it the first time, or just want to experience the hype all over again, you’re sure to enjoy this assortment of matches.

Source: Bandai Namco Official Fight Channel

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Let’s get ready to Pocket Rumble! These Early Access sets showcase high-level play before release

Pocket Rumble is a very distinct game in today’s market: being one of only a handful of successfully-crowdfunded fighters, in addition to capturing the look of a two-decade old handheld game, there’s certainly a distinct air about the title. While the game isn’t officially out yet, the recent announcement of the Nintendo Switch version heralds the game finally coming out of Early Access on Steam as well.

While the game is releasing in its full capacity soon, that doesn’t mean it’s new for everyone–some have been playing the game for quite a while, and there’s already high-level footage of the game in action. We have some of that for you here today, featuring Waasiq as the ethereal June and TheBodyBoy playing electric businessman Parker.

Source: xaqwais; via tip from Lilyhollow