Author: Keegan "Interrobang!?" Spindler

When it comes to fighting games, Japan has become something of a Mecca. Home to some of the most devastatingly effective players in a wild variety of titles, and one of the last few places in the world where the arcade culture still truly thrives, it has become the destination of choice for many players who want to improve–or who just love the genre.

Akihabara, the electronics town in the heart of Tokyo [and the destination of upcoming Evo Japan – Editor], is one of the few places in the world that seems almost totally dedicated to gaming and anime. Here, it’s easy to find an arcade–in fact, a Sega arcade is one of the first things you see upon leaving the main station. Akihabara is an overwhelmingly brash place; neon lights flicker constantly, lighting up pop culture stores that rise half a dozen floors. The sound is indescribable. Even mid afternoon, there is a constant buzz of people talking, sometimes overwhelmed by a truck playing singles from whatever idol group is the next big thing.

Walking into an arcade is only brief respite. The lights might be lower in here, but there is a constant roar from machines cranked up to max volume. The variety is dizzying at first; Streets of Rage is sitting next to Tetris, and a train simulator is nestled in the corner. As you climb the floors however, the sounds become far more familiar. Dozens of the best fighting games of all time are on offer here, and it feels as though they’re all being played at once.

This is HEY (Hirose Entertainment Yard), one of the most famous arcades in Akihabara. Unlike Namco Broadway or Sega, HEY is unconstrained by brand loyalty–Ultra Street Fighter IV sits across from Pokkén Tournament, while Tekken 7: Fated Retribution machines turn into Guilty Gear cabinets without a gap. Just about every title imaginable is available here; King of Fighters, Nitroplus Blasterz, and Super Street Fighter II all share the same floorspace. Only Street Fighter V–not available on arcade cabinets–is conspicuous in its absence. And at just 100 yen a play, it’s cheap and easy to get bodied in your game of choice.

It’s a Thursday night, but the fighting game floor is by far the most populated. Only a few seats are available for the most unpopular titles, and if you’re hoping to get a game of Guilty Gear in, you’ll have to put your coins down and claim next in the queue. Only the Pokkén Tournament machines were free of players, but I was fighting it out with someone just moments after sitting down.

At home in the UK, arcade culture is fighting a losing battle against home consoles and PC gaming. Many of the most beloved arcades have long since closed their doors–like the Trocadero, once the home of the UK’s Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike scene, now boarded up and empty. The few that remain, like the Heart of Gaming and the Arcade Club, offer very different experiences. The machines have been rigged to become free to play, and the only price you’ll pay is your entrance fee. On a good day, that can feel like a waste–when you’re winning, you’ve probably overpaid. On a bad, you’ll probably get through a whole lot more credits than you’ve technically paid for.

Here at HEY, however, every battle is desperate. It’s easy to walk in with a heavy wallet and leave with a light one, and the threat of losing those hard earned coins is enough to make every round a bloodbath. The skill level here is shockingly high. It’s completely unlike logging on to your PS4 and getting some games online–every person you play seems to know more about the game than you do. Even the weakest players have come up with tactics to cover their flaws. Weak in the neutral? You can bet they have an incredible punish game. Not getting much off of an opening? Don’t worry–they can find plenty more. It’s the harshest education possible, but like putting immense pressure on coal, it creates diamonds.

When it all becomes too much and you need a break, there’s refreshment on tap. The vending machines in HEY are no more expensive than anywhere else, but they’re loaded with energy drinks and coffee. Caffeine is the name of the game here, to make sure that everyone can go all night.

And indeed, it’s easy to lose track of time in the hazy, smoke-filled hall. Most of the light is from the screens you’re playing on, and it’s simple to enter in daylight and leave in the pitch black–if your wallet allows, of course. Despite the relatively dingy environment, however–and the shockingly constant racket–HEY is a deeply comfortable place.

The people here are passionate about their game of choice. The only thing they care about is how good you are on the sticks and, for the first time during my trip to Japan, it didn’t feel as though anyone cared about my size, or the way I looked. All that mattered was whether my Sin could measure up to my opponent’s Dizzy, or whether my day 1 Claudio would be enough to fight off his Dragunov (Spoiler: it wasn’t).

It’s difficult to leave HEY, even when your readily available supply of Yen runs out. The passion here is contagious, more than enough to get you hooked on a title you’ve never tried before, or to encourage a return to an old flame. For much of that Thursday night, the busiest cabinets on offer where the Super Street Fighter II Turbo cabs, which were just ¥10 a play. People were not just lined up and waiting for their chance, but actively spectating, cheering on their favorites and booing their foes. It was the same for almost every game–even the relatively sparsely-populated Dengeki cabs.

For many, this is the home of fighting games, and the start of their fighting game journey. Top players for a myriad of titles cut their teeth in the arcades. For a few hours on a Thursday night, I got the chance to be steeped in that Mecca. Already, I can’t wait to go back. Maybe next time, I’ll manage to take more than a few rounds.

Recently the Evo 2017 games lineup was announced, and although many of the slots were filled by the usual suspects–like Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros.–there was one major surprise awaiting us: the ninth and final game in the lineup would be decided by the community.

Fans of Killer Instinct, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Pokkén Tournament, Skullgirls, Windjammers, Mortal Kombat XL, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo, Nidhogg and ARMS are able to vote for their game of choice by donating to Make-a-Wish International through Generosity; at the end of two weeks, the game with the most donations will not only join the main tournament roster in 2017, but also have the opportunity to kick off finals day in front of hundreds of thousands of viewers.

Each and every game in the running is worthy of a place at Evo, and already their communities have leaped into action, raising thousands of dollars for charity. Unsurprisingly, games like Killer Instinct, UMvC3 and Pokkén Tournament have all had terrific starts, but there’s a sleeper pick waiting in the wings.

That’s right. It’s time to get up in ARMS.

What is ARMS?

Ah. Immediately we run into a bit of trouble, because no one is entirely sure of what it is. It could be a deeply unsettling dystopian future in which convicts are forced to wear masks, have their arms replaced with mechanical springs, and are forced to fight to the death for the entertainment of the masses.

Equally, it could be a game about elite athletes at the pinnacle of their physical powers, who rejoice in battling each other for money, honor and the adoration of their throngs of fans. Until it comes out on the Nintendo Switch later this year, we have no way of knowing.

One thing that we do know, however, is that it’s a lot of fun. Bright colorful characters fight it out using their strangely springy arms. There are a whole host of things that you can do, but it seems that the core concept can be boiled down to being Super Punchout if it were made by Dhalsim. Pleasingly, even the earliest videos we’ve seen suggest that all the core fighting game fundamentals are there; spacing and footsies are key to success, and you’ll have to perfectly balance the risk and reward of throwing out punches that leave you mostly unprotected.

Those lucky players who have had the opportunity to get their hands on it have come away raving about it, and a surprise visit to Genesis 4 last weekend was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. Time and again we’re hearing that there is more to ARMS than meets the eye–but that it’s certainly a whole lot of fun.

Why ARMS?

When Nintendo are at their best, they take popular gaming genres and turn them on their head. Splatoon was one of the most engaging shooters of the last generation, Mario has been redefining platformer and karting games alike for years, and now Nintendo has turned their attention to reimagining the fighter.

First impressions appear to be that they have done a great job of it. ARMS is fun to watch, and the basics of it are quick to learn. Seeing the cartoony characters leap around the screen isn’t just enjoyable–it’s simple, and makes total sense. There’s a draw here for everyone, not just the hardcore fans who understand how much maneuvering it takes to land a hit.

And make no mistake, just because it appears simple doesn’t means that ARMS is easy.

SRK’s own Sam “Trilby” Foxall got the chance to get hands on and this is what he thought:

“ARMS does look quite promising at this stage, with elements which could mark it out as a successful genre breakaway, much like Splatoon did with third person shooters. It’s certainly fun to play.”

The Power of Legitimacy

There’s something magical about a game being featured at Evo. The very best in the world flock to Las Vegas, and fight to prove themselves. With thousands of players registering for games like Street Fighter and Smash Bros, there’s no doubt that the last man standing has earned their victory. It’s no surprise then, that the words “Evo Champion” hold as much weight as the phrase “World Champion” does in other places. Winning Evo makes you a legitimate great of the game.

And there’s a word there that could give ARMS a massive shot in the arm at the very beginning of its lifespan: Legitimate. Although there are many who are excited to see what the future holds for Nintendo’s idiosyncratic take on a fighting game, there are just as many who are already willing to write it off as a competitive title. By taking the main stage at Evo, many of those fears will be dispelled, and ARMS gets the chance to be taken seriously right from the start. There will be no need to fight the sort of battles that Super Smash Bros. Melee did; by having ARMS at Evo, we immediately legitimize it as a tournament title.

Plus, just imagine how great the player cam would be on finals day. Many players have already stated that the best way to play is with the motion controls, and there is every chance that, come Championship Sunday, we could have the top 8 of ARMS played out by the top players of the game, on their feet and ducking and diving around the stage, throwing out punches and bobbing and weaving to avoid attacks.

Admit it: That sounds like a lot of fun.

Vote for ARMS on generosity.com here. Voting closes at 12:00 PM PST on February 8, 2017.

Despite a long and storied history, platform fighters have sometimes felt like the black sheep of the FGC. Super Smash Bros. Melee, for example, spent years having to fight for a spot in tournament lineups and, though it seems inconceivable now, was on the brink of disappearing completely. Though these struggles have become a thing of the past, platform fighters have found that with acceptance comes a whole new host of challenges.

For the last few years, it has seemed as though the platform fighting scene has been stuck in the adolescence of their development. There are more passionate fans and players–look no further for evidence than the infamous Wombo Combo–but that has sometimes been a detriment rather than a boon, with controversy of one sort or the other dogging the scene with distressing regularity. Whether it’s VIP rooms, floating through pools or–ahem, Project M–the platform fighting scene has offered up plenty of mud to sling.

But it seems, with the recent announcement of the Brawlhalla Circuit, along with 2GGaming’s 2GG Circuit and the Rivals of Aether Tournament Circuit, that platform fighters are finally shaking off their adolescence and are taking their first tentative steps into a becoming a rather more grown-up scene.

But why is having a circuit important?

One of Street Fighter’s biggest success stories last year was the sudden emergence of Liquid|Du “Nuckledu” Dang as the best player in the world. He sealed this at the Capcom Cup in December–the grand finale of Street Fighter V’s Circuit, which played host to 32 of the best players in the world. Nuckledu won that tournament and, in doing so, ended a narrative that had been woven throughout the year by proving that he is stronger than all comers.

Narratives are important in a competitive scene. They’re what keeps you coming back for more, week after week, to find out whether this is the time that a Captain Falcon player finally beats Mew2King. Sometimes Mew2King demolishes the Falcon, but sometimes n0ne shocks everyone–and then does it again for good measure. If you didn’t know that Mew2King hadn’t lost to a Captain Falcon in years, and that n0ne was ranked 58 in the world while M2K ranked fifth, that win would lose a lot of its magic.

Having a circuit of events that builds to a grand finale helps build that narrative, and does so while offering up a reason to care. The first event of 2GGaming Circuit, 2GGC: Genesis Saga, will accomplish more than allow players the chance for top-level practice before one of the biggest majors of the year; it will be building the framework for narrative that will develop over the course of the next twelve months.

It will also have provided those who take part an easy way to measure their improvement. Because there is a 2GGC event every month, it becomes simple to look at results from say, Genesis Saga, and compare them to your results at 2GGC: Civil War, and clearly understand the level of improvement.

And when you finally improve enough to claim first place at one of the events on whichever circuit you choose to engage in, you can be sure that you will be rewarded for it. Thanks to the support of the developers of both Rivals of Aether and Brawlhalla, their circuits have significantly bolstered prize pools, with the 2GG Circuit offering similarly inflated prizes.

This isn’t exactly a new idea

There’s plenty of evidence of how beneficial a circuit can be to the health of a community, and you need look no further than the black sheep of the platform fighters, Project M, for proof. Though development of the game has officially ceased, and support for the title at major events at an all-time low, 2016 was perhaps the strongest year yet for PM’s competitive community.

Much of this success is down to the Project M circuit, established by TO’s who worked together to revitalize tournament play. Junebug, already arguably the strongest player in the world, eventually won the circuit with a series of consistently high placements, but it was another player who won the hearts of the scene. ThundeRzReiGN, playing Donkey Kong–long considered one of the weaker characters in Project M–exploded in 2016, winning a whole host of tournaments, including Olympus, the final circuit event of the year.

In fact, it’s not even the first time that Brawlhalla is holding a circuit-style event. In 2016, the development team put together a series of events that offered a tempting prize: a place at the Brawlhalla World Championships, which took place in November 2016. This is likely the framework that the circuit will be built upon, and the Brawlhalla team will be looking to make the circuit this year a more visible and extensive experience.

And who knows? Perhaps in a year or two we’ll be seeing Brawlhalla and Rivals of Aether on ESPN, along with the likes of Street Fighter and Marvel, which have already had appearances on the mainstream channel. That’s the dream for their developers, and these announcements are the first steps towards making that a reality.

Super Smash Bros. Melee, or why you don’t need a circuit to succeed

Now it goes without saying that you can be successful without an established tournament circuit. The elephant in the room proves that: Melee has spent the last fifteen years becoming one of the biggest and most vibrant scenes in the FGC, and has done so without any of the benefits of a circuit.

But it should also go without saying that Melee is a beast all of its own, even in the platform fighter scene. Melee doesn’t need an incentive to hold regular tournaments; they’re running out of weekends as it is. Melee doesn’t need to build storylines and continuity in their scene; they’ve got plenty of that already. Melee doesn’t need bigger prize pots, though they would be nice.

This is mostly due to the unparalleled history Melee has in comparison to most current FGC titles. They have spent the last fifteen years playing their game and establishing all the things that a tournament circuit offers. You could argue that they’ve done it the hard way, but you can’t argue that they haven’t done it. You could also make the argument that they’ve built something of an unofficial circuit–just look at the Melee It On Me Top 100. The tournaments included in those graphics are the events that most top Melee players fight to attend–the likes of Genesis, Evo and the Big House have become staples for the scene.

You’ll notice however, that the idea of an exclusive event to which you must be invited in order to attend isn’t particularly alien to Melee. Just ask the creators of the Summit, which is just that, and has quickly become a fixture in the Melee calendar.

These announcements matter

Imagine being able to claim that you were, completely and definitively, the best Brawlhalla player in the world. The greatest Rivals of Aether player on the face of the Earth. By taking part in the circuit, you’ll be able to do just that. The stories that circuits create go farther than that however; over the course of a year players build rivalries, relationships and results that tell tales all their own.

It’s tough, for example, to argue that TSM|ZeRo’s insane winning streak at the start of Smash 4’s tournament life didn’t make everyone more invested in the results they were seeing. And when he finally fell, even just a notch, it was not just noteworthy, but actively exciting. A local TO actually interrupted his tournament to announce that ZeRo lost to Seagull Joe.

The example of ZeRo is particularly relevant, as it helps illustrate just how difficult it can be for smaller platform fighters like Rivals of Aether and Brawlhalla to escape the shadow of Smash, which is long indeed. ZeRo is one of the best known players in the Smash scene, and his fame is beginning to spread further. Many Street Fighter fans could probably tell you who ZeRo is, or Mango. It’s unlikely that they could tell you who the best Rivals player is. These circuits will go a long way towards changing that.

Beyond simply proving that there is room for more than just the titanic presence of Smash in the scene, these announcements suggest that, like the other FGC titles that have their own tournament circuits, these games are taking themselves seriously as competitive communities. This year, it seems that platform fighters are taking an active step towards growing up.