Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news and our favorite SRK articles from October 7 to October 13, 2016!
When I needed an Xbox 360 stick for Ultra Street Fighter IV at Evo 2015, I turned to Razer–and even though that was the same event where an Atrox infamously failed during the Momochi/Gamerbee USFIV Grand Final, my own always served me well. I look forward to what Razer will come up with for a new PlayStation 4 fightstick.
Pokkén Tournament still has supporters… let’s keep those local scenes going until those new arcade Pokémon fighters finally make it to console, one way or another! Part 1 can be read here.
I don’t like thinking of the “FGC” and “Smash community” as separate entities; the common ground is greater than the sum of the differences. Not that any specialized event should be expected to diversify–but that common ground looks to be growing, and that can only lead to good things.
Sorry, Empoleon, you’ve got to wait a while. With Scizor being announced for the arcade version of Pokkén, it begs the question when these three DLC fighters will actually make it to the Wii U version.
Capcom have not exactly made the process of qualifying for Capcom Cup 2016 an easy thing to understand. Luckily, we know have a simplified list of those who have made it, and those who are close to making it into that final bracket. Simplify it next year, Capcom!
Europe’s best Smash major is back in 2017, with Street Fighter V also joining the tournament roster. With more and more US players making the journey to Gothenburg to compete at BEAST, 2017’s event looks to be the best yet.
An old favorite returning is always fun, and I’m a big fan of Miguel. Something about his unabashed villainy has always appealed, and now that he’s sporting a hot new look, it’s going to be even more fun beating fools’ faces in.
Skullgirls is a gorgeous game to watch, and while it is going through something of a resurgence in the tournament scene, the creation of great new content like this is only going to help attendance. Plus, you get to see some incredible combos. What’s not to like?
The Big House 6 was one hell of a tournament, and it took reading this to realize just how crazy it really was. Breaking down the biggest plays and upsets while casting something of an eye to the future, this is a great way to understand the current state of Smash 4.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article and the selected posts are solely those of the writers, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.
It was already confirmed on Twitch that Street Fighter V’s Halloween costumes would be modifiable with a button-code, in the same way you can select Urien’s classic look, and remove elements from the Capcom Pro Tour and swimsuit premium outfits. For those not already in the know, the code to alter the Halloween costumes is the same as for the CPT/swimsuits: simultaneously hold LK + LP + MP + HP, and UP on the control stick/d-pad while the match loads. VesperArcade explains in the video below:
This seems to solidify a trend of new premium outfits using the same code input, rather than mixing it up–and leaving Urien’s code input unique to him.
If you haven’t picked up a new costume for your main yet, you can get a preview of the full color palette for each Halloween costume in VesperArcade’s video below:
If you want to see the new costumes in the arena (namely: the Spooky Arena), check out the latest WSO Sessions video–a Halloween highlight episode–from Capcom Fighters.
If you’re waiting for the Street Fighter V servers to come back up so you can grab the new selection of premium Halloween content–or if you’re on the fence as to whether these outfits are worth your money–you can get a sneak peek thanks to Xuses, who has uploaded this footage from the Twitch stream reveal. You can now see the spooky new outfits in action:
The footage reveals that the costumes can be button-code modified, just like the Capcom Pro Tour and swimsuit outfits (and Urien). Check out the video to see exactly how!
If you’re more specifically interested in the new music behind the modified Russia stage “Spooky Arena,” you can listen to the isolated background music track here:
Just relax, take a deep breath, while she knocks you straight into the blast zone.
In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Wii Fit Trainer’s role has shifted from helping others achieve their fitness goals–unless your idea of increasing flexibility is going limp while being launched off the stage. To facilitate such a training regimen, My Smash Corner describes a lengthy true combo for the Wii Fit Trainer in this video: it starts with a couple of neutral-airs that lead into a footstool, then requiring use of Deep Breathing to track the opponent back down to continue the combo.
The video below outlines variations on the full sequence to account for possible opponent actions; at 50% or higher the combo can kill, so this is something aspiring Trainers will want to add to their daily workout.
Some setups to ensure your opponent keeps providing some amusement.
NurseLee is back with another video full of meaty setups: this time, here’s ten setups for Juri you can use to keep the aggression going after knockdown, making liberal use of her target combos (and all based on an opponent quick-rising as a recovery). Included annotations should help you practice each setup, ensuring you’ll be ready to keep the pressure on your playthings once the fun gets started.
You’ll have to hold off the online grind for a little while, as Street Fighter V’s servers are down today to prepare for the arrival of the promised Halloween costumes and stage.
We will perform scheduled server maintenance from 10am to 6pm PDT on 10/11 (TUE). Thank you for your patience and continued support.
The premium Halloween content should be on sale starting tonight, to November 29th.
VesperArcade has taken to YouTube to talk about both this update, and speculation of future content–sparked by a datamined reference to a possible Arcade Mode recently found in SFV. A real Arcade Mode would please a lot of fans, so no surprise that Capcom may indeed have one in the works at last–but that’s not a likely surprise to emerge today. We may see rumored “EX1” colors for the cast soon, however–apparently seen in action at New York Comic Con, we should see these added to Street Fighter V if not tonight, then in the near future. Check out VesperArcade’s video below for more details.
Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news and our favorite SRK articles from September 30 to October 6, 2016!
This was a nice little surprise from Capcom for SFV; little touches like this make a big difference in engaging a game’s audience. Secrets don’t live as long as they used to, but there’s a definite “classic gaming” vibe to SFV gaining hidden costume codes.
Pokkén Tournament has grown fairly dear to my heart, and I hope to see it last, in spite of no clear console DLC drop and the impending arrival of the Nintendo NX.
It was a pleasure getting to know these players better, and of course also Lord Jimmy Bones, JakyoManor, and WoolieWoolz in Part 2. Nice to see Canadian players placing well in major events. I hear Toronto has a pretty big scene too…
Gods beware, the Godslayer is coming back to the USA. With this news, Leffen fans can look forward to the villain of Melee causing some tension in brackets at future events. He will be attending The Big House 6 this weekend, but don’t expect the comeback just yet.
Our very own Woocash was at CEOtaku this past weekend and got the chance to talk to the runner-up, PG|MarlinPie about all things Guilty Gear. You’ll find thoughts on meta shifts, other US players and more in the full interview.
Alien’s reign of tyranny may finally be over! With serious nerfs and buffs across the board, as well as some general system changes, this new Mortal Kombat X patch seeks to inject some new life into the current meta game.
The Big House 6 is looking like Smash’s last big event of the year, and it looks absolutely stacked. There is plenty going on over the weekend – which is why Trilby’s breakdown of who to keep an eye on is much appreciated.
I love playing King of Fighters XIV, and it’s a great game to watch. Having high stakes can only make that better, which is why it’s very exciting to hear that the KOF World Championships are about to get underway, with the announcement of the first Qualifier.
Smash Bros is one of my favorite games to watch – and I love hearing about players getting the recognition that they deserve. Swedish Delight and Dabuz are both well loved characters in their respected communities, and some would argue that this announcement is long overdue.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article and the selected posts are solely those of the writers, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.
A few words with some of the MTLSF scene’s most prominent players: continued!
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.
We now resume our glimpse into Montréal, Canada’s vibrant Street Fighter scene: in Part 1 of this set of interviews, I featured Chi-Rithy, Snafoo, and Rami Rammal. To complete the set of six written interviews I conducted and compiled, this time we’re going to get to know Lord Jimmy Bones, WoolieWoolz, and commentator/streamer JakyoManor a little better! Lord Jimmy Bones (pictured in the feature image, above) in particular is already well-known for his Super Street Fighter II Turbo play, and is featured in the trailer for ST at the Toronto’s upcoming Canada Cup 2016:
Responses have been edited for clarity.
mushin_Z: Where are you from, and how long have you been involved with the MTLSF scene?
Lord Jimmy Bones: I’m from Montreal. I have been involved with the scene for 8 years now.
JakyoManor: Toronto, Ontario. Since June 2016!
WoolieWoolz: MTL! MTL! MTL!I first started tournament organizing weeklies in Montreal when vanilla SFIV was released in 2009, but I found out that I unknowingly had roots to the origins of MTLSF way back in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. The most skilled players in Montreal all hailed from MIRA Amusement Arcade in Ville St-Laurent, a borough of the city that I was lucky enough to live in at the time. I used to come around MIRA with my high-school friends and burn quarters all evening on these Beast level players. I became friends with a few of them that were also Anglophone and went to my high school, but Montréal is a bilingual city, and at the time my understanding of French was pretty abysmal. The language barrier used to be a bit of a hurdle for me, so I kept my conversation to basically “gg” after playing.
After high school I moved away, and instead started visiting the downtown arcades. Little did I know until reuniting in 2009 that those MIRA guys went on to travel to US events and take on big names in SFA3, CvS2, 3rd Strike and Super Turbo over the years. It was awesome to find out it all started at that little hole in the wall down the street from my old apartment, and it motivated me to recapture the hype when I started up Tatsumaki Tuesdays at a sports bar in 2009. I’d lug my Xbox 360 down there and have $2 tourneys with friends over pitchers and nachos. Friends invited friends. Not too long after that, our Facebook group blew up from dozens to hundreds. At some point, Pierre “Crankypunk” and Vivek “MTLer” joined, and together we started organizing major tournaments. From there we moved to many different venues, from netcafés to barcades to our very own MTLSF HQ in an office building, crowdfunded by the community itself. The torch continued to be passed from one TO to another over the years, and nowadays, Pavel “Evo777” is the main guy.
mushin_Z: How long have you played Street Fighter games? How did you get started?
LJB: Since the first SFII on the SNES; I was 4 years old. It all started in 2007, I wasn’t into gaming at the time, because of school. One guy I used to talk to in my college days wanted to show me something cool on YouTube. He asked if I knew what Street Fighter was, and I said yes… Then he showed the “EVO Moment 37″ clip. At first, I have never played or seen 3rd Strike before this, it was cool a moment for me. But then I saw Daigo Umehara doing the parries–my jaw dropped, I couldn’t understand what was going on. And then the super ender–I was shocked! Then I replayed the vid at least 10 times to understand what happened. It was the greatest thing I had seen, and that changed my life. The day after I was excited to finish class, because I wanted to watch Daigo vids and other 3S vids to understand how the game works. While I was watching them, there was one dude who was watching me, and asked me if I was competing. I said no. He told me there was a scene here in Montreal–I was surprised and immediately I asked him ”How do I join?” He said I could find the scene here on SRK. And this is where it all started.
Jaky: Since SFII in 1992, casually–but 2016, competitively. In 2009 when SFIV came out, I went to a few tournaments–but one of my viewers purchased SFV for me, and I never looked back. Just went head-long into the scene.
JakyoManor
WW: Since SFII came out for the Super NES. I was 7 at the time, so “playing” was mostly just mashing and getting whooped by my older brother and teenaged cousins. Combined with the fact that they were old enough to also get practice in arcades meant it was hopeless from day one. But I was hooked on trying to make a little bit more progress with each round, because being the youngest means you take every chance you get to finally feel like you’ve outsmarted the older kids.
Street Fighter games were an important part of my household. It was a house filled with siblings and cousins, and we weren’t allowed to rent single player games unless everyone agreed. There was no way one person was going to beat Chrono Trigger while six kids just sat quietly and watched. Every game we got had to be multiplayer, and had to be something where we could share the controller as much as possible. What fits that description better than a fighting game?
mushin_Z: What is your favorite game in the Street Fighter series, and why?
LJB: Super Turbo. I always enjoyed the SFII series since childhood, but I hadn’t seen the ST version of it because it never was released on console at the time (SNES, or Genesis). When I joined SRK, I was trying out GGPO. They added ST in the game list. I wanted to take a look at it, and I was completely surprised at how it looked–I was not expecting a SFII game like this. It had supers, it had combos, the music was good, etc. Then I watched combo videos of it, so good. It became the first fighting game I wanted to be good at competitively.
Jaky: My favorite game is likely SFV; even though it is the newest, it has blessed me with many opportunities and friends.
WW: 3rd Strike. The pacing, mechanics and high-level play are infinitely appealing to me. Combined with the fact that I’m an Art and Animation graduate, so seeing Disney-quality animation coming from a series I followed religiously was a huge deal. And the fact that I’m a sucker for seeing time pass and characters age as new ones take up the torch–nothing does this in the series more than 3S. The hip-hop soundtrack finally reflected the urban arcade identity that I’ve always associated it with. It’s the perfect package.
mushin_Z: Do you prefer a fightstick, pad, or hitbox?
LJB: Fightstick. I was a pad player before. But then I tried stick, and I never looked back.
Jaky: Fightstick.
WW: Due to years of SNES pads and Dreamcast controllers (it was the only home port of 3S at the time!) I played better on pad than stick. But I fiended at arcades long enough to be fine on Happ sticks and Competition buttons. I had very limited experience with Sanwa-style balltop sticks and buttons–until just brute-force grinding it out on my MadCatz TE when SFIV dropped, every day for about a month, until it felt right. I then got into building custom sticks for the scene for a while. I recently tried a hitbox for the first time, and despite earlier misgivings, I get it–it’s just like back when you had no PC controller and had to use keyboard. It’s not for me, but I get it.
mushin_Z: Who do you main, and why? Is there a character you wish was selectable in Street Fighter V, but isn’t (yet)?
LJB: I play Balrog. He’s my favorite character of all, I play him in ST too, so I’m just keeping the tradition alive. I also play other characters depending on the match-up I’m facing.
Jaky: My main is Ryu. I picked him because I watched Daigo play 3S and I thought since Daigo is cute, I would use the same main as him. I wish Blanka was in the game, for my friend Woolie!
WW: In SFV, Necalli. In 3S, Makoto. In everything else, Blanka. I like raw, feral beast-mode fighting styles. And tomboys. And command grabs. In everything I play, I pick based on style before anything else, and I’ve stuck with them no matter where they end up in the tiers. If I like what I’m seeing when I use the character, I’ll never get bored with using them. True story, my day 1 team in CvS2 was Cammy/Blanka/Sagat, just based on digging the characters, before the first roll was ever cancelled.
Oro is a 3S favorite that hasn’t returned yet, and I think he’d have a lot of fun with the V system (He’d pull out both arms for his V trigger and power up his Critical Art!). I really want to see Q too, but the fact that Boxer exists makes me lean more towards the unique moveset of Oro. I also want to see a character built around having a single bar of V gauge. I think that could be interesting to experiment with.
mushin_Z: What’s your best match-up, in your opinion? Worst?
LJB: So far, I think my best match-up is Dhalsim. I also like fighting Chun-Li, because it’s challenging. My worst is R. Mika–I hate that character with a passion.
Jaky: I would say my best match-up is against Ken players! My worst is against the DLC characters.
WW: Best: ‘Gief. Necalli vs. ‘Gief feels like such an uphill battle for Zangief just to get in past the pounds, DPs, st.HKs and st.MPs. I feel kind of bad, but respect the ones who do immensely. Worst: Chun-Li. She has answers for every approach Necalli relies on. Playing the neutral means losing. Hard reads and insane risks are the only way to get any momentum.
mushin_Z: Where do you usually play?
LJB: I play at MVA [Mixed Virtual Arts], a nice gaming spot located in the southeast area of Montréal.
Jaky: I usually play on my Twitch stream, and at A&C weeklies in Toronto.
WW: Currently, MVA, the new console lounge in town.
LJB: A real nice venue, has a lot of setups. Open seven days a week. And you have other communities like the Guilty Gear/BlazBlue and Sm4sh scene coming down as well.
Jaky: The MVA venue is extremely comfy. They offer you coffee or tea, have a wonderful lounge area as well as a viewing area, the setups are all clean, and the lighting is very pleasant. The owners are very welcoming and made sure I felt at home. Thuy is kind and runs a very smooth business. The SF scene in MVA is quiet, calculated and competitive. It is enjoyable to frequent MVA.
WW: It’s great! We’ve seen venues come and go, and I think this one has what it needs to stick around. Great setups, hosts, snacks, and even a stream station and projector. The location is accessible, and all in all, it’s a classy spot.
mushin_Z: Do you play online? Your thoughts on online competition?
LJB: I used to play online a lot, but now not so much. I think the online competition is great–some areas don’t have a local scene, so at least you have this feature, which is good in my opinion.
Jaky: I do play online often. I find it frustrating when it lags, but it does have its moments. The online competitions I’ve been in needed a bit of work, but I’m sure online will be viable soon.
WW: I dabble, but I don’t practice seriously online. There are too many variables to make it reflective of tournament play, and it isn’t going to make you a better player compared to regular live competition. It’s like learning an instrument alone, or playing in a jam session. Alone is better than nothing, but we gain more XP together in person.
mushin_Z: In your opinion, who are the players to watch in the MTL community?
LJB: There’s a bunch of talent here in Montréal. Players to watch are: Chi-Rithy, Snafoo, Rami, myself, FluxWaveZ, Coton, Yomi, TJ, and many more.
Jaky: The players to watch in MTL are FluxWaveZ and Coton. They’re very dedicated and I think soon they will really hit their stride. Chi-Rithy is also very good, but my opinions on him will obviously be biased!
WW: Henri “Chi-Rithy” has been the reigning champ for over a decade now. It’s generally agreed that he’s Canada’s best player. Similarly, Snafoo’s Dhalsim has been a staple Grand Finalist for years. But we’ve seen some new faces and secret weapons coming out to our weeklies, and many of us are really interested in seeing how they’ll do against international players. Rami Rammal and TJ are strong players that made names for themselves in the later years of SFIV. Coton is a relatively unknown player that’s been ripping through the brackets recently.
mushin_Z: How has the Montreal FGC impacted your experience with the game? Has your own skill improved through interaction with the MTLSF scene, and has involvement with MTLSF increased your enjoyment of fighting games?
LJB: The competition: so many good players you can learn from. MTLSF is one true family, they want you to get better, they want to you to beat this guy, they want you to win. The encouragement is there for the new players. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here playing, to be honest.
Jaky: The Montreal FGC has greatly impacted my experience with the game, since they’ve become family to me. We went to Evo together, we travel together, and we always keep in-touch and encourage each other. The Montreal FGC has also shown me how to train effectively instead of just mashing buttons, and very clearly and critically point out flaws in my game-play (there are a lot!). They’re really willing to help, if you show them that you want to be better. They can get a bit extra when they pop-off though–as being from Toronto and hearing “MTL! MTL! MTL!” can be cutely annoying.
I’m not sure if my skill has improved, but my insight into the game has improved a lot since speaking with the players there. Snafoo really helped my game mentality, as I usually feel like I’m actually dying when Ryu’s health gets low. He told me “Don’t think like that! You’re just piloting the character! It’s only a KO, not death!” I still don’t want him to die though, I panic! Being able to laugh with the scene has definitely increased my enjoyment of fighting games. One MTL player in particular, Checktrap, has made me laugh more than ever in one weekend than my entire life. He’s so invested in the game and the community, but has a really great way of being this friendly-antagonist.
WW: It’s the lifeblood that keeps me playing. I will always be a Street Fighter player, it’s a series that’s near and dear to me. But in the past there have been off years, years when I am a fan of the game, but not a competitor. This describes most of my non FGC friends: always down for some casuals, but not much else. MTLSF’s continued growth, in size and in strength, drives me to not fall behind. The community is thick as thieves. We’ve travelled and drank and chilled for years now. As long as there’s a setup, familiar faces will be there, pushing each other to get better. We’re not well-known by the stream monsters, but we’re known by the players. I want to be there with the community at my back chanting “MTL! MTL! MTL!” behind me, letting ’em know: don’t sleep on us!
[My skill has improved] by orders of magnitude. Quite simply studying hours of tournament footage and frame data on a given match-up are only a fraction of what you learn just sitting down and doing a first to 100 with Chi-Rithy, or sitting in 2P training mode with Snafoo. I learned to live the tournament player life, which in turn has taken my experience of all other fighters to another level. I would never have thought about competing in tourneys for games like Tekken, Guilty Gear and Marvel, with their respective local scenes, if I didn’t first learn to do so with MTLSF.
mushin_Z: Has any particular player acted as a mentor, or a rival for you?
LJB: Well, I do have one rival/friend/teammate. He beat me in my very first tournament in ST back in 2009, I was very salty [laughs]. His name is Song, previously known as AkumaMatata. He still plays today; he’s actually waiting for Urien in SFV.
Jaky: A lot of the Toronto players really helped me to come out of my shell and encouraged me. 50/50 Amato spent about two hours just helping me with one combo. The Toronto players are also a very big part of why I do commentary, and have a really great history in the scene. Starmie G has also helped me so greatly, as I was way too shy to even go to A&C for the TTT [Toronto Top Tiers] weeklies, and she came with me the first time I went. Another player that I look up to a lot is Drewface. He also plays Ryu, and has a lot of great insight into the match-ups. He also runs this great streetwear line, the fiftyxfifty, so I always look great at tournaments when I wear his clothes. They’re lucky!
WW: It’s changed over the years, but as far as mentors go in chronological order, huge shoutouts to guys like Kingsley from back in the MIRA days, to Phoun “PTS One” and Rameo in the SFIV days, and Snafoo and Drae “Yomi” currently. The rivals list is way too long for this article.
mushin_Z: Do you compete at Tatsumaki Tuesday? How would you describe TT’s atmosphere and competition? How well do you usually do?
LJB: Yes I do; Tatusmaki Tuesday is great. Intense, hype matches between two great players almost every week. I usually do well, mostly top 5/top 3 placings. But yeah, players are good, they want to get better. The competition is nice here.
Jaky: I have competed in TT #15! I also ran commentary! It’s very tense and a lot quieter than Toronto. The players here have a lot of heart. Usually it’s the same scrub taking the win in Grand Finals every week. (I say scrub, but Chi-Rithy is actually a very good player.)
WW: Every week! Brutal and unforgiving in the brackets, the best of times outside of brackets–just the way we like it. I’m having a rough time cracking top 16 in SFV, but I know it’s because of my lack of free time to practice like I did 5 years ago. I’ve never been a top player, but I used to do better than I currently am. Gotta stay hungry!
mushin_Z: What major tournaments have you attended? Have you traveled to tournaments outside of Canada?
LJB: I went to a lot of local majors like MAT (Montréal Annual Tournament), majors in toronto (The T series, Toryuken, etc.) In the US, it was Season’s Beatings V, Evo in 2014 and a lot of Big E tournaments (Summer Jam, NEC).
Jaky: I have been to Toryuken V, Evo, Red Bull Proving Grounds in Toronto. I mainly go to Canadian events, but I really want to go to the USA more. The players there are so fun!
WW: Evo 2016 being the most recent and notable, yes. I’ve travelled to the US for tournaments like ECT, NEC and Summer Jam.
WoolieWoolz (right) with Daigo Umehara (left) at Evo 2012
mushin_Z: How well have you placed? How would you describe the experience of traveling to compete?
LJB: At the time I wasn’t into SFIV too much, so it was more about Super Turbo. Best placing outside of Canada was 2nd place at Summer Jam 8. Memorable, especially Season’s Beatings V. The first US tournament I went to, it had everything: the games, the international players, etc. It was a great experience.
Jaky: I mainly do commentary, and live the 0-2 life in tournaments. At Evo I went 1-2! Travelling to compete is great. I’m usually the FGC mom. With me you’ll be fed, in bed on time, have breakfast, your stick will be packed, and you won’t forget your pass to get in. I really love to take care of the players, and make sure everyone is as ready as possible for pools.
WW: Not notably high. With the right group together, it’s the best. Not just for the tourney, but the money matches and late night antics always make for great stories.
mushin_Z: How often do you encounter players from other cities in Montréal? Do they fit in easily while visiting the MTLSF community?
LJB: Slightly often. It’s like they are already in the family; every time people come here they have a good time with us.
Jaky: In Montréal, a lot of players from Québec City and Toronto will come out! They fit in easily. When Toronto players show up, there is always a rivalry. We place side bets and call people out a lot.
WW: We clash pretty often with the Toronto SF community, multiple times a year as we attend each others’ events, but we also have had players come to town from NY, SoCal, Boston, Calgary and Québec City. Absolutely. We know that being in a French city can be jarring to some visitors, so we really go the extra mile to show them around town, introduce the culture in general and all in all have a chill experience. As an example, we invited and became friends with TS|Sabin, who had a good time with us and brought up Dieminion the next time, who in turn became friends and brought up Andre “Jago” Lambert with him the next time.
mushin_Z: Are there any players from outside Montréal you see/compete with regularly?
LJB: Not really.
Jaky: I compete regularly with the Toronto scene.
WW: Mainly Toronto. Their SF scene is smaller now that it used to be in the SFIV days, but we still host them, and they still have our backs when we travel together. Toronto guys like StDx|Blitzman just can’t leave us alone.
mushin_Z: Do you stream?
LJB: Yes, but not as much since school has started–but I’ll try find some time to stream regularly. Twitch: lordjimmybones. Twitter: @TRDJimmyBones.
WW: I do Let’s Plays and play all kinds of AAA poverty fighters on my YouTube channel: superbestfriendsplay. You can also catch our livestreams on Twitch: superbestfriendsplay.
mushin_Z: What games other than Street Fighter are you into, and why?
LJB: Other than SF, I also enjoy anime FGs too, because I like exploring other styles and gaining more FG knowledge.
Jaky: I really love all fighting games, they are the biggest part of my gaming collection. Other than that, I play a lot of Shin Megami Tensei, Pokémon, Monster Hunter, card games, and Animal Crossing. My favorite game is Shin Megami Tensei 3.
WW: I’m a fan of fighting games in general, so I will always have love for KOF, Tekken, MK, and GGXrd. Not to mention classics like Garou: Mark of the Wolves, and Skullgirls. When it comes to non-fighters: games like Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Titanfall and Overwatch, because I can feel the competitive edge in them that reminds me of what I like in fighters. Also games like Journey, Shadow of the Colossus, Mirror’s Edge, Persona 4 and Jet Set Radio, because I value style, atmosphere, and art immensely.
mushin_Z, for JakyoManor specifically: anything you’d like to add about your experience interacting between the Toronto and Montréal scenes?
Jaky: My experience with MTL vs. TO has been great! The rivalry I think has cooled off a lot. I was very shy in 2009 so when I first encountered these players (TO vs. MTL) getting together in SFIV, it was extremely intense and loud… scary. In SFV, everyone is a little bit softer. Since I play a lot with MTLSF, I’ve now been known as the “TO Traitor.” I feel a bit sad, because I really love my local scene–but I also love to bully them and sign up as MTLSF in tournaments. Toronto and Montréal will likely always fight. Montréal seems to think they have more talent than Toronto, but they can’t get lazy! Toronto is placing very well at majors, and making a name for themselves again! I’m really excited to see where Toronto will go in the life span of SFV.
I was advised to also reach out to Twitch streamer Miss Harvey, for a word on her experience with the Montréal FGC scene. Her comments sum it up well:
I haven’t been around the boys for like a year now, but what I can say is that they are the most welcoming and supportive community ever. When I moved to Montréal I didn’t know anything about SF (coming from the Counter-Strike community) and I went to their weekly meet up just for fun alone–and they welcomed me like I was one of their own right away. They taught me the game and we became really good friends, people I can count on when things go right and go wrong. I will never forget the trips we took together in Toronto, Vegas (my first Evo was with them), etc. and what they brought into my life. I will be MTLSF for life.
Left to right: Emmanuel; Miss Harvey: WoolieWoolz; Chi-Rithy; Rami; StDx|Blitzman
A few words with some of the MTLSF scene’s most prominent players.
Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the writer, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.
It was my pleasure this summer to meet Chi-Rithy and other members of the FGC from Montréal, Canada while attending Evo 2016; as I was impressed by both their gameplay and how friendly and approachable they were, I set out to get more information on these Street Fighters and their scene, possibly one of the toughest and most active in Canada.
It was Chi-Rithy (in the feature image above, with EG|Justin Wong to his right) that first caught my attention–as Canadian players go, he’s certainly a rising star: getting more attention with his high Street Fighter V placements. He took first place in Street Fighter V at DreamHack Montréal 2016:
He also took the top spot at Canada’s Cineplex/World Gaming Street Fighter V Championships:
Chi-Rithy also placed 13th in SFV at the recent Brooklyn Beatdown, sharing the rank with RZR|Xian and Evo 2016’s SFV champion RZR|Infiltration, and beating out top players including GGP|Kazunoko and BST|Daigo Umehara.
But of course, Chi-Rithy is not the only significant player to emerge from Montréal’s Street Fighter scene! I reached out to six of MTLSF’s most prominent personalities to conduct a written interview; I asked each of them the same questions, and compiled the answers to gain a detailed look into what it’s like to be part of this vibrant and competitive community. The first three I will feature here in Part 1 are Richard “Snafoo” Tuok, Rami Rammal, and Chi-Rithy himself.
mushin_Z: You’re all born and raised in Montréal; how long have you been involved with the MTLSF scene?
Richard “Snafoo” Tuok: I’ve been with the MTLSF scene since 2009, when SFIV came out.
Rami Rammal: I started going to MTLSF weeklies in 2010, during the Super SFIV era.
Chi-Rithy: I’ve been in the scene since 2006, and still active.
mushin_Z: How long have you played Street Fighter games? How did you get started?
Snafoo: My first SF was SFII on the Super Nintendo. I didn’t play Alpha/CvS/SFIII, I didn’t know they existed back then, since I was a kid and I didn’t go to arcades. My brother bought me SF EX and X-Men vs. Street Fighter on the PSone, and I played it a lot by myself. When SFIV came out I didn’t have a PS3 nor an Xbox, so I spent a lot of time playing at the arcade. I did this until the PC version came out.
Rami: I started playing casually when I was 4. I didn’t know there was such a thing as competitive Street Fighter until 2010. One of my friends I used to go to school with told me there would be a tournament in Montréal; back then I was only playing online and thought it’d be a good way to measure myself against the best players in town.
Chi-Rithy: I’ve been playing Street fighter games since I was maybe 3 or 4 years old. I am now 26. My family was a huge influence for me, in terms of getting into the SF series. My older brother brought me to every arcade in Montréal, and each one of them had an SFII machine. He also bought a Super Nintendo with SFII Turbo–and sometimes my mom had nothing to do, and would play with us when she was bored.
mushin_Z: What is your favorite game in the Street Fighter series, and why?
Snafoo: My favorite SF would probably be Capcom vs.SNK 2. In around 2005, I started going to the arcades a lot when I started college, and I would always watch people play CvS2. I liked everything about the game; the grooves, music, character art, and character choices. I remember this one time player 2 was trying to chip player 1 with Joe’s tempest super, but player 1 just defended enough (k-groove) to survive and kill him off with his own super. I’ve never saw anything like that before. Turns out player 1 was FreddyLoCo, an OG player.
Rami: I would have to say that SFIV is still my favorite game. I feel like exploring training mode back then had a more direct impact on your performance. The game was less accessible than SFV, but I still liked it better.
Chi-Rithy: My favorite game ever is Street fighter III: 3rd Strike. It was the first game that introduced me to the competitive scene–thanks to the famous Justin Wong vs. Daigo Umehara moment–and I still find the system to be complex and exciting to watch, to this day.
mushin_Z: Do you prefer a fightstick, pad, or hitbox?
Snafoo: I play on fightstick because I find it easier to execute moves over a pad. I’ve never tried a hitbox.
Rami: I used to play on pad back in IV, but then switched to an arcade stick.
Chi-Rithy: My main choice would always be a fightstick.
mushin_Z: Who do you main, and why? Is there a character you wish was selectable in Street Fighter V, but isn’t (yet)?
Snafoo: I main Dhalsim in IV and V. Local players here have a very aggressive style, so I decided to take the defensive approach and zone them over slugging them. Eagle would be pretty cool to see in SFV, or Sagat.
Rami: I main Rashid, at first it was a running gag since we’re both Middle-Eastern. But I was able to mold him to my playstyle. He has the offensive tools I look for in a character, very cool character design as well. And also because my main in SFIV is still not available: Akuma.
Chi-Rithy: My main character is Chun-Li, and she has been my main in most Street Fighter games as well. She is quick and agile, which suits my style. I’d like to see more characters from the Street Fighter III series, such as Oro.
mushin_Z: What’s your best match-up, in your opinion? Worst?
Snafoo: Zangief would probably be my best match-up. He has a tough time to go through Dhalsim’s limbs, and the grey life prevents him playing too patient. I think the worst is Balrog because of his dash punches. They cover a lot of space and it’s in his favor for every trade. He has also a great comeback factor with his V-trigger.
Rami: Best match-up: Dhalsim; worst match-up: Chun-Li or Karin.
Chi-Rithy: Chun-Li’s best match-up would be characters who have a hard time getting in, such as Birdie or Laura. Her worst match-ups would be against herself and Cammy, I still consider them to be 5-5.
mushin_Z: Where do you usually play?
Snafoo: I usually play at my friend’s house that lives nearby on weekends. Every Tuesday I try to go to the weekly hosted by Mixed Virtual Arts [Tatsumaki Tuesday]. Sometimes I will play online Battle Lounge with other friends that live further away.
Rami: I usually play on Tuesdays at MVA where we have our weeklies. Or at home in training mode.
Chi-Rithy: I play at the gaming lounge/LAN center named Mixed Virtual Arts.
Snafoo: MVA is a venue that holds twelve PC stations. They sell drinks and give away free snacks at every SFV weekly on Tuesday. The venue is very cozy; there are sofas near the entrance along with a big projector that shows the match on stream. They also provide a venue for other games such as Smash, anime games, Overwatch, etc.
Rami: It’s a breath of fresh air for the Montréal scene, a lot of new players, great venue.
Chi-Rithy: It offers PC stations where you can play multiple games other than SFV, and offers drinks and snacks with a nice-looking lounge! Please check them out if you ever visit Montréal!
mushin_Z: Do you play online? Your thoughts on online competition?
Snafoo: I don’t play as much online because most of my sessions are done locally. However, I find the competition is very good once you reach Platinum League.
Rami: I haven’t touched online for SFV in about 3-4 months, I usually find all my tech in training mode and practice offline, in a tournament-like environment.
Chi-Rithy: I used to play online a lot, but it doesn’t compare to offline play and having matches with people face-to-face. It can be a good learning tool for unfamiliar match-ups.
mushin_Z: In your opinion, who are the players to watch in the MTL community?
Snafoo: I’d say the two players that stand out for me in the MTL community would be Chi-Rithy and Rami. Both placed in the top 50 at Evo this year.
Rami: Chi-Rithy and Snafoo.
Chi-Rithy: The players to watch for mainly are the veterans Snafoo, Rami, Lord Jimmy Bones, Jedah, Yomi, and the new kids on the block such as Coton, FluxWaveZ, Paco, and Bootsy.
mushin_Z: How has the Montreal FGC impacted your experience with the game? Has your own skill improved through interaction with the MTLSF scene, and has involvement with MTLSF increased your enjoyment of fighting games?
Snafoo: The game is more fun because I play with people that share the same passion as I. Victory has more impact because everyone is trying their best to win. My skills have definitely improved since I joined the scene back in 2009. There’s a lot of OG players, they’ve been playing back in 2000 in the Alpha/CvS/SFIII era. Without them I would be nowhere near the level I am today. I’m a very competitive person, so being part of a fighting community makes fighting games more fun. Everyone wants to be a winner.
Rami: The people in my local are most likely the reason I enjoy playing on a competitive level. They’re all my friends, close to a “second family” kinda thing. We’re all very competitive people by nature, we share everything we find about the game and we’re all levelling up together, so it’s always great atmosphere. The OGs from the MTL kind of molded me to the player I am today. I owe it all to these guys. I don’t think I’d say I enjoy fighting games more necessarily, but I learned to enjoy more and more the competitive aspect of it.
Chi-Rithy: The MTLSF community has been amazing in terms of support since I was 16, and I treat them like family. Without MTLSF, I wouldn’t even be here right at this moment. My skills have improved drastically since then. It made the game more enjoyable, since you fought better players and made new friends
mushin_Z: Has any particular player acted as a mentor, or a rival for you?
Snafoo: Back in 2009 the scene was quite different, it had the arcade feeling where if you’re new, no one is going to help you. This one player named Rameo would help me when I started playing the game in the arcade. He mentored me through all of vanilla SFIV and Super Street Fighter IV. All my friends within the community, I consider them rivals. Shout-outs to Chi-Rithy, Rami, freddyl0c0, TJ, Yomi, Lord Jimmy Bones, Panko, Heero (always dodging tournies!).
Rami: Chi-Rithy, Snafoo and freddyl0c0 are probably the players that impacted me the most. They taught me a lot about fighting games when I was getting started; they helped me improve a lot in a very short period of time.
Chi-Rithy: I had a mentor that taught me the concept of zoning, footsies, and movement in general. He goes by the handle PTS One.
mushin_Z: How would you describe Tatsumaki Tuesday’s atmosphere and competition? How well do you usually do?
Snafoo: Most of the players at the weekly are new to the scene, so I try to help them by giving tips and tricks. We range about twenty to thirty-five players participating in the weekly in average. I usually get top 3 in the weekly.
Rami: It’s always a good weekly, same core of people every week but new face every now and then. I usually rank pretty well, but it’s very hard to stay consistent in SFV, so it can go from 2nd place to 8th or 9th.
Chi-Rithy: The Tatsumaki Tuesdays have been great, especially for SFV. It allowed us to have weekly tournaments to push ourselves, and we see new faces with massive potential. I usually take 1st place, but sometimes Snafoo takes some weeklies as well.
mushin_Z: What major tournaments have you attended? Have you traveled to tournaments outside of Canada?
Snafoo: The biggest major I’ve attended in SFV was Toryuken. I have not yet attended any majors outside of Canada for SFV.
Rami: Outside of Canada, I went to CEO and Evo.
Chi-Rithy: I’ve been to major tournaments since the 3S days. I have traveled through many areas around North America, Europe and Asia.
mushin_Z: How well have you placed? How would you describe the experience of traveling to compete?
Snafoo: I believe I got 9th place, losing to Justin Wong and PR Balrog. Because of my competitiveness, travelling to compete always excites me. I want to know my skill level and get new experience to grow as a player.
Rami: I didn’t do so well at CEO, I lost early in pools. But had a very close set against Snake Eyez, last round last game. At Evo I did pretty well, I got 33rd. Lost to Sako (Chun-Li) and Lud (Chun-Li) It’s always exciting and different, because knowing your local scene is something. But competing against complete strangers is the best way to truly measure a fighting game player’s skill, in my opinion.
Chi-Rithy: If we count 3S, SFIV and SFV, my rankings went from taking victory at some tournaments, and placing as low as in the top 64. Traveling to compete is the best, since you are there to see how you match up with some of the best players, and you get to meet people that share the same passion.
mushin_Z: How often do you encounter players from other cities in Montréal? Do they fit in easily while visiting the MTLSF community?
Snafoo: It is pretty rare to see other players from other cities passing by Montréal. Usually it is the Toronto players that pass by from time to time. Due to the long history of rivalry between the two cities, many Toronto players are friends, so they crash at a friend’s house when they visit and the same goes when we go to Toronto. We get along really well!
Rami: Not very often, aside from the Toronto events. We’ve known the Toronto community for a while, so we all get along pretty well.
Chi-Rithy: The FGC is a big family and you usually get to see the same faces you know, if it’s a big major tournament. The MTLSF community is very welcoming, and we get to show you places around the city, hang out and have a few drinks besides playing SF. Most people from out of town have an awesome time here in Montréal.
mushin_Z: Are there any players from outside Montréal you see/compete with regularly?
Snafoo: I haven’t travelled much this year, so there are no players outside of the city that I compete with regularly.
Rami: Probably all the players from the Toronto scene since the SFIV days, Italdan, Blitzman, and all the Toronto crew.
Chi-Rithy: The MTL and Toronto scene have been rivals since forever, and we are one big family when we go up against Americans and Internationals.
mushin_Z: Do you stream?
Snafoo: Currently I do not stream, since I don’t really play online that much anyway.
Rami: I don’t have a stream yet, but it’s a work in progress.
Chi-Rithy: You can see me stream from time to time at chirithy.
mushin_Z: What games other than Street Fighter are you into, and why?
Snafoo: I’m a big fan of esports, so I watch any competitive video games such as Counter Strike, DOTA2, LoL, fighting games, Starcraft 2, Hearthstone, Overwatch, etc. I like to play RPGs too, but haven’t played one lately. Hit me up on Twitter @SnafooMTL and suggest RPGs for me on PC/PS4!
Rami: I’m into competitive trading card games, Force of Will, and Cardfight Vanguard. They’re just really fun in general, also makes you work a lot on getting reads on people. Some of my close friends also have been into TCGs since forever, so I just tagged along.
Chi-Rithy: Currently, I’m in love with the Dark Souls series, since it’s an unforgiving game, it punishes your mistakes and it actually has footsies!
I proceeded to inquire a little further into Chi-Rithy’s recent tournament experiences.
mushin_Z: How you felt about your placement in Evo 2016 and your matches against EG|Justin Wong and LI Joe?
Chi-Rithy: At Evo, I felt that I placed around 49th, which is alright compared to previous years–I am usually one match away from top 16. I felt pretty confident vs. Justin Wong since I know how he plays and I’ve beaten him before. My match vs. LI Joe was an eye-opener, since he got the read on my fireball game pattern and made me whiff grab, which he punished really hard. It made me want to improve on my defence.
mushin_Z: At the Cineplex/World Gaming Street Fighter V Championships, what was it like moving from an online qualifier into a live tourney, and how stiff was the in-person competition?
Chi-Rithy: For Cineplex, I had no expectations at all. It went from an online qualifier to a spectacular live tournament. The energy and ambiance from the crowd was amazing. I took a few seconds to look at them, and it made me realize how far the FGC has come and how appreciative that I was at that position. The competition felt strong, since it featured some of the best Canada has to offer.
mushin_Z: SFV Chun-Li’s getting a lot of flak lately for being overpowered–if not top tier, then just outright broken. As a Chun main, what do you think? Is that reputation deserved?
Chi-Rithy: Sometimes, it takes time for a metagame to be developed, especially for a fighting game. In this case, Chun-Li is considered to be the number 1 character at this moment, with which I heartfully agree. However, as the game evolves, I think many counters strategies will be available against her. As for her being overpowered, I don’t think she is currently. She would win every single major tournament, which is not the case.
mushin_Z: DreamHack Montréal 2016–were you confident going in? Were there matches/moments you thought you were about to be knocked out?
Chi-Rithy: I was pretty confident going into Dreamhack Montréal since I knew and had faced most of the players that were present at the event. The only match I was concerned was against CountBlack, since he beat me in tournament before and has a dangerous Laura.
[Many of the matches from Tatsumaki Tuesday, and some from DreamHack MTL 2016 can be viewed on the MTLSF YouTube channel.]
mushin_Z: After winning DreamHack, what’s your mindset approaching Canada Cup 2016?
Chi-Rithy: Going into Canada Cup, I am mostly excited to face players from all around the world, and represent Montréal and Canada to its finest!
That concludes Part 1 of my look into the MTL scene–unless you’d like to also check out this video of Chi-Rithy going first-to-5 with The Beast at Brooklyn Beatdown. The technical play seen here demonstrates clearly how much time and effort these players are putting into this game:
Check back tomorrow for Part 2 of this interview set, featuring Lord Jimmy Bones, WoolieWoolz, and FGC commentator JakyoManor! Learn the origin of Tatsumaki Tuesday, what it’s like to be an “FGC mom,” and how Lord Jimmy Bones got started on Super Street Fighter II Turbo–and more.
Urien has rapidly become a very popular member of the Street Fighter V roster–who doesn’t love the sadistic little Illuminati tyrant? He’s a blast to play, and to watch, and his tools allow for a lot of impressive combos and unusual interactions.
Xuses has compiled this video collection of some of the most impressive–and occasionally hilarious–Urien gameplay out there so far. Watch for well-timed CAs, great comebacks, and some startlingly long combos, along with lots of Aegis Reflector shenanigans.
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