Category: Fighting Games

Last year, Nemo had to fight tooth and nail to get into Capcom Cup. He did so by winning the last chance qualifier in stunning fashion against Infiltration. Then for good measure, he made it all the way to third place at Capcom Cup itself, capping off one of the most impressive runs in fighting game history.

With his berth clinched through the Asian Regional slot, will he replicate the same success as last year?

Destroy

Nothing that can be said about Nemo’s Urien hasn’t already been said. He has long been the originator of Urien tech, showing off stunning displays of Aegis Reflector usage, zoning, V-Skills, and beautiful hit confirms.

While Urien may have dropped slightly in the tiers since Season 2, Nemo has hardly slipped. It’s really hard to find an active Urien that has been complete of a player as Nemo has been. With players like Dogura focusing primarily on Dragon Ball FighterZ, and upcoming Urien mains like Sabour and Ryusei barely travelling, Nemo has been the most consistent, easily.

Not Winning

Much like last year, Nemo hasn’t won much. In fact, this is worse than last year; at least last year he had a second place under his belt at East Coast Throwdown. This year, the closest he got to such a placing is third at Tokyo Game Show.

While that in itself is admirable — a third at a tough Premier over second at a smaller Ranking event — it doesn’t mean that he’s capable of winning a tournament like Capcom Cup. Last year for me would’ve been the year he could’ve done it, given the tear he went on to win the LCQ just to make it in at all.

But he doesn’t even have a primer tournament such as this to give him the confidence that he might be able to win everything. This could be one of his sails without wind.

Clutch Factor

But it’s really hard to take away Nemo’s clutch factor. In so many sets in 2017 at Capcom Cup, he seemed to grab victory from the jaws of defeat. Going down two games to Didimokof and coming back to take the set, after Didimokof looked incredibly in control.

And this wasn’t the only set where this happened. Problem X also suffered the same 3-2 defeat at the hands of Nemo. When he wasn’t doing that, there were multiple 3-0 victories on his hands. So while many would fold under that level of mental exhaustion, Nemo seems to soar.

Final Thoughts

It’s not outside the realm of possibility that we could see Nemo in the top 8 once more. He still has all the tools, and is very good at adapting on the fly. I would say it’s harder because he doesn’t have the momentum to ride like he did last year, but that adrenaline rush doesn’t always guarantee a good performance.

Will he win it all? Most likely not. While he’s got a great clutch factor, riding that alone doesn’t always guarantee results either. He would literally have to play far less with his back to the wall to convince me he could do that. But given his results this year, he hasn’t.

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CAPCOM CUP 2018 ANALYSIS SERIES

• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Tokido finally hoist the cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will MenaRD claim the throne once again?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is the third time the charm for Problem X?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How Sako made me eat my words in two tournament wins
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Fujimura take the title in his third shot at the cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Fuudo more poised this year than last?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Justin Wong finally make top 8?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How will NuckleDu reclaim his lost throne?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Oil King cut his opponents as short as his shorts?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will NL capitalize on his stellar 2018?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Daigo Umehara finally scale the one height he has yet to reach?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Luffy prepared enough to make a serious run this year?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Haitani Improved Enough?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Xiao Hai finally fixed his focus issue?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Big Bird big enough to take it?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Caba prove Dominican domination at Capcom Cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Phenom stand out as phenomenal?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Gachikun survive his fateful first round?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Xian be quickly on the top 8 scene?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is momentum on CJ Truth’s side?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Bonchan let out a roar?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Punk put himself in the right position for this year?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Mago’s top tier pick work out for him?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Itabashi Zangief shift into overdrive?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Momochi put his opponents on ice?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will StormKUBO fill a giant pile of bodybags?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Verloren be able to reclaim his status as best Cammy?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Angry Bird knock over everyone’s tower of dreams?

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Angry Bird shocked the world with his first tournament win. Most people take their first tournament at a local, feel elated, and then try to go higher. Angry Bird did it in the opposite way: win a major and go to the biggest tournament in the fighting game community off a subsequent win.

Will his second tournament win score him a six figure payday?

Split Personality

I could go on and start talking about Angry Bird’s Akuma. Rather, I want to talk about the fighter that got him to the dance, Zeku. Many have chided the character as not very good, and way too situational for anyone to use seriously. But many chided Gen in Street Fighter IV as such, only for Xian to take him to an Evo championship.

And this is what you see when Angry Bird uses Zeku. You see that specialist’s precision with the character, able to do the transformation changes mid-combo, and thinking ahead to the next setup he has to perform. He also does this while re-evaluating his defensive options and ranges that come with the transformations between Old and Young Zeku. He’s capable of doing this while his opponents are still reacting to the fact that he changed stances.

It’s something that you have to put a lot of mileage into the character to comprehend. So when you see Angry Bird’s usage of Zeku, you have to think that while he may be mid tier at best, he looks top tier in the right hands.

Split Wins

If the only thing you can chide him for is where his two tournament wins happened, it’s still a harder argument to compel people not to think he’s capable. Taking UFA over Problem X and Luffy makes you wonder. Yes, Problem X was definitely experimenting with G, and already safely within Capcom Cup to make him care too much. But the wins he accumulated, showing his ability to change between Akuma and Zeku when needed shows his mental acumen on how to approach individual matches with a fresh mind.

But then to turn around and do it again at EGX in the EU Regional Finals, with the same three European killers of Phenom, Problem X, and Luffy in the bracket? It’s hard to view Angry Bird as a fluke.

The Tale of the Characters

If I were to find a fault with Angry Bird, it’s that people know Akuma by now. Tokido’s made sure of that. If he hasn’t, there’s players like Samurai and Haitani who have done so. If he thinks he’s going to level people based on his Akuma, he may be wrong.

This may force him to play Zeku mainly within Capcom Cup. We know he’s good with him, but is he good enough to win at least five times to take Capcom Cup? This is the ultimate test, and it could very well be one he’s not up for yet.

Final Thoughts

He is the greenest rookie in this tournament. But he’s made enough heads turn for many people to call him their dark horse pick, including the likes of Fuudo.

While I put my money on Big Bird, I could’ve literally put it on the wrong bird. His Zeku is far better than anyone could’ve thought. Even GamerBee — who has RB to train with in Taiwan — struggled to find an answer for him. That character unfamiliarity could come into play in his first round with Tokido. If he survives his first test, then there’s no reason he can’t take the whole damn thing.

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CAPCOM CUP 2018 ANALYSIS SERIES

• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Tokido finally hoist the cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will MenaRD claim the throne once again?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is the third time the charm for Problem X?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How Sako made me eat my words in two tournament wins
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Fujimura take the title in his third shot at the cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Fuudo more poised this year than last?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Justin Wong finally make top 8?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: How will NuckleDu reclaim his lost throne?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Oil King cut his opponents as short as his shorts?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will NL capitalize on his stellar 2018?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Daigo Umehara finally scale the one height he has yet to reach?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Luffy prepared enough to make a serious run this year?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Haitani Improved Enough?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Xiao Hai finally fixed his focus issue?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is Big Bird big enough to take it?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Caba prove Dominican domination at Capcom Cup?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Phenom stand out as phenomenal?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Gachikun survive his fateful first round?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Xian be quickly on the top 8 scene?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Is momentum on CJ Truth’s side?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Bonchan let out a roar?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Has Punk put himself in the right position for this year?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Mago’s top tier pick work out for him?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Itabashi Zangief shift into overdrive?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Momochi put his opponents on ice?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will StormKUBO fill a giant pile of bodybags?
• Capcom Cup 2018 Analysis: Will Verloren be able to reclaim his status as best Cammy?

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The 2018 Capcom Pro Tour has reached its final stop, travelling from Final Round in Atlanta, hitting locations around the globe and ending in Las Vegas for the finale, Capcom Cup. 32 world warriors and more will enter the arena, fighting for glory as well as a share of nearly $400,000 prize pool.

As with last year’s event 31 of the players for the final bracket have been determined via the global leaderboard and Regional Finals. The final player will have their way through the merciless Last Chance Qualifier on Friday. Some top-notch competitors will be joining the LCQ, including Dogura, moke, JohnTakeuchi, MOV, GamerBee, ZJZ, Didimokof, Snake Eyez, SMUG, Alex Myers, NYChrisG, Ricki Ortiz, PR Balrog and more.

Capcom Cup will be broadcast live to the world on the Capcom Fighters Twitch channel, as well as on YouTube and Facebook. A secondary stream will cover the Top 32 action on Saturday. The event kicks off with the Last Chance Qualifier on Friday at 10 AM PST, 1 PM EST. Capcom Cup proper begins on Saturday at 10 AM PST, 1 PM EST, and concludes with the top 8 on Sunday, 1 PM PST, 4 PM EST.

CapcomFighters

Watch live video from CapcomFighters on www.twitch.tv

CapcomFighters2

Watch live video from capcomfighters2 on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Capcom Pro Tour

Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news — and our favorite SRK articles — from November 30 to December 6, 2018!

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra, Editor-in-Chief:

Frame 1:
Cower in fear of all of The Walking Dead references in Negan’s Tekken 7 reveal trailer

The portion of the Venn diagram where fans of The Walking Dead meet fans of Tekken 7 got a real treat in Negan’s gameplay reveal trailer; if you want to verify you caught all of the little nods to the TV show, have a look at this.

Frame 2:
Here are the finalized brackets for Capcom Cup 2018

The last big hurrah for Street Fighter V in 2018 is kicking off today with its Last Chance Qualifier. Here are the starting points for the best of the best in SFV this year for the final showdown.

Frame 3:
Wizzrobe shows how to wavedash perfectly in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The new Smash is now out in the wild — and the classic mechanic has returned, after a fashion.

Frame 4:
VesperArcade shares his thoughts on the insanity of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition’s new “Sponsored Content”

I literally think this is the worst design decision Capcom has implemented in SFV. When the only good thing about a game function is that you can turn it off, that should be the first clue it’s a terrible idea…

Frame 5:
2B from NieR: Automata cuts her way into SoulCalibur VI on December 18

… On the other side, instead of adding hideous ads to their game, Bandai Namco are bringing us bad-ass sword-swinging androids. You know, content that actually improves the game?

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Crow_Spaceboy, Assistant Editor:

Frame 1:
Namco reveals SoulCalibur VI version 1.10 patch notes for December 17th

I might have one or two things I disagree with in the proposed changes, but overall this is one of Namco’s most thoughtful balance patches in Calibur history.

Frame 2:
Warner Bros. announces fan art project “MK Kollective” for Mortal Kombat 11

There’s some surprisingly high-profile acts acting as ambassadors on this project. I’m looking forward to it!

Frame 3:
Button2Pixel compares the input delay of every Super Smash Bros. iteration, including Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Input lag just keeps increasing with new iterations of games, and I wonder what the “breaking point” will be.

Frame 4:
MikeZ demonstrates game-breaking super flash glitch in SNES version of Street Fighter Alpha 2

This is the sort of wild glitch that is only possible thanks to the limitations of the past. I love it.

Frame 5:
Italian GameStop website appears to leak details of Mortal Kombat 11’s Premium Edition

I want to play as Shao Khan right now. All of you, get out of the way.

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Catch up on what you may have missed in our prior SRK Rollback compilations.

February 15, 2019. That’s the date for Evo Japan 2019 — and with today’s most-recent announcement from EVOJapanNews, we know that in just two months we’ll get to see high-level play in the following titles:

• Tekken 7
• Blazblue: Cross Tag Battle
• SoulCalibur VI
• Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
• The King of Fighters XIV
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2

There are certainly some surprises for spectators and players alike in this list. There’s obvious omissions of two of the FGC’s biggest games right now: DragonBall FighterZ and new superstar Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. If we turn to Evo Business Director Mark “MarkMan” Julio’s Twitter, we get a sense as to why this happened, and how not all hope is lost for Smashers and Saiyans.

And personally, I think the community working together to run Smash Ultimate and DBFZ is going to be awesome and I can’t wait to show the publisher/owners the strength of the community. Goodnight!

— Mark Julio (マークマン) (@MarkMan23) December 14, 2018

Sources: MarkMan23; EVOJapanNews