There is a special kind of challenge that every community faces when it starts, and that’s how to let people know about their game. Players need to, in and of their community, learn how to promote their game and ensure new players can get caught up. It’s not an easy undertaking, and we do see many communities struggle with it, and perhaps the best way to ensure success is to learn from communities that have come before you.
That’s just what Pokkén Tournament’s community has done here, with a new spectator guide. This guide aims to ensure new players know what they’re seeing when the game is being played, and it does so by mirroring the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 spectator guide that released a few months back. This imitation is very welcome, and hopefully more communities will take up similar methods to help newer players get into the game properly.
For the longest time, many have rated Ness as better than Lucas in the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tier list. With top representatives like FOW, the best back throw in the game and great combos off of grab, many considered the original psychic child to be the better Earthbound character.
However, with the steady decline of Ness mains and the growing number of Lucas mains, opinion is starting to shift in Lucas’ favor. In his latest character analysis video, TSM|ZeRo seems to agree with this, stating that Lucas has better recovery options compared to Ness, a better grab game due to his footstool combos off of down throw and a better neutral game, thanks to his zair and PK Fire.
ZeRo also feels that Lucas has more potential to grow as a fighter–thanks to his amazing grab game–while Ness’ simplicity will ultimately limit his further development as a viable character
Alongside the big Shin Hisako reveal, the special presentation at Killer Instinct World Cup released a whole bunch of news about new content packs coming to Microsoft and Iron Galaxy’s fighter. First off is the announcement of the new Rash statue, which is coming courtesy of Project Triforce. Pre-orders of this will be starting in a month’s time, with orders of the cheeky Battletoad set to be fulfilled later this year.
Next up is the next set of Ultimates, which were actually leaked via Killer Instinct’s in-game store. This new pack of Ultimates will be for Kilgore, Fulgore, ARIA, Sadira and Riptor, with the panel showing off Fulgore’s Ultimate. Let’s just say Fulgore’s Devastation Beam got a bit of an upgrade. As with the last Ultimate pack, this will be free for everyone.
On the skins front, there are two new Gold skin packs coming in the near future. Gold Skin Pack 3 will release on March 21st with golden skins for Mira, Sadira and Glacius. Gold Skin Pack 4 will release on April 11th, with golden skins for Spinal, Kan-Ra and Hisako. There are plans for every character to get a gold skin, with there also being a Platinum skin hidden within there, to possibly compliment the pre-existing Platinum Gargos skin.
Gold Skin Pack 4 features skins for Spinal. Kan Ra, & HIsako. Releases April 11th. pic.twitter.com/HiCSWHZwuO
As for exclusive character skins, Gargos’ herald Omen will finally be getting a color pack later this summer. It’s taken a long old time, but the old glowing blue demon will at last get some color variation.
Finally, besides the obvious Shin Hisako announcement, Kilgore will return to the KI Store on April 4th at the lower price point of $4.99. Iron Galaxy are set to reveal how much the Kilgore Community Fund has made later this weekend, so stay tuned for that figure sometime tomorrow.
Besides all of the intense competition of Killer Instinct World Cup, Killer Instinct fans were looking forward to the full gameplay reveal of the latest remixed character for KI, Shin Hisako. Acting as the redeemed version of the vengeful spirit, Shin Hisako is simple to pick up, but has some tools which will make her extremely tricky to fight against.
Alongside her change in aura and weapon, Hisako’s purification has massively increased her speed. Gone in the super slow walk speed, Shin Hisako’s walk and backdash are now among the fastest in the game. What’s most drastically changed is her forward dash, which now sees Shin Hisako teleporting diagonally forwards, almost like a shortened forward jump. Combined with her new Spirit Orbs and her tweaked specials, Shin Hisako can get around the screen faster than almost any other fighter.
While her rekkas have stayed mostly the same, Shin Hisako has lost her counter and Possession grapple, but she has gained a DP in the process. She has also gained a new move called Spirit Slice, which has her dashing through the opponent and leaving a glowing trail behind her. The glowing slash does leave a hitbox and you can juggle using the heavy version, so be prepared for some crazy recaptures with Shin Hisako.
As she is now purged of her anger and hate, Shin Hisako no longer has her Wrath meter. It is now replaced with her Spirit Orbs, which are orbs of spiritual fire which travel around the screen. Whenever Shin Hisako dashes forward when a Spirit Orb is on the screen, she will actually teleport to that orb. If you grab someone, you stick a Spirit Orb on them, meaning you have a way to always get in on your opponent.
If you attack these Spirit Orbs, Shin Hisako fires off a projectile similar to Leo Whitefang’s in Guilty Gear Xrd. If you land a hard knockdown and have a Spirit Orb up, you can set up some trick mixups which will keep the opponent guessing as which way to block. The projectiles created from Spirit Orbs clash with all other fireballs, besides Shadow or charged fireballs.
These Spirit Orbs also interact with all of Shin Hisako’s heavy specials, with all of them actively tracking a Spirit Orb. Players will have to keep a close eye on Shin Hisako’s Spirit Orbs but they should not be completely feared. Aganos can actually flick away Shin Hisako’s Spirit Orbs before she can establish any cool setplays, so be careful of the stone golem.
Her Instinct has also changed, as she now summons the spectral hands from the Village of Whispers to drag her opponent to Hell. The hands travel in a puddle along the ground, slowly approaching the opponent. If a player stands in the puddle for too long, they are dragged down beneath the earth and take a large chunk of damage. Shin Hisako players can resummon the puddle by pressing heavy punch and heavy kick and their Instinct will completely drain if they drag the opponent to Hell.
As said in the presentation, Shin Hisako is much easier to pick up and play when compared to normal Hisako, but her amazing mobility and Spirit Orbs offer huge depth for veteran players.
Shin Hisako is set to definitely launch on March 21st for $4.99, but this is considered a ‘worst case scenario’ by Iron Galaxy and Microsoft. As part of a special “Beam Plays Killer Instinct” promotion which begins on March 14th, the Killer Instinct community will be able to unlock Shin Hisako early, if they manage to beat Shadow Lords mode with the character, using the special stream commands. It will be tough going but if a dedicated team of stream viewers bands together, it can be done.
Check out the entire Shin Hisako breakdown in the Twitch VOD below, along with the following Shin Hisako gameplay videos in the mean time, courtesy of Iron Galaxy. Patch 3.7 of Killer Instinct is also available on March 14th, so expect all the juicy balance changes very soon.
With Tekken 7 only a few months away, long time fans of the series will finally get their hands on the latest installment more than two years after it’s been available overseas. Despite the imminent nature of the release, it isn’t quite in our hands yet; that being the case, we primarily rely on arcades from abroad to get our Tekken fix. Here we have a bunch of sets played at Green Arcade, an arcade in South Korea, many of which show off cool customization items in addition to the high level gameplay. Sit back and enjoy the Tekken matches.
You can find many more matches on TrueTekken’s YouTube channel, so head on over there if you’re thirsty for more.
The FGC has been slowly but surely reverting its attention back to older titles. Between ports coming to current gen consoles and simply more new players becoming interested in our history, we’re seeing a lot of play from games some people assumed to be dead and gone. One such game is Garou: Mark of the Wolves, which recently was ported to both PlayStation 4 and Steam.
Here we see as jmcrofts pours a week of his time into learning Garou, day by day. We get to see some of the processes that he goes through when learning a new game, as well as how he grinds out the things he learns.
After his training montage, he puts his newfound ability to the test against friends. He plays against Jayford and lgrinta, with his training seemingly paying off in real matches.
Learning to deal with offense can be tricky–being too defensive will get you into trouble more often than it’ll save you, but overcompensating with offense of your own works equally well. While you can’t really learn to deal with everything at once, baby steps can help ensure that you can deal with offense orientated tactics one step at a time.
Today, our tech video focuses on Juri’s specific options to handle dash-in attempts. The options mostly revolve around her mp into hp target combo, but he goes over additional options as well. After the target combo Juri has a lot of options for finishing the combo, including many of her resource-specific followups along with an explanation of which one is best under which circumstances.
Red Bull has become a household name in the FGC; between their support last year and their seemingly continued support kicking this year off, they’ve become welcome pillars of the community. With the new year comes new events, and one in particular is Red Bull Proving Grounds, which sees a qualifier based team tournament, attempting to gather the best talent from each region. We sat down with Javier Moreno, the organizer for the Houston event Space City Beatdown, to get into a bit of what we can expect from the Lone Star State in the coming event.
John Silvia: Would you mind introducing yourself for those who may not know you? Who you are, where you’re from, what you do now.
Javier Moreno: I’m Javier Moreno (Javi) – I’ve been in the FGC since 1996, since the old agsf2 days. I started SRK with the Cannons, Seth Killian, Derek Daniels and John Choi, and that eventually lead to the creation of Texas Showdown in 2001. I’m a Software Engineer by trade, but my passion is contributing to the continued evolution of the FGC.
JS: So you run Texas Showdown today? How big is the player base down there? And this Space City Beatdown, is that a separate event you run?
JM: Yes, I run Texas Showdown today, though I came back in 2013 after a lengthy absence from the FGC. Our growth has increased quite a bit since then. As far as our player base goes, we’ve had some ups and downs throughout the years. But with the emergence of Street Fighter IV – like anywhere else, it’s grown significantly. We’ve had Evo champions from Houston in Tekken, Top 8 appearances in Marvel, and some strong showings in Street Fighter, Guilty Gear, and legacy games such as Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
Space City Beatdown came about to help fill a void left by a local shop called Insomnia Video Game Culture – they used to hold video game tournaments every month, but that model was not sustainable to them. So you can say that there was a 6 month void of not having any tournaments in the Houston area. You know that Houston’s a big place, right? So people were clamoring for a monthly type of tournament – kinda like what we had at the legendary Stargate Arcade back in the 2000s. So we decided to hold a new monthly series, to help fill in that void. To be honest, it was something that we were looking at for years, but we didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes.
JS: So, you mentioned titles like SFIV, Marvel, and Guilty Gear; are these the games that your area plays today?
JM: Ah, I forgot to mention the Mortal Kombat scene! It’s pretty strong over here – it was able to produce Echo Fox|Scar, he’s been making quite a name for himself. He was finally able to break the Echo Fox|SonicFox curse over at SoCal Regionals! He’s a great asset to the FGC. Marvel still gets played, and it’s going through a bit of a revival like the rest of the country in anticipation for Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite. The Guilty Gear scene is pretty strong – we were able to see the epic match at Anime Ascension a couple of weeks ago involving KidViper – a Houston product. They tend to have gatherings every week in order to level up and keep up with the rest of the country.
As far as Street Fighter V goes – we had Noble|Vagabond rise through the ranks last year. Even though he’s moved away for personal reasons, he still considers himself as part of the Houston scene. But you know what? It’s not just the Houston scene that we’re aiming for here. We’re aiming for everyone in Texas to help raise their game across all games. The Stargate was famous for this – we were able to have people from all over the state compete against the best in the country at the time. That is the legacy that I want to continue – it’s just not about Houston. It’s about Dallas-Fort Worth. It’s about Austin. It’s about San Antonio, and any other region that wants to be compete. Texas is a proud state, and I want the rest of the country (and the world for that matter) to know that Texas shouldn’t be ignored when it comes to the FGC.
JS: Seems like there’s quite a bit of self-contained competition in Texas.
JM: Yeah, that’s how Texas Showdown got started. It wasn’t because of the competition from other states – it was about Texas in general showing the rest of the country that we can compete, and we’re able to hold our own against the rest of the country. That’s how we got to have people from out of state come – they saw we were leveling up – so they felt like they HAD to come here to prove themselves. We have the distinct advantage to where it’s an equal amount of time for people to travel, whether it’s from the West Coast or East Coast.
But with Space City Beatdown – it’s time to reintroduce that state rivalry. It’s what got up up there as a force to be reckoned with a generation ago. We start with the city rivalry, then we unite as a state and try to compete with the rest of the country, and the world. Everyone knows about Texas Pride – how we like to do things big, and how we like to assert ourselves. In the end, we all root for Texas. That makes the Texas FGC unique – we all cheer for each other in the end.
JS: Sounds like a breeding ground for great players, if I’m being honest. Which I guess brings us to the next question; you guys ended up being recognized as one of 11 cities in the Red Bull Proving Grounds event. You and your players must be pretty excited about the chance to compete there, no?
JM: Yes – when we made the announcement at Space City Beatdown back on March 4th – we had quite a few gasps during the announcement. But people were really excited at the chance to make a name for ourselves. When it comes to the Street Fighter scene as of late, the Texas scene in general felt left out when it came down to notable players in the scene. It’s always about West Coast/East Coast players – but people tend to forget that great players came from Texas, too! We as a state have great pride – and life be damned if we can’t be a part of the elite in the SF arena.
JS: Speaking of East and West Coast, Texas is like you said right in-between the two, so you kinda stick out being on Team East Coast. I know a lot of players on either coast tend to stick together, especially against the opposite coast. Do you think the East Coast players will have your back like that, or do you think you guys even need it?
JM: It’s kind of funny on how things work out. We’re not a part of the East Coast or West Coast, but we tend to get along with everyone. It’s a part of our Southern hospitality! However, we call ourselves the Third Coast for a reason. Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas, we want to create our own identity. It’s to prove ourselves as a separate region. As far as Proving Grounds goes – we’re a part of the East Region. But let it be known, we want to take that top spot. We want to win Proving Grounds. And we want to send our crew to Evo, that’s the end goal for this season. It’s all about leveling ourselves up and getting to that next level, something beyond what WC/EC can do.
JS: It’ll take some work, but I could see a Mid Coast legion rising if you guys take this. So, as far as the Street Fighter V at the Red Bull event goes; it’s a pretty new concept, the 3 leading players in your region will advance as a team. If you were to place a wager right now, which players do you think are gonna form Team Texas?
JM: Man, that’s a tough question… we have talent from all over. Geez, there’s a lot of talent from Texas… such a difficult question! But if I have to choose – it would be AzizSensei, Hsien Chang, GoL Boi Toi right off the bat. But you know what, that’s what Space City Beatdown is for! To help determine where the top talent is from this region! Season 1 is one thing, but we’re in Season 2. It’s a whole new ballgame.
JS: True. That’s another point altogether though; with Season 2, so much has changed. Players from all over have to adapt a lot even before considering the new characters. As far as the other regions go, do you think killers from last season will be able to perform as well this time, or is it maybe time for some new champions?
JM: As with any major update – there will be a shakeup in the top players for CPT. The great ones will be able to overcome any potential liabilities. But as people drop off, there will always be someone who’s waiting in the wings to seize their opportunity. That’s the magic in the FGC – there’s always someone who wants to be at the top of the food chain. We saw that with UMVC3 every year based on Evo results. We even saw that in S1 of SFV. Who would have thought of an American winning Capcom Cup? But who knows? Where will the next champion come from? All that adds to the wonderful drama of the FGC, which makes us unique from any other esports genre out there.
JS: Yeah, it’s only been a year of SFV so far but it feels like so much has happened. As far as other regions go, are there any specific ones that you think may give you trouble? I know you guys just do what you can, but are there any specific sharks you think your players should be ready for?
JM: Well – to begin with, Team Texas will have to deal with the rest of the East Coast in the round robin portion. Since the top 16 players of the Capcom Pro Tour is not eligible for Proving Grounds, that could give us a good advantage when we come into round robin play. A lot of the East Coast players have been picked up by sponsors as of late, so that could give us a advantage. But let’s say we do make it out to the final round. The West Coast has an immense pool of talent to draw from, and that will be the more difficult challenge. Add to the fact that Proving Grounds will be held in Santa Monica in June – there’s quite the home field advantage there. It’s going to be left up to us to level ourselves up as much as we can to help prepare for the rest of the country. But our chances are as good as anyone else’s.
JS: With the pool of talent so diverse it’s kinda hard to get a good grasp on what’ll happen until things start going down, it sounds like you’re saying. I have to ask though; your region will be forced into a round robin with the whole East Coast, but you said West Coast will be the bigger challenge. You only have to go up against one West Coast team in the end. Are there any West Coast regions you guys would feel comfortable against, anyone you think you guys would end up bopping free?
JM: Oh, we’re going there, are we? Haha. I think we can bop the Seattle region free. They are more known for their anime scene. California in general will be tough. Historically, really tough competition comes from both NorCal and SoCal. But, you have to remember, that I come from the era where Alex Valle and John Choi reigned supreme. Kind of a double whammy there! But if I were to predict things – SoCal would have the distinct advantage because of Wednesday Night Fights – there are killers there every single week!
JS: I see. So, you could say you’ll be keeping your eyes on SoCal and NorCal while rooting for Seattle.
JM: We always are, but that could be said for the rest of the country.
JS: Fair enough. That’s about all the questions I have, though. Are there any parting remarks you’d like to leave the people with before heading out?
JM: Sure. The FGC as a whole, we’re are in a unique position to show the rest of the esports community what we’re all about. We as a whole (FGC) are the easiest community to follow, and the easiest community to be a fan of. It’s pretty easy to know what’s going on. In its simplest form, it’s all about one person beating the crap out of another. What other community gives you that immediate satisfaction? None. With the Proving Grounds qualifiers as an example, are there any other esports communities trying to have that growth at that grassroots level? I think not. It’s not only good for Texas, but it’s good for everyone else in the US for those who are trying to get to that next level.
You have these esports teams to try to get that exposure – but in the FGC, all you have to do is to produce results on your own. Be good, travel, bop everyone else, and you have that exposure. No other esports genre can say the same.
The first of 3 qualifying events in Texas, as with the other 10 regions, will be April 1st. It’s clear there’s a lot more than the prize pool on the line for Texas; we’ll see if this pride pushes them to the head of the pack come June.
Chang is a character you most definitely don’t see a lot of in competitive King of Fighters. While he is able to dole out a great deal of damage, his low mobility and slow buttons cause him to be at a relative disadvantage to the field in general.
Regardless, this hard hitting combo video shows what Chang can do when he gets a hit. While a couple of the combos in this video requires him to already be in max mode at the start of the combo, his juggle potential in general off of his ball and chain is quite amazing to watch.
Alex Valle is the perennial North American legend of fighting games. With all the things that fighting game players have done–traveling to Japan, or facing off against the world’s best while emerging victorious–Valle has done all of that, and more.
While still a competitor, Valle is mostly on the production and organizational side of the events now. When he sat down with IGN to talk about Wednesday Night Fights–and his motivation for starting Level Up–he also talked about his desire to see the newer players rise up to beat the best, and his feelings of putting that before his own competitive aspirations.
