Interviews – Page 48

June 9, 2018

Nicalis shares interview with Studio Saizensen, developers of “Blade Strangers”

Nicalis’s Blade Strangers has emerged as a very interesting underdog in the fighting game landscape. The new 2D fighter gained big media attention with cross-over character reveals from popular game series like Shovel Knight, Cave Story, The Binding of Isaac, and more.

In Blade Strangers case, though, Nicalis is just the publisher — the developer is Studio Saizensen, likely best known for the RPG series Code of Princess, and only barely known for their one fighting game, Blade Arcus. Both Nicalis and Studio Saizensen are confident in their collaboration, though, and have released an interview on Nicalis’s blog detailing Studio Saizensen’s love affair with the Fighting Game genre — and how criticism received from Blade Arcus helped shape the development of Blade Strangers. Director Toshinobu Kondo recalls:

“I have great memories of the all-nighter versus tournaments that I used to run every weekend at my home! Also, winning third place in the official World Heroes Tournament, and going all the way up to Rank 20 in Street Fighter IV in the Asia region as Ken; those are both fond memories, too.”

You can read the full interview over on Nicalis’s blog.

Source: Nicalis

June 8, 2018

BornFree interviews The King of Fighters and Dragon Ball FighterZ pro Reynald at Combo Breaker 2018

“I went to the arcade almost single day. That’s what it was, back then.”

That’s Reynald’s simple reply to the question “When you decided you wanted to get good, what did you do?” Within that answer is both a reflection of his roots and his boiled down approach to fighting games — and it’s just one of the nuggets of wisdom dispensed in his latest interview with BornFree.

Reynald, a former The King of Fighters XIII Evo Champ and multi-game specialist, shares his thoughts on training, player reading, and his constantly evolving DBFZ team.

Source: BornFree

June 7, 2018

Apologyman talks about Dragon Ball FighterZ, the origin of his gaming handle, and more in this interview with BornFree

Vineeth “Apologyman” Meka is a rare type of player in the fighting game community; there are not many players who can play multiple games at the same time at a high competitive level. In addition to his Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tournament performances, where he really cemented his name in FGC history with his now infamous Firebrand/Super Skrull/Dr. Doom team, he has had placings in the BlazBlue series, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the Under Night In-Birth series, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, and the first two seasons of Street Fighter V.

Now, he’s furthering his fighting game credentials in Dragon Ball FighterZ, with his unique team that is comprised of Piccolo/Tien/Vegeta — and is arguably northern California’s best DBFZ player at the moment. In this interview with BornFree at Combo Breaker 2018, he talks about his gaming origins, how he got his gaming handle, his training regime, thoughts on DBFZ’s mechanics and team composition, and many other general topics as is the norm with BornFree. You can check out the full interview below — which clocks in at almost an hour long.

If you want to know more about Apologyman’s thoughts on DBFZ and anything else in general, follow him on his Twitter. Be sure to watch him action at the Summit of Power Dragon Ball FighterZ Invitational this weekend, going up against the likes of Echo Fox’s SonicFox, Nakkiel, Cyclops’ GO1, Team SoloMid’s Leffen, and other top DBFZ players.

Sources: BornFree; Beyond the Summit (Twitter)

June 6, 2018

Take an in-depth look at the history, the community, & the new generation of Street Fighter in this 3-part documentary from Capcom

What more needs to be said that hasn’t already been said about the Street Fighter series? Regardless of what anyone thinks about the current status of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Capcom’s legendary fighting game series has left a huge impact — not just in the fighting game genre but gaming in general, both casually and competitively, on a worldwide scale — for over 30 years. The Street Fighter brand has become even more of a household name in the mainstream, where some random passersby might catch a major tournament being aired on ESPN or TBS at their local bar. Street Fighter and its community are gaining more positive exposure, growth, and acceptance in the general public by the day, and that’s a good thing.

The Street Fighter YouTube channel has uploaded a three-part documentary series covering the history, community growth, and the next generation of new players of this perennial franchise. Footage from past tournaments as well as numerous interviews with pro players, commentators, personalities, and fans are shown here, and inform the viewers about the mark the Street Fighter series has left on them — as well as what the future holds for it. You can watch all three parts below (which total to a run time of about an hour-and-a-half).

Source: Street Fighter (YouTube)

June 5, 2018

BornFree interviews Tokido at Combo Breaker 2018, Part 2: Balance patches, mind games, and the “real Raging Demon”

More insight into the Capcom Pro Tour’s current #1 competitor in 2018.

He won Evo 2017, and came close to also taking Capcom Cup in the same year: Echo Fox|Tokido is a force to be reckoned with in Street Fighter V, currently holding the most CPT points (PG|Infiltration a fairly close second). He’s on track to make another impressive showing on the Capcom Pro Tour in 2018. BornFree caught up with him at Combo Breaker 2018 for a pair of extensive interviews!

In Part 1 of his interview, Tokido talked about his loss at Kemonomichi 2, and how he’s adjusted his outlook on training and competing. In Part 2, Tokido talks about his loss to MenaRD at Capcom Cup 2017 (he lacked confidence going into the match-up, and MenaRD is really good at adapting to his opponents). He also talks about the importance of breaks and resting in training, the “fun” of balance patches, the history players should be building for the FGC as we move into esports (a focus on love of the game, not money), and his famous “real Raging Demon” pop-off vs. Clakey D. at SoCal Regionals 2010 — he says he would no longer do such a thing, out of concern for his opponent’s feelings. Check out the second hour-long interview video below!

If you like BornFree’s interviews, check out his YouTube channel for even more of them!

Source: BornFree

June 4, 2018

BornFree interviews Tokido at Combo Breaker 2018, Part 1: Winning, losing, and mastering mindfulness

A lesson on mindfulness — from the Murderface!

Evo Champion 2017, and almost Capcom Cup Champion 2017 (he lost to MenaRD in Grand Finals), Echo Fox|Tokido is one of the best Street Fighter V competitors — in fact, considered by many to be the best Street Fighter V competitor — today. So naturally, BornFree was eager to spend some time with him at Combo Breaker 2018 to discuss his training outlook and regimen.

Despite his consistent high placements in CPT events, Tokido has seen some significant setbacks from his Street Fighter V countrymen. After an emotional loss to Daigo Umehara in their SFV FT10 at Kemonomichi 2, Tokido also fell to Momochi in a lengthy public set; this led to a new turning point for Tokido in which he asked himself: “Is winning everything? What does it mean to be strong?”

The result is a more “holistic” outlook on training, with a strong emphasis on mindfulness to avoid losing concentration during a set. In the one-hour interview below they discuss this, take a closer look at Kemonomichi 2, chat about Akuma’s tools in SFV, and much more.

If you enjoy BornFree’s interviews, check out his YouTube channel for more!

Source: BornFree

June 3, 2018

BornFree talks to JB, the new Rashid player rising on the Turbulent Wind

BornFree takes some time to get to know the winner of The Challenger.

Ahead of SonicBoxx|JB’s fight in Group A of the ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational — in which he put up an impressive display with his Rashid, but still fell to elimination via Tokido and Dogura — BornFree caught up with him at Combo Breaker 2018 to learn more about the rising Street Fighter V star. They talk about how NuckleDu convinced JB to join the ELEAGUE SFV reality show The Challenger — because there was no other way for JB to get a chance to go to ELEAGUE without winning the qualification spot through the show! Also discussed are his thoughts on other professional players, why he prefers fighting games to team-based games, his thoughts on Rashid’s viability in SFV, and more.

BornFree has a YouTube channel full of interviews like this. Go check it out!

Source: BornFree

June 2, 2018

ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational recap: Highlights and quotes from Group A

The 2018 ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational began in dramatic fashion with Group A on Friday as Echo Fox|Tokido and CO|Dogura fought through one of the event’s toughest groups to capture the two playoff berths. In a Group A with 2 Evo champions, 2 Evo runner-ups and the defending Capcom Cup champion, there was no doubt the competition would be fierce.

The pressure of being the defending Capcom Cup champion is clearly not lost on RISE|MenaRD, who had the most passionate moment of the Group A competition when he quit playing before the full ending of his elimination match with Dogura. The Japanese Urien player has won their last three sets, going back to last week’s Combo Breaker, where he eliminated Mena to earn a spot in top 8. Playing with a weaker Birdie in season three Mena has still produced results, but he may be developing a personal demon in Dogura.

Speaking to Shoryuken before the tournament, Mena said he appreciates the opportunity to prepare for invitational events like ELEAGUE.

“At versus say Akuma, in an open tournament you might say I’m going to study the tools that Akuma has, because who knows? Maybe I’ll fight an Akuma on the road to top 8. But this event format we know exactly who we’re fighting, so it’s not just Akuma, it’s Tokido’s Akuma, it’s a big advantage in my opinion.”

SonicBoxx|JB was the only player in Group A with no Capcom Cup experience, having earned his way into Group A on ELEAGUE’s The Challenger reality show competition. He adapted quickly to the big stage, earning a spot in on the winners side of the elimination bracket with a 3-2 record in the round robin. However when it was time to play for keeps, JB struggled to find his footing, losing 3-0 to both Tokido and Dogura.

“I see it as basically any other event,” JB said before his matches. “I don’t look at the level of players they are, I just try to believe that at some point I can be at their level. I practice all the same, I wont be afraid or anything like that. I feel confident coming into this group.”

ARES.RB|Luffy impressed with an undefeated showing in the group’s round robin phase, scoring multiple perfects; but he failed to capitalize on the top seed in the elimination bracket. Sticking with R.Mika for a third year, Luffy proved that the Rainbow Bomber still has what it takes to compete at the game’s highest level, even after her fall from popularity last season.

In contrast to Mena, Luffy said he didn’t want to over-prepare for ELEAGUE. “You know the openings you know the match-ups, but then it’s Street Fighter V,” he told SRK. “So I prepare against the match-up but against the type of player that can change their gameplan really quickly, studying how they play might be a double-edged sword. Like yeah, I know he’s going to play like this, but he might change because he knows I’m studying. For me I think it’s better to not study at all and just go by the flow.”

CYG BST|PR Balrog had the toughest day in Group A, going 0-5 in the round robin before being eliminated by Dogura in the bracket. PR Balrog is still making the adjustment to Akuma as his main character, and with the Group A participants already preparing for Tokido, he was left with a mountain of match-up experience to overcome. As a veteran of American Street Fighter, Perez said opportunities like ELEAGUE are an important platform for professional players.

“In an open bracket anything can happen, and I feel like open brackets are good for newer players. But to show the pro player’s skill, I feel that invitationals are amazing because we can prepare for each other. You can see how much the player has prepared, how much hard work the person has put in. So I think overall, there should be a few more [invitationals], because there’s just three or four. It’s important for us as professionals because we can actually show what we can do.”

Regarded by many as the most consistent Street Fighter V player in the world, Echo Fox|Tokido came out of the gate looking strong, beating SonicBoxx|JB and ARES.RB|Luffy to qualify for the ELEAGUE playoffs from the winners bracket; though Luffy’s R.Mika showed some cracks in Tokido’s defense, he will surely remain one of the favorites to win the whole thing.

After starting the round robin with a 1-4 record, Dogura ran the gauntlet in the elimination bracket to claim a playoff spot in losers. Speaking to Shoryuken before the Group A matches, Dogura said he was most concerned about Tokido in the group, as Tokido’s Akuma frequently beats him in casual matches. Luckily he was able to qualify for the playoff without having to face off against the defending Evo champion.

Next weekend we’ll see Group B — Echo Fox|Punk, Echo Fox|Momochi, NVD|Phenom, CYG BST|Fuudo, 801 Strider, and Commander Jesse — fight for two of their players to reach top 8 on June 8th.

Sources: interviews; ELEAGUE

June 2, 2018

BornFree catches up with Momochi at Combo Breaker 2018 to talk about Cody, and the Goku family

Street Fighter V, Dragon Ball FighterZ… and a Splatoon 2 team!

It seems one of the Street Fighter greats has a new love — but Echo Fox|Momochi feels it’s possible to enjoy both Street Fighter V and Dragon Ball FighterZ, and he’s out to do just that. BornFree spoke with Momochi at last weekend’s Combo Breaker 2018, and they discussed many interesting things: such as the professional player’s perspective on incoming balance patches (they’re terrifying), his love of all things Dragon Ball, and his thoughts on Cody’s impending arrival in Street Fighter V. Momochi is also considering expanding his Shinobism fighting game school to include foreign players!

Want to see more of BornFree’s interviews? Check out his YouTube channel.

Source: BornFree

June 2, 2018

Shoryuken interview: Fenritti, one of BlazBlue’s best and a legendary Jin player

If anyone could truly wield Yukianesa, Jin Kisaragi’s sword notorious for taking control of him, it would be CAG|Fenritti. Fenritti told Shoryuken in an interview that it was the character’s aesthetic and lore from Story Mode that got him on track of playing the BlazBlue: Central Fiction character. But story tidbits aside, Fenritti (sometimes written as Fenrich) needs little introduction: no one would disagree that he is the world’s best Jin player, and definitely one of the best players in the world.

Fenritti has become famous for his almost mechanical play with perfectly-calculated combos and maximally-optimized punishes for any situation. If the opponent has 6,000 life points left and there is a combo that would finish them off, resources permitting, he will do it. He also has an amazing sense of spacing, and frequently calls out the opponent’s attempts at bursting. This was only his second appearance at an American tournament, the first being Evolution 2017, and at Combo Breaker 2018, the fans were treated to the very first sets between him and PG|SKD.

Big thanks to @GREATFERNMAN for helping out with translating the conversation.

Woocash: What was it like to face PG|SKD?

CAG|Fenritti: SKD’s blocking is really good, I noticed, but he’s also very confident at letting the opponent do what they want, and so he lets them get away with some things. Even though he’s really good at punishing what they’re weak at, he does let them get away with a lot of things. If SKD managed to cover that up, the next time will be a different result.

Woocash: How were you able to Dragon Punch reversal so well against SKD?

Fenritti: It was yomi, it was a read. I expected the warp and then Dragon Punched.

Woocash: What did you think of Combo Breaker?

Fenritti: I’ve only been to Evolution 2017 before; when it comes to overseas tournaments, and I thought this one was very exciting, on the same level as Evo.

Woocash: What makes it exciting?

Fenritti: I find these really exciting because in Japan, when players are cheering or when competitors do something cool, they don’t show it as much. In America, the audience is really loud and cheers for the players they support, so I find that really exciting.

Woocash: Is BlazBlue: Central Fiction remaining a central focus for you, or is there anything else you have your eyes on?

Fenritti: Mainly, I’m playing DBFZ, but I’m also playing BBCF and BBTAG. Even after the latter comes out, I plan on continuing BBCF.

Woocash: What is the most common mistake that BlazBlue players make?

Fenritti: A lot of players in America, here at Combo Breaker, they are really strong player-wise, but with regards to BlazBlue, they don’t really understand the system as well as Japanese players, I feel. BlazBlue is a game where a difference in knowledge really shows. I think they are really strong players in terms of skills, but their knowledge is a bit lacking.

Woocash: What has it been like joining an esports team? What changed for you?

Fenritti: As expected, the main difference is winning allows me to get more income. Before, even if I won, I wouldn’t get anything other than the prize pot. But now, when I win, because I can get money from games, I can immerse myself fully and play more games, take it more seriously.

Woocash: Why do you play Jin and how did you become so good at him?

Fenritti: I love Jin. At first, it was the aesthetic, I saw Jin and thought he looked really cool. I also played the arcade Story mode, and I thought he was really cool too. Then I played the console Story mode, and was reaffirmed that Jin is really cool, so I kept playing him.

Mainly, I got strong through a lot of Training Mode. My attitude is that I won’t let the opponent make any mistakes, I’ll kill their character for it. My older brother, Iwashi, also plays BlazBlue, and he has really good neutral, so I attribute a lot to learning from him as well.

Woocash: What’s coming next?

Fenritti: Right after this, I’m going to Las Vegas for a Dragon Ball tournament, and I also plan on coming to Evolution 2018.

Read up on Combo Breaker 2018 results, and also check out our interview with the Guilty Gear champ, Daru I-no.