Category: Interviews

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Shoryuken interview: Teresa, the sensational Jam player in Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2

The Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 finals at Combo Breaker stood out for a variety of reasons. More international players than ever before gathered at the St. Charles location, adding a certain gravitas to the event. The final match took place between an amazing Korean I-no player, Daru, and a famous Japanese Jam player, Teresa.

Teresa practices at Mikado, the premier competitive spot for Japanese Guilty Gear players. Daru also has spent a lot of time there, and he usually beats Teresa. Things looked different initially at Combo Breaker, as Teresa sent Daru to losers. But the REV 2 Combo Breaker grand finals were full of surprises.

Shoryuken approached Teresa shortly after the set for a first-time interview. The player walked us through the emotional sets, admitted weaknesses, and explained his approach to improving. On the lighter side, Teresa spoke about his frequent tweeting in English, and whether he’s coming to Evolution.

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Woocash: Walk us through your matches in the finals.

Teresa: I fought Daru first and won, then Hamad in Winners Finals, then Daru came back up through losers. You can definitely tell that Hamad didn’t have as much Jam experience as I did for his character, Ky Kiske, especially since I fight a lot of strong Kys at Mikado. I think Hamad is very, very strong as a player, but you can only go so far, being a good player and knowing a match up to some level, especially knowing it to a degree that I do.

Woocash: What was the match with Daru like? What was going through your head?

Teresa: For the first match, in Winners top 8, normally, I’m not very good against Daru, but I changed up my movement for the tournament, and that led me to the win. In the grand finals, I kind of got tilted when I dropped one of the combos, which was a parry into P K, and I didn’t delay it enough, so the double Puff Ball dropped… I lost the round. I couldn’t shake that off for the next matches.

Woocash: What was going through your head when the stick malfunctioned?

Teresa: I struggle with confidence a lot, and I’m starting to think, “maybe this will work” after I’ve taken the first match. Then suddenly the button stopped working. I thought, man, maybe I’m just not meant to win. I wanted to die.

Woocash: How are you going to work in overcoming your weaknesses?

Teresa: I’m definitely a very emotional type of player, as you saw. That’s something I need to work on. When I’m going, I feel very confident, but when something goes wrong, I mentioned that combo before, that one combo, that puts me on tilt pretty badly, I really need to work on that.

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Woocash: Onto a lighter topic, you’ve been tweeting a lot, in English as well. You’ve been interacting with the international audience, what’s that been like?

Teresa: I’d like to say that even if you’re a top player, it doesn’t necessarily mean your opinions are right. Some people are colored by their perspective too much, or of their own character. I want to talk a lot about the game and about theory, I want to help other people if I can. In Japan, it’s not that people don’t listen, but they’re not as inclined to talk in a public setting. I feel Americans are more receptive. I want to spread knowledge as much as I can.

Woocash: What are your thoughts on playing at an arcade setting versus an American-style major?

Teresa: The way that we approach gaming is very different. The arcade is basically the place you go to after work. And you go to play and relax. Even when you have tournaments or weeklies at the arcade, it’s more or less a local thing, and here, it’s huge, there are so many people. It’s very cool to have so many people in one place.

My goal is definitely to come to an American major and win it. I’m still working on it, and I want to get there some day.

Woocash: Are you planning to come to Evo? Any other major plans looking toward the future?

Teresa: Of course, I am going to Evo 2018. There are rumors going around that there might be a new Guilty Gear announced. If so, I’m going to put travel plans on hold for a bit and practice and get better in Japan first. If not, I want to travel a bit more, like to South East Asia Major and also the Brazilian tournament, Heaven or Hell. I’ve been to one, and I want to go to it again.

Don’t forget to check out the Combo Breaker 2018 results page as well as footage of the Daru vs. Teresa Combo Breaker set.

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Shoryuken interview: Daru, the Korean I-no who’s conquering international Guilty Gear tournaments

Combo Breaker 2018 had many spectacular moments. The event is truly garnering international attention, as we’re seeing more and more players from Canada, Japan, and even Korea attending the St. Charles, IL tournament. Among them is an incredibly talented Guilty Gear player from Korea.

Shoryuken took the opportunity to interview Daru for the first time shortly after his victory in the Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 tournament, after an emotional set with Teresa in the grand finals. Although Daru is Korean, he tied his fighting game craft to Japan and went toe-to-toe at Mikado, the premiere arcade of the competitive elite, and garnered the respect and attention of Ogawa. He also made effort to popularize his favorite game in Korea and gained the appreciation of the international fighting game scene as evidenced by his r/Kappa sponsorships.

Big thanks to BjornSonOfBear for providing Korean translation for the following interview.

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Woocash: Congratulations! What did you think of playing against Hamad and Teresa?

Daru: I did play a lot against Hamad at Anime Ascension, and I feel that out of people like UYU|Kizzie Kay, KidViper, and Hamad, Hamad definitely has been investing the most into Guilty Gear. I think he’s come really far even in the space of a single month.

I don’t really lose to Teresa much at Mikado; Teresa is sort of infamous for choking pretty hard in tournaments. But today, Teresa was playing really well, not just in tournament, but in general. It was very unfortunate about what happened during grand finals [a stick malfunction].

Woocash: Guilty Gear isn’t really as big in Korea, how did you first become interested in the game?

Daru: [Laughs] I didn’t think about the popularity or anything. But back when Guilty Gear XX first came out, I-no was the boss character back then, and she was featured on the PS2 back cover. I saw her on the box art, and I was like, “I gotta play this character.”

Woocash: How did your play progress? Did you move to Japan mostly for games or was it other reasons?

Daru: In 2009, I took a sabbatical for a year, and I went to Japan, not just to play Guilty Gear, but that was a significant reason. Afterward, I received a job offer at a trade company that works with Japan, so I started to work in the country. I don’t work there anymore, but I still take the time to come over to Japan to practice there.

Woocash: When you want back to Korea, you started to build a Guilty Gear scene there, tell us about that.

Daru: There’s a monthly event in Korea, obviously since Korea is not that big of a country, a monthly event is sort of like a “national.” There’s one every month, and I try to make it out there every time I can. Outside of that, I write guides to help beginners. I also take chances like this [coming to Combo Breaker] to make Koreans realize that there’s a game called Guilty Gear. That Koreans are good at it. It’s not just Street Fighter, or their favored Tekken. There’s also this game.

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Woocash: I’m curious about your thoughts on the state of the game and game balance.

Daru: Although, of course, there are definitely S tiers and C tier characters in this game, I feel that the state of the game is such that anyone can win, even though it may be harder for some. As for I-no, I’ve been playing the game for 15 years, since #Reload, and I think that her current version is the strongest she’s ever been.

Woocash: I’m curious about ArcRevo; how did you become teammates with Ogawa?

Daru: In the months before ArcRevo, there was KSB in May. Right after KSB, people head over to the arcade because there were no setups at the venue. We went to the arcade in Osaka called Hills. Ogawa first came to me, and said, “the next time we do a 3v3, let’s make a team.” I said yes, and ArcRevo was announced sometime in May/June, Ogawa sent me a message.

Woocash: Is that because Ogawa saw you as a very strong player?

Daru: Ogawa thought that I am the strongest of all the foreign players, and he thought it was about time that a foreign player rose to the very top and won a tournament. And he said, if that’s going to happen, I want that player with me.

Woocash: Any other comments you’d like to make to viewers or our readers?

Daru: Right now, I noticed that there’s a bit of drama about perceived game balance, in the international scene even. As a result, the momentum might have fallen off a bit. Considering though that Guilty Gear is still an Evo main event, it would be great if you guys would still take an interest in the game and keep playing it.

Don’t forget to check out our Combo Breaker 2018 results page for more information about the event.

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– Pathfinder: Kingmaker Developer Interview

With Pathfinder: Kingmaker already in beta, the release of a brand new CRPG is surely imminent. After we dipped into Golarion for the first time, I had a chance to sit down and talk to Owlcat Games Creative Director, Alexander Mishulin, about the bringing this iconic table top game into the digital age.

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Get to know Tekken 7 pro Jacob “Victim of Ritual” Tew, America’s most successful Nina player

Nina might be a more rare character choice in Tekken 7, but that hasn’t stopped Jacob “Victim of Ritual” Tew from achieving excellent results in the stacked North American tournament scene. His sponsor, esports team “The Collective”, recently put out a 30-minute interview with the Nina of America, which you can watch below.

Equal parts goofy and serious, Victim of Ritual talks about the difficulty of competitive gaming while introverted, his love of Dunkin’ Donuts, and the feeling of winning Winter Brawl XII.

Source: The Collective

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Input_Output discusses the intensity of the Detroit Scene with FGC Philosophy

One of the reasons the ever-growing FGC major Michigan Masters works is because, behind it, is the heart of the Detroit Scene. Rowdy and intense, this tight-knit scene loves the spirit of competition, and as loudly as possible.

But before you get to a major, you have to go to your weeklies, and that’s where the real spirit of Detroit is captured. One of Detroit’s primary streamers is input_output, and his work has given him a front seat to the wholly unique Detroit scene. Watch the video above as he sits down with The Philocypher to discuss what makes the heart of Detroit’s FGC beat.

Source: The Philocypher

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Ink Wars creator Steven Wu talks about bringing fighting game elements to mobile puzzle games

The task of making a game on your own budget, with your own resources, requires a certain type of passion and a massive amount of time. Doubly so if the area your game is moving into is uncharted territory — and triple so, if you release your game for free.

When I sat down with Steven Wu of Media Hive Entertainment, the questions I prepared in advance never made it off the page. They didn’t have to — I discovered very quickly that Mr. Wu is a straightforward, passionate man that knows exactly what he wants to say. Considering he’s responsible for the genre-blending indie mobile game Ink Wars, that all-cards-on-the-table attitude is not only an admirable quality, but an explanation for how Ink Wars has managed to stick around years after its adventurous entry into the marketplace. Amazingly enough, Capcom’s own competitive mobile puzzle game, Puzzle Fighter, was released and scheduled to be removed during Ink Wars‘ lifespan.

Ink Wars takes the heart of Puzzle Bobble‘s two-player mode and fleshes it out with player reading, diverse character selection, and super meter. Anyone that’s come to SRK probably has an idea where Wu likely got these ideas from:

“I’ve been a fighting game fan since the first Street Fighter,” Wu said. “I was 5-or-6 year old kid in an arcade, a nervous kid too afraid to jump on. But I did, and I loved it, and a few years later Street Fighter II came out and I watched the older kids playing it. That stayed with me through my teenage years when I became quite competitive. I can say I was one of the best in our country back then.”

Wu’s outlook on gaming, and the original source of inspiration for what would inevitably become Ink Wars, began in the arcades of Auckland, New Zealand. Even if Ink Wars isn’t a fighting game in the classic sense, the competitive core is clearly inspired by it — and the FGC has noticed. Justin Wong, Smug, Ryan Hart, gllty, and more all make appearances as selectable characters in the game, with Wong himself having something of a hand in beta testing the project. (Though the guest spots aren’t just reserved to the FGC — even mixed martial artist Mark Hunt appears in game, for example.)

“Street Fighter is something Justin Wong and I had in common. We met in 2016 — I flew from Auckland to L.A., then drove seven hours to San Jose to get his feedback,” Wu recalled. “As an esports champion and professional competitor, it was important to see what he had to say on the game’s strategical depth.”

The game has evolved a lot since 2016: starting out with local-play only (with each player holding a side of the tablet), the game now supports online play anywhere in the world. I actually got to play a few games with Wu, on a phone connection between the U.S. and New Zealand — and to my surprise, it was a great connection, despite the distance.

“I want to do something for the competitive genre that I love. People born after 2005 are growing up with their first gaming experiences on smart phones and tablets. They can’t even walk and talk properly and they are already swiping on their parent’s phones. It’s a trend you can’t fight against. So I thought about, “How do I design a game that’s competitive, that resembles fighting games, but at the same time is easy to control for touch devices?”

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He lamented the current mobile versions of fighting games simply aren’t quite right — Wu’s goal with Ink Wars is to bring the mind games of the FGC to touch-devices in a way that makes sense for the peripheral, instead of it just being a pared-down port.

“What genre of game is accepted by a majority of the player-base on phones? Games like Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. They have general appeal, and most of these games are clones of one or two models. Generally, puzzle-fighters are based off of “Tetris”, like Capcom’s Puzzle Fighter. But you never see the bubble model used for versus type games on mobile. We went that route, designed our own innovative battle grid, and built the strategic elements around it.”

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“Each character has different bubble patterns, speed, strengths and weaknesses. There’s a super system that you can use either offensively or defensively. There’s enhancers that you can equip per battle. There’s trick shots like ‘Rebound’ that let you add bubbles back to your own side, and if you think your opponent will try a Rebound, you can deny it on reaction, or play in a way that keeps them from setting it up. Ink Wars tests mental awareness and game knowledge in a complex way, but does it in a format that anyone from age 6-to-60 can do on a mobile system. There’s many layers of depth but the controls — aim, shoot, and switch — can be learned in 15 seconds.”

For those within the FGC interested in game design, Mr. Wu’s project should be an interesting follow. He’s already held several tournaments over the few years in New Zealand and has expressed interest in bringing more events stateside. If nothing else, his story is an excellent example of how the core concepts of fighting games can be translated in an infinite amount of ways — so long as you work at it.

And that’s exactly what Wu is doing.

“The team, on and off, was comprised of both part-time and full-time talent. It could be anywhere between 10 to 15 people. After we received such a positive reaction from our initial trade show, I just thought, ‘Oh, this game has to be made.’ I’ve spent almost all of my savings, and I’m going to push this thing into the stratosphere of mobile esports.”

You can get Ink Wars for free today at the Google PlayStore and iOS App Store.

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The Hadou guest stars on the Best of V Show and discusses Combo Breaker 2018 entrants

Combo Breaker 2018 is approaching us. In just a little under two weeks, the biggest FGC tournament in the Midwest region will reveal new champions, rivals, and opportunities. The Twitch show dedicated to fighting games, “Best of V,” took the opportunity to bring the main person responsible for the event under the microphone.

The guys start out by talking about the final registration numbers for Combo Breaker.

They point out that Tekken 7 and Street Fighter V have a high number of unique attendants — that is, people who are registered solely for those games. On the other hand, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike has two people coming exclusively to compete in it. They also mention a pretty high number for Mortal Kombat 9, the game that brought the Hadou into the FGC.

A notable announcement occurred with Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st]. The Hadou revealed that there will be a special 4 vs. 4 exhibition that will take place on the main stage and on stream.

Other than that, the participants continued to discuss how Combo Breaker serves the FGC, catering to all kinds of players, continuing the tradition of certain events like the Mystery Game Tournament. The Hadou’s ultimate advice to other tournament organizers? “Make your staff bigger.”

Watch Best of V – Hadou In The House from BestOfVShow on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Twitch; Combo Breaker (Twitter)

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BornFree interviews rising Dragon Ball FighterZ star Wong Nation|Lost Soul

“I just really wanted to hit buttons, but I also wanted to go to the tournaments.”

One of the players that can potentially make it through the Summit of Power voting is the fascinating Lost Soul, a man who may have been born without a first name, but was born with a natural ability to take control of fighting games. At 8 years old he was already ruthlessly rushing down adults in X-men vs. Street Fighter, and needless to say, he’s only gotten better since then: he’s won at NLBC, and he’s scored the support of FGC legend Echo Fox|Justin Wong.

He’s also the subject of BornFree’s latest interview. which is chock-full of a life of interesting stories and great advice. Take a look above to find out about Lost Soul’s own bouts with stubbornness, his rise to the top, and the origins of his tournament name.

If you like BornFree’s interviews, why not give his YouTube channel a look?

Source: BornFree

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FGC Philosophy interviews Combo Queen co-founder DaPurpleSharpie, talks Origins, FGC, Invitationals vs Locals

“There’s nothing stopping you from going out and running your own event tomorrow.”

If you’ve always wanted to do something for the FGC beyond just playing the game, then the guest on The Philocypher‘s FGC Philosophy latest episode could (and should) be a new source of inspiration to you. Meet Combo Queen DaPurpleSharpie.

A commentator, content creator, competitor, and co-founder of the women-empowering organization “Combo Queens“, DaPurpleSharpie has made it her intention to give back to the FGC and grow it in every way she can. Her message is one of growth and achievement for everyone that wants to play fighting games — but the energy here is applicable to far beyond games alone.

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Director Toshinobu Kondo talks about upcoming crossover fighter Blade Strangers with Nintendo Everything

Among this year’s crop of upcoming fighting games, Blade Strangers for Nintendo Switch may be the one that most fighting game fans are least familiar with. This crossover fighter, featuring characters from a number of Studio Saizensen and Nicalis’s games, pretty much came out of nowhere when it was announced last year.

In a recent interview, the game’s director Toshinobu Kondo got a chance to talk to Nintendo Everything about all things Blade Strangers. The interview covers a lot of ground, from basic development questions — such as character choice — to questions of why they decided to make the game in the first place. In fact, the question of why Studio Saizensen and Nicalis decided to make a fighting game is one of the first questions asked. The answer is simply that this came from the idea that fighting games are competitions based on all-stars that represent different fighting styles or countries.

In addition to this, he also talks about the game’s approach to art assets. Similar to a few other games, Blade Strangers starts with 3D models that are then rotoscoped into traditional sprites, albeit Studio Saizensen’s work with this technique tends to involve more automation and manual tweaking by artists. In fact, Kondo states that their work on Blade Strangers is the culmination of this technique, with the sprites requiring very little touch up from artists at all.

As for the game’s simplified execution requirements (special attacks are done with dedicated button presses), he states that they did this based on feedback from their previous games, where there was complaint about how the commands made the games more difficult to play. The concept then, according to Kondo, was to make a fighting game that more advanced players would still enjoy, without alienating beginners. Speaking of which, they do still care about high level play, at least when it comes to the game’s balance. Kondo stated that they have had the game tested by high-level players in Japan and are tweaking the balance based on their feedback.

Of course, this is just part of what they talk about in the interview. They also talk about the game’s cast, the features they’re adding to it, post launch support, and much more. You can check out the full interview over at Nintendo Everything.

Source: Nintendo Everything