Metagalactic Blitz strikes a new note on what a fighting game can be
Metagalactic Blitz is an upcoming top-down fighter currently in development by Pixelvex, an independent game studio consisting of programmer Jared Cook and artist Peter Carlson. It focuses on intense dodgeball-inspired combat combined with a variety of arenas, and characters designed to be unique from the ground-up.
The rules of the game are simple; knock your opponent off the stage by attacking them with a dodgeball, while avoiding and reflecting enemy attacks. The varying stages are more than just different backdrops, they affect the gameplay by encouraging players to pay attention to elements like falling platforms and changes in layout. The upbeat electronic music composed by Matt Rottinghaus completes the game’s sci-fi atmosphere.
The game’s difficulty modes were designed to aid with the learning curve. The AI for the computer characters are given certain restraints that are unlocked as they are switched from easy, to medium, to hard, and finally, to Death Mode, which is basically playing the game dialed up to 11 and is not intended to be passable by any means.
“Hard mode is designed to teach players to be competitive online,” said Cook. “No one should be worried about how they match up against Death Mode, it was just kind of my joke! If you can consistently beat Death Mode, then it isn’t hard enough.”
Things like reflecting and certain abilities are reserved only for the more challenging difficulties. Hard mode was designed to give the impression of playing against a highly-skilled human opponent, instead of an all-powerful, yet predictable computer. This should lead to more favorable results online after practicing against the ever-ready AI Dodgebots.
From inspiration to realization to actualization
Metagalactic Blitz has been in development for almost three years, but it all began as a project in college. Cook and Carlson met at Iowa Staten University and began building a role-playing title for a capstone course. According to Cook, the game did not meet their expectations and the duo decided to retake the course, with a new vision for a more polished experience.
Their desire for perfection would lead them to create what would eventually become Metagalactic Blitz. The duo continued to work on their game after graduation, perfecting their concept until it was ready to be put through the Steam Greenlight program and was eventually released as an Early Access title on May 19, 2017.
The developers wanted to take similar physics to those in one of their favorite pastime titles — Super Smash Bros. — and apply it to an entirely new perspective. The aesthetic design of popular MOBA title League of Legends aided the developers in coming up with their own style. Originally, the balls were thrown in straight lines, but had a homing feature added to feel more engaging. This inspiration was gained from the action-indie title, TowerFall.
“The change of perspective had a huge impact on the gameplay,” said Cook. “We had to think of things that most other people making a game inspired by Smash Bros. never had to consider.”
The two developers went on to combine aspects of their favorite titles into something entirely new. The mechanics of a fighting game are all there. It’s got a rowdy cast of characters with unique abilities, and requires impeccable timing to set up your throws, dodges, and parries. Players will also find mechanics and play methods similar to traditional computer RPGs. Switching from a controller to a keyboard and mouse creates an entirely different experience for those more accustomed to the control scheme. It’s a fighter/MOBA fusion of sorts.
You can really feel the blending of genres the more you play Metagalactic Blitz, and yet, at the same time, it shifts and blooms into something new.
It’s about more than hyperactive dodgeball, it’s about making a connection
Metagalactic Blitz aims to set itself apart by creating positive social gaming experiences. One way it does this is by hosting in lobby chats between players while they pick their characters. This gives players a chance to exchange quick messages without having to open up a separate client to do so. And while other games don’t do much to add to the friendliness of friendly competition, Metagalactic Blitz implements an “Add Friend” button to its interface to bring players together. It’s all right there in the game.
“One of the main things I’ve tried to design for is a game that you can actually connect to someone with,” said Cook. “We hope that people will connect and see someone else’s playstyle that they find interesting and talk about it.”
By default, the game keeps players together instead of transferring them to a new opponent. This is done to keep the conversation going, whether it be through gameplay or through the lobby’s chat box. Cook hopes that this focus on the social space will change online competitors from being faceless opponents to familiar friends.
“My hope is that we can make a non-toxic community,” said Cook. “You can influence that a little bit with your mechanics.”
Time will tell how well these mechanics are received and if they achieve their intended goal, but Metagalactic Blitz‘s heart is in the right place.
Development is nearly complete and the team is eager for the release
Cook and Carlson have been putting in as much of their time as possible into Metagalactic Blitz all while holding down their own full-time jobs. Now that the game has gotten to its current point of polish, the feedback has been generally very positive, according to Cook. The team plans to keep working on finalizing the characters, implementing new stages, and updating the graphics until it fully launches.
“All I can ask is that players out there give it a chance,” says Cook. “There’s so much that our game has to offer. If you want something new, please check it out!”
Pixelvex has created a demo version of the game for players looking to give Metagalactic Blitz a shot. Those wanting to get a more in-depth look at the game after enjoying the demo can purchase the game as a part of the Steam Early Access program.
Pixelvex has truly delivered something that stands out among the fighting game genre. The matches are fast, fun, and best enjoyed with friends, which is something Metagalactic Blitz hopes to create more of.
Metagalactic Blitz is set for full release this November on Steam. Updates for the game can be found via the game’s Steam announcements and on Pixelvex’s Twitter account.
A new challenger enters the arena! This time, the Wheel of Fate turns for a brand new exhibition. In a sort of similar-but-unrelated tone to Guilty Gear‘s ongoing Tension Pulse online sets, now BlazBlue: Central Fiction warriors have a chance to shine. Provided with commentary, we’ll see two different sets grace the stage.
On one side, it’s a character Discord exhibition. We’re going to see Team Kagura face off against Team Azrael in an FT10, as well as a special FT5 between two very skilled players, Ruka and Diospyros. The event’s main organizer is Chickzama.
“So, I decided I wanted to do something to to get people hype for the upcoming patch, a fond farewell to the current version,” Chickzama told SRK. To get new people into the game and get the community involved with teams and build bonds between each other, to start conversations about match-ups or how to better one’s play.”
“This game is very near and dear to my heart, and I felt the need to do something and show why I feel the way I do. I hope with each passing exhibition I am able to convey that feeling to everyone.”
Let’s hear from the players to see what they have to say about the exhibition and the match-ups.
Team Azrael: ChaoticGamez, DanteRedGrave, ZIL
ChaoticGamez is representing Team Azrael in the responses below.
On the exhibition: “Personally, I think this exhibition is a great idea in order to get more BB content out there for more people to see. Guilty Gear, Arc’s other flagship anime fighter, has Tension Pulse. With this, I hope we can achieve the same with BlazBlue and reach that level of notoriety. When the idea was presented to me, I was more than happy to show my enthusiasm and even happier when I learned I was going to be a part of the very first exhibition.”
On his team: “Dante’s playstyle is somewhat more of a slower, yet explosive Azrael. Dante knows when it’s time to sit back and when it’s time to let loose. One to prioritize damage, he takes to ending fights quickly and painfully once he turns the switch on. Zil is an Azrael I believe to always be cranked on max. Aggression is the name of the game when he’s on the field, so expect him to find his way in quickly and lay the hurt once he’s in your face. I myself build my playstyle based on reads and punishes. I’m working on my patience, but once I get in, I gamble on my opponent panicking and dropping their defense so I can apply the killing blow.
“Dante is a close friend and fierce rival of mine, and also rather famous on netplay. As Azrael mains we try and take things from each other after each set and critique each other afterwards. Zil, although I’ve never fought him, is an Azrael I’ve heard nothing but good things about and have spoken quite frequently, so I know what I’ve heard has to be true!”
On the match-up: “In Central Fiction, I believe Azrael vs. Kagura to be flat-out 6-4 in Azrael’s favor. Kagura has a difficult time keeping Azrael far away from him due to his poor buttons and moves as they’re more used for approaching and setting up somewhat of a vortex, which itself is subpar in this version. More often than not, overcommitting to a C button with Kagura at a not-so-far range will force him to either cancel into stance or orb. Orb can be Growlered by Azrael and stance follow-ups are risky, as Azrael has an option to deal with most all of them. However, Kagura’s reversal is a flash kick, which can actually mitigate most cross-up attempts Azrael can do as oki. Once Kagura has the corner and knockdown, he has a multitude of ways to low profile Azrael’s DP as well as options to punish wake-up backdash.”
Team Kagura: JukeBoxHaru, AWastedNinja, Hedgesledge
JukeBoxHaru speaks for Team Kagura below.
On the exhibition: “The exhibition feels like a rather spur of the moment send-off for CF1, obviously looking forward to CF2 and Jubei. I’m glad they chose a character exhibition rather than a standard tournament for this send off, since that will give people more of a banner to cheer behind for characters — rather than individual players — which is what we’re all looking forward to with CF2.”
On his team: “Hedgesledge plays a number of different characters, though I personally know him as a Ragna player. Who on Earth could say why he picked up Kagura, but it’s certainly beyond me. AWastedNinja is a Kagura Discord regular, and though I’ve never really seen him play before, I do know he’s quite the combosmith. I know he likes to do clash sequences as well as creative combos, which takes a special kind of talent if you ask me.”
On the match-up: “Kagura doesn’t have any strong matchups, and Azrael is no different. Azrael has many dangerous ways of closing in space, as well as excellent defensive tools to reset to neutral, where Kagura absolutely struggles. Azrael’s Growler Field effectively nullifies Kagura’s go-to oki setups, and his backdash is particularly dangerous because of Kagura’s long startup, long recovery attacks. On top of all of this, Azrael’s average damage matches and even surpasses Kagura’s, making the amount of mistakes each player can make roughly the same.”
Diospyros
She also uses Izayoi and Hibiki, but will most likely go with Tsubaki.
On the match-up: “The character I’m going with is Tsubaki. Tsubaki is a well-rounded rushdown character with every tool. Her Drive Install allows her to manually gain stock for “EX” versions of specials. For example, 421A (fireball) is slow on start-up, but if she gains one stock and uses 421D instead, the start-up is nearly instant. While she has average tools in neutral, she may struggle against zoners, being outranged and characters capable of sliding under her 5B, which is her main poke.”
On her opponent: “I played Ruka on netplay for BBCP, but the last time I played him offline was at Anime Ascension 2017. I played a few matches against his Kagura and one match against his Es. I can’t really say too much about his playstyle, but I will say he plays cautiously, and adapting to his opponent’s play style at every turn.”
On her gameplay style: “A lot of people describe my play style as runaway neutral and ‘getting into the opponent’s head.’ For me, it’s a mix of rushdown and neutral. I don’t like to brag about myself.”
Ruka
On the exhibition: “I think the exhibition is a really cool idea and definitely an awesome way to get more attention for a very exciting game, which goes underappreciated at times. The only concern I would say I have is that BB is not known for the best netplay environments. It was interesting too, since I was originally planning on playing in the actual 3v3 between team Kagura and team Azrael, but most of the team Azrael members were from East Coast. So under that, everyone believed it would best if I didn’t play in the team 3v3. Later on though, Chickzama contacted me to see if I was interested in the 1v1 FT5. I hope this first event leaves a good impression to continue this series, and settle interesting rivalries, and unveil uncommon match-ups we don’t get to see very often.”
On the match-up: “Diospyros. I can’t say I know too much about her outside that she is definitely in my opinion one of the stronger Tsubakis in the North American BB scene. I have played her in the past in netplay but that was back during the CP days. Last time, I actually got a chance to play her was at Anime Ascension 2017 in a decent set of casuals. The results pretty much went towards my favor, but I think that was primarily due to her not knowing certain key things about the Kagura match-up. I have been watching her a decent amount and she has for sure grown stronger over the past few months ever since I last saw her at Anime Ascension. So I am by no means going to underestimate her.
“In terms of the core match-up itself, I believe Kagura vs. Tsubaki is somewhere around a 4.5 – 5.5 or 4-6 in Tsubaki’s favor. Overall Tsubaki is a character with a good set of pressure tools, with a decent set of mixups. It’s also nice that the character does some good damage when she spends stock. Kagura has a few way to answer certain things as if they the Tsubaki is being negligent about their charges and fireballs he can easily Wyvern them but at the same time, he could eat a lot of damage if a Tsubaki is able to 3C that. I think what is also pretty nice about the MU is that there are certain obvious gaps in her mixup which Kagura cane easily take advantage of with hic C Fafnir. I think Kagura has a decent enough set of tools to keep her on edge and always worry about something. But yeah, overall not a bad match-up. And I feel if things seem hopeless, I may possibly switch to Es.”
On his individual playstyle: “I don’t really know how to exactly describe my playstyle since it is kind of all over the place. It is very nice having a character that is rather difficult to cross-up and can easily take advantage of gaps in a player’s blockstrings like I mentioned earlier. So I end up tip-toeing between very careful pressure especially due to that fact that Kagura is very much vulnerable to Overdrive in this game, due to having long recovery moves outside of his 5A, 2A, 5B, and 2B. And this tip-toeing of trying to be aggressive or cautious sometimes costs me matches, as I become too hesitant to take my advances when I have them, and sometimes trying to take them when I don’t have anything going for me.”
The whole shebang begins on August 12th, at 5:00 PM CT / 3:00 PM PDT / 6:00 PM EST over on Twitch.tv/logichole. Tune in at that point to begin a new chapter in North American BlazBlue: Central Fiction.
“When I went to Evo this year, I went with full intentions of retiring from FGs completely since, with no new patch, BB was nearing its expiration,” Chickzama said. “I figured, even if I’m OK with it, everyone will eventually get bored and move onto something else, it’s an OK time to put my controller down. Then Mori announced the patch and BBCTB, and all my plans went out the window. I was moved to tears, I was so happy I’d be able to play the game that I loved and have been playing for six years, for more years to come.”
Since Evolution 2017, we haven’t really heard anything regarding one funky project: the BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle game, which includes characters from the BB, Persona, Under Night In-Birth, and RWBY series. Recently, Toshimichi Mori gave an interview with Famitsu regarding the project, which is coming sometime in 2018. Video producer Novril translated some tidbits from it and summarized them on Twitter.
Here are the Tweets Novril made about the Famitsu article (after the first one, the text is copied verbatim).
New Blazblue Cross Tag details from Mori's Famitsu interview: 1. Mori is the producer I think? So much for his 2015 wishes… pic.twitter.com/GfemwepOtK
2. Straight to homes this time, no arcade version.
3. This game is not a sequel to the BlazBlue series and does not continue the BB story.
4. It will not play similar to BlazBlue. It’s a brand new game with a brand new system.
5. Designed from the ground up to be pad friendly.
6. The game will have a story mode that will revolve around the cross over between all the different worlds.
7. They revealed the game early in development because they want fans to tell them which characters from the franchises they want the most.
8. Currently no plans to add Guilty Gear characters despite being aware of the requests.
9. Currently no more additional franchises planned other than the current 4, but they want to expand in the future if possible.
10. Though it will be done very conservatively and carefully, to handle and present each franchise with respect.
11. Many character models don’t fit well with each other visually (especially UNI) so they are also reworking sprites.
12. Most of the characters picks for the roster are already set in stone, but still see #7.
13. The game’s main target crowd is the fans abroad rather than in Japan.
14. Also Mori said BlazBlue’s story isn’t over, just Ragna’s saga.
What do you think of the points above? It looks like Arc System Works is listening to players when it comes to which characters may make it in. Whether they’ll form a formal poll, we’ll see.
The Evolution Championship Series may put a stopper to a few other gaming events, and indeed, it has been a bit of a break for Tension Pulse. However, the Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 online exhibition series is back! Get ready for two passionate sets of first-to-seven matches, streamed live with quality commentary.
We’re seeing two new faces as well as two returning ones. One of the sets is between [YASE] JSB|2pgod and Doonpa, while the second match has Mr. K battling Voguekun. Let’s learn a little more about each combatant and their characters.
Mr. K
On the match: “I have not played the Leo vs. Kum match-up enough to feel confident, but I feel like it’s fair as long as Leo can break Kum’s fireballs with his own. Her clap super is incredible vs. backturned stance, so I need to be very careful how I run offense to avoid the situation.”
On his opponent: “Vogue has been putting in a lot of work with his character and he has been improving steadily. I haven’t played him since Frosty Faustings, unfortunately. I hear he really likes Kum’s new gatling, something like 2K 2S?”
On his Evo experience: “Vegas is fun as a tourist but it’s extremely hot and pricey. I am glad I went because I got to play with all my friends, and especially because I got to play a few of the Japanese players. T5M7’s Leo beat me soundly both in and out of tournament. He really impressed me and I want to get strong enough to fight at that level.”
Voguekun
On the match: “I’m excited to participate in the showmatch series once again. This time, I’m less focused on trying to defeat my opponent than I am on having a good time and demonstrating some of Haehyun’s less seen combos and tricks. Leo is one of the easier characters for Haehyun to do some of her more stylish combos on, so I hope I get a chance to show what I’ve practiced.”
On his opponent: “I first played Mr. K at Frosty Faustings where he bopped me hard in casuals. Since then I’ve gotten a lot better, but my Leo experience is still pretty lacking in comparison to the match-ups I feel like I know pretty well. Haehyun and Leo are similar in a lot of ways, and one of my favorite sets in recent memory, Tomo vs. Chachacha, demonstrated just how exciting a set can be with two characters that like to get in and swing on each other. Also, I was supposed to play Mr. K in a money match at Evo but we ducked each other. I guess this is how we’re making up for that?”
On REV 2 changes: “The tiers were slightly consolidated, but honestly I didn’t see the game change as much as I thought it would. Haehyun’s buffs were definitely extremely welcome. In particular, some gatling leniency changes and 2K2HS have made life much easier for me. And of course, Shishiinken has sent many Twitter timelines into full-on panic mode. I’m quite happy with the state of Guilty Gear right now.
Doonpa
(Doonpa also plays Johnny.)
On the match: “I’m kind of excited and nervous since I haven’t played an exhibition style match on stream since I played Persona 4 Arena Ultimax. I’ve been juggling a lot of games like UNIST, KOFXIV, BlazBlue, and Gundam, so I’m hoping I can perform well in Xrd. I’m going into this with a couple of contingency plans just in case I get blown up a bit, but I’m stoked nonetheless. I really hope to give people a very entertaining set and show them some clean play from my end.”
On his opponent: “I honestly haven’t seen him personally play before, so I’ve tried to look up some matches of him, but I haven’t had much luck so I can’t really say. I know he is a Chipp player (booooo) so his character alone is a big threat, let alone what unique traits he can bring to the table as a player himself. I don’t really have too much experience playing against this character as he is quite rare on the East Coast, but it’s exciting nonetheless. I trust he’ll do all the scummy stuff we know and love from Chipp players, so we’ll see how well I can deal with it, haha.”
On his own playstyle: “I’ve mainly seen myself as a passive player who picks and chooses his spots to initiate situations versus my opponents. I like to react to situations and act accordingly, so I prefer to let my opponent try to be the aggressor in the hopes of countering their approach. I’ve played a lot of different character types, so I do think I’m capable of playing most playstyles, but I think a reactionary style is the best for me. I hope I can showcase that skill and not get bullied by Chipp’s ridiculous speed and options in this exhibition.”
JSB|2pgod
On the match: “I’m looking forward to it. I hope I can provide entertaining matches for the audience.”
On his opponent: “I think I can beat him. I’ve seen him play, and while it won’t be easy, I’m confident I can win. The biggest challenge for me is that he is planning on using multiple characters while I’m only going to use one. Training for multiple match-ups can be time-consuming. I have close friends who play I-no, Jack-O’, and Johnny, so getting prepared won’t be too hard.”
On playing since last time in the league: “I’m very aggressive, like most American Chipp players. I like to be creative with my mix-ups.”
Catch the next episode of Tension Pulse live on Silva_hime’s Twitch channel. The first set, between Doona and 2pgod, begins today at 10:15 PM EST/9:15 PM CST/7:15 PM PDT. MechaMacGyver and Ryyudo will commentate the matches and lend their expertise to the on-screen gameplay.
Looking to catch up on the last episode of Tension Pulse? The last episode was the Pre-Evo special! Eight players joined the fight there, including high-profile names such as Lord Knight, XCEL|BjornSonOfBear, Nakkiel.exe, Hotashi, and more!
With Gamescom hoping to reveal loads more about Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, Capcom have released a quick interview ahead of the show to talk about the game’s Story Mode, the return of mad titan Thanos, and the flashiest team combos that they have seen so far.
The Capcom Producers of #MVCI talk about the flashiest team pairings & how Thanos will impact the new Story Mode. pic.twitter.com/N2VLRjoYgp
The Story Mode demo that was released during E3 is the first 25 minutes of the game, with it introducing all of the core cast, main villain Ultron-Sigma, and Thanos himself. As you can imagine, Thanos is a reluctant ally of the Marvel and Capcom heroes, so expect him to double-cross you sometime during Story Mode.
According to producer Mike Evans, the flashiest team in the current build of MvC:I is Dante and Gamora, thanks to their massive movesets and ability to mix up your opponent eight ways to Sunday. Assistant producer Peter “ComboFiend” Rosas also picked Dante, but paired him with machine maniac Ultron, because of his fly-unfly combos.
They also briefly discussed adding Yoshinori Ono as a playable character, with Blanka acting as a Groot-like assist during his Hyper Combos. He even glides past the camera when he’s mentioned by the producers — someone must have him as their Assist.
In mid-July a grandmaster Street Fighter player made his way from Japan to the states; but rather than making the trip to Evo, his sights were set on Next Level Arcade for 2 Old 2 Furious. Kusumondo’s E.Honda has already claimed international titles and countless victories over the two decade history of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but the passion for classic Street Fighter that pours through each 2 Old 2 Furious event brought him to Brooklyn.
2O2F has hosted tournaments for ST, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter EX2+, and Capcom vs. SNK 2 since 2013. What began as a local series for New York City players has gained international attention for preserving these games in their purest form. For their setups, 2O2F uses arcade hardware and Sony PVM monitors for RGB display. Stream matches are held on head to head BlastCity cabinets that were purchased via a donation drive for an ST revival in 2012. Equipment donated by other gaming groups such as iFixMachine help make sure these old games are presented in pristine condition.
A viral video from Mashable showing just a brief glimpse of a 2O2F event sparked a wave of nostalgia in April, and has been seen more than 800,000 times on Facebook. But despite the publicity, attendance for July’s tournament was nearly the same as the one three months prior. The turnout isn’t exactly surprising; the competition at these events has always been about much more than arcade nostalgia.
At a time when even new games like Tekken 7, The King of Fighters XIV and Injustice 2 struggle to keep their players involved at locals, 2O2F nurtures its small but consistent scene by regularly improving its presentation, and providing players with top-notch equipment and high-level competition.
“With every 2 Old the quality keeps going up,” Brooklyn native and OG Dictator player Riz0ne said. “And not only the quality of the stream, the quality of the amount of setups, the quality of how quickly the bracket is run, the quality of the players.”
“You incentivize the players to come, you make it a fun event and build it up, and people are gonna turn up,” added Josh Cooper, another local player.
Fighting old school
While the tournament pool was filled with Next Level regulars, not everyone was a seasoned veteran. Patrick “DaFeetLee” is best known for his play in Street Fighter IV and Street Fighter V, but in a stacked ST tournament he bowed out with an early 0-2.
“In these old games, if you don’t anti-air once you’re dead,” Lee said between matches. “I don’t even know why people say that about Street Fighter V! The old games are so punishing; playing them makes you more aware that if you make one mistake, you’re done.”
PAG|Jihan “Virgo” Sheriff-Crichlow managed to take third place in Street Fighter Alpha 2 with Birdie, a character widely considered to be one of the worst in the game. He explained how practicing in an arcade environment can help players improve, while echoing Lee’s sentiment about the speed of the classic Street Fighter titles.
“It helps you with your fundamentals, learning your spacing, understanding your character,” Virgo said. “Back then we didn’t have training mode we just worked it out, going to the arcades everyday. Fundamentals are important with these old games and they go very quick, it’s not like how the modern games can take so long to just finish a round.”
Kusumondo put on a masterful showcase during the Super Turbo finals, overcoming one of Honda’s most difficult matchups and winning the tournament without losing a game in top 8. There’s no hidden tech or new characters in these games; the best players are defined by their knowledge, experience and consistency. The low margin for error and fast-paced nature of these arcade classics created the win-first mentality that still defines the competitive spirit of the fighting game community.
Out comes the new, stick with the Old
July’s 2O2F also featured a tournament for Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, the recently-released update for the Nintendo Switch. While the title has reportedly sold well overall, it has been largely ignored by the competitive community. USFII saw half as many entrants as ST at 2O2F, and didn’t receive much hype or attention in general.
“It’s good but it’s not 2X, 2X is still the best,” USFII and SFEX2+ winner Marcus “GoLion” Gibbs said, referring to ST by its Japanese title’s (Super Street Fighter II X: Grand Master Challenge) abbreviation.
Gibbs, who has used the tag Marsgatti in the past, said that he enjoys the game but ultimately hopes it will lead to a direct port of ST on modern consoles. USFII introduces new characters, some balance changes and a throw break system, a big change for the SF2 engine. But if anything could be learned from the short tournament life span of 2008’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, it’s that the magic of ST cannot be reproduced.
“You can’t recreate the gem of 2X, the game is perfect and if you change one little thing about it, it’s no longer that game,” Riz0ne said. “ST cannot be recreated, you can have another version… but you can’t compare the two.”
It’s hard to argue with the decades-old legacy of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but it’s the players who have kept the game alive and near the forefront of the FGC throughout the years. Tournaments like 2 Old 2 Furious and the ongoing ST Revival movement show the sort of passion that is needed to keep old games alive and fresh.
“If you have a small group of friends, just three people who really really love this game and you want to do this thing, you can revive any game,” Riz0ne said. “You can revive Ultra Street Fighter IV or you can revive vanilla Street Fighter IV if that’s what your crew wants to play and you have enough heart to play.”
Without world tour stops, pot bonuses or sponsored players, 2O2F continues to grow through its dedication to the classics. The tournament is a living testament to the grassroots and history of the fighting game community, showcasing the spirit that fuels competition.
“You get good players from all around and there’s no drama, the drama is in the game,” Gibbs said. “I’d pick 2Old over Evo any day.”
Video archives from July’s Ultra 2 Old 2 Furious are available now through Team Sp00ky; be sure to follow @2Old2Furious for information on their next event. Both Super Turbo and Street Fighter Alpha 2 enjoy healthy communities on FightCade. For more information about competitive Super Turbo, including offline events, interviews and Fightcade sessions, visit strevival.com.
If you follow the Mortal Kombat scene at all, you must have heard of Ketchup and Mustard, two commentators who work with ESL. While the duo produces a lot of content, People Playing Games took the opportunity to turn the mic toward them and learn more. Jake “Mustard” Neal goes into his fighting game origins, commentary work, and partnering with ESL.
The interview starts out with a brief talk about Evo and commentating there, as Ketchup and Mustard had the opportunity to man the mics during pool matches. Mustard expands about the cultural differences between European and American events. Other than Evo, they had an opportunity to go to Combo Breaker this year as well. Scope and size is the defining difference, according to Mustard.
The segments cover Mustard’s first, favorite (it’s not Mortal Kombat!), and most hated games. They also go into how Mustard got into the fighting game scene and his initial tournament experiences. You’ll also find out where the names “Ketchup” and “Mustard” came from. It’s a valuable interview especially for those who want to get more into commentating.
During Evolution 2017’s championship Sunday performance, we were all treated to a new announcement regarding the highly-anticipated Evolution Japan. With the premier of this trailer — live in the Mandalay Bay Events Center arena — it begins to settle in that an event promised to us over 8 years ago, was finally happening. Beyond nuclear reactor meltdowns or even Mother Nature herself, nothing could stop Evo Japan from becoming a reality.
Now that we have more information regarding Evo Japan, including game lineup and dates, I wanted to share my experience at the pre-Evo Japan tournament, 賽 [sài], that took place from May 20-21, 2017. This tournament was more or less a “test” for the Evo Japan Committee, but was also a fun stand-alone event.
-The Venue-
UDX Theater in Akihabara, Tokyo
This event was held in UDX Theater, a complex near Akihabara Station that houses several smaller auditoriums inside. This venue is super easy to access for travelers from overseas, and is conveniently located a short walk from JR Akiba Station. While there were no food vendors inside the venue (though Red Bull was there in full force), because the venue is in the middle of Akiba, getting food and drink is no issue.
The front entrance to the main hall for 賽 [sài]
For 賽 [sài], there were two main tournament areas. The main hall was a wide-open hall-style space that housed the main events. Along the back wall, there were numerous arcade units for Tekken 7 (this event occurred before the console release), as well as the console setups for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2.
Then of course, there was the main stage, which was set up similar to what you would imagine if you have ever been to a major fighting game tournament. There were three big screens with lots of seating.
On Saturday, the main hall was used to run pools and quarter-finals for the main titles, Tekken 7, Guilty Gear, and Smash. The tournaments for the side games (KoFXIV, BlazBlue, and Dead or Alive) were run in an adjacent hall upstairs. They then came to the main stage to run their finals in front of the crowd.
The second day of the event was reserved for top 8 performances for the main titles, with the adjacent halls closed off.
Now that you have seen what the venue was like, let’s take a look at the tournament results from that weekend!
This was the second big tournament for GG since the REV 2 update, and boy, did it not disappoint. The star of the show was the Chipp legend Samitto, as he had to claw his way from the losers bracket to win the tournament against some terrifying opponents, including Lox (who put him in losers), FAB, Haaken, and Ogawa. He beat Zadi in two sets (3-1/3-2) to take the tournament. Check out this close set between him and FAB, which left the entire hall standing.
Of course, the other popular clip from this event featured Ogawa open firing on the crowd after defeating Kazuki.
Kagemaru had an interesting journey in this tournament, in that he lost to Helpme in winners, but then proceeded to carve everyone in his path in losers. He beat Furumizu, Taris Cutter, Yamasa|Nobi, and finally Kowashiyashiroo in loser’s finals. Kagemaru had so much momentum going into grand finals, and pushed Amiigo to the last game. However, in the end, Amiigo held firm and took it in one set (3-2) to win.
If you don’t think the competition for Tekken at this tournament was among the highest in Japan, the quarter-finals for this tournament was nothing short of a bloodbath. Consider that players like Take, Chikurin, Pekos, and even Echo Fox|Saint missed top 8. Check out this match between Furumizu and Saint to qualify for top 8 on losers side!
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (3v3 CREW battles): 57 teams/177 entrants
1st: Team Baked Salmon
–Tsu (Lucario)/Ken (Sonic)/ Kirihara (Rosalina)
2nd: Team MKShuB
– 9B (Bayonetta)/Echofox| MKLeo (Cloud／Marth／Metaknight)/Shuton (Pikmin/Mario)
3rd: Team Sky Emissaries
– T (Link)/Kuro (Pit)/ Aasu (Pit)
4th: Team DetonatioN Gaming
– Kameme (Sheik/Megaman)/Rain (Diddy)/Nietono (Sheik)
Check out 9B finishing off T off the top, in similar fashion to how Zero was executed at Evolution 2017.
Unfortunately, he ran into Tsu in grand finals, in an anchor vs. anchor face off for the tournament. In a dramatic off-stage exchange, Tsu uses a fully charged shadow ball while in high rage percent to clear 9B off the side, sealing the tournament for Team Baked Salmon.
In what turned out to be a preview of the Evolution 2017 grand final, Fenricchi rose through loser’s to face Ryuusei in the grand final. This was an awesome set, featuring some incredible offensive and defensive sequences that truly highlights how magnificent these two players are. Watch as Fenrichhi refuses to buckle under pressure, carefully navigates through Carl’s mixups, and presses on in two sets to beat Ryuusei.
Hisa clinched a nail-biter losers final against Oogosho, for the right to face off against another long time Japanese KOF veteran, Koukou, in a grand finals mirror match. Both players seemed to be playing nervous on this stage, but in the end, Koukou, the Panda, played the cleanest and won.
With the most dominant DOA player in Japan, Siologica, sitting out of the event to focus on commentary, production, and TO duties, it was off to the races to see who would rise to claim the crown at 賽 [sài]. In the end, JC Akira and Linerback faced off in a rematch from the Japan E-sports Association (JeSPA) qualifier that happened earlier this year, which Linerback won. This grand finals had some cool momentum shifts and sequences, but in the end JC Akira got his revenge on Linerback and took the tournament.
-Thoughts from the Evo Japan Steering Committee Chairman, Hameko-
I sat down with Japanese Fighting Game legend and Evo Japan Steering Committee Chairman, Hameko, shortly after Sai. We talked about a variety of topics, including Japanese FGC events, differences between scenes, and concerns going into Evo Japan.
The man with the plan for Evo Japan: Hameko
Jazz: To start, could you please introduce yourself, and tell people who might not know you a little about your background?
Hameko: Hello everyone! My name is Noriyuki “Hameko” Kaneko. Many of you in the Western FGC might know me as an SFV “Lab Monster.”
As a player, I am from the same generation as Daigo. My career started when I was about 19, when I started working for a famous arcade gaming publication in Japan called “Arcadia” magazine. I started as just a writer for Tekken series strategies, but eventually came to write on many different fighting game titles, including strategy articles and even books. Starting in 2011, I moved my work to 4gamer.com, where I continued to cover the FGC and expand on fighting game culture. Right now, I also work as a commentator for Street Fighter V and Tekken 7.
For work-related matters, I enjoy a variety of games, including fighting games, FPS, LoL and even rhythm games. However, as a competitor, I am mostly known for the Tekken series from Tekken Tag Tournament through Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, and Soul Calibur V.
Speaking of old times, my picture has appeared on SRK before.
[Be sure to check out some samples of Hameko’s work at 4gamer.com here and here.]
A young Hameko (right) in the company of legends.
Jazz: As a tournament veteran of many titles, what is your proudest moment from a player perspective?
Hameko: A Tekken Tag Tournament event was held around the year 2000 in Shinjuku, Tokyo. In that tournament, I beat the reigning world champion, Seok Dong Min. Either that time, or when I participated in the International Soul Calibur V 5v5 team tournament at the World Game Cup 2013 in Cannes, France. Winning that tournament with Team Japan was a good memory for me. [He teamed up with Itabashi Zangief, Dekopon, Sawazuma, and Kamichan for this tournament!]
Jazz: After the year 2012, the SBO Tougeki tournament series ceased operations. For the Japanese fighting game scene, what kind of effect did this have? During what we can call the “post SBO” era, we have seen multi-title events like 賽 [sài], KSB, Toushinsai, and Evo Japan increase. What do you think is the significance of events like these in the Japanese scene, given that most events in the post-SBO era are focused on a singular title or scene?
Hameko: Around 2011 and 2012, the number of console-exclusive fighting games increased. For example, think about titles like Marvel vs. Capcom 3 & Soul Calibur V. This was also around the time when core fighting game fans started to get used to streaming, so during this time the situation in Japan became a bit more complex. With the loss of SBO in 2012, it can be said that the Japanese scene lost the tournament that was the goal of every player. With this loss, and the fact that participating in foreign tournaments is so difficult (given travel costs and time off from work), this had a huge effect on the mid-level players of the scene. Of course, there is a huge variety of fighting game tournaments in Japan, but not many of them are geared towards mass spectators.
As I said before, around 2012 streaming culture had already started to build momentum, but by now everyone is used to it in Japan. People here, however, tend not to venture outside of information directly related to their personal interests. As a result, the chances for people to do, watch, or participate in events that are not directly related to their personal interests have decreased. In that sense, I think there is some significance to this kind of event, because it challenges those notions.
Jazz: Most tournaments in the West are usually run as 3 day events now, but in Japan this format is not very popular. Why do you suppose that is?
Hameko: Events held in Japan are mostly focused in central Tokyo. where the cost of wide event space is very expensive. Thus, it becomes very difficult for grassroots events to run events that span multiple days at these kinds of venues (KSB in Osaka seems to be doing really well though!). Furthermore, there just aren’t many convention halls to begin with, so running events in the Western style of convention hall and hotel combo is difficult. In addition, there are issues with taking holidays in the Japanese work environment. For these reasons, events that span multiple days like they do overseas are few and far between.
Jazz: Does being named Evo Japan Steering Committee Chairman have any personal significance for you?
Hameko: I recognize that this position calls on me to bring together the demands of the many fighting game communities of Japan, and coordinate an event that reflects those communities as much as possible. Unlike Evo in America, Evo Japan was started by a corporation, and it doesn’t have prior history with the community. It isn’t easy to win the trust of the Japanese FGC in a year, and I think it was better for them to call on someone like me who has history in the scene, rather than some business person with no experience or knowledge about the FGC.
Jazz: When 賽 [sài] was first announced, many people expected Street Fighter V to be a selected title. At first, it was rumored the reason for it being excluded was that there wasn’t an arcade version. Then, many people heard that there were licensing issues with the game. Could you clarify what happened?
Hameko: Personally, I think there are lots of incredible players in Japan outside of the pro players everyone knows, and I want to give them more opportunities for success.
Regarding Street Fighter V, we were unable to secure the rights to use the game at the event. SFV is different from previous entries in the Street Fighter series until now in many ways, and this is also reflected in the license. The current business license with Street Fighter V is changing to a global business license, and the result is that it has become difficult to run events with it in Japan. Of course, the Japanese market is significantly smaller compared to the English-speaking world, I hope that we can create an environment where it is easy to run great events for every community. At this time, let’s say the balance surrounding SFV’s license in Japan similar to how Boxer is in SFV right now. They should update it as soon as possible.
[Please recall that this interview was done shortly after 賽 [sài], before Street Fighter V had been confirmed as a main title for Evo Japan. Given SFV’s nomination as a main event for Evo Japan, this issue, at least for that event, has been solved.]
Hameko (Lily) at a Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection SBO Tougeki qualifier
Jazz: After 賽 [sài], you held a survey, and asked for feedback from the scene. What were some of the most common comments and wishes from the Japanese scene that participated at 賽 [sài]? What points are you looking to improve upon looking forward to Evo Japan? Is there something that is particularly difficult for you to plan for as we move closer to Evo Japan?
Hameko: The most common comment was that the venue was too small. Including the side tournaments, we ran 6 tournaments over 2 days, but I think we managed to reach Akiba Square’s capacity. For that reason, we are looking into changing the venue if time and resources permit. (I’m glad we ran this test tournament!)
Jazz: Given last year’s reports of substantial financial backing, it goes without saying that expectations are set high for Evo Japan. Compared to other multi-title events in Japan, how will Evo Japan be different? Looking forward to Evo Japan, what is your personal vision for this event?
Hameko: In Japan, the number of events that are made for spectators has grown, but I don’t think the number of tournaments designed with the competitor in mind has increased. (Of course, this isn’t just a problem with the event design. In addition to the cost and space problems I mentioned before, there are often limits imposed on events from venues. This makes it difficult to run open tournaments, such as events with uncapped entries). Thus, we want to take this opportunity to aim for an open event that anyone can participate in and enjoy.
You may have noticed by now, I think Evo Japan has to be an event for the Japanese FGC first and foremost. I think if we can’t throw an event that the community here enjoys, then there is no way that competitors from overseas will enjoy it either!
Jazz: Thanks for speaking with me about 賽 [sài] and the promise of Evo Japan. Is there anything else you would like to say?
Hameko: Thanks for reading until now! Let’s meet at Evo 2017! And of course, we will be waiting for you at Evo Japan!
– A Rising Sun-
While one might look at the entry numbers and expect more, there are nuances at play. Not only was this tournament planned and organized in a short time, but it was held the same month as KSB in Osaka, an annual large-scale event that takes place during Golden Week, a week-long national holiday in Japan. Given how strict Japanese work culture is with taking days off (especially just 2 weeks after a major national holiday) this and the previously-noted factors surely had an effect on attendance from outside the Tokyo area. Unfortunately, Evo Japan is scheduled for January 26-28, 2018, just 3 weeks after New Year’s holidays in Japan. Could this also make it difficult for some of the older players to get time off for Evo Japan in January?
This contributes to my main personal concern for Evo Japan: where Evo Japan falls on the calendar. January events have become increasingly harder to pull off, as the scene has shifted its attention more towards circuits like the Capcom Pro Tour, King of Iron Fist Tournament, Tekken World Tour, and other tours for which January is essentially in the “off-season.” My question is that given SFV’s inclusion in the main lineup, and the influence of the Tekken World Tour and King of Iron Fist Tournament, could we see some of these tours make early 2018 schedule announcements to include Evo Japan in their circuits next year? With an event that promises to collect some of the best talent in Asia for the titles in the lineup, it would be a huge missed opportunity for some of these tours to not include this event in their schedule. Could this end up making Evo Japan a strong tournament for games like Tekken, the Arc System Works titles, and KOF?
While there are concerns, through Hameko’s words, we can feel the promise of Evo Japan. Since the fall of SBO Tougeki, Japan has struggled in the large-scale event space, especially with regards to attracting foreign travelers in large groups. Their are events like KSB in Osaka, Co-op Cup, Mastercup, etc., but tournaments of this scale are few and far between. With Hameko, Markman, and Evo staff at the helm, I think we can look forward to a large-scale event that looks to display and highlight what makes the Japanese fighting game scene so special.
When we were still in the Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- era, there was one New York City player whose name echoed overseas: PAG|LostSoul. His terrifying command of Xrd’s new character, Elphelt, became particularly famous after beating CO|Dogura’s Sin in 2016 (check out the match below). His play even earned him a spot on the Japanese fighting game player wiki, something few US players have achieved.
LostSoul has been missing a bit from the scene due to personal circumstances, but he resurfaced at this year’s Evolution. It was a great opportunity to hang out with the player who had many Japanese visitors lining up to play him and learn more about him. To my knowledge, this is the first interview he’s ever done about his Guilty Gear play, so it’s a rare highlight of his impressive abilities. Responses have been edited for clarity.
Luke “Woocash” Siuty: How was your Evo? Is Guilty Gear the only game you entered?
LostSoul: Yeah, it’s the only one. I made it up to the 17th place, two spots away from top 8. And I believe that’s a great accomplishment for being out of the game for eight months due to life problems. Going to Evo, which was my first one, as well as my first major after coming back, I think that’s a great achievement.
Woocash: Walk us through some of the matches.
LostSoul: The first match in winners was against Omito. Knowing that he’s a great Johnny player, that was one of my great concerns — after coming back to majors — that I would have this tournament stress going on. I couldn’t have performed as well as I did [later], but he has great movement, great offense, and I just couldn’t keep up with that. Soon after I lost the winners, I managed to do very well against him, I took games off of him, after the tournament, even got a perfect in there. I managed to get him to do what I wanted him to do. Everything that I wanted to do I was able, no second thoughts, no nerves, my execution was there. I was basically me at that point. But what really counts is the tournament.
And of course, I lost to him on stream badly. And in losers, I lost to XCEL|BjornSonOfBear. I feel kind of bad, I have some rust on his character Chipp. Back before the break, we used to netplay a lot. I used to be the one winning, in tournaments also. In this case, not only I lost, but he also has greatly improved. Him getting the Overdrive series and winning the trip to Evo and CEOtaku, he has definitely improved on that. At the end, it was 2-1 his favor, last game, last round, and sadly, I lost to the only other American between us.
LostSoul: Yeah, I still have Jack-O’ on the side, because Elphelt has, ever since the patch came about, changed somewhat. She got new unblockables with Roman Cancels, so I had to practice that. Practice my match-up experience against characters again since I was gone eight months, and change what was her unblockable route into a mix-up route. But Jack-O’ didn’t really change after the patch, her move set and combos are nearly intact. I’m planning to get back into Jack-O’ and dual main.
Woocash: Any further thoughts on REV 2 balance?
LostSoul: Some of the changes were a little questionable. Especially on my character, Elphelt. Her 6P has no hurtbox on her upper waist, so it’s like an anti-air and an overhead from 6P. Some supers actually whiff. Of course, as an Elphelt player, I’ll take it. It’s kind of weird. I know people hate it because it’s kind of half-assed, but personally, I’m indifferent to it.
Woocash: Are you comfortable to talk about why you were out of commission for eight months?
LostSoul: I was out of commission due to family problems. My family was being evicted. We had to live in my sister’s house for a good month or two. Since then, I was unable to play Guilty Gear. My main concern was to save up money to get back into the house. We managed to do that after 3-4 months with the help of the anime fighting game community. My friend, Mr. Bisonopolis, helped me set up a GoFundMe. This also helped set up to pay the first month’s bills. At first, it was 2000-3000. Within a couple hours, after he tweeted it out, the goal was met substantially, in two hours, flat. I was speechless. I was able to get back my house, and now, I am still there, being supported.
My new goal then, after four months, was to find a new job. I wanted to find a new job to support it. I thought I would be out for one more month, but job searching was more difficult that I imagined, so it took an extra four months. I promised myself not to touch video games until I got that done. I put priorities in life, Guilty Gear later. This was before REV 2 came out, so after this eight month period, that’s when I finally touched Guilty Gear again.
Woocash: I saw you play a lot of Japanese players, lining up to fight you at the ASW booth. Tell me more about this relationship with the Japanese scene, because they definitely talk about you a lot, and I know you’re on their fighting game player wiki.
LostSoul: I know that Japanese players have a totally different mindset from what we have in America. There’s a style to it, I can’t really explain it. They know what to do to avoid certain situations. They noticed me probably when I beat Dogura, the first time, back at Final Round, I believe. I got first place, beating him not once, but twice. From that time, that’s when on Twitter, I saw that the Japanese were surprised Dogura. That was my first event. But Dora was also there, another native from Japan. I beat Dogura in a FT5 and Dora came by, and I guess he spread my name, but Dogura definitely spread my name around. So I’ve been on the radar right around that.
Even now, a lot of Japanese want to fight me and after fighting me, they told me I’m very strong, so I guess I succeeded in meeting their expectations. I fought Haaken, Kedako, Fumo, Tomo. With Tomo, I kind of destroyed him at the first set, but then he got the next two. He said I was very strong and he had a difficult time beating me. I was going pretty even with Fumo in the mirror match. Maybe even stronger. I also beat Zadi 2-1. I’m definitely a “player vs. player” type of guy. Despite not knowing how they play and them trying to download me, I could also download them.
Woocash: What are your plans moving forward? How interested are you in esports, or becoming a sponsored player?
LostSoul: Yes, I am interested I guess in esports, but mostly, I’m interested in going to more majors after Evo. I want to go to every major that’s available. The next issue for me is taking days off my job to go those events. I’m even missing my locals, TSBs, because they happen on Saturdays, and my job happens on those days.
Woocash: And would you ever want to be a sponsored player?
LostSoul: Here’s the thing. I could say I’m interested, but the one I’m in now, PAG, already hosts me. It’s more like a group, they’re not like Fable or XCEL. But PAG does help me travel, just like Justin Wong sponsored me for this Evo trip. If I could have more opportunities like that, then yeah. Yeah. I’m definitely interested in esports.
Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire is steaming along in development. We wanted to see what the team has been working on most recently, so we checked in with Lead Designer Bobby Null to find out.
ChaoticGamez is representing Team Azrael in the responses below.
