Category: Interviews

Jonny Lai “HumanBomb” Cheng emerged onto the scene like many others, a virtual unknown, but unlike many others he arrived with a bang. Holding dual citizenship with his native Hong Kong, he emerged out of Australia in 2012 to take 5^th at Evo 2012 with his precise Sakura play. Since then, his name has always been near the top of the tournament results whenever he makes it out, despite infrequent attendance. He also turned a lot of heads last year — as well as busted a lot of fantasy brackets — at Capcom Cup 2016 by defeating Infiltration in the very first match.

While at Evo 2017, we sat down with HumanBomb to discuss his success and the state of the scene in Hong Kong.

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Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: HumanBomb, how was your Evo experience this year?

Jonny Lai “HumanBomb” Cheng: Last year I couldn’t break into top 32. However this year, I got 25^th.

Missing Person: So, obviously some improvement.

HumanBomb: And that was with Chun-Li getting nerfed this season. Somehow I managed to do better with a weaker character.

Missing Person: I remember seeing on your social media accounts how nervous you were at the beginning of the season seeing Chun-Li’s changes. How do you feel now?

HumanBomb: I still think Chun-Li is not that good. The way she plays in Season 2 is totally different. She lost a lot of things, including the safety on instant air Lightning Legs, and now her crouching jab is four frames instead of three. In Season 1, I started everything off of crouching jab. Now I have to use crouching short. It definitely handicapped her damage.

Missing Person: Did you have difficulty adjusting? I specifically remember playing you last year, and you were one of the best players in using her instant air Lightning Legs.

HumanBomb: At the beginning, everyone struggled, including me. I wasn’t too thrown off by the instant air legs, but the crouching jab really threw me. I had to adjust all my combos.

Missing Person: So let’s take a walk back through Street Fighter V. During Street Fighter Crash, you were the killer on the Southeast Team — a team with GamerBee and Poongko. They were both struggling, and you were crushing people. What was going through your mind?

HumanBomb: The first two weeks, I didn’t play well. But later, I started to get my footing. I think the best moment was playing against Team Razer. I was able to beat Fuudo and Infiltration twice, but I lost to only Xian.

Missing Person: I remember people being so shocked that you took out Infiltration there. The crowd reacted in absolute shock. What prepared you to play him?

HumanBomb: There was another Nash player in Hong Kong. We trained a lot together. We had played this matchup inside and out. Every time I went online, I always seemed to match up against him. Then we’d play casuals offline together as well. I had so much experience against Nash that I was well prepared for Infiltration.

Missing Person: I remember seeing how hard you fought to get into Capcom Cup. You were so close in the Asia Regional Finals. You got seventh, losing to Itabashi Zangief. Talk me through this match. What went wrong?

HumanBomb: This was heavily favored for Chun-Li in Season 1. However, you can’t discount a player like Itazan. His mindgames are so strong. He always makes smart decisions. I was leading 2-1. He came back to beat me 3-2, and even perfected me in the last game. It was similar to what he did against Moke in top 8.

Missing Person: But then fate threw you in Capcom Cup anyway. Due to a sequence of unfortunate events, two players dropped out, and you found yourself with a spot in the bracket.

HumanBomb: Yeah, Tse4 didn’t get his visa in time. Then CCL also dropped out. This allowed Yukadon in as well as me in the very last slot.

Missing Person: How did that feel? You deserved to be there, obviously, but at the same time, you got in on a technicality.

HumanBomb: Regardless, I felt happy. It’s the biggest tournament with the most prestige and the highest prize pool. What made me happiest was knowing my first match was Infiltration.

Missing Person: As soon as I saw the bracket, I expected you to win against him. UltraDavid initially called it an upset. Did you disagree with that?

HumanBomb: Honestly, so long as he picked Nash, I was confident against him. He had been using Balrog and Rashid at that time, so he could’ve used either of them to throw me off. But he stuck with Nash. It was still close. I beat him 3-2, and it went to the last round.

Missing Person: Let’s say hypothetically that he did switch to Balrog or Rashid on the final game, do you think it would have ended differently?

HumanBomb: He probably would have won. I didn’t have as much experience against them compared to Nash. I knew that match too well.

Missing Person: Recently you’ve stayed busy promoting the game in Hong Kong. Every time I look, I see you’re doing interviews on tvA.

HumanBomb: I’m also now helping organize monthly tournaments in Hong Kong.

Missing Person: How do you feel Hong Kong is doing in embracing and learning the game?

HumanBomb: We have a lot of good players, but we even received an influx of players in Season 2. In Hong Kong, the best player in Hong Kong was not me, but Tse4, a Balrog player. But after the patch, another player emerged that is doing better than us named HotDog44, and he uses M. Bison. He placed 48^th at Evo this year. We also have Chris Wong who is becoming well known, as well as a Laura player who beat Kindevu in pools.

Missing Person: That’s interesting, because while you’re saying Hong Kong’s scene is growing, other scenes have seen a decline. Why do you think Hong Kong is gravitating toward this game?

HumanBomb: Recently, more companies have been sponsoring events in Hong Kong. The government is interested in sponsorship. There’s also more money involved, so it attracts new players.

Missing Person: Do you feel like Hong Kong players have any difficulties they face in improving?

HumanBomb: There aren’t many tournaments, but the players that are playing seriously are getting dangerous.

Missing Person: Do you feel like the visa issues also are a hindrance?

HumanBomb: It’s actually better for us than the mainland Chinese players. The only reason Tse4 didn’t attend Capcom Cup last year was that he didn’t apply in time. But the turnaround time on visas to the United States from Hong Kong is much faster than in China, and less likely that a player will get rejected. Players like Xiaohai who constantly travel have a good track record of returning home, so it becomes much easier for them to get their visas as well in the mainland.

Missing Person: We also caught a glimpse into your personal life, as you now have a girlfriend. We saw her all weekend wearing a Chun-Li costume, cheering you on. Has she started playing the game since meeting you?

HumanBomb: I’ve taught her some, but she isn’t too serious yet. She’s considering learning more. We’re hoping she’ll enter Evo next year.

Missing Person: So if they’ve had a taste of HumanBomb…

Humanbomb: …wait till they get a load of Rose Ma. [laughs]

Missing Person: When we first heard of you, it was at Evo 2012, when you placed fifth with your impressive Sakrua. At that time, you were representing Australia, and you do have dual citizenship. How do you feel about the Australian scene, especially now? Do you feel like they’re strong, or are they behind the rest of the pack?

HumanBomb: I feel like they’re still fine. The problem in Australia is they can’t really connect to each other online. If you go coast-to-coast, the internet is too bad to have a serious match. It also makes it hard to connect to players outside of the country as well. In Hong Kong, I can play players from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore without problems.

Missing Person: So has the move from Australia back to Hong Kong helped your game?

HumanBomb: Yes, definitely.

Missing Person: So with your Australian ties, do you plan on attending OzHadou Nationals?

HumanBomb: I’m considering it. I honestly didn’t enter many tournaments prior to Evo. I only entered Battle Arena Melbourne 9 and Saigon Cup. After Evo, I might fly a bit more. There’s one in Hong Kong in August, and one in Taiwan in October.

Missing Person: Any chances of you coming back west for events, such as Canada Cup or SoCal Reigonals?

HumanBomb: I’m considering my chances in those events. As you know, it’s a huge investment to fly to the United States and Canada for events from Asia. So if you invest that money, you want to be able to win. There’s too many good players now.

Missing Person: You’re notorious for your Chun-Li in Street Fighter V. You were notorious for your Sakura in Street Fighter IV. Here’s the $100,000 question. If Capcom announced Sakura for Season 3, would you drop Chun-Li for her?

HumanBomb: I would definitely use Sakura. But I would also consider Chun-Li for a pocket character, in case she supplements some bad match-ups.

Missing Person: Are there any shout-outs that you’d like to give?

HumanBomb: Shout-outs to the Australian and Hong Kong scenes. And a special shout-out to my girlfriend, Chun-Li.

For many years, Chung-gon “Poongko” Lee has been a huge fan favorite in the FGC. Having already been a mainstay within the FGC in Korea for years, he rose to prominence after his mauling of Daigo Umehara at Evo 2011, and won the hearts of fans for his performance.

While he was unable to replicate his Evo 2011 performance this year, he still finished a respectable 25^th at this year’s Evo. While there, we sat down with him for an interview that provided a lot of insight into the mind of The Machine.

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Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: Poongko, congratulations on making top 32 at Evo. How do you feel about your performance this year?

Chung-gon “Poongko” Lee: I’m not very happy about it. I feel like I could’ve made top 8 if I had just won my last match in winners bracket. I was sent into losers bracket by a relatively unknown player named MoJoe — an R. Mika player from the United States. Then I also lost to Sako in losers bracket. Honestly, top 8 was my goal, and I didn’t meet that this year.

Missing Person: The MoJoe match is an interesting one to touch on. He came out of nowhere to beat you, and I thought that to be a huge upset. Do you feel like the level of play in Street Fighter V is at where it’s difficult for anyone to make it through a bracket now?

Poongko: When you compare it to the Street Fighter IV series, I had been playing that for seven years. So when you think about it, Street Fighter V is still relatively new. I’ve only been playing it for a year and a half. On top of that, I recently switched my main from Cammy to Kolin. So to start with, there’s already unfamiliarity for me with it being a new game. Right now, there’s players that get this game easily, and people that don’t. For me, it’s taking longer to adjust, so I need a bit of luck to do well in this game right now. I’m not saying you need to be lucky to win in SFV, but I’m not at a point in my play where I can rely solely on my skill to win.

But just beyond the general understanding of the game, you have to factor in my character switch. She’s new and hasn’t been fully studied yet. So I’m still trying to bring Kolin to her full potential. That’s making my results a little more volatile.

Missing Person: You had solid results with Cammy. However, you quickly changed over to Kolin when she was released. What attracted you to her? Did you see something similar to the gamble-heavy characters you played in SFIV, such as Seth?

Poongko: I initially played Cammy in SFV because I had somewhat of a history with her at the end of the SFIV era. Plus, there was no Seth in SFV, so it felt like the easier fit for me. But the thing was, I was not achieving the results I wanted to with her. On top of that, it was a new game, so naturally there were changes to her in SFV. When I switched to Kolin, I realized there was some fun stuff I could do with her, and she was fun to play. It wasn’t so much that she was like Seth, but the tech I saw on Twitter of her looked really fun. Regardless, I’m still looking at all the DLC characters, because I’m still in a character crisis.

Missing Person: If Capcom were to have you choose a character for them to create, what would be the perfect character style for Poongko?

Poongko: Since the mechanics are so different, I can’t expect someone from Street Fighter IV to come out and wow me. I would love for a character to come that has a lot of options, similar to the amount of options Seth had. Kolin fulfills that in a large way, but not 100%. She can be offensive, but can play defensive with her counters. While she does sort of fit my style, if a character like Seth came out with a plethora of options came out, I would change to them.

Missing Person: I’ve noticed that you are notorious for playing marathon sets. When I was at ArcadeStream, I would see you there until 3:00 AM playing casuals. On top of that, even at the salty suites at Evo, I rarely saw you get off a station. Most people would be in a fog playing so long. What keeps you focused on learning things over a marathon set?

Poongko: I used to play like that as a kid. By now, I’m used to playing marathon sets. If I put a lot of hours into a game, I enjoy playing it. If I can’t do that, then it’s clear that I don’t. It kind of becomes a cycle. If I become good at a game, I enjoy it more. If I play longer, I become good at the game. If I enjoy a game, I’ll play longer.

Missing Person: You became really interested in Tekken 7 when Akuma was released, and also made several top 8s in the game. Do you remain active playing Tekken?

Poongko: I honestly feel like I got lucky in those tournaments. Akuma hadn’t been released in the west, so people didn’t know how to fight him. Around that time, I used to play Tekken in arcades when I had free time. Now that it’s out on consoles, I like to toy around in training practicing combos. I usually do about a half an hour of practice, and I don’t play online too much.

But honestly, I really enjoy collaboration games. I played Capcom vs. SNK 2 when it was big. I also really enjoyed Street Fighter X Tekken and played a lot of Tekken characters in it. So when Akuma came out in Tekken 7 it felt similar to me.

Missing Person: As you said, you played CvS2, and were notorious for that and The King of Fighters in Korea. However, no one’s ever really seen you play The King of Fighters XIV. Did the game not strike your fancy, and if so, why?

Poongko: I played it a little in the beginning. However, everyone was training hard for Street Fighter V. If I had to focus on KOFXIV, I would have lost a lot of focus on SFV. It was simply a matter of how much effort I can give to one game.

Missing Person: Last year, you were on Team Secret. However now, you’re a free agent, and were at Evo thanks to r/Kappa. Are you looking to travel more and try and get another sponsor?

Poongko: r/Kappa cannot replace a sponsor fully, as they only send me out when they have the funds and want to send me out. I am definitely looking for a team. My goal is to travel to more tournaments in Asia. I didn’t have the greatest results last year, and this year hasn’t been the best either. I have more to prove.

Missing Person: I want to touch back on something that happened six years ago. You went to Shadowloo Showdown in Australia and beat Momochi. Then you came back to Korea to play in a Spirit Zero tournament, then faced Tokido in an exhibition at that event, whom you also beat. Then at Evo 2011, you faced Daigo in a memorable match. What was going through your mind during this sequence of events that found you destroying these Japanese killers?

Poongko: Did I face Tokido that year? I forgot.

Missing Person: You did, I was there. It was after you beat Infiltration in the Korean tournament before Evo.

Poongko: Oh yes, now I remember! When I went to Australia, I had chosen Seth because I had this feeling that the character had potential. That tournament was a chance for me to test it out in a major. I wasn’t confident at all. I was honestly pretty nervous. But as I went through the bracket, I started to relax and focus better. Once I started doing well, I realized I was right, that this character is good.

At Evo when I reached top 8, I had a runback with Daigo. He had beaten me at the GameStop exhibition in 2009. I realized I was playing against a legend at the top of his game. He had an overpowered character in Yun. I went to the bathroom and had an anxiety attack. It felt like I was dying! I felt like the only way I could overcome the anxiety was to overcompensate for it on stage. So I threw my belt and badge off, and chugged the Red Bull before I sat down to play. That showmanship helped me fight my anxiety. It worked out for me, obviously.

Missing Person: You talked about anxiety and nervousness. Does that still happen to you? If so, how do you deal with it now?

Poongko: In Street Fighter V, you have a lot of the old guard mixed with a lot of the new blood. The playerbase in these tournaments is huge now. Because of that, I do still get nervous. It’s not to the point where I have to overcompensate by being showy.

Honestly, the nerves never really go away for me. In order to combat that, I try to play a lot. I want to get the techniques so embedded into my muscle memory that it’s like breathing. You still breathe when you’re nervous, and you do it without thinking. I want it so that even if my mind messes with me in a match, my body will know what to do in a certain situation.

Missing Person: So “The Machine” is actually really fitting for you?

Poongko: That’s the way I want it to be.

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Special thanks to Gerald “mintcheerios” Lee of Core-A Gaming for translation.

The answer lies in the heart of battle.

A number of years ago, Cliff Rouzier’s desire to rise up and compete at Evo inspired a journey that would become the indie documentary Road to Evolution, released in February of this year. It is available to watch for free on YouTube right now; here’s the most recent trailer:

Cliffdog now streams on Twitch, and continues to compete in both Street Fighter and Super Smash Bros. titles. To see where his fighting spirit has taken him since the events of Road to Evolution, we caught up with him on the floor of Evo 2017. The resulting discussion can be read below; replies have been edited for clarity.

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: For the readers that don’t know you yet, please introduce yourself!

Cliff “Cliffdog” Rouzier: My name is Cliff, my tag is Cliffdog. I’ve been a huge fighting game enthusiast since I was about two years old, loved fighting games all my life; they’ve brought me closest to some of the best friends that I’ve ever had, or ever met. It’s just something that I’m super passionate about. I love the community and what they aspire to be. Fighting games as a whole: I love what they bring, I love the tenacity — I just love the drive, and I love the competition that fighting games provide for everybody, which is why I’m so drawn to them today.

mushin_Z: So, how many times have you been to Evo now?

Cliffdog: This will now be my fourth one. Started in 2012, attended the one in 2013, took about two years off, went back in 2016, and now I’m here for 2017.

mushin_Z: You were the subject of your cousin Jonathan’s documentary, Road to Evolution, about your drive to come and compete at Evo; tell us about what it was like to be in that film.

Cliffdog: Sure! So, in 2011, I saw an amazing match with Luffy, and I was so inspired by that. I felt that, with my age at that time, I was running out of time to enjoy such an event — something you put such blood, sweat, and tears into — that I thought it would be really cool if my cousin (who at the time was just getting out of film school) and I could collaborate together, and make a documentary on what I’m gonna do: someone that’s a “nobody,” that nobody really knows, what steps am I gonna take, what sacrifices am I gonna make, to try to make it out to Evo.

That being the drive, that setting the stage, we started doing it — and it didn’t work out that well [at first], because when we tried for Evo 2012, I was the only one that made it, so we couldn’t record anything! So the viewer didn’t get to see what happened.

mushin_Z: There was a little bit of a hole there…

Cliffdog: So, I was like, “f’ this,” let’s go for one last ride, one more time, let’s do it — but this time, I’ll make sure everything is in place, so that way there’s no excuses, no hiccups, and I’ll make sure everyone can make it. And you know, we did it, we made it happen — though we had a lot of problems with the TSA [related to the transport of camera equipment] — and it was a beautiful experience.

I guess to compare those two important years, from 2012 to 2014, I went from being by myself, not knowing anybody (I literally just went to the [first] event and came back home) to somebody that now, a year later, is fully integrated into the fighting game community, among many friends. And I think that really opened my eyes to even if you don’t know anybody, if you put in the time and effort and dedicate yourself to something you enjoy — as much as everybody else does — you’re gonna get a lot out of it.

mushin_Z: Nice. That film was essentially your first steps setting out on this path — to get into Evo, to compete at a higher level. Where has it led?

Cliffdog: I don’t even know where to start! [laughs] There’s just been so many opportunities, and I don’t know how to say thank you for each and every one. I’m so blessed that this year my flight was paid in full, and my Twitch followers even donated enough money to get my girlfriend to come with me. So I didn’t have to pay for a flight here… how does that happen?

I don’t know — maybe other streamers feel like it’s a common thing, but to me as a person — if you’re watching me, I’m just playing video games. I guess I’m entertaining you [as a viewer] enough that you want me to come to Evo, just to compete, because you believe in what I believe in. Even if you’ve seen my documentary or not, you must share the same passion as I do, and want me to have fun and succeed… That in itself, I think, speaks for itself: as long as you just do what you do, and you’re humble and you give to the community, they’re gonna give it back to you.

I’ve met a lot of amazing players, I’ve beaten a lot of amazing professional players in my time, which I never thought I could — I only dreamed about it. I got to work with LI Joe in his own event, East Coast Throwdown; I always saw him as an awesome person and a very humble guy… for him to just open his arms and say “Dude, I want you to help me out with this, no questions asked, I like you, and you’re an awesome dude”… wow. I guess there’s a “facade,” that all pro players are like this or that, and you can’t talk to them, and they’re on this higher pedestal. But at the end of the day, everyone’s a person, just like the person sitting next to you, they’re human beings and they want to converse just like anybody else. And if you take the time to just have a conversation with them, you’d be surprised what you get out of it in the end.

Again, I can’t say “thank you” enough for what’s been opened for me, and the opportunities given me, but my goal is always just to continue to give back to something that’s given me so much. It’s enabled me to fly around to different states, and different countries that I never thought I would go to. I’ve met amazing people that I’ve befriended, we’ve been able to travel together, and just enjoy unique experiences. That on its own, I’d say, is very special.

mushin_Z: So, when you first started out with the thought “I’m gonna go to Evo,” you didn’t think this was going to be the result?

Cliffdog: No, no way did I project that I’d be coming back to Evo again in 2017. But “the people” said otherwise, and here I am today. If it wasn’t for them, I don’t think my drive would be so strong — I think in my heart, I always want to play; I always have the passion and always want to compete. But at a tournament level like this, it takes a lot of time, practice, and training to not go 0-2 in your bracket, and that’s where I think they play the biggest part — because they’re cheering me on. Even when I’m down, I lost and I don’t know what happened, I don’t know what to do, and I want to quit the game — even though, I never really want to — even with those thoughts in my mind, [my supporters] are the first to remind me why I should never stop.

I’ll give you the perfect example: I was on my way to the Red Bull party last night, and I already had it in my mind that after Evo I was just gonna take a break, just relax from fighting games and focus on other things. And there was somebody I saw that I haven’t seen, in, let’s just say over a year. He was so shocked to see me, and he was like, “Dude, I saw your documentary! Never stop playing fighting games. You have to keep playing!” And the way he said it, the way he looked at me, I was like “Dang, I can’t stop right now.” I can’t! People still want me to play. Clearly, this road is far from over. Even if I were to think about stopping, they would stop me from stopping! I can’t be thankful enough for that — there’s still people that want to help me get better than I am now.

mushin_Z: That’s awesome. So, let’s talk about the pro players — right now you’re playing Street Fighter V and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U…

Cliffdog: That’s right.

mushin_Z: Who are the players getting into the top eights that you look up to? That make you think, “I need to get to that level, I want to take them on.”

Cliffdog: Oh boy. You know what’s funny? The guys that are in the top eights, they’re not really my “targets” in terms of me wanting to beat them; I just wanna learn from them, so I can do what they do and enjoy the game as much as they do.

I don’t think I could name any names. I feel like they’re all great, in their own respective games. It’s nice to see the roundabout of different characters that can win, and it’s also amazing that all these great players are getting sponsored, too. I give ’em all kudos. But I don’t think there’s anybody that’s my “favorite” player, in that I look up to them, and I want to beat them. I appreciate them for who they are, and what they give back to me.

I guess when I was younger, I looked up to them more, and was like, “Man, I wanna be like that guy, I wanna do what he does!” But with access to YouTube, and forums, and everybody’s in Discord chatting and learning — everybody can be like that person now. Anybody can do what any of those guys are doing, so long as you put in the hard work and dedication. I think that’s something that slips people’s minds, and they beat themselves up too much — but just take the loss, get back up, and keep going. It doesn’t matter how hard you lost, how hard you got knocked down — if you can rise up from that, and can continue to keep fighting, you never lose. That’s how I see it.

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Additional source: Jonathan Rouzier

PR Balrog catches us up on his outlook on Street Fighter V — and other titles!

Now with his classic Street Fighter main at the ready and sponsored by Cygames Beast, Eduardo “PR Balrog” Perez took on the competition at Evo 2017 this year, making it to 49th overall. He’s presently #38 on the Capcom Pro Tour global leaderboard, in between fellow Cygames Beast competitors Hx.CYG BST|Daigo Umehara (#45) and RB.CYG BST|Snake Eyez (#7).

I was fortunate enough to get some time to chat with PR Balrog at Mandalay Bay, right before Evo 2017’s Street Fighter V finals kicked off. Replies have been edited for clarity.

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: So, you joined Cygames Beast this year!

Eduardo “PR Balrog” Perez: [nodding] Yes.

mushin_Z: How has that benefited you in terms of training and overall opportunities?

PR Balrog: Well, in terms of training, it’s not really that different. I still train with the same people. It’s straightforward. When it comes to opportunities of course, after I left EG [Evil Geniuses]… I was literally tied to their sponsors, their organization, I couldn’t get anything around that. So Cygames is a whole different story! They’re sponsoring me as myself, not as a “team,” so I’m able to get other sponsors, all that stuff. So I think it’s super beneficial for me. I never look for short-term, I always look for long-term.

mushin_Z: Excellent. You competed in four different titles this year; what motivated you to take on these multiple challenges?

PR Balrog: Well… Street Fighter V needs less training time, in my opinion — usually, before, you needed a lot of execution, you needed to study situations, and this game is more… when something hits, you just go in, go in, go in, go in. But that’s what tells me, “OK, I don’t have to practice this game that much, I’ll just go play other games!” Injustice — even though people hate zoning — I think it’s a really fun game, I actually enjoy it.

mushin_Z: [laughs] I love zoning! I even like watching zoning.

PR Balrog: It’s kinda like a breather. Street Fighter V does not have zoning at all, it’s really rare… and the fact that I have to work in Injustice — I have a low tier character [Black Canary] — I have to work to get my wins, it’s actually very refreshing. [smiling] It’s one of those things: I play a top tier character [in Street Fighter V], and I play a low tier character.

mushin_Z: It evens out, right?

PR Balrog: Exactly, yeah! And in Tekken, there comes the execution. You have to be moving all the time, which is very fun to me. And there’s a boxer in there.

mushin_Z: Ah, Steve’s your guy there?

PR Balrog: Yeah, I used to be a Tekken player before I was a Street Fighter player; I’m kind of knowledgeable about the game, and I almost beat a really good top player in that, so I was really excited.

mushin_Z: Which game do you like playing the most?

PR Balrog: I really love Tekken. [nodding]

mushin_Z: This is Street Fighter V‘s second year at Evo; how would you say the competition has changed this year, compared to last year?

PR Balrog: It’s really hard to say, to be honest. The game literally took a whole shift…

mushin_Z: Season 2?

PR Balrog: Exactly. I don’t think the competition has changed much. But I’m really happy for the people that made the top eight, congratulations to them.

mushin_Z: So you went to SFV losers bracket by way of Dogura. What are your thoughts/observations on that particular match?

PR Balrog: Hmm — I actually think he was my hardest match-up. I’ve always known that he’s known to be a “crazy” player, and he likes to do things that are not safe, but the problem is not that — the problem was to be at Evo, and not have sound.

mushin_Z: That has been a complaint from multiple players. [It was reported by participants that many of the stations in pools had an issue where sound was not split properly between the two headsets, making many in-game sound effects inaudible.]

PR Balrog: That basically turns off one of my tools, because I have the turn punch [TAP]. And when I turn punch, he doesn’t know [what charge level is coming out], but I don’t know either! So a lot of times I don’t know if I’m plus or minus. So it’s very bad. I can’t do anything about it, but it was a tough loss for me.

mushin_Z: Would you say it was the same thing for the fight with Infiltration, that ultimately took you out?

PR Balrog: Yeah, it was the same thing. But! Me and Infiltration have had a long history, and I took that loss not very hard. We were both having fun — which is what we’re supposed to be doing, right?

mushin_Z: Do you feel you’d do better against him under better technical circumstances?

PR Balrog: [nods] I believe so.

mushin_Z: Straight up — is TAP too strong?

PR Balrog: [laughs] Yes and no. Because: I feel he needs it.

mushin_Z: Ah!

PR Balrog: But, sometimes I feel he doesn’t.

mushin_Z: [laughs]

PR Balrog: It’s kinda like a fifty-fifty. Because I think it does way too much damage; they could change the damage, or change how long it takes to charge. You start seeing level sevens and up now, which was really rare, back in the day. Is it too strong? Maybe. We don’t know yet. [smiles]

mushin_Z: Well, we might not ever know if they change it for Season 3!

PR Balrog: [nods] Exactly — and, Balrog did not even make top 32…

mushin_Z: Even with all the “top tier” talk!

PR Balrog: [laughs]

mushin_Z: MOV is the only player from last year that is in top eight again this year. What does that say to you about how the competition has changed between years?

PR Balrog: MOV has always been a very strong player, no question about that. He’s a very, very “safe” player, so I expected him to reach really high in the competition. But I actually did not expect him to make it again, into top eight. That’s actually amazing. I think he’s an amazing player — the only player to make two [Evo] top eights in Street Fighter V, that tells you something! He’s a very, very strong player.

mushin_Z: Do you have a favorite to win out of the top eight? If you want to make a prediction…

PR Balrog: I would have to pick my brother, F Champ, to win. But it’s very tough for him!

mushin_Z: Would be cool for a Dhalsim player to take it.

PR Balrog: Exactly… but if I’m gonna make a decision as to what I can see… I would say Punk or NuckleDu.

mushin_Z: Seems the safer bet…

PR Balrog: But! If Itazan beats Punk, I think he wins!

mushin_Z: Hmm, yeah, we’ve got Itazan. [Turned out, Itabashi Zangief would not beat Punk; Punk was undefeated until grand finals against Tokido.]

Now, if you had one “wish list” pick, one thing to change about Street Fighter V, what would it be?

PR Balrog: Add a defensive option!

mushin_Z: Any defensive option, or something specifically?

PR Balrog: I don’t know — be creative with it! It feels just way too offensive-oriented, even to me. I’m an aggressive player, and I still don’t like that. So I feel a defensive option, any type of defensive option, would be good.

mushin_Z: Are there any particular players in the scene right now that you see as a rival? That you’re thinking, “I wanna take them on, I wanna beat them.”

PR Balrog: In Street Fighter V? [chuckles]

mushin_Z: In any game, actually.

PR Balrog: … Infiltration.

mushin_Z: Infiltration’s your target?

PR Balrog: He’ll always be. If you go back a couple of Evos… I’m still salty about the Hakan!

mushin_Z: Oh, yes, Hakan… [At Evo 2013, Infiltration unexpectedly switched to Hakan against PR Balrog in Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition top eight, and won; his Hakan win also cemented Infiltration’s ongoing reputation as being skilled with multiple characters at any given time in Street Fighter.]

PR Balrog: That settled it, with me… he’s my rival. And also — in America we call them “demons,” Bonchan is my demon. I want to beat him. So, those two!

mushin_Z: There were a lot of new titles on display here this year, that was a big feature of this Evo; did you get out there to try some? Were there any you had some hands-on time with?

PR Balrog: I don’t like playing demos! So I did not try anything…

mushin_Z: You want to wait for the finished product.

PR Balrog: Yes — because every single time that I say something about a demo, it either blows up in the wrong way, or I’m a “shill.” So I’m just gonna stay out of that conversation, and just wait until the game comes out!

mushin_Z: Any of those titles out there something you’re looking forward to in their completed form?

PR Balrog: Of course, Dragon Ball Z [Dragon Ball FighterZ] and Marvel vs. Capcom [Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite]. Also — I saw that BlazBlue has a tag-team… something!

mushin_Z: Yeah! That came of the blue today — er, literally. That was a surprise, I think, for everyone.

PR Balrog: I’m actually excited for that.

mushin_Z: Yeah, Arc System Works and Bandai Namco are doing a good job keeping their secrets! Very awesome. [The trailers for BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle and Geese Howard joining Tekken 7 had been just shown earlier at the arena finals.]

In your own words, what does competing here at Evo mean to you?

PR Balrog: My life. Basically. When I was little, we played a lot… in ’09 I came here, I basically made a name for myself, no sponsor, no nothing… and now I’m here! It’s basically my life, just for the fact that it made me a great person, it made me become a pro player. When you’re a pro player you have so much stress and everything; but as long as you can take that stress out, and just play your heart out… It has made me who I am today.

mushin_Z: Anything you’d like to add in closing for the SRK readers?

PR Balrog: I love you guys, that’s it!

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Additional sources: Capcom Pro Tour; smash.gg

If you were to have a favorite in any event at Evo, Tekken 7 was likely the one. And without fail, the clear favorite over the field — Echo Fox’s Hyun-jin “JDCR” Kim — proved to be dominant with his Heihachi and Dragunov play, besting the likes of former Evo champions Saint and Nobi on his way to his Evo 2017 championship.

After the tournament, I sat down with JDCR to talk about his road to the championship.

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Corey “Missing Person” Lanier: Congratulations, JDCR, on your win at Evolution 2017. How does it feel to win on that big stage at Mandalay Bay?

Hyun-jin “JDCR” Kim: I still can’t believe that I won. I made the top 8 on day 1, and I was really happy. Today, I honestly have no idea what to say. I think that I could die.

Missing Person: Did you feel any nerves on stage?

JDCR: I think I was a bit nervous. As you know, Evo is the biggest tournament on the circuit. Plus, you could probably tell that during my first match in top 8 against Jeondding, we were both nervous. We both made a few mistakes.

Missing Person: So do you have a lot of experience against Jeondding?

JDCR: Yes, we practice together quite a bit.

Missing Person: So were you thrown off at all when he used Eddy instead of Lucky Chloe?

JDCR: Eddy definitely has an advantage on Heihachi, so that’s why I struggled at first.

Missing Person: Does it throw you off any when having to play console-only characters, when you have so much experience against the arcade characters?

JDCR: Not really, but out of the console-only characters, I feel like Eddy is the best.

Missing Person: Do you still mostly play in the arcades?

JDCR: Not anymore. I mostly play on console.

Missing Person: So, do you have a lot of experience against the console characters now?

JDCR: Not too much, but I’ve particularly had very little experience against Eliza. She was a pre-order only character, and no one uses her in Korea.

Missing Person: So outside of Saint, who you always tend to go back and forth with, who would you view as the biggest threat to winning this tournament?

JDCR: Today it was Jeondding. Neither one of us warmed up before we played. We actually both played very uncharacteristic for us against each other today.

Missing Person: There were some technical issues reported in other games on PS4 at Evo this year. Did you experience any of this in Tekken?

JDCR: Not really, the only thing that threw me off was the lag that was in the current build of Tekken for consoles. Those frames of lag really matter a lot competitively. I have to say that this is something I don’t like about Tekken on consoles.

Missing Person: Thankfully that will get fixed soon. But also, they will be releasing the console characters in the arcades. Does this mean you’ll be travelling back to Green Arcade for practice any time soon?

JDCR: I don’t think so. People always play at home. Nobody wants to pay each time they lose at an arcade. People just wake up, turn on the PS4, and poof, they’re playing.

Missing Person: So you do you think the arcade culture in Korea is dying out?

JDCR: I’m sure it is.

Missing Person: Even in the world-famous Green Arcade?

JDCR: Yeah.

Missing Person: So in Echo Fox, you have one of the best owners imaginable in Rick Fox. Is he very hands-on as a team owner, giving you guys pointers from an athlete’s perspective?

JDCR: To tell the truth, I’ve only met Rick Fox once. Actually, while everyone else was at Foxcon, Saint and I were in the Philippines for a tournament. It was part of the Tekken Pro Tour, so we had to miss Foxcon. But I always talk with the players, and the team staff is very supportive of us and help us out a lot. I want to say how much I love them and how proud I am of being on this team.

Missing Person: So do you feel like Echo Fox is becoming a family now?

JDCR: Yes, of course.

Missing Person: So I guess it goes without saying when Street Fighter V finals happen, we know who you’re cheering for.

JDCR: Definitely Tokido. I’ll be back in the floor seating because I have to watch him.

Missing Person: Speaking about the Philippines, you had to play Knee for the title. How do you feel about his play in Tekken 7?

JDCR: His play is really solid.

Missing Person: So on day 1, who was your biggest challenge?

JDCR: I believe it was Nobi. I knew that I would have to play him on Friday, so I was thinking about him all day. But the thing is, I know the match-up well, so I wasn’t too worried.

Missing Person: One thing that was apparent during top 8 for me was that there are major differences between Korean and Japanese styles of play in Tekken. What would you view as the key differences between the two styles?

JDCR: Koreans are more apt to use more movement and use the entire screen and space. Japanese tend to like to be closer to neutral space all the time and just push buttons. So let’s say there’s a mix-up. In that situation, Koreans are more apt to use movement to get out of it. Japanese will try to push buttons to counter it.

Missing Person: And how do you view the American style of play?

JDCR: Americans play very similar to the Japanese.

Missing Person: I know at Evo that to get out of pools, you have to play a lot of unknown players. Some of these guys are really new to the game. Recently, you had an interview with Gerald Lee from Core-A Gaming where you discussed what new players should learn about the game. But seeing some of the newer players here, what do you think are some of the biggest mistakes they are making?

JDCR: I feel like most of them are coming from 2D fighters. They forget that Tekken is a 3D fighter. This makes a huge difference. In 2D fighters, you only have to worry about your movement being forwards, backwards, and jumping. Plus your attacks only range from high, mid, and low. In Tekken there’s far more dynamics. So now you have to worry about sidestepping in your movement, and also using sweeping and tracking moves to counter sidestepping.

Missing Person: Another I personally noticed was new players tend to not understand how to wake up from being knocked down. Is there any advice you can give them on reading how to wake up?

JDCR: For new players, I think you should start by just simply back rolling on wake up. It’s the safest option, and gets you out of most pressure that will happen if you just quick rise or even side roll. Until you fully understand the system, you should choose the safest option.

Missing Person: Do you feel like new players have difficulty playing the wall in Tekken?

JDCR: That may be the most similar thing to Street Fighter though. But the thing is with Tekken, you have to be able to see which axis the wall is on, and when you are going to hit it to optimize your combos for it. Even for me, this is very difficult, so for new players, I wouldn’t worry too much about the wall.

Missing Person: So having played Tekken for over a decade, which Tekken would you call your favorite?

JDCR: My favorite game was Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion. However now, I feel like Tekken 7: Fated Retribution is the best Tekken. This game is so balanced. There are far more situations to experience than in other versions of Tekken. The characters have more moves, and I feel like every time I play I find something new. In Tekken 6 and Tekken Tag Tournament 2, I felt like movement was most important. In this game, you have to have a comprehensive understanding of the entire engine to be good at it.

Missing Person: So movement takes less emphasis in this game as opposed to 6?

JDCR: I mean, movement is still important. In Tekken 6, we could just mindlessly move, and that allowed us to play it safe. But in Tekken 7, you have to know the situations where you should move. That’s actually why I like Tekken 7.

Missing Person: So with Tekken 7, do you feel like Rage Drives and Rage Arts were a good inclusion to the mechanics?

JDCR: Very good.

Missing Person: I don’t know about in Asia, but when they were first announced in the west, there were a lot of fear that this would be a bad comeback mechanic, where people were already complaining about it in Street Fighter IV with Ultra Combos.

JDCR: To tell the truth, I don’t like seeing new systems in any game. I was worried that maybe they would be overpowered at first. But regardless, winners still win. Losers still lose. Also, they look so cool!

Missing Person: So where can we see you next?

JDCR: I’m hoping to attend all the Pro Tour events for Tekken, so if there’s one that you’re attending, look for me there.

Missing Person: Definitely looking to build up those points, right?

JDCR: Actually I’m already qualified due to this win. But of course, I always want to play more and learn more.

Missing Person: So basically it’s part experience, and part making people prove they’re ready to face you in Japan?

JDCR: [laughs] Yeah, kind of.

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Special thanks to Kevin “BurnoutFighter” Kim for being on standby for translation, despite JDCR’s strong English skills.

[Featured image courtesy of Shane Shrestha.]

Shoryuken chats with GamerBee, at Evo 2017.

ZOWIE’s Bruce “GamerBee” Hsiang is a popular competitor, well-known for his Necalli in Street Fighter V, but even more so for his play in the Street Fighter IV series with Elena and Adon, earning spots in prior Evo finals. This year, he landed just shy of the Street Fighter V top 32, at 33rd place. He’s currently ranked #23 on this year’s Capcom Pro Tour leaderboard.

It was my pleasure to catch up with GamerBee at Evo, shortly before the Street Fighter V finals at Mandalay Bay on Sunday. Here’s what we talked about — he remains critical of Street Fighter V‘s mechanics while putting a positive spin on what the game means for the FGC as a whole. Replies have been edited for clarity.

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: This is Street Fighter V‘s second year at Evo…

Bruce “GamerBee” Hsiang: Yes.

mushin_Z: How would you say the competition has changed overall from last year, to this year?

GamerBee: I would think that in the first year, a lot of people were still trying to figure out what is the most effective way to play Street Fighter V… In the first year, you know, the whole game balance was totally different. That year was more like a footsies game, and this year is more like “risk and reward”… so the top tier characters, they get more reward, and you can’t take less risks anymore, because you don’t have as much defensive techniques you can use anymore.

So, for the second year, I will say: we now see a lot of new persons coming out, because in first-to-two, anything can happen… and we see a lot of the younger generation, they don’t have to over-strategize, they only need to play by their instincts. And, also by their reactions. Maybe they have studied top players more, so they know their habits… So I think the second year is more difficult for top players, because we are targets.

mushin_Z: So you think the way the game has changed — between season one and season two — is definitely steering toward a particular kind of play that is encouraging newer players to come up and succeed, rather than older players continuing to adapt and hold their positions?

GamerBee: Yes, I feel like from what I see, the old player is still trying to figure this out… We choose one character, we figure out every possibility for this character, but for the new generation, I feel like for Street Fighter V and esports you now have to look at the whole game, the game balance, and choose the right character to counterpick, or to perform a certain strategy for winning. So, character loyalty will be getting less and less common in the future. That’s what I’m seeing right now.

ZOWIE|GamerBee vs. BX3|Phenom (Evo 2017 SFV top 64)

mushin_Z: So, you first got knocked into the losers bracket by Phenom, if I’m right…

GamerBee: Yeah.

mushin_Z: What can you tell me about that match? What are your thoughts and observations on how that particular fight/match-up turned out?

GamerBee: Well, for the past few months, I’ve lost to Phenom many times… but somehow, [smiling wryly] I still believe my Necalli is better than his!

mushin_Z: [laughs]

GamerBee: I really think so! And every time, I try to prove it. But I’m missing something. I haven’t figured out what it is yet — so I can’t stop him, or I miss something in the game. But I’m confident! I think I still can beat him in the mirror match.

mushin_Z: Phenom is part of that “younger generation” we’re talking about, so he’s approaching the game with a different perspective, he’s approaching Necalli differently than you’re approaching Necalli…

GamerBee: [nods] Yeah.

mushin_Z: I want to see more of how you guys take each other on in the future. Now, it was Machabo that eliminated you ultimately…

GamerBee: [nodding] Yeah!

mushin_Z: Tell me more about that match.

GamerBee: I think Machabo has a really simple playstyle — but, unfortunately, he also plays Necalli, and I played two different Necallis in a very short time… I didn’t transition very well between the matches, and it caused me to lose. And, of course in first-to-two anything can happen; I could have won that match, but Machabo took the risks, and I got hit. I lost.

mushin_Z: What are your thoughts on how Necalli feels now, compared to season one? Are you committed to sticking to him with the current situation? Do you think he’s stronger in season two? Weaker?

GamerBee: I would definitely say Necalli is weaker in season two. But he is still able to win, because he has the damage, he has the mixups. The only thing he has to do — you can’t play safe to win, with Necalli, you have to take risks. And that’s not really my style! Maybe I’m too “old school,” old-fashioned, but I totally think Necalli is still really strong in season two, he definitely can win tournaments. It’s just that now, every tournament is more like playing Poker. I know the strategy, I know what I can win with this “hand,” but still, when people go crazy, I still lose!

mushin_Z: Do you think it falls more into the realm of gambling, or is it more of a mind game, more of a “read”?

GamerBee: Hmm… mind games… It does have mind games, it’s just that the risk/reward is very high right now. It’s supposed to be high [in this game]. So in that regard, every decision becomes more like a gamble. I would say of course it’s a mind game, but on the other side, you have to make a bet with your instincts, so it doesn’t really feel like a mind game at the same time.

mushin_Z: On your SFV “wish list” — you’re talking about how the game forces one type of play — what’s one change you think Capcom needs to make, to make this the type of game you want to play? For you personally, not for the “scene.” What’s GamerBee want?

GamerBee: Let’s make Crush Counters… gone.

mushin_Z: [chuckles] You don’t want to see any Crush Counters? Or just less of them?

GamerBee: This is a really hard decision! I totally understand why Capcom did this. Because they’re making the game easier to play, to attract more viewers — because it’s easier to understand, easier to see upsets. But it seems with the Crush Counter, there’s no defensive option, and things like this make the game so you don’t have to be really skillful; you can still do damage — because in older times, if you wanted to do lots of damage, you needed lots of practice. There was a high skill cap. But now, everyone can do the same high-damage combos, the only different matter is how to hit it. In this game, certain characters have really good Crush Counters, and one Crush Counter can change everything. Even a new player, or one from the middle range… I’m “better” than you, but you can still beat me, because of Crush Counters, and the related knockdown pressure mixups. They can still win. If we take out that thing, it will become like an “older” Street Fighter V… the people like us will prefer it more, because you’ll have to work even harder to get damage and mixups, everything — but maybe some people, especially the younger generation, don’t want that, maybe Capcom doesn’t want that.

mushin_Z: Do you think they’re making a deliberate choice to move the game in a direction that will attract a new generation?

GamerBee: Yes, of course. I’m really sure that’s their strategy. The reason why they have to do this is that we’ve already seen this happen and happen again: every popular fighting game, they have to release a new version. The “Ultra,” the “Super,” and they get more complicated. But every time they get harder, the skill cap is slowly rising… of course people that have stuck with playing will still like the new, harder games, and it makes it more fun to play, for them — and you have to respect the top players, because you know how hard it is. Maybe, Capcom just wants to try something new. Let’s make the game simple, so everyone can get started, and you don’t have to worry about practice; I guess that’s their aim.

mushin_Z: How does it make you feel that there’s this game that you’ve put so much time and effort and focus into — this franchise, that’s now moving in this direction?

GamerBee: OK — the only downside is: I’m lagging, I’m still trying to adapt to a new system. But, but — I do like that Street Fighter V is bringing so many opportunities to the whole fighting game scene. It’s actually a big benefit for everyone. Though I am still struggling to figure out how to play this game — it’s OK, because we get more opportunities than ever before. So, looking to the future, I’d say this has been a good decision [smiling], it’s just I don’t like being the person that has to make the sacrifice!

mushin_Z: [laughs]

GamerBee: I still want to catch up to that boat, that plane, I want to go far with this opportunity! So even we who are struggling, I would still say: maybe we should keep this change right now, because it’s good for everyone.

mushin_Z: To wrap up, is there anything you’d like to personally add for SRK readers?

GamerBee: Hmm… for us foreign users, even though I can speak English, it’s still really hard to use the forum system. It’s a really good place to discuss tips in detail. I want to be part of it! So maybe in the future, how about a section in Chinese, or in Japanese? Every pro player is playing Street Fighter V… SRK is the most important fighting game forum in the world, so I wish we could all discuss the game in the same place. A forum that would be easier for every Mandarin speaker, or Japanese speaker, to use — that would be awesome. I’ve played fighting games for a long time, and we all play differently. If we really want to get stronger in the future, we should really combine everyone together. Like Evo! Every major fighting game is at Evo, we come together into a really strong force that can compete with other esports. In the future, I think we should do that more and more.

mushin_Z: Maybe Evo Japan is a step in this direction.

GamerBee: It’s a start!

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Additional sources: Capcom Pro Tour; Capcom Fighters; smash.gg