In a recent interview with UK gaming magazine EDGE, ARMS producer Kosuke Yabuki and design director Shintaro Jikumaru revealed some extra details about the Nintendo Switch’s first major fighting game, mainly concerning the game’s motion controls.
Speaking about the game’s unique control scheme, Yabuki stated that “the true feel of ARMS comes when you’re holding both Joy-Con controllers in the Thumbs-Up grip”, but conceded that ARMS “does not require motion controls” in order to play. When played with a Pro Controller, your left and right punches are mapped to the triggers, you can guard by clicking in the left stick, with dodge and jump mapped to two of the face buttons.
However, according to the EDGE feature, “you can’t move in one direction and punch in the other” when on the Pro Controller, as the left stick is used to control the angle of your punches. You also cannot control the angle of your second punch until your first arm has fully extended, leaving JoyCon Grip and Pro Controller players at a massive disadvantage compared to those using motion controls.
As for new characters, the current roster of seven fighters is “just a fraction of what’s to come.” Expect more fighters to be revealed before ARMS’ June 16th release date.
Ronin | Alex Myers, high off his wins over EG|K-Brad and CJ Truth at Dreamhack Austin, found time before competing in top 8 to sit down with popular interviewer BornFree. Where most would likely work on practicing for their next matches, Alex generously talked for nearly an hour with BornFree about a long list of topics: Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, character selection, Dreamhack, tier lists, the state of SFV, and much more.
There’s a lot of little details revealed you may not have known about Alex, going in. For example, he got into the competitive scene because of Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but didn’t really find his footing in high level play until he switched to Street Fighter 4. If you wanted to know more about the Cammy pro, this is an entertaining listen!
A longtime Dhalsim specialist since the beginning of the Street Fighter IV series, and one of the strongest Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 players in the world, Splyce’s Ryan “FChamp” Ramirez continues to showcase his hard work and expertise in Street Fighter V, consistently placing high last year at several high-profile tournaments and finishing the year with a strong top 16 performance at Capcom Cup 2016.
This year so far, FChamp won SFV at Genesis 4, placed fifth at Fighters Underground 2017, advanced into the ELEAGUE quarterfinals, and placed third at his first major European tournament in Melbourne, Germany at Ultimate Fighting Arena 2017. While he didn’t place as high at Final Round 20 (17th), NorCal Regionals 2017 (33rd), and most recently at DreamHack Austin 2017 (33rd), his never-ending drive to be “perfect”–as he states in this interview with BornFree at DreamHack Austin 2017–will propel him to make an even bigger mark in the fighting game and esports scene as one of the best pro gamers in the world.
In this hour-long interview, BornFree asks FChamp what he’s looking forward to in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, his thoughts on the current and future state of SFV, his experience competing in the ELEAGUE, his advice for fellow player PG|Punk, and other various topics. In typical FChamp fashion, his answers are candid and NSFW, but at the same they are very in-depth, honest and insightful. Set aside some time for this must-watch interview and use the time stamps in the link description for some of the more relevant questions and answers.
One of the standout players of the Street Fighter V tournament at DreamHack Austin was Brian “Brian_F” Foster. Brian_F put on an amazing performance with his Balrog at DreamHack Austin, capped by an impressive win against PIE|Bryant “Smug” Huggins.
Prior to that performance, however, Brian_F was first interviewed by Mark “BornFree” Sheridan. In the interview Brian_F goes over training for Street Fighter V and how he’s adapted for the game; he talks about how his transition from Street Fighter IV was difficult, and how he initially got himself in a slump, stuck at Silver rank online.
In addition to this, he also talks about his favorite players–and in an amazing bit of foresight, talks about Smug specifically and how he would go about trying to beat him, before actually pulling off what he talks about in his real match against him.
Brian also discusses Street Fighter V’s balance, as well as his hopes for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. You can check out the entire interview below.
Justin Wong is still ready to tear it up in any and all fighting games!
At last weekend’s DreamHack Austin, BornFree managed to get a bit of time to talk to Echo Fox’s Justin Wong about a variety of topics–such as consulting PG|Punk as a fellow Karin main for advice on being more aggressive, the increasingly explosive (and thus more spectator-friendly) direction of Street Fighter V, and how Balrog is presently the best character in the game. They also discuss Wong’s favorite players, Arika’s potential Fighting Layer sequel, and how playing Tatsunoko vs. Capcom may be the best way to prepare for the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
It’s May, and even though Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 releases this month, we still have some great Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League matches to get through. This time, we’re going to see the “Potemkin Traitors” face each other in a FT7. That’s DaEvaBeato and BxA|dotNova, now Sol Badguy and Jack-O’ mains, while the other match is between Dead Spike and LTL.
Let’s learn a little about each candidate, and see what they think of their respective opponents.
DEB
On the match: “I’m very excited to play in an exhibition like this, as I don’t really go out that much for tournaments, so opportunities like this are really, really appreciated. I hope to put on a really good show for any Sol players as well! The matchup is pretty interesting, and the presence of her minions can change everything from neutral interactions to the pace of the match, but Sol’s reward off intelligent decisions is something that will keep the match going back and forth for sure. It’ll be a lot of pressure on both of us to keep consistent and clean, but I’ll do my best!”
On his opponent: “Me and Nova actually have a pretty long history! We both used to be Potemkin players, and funny enough, when I was new to Potemkin, he gave me quite a lot of help with getting stronger both as a player and as Potemkin. Additionally, we were both on the Potemkin team for CEOtaku 2016’s team tournament! Our playstyles are very different, but I can always see the genius in aspects of his style whenever I see him play. He is for sure one of the strongest Jack-O’ players in North America, and it’s impressive to see him channel his talents from Potemkin to a character like Jack-O’. Overall, I think he’s a very strong player, and definitely not one to sleep on–not that most people would with his tournament placings!”
On his own playstyle: “I would personally describe my own playstyle as “boring,” ha ha. I am not one of the Sol players who does a lot of flashy or cool things, and I try to avoid taking risks unless I feel like I must. I really look towards risk-reward for a majority of the things I do, and I try to structure my gameplan off that. I would probably describe my greatest strength with Sol as my neutral, although I am generally leaning towards a defensive playstyle, which I consider a strength! Above all, I really try being clean with my play. My time as a Potemkin player has for sure helped influence my decision-making and mindset, and I hope to show some strong patience and decision-making through the set.”
dotNova
On the match: “I feel it can go either way. Regarding the match-up, Jack-O’ can definitely excel in neutral as she can give Sol a difficult time when he tries to approach. However, Sol’s grounded buttons can definitely compete with Jack-O’s and the reward he gets on trades and counter-pokes is insanely high. I feel it’ll all depend on who adapts quicker and stays on top in neutral as either character can definitely run the other one down. Hopefully, my decision-making and reactions on defense are on point.”
On his opponent: “He’s definitely a solid player. Very good ground game and is more patient compared to most others I have played. As expected of a former Potemkin player! I fought him several times online since getting Steam and as long as both our connections stay stable (Northern Canada to Georgia) this should be a very enjoyable set.”
On his own playstyle: “Since picking up Jack-O’, I’ve been adjusting from a read-heavy style (thanks, netplay) to a much more reactive and controlled playstyle. Since she has much less health than Potemkin and even trades will spell the end of the character, I’ve been trying to maintain a proactive approach while taking as few risks as possible. I still have very bad habits I’m aware of and my execution needs a lot of work, but, win or lose, I’m positive this set will further improve my gameplay.”
Dead Spike
On the match: “I’m excited about the match, no strong feelings otherwise.”
On his opponent: “Don’t know him personally, and I don’t hear too much about Canadian players either. He seems like a genuinely nice guy though.”
On his own playstyle: “Not sure. Frequently been told I’m patient/defensive (with Ky).”
LTL
On the match: “I’m feeling confident that I’ll do well, I’ve done a lot of matchup and player studying to help me, and I do feel confident that I’ll win.”
On his opponent: “I talked to him a couple times, he’s a really cool dude and I plan on placating him a lot more after the exhibition. He plays a really solid/respectful gameplay style which I like.”
On his own playstyle: “I’d like to think of myself as aggressive, with a fair amount of reads, and a good understanding of blockstrings the opponent will do, and good matchup knowledge.”
Now that we know a little about our Daredevils, the stage is set for more hype FT7s. Later tonight, tune in to Silva_hime’s Twitch channel starting at 9:30 PM EST/8:30 PM CST/6:30 PM PDT. Silva and Havoc_Noah will get on the mic this time.
Legendary Street Fighter stalwart Alex “CaliPower” Valle sat down with Yahoo! Esports’ Michael “Bizarro Mike” Martin to run some Rashid v. Kolin matches. During the Street Fighter V set, Valle gave live narration of his thought process while playing Rashid, and his overall ideas on way to improve your own personal SFV play.
It’s pretty exciting to watch someone so in control of their game-play to explain themselves in real time. There’s plenty of valuable tips in this set, ranging from corner pressure to meter management. You don’t have to be a Rashid player to learn something from this veteran’s performance. (But Rashid players should probably pay close attention, too.)
Following CEO Dreamland, we got the chance to catch up with IMT|ANTi for a brief discussion about his thoughts on Smash 4, how to build a brand in this new world of esports and what he really thinks of Mario in this current meta. Don’t worry, we did ask him whether he is Team Milk First or Team Cereal First.
Sam “Trilby” Foxall: Do you feel playing Street Fighter has improved your Smash play and vice versa?
Jason “ANTi” Bates: I feel that the ideas that I took from Street Fighter definitely helped me get better in Smash. The biggest thing that I took from Street Fighter that I’ve implemented into my Smash gameplay is corner pressure/corner control. When I have my opponent locked down in a disadvantageous position I can keep them there for a longer period of time now.
SF: How hard is it transitioning between the two games? Do you have to massively change your mindset and playstyle when switching?
JB: I feel switching between games is quite easy, mainly because of how the controllers used to play each game aren’t remotely similar. For Smash I use a Teal GameCube controller, for Street Fighter I play on a Mad Catz TE2+ Arcade stick.
SF: I know you’ve said you feel like you’re in a bit of a slump with Smash 4 at the moment, what do you think has brought that on?
JB: I’m not quite sure what triggered this slump, but I feel as if I’ve been slumping for a very long time. But it also may be that since I am a perfectionist with my gameplay that it’s a mental thing. In recent times, I’ve shown that I am capable of placing top-16 consistently at large events, but that isn’t enough for me. I want to be in the grand finals of super majors such as Evo or CEO.
SF: What would you personally change about Smash 4 if you had the power?
JB: I would take away the rage mechanic entirely and just give characters more killing power across the board. That’s a personal preference and a big reason why I enjoyed Brawl so much. I’d also make it if you are near the ledge and someone attacks your shield, you will fall onto the ledge. That’s how it was in other Smash games but they made it so that doesn’t happen in Smash 4
SF: What is your honest opinion on Mario in the current meta?
JB: I currently do not believe he is a top-10 character but that doesn’t mean he isn’t top-tier. This game is very diverse and there are about 14 top-tier characters in my opinion. He’s around 11-12 on my personal list.
SF: What are your thoughts about mid-set coaching?
JB: I believe every player is entitled to at least one timeout per set to gain some insight from a friend. That is what makes Smash feel more like a sport.
SF: Are there any aspects of tournament production and organizing you’d like to see improved?
JB: I envy how games with developer support get such pristine production for their events/tournaments. I like to watch LoL tournaments because the stage at Riot Studios is something that I wish we had for Smash.
SF: I know your Civil War beef with Zinoto got people fired up, do you think Smash 4 needs more rivalries like that?
JB: I personally didn’t care for the “beef” after the first week, but I felt as if it was something I should do for the community since the buildup for Civil War seemed pretty stagnant and didn’t have any additional flavor to it. But I believe that entertainment should be found within the game.
SF: For other players looking to do well in this new world of esports, what do you think is the best way to build a brand?
JB: A great way to build your brand is to make sure you are constantly active on your social platform of choice. If you have an outgoing personality and like to have people watch you play video games, then you should be very active on Twitch. If you have a witty personality but you are always on the go, you should be active on Twitter since it allows you to showcase who you are at any given moment to your fanbase.
SF: With it having a tournament at CEO Dreamland, what do you miss about Brawl? Are there any players you particularly miss?
JB: I miss a lot of Brawl players since that game was my first true love. I miss Otori’s Meta Knight, Mikeneko’s Marth, and a lot of other players who didn’t move onto Smash 4 since they didn’t really prefer the game.
David Gama has been providing fantastic on-site interviews during ELEAGUE for the past week, and he’s added two new ones: Liang “Zhi” Chew and Steve “Tasty Steve” Scott.
Both interviews speak of how profoundly accommodating ELEAGUE has been to the needs of the FGC, and TBS’s recognition of needing to rely on the community’s own authenticity. Both commentators also hit on similar notes of passion: reflecting on how they are where they are today because they contributed to the community in their own ways. It’s perhaps not surprising that such strong personalities have made themselves into memorable commentators, but it’s also an inspiring lesson on the importance of the “C” in FGC.
When Echo Fox created its fighting game division early this year, one of the things that they did was sign away a a number of top players from rival team Evil Geniuses, such as Justin Wong and Yusuke Momochi. Aside from these players however, another EG veteran also made the move to Echo Fox: team manager Antonio “AJ” Javier.
At NorCal Regionals 2017 Mark “BornFree” Sheridan got the chance to talk to AJ and discuss a few things. In the interview below, AJ gives us a few behind-the-scenes glimpses into the workings of Echo Fox’s fighting game division, including recruitment, as well as working with team owner Rick Fox. Additionally, he also goes into what esports teams look for in fighting game players, and what players need to do if they want to get picked up.
