One of the most amazing aspects, in my personal opinion, of Street Fighter V to date has been the crossover appeal that it has garnered within the fighting game community at large. Many games have existed in their own isolated communities over the years, with few players truly crossing over outside of casual, passing interest in other titles. Even fewer broke out in their secondary games to make an impact on the competitive scenes of those games.
With Street Fighter V, that is clearly changing. One of the most notable scenes for this to date has been Korea, which has scene an influx of players from Tekken and The King of Fighters branch out to Street Fighter V with varying degrees of success. In Street Fighter Crash, two players that got their start in Tekken–Sazabi and 200won–are on one team in the Top 4 of the event, poised to take home fight money in their first big event of the game.
With the new Street Fighter blood crossing over from Tekken, one question in Korea is whether these players who have their roots in 3D fighting will be able to be strong and competitive against players who have cut their teeth primarily on the 2D plane. While Tekken players’ results at Evo will definitely be a strong litmus test, Drakefang from ArcadeStream seeks to be the first person to answer that question.
On Friday night in Korea (Friday morning in America), ten players will converge in a 5-on-5 team battle between Team Arcade Stream and Team Tekken. While nothing is on the line, it will be an interesting test of how well Tekken players are transitioning into the game, especially with the names attending.
Team Arcade Stream:
[TAS] RagingStormX (USA – Vega)
[TAS] SamsonK (USA – Chun-Li)
[TAS] Mag9xmitsuko (USA – R. Mika)
[TAS] zZInsaneZz (Brazil – R. Mika)
[TAS] ROF (Australia – Birdie)
Team Tekken (All Korean):
Knee (?)
Sazabi (Zangief)
200won (R. Mika)
RedStar (Ken)
Narak HOF (Zangief)
What is interesting to note is that each match will be played best of 3, with every team member playing one another, with the best aggregate score winning the exhibition. Also of note is that this event is not character locked like most team exhibitions, which means counter-picking is entirely possible.
Want to see which discipline stands tall at the end? Tune in at 7 AM EDT Friday, May 27th (4 AM PDT) to find out!
One of the most amazing aspects, in my personal opinion, of Street Fighter V to date has been the crossover appeal that it has garnered within the fighting game community at large. Many games have existed in their own isolated communities over the years, with few players truly crossing over outside of casual, passing interest in other titles. Even fewer broke out in their secondary games to make an impact on the competitive scenes of those games.
With Street Fighter V, that is clearly changing. One of the most notable scenes for this to date has been Korea, which has scene an influx of players from Tekken and The King of Fighters branch out to Street Fighter V with varying degrees of success. In Street Fighter Crash, two players that got their start in Tekken–Sazabi and 200won–are on one team in the Top 4 of the event, poised to take home fight money in their first big event of the game.
With the new Street Fighter blood crossing over from Tekken, one question in Korea is whether these players who have their roots in 3D fighting will be able to be strong and competitive against players who have cut their teeth primarily on the 2D plane. While Tekken players’ results at Evo will definitely be a strong litmus test, Drakefang from ArcadeStream seeks to be the first person to answer that question.
On Friday night in Korea (Friday morning in America), ten players will converge in a 5-on-5 team battle between Team Arcade Stream and Team Tekken. While nothing is on the line, it will be an interesting test of how well Tekken players are transitioning into the game, especially with the names attending.
Team Arcade Stream:
[TAS] RagingStormX (USA – Vega)
[TAS] SamsonK (USA – Chun-Li)
[TAS] Mag9xmitsuko (USA – R. Mika)
[TAS] zZInsaneZz (Brazil – R. Mika)
[TAS] ROF (Australia – Birdie)
Team Tekken (All Korean):
Knee (?)
Sazabi (Zangief)
200won (R. Mika)
RedStar (Ken)
Narak HOF (Zangief)
What is interesting to note is that each match will be played best of 3, with every team member playing one another, with the best aggregate score winning the exhibition. Also of note is that this event is not character locked like most team exhibitions, which means counter-picking is entirely possible.
Want to see which discipline stands tall at the end? Tune in at 7 AM EDT Friday, May 27th (4 AM PDT) to find out!
Editor’s note: Some responses have been slightly altered for clarity. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the interviewer and interviewee; they do not reflect Shoryuken as a whole.
When it comes to competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee, most players will pick Fox, Falco, Sheik, Marth, Jigglypuff and Peach to place high in tournaments. Sometimes, there is the occasional Captain Falcon, Samus or Ice Climbers player making a mark with decent to amazing results. Other than those “top tier” characters, you rarely see players climbing up the ranks with the rest of the cast unless, perhaps, your name is Axe or Abate.
However, there has been one player in the Melee community who has been competing since its beginnings as a competitive game with Link, who’s considered by many to be a mid to low tier character. The player I’m speaking of is of course none other than German “Germ” Roverso.
Roverso, 30, who hails from Concord, California, has been a big part of the Smash Bros. scene since March 2002. Besides beating down opponents with the Hero of Time for almost 15 years, he is one of the event organizers and producers for Genesis, one of the biggest Smash Bros. tournament series. He also has a passion for art and graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA with a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration in 2011.
I got to meet German for the first time at the Folsom Street Foundry during one of their weekly tournaments, Get Smashed at the Foundry, after many years of following his competitive career as a high-level Link player. He comes every Tuesday to compete, mingle and have a few drinks with some of the casual and notable players in the Northern California Melee scene such as DaJuan “Shroomed” McDaniel and Zac “SFAT” Cordoni.
German has a few interesting stories to tell about his time in the Smash Bros. communities. I recently sat down with him at DNA Pizza to talk about a variety of topics concerning his thoughts on the past, present and future of Melee and the rest of the Smash Bros. community.
Marcos Blanco: Why did you choose to play as Link who is considered by many players in the Melee community to be not a strong character in this game?
German Roverso: I picked up Link first in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 and it’s not because I liked The Legend of Zelda. I liked the way his bombs sounded when they hit something. His up+B got better in Melee, and I just stuck with him ever since. Also he was just untapped still. The fact that I could invent a character was very appealing to me.
MB: I remember you told me recently that you don’t like Link as a character and that you actually like Samus from the Metroid series. Do you play any other characters in Melee besides Link and Samus? I’ve also seen you play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U a couple of times at the Foundry with Mega Man. What are your thoughts on the game?
GR: I used to destroy SFAT with Samus! I have the record of beating Zac with the most characters. I also do play Falco. If someone destroys my Link, I pick him. Playing Link takes so much concentration. You have to out-think everyone with Link even if they suck. Sometimes I just want to autopilot (laughs). I played Smash 4 [competitively] for a few months and then stopped. I still enjoy playing it for fun. Technically, it gets to a point where you hit a ceiling.
MB: The differences between Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and, most recently, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U seems to have caused a huge divide in the Smash community at large over the last several years. Why do you think that is and do you feel animosity between the Melee and Brawl/Smash for Wii U communities has subsided or is there still some left over?
GR: It’s hard to say, really. It comes down to what each community is owed or entitled to. Especially as far as eSports goes as a whole. The [Melee] community thinks they’re owed because of time invested, longevity and that it’s the more competitive game. Smash 4 is like ‘We’re the new game. We’re the better-looking game that has corporate backing.’ The Smash 4 community is so different. I don’t think the level of camaraderie is there like it is with the Melee community.
MB: After 15 years, Melee and Super Smash Bros. in general has become more popular than ever and seems to have been accepted as a true competitive fighting game series in the FGC as well as getting more exposure in the eSports world. Where do you see the franchise heading in the future? Can it get bigger than it already is and how so?
GR: We need to make more noise. We’re trying to push the envelope as far as production goes. Once production comes, the corporate sponsors will come as well. We can eventually get to the level of DOTA 2 where you could win a million dollars. Also, if Nintendo makes Super Smash Bros. Melee HD, that would be it (laughs).
MB: Can the meta in competitive Melee evolve further than it already has? When I was at Genesis 3, the reactions from the spectators and competitors as Mango was tearing through the losers bracket in top eight, it looked like they were watching him for the first time playing as if he’s showing new things they’ve never seen before.
GR: Melee is the chess of fighting games. It’s a timeless game with an infinite ceiling. As long as you have that, I can’t see the game ever going away. When you watch insane, high-level Melee now, it’s like players say ‘Wow. How can I play that fast?’ It’s those little things that nobody thought of back then that collect to make one giant advantage that’s not super obvious to the casual player.
Editor’s note: Some responses have been slightly altered for clarity. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the interviewer and interviewee; they do not reflect Shoryuken as a whole.
When it comes to competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee, most players will pick Fox, Falco, Sheik, Marth, Jigglypuff and Peach to place high in tournaments. Sometimes, there is the occasional Captain Falcon, Samus or Ice Climbers player making a mark with decent to amazing results. Other than those “top tier” characters, you rarely see players climbing up the ranks with the rest of the cast unless, perhaps, your name is Axe or Abate.
However, there has been one player in the Melee community who has been competing since its beginnings as a competitive game with Link, who’s considered by many to be a mid to low tier character. The player I’m speaking of is of course none other than German “Germ” Roverso.
Roverso, 30, who hails from Concord, California, has been a big part of the Smash Bros. scene since March 2002. Besides beating down opponents with the Hero of Time for almost 15 years, he is one of the event organizers and producers for Genesis, one of the biggest Smash Bros. tournament series. He also has a passion for art and graduated from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA with a Bachelor of Arts in Illustration in 2011.
I got to meet German for the first time at the Folsom Street Foundry during one of their weekly tournaments, Get Smashed at the Foundry, after many years of following his competitive career as a high-level Link player. He comes every Tuesday to compete, mingle and have a few drinks with some of the casual and notable players in the Northern California Melee scene such as DaJuan “Shroomed” McDaniel and Zac “SFAT” Cordoni.
German has a few interesting stories to tell about his time in the Smash Bros. communities. I recently sat down with him at DNA Pizza to talk about a variety of topics concerning his thoughts on the past, present and future of Melee and the rest of the Smash Bros. community.
Marcos Blanco: Why did you choose to play as Link who is considered by many players in the Melee community to be not a strong character in this game?
German Roverso: I picked up Link first in Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 64 and it’s not because I liked The Legend of Zelda. I liked the way his bombs sounded when they hit something. His up+B got better in Melee, and I just stuck with him ever since. Also he was just untapped still. The fact that I could invent a character was very appealing to me.
MB: I remember you told me recently that you don’t like Link as a character and that you actually like Samus from the Metroid series. Do you play any other characters in Melee besides Link and Samus? I’ve also seen you play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U a couple of times at the Foundry with Mega Man. What are your thoughts on the game?
GR: I used to destroy SFAT with Samus! I have the record of beating Zac with the most characters. I also do play Falco. If someone destroys my Link, I pick him. Playing Link takes so much concentration. You have to out-think everyone with Link even if they suck. Sometimes I just want to autopilot (laughs). I played Smash 4 [competitively] for a few months and then stopped. I still enjoy playing it for fun. Technically, it gets to a point where you hit a ceiling.
MB: The differences between Melee, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and, most recently, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U seems to have caused a huge divide in the Smash community at large over the last several years. Why do you think that is and do you feel animosity between the Melee and Brawl/Smash for Wii U communities has subsided or is there still some left over?
GR: It’s hard to say, really. It comes down to what each community is owed or entitled to. Especially as far as eSports goes as a whole. The [Melee] community thinks they’re owed because of time invested, longevity and that it’s the more competitive game. Smash 4 is like ‘We’re the new game. We’re the better-looking game that has corporate backing.’ The Smash 4 community is so different. I don’t think the level of camaraderie is there like it is with the Melee community.
MB: After 15 years, Melee and Super Smash Bros. in general has become more popular than ever and seems to have been accepted as a true competitive fighting game series in the FGC as well as getting more exposure in the eSports world. Where do you see the franchise heading in the future? Can it get bigger than it already is and how so?
GR: We need to make more noise. We’re trying to push the envelope as far as production goes. Once production comes, the corporate sponsors will come as well. We can eventually get to the level of DOTA 2 where you could win a million dollars. Also, if Nintendo makes Super Smash Bros. Melee HD, that would be it (laughs).
MB: Can the meta in competitive Melee evolve further than it already has? When I was at Genesis 3, the reactions from the spectators and competitors as Mango was tearing through the losers bracket in top eight, it looked like they were watching him for the first time playing as if he’s showing new things they’ve never seen before.
GR: Melee is the chess of fighting games. It’s a timeless game with an infinite ceiling. As long as you have that, I can’t see the game ever going away. When you watch insane, high-level Melee now, it’s like players say ‘Wow. How can I play that fast?’ It’s those little things that nobody thought of back then that collect to make one giant advantage that’s not super obvious to the casual player.
After a week hiatus, SpoTV will return this Saturday night (in the west) with the latest installment of Street Fighter Crash, and it aims to be a big one. Three of the four seeded teams have ultimately made it through to the Top 4 of the event, with Team Topanga (Tokido, Momochi, and Mago), Team Razer (Infiltration, Fuudo, and Xian), and Team Southeast (Poongko, HumanBomb, and Gamerbee) all still in the hunt. However, there is one Korean team still poised for competition, with IsaCenter (Sandbag, 200won, and Sazabi) proving to be a formidable force going up against the minefield that has been the Crash bracket so far.
With Team Topanga and Team Razer already having squared off in the Top 8 with one of the most impressive upsets in Momochi handily dispatching Infiltration before he could even face his chief rival, Tokido, Poongko and Gamerbee wanting to prove that they are of the highest caliber in this game, and a relatively unknown team from Korea wanting to prove that they’re not a fluke, this episode is shaping up to be quite dramatic. Who will make it to the Grand Finals in the season finale next week? Who will go home salty? You owe it to yourselves to tune in and find out live on Twitch. Be sure to tune in for the broadcast at 1 AM EDT Sunday, May 29th (10 PM PDT Saturday, May 28th)!
The hype for Combo Breaker is slowly reaching a critical level, and tons of Guilty Gear Xrd players are prepping this week for the announced brackets. But one event that’s sure to be a memorable appetizer for fans of this airdasher is the Guilty Gear Xrd Battle Summit, a 5v5 exhibition that showcases the best players from their respective regions.
Let’s take a look at each team’s lineup and analyze what they bring to the table.
This team practically screams “OG.” The trio of scene veterans–and I mean veterans to the truest degree–Elven Shadow, Sym, and BlackSNAKE have an incredible weight of experience behind them. It’s going to be very tough to break them. BlackSNAKE is the type of player who calculates and mercilessly grinds nearly every situation imaginable. He’s one of the only two Venoms in all of the teams. Oddly enough, this team has two Millias, which could turn out to be a weakness or a strength. While both Sym and ChosenNinja have strong mastery over the setplay character, this is the matchup that a lot of the top players will have figured out by now. A strong Elphelt or Johnny could be trouble for this team.
What’s strong about the composition of this team is a combination of powerful characters with a few unconventional ones. This is the only team to feature a Ramlethal and Axl. Ramlethal has been hurt by a patch from the -SIGN- era, but her setplay can get intense if she gets you cornered. Similarly, Axl Low can throw off anyone who hasn’t practiced against this somewhat niche character. As for the rest, Johnny, Chipp, and Sin are all quite scary in the right hands.
A pretty straightforward team, and what’s bizarre, YooYoung is the only Sol in the team exhibition. Dekline is a very solid Sin player, and that character has emerged as one of the stronger ones in Xrd. The real ace is going to be NerdJosh, as Elphelt is a universally feared combatant. He reached 3rd place recently at the West Coast Warzone tournament, losing to Kizzie Kay’s Sin. This team might be very troublesome for those who don’t have an Elphelt on their lineup. Most of these matchups are also advantageous to Sin, so hopefully for them, they’re not matched against Team South.
This Midwest team also has some niche characters on its roster: Bedman and Slayer. That’s definitely going to be an advantage, especially for those opponents who haven’t specifically faced KBnova or Grant. Grant, a younger Chicago-based player, enjoys developing off-the-wall tech for Slayer. As for the rest, they are experienced Guilty Gear players who may be a little weak to the top-tier choices. But still, any of them have the potential to pull through and beat the popular characters.
This team has a well-rounded cast. There’s an all-out zoner, Venom, and both Ky and Elpehlt have some zoning capabilities. FaultyDefense terrorized the recent Texas Showdown, beating out the competition, especially Oso’s Elphelt, in grueling finals. However, the rest of the squad has also frequently placed in top 8s, making this one of the scarier compositions for Combo Breaker.
The West Coast has a strong Anime scene, and this team’s roster is filled with experienced players. It’s hard to say whether Foo can utilize Johnny as well as the other teammates, since it’s a character new to -REVELATOR-, but he undoubtedly could be an asset. By now, there’s a lot of Johnny tech posted on Twitter and YouTube. There are only two Chipp players in the Battle Summit, and both are a force to be reckoned with.
MarlinPie recently triumphed at Toryuken, while Lord Knight placed fourth. While they’re both incredibly solid players, Lost Soul recently beat out one of the top Japanese players, Dogura, at Final Round. This pushed the Japanese playerbase to declare Lost Soul as the top American Elphelt player; whether he is or not doesn’t matter as much as his actual talent. I can see how facing this team can be terrifying for the other players, and they definitely have a lot of potential to win the exhibition. It’s also nice to see a Jack-O’ in the tournament, and the new character may catch people off-guard.
Who are your favorites to win the Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- Battle Summit? We can’t wait to find out, and Combo Breaker 2016 is shaping up to be an incredible event. Make sure to stay tuned to our coverage!
For those who want to spruce up their purchase of the upcoming King of Figthers XIV, Atlus just announced the Premium Edition of the game, equipped with plenty of additional goodies.
Titled “Burn to Fight,” this version of the PlayStation 4 fighter comes with a 3-disc soundtrack and a large art book, all packaged in a collector’s edition box. This version of the game will set you back $79.99. Here are the full details:
SteelBook – The game disc will be encased in a collectible SteelBook emblazoned with the series’ fiery mainstay, Kyo Kusanagi, literally burning to fight.
Art book – This 144-page art book will be filled with original character/stage drawings from throughout the series.
3-Disc Soundtrack – Those looking for an audio fix will be able to enjoy a three-disc soundtrack (housed in a gorgeous Mai Shiranui illustrated case) comprised of 60+ electric songs worthy of the greatest fighting tournament in the world.
Collector’s Box – All the above items will be packaged in a scorching box adorned with familiar characters.
If you’re looking to get your hands on The King of Fighters XIV before ordering a copy for yourself, there’s an opportunity to play a demo of the game at this weekend’s Combo Breaker. The King of Fighters XIV will be out in North America on August 23, Japan on August 25, and Europe on August 26.
Former super middleweight world champion Lucian Bute (32-3-1, 25 KOs) tested positive for a banned substance following his draw against WBC champion Badou Jack on April 30.
The WBC announced on Thursday afternoon that it was notified by the D.C. Boxing and Wrestling Commission that Bute had tested positive for a banned substance in his postfight anti-doping test.
Romanian-born Bute, who resides in Canada, tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine, also known as Enobosarm, which can be…
As we reported earlier, SNK will be debuting a new public build of The King of Fighters XIV with 36 playable characters. While this build isn’t supposed to be revealed until the the 28th, the folks over at Orochinagi have been able to get a screenshot of the character select screen from the new build.
Now let’s get straight to the point, the new 36 character public build of The King of Fighters XIV doesn’t feature some of the fighters shown off in the latest trailers. So anyone looking for footage of Mature is out of luck. That said, it still features a good number of characters who weren’t in any previous builds such as Joe Higashi, Mui Mui, Nakoruru, Hein and new protagonist Shun’ei.
You can check out the screenshot of the character select screen here.
For those who aren’t familiar with the characters in the above select screen are (starting from the upper left):
Kyo Kusanagi
Benimaru Nikaido
Goro Daimon
Nelson
Bandeiras Hattori
Chang Koehan
Choi Bounge
Sylvie Paula Paula
Kukri
Iori Yagami
Vice
King of Dinosaurs
K’
Kula Diamond
Maxima
Terry Bogard
Andy Bogard
Joe Higashi
Ryo Sakazaki
Robert Garcia
Yuri Sakazaki
Ralph Jones
Clark Still
Leona Heidern
Shun’ei
Tung Fu Rue
King
Mai Shiranui
Athena Asamiya
Chin Gentsai
Nakoruru
Mui Mui
Kim Kaphwan
Luong
Billy Kane
Hein
This new build is making its debut on April 28, this Saturday, and will be making appearances in games centers around Japan throughout the month of June.
SNK has kept a quick pace when it comes to trailers for the latest King of Fighters title, knocking out another Team Trailer today. This time, the trailer features the Fatal Fury crew.
We’ve gotten good looks at Andy and Terry before, but that’s of course not the centerpiece of the trailer. This is the best look we’ve gotten at Joe so far, and we also get a taste of the lovely track “Departure from South Town.”
These trailers seem to be dropping weekly, so be sure to keep an eye out for the next one. The order of character trailers appears to be that shown on the official site, so Team Art of Fighting has a good chance of being shown next on the list.
