Saturday, August 30, 2008
It's time
Ever since SF4 came out, fewer and fewer people are playing CvS. I hate SF4 with a passion. For a while I would play it because everyone is playing it... but I asked myself... "WHY?" I don't have fun playing it. I'm not going to enter any tournaments for it. I'd rather play the computer in CvS and LOSE than win at SF4. So, I guess at 32 years of age, my fighting game days are over. I'll still play CvS and A2 in casuals, and maybe even tourney play. But no new fighting games interest me. TvC is a vs game, not gonna play it. SF4 is boring. Unless there's a CvS3 in the future (and there isn't), it's time to move on to something else. Thanks Capcom.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
same old same old
Nothing of significance happening right now. The last tournament, I didn't win a single game, so it made me rethink my team. I'm still keeping the same characters, but I've decided to start putting Blanka at R2. This is for 3 main reasons - 1) my Blanka is better than my Bison, 2) along with that, I need more practice with my Bison, and 3) Blanka seems to do better against Sagat, which is usually what kills me. I've been using Gief-Bison-Blanka2 or Bison-Gief-Blanka2 interchangeably, and I've had good results. Putting Bison first is only to get more practice with him without meter. My Gief and Blanka are solid enough now, though there's still room for improvement.
In other news, I played the final version of SF4 and it STILL sucks. It is quite possibly the WORST fighting game to ever have Street Fighter in its title. Worse than any EX game, worse than MvSF, and yes, probably even worse than Street Fighter the Movie. So much time went in to making it LOOK nice, it makes it an even bigger flop than it is from a gameplay perspective alone. Being overly simple is one thing. Being overly simple while trying to look like the best game ever is just plain stupid.
In other news, I played the final version of SF4 and it STILL sucks. It is quite possibly the WORST fighting game to ever have Street Fighter in its title. Worse than any EX game, worse than MvSF, and yes, probably even worse than Street Fighter the Movie. So much time went in to making it LOOK nice, it makes it an even bigger flop than it is from a gameplay perspective alone. Being overly simple is one thing. Being overly simple while trying to look like the best game ever is just plain stupid.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Back
To be honest, I forgot about this blog! A lot of things have happened. Although the Z2 tourney I won back in February was scheduled to be the last Mikado Z2 tourney, they ended up not moving, so they've had more. I played in one more tourney, using Dan... got out of the pools and then lost motivation (my friend was playing CvS2, and I wanted to play him instead!).
Last week, I went to Korea and got to play Poongko. He's good, but definitely not unbeatable. My Gief never lost to his Terry, and my broken left hand and the unfamiliar controls did a lot to hinder me.
Next week is a 3-on-3 at Sega. I'm teaming with Kim and Mulder. I think our team name is going to have something to do with the hot K-Groove Geese Girl, but not sure. I've been playing without my cast recently, and I can do pretty much everything. In fact, my hand is basically healed. They said 6 weeks, and it's been 4. At Tsudanuma Ace the other day, I went 12-0 and went to Shibuya, where I was like 0-9. That should tell you what the difference in levels of comp is! I hope we get Tsudanuma players in our first match next week...
Last week, I went to Korea and got to play Poongko. He's good, but definitely not unbeatable. My Gief never lost to his Terry, and my broken left hand and the unfamiliar controls did a lot to hinder me.
Next week is a 3-on-3 at Sega. I'm teaming with Kim and Mulder. I think our team name is going to have something to do with the hot K-Groove Geese Girl, but not sure. I've been playing without my cast recently, and I can do pretty much everything. In fact, my hand is basically healed. They said 6 weeks, and it's been 4. At Tsudanuma Ace the other day, I went 12-0 and went to Shibuya, where I was like 0-9. That should tell you what the difference in levels of comp is! I hope we get Tsudanuma players in our first match next week...
Friday, February 22, 2008
Street Fighter IV!
My day off just happened to be the first day of the SF4 testing in Kichijoji. I rode my bike over, waited about 15 minutes for a spot to park my bike, waited in line for about 10 minutes, and was thoroughly UNDERwhelmed.
I have been waiting for SF4 for years. The SF3 series wasn't my cup of tea, so I wanted SF4 to be good. I am extremely disappointed. Graphically it's amazing. The backgrounds are gorgeous. The characters look great (except for the faces, but I don't like faces in ANY 3D game...). It plays like a Street Fighter....
... if that Street Fighter was from two decades ago.
SF4 should have been the game to take the best things of all the different SF series, fix the problems, and present it in a new, refreshing way. Instead, it's taking the route of "all the recent games were shit, so we're going back to basics." The problem is, the result is TOO basic. Today's gamers are used to flash. They're used to having a ton of tools at their disposal and choosing when to use which tool. SF4 is basically 2 huge sprites poking at each other. Everything is very straightforward. The revenge attack feature is the only thing that felt new, but it wasn't enough.
10 characters, of which 2 are new.
2 colors per character.
1 super art per character.
I realize it's incomplete, but these things need to be addressed. The game looks great. Obviously a lot of time went into making the game. Unfortunately, they didn't put enough time into the "fun factor" of the game. It's just not fun as it is. Interesting enough to play it once, but not enough to keep you playing.
I have been waiting for SF4 for years. The SF3 series wasn't my cup of tea, so I wanted SF4 to be good. I am extremely disappointed. Graphically it's amazing. The backgrounds are gorgeous. The characters look great (except for the faces, but I don't like faces in ANY 3D game...). It plays like a Street Fighter....
... if that Street Fighter was from two decades ago.
SF4 should have been the game to take the best things of all the different SF series, fix the problems, and present it in a new, refreshing way. Instead, it's taking the route of "all the recent games were shit, so we're going back to basics." The problem is, the result is TOO basic. Today's gamers are used to flash. They're used to having a ton of tools at their disposal and choosing when to use which tool. SF4 is basically 2 huge sprites poking at each other. Everything is very straightforward. The revenge attack feature is the only thing that felt new, but it wasn't enough.
10 characters, of which 2 are new.
2 colors per character.
1 super art per character.
I realize it's incomplete, but these things need to be addressed. The game looks great. Obviously a lot of time went into making the game. Unfortunately, they didn't put enough time into the "fun factor" of the game. It's just not fun as it is. Interesting enough to play it once, but not enough to keep you playing.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
New Area, Same Result
Nagoya - Lost to Bas (and only Bas) in finals, got 2nd.
Shizuoka - Lost to Bas (and only Bas) in semis, got 3rd.
Nishi Sega - Lost to Bas (and only Bas) in first round. Got a golf clap.
Nagano - LOST TO BAS (AND ONLY BAS) IN FINALS, GOT 2ND.
I'm starting to see a pattern!
Results:
1. Bas
2. Me
3. Mulder
Yes, the top 3 in a Nagano tournament were all Tokyo players.
Granted, the best players in Nagano apparently weren't at the tournament (there were only 9 players total including Tokyo), but I still got some good streaks over the past two days. 24 with my real team. 15 with King, Blanka, Bison. 9 with Balrog, Blanka, Bison. 5-7 with Yamazaki/Kim/Ryo/etc., Blanka, Bison...
God, I love playing in the outer areas of Japan. :)
Shizuoka - Lost to Bas (and only Bas) in semis, got 3rd.
Nishi Sega - Lost to Bas (and only Bas) in first round. Got a golf clap.
Nagano - LOST TO BAS (AND ONLY BAS) IN FINALS, GOT 2ND.
I'm starting to see a pattern!
Results:
1. Bas
2. Me
3. Mulder
Yes, the top 3 in a Nagano tournament were all Tokyo players.
Granted, the best players in Nagano apparently weren't at the tournament (there were only 9 players total including Tokyo), but I still got some good streaks over the past two days. 24 with my real team. 15 with King, Blanka, Bison. 9 with Balrog, Blanka, Bison. 5-7 with Yamazaki/Kim/Ryo/etc., Blanka, Bison...
God, I love playing in the outer areas of Japan. :)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Ghetto Champion
Mikado finally put up the Z2 tourney from January. I downloaded my matches and put them on my YouTube account. Unfortunately, 1st round matches aren't recorded. My memory was failing me a bit when I wrote my report. I only lost one round in the matches they have. From these vids you can see why they call me Ghetto Gief.
My 2nd Round Match vs. Kazuta
My 3rd Round Match vs. you1
Me in the Semifinals vs. Yosaku
Me in the Finals vs. Leonhard
My 2nd Round Match vs. Kazuta
My 3rd Round Match vs. you1
Me in the Semifinals vs. Yosaku
Me in the Finals vs. Leonhard
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Nishi Sega and afterwards
Forgot to post yesterday. I went to Nishi Sega about an hour before signups to get in some practice time. Not practicing before the Mikado tournament had me perform like shit in my first few matches, so I wanted to make sure I was warmed up before the tourney. I got to play Tsugunosuke and Vega Curry a few times, beating them both and getting it close when I lost. I also played some random people. I felt like I was in good shape. This was going to be my first singles tournament in Tokyo in a long while. In Shizuoka, I beat everyone except Bas - losing to him in semis and eventually taking 3rd. In Nagoya, I beat everyone except Bas - losing to him like a dumbass in the finals to take 2nd...
I got Bas first round.
The streak continues. In the past 3 singles tournaments I have entered, I have lost to Bas and ONLY to Bas every single time. This sucks. I felt good about myself too! In teams, I ended up teaming with Yoshio and we took 3rd. We got a bye first round, I swept BEA and Konto-san, then we both got rocked by Mizoteru. That put us in the 3rd place match, which would have been against a solo Bas, but he had to leave so we got 3rd by default.
Afterwards, pretty much every name in the tourney went over to Mikado for some casuals (Nishi Sega is twice the price to play). I could hang with just about everybody there but Mizoteru. I beat Gao, Bari, Kousaka, Vega Curry, etc. Not decisively every single time, and of course I lost, but I think I'm getting better and closer to the upper level of players.
Today I talked to Bas, and some players are going down to Nagano next weekend for 3 days of CvS2. It's a 3-day weekend, but I'm scheduled to work that Monday. I requested it off, and my boss said it should be ok. I'll be heading down with Mulder in his 2-seater. Mulder's really cool. I've been talking to him more since the Shizuoka trip. Today I got to play against his Gief for the first time in a while. I used to marvel at how good his C-Gief was, but I think my A-Gief is getting close to that level. We go back and forth when we go against each other, and we can both take out mid-tier players pretty easily. Top-tier players, we at least make it difficult - which is the goal, since Gief really sucks. Today I went to Shibukan to talk to him about the trip and got in some good games. Playing against him makes me more patient. It's good practice. I played Bas and beat him twice - once for each of his grooves. If only I did that yesterday!
I got Bas first round.
The streak continues. In the past 3 singles tournaments I have entered, I have lost to Bas and ONLY to Bas every single time. This sucks. I felt good about myself too! In teams, I ended up teaming with Yoshio and we took 3rd. We got a bye first round, I swept BEA and Konto-san, then we both got rocked by Mizoteru. That put us in the 3rd place match, which would have been against a solo Bas, but he had to leave so we got 3rd by default.
Afterwards, pretty much every name in the tourney went over to Mikado for some casuals (Nishi Sega is twice the price to play). I could hang with just about everybody there but Mizoteru. I beat Gao, Bari, Kousaka, Vega Curry, etc. Not decisively every single time, and of course I lost, but I think I'm getting better and closer to the upper level of players.
Today I talked to Bas, and some players are going down to Nagano next weekend for 3 days of CvS2. It's a 3-day weekend, but I'm scheduled to work that Monday. I requested it off, and my boss said it should be ok. I'll be heading down with Mulder in his 2-seater. Mulder's really cool. I've been talking to him more since the Shizuoka trip. Today I got to play against his Gief for the first time in a while. I used to marvel at how good his C-Gief was, but I think my A-Gief is getting close to that level. We go back and forth when we go against each other, and we can both take out mid-tier players pretty easily. Top-tier players, we at least make it difficult - which is the goal, since Gief really sucks. Today I went to Shibukan to talk to him about the trip and got in some good games. Playing against him makes me more patient. It's good practice. I played Bas and beat him twice - once for each of his grooves. If only I did that yesterday!
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