Thursday, June 21, 2012

The MLG Experience

Back from Anaheim with the scoop from my point of view so lets get crackin' shall we?

First off I would like to say that Anaheim being my first MLG was prolly a damn good choice. The venue was super huge, tons of space, really clean and all in all a great choice so big ups to MLG for that one, excellent venue! The scale in which they are doing production for gaming is totally on another level than I originally thought entirely. Granted I had an idea but they completely blew away my expectations. It was pretty dope being able to see the action going on in each section with so many projectors! From the StarCraft2 expansion testing area to the fighters arena, to even the Sony and Madcatz booth! You could literally see everything if you just looked up just a little. Yet another plus in my book.

The event itself showed love to each and every area too! TONS of casual setups to practice on before tournament time and during tournament time. Granted they closed the casuals off for a period of time to push for some more spectators which makes sense. People should be paying attention to the main events instead of casuals. Not upset at that because it makes sense again so moving on...All the players from what I noticed were having a genuine good time from casuals to watching. I know I sure did! I mean throughout they allowed players as guest commentators as well. That I think was really good for each community. It really shows that they care a lot more than one may think and we have people like Arturo Sanchez to thank for that so big ups to that guy always trying to do his thing and help out. Not only that but they did live player interviews which was also dope. I was grateful to be one of the few picked for the interviews during the "Real Talk" session lol. You can catch that on the fighters stream archive at 43min into it ^_^ (YES SELF PROMOTION LOL)



The competition was strong in all games. I competed in King of Fighters 13 and Soul Calibur 5 and I was impressed across the board. Not so much in KoF because I was already aware of the strength of SoCal however SC5 and MK was quite interesting. With players like Hawkeye, Link RKC, Kayane, Keev and Japan's Tokido in there going for the gold...it was quite the tournament to just watch alone. MK on the other hand was filled with at TON of upsets like Curbolicious not getting far or Reo falling short of top 8. Or how about Perfect Legend 3-0'ing CD Jr? I'd also like to add my very own homies from Houston Showtime(Cage), Cat(Kabal), Scar(Skarlet), DevilJim(Mileena), and Starcharger(Kitana) making some noise as well. I'd like to say I'm super impressed by these guys performance because nobody really knows about TX MK as far as I know outside of perhaps Tom Brady and Jop. Either way that was great to see as a Houstonian for sure. All in all watching the event was just pure win if you ask me. Top players, high lvl comp, great crowd, lots of exposure? PURE WIN.

My performance?
I was actually quite pleased by my performance actually. I believe whole heartedly I did the best I could with what preparation I had. With that said, I have zero excuses to be quite frank. Anything that was missed was purely my own fault and it's up to me to fix these problems. My philosophy in fighters is that, no matter what do your best to not make excuses. Whiners and complainers make excuses about tournament losses. Champions re-evaluate and improve on their short comings. I have already went back and look at the archive of my KoF match and replayed my SC5 matches in my mind and have already been improving on those faults of my own. I'd give this advice to every player because it can be difficult to take tournament losses especially if they set their sights super high just to get shot down. It happens and one shouldn't beat themselves up over it, just simply improve is the only thing to do other than taking a break or just quitting..DON'T QUIT lol!

All in all I had an amazing time and I totally intend to try to make even more MLG events. I'm very pleased that they're giving fighting games a chance and I sure hope some where down the line more of the fighting game community pick up on this and embrace the support that MLG is offering the players. I think both FGC events and MLG events can be supported equally. MLG DALLAS~ HERE I COME!

Friday, May 25, 2012

New Zone of the Enders!?!

I shat my pants at this! #thankyoubasedkojima
I have been waiting to hear some kinda news on this for like AGES! Now it looks like they're going public with even more info, granted its still in its infancy I can say that again...I been waiting for a LONG TIME for this! ZOE1 was a great intro to the series and 2nd Runner was just freaking mind blowing at the time of the PS2 without a doubt. Actually ZOE HD collection will be out not too long from now thankfully so I can get my fix of preferably 2nd Runner again with cleaner graphics. Whew...SO HYPE!




Monday, May 21, 2012

The Kensou Guide to Nests Kyo

*DISCLAIMER* This is based solely on what I've experienced personally playing and what I've viewed from various outlets of players that have used this character. So think of this as a collective of that very media. 
(5-21-12 verB)

Pros
-Great corner carry combos
-Strong pressure game
-Guard Point Special Moves
-Among one of the best punish characters in the game
-Great battery character

Cons
-Cross up j.2C weaker than XIII Kyo
-Can be kept outside of sweet spot
-Far reaching lows are problematic

Strongest Point - Pressure and Punishment 
Best Placement Any   



About Nests Kyo
Nests Kyo is the old style Kyo (Rekka Ken style) seen in KoF starting from '96 all the way through till XI where he was a hybrid of 94-98 with added perks and new Rekka strings. This version is primarily based off '98 play style, staying inside with strong pressure and heavy punishment. Or for those that have never played any version of King of Fighters, this Kyo is more similar to Capcom vs SNK 2 Kyo.

Throws
Issetsu Seoi Nage = (b/f + C/D) 
Causes a hard knockdown. A very strong throw in which ends with the opponent facing up which is a good position for Nests. This throw sets up cross up j.2C mixups, empty jump mixups and everything else to make his okizeme game very potent.

Unique Attacks
Gofu Yo (f+B)
Overhead that can be chained into from cancellable attacks. Unlike XIII Kyo, Nests can combo from this attack like older versions of Kyo into 212 Shiki (running grab). Making this a standard go to attack in pressure and combos.

Chain Cancellables
st.A > f+B
st.C > f+B
st.B > f+B
cr.A > f+B
cr.C > f+B
cr.D > f+B

88 Shiki (df+D)
Low attack that hits twice. Non cancellable outside of HD Mode. Unfortunately XII Kyo has the better version of this move as it's cancellable on the first hit making it prime for his combos unlike Nests.

Special Moves
--------------------
Please refer to the Dream Cancel Wiki

Understanding Your Primary Focus
The goal of Nests Kyo is to get inside and stay inside applying pressure once you find an opening in the opponent's defense. From there, you punish accordingly to your pressure game. The way that you transition into this is to apply pressure with 104 Shiki Aragami (qcf+A) tree strings (rekka tree strings). Another goal to achieve is to corner carry the opponent with every punish and focus on the corner trapping. Understand that pressure isn't infinite and there will always be holes in pressure so be mindful about how much pressure you apply to the opponent. Use the pressure to force a mistake and read the situation accordingly and punish accordingly. This is your primary focus.

Far Range Game
You don't have much to rely on outside of working your way in slowly. Against zoner characters (Ash, Saiki, Robert, King etc) you can use -EX- R.E.D. Kick (projectile invincible) to gain ground on their zoning game if not knock them down with this move. This is of course if you have power gauge. Otherwise if you have no power gauge, you have to rely on avoiding projectiles and blocking to get in. If you're at the full screen neutral game you may want to consider building meter with whiffed 104 Shiki's. But be warned that you're still whiffing an attack and you're vulnerable to some full screen punishes if your opponent can catch on to you building meter. Again, concentrate on moving in slowly to get into position. Try not to push forward too hard when at the full screen neutral game.

The Mid Range Game
Just about in position! Your mid range should be roughly about sweep to st.D range or a bit outside of these ranges. The idea for this is to be in the range to tip the enemy with your 104 Shiki and gain some respect on the ground game. Being at these ranges makes it a bit easier to guard point mid/high normals and specials with 104 Shiki.

The Close Range Game
The absolute sweet spot! Up close you can abuse your st.A and st.B since both hit crouching opponents. With this in mind you can set up a solid frame trap game. Frame trapping is one of Nests Kyo's biggest strengths due to those key pokes. They start up quick and when done correctly can really put the enemy in a jailed position. Use these in accordance to throwing, empty jumping, big jump baiting to make these even more effective.

Frame Trap Examples
-cr.B > close st.C
-cr.B > cr.C
-cr.B > st.A > walk up > st.C
-close st.A >close st.C
-cr.Bx2 > walk up > st.A > st.B

The Close Range Game Extended-104 Shiki Aragami Pressure (qcf+A)
The idea behind this concept of pressure is to condition the enemy with the first 104 Shiki and place delays in between the rest of the tree. Alternatively, you do NOT have to continue with the tree! You can simply keep going for the 104 Shiki to fish for things such as guard pointing normals and such. This then will create a sense of uncertainty in the enemy if done successfully.

The Close Range Game Extended 2-Other Uses for 104 Shiki Aragami (qcf+A)
Whiff canceling your crouching D into 104 Shiki will cover 2 bases:

-cr.D will cover the range for people attempting to run inside and mount offense.
-cr.D whiff canceled into 104 Shiki will cover the small jump attempts over the cr.D
NOTE: You can react to the punishment of the small jump when using 104 Shiki! React and be mindful of the spacing to continue with the rekka tree for the corner carry!

This of course on one end seems simple enough however, learning the spacing for this technique while cornering or mid screen can be difficult. If misplaced it can lead to a big punish or possibly the end of your Nests Kyo. The optimal position for this technique is in the corner however it can be used mid screen for a multitude of purposes other than covering the space, it can be used as a means to gain ground outside of walking or running. You can also use 115 Shiki Dokugami (qcf+C) to catch back steps in the same manner using the whiff cancel. If timed properly you can follow up with the entire 115 Shiki tree on hit specifically in the corner. The optimal place for this technique is close to the corner. So be aware of where you are on screen. Note also that it this can also be a means as to keep up with an opponent who has a good back step cancellable move like Athena or Iori for example.

Safe Jump Setups
NESTS Kyo has a huge array of safe jump setups to choose from his arsenal. Here is a compiled list of the special move enders and combo examples that lead to safe jumps.

Throws
Issetsu Seoi Nage = (b/f + C/D) Causes a hard knockdown. 
-Big Jump: No 
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
NOTE: Standard setup for a j.2C cross up when spaced properly

Mid Screen Combo Enders
GeShiki: Migari Ugachi = (P)- (Punch ender of the Aragami/Yanosabi tree. Can either OTG or cause a hard knockdown.)
-Big Jump: Ok
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok

212 Shiki: Kototsuki You = (hcb+K)
-Big Jump: No 
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
NOTE: Can also be done in corner

-EX- 115 Doukugami = (qcf+AC > qcf+A complete tree into 127 Shiki: Yanosabi ender) 
-Big Jump: Ok  
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner: OK
NOTE: Big jump will cross up

-EX- 115 Doukugami = (qcf+AC > qcf+A complete tree into 125 Shiki: Nanase ender) 
-Big Jump: Ok  
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner: OK
NOTE: Must alter the Safe Jump mix up due to the ground slide effect

Corner Combo Enders
127 Shiki: Yanosabi = (P) - The Punch Ender of the Aragami/Konokizu tree and or -EX- 115 Doukugami into the 104 Aragami tree ender.
-Big Jump: No 
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok

125 Shiki: Nanase  (K) - The kick ender of the Aragami/Konokizu tree
-Big Jump: No 
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok

GeShiki: Migari Ugachi = (P)- Punch ender of the Aragami/Yanosabi Branch. Kyo punches the ground for an OTG. Also causes a Hard Knockdown.
-Big Jump: Ok
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok

100 Shiki: Oniyaki = (dp+P) - Last part of the -EX-Dokugami tree
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok

Combo Examples
1. d.B > s.B > qcf+B > rdp+B
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Can be done anywhere-

2. d.B > s.C > qcf+DD > sj.2C or hop j.2C
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Can be done anywhere-

3. d.B > s.C > qcf+DD > st.A
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner Only-

4. d.B > s.C > f+B > hcb+B or D
-Big Jump: Ok
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Can be done anywhere-

5. d.B > s.C > f+B > qcf+AC > hcb+P > f+P > dp+P
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner Only-

6. d.B > s.C > f+B > qcf+AC > qcf+P > qcf+P > K
-Big Jump: Ok
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Can be done anywhere-
NOTE: This combo can lead to multiple mix ups outside of safe jump

HD Combo Examples
1. st.C > df+D > [HD] > st.C > df+D > qcf+C, dp+C > [x2] > qcf+C > hcb+C > qcf+A > qcf+A > dp+A > qcf, hcb+A or C > st.A
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner Only-
NOTE: Standard mid screen to corner carry HD combo that leads to a reset safe jump

2. st.C > df+D > [HD] > st.C > df+D > qcf+C, dp+C > [x2] > qcf+C > hcb+C > qcf+A > qcf+A > dp+A > qcf, hcb+A or C > qcf+A > qcf+A > AorC
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner Only-
NOTE: Standard mid screen to corner carry HD combo that leads to a hard knockdown safe jump

3. st.C > df+D > [HD] > st.C > df+D > qcf+C > hcb+C > qcf+A > [x3] > qcf+C > qcf+DD > hop
-Big Jump: No
-Small Jump: Ok
-Tech Roll Safe: Ok
-Corner Only-

Option Select - EX 212 Shiki: Kototsuki You = (hcb+K)
On your safe jumps you can also learn to OS the EX run grab. It has the ability to lose to some drive canceled reversals but it's effective none the less.
OS = j.C > EX

There is more data that I've found that ISN'T listed here in which I am still working on. I'm doing my best to provide as much data and cohesive information as possible to increase the development of this character. I apologize for the delay however this indeed takes time along side my other projects. 

Sunday, May 13, 2012

#Crabsports Round Up

Char's Bazooka


Super Saiyan Dubstep?!


Clearly this guy is the n*gga


NEVER KISS YOUR OPPONENT BEFORE A FIGHT!


What the eff?


Super saiyans man...Now in your local pharmacy??


Last up! Poor kitty getting the works...POW RIGHT IN THE KISSER!


Thanks guys for the videos! I'll keep doing round ups via this blog and keep it going! Keep sending in the videos either via Twitter or FB! #crabsports!

twitter @shinkensou
fb @kensouslaboratory

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Crabsports!!

After going through a LOT of designs I've finally come up with something I think is feasible. Should be going on a shirt soon enough finally lol!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

NESTS Kyo Player Guide Prototype Cover

Off to a good start on the NESTS Kyo guide so far and took the time out to work on a cover for it. Just a prototype for right now. Was fun working on it and a GREAT diversion from collecting data lol. Lots of fun though on both ends for sure. So for now enjoy ^_^

Stick Art for a Friend

Prototypes for a friend's Qanba stick. She decided to run with type 3. As usual it's always fun working on stuff that's a diversion from EVERYTHING ELSE under the sun haha.




Saturday, March 31, 2012

Texas Showdown Around the Corner

So here I am, approaching another year at Texas Showdown/Showdown Championships here in Houston and its literally 1 week away from today. Excited? Sure, the event is on the Evo circuit and Evo seeding points will be awarded so that's a plus. More info on the events Evo here and Showdown here. We got players like Justin Wong and Mike Ross coming down so it should be quite an interesting event.

Should I be worried about any players in particular? NOPE! I've played far to long to let anyone's name or reputation put fear into my game. I'm going into every match confident as one should be.

The games I'm playing are:
King of Fighters XII
Super Street Fighter4 AE 2012
Soul Calibur 5
Street Fighter x Tekken
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 (PURELY for shits and gigles)

Really really looking forward to a successful weekend as I'll be rooting for my fellow Houstonians and Texans versus the out of state comp. I wish the best of luck to all competitors no matter where you're from and hope that you have an enjoyable time within the competition and the Anime Matsuri event as well.

GOOD LUCK~

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Street Fighter X Tekken and My Thoughts~

So the game I've waited for finally hit and like everyone else I've dropped a good chunk of time into the game (even before writing this). My impressions are still the same as from when I played it at Evolution, the game has a great deal of creativity within it. I feel that the game is only limited to the player's imagination. So many different combinations lead to so many unique situations is pretty nuts. Playing the early build at Evo, again at SoCal Regionals to this final build just has me in complete amazement because of the creativity one can come up with.

Currently I'm trying out Xiaoyu and Hwoarang for now. At Evo I had to scrub it up and play Ken to help suffice for my lack of knowledge with the game and Hwoarang. Xiaoyu was a character I had a feeling if I went into the lab (training room) with her, I'd feel right at home and I sure do feel at home. Her mobility is just what I was looking for in a character for this game. She has a multitude of trickery that I think has a great deal of potential. Her damage output is really solid for someone her size too! *YES~* The synergy between her and Hwoarang is more than I expected and I'm still finding things out as I go.

Generally I'm enjoying the game however I think the online experience could be a bit better for sure. It's not unplayable ENTIRELY but it has its faults. For example sometimes opponents teleport across the screen for one. Second the rollback feature hurts the sound of the game by cutting sound clips out during the match which can be quite painful if a player relies on sound cues to react to things. Other than that there are input problems apparently with the game in regards to diagonals in inputs. I hardly feel this happen but when it does its no good lol. Not to mention there are infinite combos being discovered even as I type this lol. I don't mind them because you can always limit them to 3 reps in a tournament and call that a day. Luckily Capcom is releasing a patch to remedy these issues so the overall experience with the game will be even better than it is now.

All in all this game is extremely fun and has the things that I like in a game. So I'm all in on this one~!

outtro~

Sunday, February 5, 2012

My Cross Assault Submission!

Shout outs to all my friends that helped me make this and a special shout out to my girl DJ HeavyGrinder for giving permission to use one of her tracks! LIKE! COMMENT! SUBSCRIBE! RETWEET! REPOST! I appreciate everyone's support! ^_^

Soul Calibur 5: First Impressions~

First off I'd like to say that this game's visuals are some of the best I've seen for a fighter in quite some time. Good job to Namco for producing a pretty product! But now on to the meat and potatoes shall we?

I'm really appreciating the system changes as I stopped playing the series at 3. I'm still trying to get adjusted to some move changes and or lack there of moves lol. I'm sure Namco had their reasons for removing certain moves or changing their properties so I won't go into that lol.

I also want to discuss a video done by AvoidingThePuddle talking about a new mechanic of the game "Just Guard". This technique can be considered along the same lines as Street Fighter 3's Parry system. Now of course the Soul Calibur series already has a parry of sorts called "Guard Impact". The way it works now compared to the older games is that it requires 50% meter (yes Soul Calibur has a meter system!) and you're in there if you read the enemy attack correctly. Much like the older games you can be GI'd back for the parry, parry effect and turn your punish against you.

So now we get to Just Guarding...It allows you to punish ANYTHING in the game regardless of recovery frames so essentially nothing is safe at this point. The cost for this technique? Absolutely NOTHING. However the window to get the JG is from what I presume to be about 2frame window. You CAN'T mash this at all as the game will recognize the multiple inputs and just make you either guard or you can get hit for mashing it. (Tested this with my stick on turbo guard and never got a single JG) The video did make a good point in saying that the technique will be a huge part of high level play as the game develops but I feel it isn't the end all be all tool because mastering this technique would take a large amount of time.

Currently I'm maining Maxi with Natsu, Zwei, Omega Pyrrah(Cassandra~<3) and Lexia as sub characters. Natsu comes natural to me since I mained Taki in SC3. Maxi I've always played as a sub but I want to see if I can duke it out with him this time around. Zwei seems SUPER interesting to me because he's a hold and release character making his offense intriguing so he's definitely on my top choices. Omega Pyrrah is practically Cassandra from SC3 and she was my sub to Taki at the time so naturally. Leixia or Baby Gurl Xianghua lol was my 3rd string in SC3 as well and she's virtually untouched and feels a bit quicker and of course improved so we in there on that too.

So that about sums it up for now...still need to post about what's been going on since Mike Ross came down to Houston...hmm still feeling like crap so maybe sooner than later when my health is up and I don't feel like dookie. Oh yeah made a Cross Assault video which will be up soon so I'll post that too. Ok rambling, OUTTRO~