RE: Soul Calibur VI (and other stuff)

Alternate post title: That Time I Almost Gave Up On Fighting Games

The EVO 2018 Fighting Game Funtime Fiesta -- ARCADE EDITION

Well, I didn’t think I’d be doing this again so soon.  But since every fighting game company under the sun decided to drop megaton after megaton within the past few days -- with the characters to show for it -- in a desperate bid for exposure, attention, love, and those sweet, sweet FGC dollars, here we are again.

Let’s do this lickety-split.  Because apparently, gamers have nothing better to do than devote their lives to whatever game has the shiniest addition to it.

The EVO 2018 Fighting Game Funtime Fiesta

Yeah, it’s that time again!  Time to pretend I know what I’m talking about when it comes to fighting ga- I mean, welcome to EVO 2018!  

…I say, even though I might as well be light-years from the main stage.  And even though by the time you read this, it'll effectively be over.  Still, as a fighting game observer and dabbler, I can’t help but look to the genre and its top performers with glee.  This is probably as close as I’ll ever get to having a sport or teams I can root for -- except wrestling, maybe -- though I can’t say I’m regretting my preferences.

Feel free to scrounge up shove your eyeballs into whatever EVO stream (or archive) catches your eye.  In the meantime?  I’m here to talk about a bunch of fighting games as a celebration of the event.  So let’s start off with the big one: Street Fighter V.

Let’s discuss Dragon Ball FighterZ.

Logic dictates that I use this slot in the schedule to do another post on Black Panther, but that’s going to have some political undercurrents in it.  And given that the last post was most definitely about politics, it’s time for a chaser.  I wouldn’t want anyone to think that this blog was serious or anything.

Of course it isn’t.  I can’t strain my credibility here.  So let’s talk about Dragon Ball FighterZ instead.

Re: RE: Dragon Ball FighterZ

So I’ve been playing more Dragon Ball FighterZ, and…whew.

Don’t get me wrong.  It’s not a bad game at all.  If you know anything about it at this point -- and you should -- then you don’t need me to tell you that it’s an audiovisual treat that does justice to the brand like few other DBZ games have before.  And while the difficulty of mastering the gameplay is present (as it is with any fighter worth its salt), it’s worth it in order to fight it out with your favorite characters and carve out a win.

Still, I don’t envy anyone who’s struggling to git gud.  Nor am I willing to begrudge them, or shrug off their efforts.  Dragon Ball FighterZ may seem beginner-friendly -- and mash-happy -- on the surface, but as with any fighter that has autocombos baked in, that’s not enough to guarantee a win.  Or even the ability to stand a fighting chance.  Ergo, the learning process involved with the game.

So in the interest of trying to help out others who are getting in deep with the game, here are my thoughts, experiences, and tips so far.  Because if there’s anyone qualified to dish out pro tips, it’s a guy who hasn’t touched an arcade stick since BlazBlue came out.  The first BlazBlue.  Take that as you will.

Hiatus Time is (Almost) Over!

*insert crickets chirping here*

Yeah, it’s getting close to that time, so I figured it’d be best if I make a quick housekeeping post to announce it.  I’ve been holding Cross-Up down this winter with one-a-week posts, compared to the usual two, as per the hiatus -- one that I went on to finish writing a novel.  The progress on that is…going to take some explaining, but to put it simply?  Assuming everything goes well, I’ll be done with the lion’s share of the work before the end of the month.  Or maybe by the end of the month.  That’s a big assumption, though.  I’ve had three separate IRL interruptions in this day alone, so anything (awful) could happen.

Some days I wonder if it’s because I’m secretly a font of chaos and calamity.  It’s possible.  Check back with me three Thursdays from now; those seem to be my unluckiest days.  Not Mondays, for whatever reason.

RE: Dragon Ball FighterZ

You know that dream where you’re suddenly thrown into a classroom and forced to take a test you didn’t study for?  Or that other dream where you’re late for school/work and you have to hurry to make it there on time?  Or that other (other) dream where you drastically underestimate the length of your commute and fritter away time with naps, snacks, and video games, only to get lost both along the way and at your destination because you didn’t think to write down any navigational details?

Okay, that last one might be specific to me.  But the point is that right now, that’s what Dragon Ball FighterZ feels like to me right now.  It’s kicking my ass…and that’s (mostly) okay.  So now I’ll have to explain why.

Before that, though?  A moment of silence for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.  Granted it’s not dead yet, but…well…this is a deathblow dealt to a game that’s suffered plenty already.