Evo 2k9 starts tommorow

[jfrost]

Hey, I just checked Evo South America's website. They are Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Street Fighter IV, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, and Mortal Kombat vs. DC. No SNK game either. Edit: They listed KOFXII as well, but I guess it won't be out until the tournament starts, unless they're using arcade machines -- which doesn't seems too likely, given how limited their resources seem to be.

But well, as for my own South American experience, when I used to go to the arcade years ago (that is, when the arcade scene wasn't some machines abandoned on a corner at the mall), there was always SNK machines and really good players. I always assumed SNK games to be at least as respected as Capcom games. There was always the token KOF'98 cab along with some other SNK game, that could be either another KOF or, say, Garou.

I guess SNK marketed their games badly. Yearly updates tend to feel stale after a while, specially when you don't even update the graphics, aside from the Athena Asamiya sprite. I realize SNK was a smaller company (compared to Capcom) that relied heavily on its arcade games to survive, so it had to make money somehow. But their strategy sure sems to not have paid off, since they went bankrupt.

I'm really hoping that with their games widely available via online services and that the launch of KOFXII will renew the interest in their games. Almost as much as I'm hoping that Tatsunoko vs. Capcom replaces MvC2 as the tourney crossover game.

[Kevman]

There's really no excuse not to have a SNK fighter. Blazblue made it into the event, come on.

KOF '98 UM is out on the PS2 and 360, and you can't say there aren't enthusiasts for these games. Garou was also just released on Live, in case Dreamcast copies are too difficult to come across. They are every bit as tactical and good as Capcom fighters, and there's no reason for SNK games to play second fiddle to Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Gatta agree completely. I find SNK fighters to be vastly superior in terms of gameplay and balance. Street Fighter obviously wins in soundtracks and character designs, but what does that matter in a tournament setting? I have no idea why SF is so well respected by the tourney scenes.

SF is good until this happens. Everyone spamming fireballs (which is apparantly a advanced technique ).

[Ack]

There's really no excuse not to have a SNK fighter. Blazblue made it into the event, come on.

KOF '98 UM is out on the PS2 and 360, and you can't say there aren't enthusiasts for these games. Garou was also just released on Live, in case Dreamcast copies are too difficult to come across. They are every bit as tactical and good as Capcom fighters, and there's no reason for SNK games to play second fiddle to Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Gatta agree completely. I find SNK fighters to be vastly superior in terms of gameplay and balance. Street Fighter obviously wins in soundtracks and character designs, but what does that matter in a tournament setting? I have no idea why SF is so well respected by the tourney scenes.

SF is good until this happens. Everyone spamming fireballs (which is apparantly a advanced technique ).

Hey now, he was just playing Sagat the same way the computer does.

[elvis]

SF is good until this happens. Everyone spamming fireballs (which is apparantly a advanced technique ).

Understand the difference between casual/fun play, and "playing to win" at a tournament.

http://www.sirlin.net/ptw

That link might help. Tournament play isn't meant to be fun to watch. It's about two people doing everything it takes to win. If you don't get that, I suggest not watching tournament footage.

[wip3outguy7]

wrd. Winning is winning. I've won entire sets of matches (against decent players) spamming one or two techniques... Hey, it's not my fault if someone can't figure how how to block Kyo's down-forward D.

[MrPopo]

That link might help. Tournament play isn't meant to be fun to watch. It's about two people doing everything it takes to win. If you don't get that, I suggest not watching tournament footage.

There is exactly one good piece of tournament footage for non-tourney players. And that's the footage of Ken parrying every hit of Chun-Li's super in SF3.

[jfrost]

I like to watch tournament matches, and some occasionaly are pretty boring (I watched a Chun-li vs. Chun-li at some past EVO and it was almost funny how both players keep dancing around the stage trying to build a meter), but most are fun to see.

Though there is nothing wrong from an strategy point of view with spaming Tiger Shots, it does show that the game is unbalanced if there isn't a way around it for most characters (which clearly wasn't the case of Daigo's Balrog in the above video).

[wip3outguy7]

Oh man, what a final set. Daigo does it again!

[Majors]

Yes, Daigo is "beast".

SBO next month! More tourney action. This time no console button setup BS, no pauses and all else the plagues the US scene.

I'll leave the Smash/VF comments alone, everyone has their opinion. Elvis's comments are right on, though. I know Lukus (Dark Geese) and he puts 110% into hyping the SRK scene, but one player cannot make a dent...KoFXII is my hope.

Evo does (had?) side events not listed on the offical roster. I know DG did some stuff last year at Evo with SNK games.

[Mozgus]

Those SF4 matches with Daigo and whoever were just shameful. Seriously, that's how the best players in the world play this fucking game? Jittering around like spazzes, spamming fireballs and low medium kicks? Fucking lameass. Makes me hate street fighter even more.