DOA Community Blog #12: Ten Years

Ever stop to wonder where the time has gone when you do routine stuff and go through the motions?Today on this year of October 30, I will have spent ten years being an active part of the Dead or Alive community.  Ten years knowing the competitive side of DOA players.  Ten years playing the same character and adapting physically and mentally to the best of my abilities.  Looking back on it, it was a wild ride of memories.  Some good, some bad, some meaningful, and some regretful.

I still recall the first time I registered at the Dead or Alive Central (DOAC) forums and jumped straight to making a thread to greet myself in the newcomers section.  It wasn't a pleasant experience, and I didn't understand the procedure in doing so was to post in the greetings thread.  Still, I soldiered on, hoping that amidst the rocky beginning, I'd still be able to make some friends.  I had just managed to get all the necessary things to try out DOA2 Ultimate on Xbox Live, having been skeptical about playing fighting games online on a console.

Unfortunately, I arrived late to the scene, as a lot of people had their fill of DOA2U and were occupying themselves with other games (if not fooling around making forum thread "games") until the next anticipated title - Dead or Alive 4 - arrived on the then-next-gen console, the Xbox 360.  It wasn't a total loss, however, as there were a few players willing to waste their time playing my scrubby ass throughout November, such as Shinobi558 (a friend I made from the DOATEC forums), Ratiz (Bouncer), HaJin (then called Vidgamer or Tom to avoid confusion with the Hajin currently known in FSD), Amaya Chan, Evil09876, Shad Armstrong, and more notably, The Iron Ninja, who would go out of his way to send me a thoughtful, inspiring PM that I've taken to heart even to this day, and would further push me into wanting to start fresh in a brand new title and learn the game alongside the rest of the community.  But given my financial woes at the time, getting an Xbox 360 at out of pocket wouldn't be feasible for another 6 months.

As luck would have it, I managed to get one at launch.  And I owed it all to six bottles of Mountain Dew and an act of blind faith.  However, due to an unforeseen delay by Team Ninja, there was no way I was going to get DOA4 at launch (or even for Christmas for that matter), so I had to settle for Kameo: Elements of Power, which made me find it pointless to renew my XBL until the game finally came out... 4 days after Christmas.  Having exhausted my funds that month, I had to wait until mid-January of 2006 to start playing DOA for real. 

At last I'd be able to not only play Christie again... I'd finally be able to play her online with other opponents around the world.  At the time, it was a mind-blowing experience, and I found myself getting sucked into it for hours and hours... even moreso than I was with Phantasy Star Online.  On the weekend of Valentine's Day in particular, I recall spending the longest time playing online non-stop, as I had the apartment to myself without the interference of my younger sister.  New friendships were made, tough opponents were fought, and memorable battle scars were had.  Players such as Autoaim (one of my online besties for life), Punishere, AngryWorm, Arnell Long, XDest, ZeonStar, MajinKimimaro, Blackmoon (who I wouldn't see again until 2014 on PS3), Vizierde, Lap, Skatan Milla, Vigaku, EscapingJail, Shad Armstrong, Shinobi558, MedusaX, RiptheJacker, OptimusPrime169 and many others played key parts in my growth as a player early on, making me pay actual attention to applying the most basic fundamentals to get an edge over things I once thought were impossible to get around consistently.

Be that as it may, things were gradually beginning to become a hot mess in the DOAC forums around February.  At the time, I didn't fully understand the extent of the problems surrounding DOA4, and was often met with hostility when I tried to speak anything positive on the matter.  Tom Brady and the other hotshots of DOA at the time were talking about things I weren't aware of that was hurting the game's credibility as a tournament-viable game, such as literally no frame advantage on any move on block whatsoever, even with guard breaks.  But that wasn't all.  Sidestepping was useless too, as everything tracked in the game, and all characters had a high and low offensive hold, which was once exclusive to grappler characters.  They even went to say that even scrubs with no skill could get out of jail free by spamming holds anywhere, as you could do so even after a wall splat, and there were no stuns that were unholdable after the 4.1 patch.

Even so, I wasn't deterred from continuing to play the game.  Though my chances of traveling for a tournament weren't happening anytime soon, I didn't want to let all this enthusiastic time I spent go to waste.  So I kept pressing on.  Through the matchups, through the temporary community splittings, and even through the drama online and CGS (which I won't go into detail about for the sake of keeping old wounds closed) for the next 2 years. I even had enough backbone to write about strats for Christie despite being an unproven player in many people's eyes and being ridiculed in the process.  It was hell, and I went through emotional roller coasters.  But every chance I got to go to the local Anime Weekend Atlanta convention, I was there showing off the potential, and though it wasn't much, I was able to convince at least one person a year to get into it and join DOAC, occasionally meeting DOAC members like BlackjDragon and Jakob002, both from Louisiana.

But I really started to notice everything was paying off for me as a player when I put up a damn good fight with Punishere, who back in February of '06 that very Valentine's Day weekend beat me badly within an itch of my own confidence (and probably thought I was a persistent annoying insect who wouldn't quit back then, lol).  I remembered it well, as a fellow member named Innovare and I were still hanging around struggling hard as fuck to get a match on him.  I had dubbed that day the longest day I ever played DOA online.  He was so impressed on how much I improved since then that he wondered why I haven't been going to tournaments, much less be a front-runner for clan battles (which were somewhat still a thing back then).

This, among a chain of other positive events I won't go too much into, gave me the confidence I needed to at least teach one person what I knew.  If I wasn't gonna be able to go to tournies much less the CGS, the least I could do was help someone who was going for tryouts.  I got my chance with a member of KasumiChan's then all-female themed clan called PMS (who I will not address by name unless otherwise permitted), and went all out the best I could with what I knew.  While she didn't quite make the tryouts, she did manage to almost make top 3 in the following NEC tourney for DOA4, placing 5th with Christie.  For the first time in my years of playing DOA competitively (or as much as I could with the options I had), I felt like I did something truly meaningful and actually helped someone... and I didn't even know I had it in me. 

After CGS went defunct in 2008 and the resurgence of fighting games was on the rise with the upcoming Street Fighter 4 planning to be released in Japanese arcades later that year,  I would eventually discover an exceptional gaming scene located somewhere in Lithonia called the Gamers' Xperience.  It was relatively small, but its environment was fun, family-friendly, and above all, it had a variety of food joints nearby within walking distance.  It was here and in other local tourney venues where I would eventually meet players such as Shidosha (an avid Virtua Fighter 5 player), Aknon (a player from DOAC), RiptheJacker, and finally, Allan Paris one year later following a trip to Final Round.  

Although DOA4 was dead to most jaded players eyes, a small glimmer of hope was given when it was announced another DOA game would resurface, but not in the way many have hoped.  The Nintendo 3DS was making waves with its unique use of autostereoscopic 3D, and Team Ninja - without the guidance of Tomonobu Itagaki - chose to develop a DOA fighting game for the portable console.  While it seemed to be a step back from tradition, Dead or Alive Dimensions assured the community the steps it was taking would be a step in the right direction, inviting a few representatives of the community to give us early glimpses of what to expect.  For the first time we had on-screen frame data, a series first for a DOA fighter.  

It was then announced that there would not only be a tournament for DOA4 at the longtime Texas DOA major DOA In Dallas (D.I.D.), but for the upcoming DOAD as well.  Brimming with confidence in my own play for DOAD, I was willing to go the distance and travel with Allan Paris and his friends to Texas, meeting players like Dallaz, SweetRevenge, Rikuto, Master, Sorwah (Mr.Wah), Swoozie, CyberEvil, Vanessa, and many others.  Although we couldn't make the DOAD tourney due to a screwed up mechanism in my car that prevented it from starting, DOA4 was one to remember.  In my first tourney I placed 4th in a major, and somehow managed to overcome Master's deadly Hayabusa. Back then, I didn't know how to react to that... and I still don't now.  Even so, that did nothing to prevent me from being beaten by Swoozie not once, but twice, which denied me the top 3 spot.

Despite going out for a tourney, I had a lot to learn about planning to travel... a whole lot.  Without a GPS, I was nowhere near confident in driving to another state, so I took notes from Allan Paris and since then, it's been paying off way better for me, even though I still can't go to as many tournaments as I would like.  Come DOA5 in 2012, the community saw a resurgence again particularly in Georgia, and so the first Georgia Fight Club sanctioned by Allan Paris took place at his house.  While this would've been my second tourney outing, I would not ever get the chance to play in an actual match due to a personal matter between my relatives that involved my transportation, which ended up being a waste of my time at the end of the day.  However, this would mark the first time I met Fred Campbell in person, as well as Blackwhiteboi, RhythmikDesigns, EDog21, and JDE, who hails from Tennesee in particular.

The events leading up to Final Round in 2013 would mark the second major I went to, and where my internal problems began. Although I was starting fresh with a new game, that also meant dealing with a mostly new, mostly different community... one that wasn't familiar with me at all.  I believed that once I did well in my first offline tournament, that no one online would associate me with words like "fraud", "scrub" or "fluke" even if I didn't play up to their expectations online.  It also didn't help that this Final Round major was going to be streamed, so I was ten times more afraid than I was at D.I.D.  I was afraid that if I didn't do well enough in this tourney, that everything  I worked for to get to where I was in good standing with the community would be thrown away on a whim.

I placed 9th, losing poorly to Lopedo on stream and then losing on a clutch to Blackwhiteboi in the losers' brackets.  When I continued playing online after that, things went downhill from there (which I won't dwell on too much).  And even now, I'm trying to pick myself back up, hoping someday to prove myself once again amidst this pool of new highly-skilled talent.

The last 3 years weren't entirely bad however.  In fact there's been plenty of good that came along with it. Some late newcomers from the DOA4 era such as HajinShinobi ended up becoming good friends with me, and at long last, I got to meet one of the oldest friends I made online for the first time, Perfect Shadow.  Aka Earlee.  Aka Prince Adon.  And of course, I can't forget Blackula, Reese2Havik, Gruff757, Immerwolf, BlankOctober, Madain, CJ, and of course, Blackmoon.

One major positive I must mention though, is that I've become more active with an offline scene, albeit little by little.  Of the newcomers in my state, I was honored to meet players like KP EpicPayne, KP Juss2Nyce, DrowninMan, Yoyo, and a handful of others.  But the most consistent person I got to hang with and develop a close friendship with was NuJin, aka Sho'Nuff, aka Bruce.  He may be a bit on the sheltered side, but he's self-confident, has no problem being himself, and always keeps it real.  Even now he's still passionate about building the GA fighting game scene with truly creative methods, though with our recent efforts to hype the third Georgia Fight Club event, we got a ways to go and challenges to face head on.

For weeks I've been contemplating on these 10 years I've spent in this community on what I did that mattered.  After writing all this and looking at some unexpected personal hardships I had this month, I've come to realize I'm in a crossroads in my life. I could either move to Florida with my mother or remain here and not give up on the scene Bruce and I are trying our best to slowly build. I'm choosing the latter, and here's why.

Upon writing this lengthy blog, I've realized there was some truth to what Fred Campbell told me long ago... I, as a beacon for the relatively small DOA community in Georgia, am needed here.

For too long I've been busy clinging to old memories and grudges, constantly needing to overcompensate and compare myself to others, just to "feel" like I belong with the cool kids. I've dwelled on it for so long that these self-imposed doubts I have feel like second nature to me.

So again, thank you Fred.  Thank you Bruce.  And thank everyone that's put up with me thus far.  Taking the time to write down my memories in the DOA community without the fluff was a good idea.  But now there's this.  Repairing the car, and moving to a secure spot and landing a secure job in time for January. Wish me luck, and I hope to have even better memorable years with you all in the future.

Until next time, take care of yourselves.

DOA Community Blog #11: Integration, Not Identification (Part 1)

It's been a long time since I've made a DOA Community blog, but with the recent news surrounding Evo and more recently the DOA Festival in Japan (congrats to all who participated in both events BTW), there were minor subjects I wished to tackle into a similar theme for this blog.  For many of you, this may become all but familiar with you, and you may be doing your best to reassure a positive image for the FGC as a whole.  To those people, kudos to you.  For others, I shall enlighten the best I can in my own words.

In Evo, it has come to many people's attention that 3D fighting games are rapidly declining, as Tekken was the only main lineup game that met the criteria, with Dead or Alive 5 Last Round being one of the more popular "side game" events backed by Eric "Big E" Small of Big E Gaming as the host and sponsor.  Over the years, games such as Soul Calibur 5 and even the acclaimed Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown failed to gauge interest for a main lineup game at Evo, and as a result a stigmatic notion of 2D fighters being "the true fighting game community" came to existence.  That being said, what is the identity of the FGC, anyway?  Is it really just the 2D FGC then, if they are dominant in the most prestigious tournament in the world?

Now it can be argued that since the dawn of the genre, 2D fighting games have always been the norm, and was easier to get used to for generations.  It can also be argued that 3D fighting games - for the most part - were in an experimental stage in the 90s and didn't really find that competitive stride until the 2000s.  But none of this matters if no one is willing to put in the time for it, so we must ask ourselves, what is it that makes 3D fighters less popular in tourneys? These reasons can be broken down into a few common delusions often mentioned by detractors:

"The learning curve is too damn high, even for a single character!"

"3D fighters aren't just complicated, they aren't as exciting to watch!"

"The (insert game here) community is full of elitist a-holes who hate appealing to casuals and think only of themselves!"


NOTE: For each delusion, there is a reality.
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Delusion #1:  "The learning curve is too damn high, even for a single character!"

For many seasoned 2D fighting game players looking to translate their skills into a 3D fighter, this could become a huge problem, especially if you're not well-versed in the basic rules of what defines a 3D fighter: string-based combinations, ground-based combat, and sometimes, the environment within the arena itself.

NOTE: Each section of this passage will be presented with a brief similarity, followed by the reality of each similarity.

1) String-based combinations are a succession of sequential buttons sometimes associated with a direction on certain intervals of the string.  These can be canceled or delayed at any time, but may have different frames of recovery depending on which interval of the string you choose to stop the string,  Some strings connect to throws, while others - like in the Virtua Fighter series - require a single frame of a second (which is 1 in 60 frames per second) to connect successfully.

Similarity: In 2D fighting games - particularly those in the Street Fighter series, you did not have preset combo strings.  Instead, you had to sequentially connect attacks of different attack strengths during the connection of a hitstun based on the recovery of the attack, which became commonly known as linkers/links.  What's more, in the Street Fighter 4 games, some attack combinations required one single frame of a second to connect successfully.

Reality: No matter how you dress it up, some 2D and 3D fighting games have higher barriers of execution, and some others do not.  It all boils down to personal preference.


2) Ground-based combat involves less emphasis on aerial combat and more emphasis on evasion and movement in a 3D plane.  In some instances, you can dodge linear attacks by sidestepping, but unable to dodge full circular attacks up close. In the Dead or Alive series in particular, these types of attacks are simplified into tracking and non-tracking attacks.

Similarity: In 2D fighting games, you are limited to a linear plane - left to right - however, you also have standard jumping to further expand your evasive maneuvers, particularly with projectiles, which are common in this style of fighting games.  Like in 3D fighting games, you have ranged attacks that may aid in you dealing damage while being at a safe distance.

Reality: 2D and 3D fighting games both have ways of going on the offensive while at the same time being at a relatively safe distance.  Both require significant matchup experience and knowledge of the different types of fundamentals to use them properly. Once again, it's a matter of preference.


3) Lastly, there is the use of the environmental hazards.  Now granted, 2D fighting games have started to implement something similar to this in "Injustice: Gods Among Us".  But for over a decade, 3D fighting games (particularly the Dead or Alive series) have always implemented the stage as the secondary star of the show.  And oftentimes, if you knock an opponent to certain areas, you can score bigger damage than normal, and even continue your offense free of retaliation.  But it required strategic positioning to pull off all the same.

Similarity:  While Injustice and Mortal Kombat X may be the two competitive 2D fighting games in recent memory to implement the environment in full similarly to Dead or Alive, some games such as Marvel vs. Capcom 3 utilize this to a minor extent with hard knockdowns and character-specific trap techniques, which allowed the player to relaunch or OTG (off-the-ground) an opponent to extend their lengthy combo.

Reality: 2D and 3D fighting games - especially in this modern era - have ways of using hazardous placements in the arena to extend damage to the opponent and press on the offensive.  And once again, it all boils down to preference.

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Delusion #2: "3D games aren't just complicated, they aren't as flashy and exciting to watch!"

Let's take a flashback.  December 1993.  2D arcade fighting games were approaching their zenith, and there were tons of companies bringing out their own imitators of Street Fighter 2, with very few stealing its thunder.  Enter Sega AM2's Virtua Fighter, the first 3D fighting game.  Unlike any other 2D fighting game at the time, it didn't have flashy projetiles, over-the-top chop-socky special moves, none of that.  It was at the time the closest we could get to simulated real-life martial arts-- fighting at its purest.  For the time, it blew fans away, with its sequel improving on it in every way the following year with an improved 60fps rate, full 3D backgrounds, and texture mapping that blew Tekken - and even Tekken 2 - out of the water.

Then along came Virtua Fighter 3 in 1996, with graphics way, way ahead of its time.  In fact it was so far ahead that the current-gen consoles simply couldn't handle it.  Even so, it was guaranteed to munch quarters for days, right?  Well... sort of.  At this point of time, the VF series had two things fans weren't in full agreement with-- undulated platforms (or sloped floors) and a separate evade button.

Undulated floors caused air juggles to become too powerful on descending slopes and too weak on ascending slopes, while the evade button was thought to be an unnecessary tool for a game that has since removed the floaty jump mechanic (which was the reason evasion eventually changed to double tapping up or down in VF4) Because of this, fans became divided, which eventually caused a chain reaction of dismissal for the game being difficult to manage at entry level. It also didn't help that because the Model 3 was so powerful, a new console that would support it fully wouldn't be ready anytime soon-- not for another 3 years on the Sega Dreamcast.  Which by then, the game showed its age, and even then wasn't a completely faithful port of the original graphically.

As a result of this setback, Dead or Alive, Tekken, and Soul Calibur became the de facto 3D fighting games of choice among even the most casual of crowds, and for a time, Virtua Fighter - once the cream of the crop many associated 3D fighting games with - fell by the wayside outside Japan, with its fans eagerly awaiting another installment to really show off the potential the 6th generation consoles could bring during the late 1990s - early 2000s.

Tekken's strengths were in its stylistically personalized characters, cinematic flair with character endings, and aesthetics and mechanics "hardcore" enough to be accepted by players of all skill levels.

Dead or Alive's strengths - aside from its beautiful women and limitation-pushing graphics - was its simplified universal hold system, a likeness to Virtua Fighter's button scheme, its innovative use of environments, and an overall "easy to learn, hard to master" mindset.

Soul Calibur's strengths were quite similar to how Samurai Showdown became a sensation in the 2D fighting game market at the time, being the weapons-based 3D fighter of choice (albeit Last Bronx precededed it). It also helped that among the 3D fighting games going to console, Soul Calibur's Dreamcast version actually surpassed the quality of its original arcade version, paving the way for video game consoles being just as powerful - if not more - than their original arcade counterparts.

But what matter of flair did Virtua Fighter - the granddaddy of 3D fighters that started it all - have to offer to appeal to the casual fanbase?  Not much.  Just simulated martial arts, some corny voice acting, and barebones / ho-hum environs.  AM2 knew they had to evolve.  With the Dreamcast being axed nearly worldwide in favor of the PS2, Sega sought it best to bring their Naomi 2 arcade board sequel - Virtua Fighter 4 - to the PS2.  This time, it offered us something no other 3D fighter was doing at the time... character customization.  To an extent, this was the casual appeal of the game, along with what would eventually be a comprehensive tutorial that pulled out all the stops for various skill levels that has since been unmatched.  Eventually, Tekken would follow suit for character customization in Tekken 5 after making similar mistakes VF3 did with Tekken 4.

By now you're probably wondering what point I'm trying to get to.  Accessibility, casual appeal, and character were the keys to the success of DOA, Tekken, and Soul Calibur at the time.  AM2 knew this and knew they fell short by the time VF3TB made its way to consoles, thus the decisions made with VF4.  While it didn't quite meet the success of VF2, it was enough to get the attention of outside countries.

Reality: The truth is, 3D fighters have increasingly been making efforts to be pleasing to the eyes as a spectacle as well as part of the action over the last two decades... especially the likes of the Dead or Alive 5 series with its cinematic Power Blows and over-the-top Power Launchers.  Which leads us to the final delusion:

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Delusion #3: "The (insert game here) community is full of elitist a-holes who hate appealing to casuals and only think of themselves!"

Before we go into this subject, I want to make clear that it's not all of said community that's a-holes.  I'm well aware that there are good people amidst the bad in every community.  But let's face it.  In this generation where we can practically sit at home and interact with people who share the same interest in the game, there sure is a lot of people who would rather waste time puffing their own chests on who they made salty and ragequit, showing it off to their friends in said community like a dad-gummed war scar.  It doesn't matter if they're newcomers, veterans, or people just looking to have fun and BS with new stuff... these kind of people come in bulk online, and this, my friends, is the real problem with the FGC today.  It only amplifies with 3D fighting game communities when it hasn't been established as long as, say, Capcom's 2D fighing games.

Reality:  The true identity of the fighting game community isn't based on what gets the most turnouts at the most prestigious tournament in the world.  It's about an integrated fighting game community that makes the difference in getting a scene for the game you love ANYWHERE YOU CAN.

Honestly, you have to one day stop and ask yourself what's the point in showing off another player's salty tears unless the player took it on a personal level that would endanger your life or someone else's? When are you gonna be about something other than that bully in the online playground looking for candy to snatch from infants?  When do you wanna stop being that fanboy who worships said popular player and become that popular player yourself?  Granted, not everyone can win or place, much less attend every tourney to support their game, but one way you can still be influential to your community in a good way is by not being that guy who shows off someone else's hatemail as bragging rights, which as simple as it sounds, makes you a lot more welcoming than most.  For more on that, click here:

  http://awesmic.blogspot.com/2014/08/doa-community-blog-5-hatemail-is.html


In my next segment of "Integration, Not Identification", I will cover the controversy regarding the resurfacing of DOAX3, and the imposed identity crisis of DOA fandom surrounding that of those who like the fighting games and the DOAX games.

Until next time...

Anime Blog #14: Samurai Troopers Complete TV Series Review (Discotek Media)

I don't say this very often, but Samurai Troopers - aka Ronin Warriors - is my personal favorite anime TV series of all-time. The biggest factor being because of the personal impact it had on me as a child.  Near the summer of 1995 when it first aired on syndicated television, I got a chance to watch it starting from the 3rd episode, and I was hooked on it every day since.  It made me want to give a damn about anime and its more complex methods of storytelling, and was offering more than the same old same old I've been seeing on almost every other cartoon.

Since then, this 39-episode god-armor series had made its run on the Sci-Fi Channel the following year on weekday mornings (now called SyFy) and the popular and acclaimed Toonami programming block on Cartoon Network every weekday afternoon in September 1999 through mid/late 2001, helping spearhead Toonami's popularity.

On April 23, 2002, Samurai Troopers finally made its first release on DVD in the U.S. thanks to Bandai Entertainment and the relentless clamoring of hungry, dedicated fans, staying on the radar for many anime enthusiasts and collectors for quite some time and consistently releasing volumes every month until March 2003, ending with the final piece of the DVD collection, the 5-part OVA "Message".

However, when directly compared to the Region 2 DVDs in Japan, something felt missing in the stateside DVDs for many a great purist.  For example, even though Bandai advertised that the original Japanese version was uncut, each episode was in fact cut.  Bandai's release not only omitted one-half of the back-to-back commercial bumpers (which becomes very noticeable to hardcore fans in episodes 25-29), but also every episode preview.  The picture quality was also more noticeably crisp and clean, whereas the Region 1 DVDs showed signs of grain in picture quality (and in the first OVA series's case, LOTS of ghosting).  In addition, the first 15 episodes had some major cases of "dub-titles", poor translations of certain names and attacks, and other phrases lost in translation.

After reading all this, you're probably wondering, "Why am I bringing up all these differences in content?" Glad you asked, because after months (and months) of Discotek constantly delaying the DVD re-release of the entire series in the hopes they may be doing something different from what Bandai did, I want to inform you - the consumer - what Discotek Media has in store for us fans who waited 13 years to get the same justice done as Japan did...  and I'll narrow it down to three simple subjects:

The good.

The bad.

And what's BS.


First...

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The BS:  You would think that after Discotek Media so proudly announced a re-release of Samurai Troopers on DVD and delaying it (not once, but TWICE,) that the least they can do to differentiate itself from Bandai and learn from their mistakes with the first 16 episodes would be to fix the translations.  Sounds reasonable, right?  Well, I just opened this cool-looking box set, popped the first disc in watching episode after episode... BS.

The next disc after that... BS.

And the third disc containing the remaining 4 episodes with translation mistakes... BS.

Just... BS.

No fixes, no changes, everything is exactly the same as the Bandai release.  If they had no intention of fixing the subs or even adding the dad-gummed episode previews and the other missing commercial bumpers, they should've just stopped beating around the bush and just brought it out on their original intended date (which was sometime in February) while at the same time securing the rights for the separate Ronin Warriors dub.

WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

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The Bad:  As far as the picture quality of the episodes go, it isn't bad.  It's slightly better than the Bandai release, but it's still not as good as the Region 2 DVD masters.  There's still some noticeable grain and lack of color correction, but that could be owed to the aging of the actual masters given.  Other than that, Episode 2 still remains to this day the one episode I consider truly bad.  Much of what happened here was redundant and could've happened on Episode 1.  But that's a story for another time.

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The good:  Now with all my gripes and negatives out of the way, it's time to look at the positive Discotek Media offered on the forefront.  Discotek has gained quite the positive reputation for re-releasing past retro franchises lost in license limbo at an affordable, fair price, and this, my friends and consumers, is where the company truly shines.

Even if you missed out on buying the initial Bandai DVD collection from way back in 2002, this is essentially the best, most affordable way to catch up... especially if you're a fan of the original Japanese version.  Granted, it doesn't include the Ronin Warriors dub on the other side of the DVD, but for $40 or less, this is quite generous compared to what you'd be paying for the now out-of-print former, which could range from $200 or more.

As far as the episodes go, what matters is that the core footage of the actual episodes have remained intact, and in their native resolution as intended when it first aired on TV.  No cropping, no pan-and-scan, no bull.  It's still the same ol' Samurai Troopers we know and love, even if it is a gimped "port" of the Bandai release from 13 years ago.


In conclusion...

Buy if:

1) You never owned the series on DVD before (especially in Japanese) and have fond memories of watching it on TV.

2) You like god-armor shows like Saint Seiya or Shurato, and you wanna complete the collection of greats in the genre.

3) Your old DVD collection got scratched beyond repair and you need a good, much more affordable replacement.

4) You're a die-hard fan like me and will buy it anyway for the sake of collecting, even if you already own the previous Bandai DVD collection.



Don't buy if:

1) You already own the series on DVD and all your discs still play fine.

2) You already own the Region 2 DVDs.

3) You're a cheapskate.



All this said, have fun, be safe, and take care of yourselves.

Hardcore Samurai Troopers fan out.

DOA Community Blog #10: Making the Last Round Count

NOTE:  Before I begin, I want to stress that my views and opinions are of my own individual accord and don't represent the views and opinions of the DOA community, nor any other part of the fighting game community.

Dead or Alive 5. A spectacular 3D fighting game spanning 3 years, 3 revisions, 34 characters, hundreds of costumes, and over a million downloads of the free-to-play model, DOA5 Core Fighters.  This is quite telling of the series' resurgence, relevance, and lasting success in the current gaming market in its own right, despite the departure of the series' former figurehead Tomonobu Itagaki.

But the game isn't without its detractors.  Many believe that its reputation of bringing "fighting entertainment" to the game was lost in translation because of the abundance of fetishistic DLC costumes being offered, while others believe the game is doomed because better netcode isn't being provided.  A more recent example, however, are the hostile reactions to the decisions made when re-balancing the game with each revision... some justified, others unreasonable.

The issue regarding the DLC costumes are among the decisions that could not be helped, because ironically, the fetishistic costumes are selling quite well, and because Koei calls the shots on how they market the game, TN doesn't have much leeway for creative freedom for the costumes.  In addition, it's ironically because of the DLC sales that Team Ninja was able to offer pot bonuses for a few offline major tournaments in order to promote their game to the more competitive audience.  As a result, Dead or Alive 5 has been doing fairly well in its own right as far as turnouts.

And speaking of which, despite numerous great turnouts in the EC tourneys - even gathering more numbers than other games, including Tekken - the higher-ups at the Evo circuit have yet to accept our game in the main roster of competitive games.  At this point, we can only call out bias, because they were willing to put not one, but TWO separate Super Smash Bros. games in the main roster, effectively removing KOF XIII.  In addition, Tekken 7 has been added even though there is no console release planned.

It's not all doom and gloom for the DOA community at an Evo spotlight though.  Big E - a major tourney organizer for the EC - is going out of his way to promote a side tourney for what will be the next and final iteration - DOA5 Last Round - at Evo.  All that's left now is to support the cause and hope it'll be enough to get their attention to consider DOA to have a main shot at Evo once again.  And this is where I open my main subject... how can we make the last round count?

Making plans to go to Evo and support that side tourney is just one way, but for many of us, it's not reasonable, feasible, or conflicts with plans we already set in stone.  But that alone shouldn't discourage someone from finding another way.

1) Going to a local tournament,

2) Gathering, networking, and socializing with folks who share common interests in order to build the scene,

3) Bringing awareness online by promoting your local scene through social media,

4) For those who don't have much of a scene offline and can't afford to freely travel for an offline scene, uploading some of your exciting replays, tutorials, or tech videos,  

5) Learning the game for yourself and diligently seeking assistance from those who know better, be it through casuals online or offline.

6) Traveling for other major tournies that're reliable for supporting DOA.


In the past few weeks, I've been trying to improve on two things for this occasion.  One is to expose myself more as a player by showcasing replays where I am both winning and losing.  The other is networking and socializing in general, which I have more freedom with now since I only need one job to keep afloat financially these days.

The former was the more intimidating of the two, as I had an overwhelming fear of exposing myself in a bad light as a player, afraid of what others will say or think.  The result of all this has been positive so far, and it's greatly helped my own confidence, overcoming my fear of playing on stream day after day. I wanna thank all the players and friends who took part in this, y'all don't know how much I appreciate the push.

Thanks to NuJin and Fred Campbell finally meeting each other in person through my willingness to help NuJin get places, the latter is one step closer to building a legitimate DOA scene in Georgia.  It's been going steadily well in Lithonia in particular, where most of our ranbats have been taking place the last several months. (Shoutouts to everyone whose been supporting the scene by far BTW).

With DOA5 Last Round just around the corner and TN giving it everything they have to make sure this stellar sequel to the DOA series goes out with a bang, let's focus more on what we can do to make the last round count, and focus less on why our rounds are numbered because of said shortcoming.  Yes, you may have not got the costume you wanted, the buffs you wanted, the nerfs you think other characters deserved.  Hell, I didn't get everything I wanted, and I'm not even sure if we'll get the music from DOA1 in this iteration of DOA5.

But you know what?  That's why I thank TN for at least giving us a PC version to rectify these shortcomings through modding up the ass.  It doesn't get any better than that.  Granted, it's not something we can do on consoles, and not everyone has a high-end computer to play it at its best, but the option is there, and if you're willing to make that jump, be that go-getter. But at the end of the day, we're all playing the same game at its core, and what should matter to us is the mark we make in our community that shares a love for the game in one way or another. Will the mark be a good one, or a bad one? That's what we should ask ourselves when making the last round count.

For those who took the time to read this (heck, it may be common sense for a lot of you), thank you and take care of yourselves.

2014: The Year in Review

2014 - The year 20 years after what I consider the greatest year of my life - is now coming to an end.  It had some highs and lows, triumphs and tragedies, but it was an overall decent year.

I've met some awesome people in person - and got to know a few others starting late in the previous - for the first time, particularly during TFC.  Adon (Shadow/Earlee), Blackmoon, HajinShinobi, Madian, BlackberryChaos, BlankOctober,MeaganMassacre,  and Brightgamer, among a few.  Though I had my insecurities,  It was great hanging out with them.  I like to give special thanks to JDE and Fred Campbell for making the trip to North Carolina and back entertaining, for I would've otherwise fell asleep on the wheel. And finally, I gotta give props to NuJin, who I finally got to meet locally after months of delay.

But while I met some awesome people for the first time, I've lost one a bit earlier this year... my landlord.  I only knew him for a solid year, but in that time we've done so much even though he was going through dialysis treatment in order to walk again.  Whether it was watching WWE, Ring of Honor, anime, heading out to visit his family, or even discussing future career or business movements, we were always there for each other, and he looked to me as the son he never had.  Since his passing on late November, it's been less lively around the house.  But thanks to the time I spent with him, it's strengthened me as a person in different ways.  I'm not only working to strengthen the bond I have with my mother as I did this Christmas... I am also able to see options for my future I never bothered to look.

Gamergate controversy aside, 2014 in gaming overall seemed to progress a lot better later in the year, particularly with Nintendo.  While Sony is content with giving us juiced-up ports from previous-gen to ther current-gen console, the PS4,  Nintendo has been delivering with a steady stream of truly great games, such as Bravely Default, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 10, Bayonetta 2, and most notably, Super Smash Bros for WiiU/3DS. 

Not to say that Sony wasn't totally about ports... some Vita titles worth mentioning were Toukiden, Child of Light, Neptunia Re:Birth, the Danganronpa series, and the Project Diva F series to name a few. And while their PS4 hasn't really garnered a major console-exclusive killer app at this time, perhaps the most exciting news of all is that a long-neglected sequel to an underrated RPG series from Konami is finally making an affordable digital debut on PSN.  That game... was Suikoden 2.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has not been doing so hot, what with the DRM scare to consumers taking a serious blow to them.  It was only until recently on Black Friday that they surprisingly managed to sell their Xbox Ones.  But with few console exclusives, lacking third party support, and numerous multiplatform titles you could buy on a PC or even the PS4, the only thing that's really been keeping the console afloat to stay relevant are your run-of-the-mill AAA FPS games, and of course, the excellent 2.5D fighting game, Killer Instinct.  And speaking of multiplatform titles, there have been some rather interesting ones.  Shovel Knight, Dark Souls 2, and Strider were three particular titles that were excellent.

Movies this year were quite fascinating.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe movies in particular seem to have nowhere to go but up in the quality department, even going so far as to take a huge risk in making a once-obscure franchise such as "Guardians of the Galaxy" to mainstream success.  Days of Future Past - while not connected to the other Marvel movies - was also another surprise hit among dud after dud in previous iterations, now I'm looking forward to X-Men: Apocalypse. My favorite movies of the year, however, have to go to:

1) Edge of Tomorrow (Groundhog Day with sci-fi action, based on the manga "All You Need is Kill)
2) Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (the excellent sequel to the surprise critically-acclaimed hit "Rise of the Planet of the Apes)
3) Get on Up (an autobiography on James Brown, with Chadwick Boseman taking on the role of the Godfather of Soul) 
4) Big Hero 6 (another hit CGI movie by Disney that's based on the comic of the same name)

And above all...

5) Interstellar (An incredible sci-fi drama spanning time and space as a select group of astronauts search the known universe for a new planet for mankind, suffering in a decaying Earth)


Last but not least, there's the anime department.  This is the first in a long time I've been compelled to get back into watching more than two anime series in full swing, and I owe much of the compelling factor to not only the resurgence of Sailor Moon and its more manga-accurate reboot which aired the summer of this year (with exceedingly massive hype, might I add), but the likes of excellent new titles such as Kill La Kill, Akame Ga Kill, Terraformars, Tokyo Ghoul, and above all, Gundam: Reconguista in G.  Oh, and we can't forget about the Fate/Stay-Night remake... that wasn't half-bad either.

But yeah, 2014 was something else.  I watched more anime than I thought I would, got past the worst of my financial woes, lost a good friend, but gained a few more valuable ones.  Looking back on it helps me to look forward into the future. Here's hoping 2015 gets me to a better start.

Shoutouts to a lot of my favorite celebrities that passed away this year... James Avery, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, Casey Kasem, Christine Cavanaugh, Mickey Rooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Shirley Temple, the Ultimate-friggin'-Warrior, and the pioneer of video games himself, Ralph Baer.

And to close out, additional shoutouts to family and the friends I still have.  You know who you are.

DOA Community Blog #10: Mind Your Mentality

There are many thoughts that run through a new player's mind when learning a fighting game:

"Why am I taking in all this information?"
"What good will it do me in an actual match?"
"If I go to tournaments and still get owned despite what I know, what's the point in even playing?"
"What if I never get famous or popular by getting good at a fighting game?"
"What if I share what I know to teach others, but it backfires because I'm still learning more myself?"

There are many questions that lead to many possibilities of mindsets that drive us to play DOA competitively.  Some healthy, some not-so-healthy.  From a more general perspective, we'll go over some common reasons people play and want to win or do well:

(NOTE: The following are general, common examples.  Some may have a combination of reasons and/or may not reflect everyone.)

1) The Fun Guy. One who plays for fun and just want to support its scene.
2) The Approval-Seeker. One who plays to prove themselves to others.
3) The Self-Sufficient Player. One who plays to prove something to themselves.
4) The Starchaser.  One who plays for recognition and fame.
5) The Loyalist.  One who plays because of a genuine connection to a fictional character they chose to play.

Each of these are valid reasons to get into a game, don't get me wrong.  However, each mindset has a double-edged sword... pros and cons, if you will.

The "Fun Guy" Mentality

Pros: These people are quite the carefree bunch, and quite frankly have nothing to lose as they learn more about the game they wish to get better in.  In other words, they just want to have fun.  At the end of the day, it's not about winning or losing for them, but about what they can do to spread the fun factor to others about the game they love.  The Fun Guy is the front-runner you want to promote your game to the offline scene and make it compelling to tournament organizers.  They also seem to draw in people to have a good time with the game they play and not always make it about business.

Cons: When the Fun Guy mentality is not applied in moderation, it's often distorted to a mindset that refuses to learn something new and adapt to situations they can't get out of or avoid.  As a scapegoat, the Fun Guy can become unsettling for the more competitive gamers who dislike being bound by atrocious, ridiculous rules such as "No Pros", "No Juggling", "No Teabagging"... all for the sake of "fun".  At this point, the person with this mentality isn't truly having "fun", especially when the player refuses to learn said strategy which could improve the player's playstyle.

Exercise caution when playing for fun.  It is one thing to have fun learning how to play the game better, but it's another when it's at the expense of others due to your own limitations.

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The "Approval-Seeker" Mentality

Pros: These people have the noblest of intentions when playing the game to get better.  They may wish to help others, they may wish to support others... anything which will help strengthen the community they're trying to build.  The Approval Seekers are selfless at heart, and have a means of being very humble, preferring others to acknowledge their works and accolades rather than mention it to oneself, believing they'd be tooting their own horn if they do.

Cons: While the Approval Seekers are indeed not selfish in their ways, when not applied in moderation, it too can be twisted into something dangerous.  They may also incur serious emotional feelings of inferiority when it appears their contributions and accomplishments are inadequate to help and support others.  They may even obsess over perfectionism to make ends meet, often resorting to unreasonable extremes.  Worse, they could go for prolonged periods of self-loathing if their "imperfections" persist.

However, it doesn't have to be this way for one who plays for others.  By acknowledging that perfection is an intangible accomplishment, and is merely an illusion based on a perception by others, they may be able to find perfection in their imperfections and still help others.  Why? Because they learned to love themselves.  Their strengths, their weaknesses, everything.  As long as they have that, they can learn to love others.  There are some who will take advantage of you and use that sentiment against you often to toy with your own self-worth.  As someone who has gone through this, I beg you, don't listen to those people.

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The "Self-Sufficient" Mentality

Pros: These people have a heart of gold.  They won't be shaken by opinions nor statistics, and they believe in making the impossible possible.  Self-Sufficient people have a tendency to play for themselves are true go-getters. They'll rush into any challenge, believing something good will come out of it.  As long as they have that experience, they can't be dissuaded. They dare to tread where others wouldn't, sure of their own abilities and what they must do to overcome the unknown.  Those who play and learn the game for themselves are naturally born with the heart of a champion.

Cons: When not applied in moderation, this can easily turn into recklessness.  Facing a challenge head-on without a sense of direction or purpose often leads this type of player into an endless maze of repeated mistakes.  They can try all day, every day, but are they truly learning as they go? Do they stop and think of a strategy? Or do they numb their own pain in the most unhealthy way possible, obsessed only with beating the opponent in front of them?

Playing the game and getting better for yourself is perfectly healthy.  For some, it's a means of spiritual growth and exploring your own potential and limits as a gamer.  But the best results often come from the right guidance and having a good plan to improve.  Take the time to look back on your mistakes; don't rush into a fight every time.  And remember that if you are given the right guidance, be sure to pass it on to others so that they can be a strong player and supporter of the community.

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The "Starchaser" Mentality

Pros: The Starchasers - or those who seek fame and recognition - have a motivation to make it big in the game they enjoy playing, particularly because they have most likely seen someone else become famous for their contributions. The Starchaser player loves their game, but also prefers to find some form of success around it, particularly with money.  The Starchaser may have good intentions, such as using their success to give back to its community in a big way, or to write another chapter in their life to pursue future endeavors for something greater.  Sometimes, Starchasers don't even have that big of a dream.  They probably just want to be noticed as an excellent player by everyone in order to find their own personal satisfaction as a gamer.  And sometimes, they want to be known as the top insert-character-here player to really stand out and make their mark in the community they support, so to speak.

Cons: The downside to a Starchaser - when not applied in moderation - is that fame can turn into an obsession for relevancy and recognition.  Much like the mentality of those who play for others, they are susceptible to the fear of failure, and what may have began as a feat of good intentions to give back to the community they wanted to support turns into a toxic competition, or rather, a popularity contest. An ego trip. A power struggle. When a Starchaser becomes corrupted, it becomes a big problem, especially when it is the face of the community being represented.

The Starchaser should never get caught up in one's fame that their ego and lust for power overtake their good intentions as they move up the social ladder.  One never knows when they could be replaced.  At the same time, they should never forget the priceless value of the friends that helped bring them to that height of responsibility.

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The "Loyalist" Mentality

Pros: Loyalists - or more specifically, character loyalists - are far from a dying breed in the fighting game community.  Many who have been drawn in to playing a fighting game always had that special character that just clicked with them... whether it was the style of the character, the personality, the fighting style, or just because they found the character easy to win with.  Many would go so far as to form a special bond with the character just to bring the fire back into dedicating themselves to one character.  With this mentality, it becomes easier for players to understand a wide variety of characters in said fighting game, should the experienced player be willing to share what they know.

Cons: Some character loyalists however do miss the point of what it means to truly dedicate yourself to using a character in a fighting game.  It's not to say it's a bad thing to have a mutual attraction to a character you like, but when it turns into an unhealthy obsession and it doesn't turn into a means of actively improving, that's when the character loyalty begins to become misplaced.

If you're a character loyalist that still adopts a scrub mentality while having an unhealthy "relationship" with a fictional character on a serious level, this will do nothing but hinder your progress, especially when the character is considered bottom-tier simply for being underused.  You could've been that person to make the difference.  Never neglect your potential.  Don't take your dedication to a character you like in a fighting game for granted.  Use any free time you have to learn something new, whether it's an uncommon matchup, or an underused move you never thought was useful.  There's always time to admire the awesomeness of the character you like, but never forget, a character isn't as awesome without the player guiding his/her path to victory.


Whether you share one or two of these mentality traits, there is no right or wrong way to get into a game you love.  But consider the downsides as well as the positives and be careful not to let despair get the better of you, should you fall below your expectations.  Don't get me wrong, we all want to play to win... to succeed and be recognized for our contributions, but sometimes getting caught up in that can be harmful to yourself and to others. I should know, 'cause I'm guilty of that. And that, my friends, is when we should go back and ask ourselves why we picked up the game in the first place, and how different our objectives are now as opposed to then.

Are we truly playing because we love the game as we did when we first picked it up?

Have our desires turned to a lust for fame and fortune?

Do we still enjoy playing the character we like all the same, despite patches putting them to shame?

Are we playing here and there just to fit in somewhere?

Are we playing for ourselves?  To improve ourselves?  To help others as we did ourselves?

These are the questions you should ask yourself before picking up the game.  Are your reasons giving you more happiness or more frustration? If the latter, then you may want to sit back and revisit that happy moment in your life you were fascinated about it, and if possible, discuss it with a friend who will listen.  You may feel better being reassured that someone understands why you love the game... perhaps enough to get you back in the arena.

To those who took the time to read this blog and found it helpful to any extent, thank you, and take care of yourselves.

Sailor Moon Crystal Impressions (November 15, 2014) WARNING - SPOILER ALERT!

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT.  IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED, DON'T SCROLL DOWN!

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Well, we're finally here... the Final Four of the first story arc.  And the turning point is big.  Our heroes head to the moon to find out who they are, Sailor Venus pulls out the Holy Moon Sword, and - as I predicted - not only did a battle royale between the Sailors and the four Kings happen in the frozen battlefield that is Tokyo, but we get a glimpse of the Kings' past lives as knights who swore to protect Prince Endymion, who represented the royalty of the entire planet Earth.

But nothing prepared me for the major change from the manga that played on a theory long speculated by fans for decades:  The theory that the Inner Sailors and the Kings were once in love with each other in their former lives during the Silver Millennium. During the big fight, Venus recalls their memories clearly confirming their romance.  At that moment, the Kings manage to escape when Sailor Moon uses Moon Healing Escalation to melt the ice of the frozen Tokyo.

Shortly after - as in the manga - Queen Beryl uses Endymion to bait Sailor Moon into getting the Silver Crystal in the next episode.  However, unlike the manga, the original Endymion is not killed and replaced with an empty husk, but rather spared and brainwashed.

I'm perfectly okay with the way this episode was executed, though they may improve some visuals in the finalized Blu-Ray release anyway.  That said, there's only 3 episodes to go until the Black Moon arc.  Here's hoping they deliver!