A friend once told me he thought fighting games had cool characters. After he wiped the blood from his head, he quickly apologized to me and said, "Perhaps I should rethink that statement." Then miraculously, out of a nearby TV jumped Roger from Tekken, Voldo from SoulCalibur, and Rufus from Street Fighter. Though I wasn't surprised in the least, my friend stood perplexed as he watched Roger jump around adorably, Voldo slither on the floor and hiss in a homoerotic fashion, and Rufus consistently break wind while yelling PG-rated obscenities because, you know, he's American and we're all fat and obnoxious these days.
Just in case anyone couldn't tell by my facetious little anecdote, I'm not the biggest fan of the genre. From an outside perspective, most of it looks silly and doesn't seem to change much. So when the opportunity to preview Street Fighter X Tekken came up, I thought, "F*ck it, I'll step outside my comfort zone." The result was a loud, bass-laden event, filled with sweaty geeks, free drinks, and lines of kiosks featuring a game I knew little to nothing about.
I had a mission with three objectives: one, find out why people liked Street Fighter X Tekken, two, figure out what I liked about it, and three, GTFO.
Street Fighter X Tekken (PC, PlayStation 3 [previewed], PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360)
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Release: March 6, 2012
Something about competition and skill
After a few whiskey sours, my overwhelming anxiety amidst the crowd of warm, odorous bodies began to die down (yeah, I'm a freakin' mess at public events). I eventually snuck away from my fellow Dtoid peons and proceeded to watch people play the game then interview the losers as they gave up their spots.
After one particularly close game -- close enough to evoke a roar from onlookers -- I asked the loser, Daniel, about those moments after a defeat. "Sometimes you get a rush that, win or lose, you walk away from feeling pretty pumped," he told me. "Sometimes, though, it feels like your five-year girlfriend has just broken up with you ... leaving you with a broken heart."
Although I haven't dedicated much time to this genre, I could see where Dan was coming from. These guys aren't button mashers. They've studied these games to the point where certain characters are like extensions of themselves. "You basically pick your pony and roll with it," Daniel added. "After enough practice, everything becomes second nature, and you focus more on the other player than yourself."
I've never really had anyone explain this genre's gameplay in that way before. Any gamer can understand what it's like to know a game so well that you don't even notice your own actions -- you just do things impulsively. I've gotten great at games that require a lot of time to attain that sort of intuition, which includes those "hell yes" moments upon victory. The appeal of Street Fighter X Tekken was starting to dawn on me.
A one-of-a-kind clash
At the same station, Daniel's victor had lost the subsequent match. As the woman, Jessica, walked away with a bit of a satisfied grin, I asked her something I had asked Dan: What's the most attractive thing about these games? "Are you kidding?" she exclaimed. "Where else do I get the chance to beat the crap out of other guys?"
After I took a step back, I asked her to elaborate on her statement. "Fighting games don't have much in common with others," she continued. "I mean, other games sometimes have fighting gameplay, but they don't have the kind of depth or all-out aggression that games like Tekken have. I can't really find other games like these."
What Jessica said made perfect sense to me. Once you look at the medium as a whole, fighting games really are a standalone genre. It's easy to find minute similarities between other types of games, but ones like Street Fighter X Tekken are about as pure as they come. Fighting games haven't changed much and that's exactly their appeal -- no extra baggage that others have accumulated over the years.
This, to me, seems like a big a reason why these games have held on for so long. While other genres have slowly melded together into a lineup of little distinction, series like Street Fighter and Tekken have retained what made them appealing from the start. Because such an undiluted experience can't really be found elsewhere, fighting games have managed to retain a substantial following.
Another point goes to Street Fighter X Tekken for appeal.
Eye gouging me with good looks
Street Fighter X Tekken's aesthetics are basically a throwback to the old sprite-based graphics of the genre's earlier years. Whenever other franchises try this approach, though, the results are usually either overly simple toon shading that looks boring or the exact same visual style from that genre's inception. Thankfully, this is not the case with Street Fighter X Tekken.
Sweet cinnamon-swirled Christ, this game is gorgeous. The textures on character models and backgrounds have a very painterly feel to them, breathing new life into a medium that's overloaded with technical trickery. Most other titles use straight power to cover up their shitty art, but this game lets the talent of its visual designers shine through. It's especially interesting to see the Tekken characters with such colorful personality -- at times, Heihachi looks like a cute, huggable elder.
The slick art direction is greatly complimented by smooth animation as well as vibrant and striking particle effects. Fighters' moves connect with a sort of fluidity and flare that makes them actually seem like they're doing some damage. Ultra combos are presented in the type of exaggerated style only found in Japanese animation; some of them even got me laughing at how insane they were.
In this age, it's getting more difficult to dazzle people with visuals. Fortunately, Street Fighter X Tekken doesn't try to make the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 sweat via shaders and maps. It knows exactly what it's trying to be -- an insane roller coaster of dropkicks and haymakers -- and doesn't pull any punches whatsoever, no pun intended. You are definitely going to anticipate every character's different moves, because each one is pure sex for the eyes.
Can someone lend me $60?
As a previewer, my job is to remain objective about each gaming experience and only deliver the facts. I'm not here to sell a game; I just state what I found interesting and worthy of keeping tabs on. But, son of a bitch, I've sort of already made up my mind about Street Fighter X Tekken.
After speaking with two more gamers following Jessica, it was my turn to play. I looked around to make sure no coworker or associates were watching, and then proceeded to have my own digital testicles handed to me. While losing is never a great feeling, I had a blast playing a genre that I haven't been into since the 90s. I found it particularly nice that certain moves from Ryu and Guile were just as I remembered from older days.
So I kind of want this game now. I'm flat broke, but I'm definitely going to try to pick it up some time after it hits the shelves. I have no doubt that most fighting fans out there have already decided to pre-order Street Fighter X Tekken, but those undecided folks who like fast gameplay, beautiful visuals, and crave an untainted old-school experience should definitely be on the lookout for this title.
Contest:
3:00 PM on 02.11.2012 | 
Will wait to see what develops. Glad it is fun though, but I am too worried about on disc DLC scams and re-releases.
Their products are off my buy list until further notice. This coming from a guy who bought Mega Man 9, Mega Man 10, MMPU, MMX:MH, RE5, DR2, DMC tetralogy, MvC3, SF4, SSF4, etc. etc.
I'm just done with them. Maybe I'll pick this game up for cheap eventually.....
iPhone /wrists
Yet you still misspelled SoulCalibur.
@article
If Ono puts in Tournament mode w/o gems, I'll buy it new. All of my requested characters are in, so I'm kinda hype. But it won't be my main fighter. SF3:OE and KOFXIII are taken for me. (SCV's ok, Skullgirls looks like shit, and BB is boring.)
i think this game looks awesome. ive been a tekken fan since tekken 2 and a big street fighter fan since vanilla street fighter iv. i have no hesitations about this game anymore after hearing top tekken and SF players talk more about how the gems work. my pre order is in, and my body is ready.
And you believe them? Let me go dig up quotes of them saying the same damn thing about MvC 3. And, as a sidenote, I don't accept the flood excuse at all. Flooding made it.. easier to do a disc release than a digital one? Que? Doesn't even make sense.
It's just PR.
Also, you find cel-shading boring? Uh-huh. Gotta admit, I'm not a huge fan of your brain.
This.
Its not all bad.
Frankly, like any typical human being, I never could see the appeal of fighting games, and at an early age reached a particular conclusion based on what little information I obtained from my experience. From that point, my views never changed, for two important reasons: I never bothered to get back into the genre due to my view, and the genre itself hasn't changed all that much...providing justification for my set-in-stone viewpoint.
However, this job forces me to set my personal views aside and look at things from a different perspective. Also, this job requires that I be creative with what I write about and not spew out the same stuff that every previewer on the internet does these days.
I'm sorry if I don't have your same history with this genre. Perhaps I can make it up to you in the future with cold beer and loose women.
As for the cel-shading: This rendering technique -- more commonly known as toon shading, actually -- is a very simple process that is often used to cut back on development times, due to the fact that rich texture art is neglected for plain, cartoon-like visuals.
Unfortunately for you, you know nothing about my brain, therefor presuming that I do not have a Bachelors in 3D animation and plenty of experience with 3D rendering software and video game engines does indeed hurt my feelings. A lot.
While cel-shading is still fairly rare in video games, if you'd seen this cheaply done style as much as I have over the years, you'd have an aneurism.
I appreciate your feedback, and while I don't expect you to read this -- because, like most internet dwellers, you've made your judgement here and will likely move on to the next little thing you disagree with -- I do hope to see more uplifting inquiries like these from you in the future.
I love you.
-Ry
I'm waiting to see if Christie is really DLC or not though besides I decide to buy this game new.
I'm glad you decided a condescending dick waving rebuttal to DynamoJoe was needed. It was not. Also, fighting games DO have cool characters. *ducks*
Wow, I don't know what I'm more astounded by, your arrogance, or your utterly pretentious attitude. Keep it up dude. Talking down to your readers making semi-homophobic statements is a great way to keep your job. Oh, and before you spend your time writing out what you think is a concise and witty rebuttal, I'd advise saving it. You're attempts at using faux-intellectualism to insult are insipid as fuck, and I won't waste more of my time reading them.
I also get upset when people don't immediately agree with me sometimes. I sometimes insert slanderous insults between their words and attribute motives of my own creation to their interactions with me. Now, I know why I did these things, and have no idea where this insecurity stems from in yourself. I am, however, taking the time to publicly respond to your statements because I know how important personal validition is to me when I feel slighted as you do.
Ok, so this time no snarky-snarky. Here's two bullet points to chew on, that I strongly feel will help you in your career as a journalist. Of course, these are my opinions only, and you are fully empowered to take 'em or leave 'em.
1. Get to know your audience, especially your critics. The people who visit this site are the reason you have a job. Listening to praise makes us feel good and conversing with those that agree with us is always pleasant, but your detractors are the only ones in your career that will help you reach higher and write better. Listen to the negatives. This will require a thicker skin than you have presently, but don't worry about that. Like any callous all it takes it time and regular exposure to an irritant to develop. (Yes, the irritant would be, in this case, me.)
2. Always respond to any degree of trolling with a classier response.
Now, I wasn't really trying to troll your post. I was just trying to poke a little fun at your writing style, because to me the points you were selling as this epiphany you had at the press event seemed like common sense even a casual, outside observer could have reached. However, tone is often so easily lost on the internet, especially since so many of us have been flamed in the past and so our guard is up. I get that.
However, when you are posting here, you are on the clock. You are at your job. I have had jobs in the service industry, in retail, in costumer service. I have eaten a lot of shit. That's all part of ensuring that people come back to said establishment and spend money which generates my paycheck. Is it a little like being a whore? Yep. But it's the truth all the same.
Don't feel such a strong need to defend yourself. Your posts here reflect on you as an employee of Destructiod. So keep that in mind as you respond. Go classy. No one on the internet expects the Spanish In- I mean, classy. True trolls are easily confused, and without fuel a fire burns itself out. Turn the tables by rising above the sarcasm. Yeah, I know Jim gets away with trading smack talk, but one jester per court is enough.
Lastly, I feel that no matter what the situation, no matter what the views held, one can always apologize for hurting the feelings of another human being. I have hurt yours, Ryan, with my attempt at witticism. So I say, without shame or irony,
I am sorry, Ryan, for seeming like a douche.
I'm sure you're a cool dude. But, I don't love you.
... And cel-shading is a stylistic decision, not a budgetary one, and when done right (see Naruto games) it's awesome. That's it! That's all I'm gonna say about it, I swear!
Know your audience; take them seriously; but don't let yourself get dragged down in the process.
At least he is not like that fucking Nintendo elitist who actually thought that waggle was the future and we were all just afraid of change. That was some of the dumbest shit that I have ever read.
That response was so classy, when I finished reading it I dropped my monocle and sneezed out some pipe smoke - and I was neither wearing a monocle nor smoking when I started. Well stated, sir.
@Ryan Perez
Thanks for the preview, game sounds pretty sweet and I liked reading your take on it. Just wanted to add my voice encouraging you to take Joe's advice to heart. His very first comment was on the money and summed up my exact same issues with the piece, and there are likely even more people who felt the same way but didn't bother to comment, so you might want to think about whether there's a couple of turns of phrase in the article that didn't quite sell what you were trying to say.
But since DynamoJoe was nice enough to give me his advice, I'll shoot some back at him. And no, this is not to be condescending back (I won't begin my statements with "Joe, Joe, Joe," as if you're seven).
1. Get to know people, in general.
From the start you've made assumptions about me that are in no way grounded in reality. What is it exactly that you think you know? That I'm 15? That this is my first job in journalism? I hate to burst your bubble, but no. I would have responded much nicer to your criticism were it handled with a bit more tact -- questioning my intelligence is definitely not the way to go about it. People don't like to be generalized, and I guarantee that if you criticize someone in an inquisitive, level-headed manner, rather than a presumptuous one, that person will be more inclined to answer you directly...rather than laugh at you and throw your insults back in your face.
2. Don't troll at all.
Why try to justify being rude in the first place? That's like poking a dog with a stick and then trying to blame it after it bites you. While I can admit my initial response was fairly juvenile, you too are an adult (I hope) and have little to no excuse to "tsk tsk" me like I'm some infant who got a D on his spelling test. Contrary to popular belief, most of us aren't here for your judgement; the games are. And while every person who broadcasts their opinions can expect opposition, that in no way justifies personal insults in a passive-aggressive manner. Question my views all you want, but leave my brain out of it; he's a sweetheart and has never hurt anyone.
3. Get to know the job
Again, you're making those assumptions. Now, I don't know you personally, but I'm going to pretend that you've never partaken in journalism before -- based on your appreciated, although misguided advice.
Most of us actually aren't "on the clock" and do this job for experience and kudos. Considering that most publications are small, independent ventures, the majority of writers in this industry either work for low pay or no pay. This means bending over and taking one in the rear from naughty customers is not necessarily the same obligation as it would be at a paying job.
Even so, we aren't bag boys. We don't wipe down your windshield or ring you up at the checkout counter. More importantly, you're not paying for our services. Our job -- which we typically love to do, excluding moments like these -- requires us to relay information in an entertaining fashion, and that's basically it. We don't really owe you anything of value; we just try our best because we love doing what we do. And if that's not enough for you, by all means, let us know, but keep things on a professional level -- like you and I unfortunately failed to do in our initial posts.
I too agree that apologies are never beneath someone, no matter the situation. So I apologize for figuratively spitting back in your face. I should have just ignored you, but...it's tough to ignore a red stain on pure white linen, if you get what I mean. I'm a part of Destructoid and regularly read the comments because I adore the community here. I love being helpful and answering the questions of such an affable crowd of people. So, when someone pops their head out of the crows and said, "You're an idiot," this is my typical response:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlZb1PphB5Q
Again, we mainly do this job because we simply love it, but nobody is completely impervious to insults. Hence why most journalists, satirists, or anyone with a microphone usually ignore their fanbase altogether.
(Friendly reminder that Destructoid is part of a growing category of websites that blur the distinction between official journalistic publications and blogging websites, such as Engadget. Jim draws pictures of nipples and penises on the front page on a weekly basis.)
U-S-A!
U-S-A!
My initial post was meant to be a little - very little - joke. A joke at your expense? Yes. But I hurled no expletives, I called you no names. Nonetheless, my words hurt your feelings, and that is your right. I therefore acknowledged your feelings, completely ignored your sideways insults in your response (which I understood if you felt I deserved) and decided to offer my criticism in a constructive way instead.
Apparently, nothing I can do will abate your great wrath. Not apologies, not respect, not courtesy, not admittance of guilt. You have decided that I think you a stupid and errant child. Neither is the case, as a seven year old, or even many 15 year olds, would not be able to grasp the concepts I attempted to address with you. Nor would someone uneducated or stupid. I assumed none of these things about your character. If it sounded condescending, well, again it is your right to feel so and for that I can only apologize again.
As for my analogy regarding employment, I am aware of the nature of the website, being a member of this community for many years. However, the .com at the end of the web address indicates that Destructoid is indeed a commercial business. The ads on this site pay for its operation, but ads that go unseen (and unclicked) are useless. That is why the visitors are in fact the 'customers' that return day after day and keep the site 'in business.' In this way, yes you are an employee that is expected to contribute to the revenue of that enterprise.
Regardless, I'm sure you have a love of journalism and desire to improve in your chosen profession more and more. Taking critiscm to heart, rather than being insulted by it, is the fastest and surest way to do so. Sure, your ego may take a few lumps and bruises, but in the end it will be only stronger and you will gain the respect of your readers. That's really all I was trying to get across. I hope I've made it clearer.
I'm sad that the words I chose have so angered you and therefore my points were completely lost. Perhaps after sufficient time has passed, you will be able to look back on this experience and not only recognize my true impetus for posting but have a good laugh about the whole mess as well. Life is so full of absurdity, learning to laugh at it is a great help to all of us.
That's a profoundly silly comment. Yes, only one of them is scolded for it. But only one of them is also a writer for a respected website. So yes, the dude at the podium IS expected to behave in a certain way, because he's the dude with the job. I feel silly pointing that out but DAMN. Do yourself a favour dude...
That's a profoundly silly comment. Yes, only one of them is scolded for it. But only one of them is also a writer for a respected website. So yes, the dude at the podium IS expected to behave in a certain way, because he's the dude with the job. I feel silly pointing that out but DAMN. Do yourself a favour dude...