Simple, fast, intense kick-talk with Keits
Adam “Keits” Heart and I crossed paths once before, a few years back at the Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom launch event in New York City. Back thin he was just a championship level fighting game expert, representing the game with Seth Killian.
Like Skullgirls’s Mike Z, Keits has taken his love of fighting games to the next logical step and has entered the world of development with Divekick. The game started out as a playable parody of Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition. Shortly after release, SSF4:AE became infamous for its poor balance and tendency to reward Yun and Rufus players for spamming the dive kick. The initial build of Divekick worked to mock that. It only had two characters, parodies of Yun and his twin brother Yang. More pointedly, the game only allowed for two inputs, jump and “divekick”. It was a troll-post in game form.
The idea resonated with the FGC, more so than Keits may have predicted. What started as a parody has evolved into a full on deconstruction of the modern 2D fighter, with a “gem system”, a “kick meter”, and multiple characters (including parodies of Kung Lao, Dr. Doom, Wolverine, and more) each with their own specific special moves (like crouching!) The “fighting game humor” is non-stop, but the gameplay is no joke.
The controls couldn’t be simpler, which instantly levels the playing field for all players, while retaining all the head games and strategies found in more complex fighters. The same thing could be said for other indie fighters like Samurai Gunn and Nidhogg. Divekick joins them in bringing fighting games to the masses without sacrificing any of the cutthroat intensity. Players start Divekick laughing, but end sweating, gritting their teeth, desperate for victory.
Check out more Talk Fast interviews if you want, and watch for Adam’s scheduled appearance on Sup Holmes in late April.
