Monday, March 30, 2009

Endangered Species [Albino Butchery]

To be honest, I had no idea witch doctors were propagating the butchery of albinos for lucky charms. News to me, so it's almost certainly news to you.

And, yes, I know Albinism is a genetic disorder and not a species. I feel especially sensitive to these issues considering my recent time in Kijuju, after all.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

KIL vs. the World [SFIV Online Impressions]

I've begun to actually sink my cyberteeth into online SFIV. Some thoughts:

The lag is negligible against an opponent with a yellow signal strength, though orange is acceptable. Still have never seen a green. I prefer to select Ranked Match -> Create Match and kick any weak signal opponents. I imagine my fiber optic internet provides me with a pretty strong signal strength indicator, though I don't currently have a way of knowing. Never too tough to find an opponent. Still haven't hooked up with HC13's bro yet; hoping our geographic proximity might result in a green connection.

Been playing a lot with the Red Cyclone, and somewhat as the Boxer and Guile. I'm just below 1000 BP at last check. I feel my main is pretty solid, though I really need to bust out more EX Banishing Flats, and probably give up on my scrubby EX Running Bear tactics. Against some jump happy players (notably a Dictator and a Claw), I was able to use the vertical jump headbutt to get a quick stun, and then start the fierce Atomic Suplex, crossup, fierce Atomic suplex, repeat routine. I've also picked up the habit of starting all matches by moving backwards with multiple Quick Lariats to build meter.

Probably my favorite matchup is Gief versus a keep-away Akuma. It's simply a matter of maneuvering through Zanku Hadoukens, Messatsu Hadoukens, regular Hadoukens, and the double EX Zanku Hadoukens to try and throw Akuma before he teleports away. Really tight trick I picked up on the SRK forums is to spam Gief's far standing roundhouse. It moves him forward significantly faster than his walk, sneaks under a lot of Zanku Hadoukens, and occasionally catches back jumpers. And in more than one instance, I've demonstrated a simple axiom of Ultra grabs: Ultimate Atomic Buster > Wrath of the Raging Demon. Raging Demon start up, empty back jump, UAB, good game Akuma.

I face a lot of Ryus. Probably close to 50%. Some scrubs, some not. Fought one excellent Rose who was using the Arcane Fox title and had ~3200 BP. I thought it would be an easy match, with the Soul Spiral apparently being so easily punishable on block, but this bitch never used it outside a combination. Nailed every jump with her anti-air throw, too. Dirty gypsy bitch.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

My Day - Haiku Edition

For posterity, here is the haiku I composed using Denise Graveline's Eloquent Woman magnetic words.


Blog natural, wow!

Stage skills, ideas... why wait?

Get sought-after, now.



Bad ass, no?

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

My Day - Bonus Features

Actually, some cool stuff did happen today. Check out this sticker a lighting guy had on his workbox.

He'd be all like NOM-NOM-NOM

My Day

Today is... not the greatest.

Passable, though.

An excerpt of early morning shit talking re: prospective SFIV with HC13's big bro.



HC13: He asked which player you used...I told him Geif cuz that's what it said on KB... Is that right? He said Zangief suxx0rs and that he will school you with Ryu.
KIL: Ryu... how bland...
HC13: Talk shit, get hit.
KIL: Oh, shit, it's on.


I don't actually plan to use the Red Cyclone, though. Don't like the circular inputs with the online delay. Prolly The Boxer or Gouki. <3 Dash Straight -> Crazy Buffalo.

Composed a haiku from motivational speaking magnet words earlier. Can't recall the entire thing at the moment.. Will update later. Here's what I recall:

Blog natural, Wow!
Stage Skills, Ideas - _______________
_____________ Sought-after Now


Feeling almost feverish... Am I sick?

"Unh. Sicka than yo' average."

Ran into Talavera. Hate catching up with people. "How are you?" "You going back to school?" "Are you married?" "How is so-and-so?" "Salaried or hourly?" Always nice to see someone who thinks highly, but, so odd to see him. It's an Irish show tonight. Why would he be here? So random.

Bad day so far. Fresh socks help.

"Killa twist cabbage of Instinct."

Bellock My Nellock [Resistance 2 Coop]

From: Keif
To: Killa

I love my new weapon. multiple first places! even beating soldiers! kill death die! also level 29 best game eva!

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Welcome to Africa [RE5 Impressions]

Nothing like seeing three black men dragging a helpless screaming white woman into a filthy, primitive shack with the intention of brutally forcing something down her throat.

Predictably, upon entering the shack, the white woman staggers towards you and attacks. A few headshots later, the forcibly inserted parasite bursts forth from her neck. Ah, Resident Evil.

So yeah, RE5 is teh shiznitto-bomb-snip-snap-zap.

I've been playing through Cooperatively with Lego's Sheva backing up my Chris. Just last night my game caught up to the progress of his single player venture, wrapping up Chapter 3-2, apparently finishing the Marshlands segment. Have to say the tribal Majinis were very cool. Not much use in knocking down ladders when muh fuckas can leap ten feet in the air...

Lego, of course, has known what's coming and for the most part has had to bite his tongue. A Quick Time Event involving dodging crocodiles was especially funny, as he had to sit and wait for Redfield to be devoured. On some other occasions, though, he has made the decision to alert me to upcoming dangers so we can plan ahead if a Freakin' Chainsaw Guy is on the horizon.

Love the melee, by the way. I think it would have been amusing if Capcom had borrowed the "Shoryuken!" sound effect from Street Fighter for Chris' Uppercut, but that's just wishful thinking.

I'm used to the inventory system now, and though I did really like the old briefcase interface of RE4, this seems much more well-suited for cooperative, as it doesn't stop the action. The TMP was my favorite sidearm in 4, and this time around I'm focusing on upgrading the VZ61 Scorpion, a videogame mainstay (btw best fucking weapon ever in MGS:PO Online). I've relegated the Magnum to Lego out of the kindness of my heart, and the fact that he's a little thriftier with ammo.

Anyways, so far, so good. Definitely some creepy moments to be had, but we're clearly still in the early parts of the game, and have enjoyed some varied segments, including a rail-shooter fight against an El Gigante (or whatever the Swahili equivalent is) on the back of a jeep, an airboat jaunt, and most recently escaping the docks on a speedboat. Probably close to getting into the usual nitty-gritty, close quarters high tension bread-and-butter of the series.

Will keep you updated. And anyone else playing the game, please feel free to comment or correspond. *cough*G Double*cough*

So, body paint, huh?

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Fighting Miscellany

Got in a few rounds with Lego and HebeGB after dispatching that Freakin' Chainsaw Guy in RE5 last night. Managed to win two of the rounds and win the Kill Count. Booyah! That plus the requisite SFIV, of course. Oh, did I tell you I shut down Cammy's Ultra after the first hit with Geif's Focus Counter?

Friday, March 13, 2009

WizzleMizzle [Watchmen Review]

That is to say, Watchmen.

A lot of people have asked me what I thought of the film, and I respond with a vigor and passion for which they are unprepared. I've taken in all these mixed reviews, and to be frank with people, I tell them there's a good chance they may not like it.

I really fucking liked it, but I really fucking liked the graphic novel. The film is not X-Men. It's not The Dark Knight. It's not a movie about superheroes. It's a movie about masked vigilantes in an alternate history approaching doomsday. It's about human nature, social decay, and moral relativism. It is not a movie about saving the day.

There are six principle characters that make up the cast of Watchmen, but please do not misinterpret (what I find to be) the ill-advised dialogue of Ozymandias referring to the Watchmen as a team that never got off the ground. (The name Watchmen was never spoken in the original. Though, of course, vigilante is derived from the Latin for watchman.) These six characters are expertly cast and portrayed, and, beyond any other variance to the source material in the film, they are dead on.

Jackie Earle Haley's Rorshach is the high point; pitch perfect. I found every single scene featuring the Comedian felt as if ripped from the book. Ozymandias was sharp and aloof. Silk Specter, hot and reactionary. Nite Owl, dull and unremarkable. Doctor Manhattan, the only super superhero of the bunch, was portrayed true to form by Billy Crudup, a fitting foil to Haley's Rorshach.

The thematic elements of the original book I missed most were the recounting of the decline of Crimebusters, that mirrored the changes in society through the 60's and 70's, and also the frenzied, hysterical societal collapse that presaged "the end", characterized by the psychologist, exchanges at the newsstand, and the comic-within-a-comic Tales of the Black Freighter.

The appeal of a superhero movie, like Iron Man, is the explosive action and traditional comic book storyline. I personally feel that while Watchmen certainly contains explosive action, especially as seen in the trailer, it may be somewhat diluted by a lengthy, cerebral tale about people, and not their powers.

In conclusion, brain up. This a must Watch. Can't wait for any extended version they may offer down the line, hopefully with deleted scenes, Tales of the Black Freighter interspersed, and (please, please, please) the original ending.

Fine like this.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Input Science II [SFIV Technical]

The discovery continues...

So, defying all gaming logic, you can two-in-one Guile's Flash Kick into his Super (or Ultra), which, in my opinion, is the hardest input in the game (even beyond the 720°). For reference:

Charge D, U + K -> Flash Kick

Charge DB, DF, DB, UF + K (or KKK) -> Double Flash (or Flash Explosion)

Well, the Flash Kick (at least the Short version) can be combined with either the Super or Ultra by using the following input:

Charge DB, UF + K [-> Flash Kick], DB, UF + K [-> Double Flash]

It doesn't make any sense, since there is no DF input, unless the real necessary input for the Double Flash is Charge DB, F, DB, UF + K, though that is definitely not stated in his movelist as such. Craziness, I know. Not much point in the Ultra at all, as, in my experience, the last strike won't hit. Not really sure how the priority of the Short Flash Kick compares to the Double Flash, but at least it's an extra hit.

Another neat combination I picked up in the Trial Mode is Zangief's
Double Lariat -> Focus Cancel -> Backdash -> EX Banishing Flat. Not a great way to spend 3/4 of your Super Meter (*cough*three EX Spinning Piledrivers*cough*), but pretty impressive. You've got to be pretty quick to nail the EXBF before they hit the ground. I also learned that a fully charged Foucs Attack with dash follow up leads to whichever throw you want. (Ideally, the UAB, natch.)

Oh, and I've looked into El Fuerte's Run-Stop-Fierce loop. Definitely not something I can pull off at this point...


Mission Sturt

Where It's Due (Smash Edition)

From: HC13
Sent: Wed 3/11/09 12:06 AM
To: Killa
Subject: Hmph.

I am so sad that my super awesome Smash Bros skills weren't broadcasted on KB.
But I understand...you did get your ass whooped.

=)

Monday, March 9, 2009

Ultra Nitpicking [SFIV Ultra Revenge]

Hmmm... I wonder why this article is now missing from Shoryuken.com.

It's a direct rebuttal to a lot of complaints, though I don't really see the validity of the author's comparisons of the Revenge Meter to Mario Kart's elastic AI or the bullshit CPU assists in NBA Jam. These are cases of computer controlled variables sliding in favor of the losers, not quite the same as the KOF's Desperation Moves or Tekken 6's Rage bonus. (Though the fact that you can't be called for Goal Tending while On Fire in Jam is pretty uber.) I think the more relevant complaint regarding the Revenge Meter is the strength of the Ultra Combos. Why is the Ultra so much stronger (and flashier) than the Super?

The more I have played and experimented with other characters, though, I find that regarding Ultras as broken across the board is incorrect. Dhalsim's Ultra is actually pretty weak. It's slow enough that one can follow it up for some nice chip damage or mixups, but it's not much of a game changer. Cammy's Gyro Drive Smasher isn't a huge damager either. El Fuerte's Flying Giga Buster balances it's high damage with a non-traditional set up, much as Gouki/Akuma's extremely powerful Wrath of the Raging Demon is vulnerable to a lot of counters and escapes.

The Ultimate Atomic Buster is a hell of a throw, but, hey, it's a grab. It does a lot of damage, but so does the EX Spinning Piledriver. You'll never beat a good Zangief if you can't keep your distance and dodge grabs.

Then again, there's the Tiger Destruction. Big range, high priority, damaging as fuck.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Lvl18 Medic -> Magnum... GOT!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Input Science [SFIV Technical]

You know, I've never claimed to be a Street Fighter expert. Sure, I could throw down some basic V-ism in Alpha 3, and parry my way out of a sticky situation in 3S. Well, I've been learning quite a lot recently in IV. Allow me to share.

I've unlocked everyone now, including Seth, which meant beating Arcade mode with everyone. Even Dan. (I give Dan a hard time, but Dhalsim actually proved to be the toughest.)

Fucking around with Lego and some of the peripheral characters, I realized while playing as the Boxer (Balrog/M.Bison) that preparing his Turn Around Punch (Hold PPP or KKK, release) did not necessarily interfere with charging his Ultra, the Violent Buffalo (Charge B,F,B,F+PPP or KKK). And yeah, I realized this while playing, and told Lego I was going to do it. Next Tiger Shot thrown was easily avoided with the Turn Around Punch startup, and the powerful strike combined with the Ultra is a stupid fuck ton of damage. Needless to say I hit it the next round, too. (If I can hit once, I can hit twice...)

But peep this. Working on the Trial Mode with the Boxer, I was tasked with linking the Dash Straight (Charge B,F+P) with his Super, the Crazy Buffalo (Charge B,F,B,F+P or K). I quickly deduced, through trial and error, that I did not have enough time to recharge back between the moves, natch. Instead, just as you can throw a crouching medium kick into the double quarter circle motion, you can add the Dash Straight input into the Crazy Buffalo.

Charge Back, Forward + Punch (Dash Straight) ->
Back, Forward + Punch (Crazy Buffalo)

It is somewhat enthralling to be learning so much.

Now, as I have referenced it before, is the Sagat vs. Dhalsim final of a SFIV tournament in Japan. Let's see if middle-low tier Sim and best the de facto "best" character in the game at the competitive level.



Check out the Teleport Combos at 7:45. Pimp as shit.