Watching the Super Smash Bros Melee finals, which is going as I type, is an odd feeling. Odd for many reasons but mainly due to that its 13 year old game. Its sharing the same main stage as Ultra Street Fighter 4, which has been out for a month. Then again, last night this stage hosted the Tournament of Legends, the world wide tournament for Super Street Fighter II Turbo, which celebrating its 20th anniversary. And its not the only game. Tekken, Darkstalkers, Killer Instinct, X-Men: Children of The Atom, and King of Fighters both are celebrating their 20th anniversary. Meanwhile, The Smash Bros series, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves are celebrating their 15th. Heck its the 10th anniversary of the famous EVO Moment #37. Their is point to all of this and its one of the central themes at EVO this year. That were are at point in fighting gaming where multiple generations of gamers are converging together…but that a good thing?
In fighting games, there has always been two ruling classes thought. There’s the OG, the old guard, and the new generation. The old guard came the 1990’s. They from place where arcade perfect meant you were playing it at an arcade cabinet. Where glitches, exploits, and combos took months to get out due to the still maturing internet. And for most of this generation, the only comeback mechanic they use is shear skill to comeback. The new generation came in with the SF 4 era of fighters, where arcade is just the default mode that is in all fighters. Found a glitch? By the end of the day, someone will have probably made a combo/tech video of it, tweeted to their followers, and someone will have made a meme about how unbalanced makes the game. Their comeback mechanic is also their amazing skill…on top of all of the other actual comeback mechanics that are usually present. Now, neither of these is an absolute or completely true. However, find any comment section, over any fighter and you’ll find these two dual natures fighting long and hard. They have divided the fighting game community down the middle and even further based on sub-niches with in fighters. You don’t just play a 2D fighters, its an anime fighter or Capcom fighter, ETC… Its almost a vexing situation why even tournaments like EVO exist when most of time people of the different fighters, different generations, would never co-exist in the same space.
But they do and its not due to magic. People come from all walks of life and their tastes differ. So the same applies to the FGC. It does matter if you came into fighters from their earliest beings or from modern affairs, there are games and communities welcome you. Their are places where that gap between generations lessens. Where are tournaments for both new and old. Where players competing in games with 20 years behind them show of newly discovered technology for them. And new players rise into legends with their first win. This is why tournaments are such a cornerstone in the FGC, as they are a meeting place for the old and new. Tournaments are where the old guard, while maybe not agreeing the direction the games the new players are playing, can see the sweat and determination that perspires off the players is the same as theirs. Tournaments are also where new players can see from the old guard the definite fundamentals that hold the games and lifestyle they enjoy. Its that understand that old much of the FGC together. The uniting of skills, spirit, and salt that transcends generations and nationalities.
As EVO 2014 draws to close, we now have a chance to look towards the future. The future of fighting is a bit of a vague mystery for both new and old fighters. Will old players be able to get new players into the older games to bring new into them? Or will the same older players continue to play the same games and run them into stagnation? Will new players take the views and hard advice from older players older players to shape the fighting game community a bigger better place? Will they choose the ignore it and just play on the worse parts for the stream monsters? I don’t know. What I do know is this EVO will have new winners and old favorites. It marked the return of many legends and the first showing of promising upstarts. The hype and love for fighting games at EVO crosses generations. The kind of energy that so hard to put into words. That energy that these small posts and even streams can’t fully express. I do know one thing though: I have to go there. I will go there. Its the place where both old and new generations of fighters converge in a three day fest of digital pugilism.
This is EVO, the place for the new and old generation of fighters.
Thanks for reading this week. Hope I got you hyped for EVO as much as I was!
Comments