Ever see this game? It’s Fighting Mania. It was in America arcades and was based on Hokuto No Ken. Those pads? You punch them after they light up. They swing forward kind of like a shooting gallery…for your fists.
My buddies and I went and played this game a few times back in the day. They were able to get past the first boss or so. Me? I beat the game. Why? As stated earlier, I have some boxing experience thanks to my dad. That slight amount of experience and my, generally better, reaction time let me perform LEAGUES better than them.
As far as representing Hokuto no Ken? What a joke! Kenshiro can punch a HUNDRED times faster than me! It didn’t represent Hokuto at all! At least by the logic of “the game should be like what it’s representing”. But…if it were like HnK, it would be UNPLAYABLE by my friends…and even by me despite me having done FAR better than them. How would that be fun?
Even compare to something as simple as this…
Victorious Boxers for Wii. Pretty fun boxing game. It had enough mechanics in it to make fights fun (and exhausting) and captured motion pretty damn well. Was it like real boxing? No not at all. Is it based on a realistic boxing series? Yeah pretty realistic actually. When we played…I won pretty much all the time or close to it but my friends were all pretty close. Now, one night, my dad comes by to drop off some stuff while we’re playing. My friend challenges him to a match. HILARITY ensues as, in one round, my buddy gets punched 124 times. Between rounds it looked like his character took a grenade to the face. Round 2? One punch landed. 10 count. Ding ding. HILARIOUS. That was the difference between a championship boxer playing something that is a BARE approximation of boxing (but that required similar skillsets) and a “regular” person. Now make a game that REQUIRES that level of skill just to play it. JUST TO PLAY IT. You’d sell…what? 8 copies? But DAMN would it be a realistic and canonically accurate depiction of boxing!
Yeah, no. The “be true to canon” stuff doesn’t even make sense because these games can’t even be true to reality without being, basically, unplayable OR totally misrepresenting things in a way that makes the canon or reality look…well…totally unlike reality.
It was the “walking eldritch abomination in a red SS uniform” line that did it, wasn’t it?
And, DRW, please don’t think I’m upset with your or anything. I understand where you’re coming from and, to some extent, agree. In fact, I definitely agree with the sentiment…I am just saying that it’s not really doable either way in reality. We’re too constrained in too many ways by the very nature of what’s being represented. And it’s been a good chat so far
Something else I’d like to point out about. Even though the characters have access to these devastating specials, they don’t need to use these attacks to end a fight as any one of their well placed normals can do the same. They also have access to their unique attacks, which in themselves could be KO for an unfortunate adversary. Ryu’s Sakotsu Wari (鎖骨割り) is designed to break someones collarbone, and his Kyuubi Kudaki (鳩尾砕き) is a full force blow right to a persons gut. In SFA series Ryu and Akuma had access to Senpuu Kyaku (旋風脚 ), which was a precursor to the Tatsumakisenpukyaku, and visually identical save for the full 360 spin (more of a 180). Akuma and Evil Ryu’s Zugaihatsu (頭蓋破殺) is designed to crush a persons skull.
So while special techniques are devastating, the fighters need not rely on such power to win a fight necessarily, although it becomes much simpler.
So I’d like to think that in canon the fighters would usually reserve special techniques until a dangerous situation occurred. Other than a situation that would call for it they would keep such special moves in their training routines for refinement.
Yea. But the point I’m trying to make more so is that the fighters specials aren’t necessarily the only devastating attacks they have in their arsenal, and that a lot of their normal, or unique attacks could be just as devastating. They wouldn’t necessarily have to use an abundance of special techniques because of how skilled they supposedly are. When a regular fighter in the real world can deliver a roundhouse kick in the ranges on 60-70 mph to someones head, that alone could kill a trained or untrained person, and were talking about super athletes delivering them.
Street Fighters have access to round house kicks, uppercuts, and spinning back fists as regular attacks, on top of unique attacks; which have the potential to injure or mortally wound, on top of specials; which have an even greater chance to injure or mortally wound, on top of whatever super (ultra/critical) special; which I assume would be a last resort type of technique.
Yeah, also, the thing is for the most part, a lot of these guys AREN’T Akuma. They’re not trying to murder each other. Some want to drag out the fight and not go full force, use their most powerful attack on the most vital of spots. They want to enjoy meeting in combat, and when it calls for it, they up their aggressiveness and technique.
If Blanka was in a tournament and a young, plucky kid went to fight him, he wouldn’t open up the match with Shout of Earth or jab a claw in his eye. It’s like enjoying and savoring a cookie vs stuffing your mouth full of em and gulping down as fast as you can.
“Edwin’s art will be headlining the series for four issues, starting with STREET FIGHTER™ UNLIMITED #5. This issue sees Ryu, desperate to control the dark forces within him, seeking out a new master - the ancient hermit Oro! Plus, in a special bonus story illustrated by Jeffrey “Chamba” Cruz, Oro is paid a visit by another student of the Ansatsuken martial arts – the deadly Akuma!”
I’m now convinced SFV happens in 90s. My prove you ask? Look at the Hot Dog cart in the City in Chaos stage. Hot cart selling food for a $1. That 90s prices right there.
