Universal Fighting Game Guide: Mind Games

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Everything in life has a physical and mental aspect to it. Fighting games are no different. The physical element comes down to your ability to execute the maneuver you want at the time you want it, regardless of the circumstances that may make you mess it up. When it comes to improving one’s ability to play a fighting game, most guides and training aids will focus on the physical aspect of fighting games.

With that said, the mental aspect of fighting games shouldn’t be overlooked. I’d go as far as to say that the mental aspect of fighting games is far more important than any physical factor. In today’s edition of the Universal Fighting Game Guide, let’s cover the mental element that will play the biggest part in your success or failure. That element is mind games.

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The Recurring Bosscast: 025 – PS3some

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On the eve of Grand Theft Auto V’s release, the Bosscast share their stories of gaming launches gone by. Jason’s close friend heckled him as they stood in the rain for a midnight launch. The allure of a free movie ticket enticed Jett to buy a horrible licensed game. Also, what the heck was Mat doing in that Ottawa hotel room?

Jett – In Third Person
Jason – Downstab
Mat – Biff Bam Pop

DC Comics Deck-Building Game Review

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DC Deck-Building GameSteff and I’s entry into the tabletop gaming scene was Dominion. We were quickly captivated by its deck-building mechanics and it’s been  the feature game among us and our tabletop gaming night friends ever since. As much as we’ve tried to introduce others to it, the learning curve for it can be steep for players without experience in more advanced tabletop games.

While we were looking to purchase the latest Dominion expansion from the Snakes and Lattes booth at Fan Expo, the knowledgeable staff recommended we try out DC Comics Deck-Building Game. Besides being similar in nature to a game that we adore, they also billed it as being easier to learn. In hopes of using it as a gateway drug to Dominion for our friends while having a great time, we decided to give it a shot.

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Off-Topic: Creative Bankruptcy

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There was a period in my life when drawing was a passion of mine. Armed with a piece of paper and a pencil, I would spend hours drawing assorted pieces. Then one day, I stopped. At a certain point, I could no longer find it in me to just let the pencil go where it needed to. Instead of a blank canvas being an opportunity to explore, it became an insurmountable obstacle. I haven’t drawn anything in earnest since.

There was also a period in my life where making hip-hop beats was a passion of mine. If you’ve ever listened to The Recurring Bosscast, then you’ve heard a few of the 100+ beats I created during my run. Though the process was never easy – especially since I was never formally trained in music – I honed my craft to the point where I was really proud of the jams I created. But just like my penchant for drawing, my ability to just go with it disappeared. Instead, I’d sit in front of FL Studio, making a lot of noise, while not piecing anything together to form a composition. I haven’t created any new music in years.

What happened?

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Dead Or Alive 5 Ultimate Core Fighters Review

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The free-to-play business model is something that fighting games are beginning to dabble in. Tekken Revolution was the first out of the gate, which provided a smaller Tekken experience that limited the number of times you could access each mode. Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate Core Fighters takes a different approach by primarily gating characters instead. Does this approach provide a less scummy experience?

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Check Out My Gaming Library

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Darkadia

For the past decade or so, I’ve maintained an Excel file that lists every video game I own. While it works fine for personal purposes, I’ve wanted to do more with it for a while now. Recently, through some quick Google searching, I found this cool site called Darkadia that provides a cool way to display my collection online while providing a number of practical ways to sort them.

If you’d like, head over to my Darkadia profile and check out the hundreds of games I own or have played throughout my lifetime. Over time, I’ll be fleshing it out with more games and more detailed entries. Besides this post, you’ll find a direct link to my profile right up on the main navigation.

I really like Darkadia so far. It was very quick to set up, has a lot of features I like and am looking forward to what’s on the road map for the future. At this point, the site is free, though a paid version with more features is on the way. I’d actually consider the paid version if the price is right for the upgrades. If you like what you see of mine, consider making your own through Darkadia!


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Fighting Game Knowledge And Paying It Forward

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One of the people I admire the most in the fighting game community is Ryan Gutierrez. Best known as Gootecks, he’s recognized as being a top Street Fighter III: Third Strike player, as well as a top Street Fighter IV player in the game’s early days. While he could have continued to pursue that path, he made a conscious decision to be a content creator with an eye on tutorials and advice for newcomers. Part of that decision probably was because he saw it as a more stable means of making an income from being a part of the FGC. However, he also recognized the importance of growing the community, which he’s most vocal about in the early days of his podcast. Without bringing new players into the scene, the FGC would have continued down the path of being a tiny niche market that was stuck playing the same old games for a decade. Without guys like Gootecks paying it foward, I may have missed out on some of the best and most rewarding times I’ve ever had playing video games.

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Check Out My Kickstart Guide to Divekick On Splitkick.com

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Fraud detected! Though I may be lukewarm on Divekick, that doesn’t mean I can’t provide any useful tips for players looking to be the next Uncle Sensei. Head over to Splitkick for all of the details!

Check out the Kickstart Guide to Divekick on Splitkick.com


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Off-Topic: From C to Shining C

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As I continue down the path of guitar proficiency, I still reflect heavily on that one fateful day over 20 years ago when my dad tried to teach me how to play. He sat me down with his full-sized acoustic, and asked me to play a C chord until I got a feel for it. On that day, I never did get that feel. Instead, I felt the pain of the strings slicing through my fingers, the pain of my hands contorting in an awkward manner, and the pain of my childhood dreams being crushed by the presumed reality that I’d never be good enough. Until Steff gave me the Rocksmith guitar bundle last year as a Christmas present, I hadn’t picked up a guitar in earnest since.

In the last few months, I’ve overcome the once insurmountable psychological hump I created for myself back then and am enjoying the instrument with the limited skills I currently have. I definitely see myself continuing to work at it from this day forward. However, I can’t help but think about how I could have grasped the concept of guitar playing back then had certain things been handled differently.

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Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess Review

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Having gone to two Video Games Live shows to date, I figured that my experience with The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess would be very similar to that. Despite both being orchestral shows, they’re very different in feel. In the case of the latter, having a narrower scope to work with definitely worked in its favour.

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