Thought it was Flower Power at first, judging from the pic. Not into metal, too aggressive and and shouty for my taste, but the stoner aspect makes it a bit more mellow.
Btw man, Full Throttle is awesome (your avatar). That game really spoke to imagination as a kid (even though I didn’t get far and generally suck and am too impatient for point and click puzzle solving).
@BLUE_BLACK_PURPLE I’m with you btw on the DBZ watching thing. It was different when I played it, cause I was into it, but for watching, Lord. As a teen you may like that kind of stuff, all flashy and hyper (especially in the short attention span, multi-tasking era), but as you get a little older… Like I played some Quake 3 Arena back in the day, but then at some point you’re like jeez, that shit drains you, I’ll take some mellow Goldeneye 64 instead.
Anywho, I found this little article on the first six months of competitive DBZ play to be an enjoyable read. It sounds exciting, a whole bunch of people testing out different strats and approaches and trying to figure out the meta. That what’s makes sports interesting in general, no? Upsets, twists and turns, unpredictability, evolution. Reminds me of that Smash Bros documentary series, where you have these different kids coming in, changing the way the game is played and leaving behind a legacy. Good stuff.
That American offensive player vs the Japanese defensive specialist, is like in boxing where you have different, sometimes opposite styles clashing. The forward storming bull packed with powerful punches pinning you down (Tyson) vs the guy dancing around you and striking with blazing speed (Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson). Or a technical, defensive boxer like Mayweather (watch him against De La Hoya, he’s a slippery eel).
It’s interesting to note how well fighting games, aside of course from omitting the physical side, can capture the art and spirit of fighting. Thinking fast, the pressure of execution and the focus and spirit required to win. Patterns get punished, counter strategies devised and player or styles analyzed and tore down meticulously. The mind games; getting in the other guy’s head, frustrating him, making him get angry and make mistakes like getting overly careless and aggressive, dropping his guard. Momentum and bouncing back.
One thing’s clear from that article. Playing fighting games competitively, heck any environment that’s that competitive, can be pretty relentless. There’s a difference between playing leisurely and trying to carve out a living surrounded by sharks. Everyone’s constantly striving to improve, looking for an edge. You can’t just get on top (if you can ever make it there in the first place), and then rest your ass, 'cause you’ll be history soon. Gaming seems particularly brutal. Today’s hero, tomorrow’s zero.
And y’know the skill level. You think you’re good at something, and then you watch this guy. And then a few years down the line (or less), they’re doing things in a game you never even thought possible. It can however be good fun to have others do the heavy lifting for you and just marvel at the skill and watch the drama unfold, while you learn the ins and outs, take your knowledge of a game (sport) to the next level and start seeing things you didn’t before and appreciate it all. I’ll just reserve that for something a little less ADHD.
