I didn’t get as many matches in this week, but managed to win a couple tournaments. One memorable moment was losing a first round match to a runaway Akuma/Gouki, I got cocky and then frustrated, never a good combination, especially since I’m still rocking super fragile Sakura.
Afterward, I plowed through a tournament only to end up fighting the same player again in the finals. This time he was sporting a basic Sagat. Still not a character I want to take risks against, but I got inside and poured on the beatdown! The character pool was still limited to mostly Sagat, Ken, and runaway Akuma, which is unfortunate as I’m getting less experience on the matchup vs other characters. El Fuerte is frustating, as I feel a bit helpless after a knock down. Most people tend to do the top hit or the throw from above, and I’ve haven’t found a safe way to beat both without meter.
…some time later last week…
It was a rough start, as I fought 3 Blankas in a row!!! I managed to Cr. Fierce his Ultra, though its still quite frightening everytime I do it.
…I put in a few more tournaments and broke into G2!!!!!!! RANK UP!!!! It’s over 2000 GP to break into the next bracket. I was welcomed in with a beatdown from a piledriver mashing Zangief… It bothers me a bit that when hes getting hit, he can just mash 360s hoping I mess up, and then BOOM SPD Big Damage!
The competition in the second bracket is MUCH steeper, and my first few matches I spent struggling in the first round. I think it takes 4 fights now to win a tournament, and you only get points if you make it to the 2nd round… The characters played were a little more varied, and the people here definitely win due to skill as opposed to just random Fierce Shoryukens.
I fought a beastly Dhalsim, the guy had around 8k GP. His keepaway was fantastic, and he had that small jump teleport down to keep the pressure on. He put me in the corner, tossed out his Ultra, and hit me with a full focus attack to break my guard. I had a hard time getting in without EX Sakura Otoshi. He is the first ‘Sim player since I started that really gave me a hard time. I’m looking forward to more matches like this, it sucks to lose, but its the only way to understand the match up better.
El Fuerte is as frustrating as ever as well, he just seems so random, and once I’m on the floor, I get scared of the cross up fajita or grab…Chun Li continues to be a problem as well, I don’t get to play as many, and similar to Fuerte, the match up just feels foreign to me.
The only tournament I won finished with a Balrog/Boxer player. I think alot of people are playing him because you can afford to turtle, and his pokes and that sweep are so nasty. His damage output is so high, and hes tough to punish. Matches with this guy were either a close loss, or I was all over him. I won in the end by linking Short>Jab>Fierce>EX Tatsu>J.Jab to cross up under and repeat 3x to dizzy for the win.
I wonder if its just inexperience against Sakura players or the ease and power of ‘Rog in the hands of even amateurs, but I never thought that trick would work 3x in a row in this bracket…
At the end of the night, I realized that I’m going to get beat down alot in G2, but I’ll either learn and swim, or sink.
G2 Grade E 2111 points
Tags: fighting game, Sakura, Street Fighter 4, tournament, Xbox Live