When it comes to old school 2d Street Fighter, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo is always relevant to thousands of players worldwide. The level of commitment to this classic is creating a whole new breed of players that are reaching levels that even the legends didn’t reach. The game’s appeal is broad and it brings in new talent that contributes not only to the player base, but also to the quality content they create for the game.
Today, we are interviewing Justen “Had0k3n” Myers. A talented Boxer player that is already placing well in big tournaments and making a name for himself in the ST scene.
1-This one is always part of the interview as the initial question, so no reason to change that now. What are your top 5 favorite video games of all time. All consoles and arcade apply.
My top 5 favorite consoles are a tough choice for me personally, I love a lot of consoles but there are a few that do stand out to me and I’d say influenced me alot. My top 5 would definitely be: Nintendo DS lite as that was my first console i had that i could call my own, Nintendo 64, Playstation 2, Atari 2600, and then number 1 would definitely be my NES, funny story with this console as it was the first real video game console i ever had (my true first being a bootleg Super Joy III multi-console) that my brother and i had found being thrown away along with SMB3 so we took it home and hooked it up and my family started playing SMB3 together and since there are no saves on SMB3 we had to keep the console on for multiple nights before we completed it, that specific NES i no longer have unfortunately but I did get a new one from my dad on my 13 birthday.
2-You are a new generation player that should be playing SFV and Dragon Ball fighterZ, but instead, you have found SSF2T to be your favorite fighting game. If I ever felt curious to know how this came to be, it has to be with a player that is so young and so unlikely to prefer such a brutal and complex game. How did it all begin for you with SF2 leading to your love for ST?
Many people have given me weird looks or reactions based on how old I am, and the games I play alongside, and that is understandable people would expect someone my age like me to be playing games like DBFZ, SFV:CE, and like Tekken but instead i’m playing a game that’s almost 30 years old but to me personally I always loved retro games as a kid and i still do SF2 has been in my life for as long as I can remember, my dad has always been a huge fan of fighting games since he was around in California playing CE in 7/11’s during the Fighting Game boom so i’ve always been surrounded in that environment, my brother and dad would be playing MK on PS2 and writing moves down on paper then laminating with tape it was a blast but I was never allowed to look at the 3D Fatalities only on the original MK Trilogy since they were not as graphic.
My fighting game adventure began when I started playing CVS1 on PS1 with my dad and I was using a really bad 3rd party controller and my dad was using a Dualshock 2 but its on that game that i learned the basics and fundamentals like throwing out a hadoken and a shoryuken, later down the line we got HSF2 on PS2 that had 3rd Strike and that awesome movie. We would start playing this version instead of CVS because there was like no load time either and it was awesome SF2. During this time I was maining Ryu since he’s a good beginner and all round a balanced character that has answers to almost everything. It wasn’t until I started going down the FGC/SF2 rabbit hole and watching old EVO Videos (Thanks to Psychochronic) and the “I am Street Fighter” documentary that really started my journey with ST, I thought it was amazing watching the legends play and the comeback potential and this game’s difficulty with executing combos (consistently) and how absolutely rewarding it felt to do just a simple 3 piece KD.
3-Let’s talk weapon of choice. I know you have this cool NES style arcade stick, but I don’t really know the details. Could you give me some specs on it and also tell me about any other sticks you own and use?
Originally when I started playing I used a USB Logitech gamepad that’s perfectly fine for games like platformers and emulators but I couldn’t get used to it and it felt wrong on ST so I used a 360 MK Stick to start playing ST/A3 but that was impossible so I saved up some money once I got a job during that time and i got a 8BitDo NES Stick (not to be confused with the one I have now) It was just a reskin of a Mayflash F300, but the Current one I have now I couldn’t recommend enough for beginners, What I modded inside is nothing special the stick is a Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT and 6 clear red Semitsu push ins and 2 purple Semitsu screw ins that i originally used for all the buttons but they were a tight fit and i had to sand away a lot of plastic to even use them in there so those 2 that are in my stick now are just stuck in there and aren’t going anywhere.
4-Now, let’s talk some Rog (Boxer) because we both love the character and try to use him in ways that are fresh and unique. I want to start this by saying that you have been the ultimate TAP master for Rog and the player that inspired me to take TAP to a new level. The same goes for float punch, (neutral jump fierce) which you use in ways that are just insane.
I think you are one of those rare cases when someone manages to take a character to a whole new level. Perhaps there are other Boxer players out there that are better than you in terms of matchup knowledge and general optimization of the character (players that have been at it for decades), but I believe your boxer is the most unique and innovative above all others.
Could you give me some background on how you decided to choose boxer as your main? What was the process of selection? Lastly, for this question, is boxer your only boxing character, or are you also into other boxing style characters in fighting games?
Thank You! I appreciate it! I really just loved the idea of TAP even to the point where I’m hyper fixated with it, I love even just saying the numbers like the announcer “ONE” “FOUR” “FINAL!”, and when I started to really seriously get into ST I wanted to always land a FINAL in a match it was such a satisfying move to me just like Jigglypuff’s rest in Melee and my gameplan was always around that one button, I’ve eased up on FINAL TAP Exclusive usage but I still always land a Final here and there I like to reserve the bigger numbers to get into peoples heads to think if i’m holding for FINAL or a SIX.
For a long time when starting out originally I had used a 3 K Macro since newer games usually have a said button like SFV but in the case of ST I stopped doing that since playing offline this isn’t allowed and is not possible on cab anyway so it’s best to learn how to properly hold TAP, for me I use the Tsuji method (Thumb on LK, Ring on MK and Pinky on HK), with this method it allows me to rapid jab to setup stand charge while also holding TAP this may be uncomfortable for some as hitting the HP button can be tricky but i’ve had no problems with being able to reach even in tight situations but if im playing HF i’ll use a different method so i’m able to use TAPs ONE and TWO to pass projectiles while also charging FINAL.
Float Punch is a very underutilized move in Boxer’s kit. I usually only see Floats being used for Fireball evading but I wanted to see how I could push the limits with the button and see how I could include it within my gameplan. It’s such a ridiculous button its so funny to use since it has such a fat hitbox it stuff a lot of characters and since you can activate it whenever your in the air you can change the timing or even use it to properly space a punish (Like if you get a KD on claw near the corner you can float punch back to punish flip kick) Or for shenanigans like the Henry Float, but my favorite thing to do with that button is a “Post KO Flex” where if you have a multi hit grab and it kills at the end of the round you’re able to do a normal, crouch normal or any jump normal in the air during the slow motion.
When starting out with ST I was using Ryu as my main and sometimes O.Ryu since he was a bit more simpler and I didnt have to worry about accidental normals that N.Ryu has, but while i was learning and just hyper fixating on Street Fighter in general one theme stuck out to me and I couldn’t get out of my head and that’s was Boxer’s theme so then I started to look up more on boxer and see what he can do and I really liked his character and his backstory as it was similar to mine where we grew up and how the general public just kinda doesn’t care about boxer since he really isn’t a stand out character compared to characters like Dhalsim and Dictator, he’s just a really strong boxer, but what absolutely cemented me using boxer was EVO 2004 Daigo Vs John Choi. That match was so inspirational to me I loved everything about it the TAP usage, his Dash Ground Lows everything was just so inspirational it was like a 2nd Evo Moment #37 for me, so I’ve been using Boxer/O. Boxer ever since. When it comes to other fighting games I do tend to go for the Boxer archetype of characters like McCoy in Dan-Ku-Ga or Vanessa in KOF, but I generally like to play charge characters but some games like Karnov’s Revenge I use Karnov or in the case of the CPS1 SF games, since Boxer is really bad in those versions I usually stick to either Ken (because of CPS1 Chains) or Sagat.
5-Could you name your favorite ST players based on how they have inspired you to play the game?
The players that I’ve seen and researched that have gotten me to the point where I am now would definitely be people like Daigo, Afrolegends, Tsuji, Superstar, Graham Wolf. Each of these boxers have unique and different styles from each other. I’d like to think I have a little bit of each of these players’ gameplans incorporated within my boxer.
6-Could you share your top 3 performances and the reason why you consider them highlights of your Boxer play?
For my Top 3 performances these videos I would show to someone to get an idea of how to play boxer and his/my gameplans.
This clip is just too good to not be shared, this is an actual match that happened on my alt account on Fightcade where I landed 2 FINAL TAPs against Guile in HSF2 as HF Boxer, I was always told it’s impossible to land 2 since you have to hold all 6 buttons but I always wanted to go for it since it was so difficult and I was actually able to manage it! Just a funny moment:
This Clip shows how fast and ruthless ST can be if you make 1 bad mistake and how fast games can be in theory:
This is one from my first ever major Frosty Faustings XIV and I hope that this clip can inspire younger ST players into showing that even if this games been out for almost 30 years and you’re a new competitor, as long as you have the drive and are willing to learn and understand that losing is a natural process of becoming better at things everyone starts at the same place and seeing hard work payoff in a match is the most satisfying thing that can happen.:
7-Let’s talk about the infamous Rog vs Chun matchup. Some say it’s an even match, others feel that it is in chun’s favor, and very few would say it is in rog’s favor. It is worth noting that this matchup is considered extremely unfair to rog by a former TOL player. What are your thoughts on this?
As a boxer player that has gone against many Chuns especially Snoopy Global Angel, Unessential, that the Boxer/Chun matchup I’d say is slightly more in Chun-Li’s favor but I think that Boxer can absolutely stand a chance if he plays patiently and if he’s able to maintain a lead without losing momentum and be able to clutch it out. Boxer definitely has the tools to win against Chun, he also has a lot of nonsense that he can apply in the Chun-Li matchup as well if he can see and predict what the opponent is going for, but I feel that I can’t give too much advice in this MU since most of my experience with it has been online which Online and Offline ST are completely different but I would love to get more training in anytime I can next time i’m at an offline event.
8-I have to ask the button question as it is also a tradition at F101. Which Boxer button would you pick if you only had one to use during a one-button tournament?
If I had to choose one button for a boxer it would definitely be medium punch. That button is so unbelievably good that I think a boxer can win with just that alone, although there is one Achilles heel with it and it’s the headbutt that comes from it. Medium punch headbutt is extremely situational and it sucks when it comes out as you’re pianoing a reversal, But boxers crouching medium punch is definitely one of the best buttons in Super Turbo. You can buffer it with dash ground low, dash straight, super, and headbutt. The button is even Boxer’s togo grab button since it has more range than HP.
9-How to do you feel about the current state of the FGC? It seems like the glorious days of EVO are not going to return the same way they used to be, but perhaps things will take a different route that will be even better.
The current state of the FGC I think is going up in terms of getting new players since there’s Discord servers for just about any game there is interest for, games like Street Fighter The Movie, The Game Arcade, Sailor Moon, Clay Fighter, World Warrior, etc. On Twitter it seems that players are at eachothers throats and a lot of the time people can’t voice their opinion without facing a lot of criticism without a genuine discussion, this isn’t saying that there aren’t discussions on twitter but I wish that people can understand that not everyone is going to like your favorite game or your favorite character and that’s ok! It shouldn’t make people feel discouraged to try out games and get outside of their comfort zone.
10-Give me a list of 3 fighting games other than ST that you enjoy playing and the main reasons why you enjoy those titles.
My 3 other fighting games that I like to play would go to Street Fighter II’ Special Champion Edition on Sega Genesis. If you’re playing this version with a 3 button Genesis pad you’re crippling yourself since you have to press start to switch between punches and kicks but with a 6 button pad this game is a whole lotta fun. It’s really nothing special its just a console port of both Champion Edition and Hyper Fighting but there is one thing that makes it stand out, and it’s the fact that it’s the most accurate 16 bit console port of HF/CE since you’re able to perform CPS1 Chains, but there are also some SCE Exclusive quirks you have to be aware of like Honda being able to LP Headbutt through fireballs if i recall correctly, and since Fightcade 2 has rollback for Sega Genesis playing this game with arcade sticks and excellent netcode is a blast, I always try and get games on stream.
My Next fighting game would have to be Street Fighter II World Warrior. This game is the most unique out of all the SF2 releases, it takes everything you knew about ST,CE,HF and throws it away since it’s lacking one huge feature, reversals. In World Warrior you cannot make mistakes at all. It genuinely can turn into your favor almost immediately since no other SF2 can get stunned almost instantly with a few CR.LKs as Ryu or Ken. World Warrior even has Character select meta since there are no mirror matches at all who ever goes to Guile first theoretically already won, Dhalsim coming in a close second but nothing compares to Guile and his glitches. Ryu and Ken in World Warrior are so bad but Ken is just slightly better due to having better hurtbox placements on Hadokens, lacks the double damage frame that Ryu has during Stun, and has a throw that can put you in the corner almost immediately but both of their DPs are absolute garbage they do not knockdown, leave you minus especially against Zangief and should only be used for CPS1 Chains or AA’s.
Last but not least my last game i play would be Karnov’s Revenge, this game was easy for me to get into since its similar to SF2 yet being its own unlike the first game in the series Fighter’s History which played more directly like SF2. This game has been a lot of fun for me to get into and play with friends since it seems that every normal is special cancellable and my main Karnov’s Balloon and teleport are very fun to do especially balloon crossups. I don’t have as much time in this game as I should and I would like to get back into it since it has very similar “Don’t Mess Up” Traits that I like in fighters.
11-Give me your Super Turbo elevator pitch for younger players who prefer games that are not so brutal and strict?
My elevator pitch for Super Turbo would be something along the lines of: “Hey, have you ever wanted to feel like an old wise martial arts master and see your hard work and fundamentals pay off in newer fighting games? I think Super Turbo would be the perfect game for you!
Thanks to Justen once again for doing this interview with us!