Today we bring you an interview with one of the best Ryu players in the US. DGV is definitely a player that brings a more aggressive approach to shoto play and has been quite an inspiration to many ST players who want to use characters like Ryu with a more dynamic approach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
1-Ok, so here is the 101 at F101 for every player we interview. What are your top 5 favorite games of all time in any console\/arcade and any genre?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n -Mike Tyson\u2019s Punch Out (greatest boxing and one of the best video games of all time\u00a0 -addicting and challenging at the same time)\u00a0 Mr Sandman is actually harder than Tyson lol<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Mega Man 2 (The defacto Mega Man game \u2013 amazing soundtrack and game design\u2026only knock is the game is quite easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Super Street Fighter 2 (Snes Version) First version SF2 that I really studied and learned. <\/p>\n\n\n\n -EA NHL Hockey Games \u00a0(PC Versions) More specifically, the even year releases (\u201998, \u20182000\u2026.\u201997 and \u201999\u00a0 were horrible.\u00a0 Season long stats, engaging play by play commentary, and the ability to deliver legit cross checks = gold!<\/p>\n\n\n\n -Legend of Zelda (NES) So many fond memories playing this gem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2-Please share some background information about\nyour Street Fighter and general fighting game trajectory. Which fighting game\ndid you start with and when did you consider the idea of becoming a tournament\nplayer?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Incoming story time =) <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like many other players, I also started off with World Warrior. I didn\u2019t actually play much WW \u00a0during the peak of its arcade popularity due to the fact that I couldn\u2019t play with joysticks at all. I just merely observed people playing until the console release on SNES. That console release was a huge deal for my brother and I since we were strictly pad players. When the game came out, we used to have endless practice sessions perfecting each move. The basic goal at the time was to beat all of our friends. The thought of tournament play, was unheard of within my social circle\/group of friends as we were all just casual players.\u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everything changed when I heard about Xband, a modem device for consoles (snes & genesis) that allowed players to play people across the country. This, to my brother and I, felt like an opportunity to showcase that pad players could play SF2. During the early 90s, the general acknowledgement by most during the arcade era was if you\u2019re not utilizing a stick you have no real skill. We aimed to break that stigma. The game that was supported for Xband was SSF2 (NC). Before I used to just play SF2, but with the impending release of the modem, I actually began to \u201ctrain.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s crazy when I think about it now, but I used to wake up at 6am each day and just play VS mode perfecting combos and srk timing. \u00a0Xband was\u00a0 a revelation as it was the first time I was exposed to a variety of competition and highly skilled players (Dream Theater, Jumpsuit Jesse,\u00a0 Afro Cole, Shirts, etc).\u00a0 Once the service ended after 2-3 years, I pretty much stopped playing SF as I headed to college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By random coincidence, a guy in one of my psych courses introduced me into the Norcal arcade scene. He was one of the top Tekken players in the country at the time and told me that SF was still being played and there were tournaments. Eventually I found about the Battle of the Bay and I observed the B5 (I think I might be in the crowd on those old B5 vhs tapes ha!) Fast forward about 5 years later, started the transition to learning how to play on stick which coincided with learning ST as well. \u00a0First tourney I entered was Evo 2010 for HD Remix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 3-What does DGV stand for?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dark Gaiden (myself) and Vintage (brother). Just both names merged. Brother doesn\u2019t really play anymore, but still have to rep his name!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 4-Ok let\u2019s talk weapon of choice. What is your favorite arcade stick for fighting games and why – Bat top, ball top, square gate, circular gate, etc?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Preferably, I pefer to play on something stable (arcade stand\/cab).\u00a0 Playing on a chair and \/or playing with a stick on my lap feels uncomfortable + plus the stick slides too much on my lap.\u00a0 Used to play John Choi style aka on the floor, but my legs loose circulation after 3 minutes sitting Indian style (I blame old age)<\/p>\n\n\n\n LS-32 with ball top and square gate.\u00a0 A lot of the ST tourneys years ago on cabs seemed to favor the LS-32, so I adapted to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5-There is one thing about your style in Super\nTurbo that is extremely unique. We all know that Ryu is a character that is\nmeant to be played with zoning in mind, and most tournament level players use\nboth n.ryu and o.ryu in a very fundamental way that is mainly based on zoning.\nYour n.ryu is very flashy and aggressive. Do you feel like a flashy and\naggressive ryu is always in disadvantage to a conservative ryu? On paper, it\nseems to be the case 99% of the time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cflashy\u201d gameplay moments is primarily exclusive to ST. In SSF2, I was the opposite (complete zoner) \u00a0Both games are completely different styles. \u00a0To be honest, going for flashy moments is what initially led to my changing opinion of ST back in the day (Mid 2000s.) I used to dislike ST in the past (SSF2 was the definitive version of SF2 in my book). However, being able to get creative with Ryu Ied me to really enjoy the game. \u00a0\u00a0There would be moments I would literally go in to the training mode and practice crazy block strings or setups.\u00a0 At the request of my brother I would then test these crazy things out online (GGPO, XBL) haha. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I wouldn\u2019t necessarily say an aggressive ryu is at an a disadvantage. It really depends on the character and opponent you\u2019re facing. There are certain matchups that at a particular range or section, zoning will be your best option (example, vs N. Blanka, N. DJ, etc). However, in the flow of a match, being aggressive can sometimes be the deciding factor in wining against a difficult opponent\/matchup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Case in point, against a really good Sim, a good strategy is to find an opening that will lead to a knock down of Sim. Once you knock him down, you can then cycle through the various knockdown options (crossup, overhead, fake overhead and attack low etc).\u00a0 To create that initial opening against a quality Sim, you will have to create\u00a0 or force a scenario that will make the Sim player hesitate slightly or become semi-predictable.\u00a0 Being able to apply pressure at that key moment is extremely critical. <\/p>\n\n\n\n 6-You are responsible for giving all of us the\nchallenge of mastering the infamous DGV special (shortx3 to super). How did you\ncome to discover this combo?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I actually first saw AfroLegends do this combo on AfroCole or Shirts at a casual session hosted by Valle leading up to Evo 2007? (The year Capcom Classics 2 was used). Thought the combo looked really cool and decided to add it to my combo list!<\/p>\n\n\n\n F101: We have a tutorial for those who want to learn the 3 shorts to super!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n