important to keep it real (sometimes). Today I am talking about one of

my favorite video game genres of all time, fighting games. Fighting

games are in my top three alongside shmups and beat em' ups. I have been

playing fighting games in a competitive and then semi-competitive since

around 2010 or so, so I've been around and plugged into the genre for a

long time. Today I am discussing what I like to call the tragedy of

fighting games, in that no matter how good a fighting game is, no matter

how much the player base loves that individual game, all fighting games

are doomed to an early appointment with the grim reaper. Even games

that have longstanding player bases like Super Smash Bros Melee and

Street Fighter 3, Third Strike (or even Street Fighter 2, Super Turbo)

cannot continue onward into future generations and be played in a full

competitive manner. What I mean is that just being able to match make in

a game every now and then is not good enough. In reality most fighting

games are only intensely explored and played during a five year window

or so, and then that game is put aside for the next iteration of the

series.

What I find tragic about this though, in the literal sense of the word,

is that this fate is inescapable from what I have observed. No matter

what approach a developer or fan base take, the end of the game being

played at full capacity seems fated. I go into specific detail of why

this is in the video.

So this video is not meant to be a critique or warning against the

genre, but rather a somber celebration of what makes the genre so

special and also, ultimately, tragic.

I thought it would be fun to discuss this video in light of the upcoming

releases of Tekken 8 and Street Fighter 6. At this point I am fully

planning on playing Tekken 8 unless it is some kind of abomination, and

my interest in the Street Fighter franchise as it is currently being

made is gone. But I think I will review and discuss both games here on

the channel as I think that will be interesting, as fighting game

reviews from impartial experienced players are rather rare. I also am

really into Guilty Gear XX Accent Core right now as well as DOA, so I

plan on doing some vids about those games in the future as well

Thumbnail made by me this time! Though  @boghogSTG  still helped with advice on how to touch it up.