Mike vs. Japan: Part 1

I recently got back from a trip to Japan. I'll give a detailed account of the trip at a later date, but right now I want to tell you about the highlight of the trip.

On one of my many arcade visits in Japan I decided to give Street Fighter 4 a go. I am a big Street Fighter 2 fan and happen to believe that Street Fighter 2: Championship Edition is the best one on one fighting game ever made. I had had one brief turn at christmas time at my girlfriend's house, but only in 2 player mode.

I sat down at the Lindbergh cabinet and dropped my 100 yen into the slot. There was no decision to be made on which character I would choose. I'm a Blanka man. I've dabbled with a few characters before - Ryu, Sagat, Guile, but none of them have been MY character. Blanka just has a great set of basic punches and kicks that suit my aggressive style perfectly.



SF4 feels a lot like SF2 but with big, modern graphics. Awesome. I was right at home and set about laying some beatings on the computer. I was surprised at just how much ass I was kicking and was soon at what appeared to be the final boss. I had just started this fight when the game suddenly paused. What the hell?!



"Here Comes a New Challenger!"

Motherfu.....

Just when my moment of arcade glory was upon me here comes some Japanese douche who was probably breastfed by an arcade cabinet.

Which character will he choose? Oh, what a surprise, it's Ryu. Sure enough, he comes out in the first round all specials blazing - Dragon Punches, Fireballs and Hurricane Kicks galore. I stuck with my tried and tested method. Flying kicks, sweeps, uppercuts and kicks. No need for those other pussy buttons, it's hard shots all the way. Just a matter of timing. To my surprise I found myself beating his ass. It was a straight sets victory for Blanka - and England.



My challenger had had enough and so I was able to finish my go and complete the game. Awesome. This was a great start to my SF4 career, but it was going to get better on my next attempt......