New Negative Edge. This time, I go long about why I don't like guest characters in fighting games while also describing how they can be done well, if they truly need to be done at all. negativeedge.beehiiv.com/p/no-more-gu... - ThreadSky

smellycandle42.bsky.social • 10 days ago

New Negative Edge. This time, I go long about why I don't like guest characters in fighting games while also describing how they can be done well, if they truly need to be done at all.
https://negativeedge.beehiiv.com/p/no-more-guest-characters

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smellycandle42.bsky.social•10 days ago

And if you're unfamiliar, Negative Edge is my blog/newsletter where I talk about video games. Give it a read if you would like to know what I think about the video games

yeetkunedo.bsky.social•10 days ago

SF in Garou and Garou in SF is not your standard guest character pull. Neither franchise have ever had a non-publisher guest or crossover in thirty plus years. The first time they have is right now, and both series share the same creator, making it less “guest characters” and more “family reunion.”

smellycandle42.bsky.social•10 days ago

Did you read the article?

yeetkunedo.bsky.social•10 days ago

I did. I don’t disagree in certain regards, particularly when it comes to bad fit. 2B in SC6 and both Noctis and Clive in their respective Tekken games come to mind immediately. But most guest character additions aren’t really as egregious as they’re often made out to be, imo.

smellycandle42.bsky.social•10 days ago

As I said, they can be done tastefully. Terry and Mai in SF6 seem to be tasteful (I haven't played them yet) and I imagine Chun-li and Ken in City of the Wolves will be as well. Regardless, I would prefer if their spots went to other characters.

yeetkunedo.bsky.social•10 days ago

You can have that preference. Personally, I find it amazing to see both series open the doors for the very first time to each other, especially as they’re quite literally half-siblings. There’s a real sense of love between these two teams that’s obvious.

smellycandle42.bsky.social•10 days ago

I'm well aware that I'm in the minority on this, but I don't feel that it's healthy for the genre to have guest characters as the norm rather than the exception. Perhaps their saturation and a handful of bad offenders has turned me against the concept entirely.

yeetkunedo.bsky.social•10 days ago

People talk a lot about Akuma in Tekken, but he’s only a genuine threat in the hands of players who train hard enough to make use of his particular brand of stank. It took one player being dedicated enough in doing so before people realized how strong he had the potential to be.

yeetkunedo.bsky.social•10 days ago

Because if it were really about the overpowered fit of meters and 2D tech in a 3D space and shit, both Geese and Eliza would be far more competitively prevalent by default, and that’s simply not the case.

smellycandle42.bsky.social•10 days ago

I mentioned game balance briefly to put into context why some people soured on Akuma, but my main concern is the aesthetics and design. I don't think a character should look and play like they're from a totally different game.

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