greenblob
Smash Lord
The purpose of this thread is twofold.
First, in a time when professionals and intermediates have the same moves and the same tricks up their sleeves, what makes a pro a pro? There has to be a deeper explanation than "mindgames." What are some of the subtleties that exist at the pro level?
The second part is to discuss the different playing styles of professional players. What are some of the differences between Ken, M2K, Husband, and Azen's Marths? Could you tell who's playing the Fox or Sheik by playing style alone? Why is it that Ken just can't beat KoreanDJ? What makes The King and Isai such awesome doubles players?
Anyway, here are some of the analyses that I've begun:
Azen--He's known as the 26-character wonder. But I remember reading in some article or interview that Azen doesn't really vary his style all that much with each character. Once you know his Marth, you know his DK, Falcon, Peach, and Luigi. He's also known for being even-headed--he doesn't crumble under pressure, so he's very good in crew matches and makes amazing comebacks.
Ken--He's Mr. Perfect DI. He also ledge-techs with Marth like a crazy person but for some reason can't sweetspot.
Mew2King--The original King of Techs, other players, such as Phanna and DaShizWiz are now also in the running for the title. Nowadays highly technical players are popping out everywhere. What makes M2K different/special?
DaShizWiz--Probably the most aggressive Falco I've ever seen, he's known for being very good at fighting Space Animals, especially other Falcos. At FC6, he gave PC Chris a run for his money and a year later at FCD, he destroyed PC at crews. My guess is that Falco is naturally a very offense-oriented character and DSW just takes that to the extreme, continuously keeping his opponents on the defensive. If your specialty is also offense, you really stand no chance. It also explains why Forward is one of the few Falcos to be able to beat him--Forward plays a very defensive Falco, creating an impermeable wall with his lasers. DSW can't do his usual offensive charges when lasers are constantly blocking him.
First, in a time when professionals and intermediates have the same moves and the same tricks up their sleeves, what makes a pro a pro? There has to be a deeper explanation than "mindgames." What are some of the subtleties that exist at the pro level?
The second part is to discuss the different playing styles of professional players. What are some of the differences between Ken, M2K, Husband, and Azen's Marths? Could you tell who's playing the Fox or Sheik by playing style alone? Why is it that Ken just can't beat KoreanDJ? What makes The King and Isai such awesome doubles players?
Anyway, here are some of the analyses that I've begun:
Azen--He's known as the 26-character wonder. But I remember reading in some article or interview that Azen doesn't really vary his style all that much with each character. Once you know his Marth, you know his DK, Falcon, Peach, and Luigi. He's also known for being even-headed--he doesn't crumble under pressure, so he's very good in crew matches and makes amazing comebacks.
Ken--He's Mr. Perfect DI. He also ledge-techs with Marth like a crazy person but for some reason can't sweetspot.
Mew2King--The original King of Techs, other players, such as Phanna and DaShizWiz are now also in the running for the title. Nowadays highly technical players are popping out everywhere. What makes M2K different/special?
DaShizWiz--Probably the most aggressive Falco I've ever seen, he's known for being very good at fighting Space Animals, especially other Falcos. At FC6, he gave PC Chris a run for his money and a year later at FCD, he destroyed PC at crews. My guess is that Falco is naturally a very offense-oriented character and DSW just takes that to the extreme, continuously keeping his opponents on the defensive. If your specialty is also offense, you really stand no chance. It also explains why Forward is one of the few Falcos to be able to beat him--Forward plays a very defensive Falco, creating an impermeable wall with his lasers. DSW can't do his usual offensive charges when lasers are constantly blocking him.