Wondering about a pro here...

[MarioMariox2]

A few weeks only? That's SheerMadness! [/pun]

But yeah, I hope it's like Isai who said he'd never return to Melee but returned anyway.

And hey, there are pros in the FPS circuit who are past 25 years old. They still have crazy reaction times.

 

[Archangel]

i'm not sure why you referenced me in a post earlier and i happened upon it because i'm bored to tears (i don't namesearch and i don't have a reason to anyway ;-

but hi.

Hi I am Spam_arrows. I like losing in friendlies but winning in money matches and tournament because that is my ninja way.

your good though. I like your falco...always have. Should we end up at the same venue 1 day we gotta play like 500000000 friendlies.

Also as for Ken's Return he needs speed. Playing Marth isn't automatic anymore either. Everyone for the most part knows how to fight Marth also so it's not like you can just be like....yea i'm the king of smash and a legend and just auto win. With that said I think Ken with Practice and time to catch up on all knew techniques, strategy, & match-ups would probably start placing high again. I don't think he'd get back to number won but he would at least be about as good as Strawhat from Spain and Strawhat is pretty good. I mean to me the old-school players always have a better chance of coming back an placing high because they are from a different generation. A generation I actually would call smarter. The earlier gameplay was on much more even ground so it was very mindgame dependent and Ken was the best at it for a long time. Still probably one of the smartest players in smash history so I'm pretty sure that once he caught up in everything else his intellect could place him top 10 at a tournament such as ROM3 for instance.

 

[gm jack]

They could play smarter because they also played slower. People now move so quick that a lot of the time you have split seconds to register and react. The game is a lot faster now, and if you think the top level players lack "mind games", you need to seriously reconsider. They just don't stand out as much as they aren't the only ting separating mid from the top level.

 

[Archangel]

now is more auto imo Automatic tech-skill done really fast without much thought. Thats cuz 50% of smashers play spacies LOL! You missed the part about if he had time to catch up with new gameplay though.

 

[Uck]

The break will only make Ken stronger.That match against Mango was only 2 years ago.You think Ken doesn't play melee at all?I bet he plays melee a few times a week or more.

 

[MarioMariox2]

He might be, Uck. He DOES lives close to Isai.

 

[booshk]

if he played melee i dont see what's preventing him from entering tournaments. i mean why wouldn't he?

 

[Rain(ame)]

One mention of Ken and this starts, lol. Alright, we'll put it this way. Ken's ability to adapt is his true ability to come back. IF Ken still has the ability to adapt and so forth, then I'd say he'd be perfect to come back and place top 20 in the nation. I'd say he'd make it into brackets for sure at say Pound V. After that, it's all about how matches come along. Ken does more than play Marth, btw, He DOES play Fox. His understanding of the game is deep, as well. (I am by no means a fan of Ken.)

Also, Amsah is one of the older Smashers in the community and his ability to adapt is amazing. He retired and came back, and he's still mad beast. Is it possible? Yes. Can he be top 3 now? I'm sorry, but no.

Realistically I'd give him top 10 after he shakes the rust off. However, the rate at which the top players in the nation adapt now, is truly amazing. So Ken is dealing with people who are on a level or higher playing field at all times with MORE people than he was before.

I respect the man's talents, and I still say he can realistically be top 10 in the nation, and still make money off of tournaments.

As mentioned before...it's really just speculation. However, anyone with a brain knows that Ken would come back and do some kind of damage if he put the work in.

 

[Mike G]

He might be, Uck. He DOES lives close to Isai.

I looked at your location


then I "wait what'd"


Doesn't Ken like in Orange county Socal while Isai lives in San Jose Norcal....5+ hours apart?

 

[Archangel]

One mention of Ken and this starts, lol. Alright, we'll put it this way. Ken's ability to adapt is his true ability to come back. IF Ken still has the ability to adapt and so forth, then I'd say he'd be perfect to come back and place top 20 in the nation. I'd say he'd make it into brackets for sure at say Pound V. After that, it's all about how matches come along. Ken does more than play Marth, btw, He DOES play Fox. His understanding of the game is deep, as well. (I am by no means a fan of Ken.)

Also, Amsah is one of the older Smashers in the community and his ability to adapt is amazing. He retired and came back, and he's still mad beast. Is it possible? Yes. Can he be top 3 now? I'm sorry, but no.

Realistically I'd give him top 10 after he shakes the rust off. However, the rate at which the top players in the nation adapt now, is truly amazing. So Ken is dealing with people who are on a level or higher playing field at all times with MORE people than he was before.

I respect the man's talents, and I still say he can realistically be top 10 in the nation, and still make money off of tournaments.

As mentioned before...it's really just speculation. However, anyone with a brain knows that Ken would come back and do some kind of damage if he put the work in.

Pretty much the same page I'm on. This post is a good closing point...Arc Natural where you at?

 

[Theftz22]

You guys keep acting like the metagame can't be learned. The pros today had to get to where they are at by learning to speed up their game, why do you think retired pros can't do the same?

Also, reactions are still at their best during mid-20s, so I can't understand why you guys are bringing that up.

 

[gm jack]

You guys keep acting like the metagame can't be learned. The pros today had to get to where they are at by learning to speed up their game, why do you think retired pros can't do the same?

Also, reactions are still at their best during mid-20s, so I can't understand why you guys are bringing that up.

Yes, but in theory, anyone can do that. The point is if his experience of the 07 metagame is close enough to how it stands today to make the skills transferable or not.

Personally, I'm not sure they are. He was a thinker, and the speed it is played today really cuts down on thinking time, limiting how much thinking you can do. He could drastically out think a lot of players, but them some spacies could just go all silent wolf on him with hundreds of shines a second.

 

[PB&J]

the meta game just made people do well at edge guarding and di . ken can still chain grab and combo very good. people these days..HE WAS THE BEST IN THE WORLD. he will do good. plus his fox was great too..nuff said

 

[Pi]

I think the metagame has passed marth.
Yes, ken as a player would easily be top stuff, but the character marth isn't what he used to be.
When you know how to DI combo's, and what moves you can punish, marth becomes a much less frightening disjointed hitbox.

 

[PB&J]

ken = marth / invented marth..he can recreate him too

 

[MarioMariox2]

IMO Marth will always be scary. Unless you're using him.

 

[Moooose]

lol when was the last time you guys watched a ken match?
go back and watch one and tell me he wouldnt **** players up today
all this bull**** about metagame
do you really think the game has evolved to the point where he cant keep up?

 

[Nø Ca$h]

someone tell him to come back!! lol

 

[Theftz22]

Yes, but in theory, anyone can do that. The point is if his experience of the 07 metagame is close enough to how it stands today to make the skills transferable or not.

Personally, I'm not sure they are. He was a thinker, and the speed it is played today really cuts down on thinking time, limiting how much thinking you can do. He could drastically out think a lot of players, but them some spacies could just go all silent wolf on him with hundreds of shines a second.

I'm positive that any experience playing Melee at a top level is transferable. I mean, we're still playing the same game, same controls, techs, and same feel. With his 07 skills, it could take him a few months to catch up.

Either way, I'm sure anyone, even a new player could catch the metagame of today with enough time and practice. Ken just has the advantage of knowing the game, the skills, and what it is like to play at the highest level. So basically, it should just take him less time to catch up than the normal person.

 

[Juggleguy]

Ken could easily make a top 32 bracket for a national like APEX without practice, and could easily get top 10 if given a couple tourneys beforehand to shake off the rust. At EVO 2008 he was supposedly learning matchups in Brawl on the spot... no watching/studying videos or any of that bull****, just manning up and learning what the best options were the first time playing a matchup. He's at a whole different level of capability when it comes to adapting in competition.

 

[o-Serin-o]

I wonder who has contact with him.

 

[PB&J]

ken will get top 3 easy i think. jordan came back and played better

 

[Theftz22]

You think Ken doesn't play melee at all?I bet he plays melee a few times a week or more.

Definitely not.

 

[Rain(ame)]

Edit: forget it....why is this still open? lol

 

[UnholyWeapon]

Ken still has got it, if he was a pro a few years ago, doesn't mean he can't come back pro just because they're more people playing the game now and the style is a little different. A beast is a beast.= Ken

 

[gm jack]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4id5Hp9EIk

This is an old video, but this is what I think would happen. M2K is a far better player than Silent Wolf. However, SW just over whelmed m2k with how fast he could play.

Now change that to today when people regularly play even faster than sw did here, and I think Ken would struggle. Of course a few months and some serious practice could get him pretty **** good again, but if he just walked into Apex, he would get destroyed by some of the better players.

 

[Rain(ame)]

That's...overwhelmed? If a 1-stock match is being overwhelmed goodness knows what a close match is. Caught off guard, maybe, but not overwhelmed. Because in the end, M2K won the set.

I think you might want to try a different vid there, buddy. No offense, but it wasn't a good example of being overwhelmed by tech skill. If anything it just shows that you may struggle some, but you'll win out in the end. I understand what you're saying, you just need to show it in a better way.

 

[LLDL]

This is being overwhelmed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0G72xhoOXQ

 

[gm jack]

I picked it because it is pretty much undeniable that m2k is far better than silent wolf. DSW and m2k are much closer.

 

[TheManaLord]

Ken just doesn't care about smash anymore, guys. He's really busy still with his post school work and barely shows up to family events.

 

[DRD]

oh hey, manacloud!


...wait

 

[Velox]

He was ousted and sent to a remote part of Africa.

oh hey, manacloud!


...wait

lol, nice, that was actually pretty funny.. :D

I think the metagame has passed marth.

no... that's not it... It's pretty obvious what happened.. Azen and Ken stopped playing (and before that NEO and FLT stopped playing).. M2K still ***** ridiculous with Marth..

 

[BEES]

I think age is a major obstacle for Ken. He's like 24 now, right? When tournament players of a lot of games reach 25, it's time to say goodbye to their carreer as a top player. Their reflexes start to get slower, and their capacity to learn is reduced. If he hasn't played Smash at all since his last maor tournament, he'd have a very hard time becoming a top player again, let alone dethrone Mango.

What...? people play sports that are much more physically demanding than smash bros without retiring at 25. Melee is about as taxing on the wrist as Ping Pong, and professional ping pong players are often in their 50s and 60s.

The only thing stopping anyone 25+ from playing competitive games is the stigma associated with playing video games into adulthood.

And that is clearly diminishing with time.

 

[BEES]

Also, how old is starcraft by now? 18 years?

So if you started playing it when it came out at the age of 12, and you never stopped, you're 30 years old. I suspect many Korean pros are pushing 30, if not already past it.

 

[Animal]

ya marths metagame hasnt even developed thatttt much hahahahaha

 

[MarioMariox2]

Non game related example that shows Ken can still become the best: Brett Farve.

EDIT: I'm now wonder about Isai. I think he came back, but I can't find any recent mentions about him. Anyone know of any vids?

 

[The Star King]

He only goes to tournaments that also have Smash64, to him Melee is only a side thing. Compared to traveling across the country and competing for the top spot in national tournaments, I would hardly call it "coming back".

 

[Anth0ny]

ken would **** if he came back today. I'd say probably top 8, top 16 for sure at a huge tourney. Watch his vids. he was WAY ahead of his time.

 

[BEES]

He only goes to tournaments that also have Smash64, to him Melee is only a side thing. Compared to traveling across the country and competing for the top spot in national tournaments, I would hardly call it "coming back".

So he 'came back to 64' is what they mean when they say he came back.

 

[greenblob]

Imagine if Ken came back...
But then he played Jigglypuff.

LOLOLOLOL