Gaming
Balrog is the latest arrival in SFV’s roster, but does he have what it takes to see some pro action?
Street Fighter V’s roster grew again last week as the mighty American boxer, Balrog, jumped into the ring. Before being released to the rest of the world, Capcom gave us a preview of what ol’ ‘rog was capable of in his debut appearance during a Winner Stays On session. As usual, Street Fighter experts F-Word and Logan Sama were joined by a connoisseur of the demoed character as Ramz Shaft “RMZ” Kiggundu Luswa was on hand to put Crazy Buffalo through his paces.
As always with new iterations of long-standing characters, there are some expectations that those who main them have, as well as an adjustment period for the latest version. With EVO 2016 right around the corner, Balrog mains could be in a position to make a surprise entrance to the scene. We talked with RMZ to find out his thoughts on SFV’s Balrog, and what we can expect from the pro scene.
What did you like about previous versions of Balrog? I like Rog’s standing Hard Kick (st. HK) funnily enough and the fact he could do overhead into ultra were the things I fell in love with in SF4. In Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo (ST) I loved the fact that he was a rush down messiah.
From what you've seen, how well do you think SFIV Balrog mains will be able to adapt? It depends on what camp of Rog you were in SF4. If you were a dry down back, playing chess type of Rog they'll be some minor adjustments for you because of the changes to dash punch and the like? But if you were in camp two of rush down like the PR Rogs [Eduardo “PR Balrog” Perez-Frangie, one of the more famous Balrog players] of the world, acclimatising should be a bit easier on the hands.
Which characters have you been playing in SFV, during Rog's absence, and how do they differ? I've been playing Chun Li and F.A.N.G. Mostly Chun. They're completely different to Balrog! In a sense you could say my inherent nature is having a character who has impregnable simple defensive options and keep out.
Beefy grapplers have a bit of a tough time in SFV right now; do you think Balrog has a decent set of tools to pose a threat at tournaments? By beefy grapplers I think it’s safe to say we mean the Russian [Zangief]! Well Balrog has safe specials. Fast EX dash punch low, a three-frame jab. Hopefully throw loops in the corner and a strong anti air with a great standing Hard Punch (st HP). Definitely a fundamental threat, I would say.
Can we expect to see any surprise picks at EVO, for instance, or is that maybe too soon? Hmm, if it was any other game or amount of time I would've agreed but from the power of the internet and sharing, how the combo system works in SFV and how relatively young the game is? Don't be surprised if you do see someone 1-1 down next week and they have a 'what the hell' situation and pick another character. Plays like that however are more for those who are the early adopters/risk takers. Saying and doing it are two totally different things however.
Who are the main Balrog players to look out for in your opinion? PR Balrog to return? Main Rogs? Who knows it could even be your next door neighbour or your best friend!
I think everyone who disappeared off the map from all over the world can potentially be threats. Being an ex-main of the character doesn't always equal massive success with your character, as we've seen with some other grapplers.
However in the same vein we've seen the complete opposite too. Anyone who puts the time into this beastly man of men that is Balrog, Boxer or whatever you call him can yield results as he's just so different, but the same deep down at the same time. It's like they got ST and said ‘we like these elements’ and mutated him.
Who knows, might even see an OG or two. For more eSports coverage, follow @RedBulleSports on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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