Check out Ali’s incredible Shadowloo Showdown recap: http://www.shadowloo.com/?p=3543

Spider Muttons Productions © 2010 is back with the fifth episode of the Don’t be a Scrub Podcast. Our guest is none other than Tokido, Mr Murder Face himself. He put on a show at Shadowloo Showdown, and he was nice enough to let us pick his brains. Thank you Tokido-san!

This interview was conducted at CCH 10/12/2010. The outro once again features from the song “Karma” from the Singaporean band The Sexies.

Thanks to Akira for helping with translation, and Andre, Andrew and Tian for being our bodyguards. Thanks to Dave/Bosslogic for another great banner. And lastly, thank you to the Oz community for helping us to come up questions!

Don’t be a Scrub Podcast Episode 5: Tokido

(To download, right click and “Save As”)

DBAS Podcast Ep. 5 96 kb/s version

Introduction:

Spidercarnage/Igor: This is Episode 5 of the Don’t be a Scrub Podcast. My name is Spidercarnage aka Verbosemute on Xbox Live. My interviewing partner is Mutton, aka Muttonhead01 on PSN. Today we’re actually inside my car outside of Box Hill.

I thought it’d be good this episode, because we do have some special guests coming up for the interviews, I thought me and Mutton would actually do a bit of a recap of Shadowloo Showdown. Because I thought it was a big deal.

Muttonhead: It was humongous. Best…best weekend of my life. –The following was edited for my safety-

S: This is such a big deal for Australia. This was the first international tournament held in Australia. Minus [EVO] APAC. But see, I don’t really count APAC because APAC was an EVO qualifier. So it wasn’t a standalone tournament.

M: Ah I see. So this is the first…but they had Justin Wong over for OHN. You know, a couple of years back.

But I guess this is the first time that…

S: For Super SF4.

M: For SSF4, yeah.

S: Assuming that was in Third Strike days.

M: Not too sure. I think Marvel days. Yeah.

S: Well, nobody plays Marvel. In Australia.

M: Why you gotta bash the game man? Tokido and Daigo’s gonna be playing the game so…

S: That’s going to be interesting actually. To see how their styles adapt if they do. But yeah, Shadowloo Showdown was a really big deal for Australia. Huge shoutouts to the TEC brothers for actually doing it.

M: And the Couchwarriors guys. Loki. Nick. Yeah.

S: Yeah Nick_CC for holding probably one of the last Third Strike tournaments.

M: Yeah. His baby.

S: And we had a lot of new faces show up. Players from all over Australia which was really, really interesting.

So what would be your favourite moment? Not just the weekend, let’s count it from when Tokido arrived on Wednesday till Tuesday when Mago and Gamerbee left.

M: I have too many favourite moments to count. But what I remember the most from the tournament was after the tournament? When Ali took the mic, and said: “Yo, Tokido. So, who’s the king of the Demon?” And Tokido took the mic and said, “Who’s the King of the Demon?….TO-KI-DO!!!”

That was one of my favourite moments.

S: Definitely one of the highlights.

For me I think it would be the Wednesday when Tokido arrived at Ali’s house. Where we just sat down and we just chatted…it felt like I actually knew Tokido for twenty years. [Like] a [old] friend came into town, and I hadn’t seen him for a little while. And we just sat down and caught up.

I think we actually had quite a good chemistry. No homo, by the way.

M: He mentioned you on his blog. Tokido has a new blog. He said like, Igor’s a really smart guy…

S: Ah crap!

M: He said I look like a weird Asian boy, so yo. Shoutouts to Tokido for that.

S: I love that picture of the palm on the head.

M: Ah man. Shoutouts to Iplaywinner and Wakeup SRK as well for mentioning Shadowloo Showdown on their podcasts.

S: Definitely, definitely. I think Shadowloo Showdown besides BAM is probably going to be one of the tournaments for Australia which I’m hoping we get a few more international people as well.

M: Kayane.

S: Oh yeah, definitely. Kayane’s actually quite good. And I think something our scene does lack is the female audience. Which would be actually quite good to get a few more female players.

M: Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we got a money match between Kayane and 2D? You know Vietcong’s sister who has that beastly Ryu?

S: Ah it’s not that beastly! But yeah it’s damn good.

M: It’s beastlier than mine. So.

S: Actually she did beat me in BAM.

M: So there you go man.

S: Well Dee Jay sucks against Ryu! Well anyway. A few other interesting things; Saturday night I think was fantastic. We’ll put on some pictures of that on your blog. Of Tokido and Heavy Weapons playing pool.

M: Yeah, they brought Tokido, Mago and Gamerbee out and they got wasted. Whereas I and Ali went to Pancake Parlour so! I think it was a different experience.

S: Ah yeah. No, definitely. I think they really enjoyed it. I mean we had some great photos as well taken of that. And actually Naruga got drunk, which was quite awesome.

M: Naruga only gets drunk. For Mago. Yeah!

S: The tournament itself was really hype. The final was amazing.

Gamerbee versus Tokido. That one point where Gamerbee does Ultra 1 and Tokido threw the EX fireball and the Ultra 1 didn’t connect fully. I thought Gamerbee was done.

M: But Gamerbee showed remarkable mental fortitude and he just came back. He didn’t flinch when he ate all those Demons off the Jaguar kicks…is that [what you call it?]

S: Yeah definitely. It was quite amazing. That’s something which I think is really important in Street Fighter is that mental fortitude. He has literally, almost 2700 people viewing him on the stream.

Well of course I don’t think he knew that. And another 300 in the room. All focussing on the monitor in the big display.

And nothing, man. The man is a rock.

Shoutouts to Gamerbee.

M: Shoutouts to Gamerbee. But on a side note, what was the max viewers that we got on the stream?

S: I think it was about 2700.

M: 2700? Wow that’s awesome. Not counting the Japanese restreams and all that kinda stuff.

S: No that was just our Ustream.

By the way, shoutouts to Alex Valle for retweeting the stream for us. I think that definitely boosted a whole bunch more viewers. ‘Cause we were only at 1500 and Valle retweeted it and it actually jumped by another 1000.

M: Oh. So, big ups to Alex Valle!

S: He is a legend in his own right. And just to show you that just one retweet, and bang! A thousand more people.

M: Awesome. Fucking awesome.

S: The other thing is actually…one thing I noticed is that the stream wasn’t posted on Eventhubs, it wasn’t posted on…

M: It was posted on Eventhubs.

S: Was it?

M: But I didn’t check SRK because you know, I was in the room.

S: Yeah you know in the stream section, I didn’t see it up there. But that’s okay, like I said, it was the first Shadowloo Showdown. It was put together in a month, which was quite remarkable for the way it actually went. Yeah, to tell you the truth, I’m really surprised how well Tokido plays Tekken. And Third Strike.

Wow. He was slapping…even after Sunday morning after he threw up about twenty times? He was still bodying the crap out people in Third Strike. I think the only person who ever beat him was Alex with his Oro. And he felt really bad.

M: He put a show for Traveling Circus. He almost took everything. The only thing he lost was SSF4 to Gamerbee.

S: I thought he lost Third Strike as well?

M: No he won Third Strike, Blazblue…

S: He lost Tekken. (Mutton’s note: Our bad, Tokido won Tekken as well.)

It was really, really one fantastic weekend. But I think that Wednesday would probably do it [for me]. That and the zoo on Monday was quite good. Although I think we were all tired. Really tired, with lack of sleep on Monday.

M: Yeah. Shoutouts to Ali, who is superhuman. All that weightlifting must’ve…

S: Must’ve paid off, because he had what? Three hours the entire weekend? If that?

Yeah, it was a really, really fun weekend.

M: Yeah and shoutouts to Bugs and Team Stream who did a fantastic job as well.

S: Is that we call them? Team Stream?

M: Yeah I mean. Team Stream. Or Team Snooky.

S: Ah yes, Team Snooky!

M: Zerokill comes up with the best names (laughs).

S: The other thing I wanted to mention before we get into the interview was Arcade Edition. And a few of the things that Daigo has said…today actually. He mentioned that he is done with fireball characters.

Not to mention that Sydney already has Arcade Edition! Today being the 18^th [of December]. I spoke to Goodpart and he sent me a message. By the way, shoutouts to Goodpart as well for sticking to Fei Long throughout Vanilla to Super to Arcade Edition.

He said that Heavy Chicken Wing is actually quite bad now.

He says [with] all the other buffs that Fei Long got that he’s going to be really, really strong. Which is…

M: I’m not looking forward to facing Arcade Edition Fei Long.

S: Yeah…

M: Shoutouts to Daigo for being in Australia in Sydney during Shadowloo Showdown and not coming down!

S: But apparently, come on. The man has travelled…I don’t think he’s been back to Japan in like a month or something.

M: Yeah, so why is he taking a holiday in Sydney, Australia during…It’s just a hell of a coincidence.

S: Yeah it was actually unbelievable. Because that Friday night we were at Chris’s Club House and the Sydney guys go…

M: Daigo’s in Sydney! What the F..

S: What the fuck! You guys trolling or what? And they were like, no no, he’s actually there.

M: I thought it was like the troll of the year. Like Daigo’s in Sydney while everybody is down in Melbourne… But it turned out to be true! So, shoutouts to Daigo for being the best troll…

S: Best Street Fighter troll ever. Beat that. Seriously.

Okay, this is going be an episode where we interview Tokido. So as always, you can find the full transcript on Mutton’s blog. And we hope you enjoy the interview!

The Steak:

S: Hi everyone we’re here at Chris’ Club House on the eve before Shadowloo Showdown. We have a very, very special guest with us this evening, Mr. Tokido from Japan. We also have a big thank you to say to Mr. Akira, one of the Melbourne community’s top Street Fighter players.

M: Hi Tokido-san.

T: Hi.

1. M: When did you discover your passion for fighting games?

I think a long time ago. At first I played fighting games I think [back when] Street Fighter II [came out]. I think [I was] seven years old. But that time I [don’t] have the passion for competition. Just [playing] for fun. And I think that my passion as a player, [started when] I was 13 years old.

Because only in fighting games I cannot beat my friend. Usually I can beat him, but in fighting games, I cannot. So I want to practice a lot, which leads to my passion.

2. M: So where does the name Tokido come from?

It is difficult to explain. I think [when I was] 13 years old, some friend of mine called me Tokido. Because that time I played King of Fighters 98, and my move is only three-way. Jumping, kicking and fireball.

In Japan, jumping is Tobi. And kicking is Kik. And fireball, the fireball sound…do you know Iori? Iori? Doshta! That sound.

Then [together]…Tokido. I think [that’s why] he called me so.

I think Tokido is easy to remember!

S: Which company do you like better, SNK or Capcom?

Capcom…Capcom.

M: Why is it that a lot of Japanese players use a [gamer]tag, like Tokido or Mago, they don’t use their real name. Why is that in Japan?

Uhhh…I don’t know why. Its…I don’t know why.

M: It’s just like the culture?

Yeah

3. M: So what attracted you to Akuma?

At first, Daigo suggested that I use Akuma [in SF4]. Akuma’s style fits me. I try to use Akuma…and I can find many tricks. I’m [very good] at finding out tricks and using Akuma’s 50-50s.

M: So would you say your style is you like to find out all the tricks, and you like to innovate, you like to create strategies, so Akuma suits you very well.

Very interesting, very interesting.

4. M: As a Akuma player, what do you feel is your hardest matchups and why?

Viper. I hate Viper!

She can punish against my teleport with EX Seismo. Too much damage. And my mixup is hard to work…doesn’t work on Viper.

M: But why is that, why doesn’t it work on Viper?

She has burning kick? Wakeup burning kick hits the airs and [beats] my dive kick.

M: Other than Viper, any other matchups that you dislike?

Boxer…Rufus, Cammy. But I think that it is even with Viper.

5. S: What do you think your strengths and weaknesses as a player are?

My weakness is…anti-air. I’m very bad at anti-air.

M: Very surprising.

I think that is because my character is Akuma. Akuma’s dragon punch range is very short.

M: Oh sometimes you get one hit, and [it doesn’t knock down].

Yeah yeah yeah yeah!

And my strengths is…my finding of tricks and I can make a decision fast. Quick decision-[making].

M: How do you think of new tricks to do? Do you think of them when you’re at home, or you do it in the arcade?

When someone’s playing and lose to my new findings, then I think Akuma can do the [same thing], then I want to try it out [and improve it] in my house.

6.       S:  You’re an excellent student, and you’re also excellent at fighting games. How are you able to excel at both?

I think now I cannot manage both! But in my high school days I played a lot and I studied a lot. [I didn’t] do anything else.

S: Because I remember seeing- I think it was EVO 2007- you were doing an interview, and you said you practice for 10 hours a day. Which is quite an achievement.

Yeah. Ten hours a day to practice, and 8 hours for studying.

S: So that practice is that execution or is that thinking of tricks or…

Yeah, total, [everything included]. I play two hours in a day is enough.

M: So do you think that when you play fighting games and you think about how to [implement] the strategy, does it apply well to studying?

Yeah, yeah it does! It’s the same. One time I stopped [playing] fighting games completely. Because for my studies in the university. Then I think for one year. Then my professors appreciate or rated me highly (Akira translation). He said you did a ten year job only in one year.

M: So when you play fighting games you can study better. That’s very interesting.

Yeah, I think so.

7. M: So what are you studying right now? In your course.

Now? Material engineering.

M: I see. Any specific field within material engineering, or just overall…

My major is…something like a chemical [field]. That was what I was doing. But I needed to change laboratory but the next laboratory I had no passion for that study. So I tried to continue to study the previous one. Then I [wrote] a paper for an international conference, and made a presentation for it and I got an award.

8. S: Where do you look on the screen when you play against someone?

Opponent’s character.

M: Does that change? Like let’s say you’re playing footsies,  do you look at the space in between, or do you always look at the opponent.

My focus is the opponent.

9.       M: What do you personally do when you hit a wall in your improvement as a Street Fighter player?

Uhh…Think a lot. Stop playing. Think a lot. And I ask my friends. I have a lot of good friends like Mago, Kindevu. They have a lot of knowledge.

M: So is it very important in Street Fighter to have good friends?

Yeah, yeah, yeah! (Very enthusiastically.)

M: So one man by himself cannot [do it]…

Cannot, cannot.

10.   M: What’s your favourite fighting game?

Favourite fighting game now? Of course Super Street Fighter 4.

M: What about all time?

All time? I was very excited at CvS2.

S: A lot of the old-school American players would love to hear that.

M: So what’s your favourite team in CvS2?

(He understands the question as “favourite thing about CvS2”.) It has good balance [with] no roll cancel. Rolling cancel come out? [The game became] completely different.

M: So what about your favourite non-fighting game?

I like Monster Hunter and previously I like Demon’s Souls. I like it.

M: When you were a small child what were your favourite game?

RPGs. Dragon Quest. Final Fantasy.

S: Chrono Trigger?

Chrono Trigger? Ah yeah, yeah. Chrono Trigger.

S: That’s one of my favourites.

Oh nice.

M: What’s your favourite Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy VI.

11.   M: Do you think people in Melbourne uppercut too much?

In here? Yeah! Especially Heavy Weapons. Heavy Weapons uppercuts [too much].

M: Do you want to say to the mic, tell Heavy Weapons not to uppercut so much?

Yeah.

S: Heavy Weapons on blast. Stop uppercutting.

12.   M: How will things within the Japanese community when Arcade Edition is released?

I think that the Japanese community is very new. It is difficult to expect [what will happen]. But I think a lot of people in Japan think that arcades are Japanese culture and they want to keep it. They want to play Arcade Edition.

But I want to play both, because I want to go overseas so I want to play Super Street Fighter IV not arcade.

M: So do you think that the Japanese will play the console version when Arcade Edition’s out, or they all will go back to Arcade Edition.

I think 80% [of them] will go to arcade, especially high level people will go to arcade.

13.   M: So who were your mentors or teachers when you were learning how to play learning games when you were young.

Nuki taught me a lot of things about fighting games.

M: So what is the most important thing that he taught you?

Ahh…The way of thinking.

M: Like how you think [in order] to read your opponent?

Yeah, yeah.

M: How did you meet Nuki? In the arcade?

I played Third Strike in my area. My Urien tricks attracted him. We’d play together a lot. That time Nuki is too strong, nobody can beat him. But me, in ten matches I can play him 3 times and Nuki can beat me 7 times. But it is [very surprising for him].

M: So he took notice of you and trained you.

Yeah.

14.   M: The general perception of Japanese players is that they’re very quiet, they’re very polite or reserved. But you however, are known for loud exclamations, being very funny in matches. So, who’s the funniest player in Japan?

Kokujin.

M: Kokujin?

Kokujin! (Laughs)

M: Why is Kokujin the funniest?

Kokujin [taught] me how funny…how can I entertain [others].

M: So can you tell me a Kokujin story?

He taunted against Daigo.

It’s very famous in Japan.

15.   M: So a lot of new fighting games are coming out, Street Fighter vs Tekken, Tekken vs Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Marvel versus Capcom 3, Tekken Tag.

Marvel versus Capcom 3.

M: So why Marvel in particular compared to the other games?

Because Marvel is coming soon. That’s the reason. And the other games…Street Fighter x Tekken…

M: Oh they’re coming later, so that’s why you’re not excited about them yet.

Yeah, yeah.

M: How are you going to convince the other Japanese players to play Marvel versus Capcom 3?

I need to think of a way. At first I tried to [get] some friends to practice. I want to make a community [around Marvel].

M: Any players that are interested in Marvel right now? Any top players that…

No…

M: Only you?

I think so.

M: But your main goal is to beat the U.S.?

Yeah I want [to do that]. I want to challenge Justin Wong in Marvel.

M: You want to challenge Justin Wong in Marvel! Have you told him that?

(Shakes head.) No…no.

M: Okay, interesting.

16. M: Can you tell us about how your new sponsor The Traveling Circus contacted you, and you found out them?

[I am] honoured that this company wants to sponsor me.

They directly emailed me [about joining them].

M: Did you have to think about it, or did you straightaway say “yes”.

I needed to [get to] know each other [better]…

M: And then you only decided.

Yeah.

17. M: You told me that you have something special planned for the Japanese community, do you want to elaborate on that.

Actually [I want to talk] a little bit about it. Because in other countries, the fighting game scene is getting bigger. But Japanese fighting game scene is…

M: Stays the same?

No…it’s getting bigger. I want to join it.

M: So you want to think of something to make it bigger.

Yeah.

Actually we don’t have “community”. Because we go to arcade just for playing and to talk to our friends. And we didn’t need a “community” But I think in the future, arcades are going to die or go down.

We need to make a community to continue to play fighting games.

M: So what you’re trying to do is you want to create this community.

Yeah.

18.   M: Do you prefer traditional Japanese single elimination tournaments, or American styled double elimination tournaments?

Of course, American style!

I think everyone prefers American style. But because we don’t have the time to finish [long tournaments in Japan]. Japanese [venues] are too expensive. So we need to deal with [the tournament] in one day or two days.

M: But some people say that because you guys run single elimination that you guys adapt faster, you read your opponent faster. Do you think single elimination tournaments help you guys develop adapting skills?

I don’t think so.

19. S: Do you know of any arcade legends that don’t turn up to tournaments or events, but are also godlike? (Question credit to allyoucaneat)

Uhh…Yes I know some, but not in Street Fighter.

I think Tekken; there are godlike player. Hamaha is a very godlike Tekken player. In Street Fighter 4? There are some good players but not godlike.

M: Ah okay, okay. So all the godlike players are already known and playing against [you guys].

Yeah, yeah.

20. S: So what is your tournament routine and your preparations. Do you have to warm up a lot, do you take naps, scout out opponents?

If I already understand who is the opponents, I try to remind [myself] how he likes to play.

S: So you did do any scouting here for the Australian players?

Yeah. Toxy? Toxy beat me a lot in Vanilla, so I [was] scared!

And Humanbomb, I haven’t played him yet, but tomorrow…

I am very…

M: Nervous?

Yeah, nervous.

M: So what special tips did Daigo give you about Toxy and Humanbomb. Did he tell you anything?

Yeah. He told me to be careful!

21.   M: So what is the best Japanese food to eat when you get salty?

Get salty? Ramen!

M: Ramen? Ah okay. What soup base for the ramen.

Tonkotsu ramen.

There are famous stories about Daigo. Where Daigo…was fifteen years old? He was already godlike player in Japan and he lost and he was very shocked. Then he went to a special ramen shop, it’s a very famous story.

M: So he went to eat the ramen, and became better?

S: He levelled up.

We believe eating the ramen will make you better.

M: Where is this? Shinjuku ramen?

In Aki…Akihabara.

22. M: This is a question from Gunslingermeeks; where would you like to travel to in the future, any part of the world, to play Street Fighter.

I want to go to Taiwan!

Because Gamerbee and his friends say their place is very good. The food is good. Food is…

M: Most important to you.

Yeah yeah. (Nods head quickly.) The country’s food is…[what] I want to eat. In Australia, I try to eat a meat pie…

M: So did you like the meat pie or?

Sort of!

S: Have you tried a sausage roll?

No, not yet. I want to.

M: We’ll give you a sausage roll [sooner or later].

S: The second Australian [classic food].

Oh nice.

23.   M: So what do you think are some of the problems that Japanese arcades face nowadays?

Yeah. Because the making of new games is [gradually getting more] expensive, but we pay for it only 100 yen. It never change. But the price of cabinets keeps getting higher.

M: So the arcade business owners cannot…

They cannot purchase the cabinet. I think.

M: So what should change to make the arcade system work in Japan.

Hmm.

M: Or it’s hard to say?

Ahh…I don’t know. But I think in the future…Japanese arcades, their future? Is not good.

24. So do you think that console-centred LAN cafes like what KSK is doing is going take over- is gonna replace the arcades?

I think it cannot take over [the arcades], but [in] some places it will be good. But not take over [the arcades].

M: Not take over, but help the community.

Yeah, yeah.

25.   So who is your favourite pop idol?

Pop idol? It is uh…Do you mean pop idol is…

M: Singer, dancer, anything.

Can I say the talent? Sure. I don’t see the TV recently , but my favourite actor was Tokiwa Takako. She looks…pretty…good.

M: I see, I see. Well we’ll get a picture of her and put it up…

S: On the blog definitely.

M: So what is your favourite TV show or movie with her inside.

Ah…I think it was…just I forgot the name of it.

M: Ah it’s okay, it’s okay. So what’s your favourite anime?

Akira!

S: Yes! I totally agree.

Yeah. Did you see the “Murderface” comic? He draw me because he knows I like Akira?

By Inocamellia

(Inocamellia if you read this, I can’t read Japanese! Would you mind answering Tokido’s question?)

M: Actually we don’t know, but we’ll try to find out. Or maybe it’s a very good coincidence.

S: So who’s your favourite character in Akira?

Tetsuo.

26.   M: Okay, I think that’s about it, any last thoughts you want to say?

Last thoughts? Thank you for listening to my talk.

S: Thank you. It’s been really fascinating to just see how you think and you approach different problems and areas as well.

I’m very happy to answer in English. Because recently I go to America, and English-speaking countries. And I realised I improved. My English.

S: Even from Wednesday until today, your vocabulary has grown quite a lot. Which is impressive.

Yeah, yeah!

Akira: Do you like Australia?

Fifteen years ago, I came to Australia. I climbed Ayers Rock and go to Gold Coast. That was big fun.

Yeah I want to split Ayers Rock (like Akuma from SF3 2nd Impact’s ending). But I know we cannot go to…

S: Yeah it’s a little bit far to travel at the moment.

I heard climbing Ayers Rock is banned?

S: Yes it’s illegal [now].

M: So it’s a good thing that you did it last time! Thank you very much Tokido.

Thank you.

(Check out the grand finals of Shadowloo Showdown below.)

As a after-meal delight, check out this scrumptious compilation of Tokido moments by 0ShinAkuma0.