Interview with Shotosallday

Interview Date: August 2014
Hometown: I just moved to Tonopah Arizona! Formerly LA.
Occupation: High School Math teacher/Piano teacher
Years Playing SF2: First tournament: 2012. I played online before that on XBL.
Main Character: My main character is actually Zangief. I guess now my main would be Ryu or O. Ryu
Other Characters: I use pretty much everyone but my best: Chun-Li, Dictator, and Fei Long.
Favorite Fighting Game: SF2CE, Super Turbo
Other Fighting Games:
Weapon of Choice:

STR: Shotos, let’s start of with how you got into Street Fighter.

Shotosallday: I first got into it because of online play. I played on hdr and ggpo. I was a true online warrior for the longest time. Even to this day, I’m sure I have played many more online matches than offline matches.

STR: Was ST your first Street Fighter game you got into?

Shotosallday: No, my favorite sf version is HF or CE. I played those first and I actually prefer those over st. If you think st is brutal try playing CE or HF. It’s so easy to get stunned and the damage scaling is even higher.

STR: We’ve seen you use so many characters in tournaments in the past but recently it seems like you’ve narrowed that down to just a few. Can you tell us more about why you switch between so many characters and why it appears you’ve settled on a couple now?

Shotosallday: There is often no rhyme or reason. I just feel like playing a certain character so I do. When I would play online I just enjoyed playing multiple characters just because I enjoyed the game. I still like to have fun even if it’s a tournament.

STR: Have any players influenced your play style?

Shotosallday: I respect AfroLegends and Damdai. Damdai is good at eliminating unnecessary stuff from his gameplay. He is an efficient player. I definitely have incorporated elements of his O. Shoto play into mine. He has a basic but effective plan verse every character. I respect Afro because I feel he comes the most prepared out of all US players. He knows counters very well and is just so prepared for whatever you throw at him.

Shotosallday:

STR: You’ve also done some travelling to a few tournaments in the past year or so (The Fall Classic, Texas Showdown). Do you have plans to travel to any more in the future? To Japan?

Shotosallday: Yeah, my plan is to go to Japan, wear a heavy face mask, and train for hours everyday all summer (haha). I don’t really believe in “talent” and all that when it comes to ST. Anyone can get good if they grind hard. It’s not like you have to be athletic, tall, or strong. You just have to know why you are losing and correct those mistakes. The best example is Japanese players. No disrespect to Afro and Damdai (I consider them stronger players than me) but it’s just remarkable how different the outcomes are when they face Japanese players. Afro has not beaten a Japanese ST specialist. If you look at the overall record of Damdai versus Kurahashi or Hanashi, it is definitely in their favor. It’s not that they are more “gifted,” it’s just that they are consistently exposed to high level play.

STR: You’ve had a chance to play some Japanese players at EVO this year but who would be the one you’d love to play against the most that you haven’t yet?

Shotosallday: I always enjoyed watching Aniken play. I got a taste of amazing ken play when I played Mattsun. I was happy to do that.

STR: Is there a routine you have in order to get ready for a tournament?

Shotosallday: Even though I used to live in So Cal, I rarely play. I would go meet up with Digital, Afro, Papercut, and eltrouble once a month before Evo. I don’t play online at all anymore. I haven’t played ST against anyone since Evo. I don’t really have a routine. I just want to go and have a good time. I have to work on not drinking before tournaments ( haha).

STR: What area would you recommend new / intermediate players to work on to improve their game?

Shotosallday: Players make the same mistakes over and over again. So they are the same skill level they were years ago. I just think they need to break down matches and find out what they are doing wrong AND STOP DOING IT. Also, a basic understanding of eliminating your opponents options is important. If you play Ryu, you should understand when they are likely to jump or throw a fireball. If you sweep fireball, your opponent will be in block stun. I like to walk a little bit forward (while they are in block stun from the fireball) and throw a standing jab or two. That way I can jump on reaction if they throw a fireball when their block stun ends. I can also DP them if they jump ( the stand jab acts as a feint).

STR: What are your thoughts on HD Remix? SFIV?

Shotosallday: HDR was cool. I played Dictator and made good use of his new additions. I feel like people like to talk smack about it just because they hate Sirlin. I thought it was a decent game. And I do not agree that HDR Zangief was broken. I just think he was a strong character. Snake Eyez is a great player and I don’t think any other player would have the same success as him using Zangief in HDR. Other players tried using Zangief in HDR, but none of them reached Snake Eyez’s level.

Street Fighter IV? No comment.

STR: Why do you think ST has had such longevity and popularity?

Shotosallday: There are two reasons. One is that it is a game with clearly identifiable levels of skill. It is easy to differentiate a novice player form an intermediate player from a grandmaster. Right when you think you are good someone better comes along and kicks your butt. So it’s exciting to know that there is so much room for improvement.

The second is the fast paced brutal nature of the game. The rounds are so fast and the damage is so high, it really keeps you on your toes. That’s why it feels like crack sometimes (haha). The smallest nuance could mean the difference between winning and losing, so we all are fighting for that extra edge.

STR: Who are your favorite ST players?

Shotosallday: My favorite ST players are Futachan and Koemon.

STR: Who would you say has been your toughest opponent or rival?

Shotosallday: Damdai and Afro are definitely tough opponents. Of course, the grandmasters in Japan always present a challenge. I think there are many strong US players who deserve more credit than they receive. I really respect Papercut. He ended Valle’s streak at WNF and he was playing on American sticks. He also came close to double eliminating Damdai at SCR. He’s a great player who deserves more credit. I also respect Fromo. Dude holds it down with a low tier char.

STR: Favorite ST moment (either as a player or a spectator).

Shotosallday: My favorite st moment was just being able to play sets with the Japanese grandmasters at Evo in the suites.

STR: Anything else you’d like to tell us about you that people may not know or any final words?

Shotosallday: I am really into classical piano. That is what I am most passionate about and even ST will always take a backseat to that. I also enjoy rock climbing.

STR: Thanks for the interview, Shotos! Though you’re not in So Cal any longer, hopefully we’ll still see you at West Coast Warzone and other upcoming tournaments.