The People’s Champion

My last post concluded my Road to Revenge, but this post will, for now, be my final update to this blog.

Ending on this note might make it seem like I’m going off to commit hara-kiri, but don’t worry, Japan isn’t that merciless anymore.

I’ve been writing this blog for, well, not quite a year―but close to that―and I can honestly say that it was a great experience. Not only was I able to get back in touch with the Real Steel game, but I also feel like I’ve gotten back in touch with all of the users playing the game.

Even if this is my last post, by no means is it the end of Real Steel. In fact, the world of Real Steel will continue to grow as long as dedicated users like you continue to play it. And even if you yourself never become “#1” on the rankings, that doesn’t mean you can’t become your own “People’s Champion”.

And if someone calls you that, all you have to say is, “Sounds pretty good to me.”

Road to Revenge, The Final Act: “Watch Me”

Well here it is. The day of my final confrontation with Ue-2. I watched the film once again the day before our match to jolt up my confidence one last time, completing my preperations for battle.

I’m expecting a fair, clean fight, but as I see the robots standing across from each other, I feel an unspeakable influx of mounting pressure flow through my veins.

I somehow get a grip on the match and rush in on my foe. Despite all the experience I’ve accumulated thus far, I feel a brooding sense of insecurity and immediately take the offensive while I still have a chance.

And I knock him down! YES!! Fully aware that he’s not gonna throw the game this early, still, I implore, “stay down—even you must realize that’s what’s best for you!”

As expected, he floats back up like a bubble in a pond, and now he begins an offensive. It’s almost as if he’d been letting me win.

I get back on pace and, after some more blows, Round 1 comes to an end…and it’s clear that there’s an even greater gap in our natural ability than in our robots’ stats. But, I am not ready to lose. A scene from the film I watched yesterday flashes in my head, and I put RAI-KOH into full gear. “WATCH ME!”

I begin Round 2 with a taunt. In fact, I’ve given RAI-KOH the same taunts Atom used in the film. That’s right baby, I’m the star of this show!!

And then I unleash a Heel Drop, a remnant tech move from Avenger!
…he dodges it, no questions asked!?

And then, well, I get knocked down, not by a tech move or anything, just a normal, standard punch. And the match ends…

Ahhhh, I lost. Unlike Atom in the film, I lost both the battle and the prestige. But instead of leaving empty-handed, I walk away with a peculiar sense of achievement. Why? Because I was in fact able to knock Ue-2 down a single time, something I couldn’t do before. I’ve truly experienced one of the tried-and-true hallmarks of video games. That is, the more you play, the better you get.

And I feel pride in the fact that I took part in making this game, that people all over the world can enjoy. Could I really call myself a game developer if I placed a higher importance on revenge rather than that fact?
.
.
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DAHHHHISHOULDVEWON. But I’m not longer out for revenge. The next time I face Ue-2, I just hope I’ll have gotten good enough to beat him in a pure, clean fight.

I Can Feel The End Looming Over Me

Last time I mentioned that I had created a new robot to replace Avenger. Well, it looks like, for reasons currently inexplicable, Ue-2 has decided to create a new robot too. This was sent to me just this morning.

Now let’s forget for a minute the fact that he didn’t even bother to color the darn thing. It’s not like your robot was lost in a tragic data accident, so why did you have to create a new robot!?

Plus, the name is a totally different style than anything he’s had in the past:

DAS ENDE
…?

Apparently (I looked it up), it’s German for “The End”.

Putting aside why he thought to use German, I take this is a clear sign that he is completely ready for our final bout.

Alright my friend, I accept your challenge.
Stay tuned next time, where I will report on our final battle!

“Flash of Lightning”

I’ve done it. I have completed my new robot. I have emerged, recovering from the deep and dark depths of desolation and despair. It’s like that part of any good story when something bad happens to the protagonist, only to have them find a way to start things over and get back on track. Thinking of it that way has allowed me to cope with this tragedy of losing my dear Avenger and move on with a positive outlook.

I’ve carefully selected my robot parts, tech moves, and coloring while using all the knowledge I’ve cultivated from my past experiences and chronicled in this blog. But, I’ve decided to use the same face, to have at least some memento of the spirit of Avenger.

My new robot is named “RAI-KOH”, which roughly translates to “Lightning Flash”. I’ve even molted out of my old shell which was sworn to vengeance, converting this motivation (along with any residual disillusionment I’ve carried over from my adolescence) into a pure heart, full of determination.

My stratagem: to defeat Ue-2 with the quickness of a flash of lightning!

The Words of Someone Great

It’s been a few days since I suffered the oh-so-tragic loss of my dear Avenger, and I have to say that I’m finally starting to feel…

No better at all! And you know why? Because I actually write this blog 2 posts at a time! In fact, I can still see sizzling steam coming out of my freshly wounded heart.

He was my friend. My partner. We were going to see each other through thick and thin, and now he’s gone. Well, I do have pictures of him, so I s’pose I could hypothetically create him again. But it just wouldn’t be the same…

And then these wise words, once spoken by someone great, come to mind:
“There’s always another way of looking at things”.

Y’know what? That’s right! This in fact is my chance to create an even BETTER robot! A new robot that inherits the soul of Avenger, but is even MORE powerful!

Alright, now I’m pumped! This time, I truly am gonna make the ultimate robot! Here’s part 2 of my “current state of emotion” series of pics!

ZAAAAAP!

AHHHHH! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?
My heart is laden with regret…

Since I’m a game designer, I’m not shy to admit that I do all sorts of game designer-y things with my Real Steel data. This may involve modifying some internal data and—hey stop judging me!
Well, long story short: something I did caused my data to become corrupt, and…

My poor Avenger robot data is…GONE!!! FOREVER!!!

Funeral services will be held at 8AM JST this weekend. I’ve gone ahead and taken a picture showing my current state of emotion.

Somebody Call Pest Control

The wait is over―new robot parts are coming out next week! This time we have Reptilax, a design unlike what we’ve yet to see.

It’s got an extremely organic look-‘n-feel to it, which almost makes you want to use it as is, without making any part modifcations. The reptilian, almost insectoid design commands awe and respect, and has a smoothness that makes you (or at least ME) want to jump in the game and run my fingers along the exterior. Especially those thighs…

Well, even if you don’t have the same inclination, I have no doubt that you will be impressed. Be sure to check it out for yourself!

Back in the Saddle and Feelin’ Good

Lately it hit me that I’ve been using Avenger exclusively to play, so for the first time in a while, I decided to go back and give Atom a whirl. Not that I meant to leave him in the scrapyard, but man, it has been a while…

My opponent: Twin Cities. At first it took some getting used to, like that feeling you get when borrowing something that isn’t yours to use. But let’s not forget that he’s the star of the movie. And just like that, I was back on track, busting out tech moves while dashing.

THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKIN’ ABOUT.

Just like in the movie, I obliterated Twin Cities, and it feels good.
Now I just hope that my bout with Ue2’s ‘bot Wets does NOT end up like what happened in the film.

Road to Revenge Vol.11: Not to get overconfident, but…

Road to Revenge.
I mentioned before that Hattori 2.0 was giving me trouble. Well, I started getting used to his fighting style, and figured that’s it about time I, well, win.

My strategy? That’s easy: land a destroyer move. And to do so, I need to counter a move. But first, gotta get some damage in…

And then, I land it…but not just any destroyer move―I land a head destroyer for an all-out KO!

YES.

The glorious scene of his head flying off far outweighs all the humiliation I had to put up with. The special camera effects make it taste all the better!

I feel like I’ve taken a huge leap as a robot trainer. Thing is, he was just standing there. He wasn’t even stunned. I feel like I got a little lucky this time, and I may not be this lucky when I’m facing an actual human opponent…

Another Lesson from the Real Steel Textbook

I meant to close the textbook on Real Steel basics with my last post, but I remembered one more thing, so take a seat students.

5. Destroyer Moves
Destroyer moves are a special type of tech move. If you land one of these moves on a part of your opponent that has already sustained a lot of damage, you’ll instantly destroy that part. And as such, these moves have the ability to change the tide of the match in, literally, one fell swoop. I’d definitely recommend using them when you’ve stunned your opponent with a counter. I plan to utilize this tactic during my revenge match with Ue-2.

Now I just have to figure out how I’m gonna inflict that initial damage…