Name (aka Handle):
MTK aka Mirwaiss

How old are you?:
20

Which characters do you play in SSF2? Why do you play these characters? (Note: do not list characters that are not currently in the game):
I play a few characters, namely Goku, Marth and Captain Falcon, but primarly Goku. Goku was what originally got me into the game, back in 0.8b, mainly because I'm a big DBZ fan and was surprised to see one of my favorite characters in a smash game. That's why I solo-mained him for over a year. After learning more about melee and watching sets of top players I got motivated to pick up Marth and Captain Falcon as well. The way they were played at the top level and the combo strings that they pulled off made me want to pick them up.

How much experience do you have with official Smash titles? (SSB64, Melee, Brawl. Include in this answer which characters you play/played.):
I've played every Smash game but never competitively. Smash 4 would be my number 1 but I've been thinking of devoting more time to melee and seeing how far I could get. In smash 4 and brawl I mained Ike, in melee I played sheik, falco and marth, and in 64 I played link.

Have you ever attended any Smash tournaments? If so, give some details about the tournament (number of participants, which games, etc). How well did you place?
The only Smash tournaments I've entered are SSF2 tournaments and have never been in one consisting of more then maybe 30 or so people. As for placings, I'm somewhere around the middle, generally placing 13th or so.

When did you start playing SSF2?
I first started playing SSF2 back in the 0.8b build.

What is your favorite stage in SSF2? Explain.
My favorite stage would definitely be Smashville. As a goku main, I tend to play very rush down and aggressive. SV gives me a lot of space and doesn't restrict my movement allowing me to control the pace of the game and maintain stage control. In addition, it's platform is amazing for combo set ups and mix ups. Battlefield would be another one of my favorite stages but the addition of 2 other platforms restricts my movements somewhat and interrupts combos. With a single platform that is constantly moving, I'm free to play how I want and control the flow of the match whilst still having a platform as an option.

Who, in your opinion, should be placed first on the SSF2 tier list? Under competitive settings why would this character perform on a higher level than all others?
Zelda should definitely be placed first on the SSF2 tier list. All of her moves have ridiculous priority and deal a good amount of damage. With ending lag that is almost nonexistent and a neutral B that protects her from any attack or grab, it is extremely difficult to punish Zelda. Her light weight only makes it more difficult to punish her as combo-ing her usually doesn't go beyond 2 or 3 hits. Her recovery is one of the best and her side b extends to any part of the map in front of her making able to apply pressure from literally across the stage. With such high priority on her moves, getting in to attack an opponent is relatively easy, with exceptions to disjoint characters such as marth and ichigo. Zelda's punish game is strong. She has many guaranteed follow ups allowing for a solid combo game. Her moves rack up a great deal of percent and her aerials (minus her uair) when sweet-spotted will have a great deal of knockback on her opponents allowing for early kills, not to mention many of her other moves also have a great amount of kill power. This combined with her dair and dtilt (at edge), Zelda can end stocks in seconds. All things considered, Zelda is a very strong player with a strong neutral game and impressive punish game. With priority that outclasses most other chars, a side B that extends across the stage and knock back that can kill very early, Zelda dictates the pace and flow of the match, forcing most other chars to play around her (again, exception to some chars such as marth that have a disjointed hitbox that can counter some of Zelda's options).

Who, in your opinion, should be placed last on the SSF2 tier list? Under competitive settings why would this character perform on a lower level than all others?
This would definetly be Sora. Admittedly, he does have a solid combo game and can string together many moves to rack up a good amount of damage, however, with his lack of kill power it can sometimes take up to 200% of damage in order to kill an opponent. This holds especially true for heavier characters like Goku that are not only heavy but have exceptional recovery. His edge guard's are weak so his lack of kill power can't even be made up for with gimps. His recovery can be guarded rather easily due to its predictable and linear pattern along with its vulnerability at the end (this is for his flowmotion - side B). Furthermore, he is easily combo'd by other chars and has to rely mostly on gimmicks in order to win. In a competitive setting,this will not take you very far as a smart player will easily find their way around it. All things considered, he would not last in competitive settings.

If you could make only one change to SSF2 as it currently is, what would it be and why?
I would incorporate end lag on moves, but if rumors hold true then this will already be incorporated into Beta...hopefully. The addition of ending lag will enable players to punish one another for whiffing moves. Players will therefore be forced to consider their options more strategically so as to avoid getting punished. This is where mind games and whatnot will come in to play (baits, etc..). It would undoubtedly evolve the SSF2 competitive scene and make us all in to more better, more aware players.

What is your view on items in competitive play?
They take away from the competitiveness of smash. Smash, imo, is about outplaying your opponent and beating them using your own skill with little to no luck involved. The addition of items takes away from that by incorporating chance. The better player will not always win. This is a huge push factor for those of us who play competitively.

Do you have or can you download Skype? You don't need a mic or webcam.
Yes, I have a skype account.

Why do you want to join the Smash Flash Back Room? What will you contribute? Why are you an exceptional applicant? Be as detailed as possible.
Being a solo Goku main for over a year, I have a very different perspective of the game that most SSF2 players don't. I think it's necessary to have as diverse a team as possible in order to come up with the best solutions. I'm confident that I would still be a strong addition to the team. By surrounding myself in this kind of environment, I will undoubtedly grow as a player and gain firmer understanding of the games' meta, allowing me to contribute even stronger insights.

Additional information (Include in this section anything relevant to your application. This could include links to videos of yourself playing.)

You are playing as Goku in a tournament match. Luck is not on your side, and your opponent is able to choose both a stage where Goku has the disadvantage and a character that Goku does poorly against in terms of matchup. What would these choices be, and what would you do in the match to maximize your chances of winning anyway?

Use the following stagelist:

Stage: Castle Siege

Character: Meta Knight


Goku doesn't necessarily have disadvantages on any stages (Goku doesn't really have a BAD stage), however there are certain stages he performs better on then others. Of all stages, Goku performs the least-well on Castle Siege. The uneven stage and platforms above tend to interrupt some approaches, such as full-hop side b uair, short-hop side b nair grab u throw, etc... One other downside to this stage is the ledge. Goku's recovery is very good; its among the best in the game. But grabbing ledge can prove to be difficult at times, particularly when the ledge extends out from the stage (like in Castle Siege). With a ledge like that, it can sometimes be difficult to capitalize on edge guard situations since going out too low or at an awkward angle could result in Goku up-b'ing under ledge resulting in a failed recovery and lost stock. Characters such as Meta Knight could exploit this and gimp Goku almost every time he recovers.

Meta Knight is one of the few match-ups Goku loses. With high priority, next to no start up/ end lag on most moves, amazing recovery, strong combo/ punish game and light weight, Meta Knight not only beats Goku but much of the SSF2 roster. Goku (IMO) is meant to be played aggressive and rush down, almost like fox, but this is almost impossible against a good Meta Knight. For every one of Goku's approaches, Meta Knight has an answer. Goku has limited options against Meta Knight and recovering also becomes significantly more difficult due to the very high chance of getting gimped. Goku therefore has to play much more defensively and patiently in order to beat Meta Knight.

In order to maximize the chances of winning, Goku would first and foremost need to maintain center stage as much as possible. With already limited options and a high probability of getting gimped, its imperative Goku avoids off-stage/ recovery situations as much as possible. Secondly, Goku must play defensively and patiently. Meta Knight out classes Goku in both the neutral and punish game. There are only a few frames of lag between each move he throws out. This coupled with the fact that many of his moves are lasting hit boxes makes it extremely difficult for Goku to approach or punish Meta Knight. As such, baiting attacks will not work against Meta Knight (as opposed to characters like Marth where baiting is the most optimal way of winning). As mentioned earlier, Meta Knight snuffs out virtually all of Goku's approaches. Even approaching after a side b will not always work since Meta Knight can easily throw out another move to snuff Goku's nair/dash attack/grab etc... For this reason, approaching should be very limited. There are four or five instances where (if fast enough) it is possible to punish Meta Knight due to some lag on his moves. These include his utilt (good chance to approach since it isn't a lasting hitbox in addition to lag), his upb (although if he's still in his up b, bait out an attack and punish when he becomes vulnerable), his down-b (if it misses the stage) and his side b (when he becomes vulnerable). As for Meta Knight's approaches, Out of Shield (OOS) options prove to be a very effective response. Moves with strong priority such as Goku's Up-b and Neutral Air should take precedence although grabs (albeit situational) can also be a good option. Another very good option is Kaioken OOS, although this is even more situational then grabbing OOS. Once transformed, a simple Dash Attack or Back Air will be enough to take a stock off Meta Knight at less than 100% (this being the result of Kaioken being over powered and Meta Knight being light-weight). Thirdly, another thing Goku can do in this match up is apply pressure using side b. This will slow the pace of the match down and can force the Meta Knight to go for certain options. For example, a grounded side b on Meta Knight may force them to shield or approach from above. At this point its as simple as reacting. If they shield, go in for the grab or bait their grab and punish. If they try approaching from above, then the possibilities are endless. Go under him and punish with an up air, a short hop up b, an up smash or (if you're confident enough) a down b. One final thing that Goku should do is stay grounded as much as possible. Goku is combo food. He has a large hurt box and is heavy weight. As soon as Goku is above Meta Knight, it is very easy for the Meta Knight to continuously rack up damage on him, and his multiple jumps only makes it easier for him to extend combos and bring Goku to kill percent.

I feel its important to note that the cons mentioned in castle siege are not significant enough to say it gives Goku a disadvantage given that there are still many pro's for Goku on that stage, such as the platforms for tech chasing, extending combos and mix ups... also wanted to mention that the problem with the ledge is only applicable to the far left ledge and not the right one.

Congratulations! You have been accepted into the Back Room! Please wait until a Site Admin adds you to the usergroup. (ily mirwaiss <3)

ya guy