First things first, shout out to all the parents (like mine) who bought their kids the latest version of Street Fighter II or any other old-school fighter, even if it was $60 or more for each of those stinkin’ SNES or Genesis cartridges. Even though they didn’t understand exactly why they were buying a game that seemed so similar to the ones we already had, they ponied up their hard-earned dough just to make us happy. For us, though, getting the newest edition of our fighting game of choice meant a new lease on life, or a trip to the gameplay gallows, all on the whims of the developers.
For guys like me who played Ryu, going from Street Fighter II: The World Warrior to Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting was more of the former - an ability to finally pilot a super-strong character. For Dhalsim players in those same games, it was more of the latter, as their character was weakened and sent to the bottom rung of the tier list. While we’ve gone over why tier list placements are overrated, there’s something to be said for having frame data and gameplay mechanics on your side. Having a strong work ethic and a strong character can be a winning combination, but what if your character goes from being one of the best to one of the worst? Well, you’ve got three options.
1. Just Keep Swimming
First, you can follow the sage advice from Dory of Finding Nemo, and “just keep swimming” with your beloved character. It’s something Ryu players like AMKidd and MDZ_Jimmy have been going through since Season 1, and they’re highly regarded amongst the Ryu and the Street Fighter V community for doing so. Now, whether or not this will bring you success in a competitive setting is a completely different story. Going down on your shield is cool, but if you’re a sponsored player who gets paid for getting results, or a player who’s looking to take the next step and win, it can be frustrating to use a character who’s gone from being strong to weak. But even with the chips stacked against you and your character of choice, they might be the best option for you to succeed.
2. Wait It Out
Unless you’re contractually obligated to keep playing the game where your character stinks, you could move onto something else. Take the opportunity to work on another game you enjoy, pick up a new fighting game, or switch to a different genre entirely. For the most part, balance changes are cyclical, so your character might be down and out this patch or game, but right back up at the top of the mountain in the next game. Ask Ragna the Bloodedge (or us poor Iron Tager) players in the BlazBlue series how they feel about the constant up-and-down they experience with their character game in and game out. "Yo-Yo balancing" as I'll call it is an unfortunate habit that most fighting game developers can't seem to break, so if your character is down currently, there's a chance they'll be up soon enough.
3. "Pick a Top Tier!"
(NSFW FOR LANGUAGE)
Or, you could follow the sage advice of one Sandford Kelly and pick the new hotness. That might be someone like Cammy in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition’s latest patch, for instance. Past history has shown us, however, that switching to a “top-tier” doesn’t always mean a date with the top of the podium. Think of all the Sagat players from Vanilla Street Fighter IV who never won a regular major tournament, despite playing the character considered to be the best in the game. If you’re going to do this, my recommendation is to pick a character who has similar traits to the character you’re switching from to make the transition as painless as possible. For instance, switching from Ken to Akuma might not be as painful as switching to Menat, as the two martial artists have similar moves and playstyles, versus the fortune teller’s orb-based combat style. However, you might find you enjoy Menat, so the only way to find out if you’re into her is to try her out!
So for all my Rashid brethren out there struggling to make it in a world where their character stinks, I feel you. I really do. My suggestion would of course be to stick with the Turbulent Wind, or any character that you’ve been partners with for so long, since they’ll undoubtedly give you the best chance to win, even in a less powerful state. If you find that your character doesn’t fit your playstyle anymore, then maybe a switch is in the cards for you. Whatever happens, make sure you’re still having fun while you’re playing games. If you’re not enjoying the character or game you’re playing, then what’s the point of it all? Take a break from whatever’s frustrating you, and return at a later date with a clear and healthy mind. After all, don’t we play games to have fun?
Miss any of the Life of a Low Tier Hero entries? Don't worry, we've done the legwork and rounded up every Low-Tier Hero in this helpful little list. Check them out now!
How to Handle a Nerfed Character
A Throw By Any Other Name – Dealing with Normal & Command Grabs
How to Love (and Succeed) in a Low-Tier Game
Learning to Embrace Your (Touch of) Death
Neutral Game, Footsies, and Patience with SYN | Jaegar
Lab Work Makes The Winning Formula
AMKidd Helps Us Get Over the "Low-Tier" Mindset
Getting Over Canon and Spamming in Dragon Ball FighterZ
Exploring The Stiff World Of Assists
