Maryland Fighters: The Documentary (DRAFT)

I love how the fighting game scene is growing in numbers. But think back to the 1990s, when everybody was into fighting games at the time. As the 1990s were drawing to a close, the arcade scene was slowing dying, while the fighting game scene is on life-support. Throughout the years, they have survived on tournaments, ranking battles, and regionals. But in 2007, when Street Fighter IV was announced, the community became stronger, and even though arcades were slowly dying, it kept the arcade scene alive in some states.

            The fighting game scene in Maryland isn’t as strong as New York, California, Nevada, Texas, or Florida, but it is promising. The community here in Maryland is strong, even though it’s underground. Every Wednesday night, a store in Arbutus called Xanadu holds Wednesday Night Xanbats (Fight Night), in which players go to level up their skills on any fighting game or just to play casually. During that time, they held a stream on Justin.tv every week, showing casual matches. We, the players, needed a place to play and level up. Xanadu answered our call.

The arcade scene in Maryland is rare. Some arcades still exist, while others are closed down. One example is the arcade that is in a mall in Greenbelt. It still exists today, but it is sometimes deserted. There was also an arcade located in Annapolis Mall called Tilt. Tilt was one of my favorite arcades of all time. I remember when I saw a fighting game tournament for SvC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom, it was electrifying. But now, it is closed down and turned into an AT&T store. Arcades in Maryland are really hard to find nowadays.

No matter what people say, the fighting game scene is still alive.

Pros & Cons: My Educational Experience

Best educational experience is when I was in high school; we get to use our notes while we take the test. Now I know it sounds like I'm taking the easy way out, but teachers wanted us to pass their classes. I just did my job. Sometimes when I got a failing grade in my test or essay, I asked the teachers what I can do in order to improve next time. They helped me out with some great advice, and it worked really well.

The worst educational experience is when I was in high school; all the teachers would tell us that when we get to college, I wouldn't get any help from the professors. The bad part about it is that I actually believed it, and that I took it the wrong way. So I ended up studying by myself without anyone's help. Knowing the fact that I have ADHD and a side of low self-esteem, I ended up not doing well in tests and quizzes both here in UMBC, and while I was at AACC. To be honest, my test-taking strategies began to suck.

Word Count (altogether): 194

(Draft) I Am Local, Not Online

Back in the 1990s, we played video game without any online support. I remember when I would go into the arcade with some friends, or go to a friend’s house, play video games, eat pizza, and having a good time. But because of the popularity of online gaming, and the decline of arcades, what happened to the video game community? Did online gaming change the way on how we play video games?

Nowadays, I would see people on Xbox Live or Playstation Network playing more FPS than fighting games online. What made me sick to my stomach about the online community is that I have never seen so many people use so much racial and/or sexual slurs online, mostly coming from immature little kids under the age of 17. Lagging issues are also a main problem because it always messes me up while I’m playing a fighting game. I rather stick to local competition because it’s better to be playing that person that is sitting next to me, whether it is a friend or another stranger.

There are times where local gaming gets out of hand. Take fighting game tournaments for example. A couple days ago, I was watching a fighting game tournament called Season’s Beating Redemption. I saw a match between Daigo (Ryu) against Marn (Dudley). After Marn eliminated Daigo from the tournament, I couldn’t believe what I’ve just saw. I saw Marn go up to the announcer booth, only to trash talk about Daigo behind his back. I find that disrespectful that he did that. Thankfully, Marn talked about the controversy in his blog.

In the end, local gaming is better than online gaming because at least you don’t have to deal with lagging issues or any kinds of discrimination with other players.

The Fighting Game Generation: Revival of the 90s

The Fighting Game Generation played a huge role in the 1990s. Games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat revolutionized the arcade scene. However, this generation became less popular in the 2000s, due to the popularity of home consoles and First-Person Shooters.

Why I picked the name and added the word Revival is because 2010 marked the revival of the generation. With upcoming games such as Mortal Kombat 9, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and Street Fighter x Tekken, fighting games revived the 90s in all of us. This generation is alive and well, just not as popular as it was in the 1990s.

Word Count: 105

The Power of a Local Video Game Store

Of all the local video game stores in Maryland, there's one local store that stands out from the rest. That store is called Power Gamer, which is located at Glen Burnie, Maryland.

The Centre In Glen Burnie. A mini-mall where Power Gamer is located.

Power Gamer has unique features that Gamestop doesn't have. Besides buying and selling old, new, and imported video games, this is the only time you get to see a Japanese arcade cabinet in a local game store in Maryland. They can repair any scratched disks and also fix or mod any console, whether it is a old console like the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 or new consoles like Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Most of this stuff can be done online on other sites, but stores like Power Gamer are rare to have these types of features.

Unlike GameStop, Power Gamer stays true to their consumers. For example, in every GameStop store, they have a trading policy that is misleading to other consumers. If you want to know what GameStop's policy is all about, click on this link. Power Gamer always stay true to their trading policy. Like for example, I remember when my friend sold his Left 4 Dead 2 game over there for $40.00. That left a smile on his face!

Power Gamer lives up to its name. It is the ultimate place to go buy, sell, and trade video game products. I recommend going to this store if you're interested in video gaming or Japanese anime.

Word Count - 246

The Power of a Local Video Game Store (Draft)

Of all the local video game stores in Maryland, there's one local store that stands out from the rest. That store is called Power Gamer, which is located in a mini-mall at Glen Burnie, Maryland. Besides buying and selling old, new, and imported video games, this is the only time you get to see a Japanese arcade cabinet in a local game store in Maryland. They can repair any scratched disks and also fix or mod any console, whether it is a old console like the Sega Dreamcast and Nintendo 64 or new consoles like Playstation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Most of this stuff can be done online on other sites, but stores like Power Gamer are rare to have these types of features.

    Unlike GameStop, Power Gamer stays true to their consumers. For example, in every GameStop store, they have a trading game policy, meaning that you could trade games for in-store credit. If you want to know more about GameStop's policy, click on this link. Power Gamer always stay true to their trading policy. Like for example, I remember when my friend sold his Left 4 Dead 2 game over there for $40.00. That left a smile on his face!

Power Gamer lives up to its name. It is the ultimate place to go buy, sell, and trade video game products. I recommend going to this store if you're interested in video gaming or Japanese anime.

Juggalotus and Ya Know This! (Part 2 to Horrorcore)

When it comes to horrorcore and ICP, people always asked me, "What's a Juggalo?"

Juggalos @ The Gathering in 2003

A Juggalo or a Juggalette is a fan name given by Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, Blaze, and other artists from Psychopathic Records and their sub-label, Hatchet House. The term was originated by Insane Clown Posse over the song, "The Juggla" in 1992, in which Violent J addresses to the audience as Juggalos. Juggalos and Juggalettes refer to themselves as family. The common characteristics of a Juggalo include drinking Faygo and sometimes painting their faces. Well-known faces, such as Scott Hall, Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Vanilla Ice, Kane Hodder, Vampiro, and Tech N9ne are also Juggalos. In an interview with Post-Gazette, Shaggy 2 Dope of ICP said that "Juggalos come from all walks of life – from poverty, from rich, from all religion and color. It doesn't matter if you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth or a crack rock in your mouth."

Every summer, all the Juggalos and Juggalettes participate in an annual event called The Gathering of the Juggalos. Originally began in 2000 by ICP and Jumpsteady, it's a four-day event that includes concerts, games, wrestling, contests, autograph signing, and seminars. The Gathering features a variety of hip hop and rock performances, although the majority of the acts perform horrorcore and hardcore hip hop. It is commonly known as a "family reunion" among fans.

Me in Halloween 2008, spotting the Old-School Twiztid look!

The Juggalos were involved in many violent crimes, such as arson, assault, kidnapping, and murder. Even though they denied connection to gang activity, some states such as Utah and Arizona labeled the Juggalos as a gang. Psychopathic-related clothing is also banned in schools. ICP and Psychopathic Records were repeatedly accused of the violence behind their songs. According to ICP's former manager, Alex Abiss, they are just crazy individuals who are using ICP's music as an excuse for their actions.

I've been a Juggalo for 4 years now, and I will never do anything to sell out. Much Clown Love to all my Juggalo family! Whoop-Whoop!

Word Count: 350

Horrorcore: The Dark Side of Hip Hop

What is Horrorcore?

Horrorcore is rap music with horror-related themes which began in the late 80s, early 90s. Their themes are based on death, reality, Satanism, cannibalism, suicide, and murder. Some artists use hip hop beats while others use rock-influenced beats. It is popular in the underground and rarely popular in the mainstream. Some artists like Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, and Three 6 Mafia gained mainstream success.

In the early 90s, rappers such as The Geto Boys, Brotha Lynch Hung, Esham, and Insane Poetry were creating their own styles of horrorcore. The definition wasn’t coined until 1994. Two rap groups, Gravediggaz (led by Wu-Tang Clan member, RZA) and Flatlinerz (led by Russell Simmons’ nephew, Redrum) release their own horrorcore albums, 6 Feet Deep & Under Satan’s Authority.

Horrorcore was never popular with the mainstream audience because no one understood the concept of the genre. It also gained negative media attention. When Flatlinerz made three music videos, they were banned by both MTV and BET because of their controversial content. Insane Clown Posse classified their selves as the “most hated band on the planet” because of the negativity they received from the media. They recently gained media attention when Tila Tequila and Method Man were attacked by the fanbase known as Juggalos at the Gathering of the Juggalos last month. Three 6 Mafia were criticized for being devil worshippers because of the group’s name and their horror-related lyrics in their music. When they won the Academy Award back in 2006, they thanked Jesus Christ. In 2005, Jeff Weise shot and killed nine people. Weise was also known as a horrorcore fan. Last year, September 19, 2009, an amateur horrorcore rapper by the name of Syko Sam was arrested for killing four people.

It looks like the media is trying to say that horrorcore rap has a negative effect on the youth. I disagree on that. Horrorcore rap is just like watching a horror movie without the visual aspect. Horrorcore is just entertainment. I guess society doesn’t want to hear reality.

Word Count: 349

Never Give Up: The Path of a World Warrior

Street Fighter X Tekken [Capcom, Bandai Namco (2012)]

In the fighting game community, there are casual players, hardcore players, and scrubs. The casual players would play for fun, while the hardcore players would play to win and the scrubs would whine on what's cheap. These types would apply when it comes to playing Street Fighter.

For me, I am in between casual and hardcore. I was about 15 years old when I first started playing Street Fighter on a competitive level local and online. Street Fighter II': Hyper Fighting was the game. I kept on losing a lot because I had no knowledge of the game. In other words, I was classified as a scrub by other players. From Hyper Fighting to both Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix and Street Fighter III: 3^rd Strike, I was classified as a scrub. But I was slightly getting better because I was watching and listening to other expert players. As Street Fighter IV came out, I entered my first tournament. Even though I lost the first round, I had fun, but at the same time, I had that "never give up" attitude in my eyes.

To this day, I've matured into how I play Street Fighter. I haven't joined any other tournaments yet, but I'm still looking. Win or lose, I have to give it my all. I've learned : Playing to win isn't always about winning; it's also about improving your skills.

Word Count: 246

My Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Cory Mewborn, and I'm from Davidsonville, Maryland. I am 19 years old and I am a transfer student from Anne Arundel Community College. I am majoring in Computer Science so that I can pursue a career in Game Design. From my earlier years to my present day time, I've always loved playing video games, but mostly fighting games. It's true, I am a fighting gamer. My life is like a fighting game: I seek new challenges and new challengers every day. I normally don't use quotes from a video game, but here's a good one: "If you enter the ring expecting to fail, you will. Believe in yourself!" – Ryu, Win Quote from Street Fighter IV/Super Street Fighter IV.