Are you an '09er...or a '23er? - The Years That Defined Fighting Games

[@lorenzov.5380]

I’ve been watching max for like 6 years yet I never really played a fighting game. I’m finally gonna dip my toes in for sf6.

[@FlyXcur]

Join us you'll have a great time with the fgc

[@Mene0]

I hope you have a great time

[@JB2X-Z]

Hell yeah, welcome to the games

[@caballero1152]

Same. I just really enjoy Max's content he's a great person.

[@Joaogab29]

Play Blanka

[@LunarJolt]

I think for tekken 7 blowing up was a mixture of guest characters, and the competitive scene having stories like "players wins T7 tourney with low tier character" consistently gave people who care about tekken to different degrees a sense of there being something good for more than one reason

[@ArchieGamez]

Yep also Lil Majin and Arslan an unknown coming from Pakistan and winning really blew up the game

[@jpcoqueran]

@@ArchieGamez Yea that Lil Majin run, and the Pakistan Arc took Tekken to a new level. I hope they can keep that with 8

[@AP_Troublemaker]

Born in 2000, I played SM4SH and Ultimate, but FighterZ really grabbed me like no other game ever could, and eventually Killer Instinct, and because of you, 3rd Strike. Thanks Daad.

[@augusmnyt]

First two got you into fight games. Nice.

[@kamenrangerzeo8251]

I never get tired of Max and his infinite wisdom about fighting games to a new generation. I was definitely a 90s kid when fighting games were at the golden age at their Peak, Street Fighter 2, Fatal Fury, Mortal Kombat, King of Fighters, etc. Good Times for fighting Games.

[@frod79]

World heroes, samurai showdown killer instinct.. even bloodstorm the mk clone I was there lol

[@thetachi5]

Just an amazing time in the arcades!

[@kingmase2028]

To be honest I'm at a young age but I feel how the era of those games and I like most of them but my fav was marvel vs Capcom,Bloody roar, Mk 9, Fatal Fury, and street fighter and this it's not really old but it's dbfz how the DLC Characters came it was really the hype. Also Mk 10 but in MK11 I'm sorry but I think it was alright, the guest characters alright But when they added the stage fatality it was kinda mid, But in Mk 9 it was Godlike even the Guest characters like Kratos, and Freddy Krueger. And If you remember that god of war stage I forgot what the stage was called but you would get 3 options in your stage fatality how to kill the opponent and when MK X first introduced brutality it was as gruesome as in MK11. But The Benefit of MK X Brutality was you could trigger with your x-ray Not all of the characters could do it but it was Jason, The Predator, Leather Face, Triborg, And I think there was someone else. But MK 12 better be good and they need to put Baba. But I agree with you it was a golden age even though I'm at a young age

[@salvadorvega3805]

I don't think its ever a bad thing for you to start fighting games. And i think the FG community should feel great that its increasing its numbers with new players. Me personally I didn't get into that many fighting games until I got MK11 but now I'm much more invested in what SF6 is going to bring to the table so much that I decided to learn how to play (and mod) a fight stick

[@SpikeTheWolf]

Why would ppl think thats a bad thing?

[@BrandonWhatTheF]

@@SpikeTheWolf people love having a sense of superiority and looking down on the people that come after them. If you've ever seen someone making fun of 'Gen Z', it's pretty much the same concept.

[@kR-qj7rw]

@@SpikeTheWolf gatekeeping without effort its like cringe ass mid 30s people saying i was listening to this band before you could walk ok and? bitch does that make you better somehow or something?

[@TheAssirra]

@@SpikeTheWolf Gatekeepers are sadly a thing.

[@emanthescripter1076]

Wow mk11?

[@prog00017]

'09 with the 360 release of Blazblue Calamity Trigger was my entry point. Had the special bonus dvd which had character input and gameplay guides. Mike Z (he was cool at the time) doing up a big Russian accent joke while explaining Iron Tager sold me on grapplers forever.

[@crimsonhunter]

Same for me. A friend made me try BB and since I already enjoyed anime an anime fighter was the obvious choice. Though EU had these outlandish Noel DVD cover that made it appear like some sort of shooter.

[@NolanDotNet]

I guess I'm a 16'er. I would always rent sf5 from a Redbox cabinet at my local drug store and would play it all weekend until I had to return it that Sunday night. (I eventually bought the game to keep) Despite how much hate sf5 gets, it will always be one of my favorites. When I decided I wanted to play better and learn later that year, I found this channel. Max and the doods are how I got into every other fighting game I play and love and I can't wait to see that again for other people with sf6 and Tekken 8.

[@monsterofvoices]

Yup it's very interesting how a game that launches rough can be remembered well by a lot of people later. Killer Instinct on the Xbox One was kinda similar as when it launched people ridiculed it for being a 6 character essentially release demo that was on the NSA spyware Xbone. Now both SFV and KI have way more fans than they did in their launches

[@strtfghtr88]

Love this story. Being an '09er SFIV was very special for me as well

[@NolanDotNet]

@@monsterofvoices yeah. I played KI for the first time only a few years ago and absolutely adored it, but I had heard NOTHING about it at all

[@NolanDotNet]

@@strtfghtr88 I honestly wish I had gotten into street fighter sooner. I knew who Ryu was because of smash and the little cameo he and ken had in wreck it Ralph (as well as gief and bison at the villains meeting, never really understood why gief was there tho). I always thought he was super cool and it's why I decided to get into 5. I had no idea people hated it until I got more into it.

[@allisonbrautigam1444]

An old video probably isn’t the place to say this, but you got me into fighting games Max. Thank you 🙏

[@pockystyx4087]

Definitely grew up in that wild est of 90s-early 2000s era fighting games. Its nice to see the genre having what seems to be its 2nd renaissance now.

[@SilentiumCivis]

The jump start for Tekken7 was simply from the hype moments in tournaments, then the discovery of Akuma’s potential & finally the discovery of the Pakistan scene.

[@contentcreators1206]

09 was the biggest thing on that list. First huge new release that involved online. First big fighting game where people were looking up combo videos on youtube. First big fighting game where people were looking to get arcade sticks (remember when you couldn't buy an arcade stick). I feel like Street Fighter 4 was the moment where everyone truly transitioned from the arcade to the home console. Remember the Gamestop tournament?

[@lancecryor]

Max bringing back the memories.

[@spirto1279]

My older brother played a lot of SF2 until our town's arcade got shut down. Then he had no one left to play FGs with so he downloaded SF4 and made me fight him, and that's how I first got into FGs. I played them on and off for a very long time, some SF4, some Tekken 5, a lot of Tekken 6 at my friend's place, and followed the FGC through it all, but it wasn't until Strive that I finally found a game that actually made me sit down, shut up, learn my fundamentals, and properly delve into the genre. Now I'm getting my ass beat in high bronze in SFV and still having fun, losing while having a blast is something no other genre can do for me.

[@connercastillo226]

I’ve always played fighting games since I was a kid but thanks to DBFZ for giving me an addiction to fighting games. Excited for SF6!!!

[@hoaaaaaaaaable]

Exactly the same for me

[@Gatrax]

I didn't really have a chance to get this out in your twitch chat Max but SF6 will be my first time really diving deep into a fighting game since the 90s of mashing down electric shock as a kid on blanka with my brothers. I've dabbled in Strive but I missed the entry wave of new players to really let me learn as a new player to fighting games so I've never really grasped it. I just wanted to say thanks for making your content so accessible for new FGC members, you're my go-to guy for fighting game content as you're the only content creator who seems like they actively care about new players and takes the time to teach them and answer questions you've likely answered hundreds of times. I'm really looking forward to getting my hands on 6 and I hope to be decent at it one day, maybe we'll run into each other if I get good enough. idk if you read your youtube comments as you get a ton of them and are a busy guy but know you're appreciated for what you do.

[@brayzaroo]

SF4 on the 3DS was technically my first fighting game, but Skullgirls was the first fighting game where I actually tried to play it, even if I was essentially button mashing. Then DBFZ was the first fighting game I actually wanted to learn, which lead me to Max's channel, and now 5 years later I'm so damn deep in the FGC hole.

[@paulthorn6437]

I'm a 92'er. As cool as SF2 was when it came to arcades, it wasn't until I could play it at home on SNES without losing all my allowance into an arcade that I truly became a fighting game fan. Never been competitive, but have loved fighting games ever since.

[@thelaughingrouge]

Same here.

[@aegisreflector1239]

92er as well. Was very very young. But I collect and play fighting games to this day.

[@fgc-linux1650]

Yup same here. Grew up on the arcades playing SF2 at my local arcade and Pizza Hut had the Neo Geo multi cart cabinets where I got my feet wet in Samurai Shodown and Art of Fighting.

[@Amc825]

Reading about SF2 in magazines months before I could get to an arcade to play it, then another half a year to play it on the SNES at home.

[@smarttrainingnutrition1046]

Ditto

[@LuckyXStudios]

I've been a fan of Max and the channel for awhile now. And I've never really dipped my toe into fighting games outside of casually playing a few anime fighters and Smash over the years. But I really wanna try to get into it more with Street Fighter 6 when it releases cuz it looks super fun

[@ThMdyCh]

Man, it's crazy to me. I wasn't even alive in the 90s that long (born in 96) and those are still the games I'd call my favorites and where I got my start. It just happened in the 2000s with home versions and old arcades that were still slightly active in my youth. The very first videogame I can remember playing was MK Trilogy, with older Cousins and Uncles. I was like 4 years old. I became hugely competitive. I played for at least another 10 years before I could beat any of them. But I did. And that's when I developed my addiction to improving, overcoming the odds, and eventually winning

[@Iqzzy-KO]

My story's similar to yours. Born in 97, I've been playing fighting games since I was 5 (so for 20 years, I'm 25 now), but I got my start just before then watching my late cousin & my bros play each other on MKT, & growing up I had SFA3, both CVS games, SFEX2 Plus, Tekken 3, 4, 5 & MK Deadly Alliance & Armageddon while also having got to play MKSM. It wasn't until MK9 came out & I was 13 when I got actually got into fighting games seriously & started watching YT combo vids to be able to improve my performances because that's when I also started playing online & I eventually applied the same formula to Tekken & SF as well. Even though I hated SF4 so I didn't play it as much as Alpha 3. Ever since then the rest has been history, never been to a local, & just stayed online. Growing up my bros kept beating me all the time, but of course, I eventually got better. I'm so hyped for SF6, it's a big game for me, because haven't been this into SF in 20 years since I was a kid growing up playing SFA3

[@3P3KVisuals]

I'm a 1996'er? Discovered my love for fighters on the SNES with SFA2. I always respected channels like Max who continue to try and bring Fighting games to the spotlight, been watchin since dude was str8 rippin mfs in MW2. Never stop, this was an excellent/nostalgic vid. Have a good one Max

[@101Linkisawesome]

I'm a proud 21'er! I've been a spectator of FGs for a while now and your video recommending people to hop on the beginning of Strive's release got me playing! Now I do amateur commentary for the game and plan on expanding to SF6 next

[@saltkeeper44]

I want to add a game to your list of games "that defined fighting games". It's a game that is generally unknown from the fg comunity, but I think it helped a lot of people approach the genre, For honor. For honor helped a lot of people to start understanding things like "Frame data", "Frame Traps", "Mix up" and stuff like that and making a thing that a lot of fighting game developer can't do, that is, make a simple game for new players but still keep the depth of learning and mastering your character. Btw, for honor had roll back in 2018

[@ADreamingTraveler]

Street Fighter 4 and Skullgirls in 2014 was what finally got me more into fighting games to actually learn how to play them. I had bought and played fighting games all my life before that here or there but I had no understanding of how to play them because of how young I was

[@Slagomancer]

I've always messed around with Fighting Games but I'd definitely identify as an 09'er since Street Fighter 4 was what really got me in the FGC sauce.

[@TheRealOtatop]

I was actually just thinking about something adjacent to this. Watching a tournament where the commentators spoke on how that Tourney will probably be the last time SFV is on their main stage, and it made me a little sad. And I realized, everyone has had, or will have that moment at some point. When Their Game becomes obsolete, or goes out of style. As hype as I am for SF6, and as much as I can acknowledge SFV's flaws, it was the game that got me into the FGC as a whole. Watching my family play it, feeling their competitive energy. It made me want to experience that too. And since I was new, I didn't experience any of the disappointment old school fans did with the launch. Didn't care about the lack of story mode, or the online experience. I was playing with my family (and getting bodied, almost 100% of the time, to start with.) But while my family stopped playing eventually, and I got better and moved on to other fighting games, SFV will always have a special place in my heart. And I can honestly say I will miss it very much.

[@monsterofvoices]

As an old schooler SF4 didn't fit my style and KI was dying after its 3rd season so I moved to SFV and generally enjoyed it throughout the seasons. I was used to KI getting a bunch of hate for its first season so the hate SFV had gotten was no big deal for me. Some games you dont tend to know how much people like them until after the sequel comes in

[@surgegraphicnovel]

I'm old-school. Been here since 91. Played as many fighting games as we could get our hands on.

[@muckamuck]

2009 was such an exciting time. I was there for my local arcade opening their SF4 cabinets to the public for the first time, and the energy was infectious. I'm terrible at SF but the energy of the playerbase made me want to pick up a character and eventually buy the home version. The arcade also brought in Blazblue and one of the first networked Tekken 6 cabinets in the US, but SF4 was the mainstay that brought together so many people for over a year. After Super had run its course there, it was never quite the same.

[@Couchfighter4]

I'm an '09'er and I still very vividly remember the shit I got for really getting invested when I did when I took fighting games up with a passion with Street Fighter IV on PS3 (For context I'm old enough to have experienced and loved but never daring to get really invested back when SF2 Championship Edition was the rage in the arcades). I thought it was a terrible take back then to mock someone for taking a genuine interest in the genre back then and thought very little of those who did, and I'll say the same for the people towards people who attempt to shit on someone for getting into it now. If you're new to this or coming back for SFVI, rest assured there are a lot of wholesome people and whole communities who are eager to welcome you.

[@OpalBeats]

i’ve always played smash bros competitively, but when mvc3 came out i started to transition more into traditional fighting games. also mkx, injustice and sf4 made me branch out into even more games. I actually found Max’s channel because of his boss rage video for KI. Max has had a huge influence on me and my interest in the fgc and i’ve been a fighting game fan ever since

[@pregnanttomato9576]

I grew up watching my dad play MK in the 2000s but never really dove in too deep. Played MK9 story and loved it, but MKX and MK11 are where I dove into online play. Currently dipping my toes into SF6 and love it so far

[@Freezaboi]

MK9 definitely got me back into fighting games.

[@YenaD15]

I was born in 2000. My first favorite fighting game was MK9 (not counting smash) but at the time my older brothers would never let me play. So when MKX came out I just bathed in the glory of being able to play that and never looked back. MKX introduced me to this channel as well. Been loving the FGC ever since.

[@walkingking707]

Lil' Majin's Evo 2018 run is what got me into fighting games. I always liked them but watching the Underdog King player run through some of the strongest players in world and do it with the most charming smile ever, made me realize how cool fighting games can be. Lil' Majin vs JCDR is still one of the best fighting game sets of all time imo.

[@fiammaorsmth9840]

I dipped my toes into Fighting Games around the year MKX came out, but I only really got into them last year because I saw a video of Third Strike's special intro animations and loved the look.

[@isaacgree]

99er-2000er started with Mk3 ult, SC2, Sf2 (snes), Virtua fighter 2-3, with the Dreamcast being my first system, I’m glad fighting games are more popular with the casual audience than back in the day

[@grutsthefoodman3645]

I remember Max and core A gaming being the only big fighting game content creators. Now we got ass loads of fgs content makers

[@BigEOT3]

I think it was Soul Calibur 2 that started my love of fighting games, but this was around 07-09 and around the time Soul Calibur 4 was getting ready for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Sure I did play Smash Bros Melee when I was younger, and I dabbled a bit in Tekken and Virtua Fighter in my younger years too, but Soul Calibur 2[and especially Taki] is what made me fall in love with fighting games.

[@kimarous]

Same. Hopped on board for Link, stayed for Nightmare, Talim, Sophitia, and the rest. Played several other 3D fighters over the years, including the Godzilla Atari games and MK Deception onward, eventually getting me into 2D fighters via MK9.

[@BigEOT3]

@@kimarous Oh yeah I remember renting Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Melee as well. And I played Bloody Roar 1/Beastorizer in the arcade

[@mr.incredibilis9863]

I was born in 05. Started playing video games when I was around 3-4. Grew up on fighting games. Mk deception and tekken 5 were the first games I ever played. My dad got mk9 when it dropped back in 2011, and I got to watch him beat the story mode. He of course had games like tekken 6 and sc4 by that time too. I'll be 18 soon, and I'll be buying mk12 and tekken 8 with my own money once they drop.

[@tylerclark8009]

Smash Bros Melee was the first "fighter" that hooked me, but SF4 and MvC3 are the reasons I fell in love with fighting games.

[@xatsun]

Same for me but with ultimate, only played mkx before but ultimate really got me into fgc

[@MechaGV]

Same exact thing for me. Love watching both those games but never actually learned how to play them properly. Eventually feel in love with melee

[@gpareyouwithme]

My first fighting game where I first figured out how to decipher a 236 + Button = cool move was MVC 2 for the PS3 port

[@TheZackerex]

I honestly think I’m closer to a 23er. Even though I’ve been watching and following fighting games all my life, I’ve only recently dove headfirst into the deep end. I’m having so much fun learning and seeing improvements in my own skill that it’s gotten addictive and I strive to learn more!

[@JonathonSantiago]

This is a great discussion!

[@CyberneticHype]

The 2023-2024 period in which we get a new Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Tekken will probably be the most defining for this decade, truly the beginning of a “Newer” New Generation.

[@XilentKiller187]

I'm only 24 but wouldn't consider myself an 09er. from what I can remember I've been playing fighting games since 2003. My introduction to fighting games was WITH Deadly Alliance, along came virtual Fighter 4 and Shaolin Monks. then tekken 3 and 4. Being a MK fan and Batman Stan, i was crazed with happiness when Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe dropped, and that's when i became a full-fledges Fighting game fan. when we saw tag team introduced in the trailer i was OVER THE MOOON!! I remember me and my brothers scrounging around for every penny to get MK9. Injustice 1 was the first video game that i clocked over 1000 hours. This is all too nostalgic

[@Neoxon619]

I’ve said for a while that SFV could’ve easily reached 10 million units sold if it wasn’t for its awful launch. Now we’ll finally be able to see that come into fruition with SF6. And I really hope that Guilty Gear can one day buck the trend of anime aesthetics not being able to reach the levels of mainstream success of Mortal Kombat without an established brand attached.

[@kingdomcomesuperman3669]

I wish SNK could break their eay into the UK more outside of their popularity in China and South America

[@darkshat3077]

Someone get sfv a good lunch

[@aznthy]

I know right? I hated that they offered meat loaf instead of roast beef for their "lunch". Left a bad taste in my mouth, I wished they had fruits and veggies less instead.

[@youwishbro7543]

The aesthetic makes GG the game it is Vampires, stand powers, time traveling guitarist, ex drug addict president, Japanese pirate girl who summons dolphins. All that ties into the look/lore/music.

[@Neoxon619]

@@darkshat3077 Sorry, my phone sometimes does that.

[@GLHFtv]

I had played plenty of fighting games before SF4, but that was the game where things really clicked in my mind. It also helped to suddenly have a huge community of players focused on just one fighting game right at the same time social media and YT itself were starting to become a thing.

[@daquandavis5498]

First fighting game I played was Sonic the fighters on GameCube back in like 2009… took like a 3 year break from fighting games n then got MK9. Which to this day will forever be my favorite fighting game! Playing king of the hill on Xbox for hours where it showed ur goofy ass avatars taunting after winning etc… those were the days man🤣

[@JaynezPlays]

I was always a Smash player that took a long time to get into other fighting games. I’ve been playing the series since I was a kid and tried playing competitively in 2016, all the way through Ultimate. But I wasn’t open to trying out other fighting games. When the pandemic happened, I started trying out some other fighting games just to have something new to play. SF5, UMVC3, Tekken 7, etc. but none of them really clicked with me. The first game that actually made sense for me was Guilty Gear Strive in 2021. And that was the game that made me fall in love with the genre! Since then, I’ve gone back to learn those previous games and now I’m excited to get into SF6! It’s a shame I missed out on those earlier years of the FGC, but I’m really happy I can be a part of it now!

[@kaparequiem8875]

I'm 18 almost 19.I started fighting games seriously this year and before that, every fighting games I've ever played scared me because I was playing against old head with decades of experience 😂. The first time I felt like I was decent was with Guilty Gear Strive.

[@darkr3g837]

Literally me🔥

[@ginker4658]

Same 18 started seriously with strive

[@bit427]

Same but I'm not decent lmao

[@TerminaBroTheFirst]

Same but with Rev2

[@LIEGHT]

Same with tekken and street fighter it’s been over a year since i started playing fighting games seriously

[@Gamingwithgleez]

I was playing Street Fighter II and MK in arcades and tournaments in the 90s. This video makes me feel super old lol

[@CrimsonFIame]

Guilty Gear Strive is the game that made me jump back into fighting games since SF 4 and MK 9. I ended up disappointed with it but there's no denying it definitely appealed to me. I'm hoping SF6 recaptures the magic and I have a strong feeling it will.

[@TheWordPlay]

I had played some fighting games here and there, but Smash 4 and Ult were huge for me. Those were the games that got me to attend locals for the first time and grind. Even though now I have moved onto other fighting games, I can't forget how impactful those games were

[@ChristianMartinez-gb2wj]

I played vanilla SFIV in 2010 and that’s how I got into fighting games. After than it was MVC3, Super SFIV/AE, and MK9 that really cemented fighting games for me. Wish I played Blazblue and Guilty Gear more in the past.

[@weenuktuguy283]

I’ve played fighting games for years but didn’t go all in depth and just spammed the same moves until dbfz came out I started watching tutorials on advanced play.

[@angeeell.m.9807]

11'er, MK9 definitely was my first fighting game I consistently played and got me into other fighters after it

[@burningfishsticks]

As someone who never even DREAMED of touching fighting games my whole life, Lythero and his DBFZ videos are what not only got me into the game and the Dragon Ball franchise itself, it got me interested into fighting games in general. I remember when I was like 11 when I fucked around in Smash Brawl as Meta Knight and spammed his tornado move (yes, I was THAT type of player) but never really did anything until recently. I am still very new to all of this, and very slowly labbing my way into the mechanics, but a bunch of channels like yours make it seem so cool, you make me very excited to really sink my teeth into the fighting game genre. Thank you Max, for all that you do for this community.

[@shxdewxstxken]

Ive been playing fighting games since i started gaming they were arguably my second genre of gaming and even tho im young and never experienced the arcade days i can say i have fond memories of old ass fighting games for SF x Tekken to DBZF i have been playing fighting games all my life and im so exited for SF 6 next month

[@GhibliNova]

I got in going from Melee in 05 which introduced me to friends who got me into MVC3 and 3S 😄

[@thornetf91]

My older brother had a game room in his house and DOA2 is what got me into fighting games. Growing up I mostly played anime fighting games, Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur and Tekken. I did get to play Arc system games at random places that had arcades and some other random fighting games. I only got into Street fighter recently.

[@silentsmokeNIN]

I always played fighting games casually but once i saw the combos in injustice 2 i had moment where i was like, "i NEED to learn how to do that. It looks like real superheroes fighting." But Dragonball fighterz was the first fighting game i ever got really sweaty in.

[@vicarious4231]

Im a 91'er, but sf4 was the best era imo.

[@Jason_Bover9000]

Street fighter 4 is my favorite

[@jamalsimmons619]

I still love my favorite Street fighter 2 world tour bro 😊👍

[@jasonsmith530]

Yeah sf5 had a better esports era in terms of production and scale but not necessarily actual quality of play

[@cashgrabgaming]

91'er here too, for me it was third strike and capcom vs snk series which really sucked me in!

[@Latham74]

I'm a '91er as well. Online multiplayer is fine, but nothing beats a crowd around a cabinet. Quarters on the sill, you win you stay until someone beats you. Local tournaments were the best .

[@LowlySlime]

I always like how Max unapologetically includes Smash Bros in these discussions even if some people would complain

[@MustachioedBear]

Yeah smash 4 was a big one. It is the game that got me into watching tournaments back in 2014. I had been playing smash since I was a kid with 64 but didn't care much for competitive play until smash 4. Also it was watching this channel that same year that got me more into traditional fighting games. Specifically your third strike vids from 2014.

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

A love that new people are picking up fighting games!

[@InitialDL84]

I'm a fighter game boomer, started playing fighting games around '92-'93 and been playing them since. It's been a hell of a ride throughout the years; that first golden age during the mid-90s was magical, you just had to be there to really experience it. But I'm just as excited about this new modern golden age as I was back in the 90s. There no more arcades, but the overall vibe is still there for a lot of these newer games, especially with SF6 and it's Battle Hub. Only going up from here babeh 😎

[@FentySeroquel]

Being a kid in the mid 90s was a magical time ngl

[@rythmiccoma2809]

I've had a long long history of casual fighting game playing. Had this after school group when I was a teenager and they had a PS3 with MK9 on it. None of us were any good at the game, we just hit buttons and nobody really figured out the game. And that's basically my history with fighting games. Someone I know picks up a fighting game or a group thing has access to it. I hit buttons and lose a lot, just have a good time. I've yet to really encounter a fighting game to really hook me into the genre, and I may never. MK9 is responsible for a lot of my friendships. 2011 was pretty fantastic.

[@jinpei05]

I guess I'm an '84er since I played Karate Champ way back when 😅

[@njp4321]

Karate Champ and Yie Ar Kung-Fu. Those were the days.

[@RyuHirakashi1]

I've been playing fighting games since Street fighter II first hit the arcade back in the early 90s. Does my passion for fighting games not count anymore? I might not have so much love for the new generation of games, but I do appreciate that fighting games have continued to grow and prosper.

[@ewajajonna]

I played tekken as a kid but my first serious go at fighting games was MKX and damn was it glorious

[@IzaiahKelly]

I’m a 2000 or a 2001 . I was very young when I got into fighting games. Some of my first games I ever owned were Dead or Alive 3 , Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance , tekken 4 and Bloody roar primal fury.

[@PR1ME98]

Mortal Kombat Deception was my start to fighting games.

[@bobrianfo104]

I was born in '96 and I played a lot of smash bros brawl and project M with my friends in high school, as well as some Tatsunoko vs Capcom and UMVC3, but only in 2018 I got invested in the FGC with Ultimate and DBFZ. Now I play pretty much whatever fighting game I can get my hands on but mostly GGST.

[@videogamer678]

I always was more casualish despite knowing all the details of the games at a higher level like frame data and stuff. There were just so many other games; single player and otherwise I wanted to play that took up my time but I always liked playing them. I started all the way back with MK Trilogy on the N64 and other MK's on the Gamecube, but the thing that got my brother and I to really love the genre was SF4. We played all its revisions and also MvC3. You in particular were always an inspiration for me and I always enjoyed watching your videos (and still do).

[@sergioalvarez5193]

I always really liked fighting games, but I never made the jump to commit to any game in specific. However, when DBFZ dropped I saw in that game the chance to get myself into this beautiful community. Granted I don't really like the state the game is in right now but I still love it for the impact it caused in the community and in me.

[@zachzone906]

I was a kid when sf IV came out. My brother, dad, and I would take turns fighting each other. I get the most nostalgia from that and MvC 3. While not great at those games I still loved playing with them. Now, we collectively loved injustice and injustice 2 and as an adult I compete and usually win against them. I'm a big NRS guy competitively, but capcom games have my heart

[@WhiteDevilU91]

Always been an MK player, MK9 pulled me back into the genre. But after playing SF6 for a few weeks now, I'm actually a lot more excited to keep playing SF6 than I am for MK1. SF6 is an awesome game.

[@lykosvon9142]

The realizations that 23’ers are gonna be a thing, really hit Max in waves 😂

[@malachihill8677]

I grew up mostly with older and 09 Era fighting games, but started finally playing during the 23 Era since I can now make my own money.

[@claytonweaver7335]

I'd say the noteworthy fighters are: Street Fighter 2 (1991) - Arcade scene Soul Calibur and Smash Bros (1999) - The first games where consoles really start to shine Smash Brawl and Street Fighter IV (2008-2009) - I think this is where you see the modern trends take over Street Fighter 6 seems to be in the same space as Soul Calibur 6 at first glance but it'll be bigger so maybe thats a game changer. The conditions are there for SF6 to be really popular. Everyone likes Capcom right now. It'll be on a variety of systems. Its well advertised.

[@HelenaRedgrave]

Man SoulCalibur VI didn't even get a name drop, I know it wasn't even that big but still my man Okubo poured his heart into it 😭

[@personaphantom5543]

It was a cheap bargain bin game in fact it could have been ported to Wii U with those graphics.

[@Drstrange3000]

That game is criminally underrated and one of the most fun I've had with a recent fighting game.

[@radec9842]

I grew with PS2 and I can absolutely say that Tekken 5 was the game that put fighting games in the map for everyone. No one (at least here in Brazil) even knew about other franchises, but Tekken was absolutely huge. It's funny because when I really started to learn how to play fighters years later, Street Fighter became my favorite game and now I barely hear (locally) about Tekken at all. It's like only Tekken 5 was beloved, and only in that period of time lol

[@bfeldz1023]

Started with SF2 when it released in arcades when I was a kid, been playing fighting games since and I've always been of the philosophy the more the merrier. I love having more players to test my mettle against. I love having new players to teach. I just love fighting games, and I hope the community just keeps on growing.

[@odd-eyes6363]

I am a '18er Discovered both the FGC and this channel specifically because of DragonBall FighterZ and Max's video explaining how to do the universal combo extender of 2m + 5m. Now here I am with a bunch of hours on Tekken 7, SFV and Strive and extremely anxious waiting for SF6. So glad for being part of this community

[@SpeakerOfWords]

It's not how you start, it's how you FINISH HIM!

[@daymeonzoleo183]

I played Tekken 4 when I was little. But I really got into it during COVID. I just met my biological father and he grew up with street fighter. So now I love these games. And I try new ones when I can. Thanks Max for all the great suggestions.

[@clockworkmansion1855]

Marvel 3 got me into fighting games. Can't believe it's been this long now, looking forward to SF6.

[@curiousq14]

I'm 33 so my first fighting games were against my older cousin's who basically only taught me how to throw a fireball and do a DP at like age 5-6. My first games were Tekken and SF 2 Turbo but I never really learned more that that. By the time I was about 13 I was buying random fighting games and mashing and learning how to do cool stuff like fatalities and finishers but other than playing against CPU i never really played against anyone other than the occasional time I would see my cousins. Around this time my greatest achievement was getting to fight Cyber Akuma in an arcade cabinet at the movies and some random older kid comes up to me and was like "holy shit I've never even seen this dude before". I put down fighting games for a bit and didn't really get back into them until Tekken 7 mainly because I'm an only child and had no one to play against as I had moved away from my family. I still watched tournaments but to this day I feel like I would be at least able to win a few locals if I never gave it up. Now even though I don't have as much time as I used to watching your channel brought me back to trying to learn and I've been playing ever since. I'm not great but you've been my main inspiration for picking fighting games back up again and I thank you for that.

[@arjanzweers6542]

Smash Ultimate was just a hype generating beast of a game. Every Direct and every game showcase, every time people speculated which game would be shown, they always speculated if there would be a Smash reveal and who it would be. Everyone was waiting in huge anticipation to see that iconic envelope. While Smash Ultimate and its succes is not something you can repeat, there are definitely lessons to be learned when it comes to marketing and how to sell a fighting game to the people.

[@IppoX90]

I'm 09'er due to Blazblue Calamity Trigger (I played GG games b4 that too but not seriously) and it enhanced my love for anime fighters even more.

[@kway26]

I’m just amazed on how Max (especially Simmons) remembers all of the year for the games release, man sometimes i forget or mixed up the years of my kid on when they were born.

[@Thollis1987]

I remembered started off with Mortal kombat II, and Street Fighter Turbo back in 1995. My current impression is still Mortal Kombat X and Street Fighter IV.❤

[@dannypatrick9361]

91'er. Tho 94' for me technically. But I was there in 09' as well. I feel like SFIV doesnt get talked about that much lately. I miss the hype when Street Fighter returned from the dead out of nowhere. It was such an exciting time.

[@Wrekkshoppe]

I've been playing fighting games since 1991, and there will NEVER be another era of that significance in terms of fighting games, as it was the era of discovery, not to mention that arcades were at their peak culturally and console gaming were coming into it's own. It was a unique era that you had to be around to witness, and will never be repeated. The '90s had shit on lock forever in fighting game culture, but '09 was insanity because STREET FIGHTER IV changed the genre. SF4 will forever get props for being THE GAME that reignited the entire fighting game genre to the level that we have today. It was a great game, and 2023 and beyond owes everything it has to SF4. As legendary as the 90s were, that era lasted roughly 10 years before the genre went dormant. The '09 era (the fighting game Renaissance) has been going strong for around 15 years now with no signs of slowing down, and that's due to multiple factors, such as technology redefining what the genre is capable of and the gamer can experience. Various new series as well as the resurgence of older series would be released to the consumer. High quality afforable arcade sticks became available and not long after became the norm for the fighting game consumer. That gave more options to gamers. Rollback netcode became available in online fighting games, though it would only recently become an expected standard. Social media would allow fighting gamers world-wide to have better access to the fighting game community via esports tournaments, get togethers, fighting game youtube channels, etc. Now you have various generations of fighting gamers able to partake and experience the genre and community together. It's simply an amazing time to be a fighting game lover.

[@Shibefu]

Street fighter for SNES, Marvel vs Capcom, and King of Fighters at my local laundromat is what got me into fighting games. Seeing the landscape for fighting games change so much over the years has been a journey that’s for sure.

[@asmodyan]

I started with street fighter 2 as the first game i played in my entire life, as just a kid. The next one who i really played a lot was MK9. Today i'm into Arcsys games in general and waiting for SF6, truly love the FGC people and would never regret been part of it

[@SuperRobert56]

Im a 93,94er SF2 Turbo... Still playing it everyweek!

[@edrikhtg]

First playing FG back in 2017 because of hype dood on YT. Always thought FG scene was a dead scene since in my place, there's little to none whoever played the FG cabinets ie. Tekken or SFIV. But then i gave it a try and stuck with anime fighters for a long time now.

[@sleeplessnight5238]

Back in the 2008’s and 2010’s I was playing super street fighter 4 arcade edition, mortal kombat nine, and Tatsunoko vs Capcom with the bros when they would come over then came 2013 with skullgirls coming out being one of my favorite games of all time

[@kirbone511]

I'm 22 and I started in 2019 playing Guilty Gear Xrd Rev 2 with zero fighting game experience. I saw the game on sale for like $10 and I absolutely loved everything about it. I never knew that I'd get so invested into this genre but I'm so happy I did and I love the community Max has helped build!

[@ricardoruz3500]

For me it was 2015, the year two fellow chileans won EVO: Zero on Smash 4 and KBR on UMvC3. Their wins got me looking at the FGC from that moment forward: watching streams, doing fanarts, commenting videos; mostly engagement through internet, cause i didnt know anyone on it in person. It came as a livesaver at the time, and im grateful for it.