Jemmillion returns with another great interview featuring an iconic Mortal Kombat player we know as REO. Out of all the Mortal Kombat majors since Mortal Kombat 9 and beyond, his name would easily be in the top 10 if not the top 5 greatest players. In this interview we learn a whole different side to REO - how he got started in competitive fighting games because believe it or not, he didn't start in Mortal Kombat.
From here we also learn about REO's reasoning for his character picks in not only Mortal Kombat but also Injustice. This and more by following this link!
Credit: @Shock via FacebookJemmillion: How long have you been playing fighting games?
REO: I’ve been playing fighting games since I was six-years-old. I was given an N64 along with Super Mario 64, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, and Duke Nukem by a relative. I had no idea what a gaming console was or the effect it would have on me until I sat down to play it for the first time. I beat Super Mario 64, didn’t care that much for Duke Nukem, and Mortal Kombat Trilogy was where it all began. No matter how much play time I had invested, MKT was the only game I could always pop in and have fun with for hours. There was something different about that kind of game that drew me in over other games. It had infinite replay value to me and it was always fun. The only other game to bring me out of my MKT trance was Super Smash Bros., which I instantly became obsessed with. It was at that moment I realized I had a thing for fighting games.
It wasn’t until Super Smash Bros. Melee was released that I went through a true competitive transformation for the first time. I thought I was the best at that game, because I could beat all my friends and everyone at school. I was your typical cocky and arrogant 14-year-old. But I was a little different. No matter how good I thought I was, deep down I wanted a challenge. Like I wanted someone to push me to my limits and make me have to work for my win. Later that year, I got my wish. There was a kid in my school that had an older brother who was part of the Smash scene on LI. I really didn’t know what the competitive Smash scene was or any of that jazz. So I went with this kid for the first time ever to a “casual gathering.” I fought my heart out and lost badly. I felt like complete trash. As soon as I was expecting to be ridiculed or blown up, surprisingly his older brother said I was better than he expected and had potential. They told me about weekly training sessions and monthly tournaments that are held in LI. Immediately curious with interest, I ask him if there are others just as good as him. He laughed and said “There are players way better than me that go there”. I literally couldn’t believe what I heard and could not fathom players being of that level. It was at that moment that it really sunk in and realized I wasn’t very good, lol.
I was now entering this world called the “FGC.” Even though to me back then it was just known as the Smash community (and it was only because of how oblivious I was to other fighting games and their scenes). The weeklies were incredibly fun, and I would get dropped off there every Friday after school with two of my friends whenever I could. There were some players I could beat, some players I could go neck to neck with, and some players I had no chance against. I would always get wrecked at these monthly tournaments in the beginning. It wasn’t until a while of competing where I started to come in always just outside top eight. I got to meet “pros” for the first at some of these monthlies, mainly being PC Chris, Wes, Killafox, Dave, and others. At this point, I really wanted to get serious, so one of the guys said I should sign up on this site called SmashBoards and get into things like frame data, advanced strategies, video critique, etc. After lurking for a while, I finally signed up. My tag in the Smash Melee days was Marth05 and anyone can look up my posts to have a good laugh at the younger me.
But yeah, I’ve been part of the FGC for nearly a decade. Smash Melee will always hold a special place in my heart. To this day, I still believe that is quite possibly the best fighting game ever made and the only game to ever have a limitless execution barrier that I’ve played. The technicality in that game is through the roof. I guess this answer can also be partially used for the second question since I got a little carried away, haha.
Jemmillion: Who and/or what inspired you to become a part of the Fighting Game Community?
REO: I would have to say the characters and the art. I’m a big fan of character lore and design. If I wasn’t drawn in so much from how cool or badass some characters seemed, and the love I have in replay value for fighting games, I would have never found my way into the FGC.
Jemmillion: Are you currently sponsored? If not, are you looking for sponsorship in the future?
REO: I’m currently not officially sponsored. Maybe in the future. Right now, I like to rep OBS and KN when I can.
Jemmillion: I remember watching you win Civil War in 2013 with your deadly Batman in Injustice: Gods Among Us. However, by the time Summer Jam 7 came around, you switched to Martian Manhunter. Why did you decide to change your main? What qualities did both Batman and Martian Manhunter possess that made them top tier in comparison to the other characters?
REO: When I saw the Martian Manhunter trailer for the first time as I was sitting on the front stage of EVO, I was very captivated and intrigued by his gameplay and design. He looked cool in a very unusual manner. I really wanted to give him a try since around this time, I was slowly taking a backseat in competitive gaming as a whole. I had a lot of fun picking up and playing Martian Manhunter when he was released. It was a pleasure to help break the character down and show him off for the first time ever at Summer Jam three weeks after release where I defeated the evil menace Superman who had just won EVO.
The thing that made Batman such a top tier power house back then was his pre-patch bat trait. Batman would accumulate these bats and recharge one nearly every four seconds. Having a bat out with Batman gave him quite possibly the best footsies game presence I’ve ever seen in Injustice. The things you could do with bats to the opponent were borderline paralyzing. Bat management was a big thing with Batman and very broken if used properly. Aside from bats, pre-patch b+2,3 string was the core that helped empower Batman. It was almost impossible to punish on whiff as Batman became low profiling while rolling and recovered too quick. It also heavily added his bat trait, as it was the perfect move to go to when you needed someone off of you and some space to recharge a bat.
Martian Manhunter is currently top tier because of his overall move set and the many tools he has. He has an over abundance of tools, one for nearly every situation and match-up which give him countless of options. Martian Manhunter has strong zoning, very powerful anti-zoning, and exceptional footsies with trait, superb interactable control, and great damage. Martian Manhunter has just about what anyone could ever want in a character; teleports, orbs, zoning, good wake-ups, versatility, great oki, and more. At the core, he is a very strong character in many aspects.
Jemmillion: When it comes to Mortal Kombat 9, you tend to switch characters a lot ranging anywhere from Kenshi to Mileena to Kabal. Is there a character that you feel you truly resonate with when it comes to the MK series? Why?
REO: For Mortal Kombat 9, I would say that character is Kabal. Not because of how good he is, but because of the amount of hours and work I’ve put into the character. All of my secondary and side characters have barely one third of the amount of playtime and experience I have in with Kabal. However, who is that character for the entire MK franchise as a whole? That would be tough to say. If I could choose, it would be Noob Saibot, because he’s my favorite character in any fighting game. But there have been MK games that Noob Saibot has been in where he just did not fit me very well. I really do not mind what character I am playing in MK or end up playing. I can always find something about an MK character that I enjoy, whether it’s through their story, looks, gameplay, or anything of the sorts. I’m just a big MK fan at heart, and always will be.
Jemmillion: Earlier in the year, NetherRealm Studios announced Mortal Kombat X. What are your views on the game? New characters? How do you feel the style change and addition of interactables will affect the game?
REO: The announcement of Mortal Kombat X has rekindled the fire I have for competitive gaming. I want to play it so bad and play everyone, everywhere I can for it. I think the game looks flat out jaw dropping so far. I haven’t seen a MK game look as dark as Mortal Kombat X looks since Mortal Kombat: Deception. And Mortal Kombat: Deception’s atmosphere was amazing. To think that Mortal Kombat X will have an atmosphere that is greater and dark than Mortal Kombat: Deception did, is a dream come true for me. I love all the new characters introduced. Kotal Kahn looks brutal. Ferra Torr looks intriguing; I like the enigma factor for Torr. Cassie Cage feels... continue reading!
