FrankieBFG Q&A

FrankieBFG

What’s your name and its origin?
	My name is FrankieBFG. The guys at Chinatown Fair called me Frankie3s as a troll when I started. I ran with it until my first Coop. I was told that our team was going to be in the pamphlet, so I wanted to carve space for myself. On the ride to the airport, we were finalizing our registration and since I was the very last player on the team, I felt like a hired gun. I picked the most easter eggy one I could think of, the BFG from Doom.

How long is your history with 3rd Strike?
	I started in 2007, so 19 years with some breaks here and there.

Where is your home arcade?
	Chinatown Fair (RIP baby) before, Next Level and the World Wide Web now.

How did you start playing 3rd Strike?
	My first ever game was Champion Edition on the Sega Genesis so Ive always liked fighting games casually. But my first competitive venture was children’s card games. The most popular vendors at the time were sandwiching Chinatown Fair. The places were small so we would have to wait outside. We usually got dumplings to pass the time but we went into the arcade one day on a whim. There were about 20 people silently huddled around the tiny stand-up 3rd strike cab. It was Tony Ken (my first sensei) and Erix Urien, and nobody said a thing until the round was over.
	I knew I had the 15th Anniversary at home, and so I went.

Who’s your main and why?
	Ken Masters. Since Youtubing deck profiles and feature matches was a thing for children’s card games, I did the same for 3rd Strike, and some Daigo guy popped up.

Which players do you respect/admire?
	In order of realization:
	Daigo: His style of play was the blueprint for me to become competent in the game early on. He played with bravery that was obvious but only became crystallized when I finally stood up at the cab after waiting for 30 mins on a Friday night, trying to survive as long as possible. He played ken like he was draped in chainmail. And that’s all I ever wanted to do.
	[REDACTED]: He was my favorite player to watch when he was active and really opened my eyes to the deeper layers of the game. His style really informed my own evolution as a player and I still go back to his stuff when I want some inspiration.
	Nica KO: I didn’t think I could meet someone who liked the game as much as I did until I met Nica, although I didn’t know it at the time. He has been the biggest reason that I persist in this game. His confidence, work ethic, and problem-solving skills at a rate that’s Terminator-esque are qualities that I’ve been trying to imbue in myself and the people closest to me. He’s been the head of the spear in our quest to be the best in the world and the American scene wouldn’t be where it’s at without him.
	Deshiken: The GOAT Ken disciple, that’s what I’m aiming for.

Who do you consider your rival(s)?
	Nica KO: My relationship with Nica reminds me of Magic and Bird. We mistook the recognition of each other’s skill as tension. And because our value systems were so similar, we couldn’t see passed our own desire to win. His dominance in the game was so apparent, that he forced me to keep up. I appreciate that he’s always had the upper hand and the accomplishments on our scene’s behalf, because I wouldn’t be as good as I am now without that constant pressure. Since we teamed at Coop Cup in 2017, we grew much closer as friends, and even tougher as competitors.
	Ahmed Alhanshali: Ahmed and I started at almost the same time and were in proximity alongside his brother, Adam. We all decided to help each other out so we can defend ourselves against all the assholes at CF who would talk shit and relish in our losing. Team Bob Ross was born and we did some sick shit as a team. Ahmed’s tournament accomplishments were also always a step ahead of mine and so he kept me hungry to improve. I owe a lot to that iron.

Which new players has your attention?
	Nero is not exactly new new, but he started young and alone. He got so good from just the world wide web that he is a shining example of how quickly someone can get at the game. It’s not 2007 anymore, you can get sick quickly.
And all the new NY guys who keep the heart beating while I’m away, they inspire me to not be lazy and introverted.

Are there any matches that left an impression on you/memorable matches?
	I watch Deshiken pre-coop comeBACK weekly.
	Anything by Grimlock.
	Poe’s Blair Witch Project twitter clips

What’s one adjustment you’d make to 3rd Strike?
	The bottom tiers:
	Sean should be his 2nd Impact self
	12 should STEAL health or meter from the opponent depending on whether his punch or kick lands

Give us your self analysis.
	I started playing the game from the house of Eddie Lee/Justin Wong and so I learned to play slowly. Daigo kinda reinforced that style because he was reluctant to attack aggressively. [REDACTED] and MOV made me triple down on the defense and patience model. I had my own style of aggressiveness that would peek out during my highs. Trying to integrate more of an aggressive style has been a challenging endeavor, but I’m trying my best.

What do you think is a fun point of 3rd Strike?
	Landing pokes feels so delicious. The screen shakes, the animation, the impact frames and sounds. I need to relax.

Will you continue 3rd Strike in the future?
	Until BigAI renders human competition and expression feckless and irrelevant. (AKA never)