In light of XSPR’s recent interview with TZW-ART? here’s a montage honoring his contributions. It’s impossible to overstate the impact of TZW’s works on the entire fighting game community. He set the standard for combo video excellence – before the internet became a household utility, back when most people were completely unaware of the boundaries he was pushing.

Before anyone complains about poor video quality, keep in mind that all of this footage was originally recorded and distributed on VHS cassettes. Back in the day we’d be lucky to see a fifth generation copy of a TZW tape. To me, those scratches and flickers are part of the charm.

Think about how many of these setups are still being used in combo videos today. All those crazy charge tricks, fireball chasing setups, post-KO juggles, trade interrupts, chain glitches, Dhalsim limb setups, backwards attacks … TZW-ART? was the first person to find all of them!

It’s been two years since i made this video, so i’m kind of looking at it with fresh eyes and realizing that some people might misunderstand the reason for those subtitles and quotes. “Let’s see the same combo with a super” and “Throw a Sonic Boom in the middle” probably don’t sound too flattering. Does it seem like we were trying to be satirical or ironic?

Because let me assure you, that’s not what’s going on here at all. This isn’t easy to explain, but the truth is, TZW videos are not perfect – and that’s what makes them so awesome. They have personality. But there’s more to it than that.

I think creativity is marked by imperfection more often than not. The first time i saw a TZW tape, i was absolutely blown away. There wasn’t a single negative thing i could say about it. Everyone i knew felt the same way. His combos were that good.

For something to be so amazing, and still not perfect – isn’t that the definition of being on the cutting edge? Whenever i watch these combovids, all i see is raw potential.

You go in thinking that Guile’s four-fierce combo is the best he can do, until you witness TZW connect three Sonic Booms – and then four in a row! It opens up a whole new way of looking at the game. That’s why it’s always exciting to watch a TZW video. If you pay attention, you’ll always walk away with a few brand new combo ideas for any game you’re currently playing.

So if we make jokes about it or whatever, that’s not trying to take anything away from TZW. On the contrary, it’s an attempt to convey that his style is so distinctive and so familiar, that we could identify a TZW video at first glance. It’s a show of genuine admiration and respect.