The VSav community out here in Japan is incredible. Vampire Savior is still thriving out here, and everyone is so strong. There is a passion for this game that warms my heart so much to see! There is definitely something about this game that just elicits this level of love and dedication to the game and its lore.
The level of play is insane. From top to bottom, everyone here is so good at the game! And usually that’s an indication that a scene has grown smaller and so only the die-hards remain, but there were 8 or more full head to head setups (16 machines) for Pools that were all packed during Free Play even after pools ended.
And if you appreciate high level play that displays just how in-tune everyone is with their characters, it’s ridiculous to see how smooth and crisp everyone’s play is. My brief recent re-entry into playing this game on FightCade meant I was no match for anyone. LOL! But I’m inspired to get better. Once back in the U.S., I need to keep playing more Vampire Savior. I must grow stronger!
But I cannot express how awesome it is to see how loved the game is here, still. I had no idea the scene for this game was still so strong here in Japan. And there are new, young players learning the game! I was told, for example, that there is a 17 year old girl (I believe they said daughter) whose parents are a Vampire Savior couple who is tearing it up nowadays.
I cannot express how awesome it is to see how loved the game is here in Japan. I actually did not realize it was like this. Witnessing it with my own eyes is inspiring and humbling. I really do love this game so much.
Vampire Savior top 8 at Evo Japan had 9 different characters picked, with 2 low tiers being represented. A 30 year old game having a spread like that is crazy normally, but especially so for the biggest and most stacked tournament of all time!!!
EVO Japan2026ヴァンパイアセイヴァー部門、優勝🏆
皆様ご声援ありがとうございました!
TOP8はただ楽しくて、自分の試合だけでなく、選手控えブースから出ては他の選手の素晴らしいプレーに声援を送って夢のような時間でした。
結果は出来すぎだけど「誰よりも楽しんだ者がEVOを制す」ということで✌️
🇫🇷 French VAMPIRE SAVIOR team 🫂
(👀 plus 🇬🇧 Bagel 👑)
Thanks everyone from Japan 🇯🇵 for your warm welcome at EVO Japan. We were very happy to meet you and fight you. 🙇♂️
🔥 See you again. 🥊
【秘密のアイテム】
『メタルスラッグ2』の遺跡ステージには、数あるアイテムの中でも私がお気に入りの『魔法のランプ』を隠してあったのを、皆さんはご存知ですか?
あれは、ハンナ・バーベラの『大魔王シャザーン』へのオマージュなんです。
『シャザーン』といえば、「出てこいシャザーン!」「アイアイサー!」で、お馴染みですよね。
もっとも『大魔王シャザーン』は、日本では1968年に放送が始まった、私が小さい頃に大好きだったアニメなので、さすがに今では元ネタが分かりにくいと思います。
そこで、見た目は当時まだ記憶に新しかったディズニー映画『アラジン』のジーニーみたいに、肌を青くしておいたんです。
元ネタは『シャザーン』、見た目は『ジーニー』……。
これは結局、『ジーニー』なんですけどね。
【English below】
Did you know that in the ruins stage of Metal Slug 2, I hid one of my favorite items among many others, the “Magic Lamp”?
That was an homage to Hanna-Barbera’s Shazzan. When you think of Shazzan, those familiar lines are “Come out, Shazzan!” and “Aye-aye, sir!”, right?
Shazzan originally aired in Japan in 1968, and it was one of my favorite shows when I was a child, so I think it may be a bit hard to recognize the reference nowadays.
That’s why I gave him blue skin, so that visually he would look a bit like the Genie from Disney’s Aladdin, which was still fresh in people’s memories at the time.
The original reference was Shazzan, and the look was the Genie...
So in the end, he ended up being the Genie after all.
#MetalSlug30th #メタスラ30th