GURU GURU HAATO PAWNCH!

Well I did it, I finally got an interview with Rob Nagaro aka HeartNana. Yeah! It's as good as sex!
HeartNana and I talk about the AH scene

1:38 PM me: hey
Rob: hi
1:39 PM me: what's up?
you free for that interview?
Rob: as long as its kinda quick, sure
1:40 PM me: ok then, well Heart, how long have you been in the Fighting Games scene, before Arcana Heart came along or did you pick it up then?
1:41 PM Rob: Ive been playing fighting games casually since i was a kid, but i started getting into tournaments back when Soul Calibur 2 was released in Aug 2002
1:43 PM me: so you didn't get into the competitive Capcom or SNK scene
1:44 PM Rob: I played a bit of MvC2 in tourneys
and ive entered a few 3S tournaments, but i was never big into them
1:45 PM me: so, what made you jump into Arcana Heart? What was the hook?
1:46 PM Rob: I was studying abroad in Japan at the time, and I was looking for something new to play. I liked the character designs and the fact that the game was something completely new.
And then when I went to the arcade on the first day to play it, I just had so much fun that I couldn't stop
1:47 PM me: cool cool, do you think that the US localization of AH will bring in new players. I mean it has that whole Anime feel to it. Dudes love the moe-loli's after all.
I'm hoping the scene will grow
1:48 PM Rob: Localization of any fighting game will increase the popularity due to the easy accessibility here in the US, but it's hard to tell.
I think that it has potential to get a lot bigger than it is now, but part of me also thinks that anyone who wants to play it already somewhat has means to do so.
At least in regards to top tournament players
1:49 PM me: right, any one who desired to get into AH has already gobne the way of doing so
but look at GG, that scene is constantly growing
1:50 PM with new players, I believe AH can do the same
Rob: I hope so
me: after all it brings alot of new elements to the table
1:52 PM who are some of the players you consider a great challenge to overcome in AH?
anybody give you trouble?
Rob: Hayao, Kou, Kyamei, Kouya
1:53 PM i generally lost to all of them
i mostly played them before full came out, but some of them got to the point where i was lucky to get a few hits in
I just wish i played against more top players when i was in Japan
1:54 PM me: must be a pretty sweet experience
Rob: as far as American players, there's players I've had difficulty against, but nobody that was unbeatable to me
me: like you've gone up against Arturo and stuff
1:55 PM what kind of stance do you take against players like him?
Rob: In game or out of game?
me: in game
1:56 PM Rob: I just run forward and do stuff i guess
me: haha very profound
but I guess that's all you can do in a match eh?
1:57 PM Rob: it gets a little more complicated i guess, but i just generally try to rush down and hit them
me: so beast from the fucking get-go! nice shit
1:58 PM would you say that AH has the kind of scene that MvC2 has? Is there alot of mad shit talk or is it a pretty sensible scene?
1:59 PM Rob: Well, around where I am in Chicago, the Arcana players are pretty laid back and we all have fun hanging out and stuff, but a LOT of the East Coast players have the Marvel Hype and a lot of trash-talking and stuff
2:00 PM me: so you'd say the whole trash talking thing could be regional not based on the game in question?
2:01 PM Rob: that's a possibility
2:02 PM me: now I've been hearing alot of talk that AH is actually bringing girls into the FG scene? Is this true or are people just coming up with pipe dreams?
Rob: i dont personally know any girls that play, so i can't comment
2:03 PM me: lmao, gotcha. I'll chalk that up to 'pipe dream' status anyway
2:04 PM Do you know GreyFox btw?
Rob: only online through a couple message boards, why?
me: oh just curious, he's a buddy of mine
2:05 PM I hear Texas has a pretty big AH following, can you comment?
2:06 PM Rob: nobody from texas was at NEC, so even if there was a big following, there were no representatives to show that at the first Arcana major, so as far as most of the country is concerned, they probably don't recognize Texas as a place with a lot of Arcana players
me: right
2:07 PM I've just heard talk of this
2:08 PM but maybe the scene is starting to develop there or something
so, what are some tips you'd give to the aspiring AH players out there?
2:09 PM Rob: play cheap
if you're not cheap, you won't win
me: so honor is a thing of the past
2:10 PM Rob: not really having to do with honor, but the way to PLAY arcana is to be cheap
so if you're not playing cheap, you're not playing right
me: ahhhh hahaha
great strats
2:11 PM Also, do you have any crazy tourney experiences you'd like to share?
Rob: nah, they're all pretty standard
me: just play to win
Rob: indeed
2:12 PM me: well thank you Heart, I hope I didn't keep you too long or anything
Rob: thanks
me: I appreciate you doing this interview with me man
it was fun
2:13 PM Rob: cool, hope it helps
me: have a good one
later
Rob: later