Player Spotlight: SumOptimus
Name: Zach Kruchkow
Handle(s): ReSe | SumOptimus (Formerly HOLD DAT L)
Current City and State: Salisbury, NC (Charlotte area)
Games You Play: Street Fighter V (SF5)
Memorable Match:
Tell us about yourself. How did you get your start into fighting games?
I am 25, and I started playing fighting games early on, but not seriously. However, because of my love for the Street Fighter series (SFII), specifically Street Fighter II on SNES, I always had some sort of passion for them.
Before I started competing a lot in SFV, I started playing Super Street Fighter 4 (SSF4) because of a friend of mine who had played the Street Fighter series since Third Strike. I was off and on during the duration of SF4, until Ultra Street Fighter 4 came out. My brother and I both were getting a lot better, so naturally we pushed each other to get better.
When SFV came out, I played it intensely for a few months, but eventually gave it up due to other games out at the time. I started really grinding a couple months before SFV: Arcade Edition, and I have played the game almost every day since then.
In your game of choice, which character(s) do you play and why specifically those characters?
In SFV, I play Urien, and I only started playing him because I was so fed up with the changes that happened to Nash from Season 1 to Season 2, that I felt my only option was to switch, and to switch to top tier at that. Urien was top 3 at the time, and my brother just happened to mention that I should play him, and so I did. Now, my love for Urien comes from the feeling of him fitting my playstyle better than any other character, which is one of aggressiveness.
What is your approach to the way you play your game? What do you tend to go for and what do you tend to look for in your opponents? My approach is simply that of watching my opponent and waiting for his style and patterns to develop as the matches continue. Once I feel I have a decent read of his patterns and style, and once I have it down I can implement more of my crazy sort of rush down style to throw them off and scare them. Conditioning plays a huge part in this, which is what I do from the moment I get one knockdown.
What is one thing you like the most about your fighting game scene? What is one thing you wish you could change?
The thing I like most about my local scene (Charlotte), is the people. There are so many unique personalities that it keeps me coming back, and wanting to build an even bigger comradery with them.
The number one thing I wish I could change is people’s will to put the time in to play and get better at the game. Playing only with the same ten friends will only get you better to a certain point, and at said point, you have to seek out more competition.
What is the match you remember the most and what made it so memorable?
The match I remember the most is probably one where I was in loser’s side of Grand Finals against NC’s Prototype (now known as Zonk). My Urien vs his Mika. I think what made it so memorable was the fact it was the farthest I have gone at a local, and the sheer fact that I wasn’t nervous at all. In fact, I lost the match, but I had fun, and it reassured the practice I was putting in was leading to results.
Finally, any advice for any of the newer players looking to join their local scene? Well, as Nike says, “just do it”. Just go out to an event, but that isn’t what will keep you coming back. Go out to the event, sit down and play games with people, talk to them, ask them about their favorite characters, the game, question them. Ultimately, make friends. Friendship is what makes people go to their locals.
You can follow SumOptimus at:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zachkruchkow