Alt Colors are cool, actually
Originally uploaded Jul. 15th, 2023.
Clothes make the man.
Let’s talk colors for a sec.
Every character in a game is designed with a palette in mind. The colors on their outfits help define who they are. Iori Yagami’s red and black, is red and black for a reason, for example – it’s integral.
But what if it wasn’t?
Like, you COULD play as the default color, but there’s something inherently personal about being able to define yourself by a specific color.
Let’s get personal. Here’s Justice’s default palette. Normal P.
It’s iconic, sure, but…
This is Justice’s Reload K palette.
It’s the player Hotta’s alt of choice, and he absolutely cranks shit up to 11 when he uses this color. I can’t imagine any other player with it. One could argue he’s defined himself – and the character, even – with it.
And still, here’s Justice’s Default H.
This is the one I use. There are 20 colors in +R available on each character for normal play, and I’ve defined myself with this one. I want to get to a point where people can look on the screen, without reading the names, and go “Oh damn, Viper’s on stage?” And the more I play, the more I know I’m getting closer and closer to that point. Other people know, too. I’m too loud to not let them know.
In that same vein, I’ve never really understood people who play the default character colors for a given character. Sometimes it’s a simple argument like, “oh they look the best” and sure. I think that’s valid – some games don’t have good alts on some characters. But like… I feel like some of that personal attachment is gone if you just run the player 1 alt all the time, especially in newer games.
Which is why I kind of hate how Street Fighter 6 does colors. Two alts on the default costume unless you buy the super ultimate deluxe edition or grind it out forever? That absolutely kills any sense of personalization, especially since the game is so big.
Granted, colors aren’t the only thing that come into play when talking about fighting game individualism. The way the players move and interact with each other on screen is more important, in my opinion.
But…
There are at least 20 +R players I can point out by their color alone, with or without palmods. And that’s always been fun.
Bonus: I will use this specific Felicia color whenever it is available.
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