Interview: Why Blazing Strike Could Spark a Fire in Classic Fighting Game Fans

Image: Push Square

Since its announcement a few years back, we've been keeping a close eye on Blazing Strike — a really promising 2D fighter. And now that we're fast approaching the game's 17th October launch, we managed to grab an interview with Mark Chung, the project's creator and main developer.

Push Square: To start with, can you give us a brief overview of what Blazing Strike is, for those who may not know?

Mark Chung, Developer: Blazing Strike is a retro style pixel art based 2D fighting game with a unique set of gameplay mechanics. Rush System, which is the core of the game’s mechanics, allows players for a fast paced combat. Players can choose from a colorful cast of 14+ characters with a unique toolset.

Can you tell us a little more about Blazing Strike's systems and mechanics?

Rush System is a meter-based system where many of the gameplay mechanics like dashing, enhanced normals and specials, as well as the all new Rush combos are tied to. By using and managing the Rush Meter, players can move faster, jump higher, attack faster and stronger, and also use the character’s unique Rush Ability.

When the meter is poorly managed and goes empty for an extended period of time, the character can go into a groggy state, which allows for a high damaging counter attack.

Do you see Blazing Strike as a homage to classic fighting games, or something that can hopefully stand beside them? Or maybe both?

I think it’s both. While the classic fighting games gave me the inspiration, I ultimately decided to create a whole new fighting game because I envisioned a different path to a 2D fighting game genre.

Are we right in thinking Blazing Strike has been in development for around five years? Can you give us any insight into what the development process has been like?

Six to be more exact. The development process has been quite lonely for the most part, as I worked on the game by myself. Of course, there were people who helped and contributed, and I couldn’t have done it without them. But at the end of the day, it was just me trying to keep the development machine running.

How does it feel to be so close to release after working on the game for so long?

I’d have to say bittersweet.

As mentioned, Blazing Strike obviously takes inspiration from classic 2D fighters, but are there any modern or current fighting games that you're a fan of? Have these more modern games influenced Blazing Strike as well?

I would have to say Guilty Gear Xrd is the last modern fighter that I somewhat sank my teeth into. However, I did check out most of the modern fighters that came after, for research purposes. My idea for the game system was already very unique and specific that it really didn’t make sense to borrow from the modern fighting games.

We love the look and style of Blazing Strike's characters — just how important do you think character designs are in a fighting game? Are they perhaps the most important element of all, at least on a surface level?

First of all, thank you. I believe character design plays a crucial role in fighting games. While it may not be the most important element, it’s something a fighting game simply can’t do without. The magic happens when a well-designed character and engaging gameplay come together, creating a special connection with players.

'Accessibility' has been a big talking point for fighting games over recent years. Do you think fighting games could be doing more to welcome less experienced players, or is that inherent learning curve just part of the genre's identity?

To me, accessibility is a bit of a strange concept. I never felt that fighting games were more difficult to get into than other genres. In my humble opinion, the 1v1 format makes it tough to achieve small victories, which are important for casual players. Even if they fail a mission or lose a team battle, players stay motivated if they’ve experienced even the tiniest wins along the way and had fun doing it.

In the past, fighting games offered this too, especially when kids were at the arcades battling against coin-hungry CPUs. That served as a gateway—once players had fun against the CPU, they were ready to compete with others because they already knew how to play.

If that’s the case, then one way to address the issue might be to create a strong single-player mode, where players feel like that’s the main game, with the human vs. human competition serving as a side dish.

Do you have any post-launch plans for Blazing Strike?

We have lots of things planned for Blazing Strike. Regular updates (one of the first being crossplay), additional characters and modes, QOL features, character palette editor, and more!

And finally, do you have anything you'd like to say to our readers?

I really hope you enjoy Blazing Strike and thanks for your time.

Huge thanks to Mark Chung for taking the time to answer our questions. Special thanks to Claire Woodyard and the team at Bastion for making this interview possible.

Blazing Strike is set to release for PS5 and PS4 on the 17th October, but are will you be diving into this new, old-school fighter? Don't drop your combo in the comments section below.