Combo Maker Profile: Snoooootch

Snoooootch began making combo videos with Street Fighter IV, and built up a diverse repertoire of releases within a very short period of time. He enjoys recording and editing videos for quick weekend projects, massive collaborations for major tournaments, and everything in-between!

 
How and why did you get into fighting games?

Snoooootch: So I’m in my Physics class, at Mountain View College, in Dallas, and I hear these dudes, Colby and Jared, talking about Street Fighter 4 and how it’s gonna be an awesome game. They’re going on about this site called “Shoryuken.” The whole time I think they’re talking about Ryu. I was always very eager to talk to them about the SF series, because I very much loved SF2 and noticed we shared common interests.

So, eventually, I worked up the courage to speak to them as if I were approaching that one hot chick one has a mean crush on in high school. Next thing you know, it’s February 17th and I’m waiting in line at gamestop while they sit in that Physics class.

Of course, I arrive to class with a huge smile on my face. I’m bit late, but I GOT IT! From then on, it was Colby, Jared, some other guys, and me, after class, in a small room with a tv at the campus’ chill pad. I don’t know how I managed to get an A’ in that class.

 
When did you first become aware of combo videos? Did they change your perspective on games?

Snoooootch: When I searched to be better at the game (sf4) I did my best to learn by myself. One day, Colby introduces me to Shoryuken.com. Not only was there tons of amazing info on match up help, and fundamental progress, but there were threads on practical combos.

I immediately became impressed with the style of combos that were portrayed in some of those videos, but none of them blew my mind as heavily as Maj’s TACVs. From then on, I focused on doing cool combos like that.

Sadly, my execution was nothing compared to now. I did not even know about plinking, so I focused on juggle combos. That’s where I learned about Pokey86’s juggle guide and decided to take Ken up for some sweet juggles. I went from playing SF4 to playing with SF4. From then on I did not play SF4 to win. I played it for the fun, and the satisfaction of landing awesome combos.

 
Are you involved in any other creative activities?

Snoooootch: Well, I do like to draw and make music with my pal, J. Ramirez. I do not draw as much as I used to, but doing these combo challenges has gotten be back into it. It’s especially fun to draw fighting game characters.

Other than drawing, I like to help other fighting game community members. The most noticeable example is probably my work with Smileymike on our Tool-Assisted combo videos, but I also have helped many other people – like MellowEC and others with their youtube layouts. I’ve helped PeacefulJay with some of his stream multimedia, as well as Panda’s stream content.

 
How do you come up with new combos?

Snoooootch: Well, I have gone as far as to letting my 4 year old cousin mash buttons in hope that he does something that makes my jaw drop (was not successful). I usually come up with ONE idea, and I try it for hours. By the end, I usually come up with something different that is usually better than the original idea.

For some of the more impossible sounding ideas, to my human hands on this PS3 pad, I send them over to Smileymike, and he tries to fulfill them. I cannot tell you how many hours I have spent on a single combo idea before I throw in the towel (other combo video makers must know the feeling). But there are times when all that patience pays off, sort of how top players play a patient game, and with it take the win.

One combo that comes to mind is the Fei Long combo I submitted to the ComboVid.com AE Combo Exhibition v.one. That combo took me longer than any other combo to finally land.

 
Which part of the whole video-making process do you enjoy most?

Snoooootch: I like reaching out to people in the fighting game community for their talents; people like NumberoneBlind, ClaytonSamus, and MikeyG, to have their music heard by the fighting game community. Using their music makes my combo video making process a lot of fun, for it makes me feel glad to help other community members get some fans.

As far as my own combo videos, I very much enjoy the ability to finally put every clip I recently recorded into one final project. I get to toy with transitions, and have fun editing the crap out of videos. I love to find little funny things to add to my videos in order to entertain the viewers.

 
What’s your motivation for putting so much time and effort into your combovids?

Snoooootch: I try to avoid uploading videos late at night. Biggest reason is because I love the feedback! I’ll stay up late just reading the reaction from the people subscribed to my channel.

Not that I consider my combo videos more incredible than other’s, but it’s just nice to see that people actually like my content, and cheer me on to supply them with more, be it a dumb 25 second clip, or an 18 minute video of me getting beat up by an awesome Gen player.

 
Be sure to check out Snoooootch’s u2b channel for more of his awesome combo video projects, and don’t forget to subscribe for instant updates from the fuuuture.