"Definitely Ken Masters and Akuma": Tasty Steve talks Red Bull Pindrop, Tekken 8 guest characters, being a commentator, and more (Exclusive)

Steve “Tasty Steve” is known for his love of fighting games. So, it was a pleasure to chat with him ahead of the Red Bull Pindrop Tekken 8 event. Few organizations put on as intense or satisfying tournaments as Red Bull does, so I was thrilled to sit down and chat with a few community members who were invited. Unfortunately, some of our audio didn’t go through, and a few questions have been missed. We’ll hopefully have a chance to chat with Steve further down the road as Tekken 8 launches.

Ahead of the Red Bull Pindrop Tekken 8 tournament, we spoke about guest characters in Tekken 8, retro fighting games, advice on being a commentator, and more. I can’t think of many people who love fighting games more than Tasty Steve, so it was a thrill to talk to him again.

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Tasty Steve on guest characters, Red Bull Pindrop Tekken 8 event, and more

Q. It's too early for Bamco to start revealing potential Guest Characters, but if you could pick three, who would they be? Personally, I’d ask for Evil Ryu, Cervantes, or Kiryu Kazuma.

Tasty Steve: Definitely Ken Masters and Akuma from Street Fighter for sure. I mean, they even had Negan from The Walking Dead in Tekken 7, so why not put someone like Drake in there? But if I had to pick one more, it would probably be an MMA fighter or an anime character.

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Q. In addition to being a long-time fan of Tekken, you're also a noted commentator across so many games. What's your secret to being able to hype up and commentate on fighting games at such a high level?

Tasty Steve: I play them all! Not only do I play all the fighting games to be good at commenting on them, but I also want to beat people up.

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Q. There are no doubt plenty of fighting game fans who want to get into commentating as well. Do you have any advice for streamers or fighting game fans who just don't know how to get started or how to find their energy/voice?

Tasty Steve: Well, you don’t want to start commentating on a huge, global tournament for your first time, so my advice would be to start small. Some people think it’s easy to talk about a game, but it’s actually not. I started commentating by watching my friends play in a basement and asking them what they were doing. That’s how I learned.

I didn’t think that would take me all the way to London to talk about video games! Sometimes, people ask me if I went to school for communications, but I didn’t. I also think commentating at local tournaments is an excellent way to get started because once you’re comfortable with the locals, you can branch out and go wider.

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Q. While I personally love Tekken 8, it's not immune to criticism. Is there anything that exists in the CBT build that you think might need some attention in the final build?

Tasty Steve: In all honesty, I’m the sort of person who trusts the developers. I trust that the developers will do what they have to to make the game better. But if I had to say one thing, it would be to add more stages from previous games.

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Q. Regarding retro fighting games, do you have any "guilty pleasure" fighting games you love to play on Fightcade? Maybe games that aren't popular but are fun to play?

Tasty Steve: One retro game I love to play is Guilty Gear Accent Core. It came out in the 90s, I think. That’s really showing my age!

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Q. What’s got you excited about hosting for the Red Bull Pindrop event? What makes these Red Bull events feel special to you?

Tasty Steve: I think it’s great that Red Bull Pindrop is happening, and they are giving us the opportunity to be in this space. I can tell that Red Bull is very community-focused. I’m so excited to be here with my friends and other players.

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If you missed out on the Red Bull Pindrop event, you can watch the VODs on Twitch or YouTube. In addition, there’s a Public Access Day in London you can participate in. There’s much to be excited about regarding Tekken 8, which launches on January 26, 2024.