Why Hong Kong Needs More Marti Wongs

Hey, can I tell you about my childhood hero?

His name's Marti Wong, and he probably saved my sanity growing up in Hong Kong. See, back in the day, my friends and I would crowd around this ancient PC after school, mashing keys and yelling our heads off playing Little Fighter 2. You know the drill—Davis throwing energy balls, Firen setting everything on fire, pure chaos.

Then I found out something crazy: Marti made this entire game and just... gave it away. For free. In Hong Kong, where everything costs a small fortune, this felt like magic.

That's when it hit me—we need more people like this guy.

The Joy Dealer

Picture this: you're a university student with a cool idea for a game. Most people would think "how can I make money off this?" Not Marti. He and his friend Starsky built something awesome and said, "Here world, have fun."

He Made Hong Kong Cool

Remember that Tai Hom Village stage? The one with the protest banner in the background? As a kid, I just thought it looked neat. Now I realize—Marti was putting our city into his game. Our streets, our spirit, our story.

While other games ignored Hong Kong, Marti made us part of the adventure. Suddenly, kids worldwide were fighting in our neighborhoods, seeing our culture. That's the kind of cultural ambassador we need more of.

The Guy Who Won't Quit

Here's where it gets real: after LF2 became huge, Marti made Hero Fighter. Piracy destroyed his profits. Life got expensive. Any sane person would've quit.

Not Marti. Dude's still out there working on LF2 Remastered, balancing it with a day job and family. Living in Hong Kong, where dreams feel impossible to chase? His persistence inspires the hell out of me.

Building Something That Lasts

Twenty-something years later, we're still here. Still playing, still modding, still arguing about who's the best character (Davis, obviously, fight me).

Marti didn't just create a game—he built a community. In this city where everyone's always rushing somewhere, LF2 gave us a reason to slow down and connect with people.

The Anti-Hustle Hero

Get this: Marti worked at Microsoft and Google. Big tech, big money, big prestige. Then he walked away to make games.

In Hong Kong's hustle culture, that's basically insane. But you know what? He's probably happier than most people grinding 80-hour weeks for a bigger apartment.

He reminds me that sometimes success isn't about your bank balance. Sometimes it's about creating something that makes some kid smile after school.

Here's to the Dreamers

Marti Wong's my hero—not because he got rich or famous, but because he made something beautiful and shared it with all of us.

In a city obsessed with the next big deal, we desperately need more people like him. Dreamers who create instead of just consume. People who choose passion over profit.

So here's to Marti, and here's to everyone else out there making something awesome just because they can.

Hong Kong needs more of you.