Mike Z didn't design or create any of these T&A characters though, he just handled the gameplay and balance end of it(which is fucking incredible). That was all Alex Ahad (creator and art director). Who's been drawing these characters and concepts since like, high school.
I personally think the characters and their personalities are quite likable(all the references to various stuff adds some level of hilarity), of course I am a huge fan of animation to begin with. And the way this game looks (using hand drawn animation on a 3D engine, instead of sprites.) fucking gorgeous so I appreciate that side of it already. But Mike Z handling the gameplay and balancing, by taking the various builds to tournaments and events. Getting live playtesting and a lot of time live fixes on the spot. Taking his experience as a tournament player and ironing out all the bullshit so the final product will be stellar, that's just amazing.
To me. There is a lot to appreciate here. A lot of hard work gone into, a fucking, what? $10 or $15 Downloadable fighting game? A New IP at that. With gameplay handed by someone who KNOWS what a fighting game is, one from our (the fighting game community as a whole) own...C'mon! Support that man's hard work!