Author: Franz "d3v" Co

Doctor Doom’s back throw is one of his most used tools in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, due to how he can easily convert it into a full combo. That said, this also often leaves players vulnerable when they end up whiffing the throw attempt. In their latest tutorial, Zissou demonstrates that Doctor Doom has a safer way to try to land throws – his forward throw.

Unlike the back throw, which either leaves Doom doing a standing H when it whiffs, doing a forward throw means that he gets his Hard Kick command normal instead. This attack is both fast (8 frames) and safe due to Doctor Doom’s ability to dash cancel it on block, leaving him at frame advantage. Meanwhile, on hit, he can dash cancel up-forward to convert into a full combo.

Additionally, whiffing a forward throw attempt in the air makes Doom perform a forward foot dive, instead of his gun. While the latter is an important tool, it’s not really ideal for the ranges where it would come out on throw whiff due to its long, 21-frame start up. With the foot dive, however, Doctor Doom can simply maintain pressure, or even convert into a full combo.

In both of the above cases, Doctor Doom can still also convert into a full combo if he lands the forward throw.

Check out the video below to learn more about the proper application of this option select as well as how to convert it into full combo.

Source: Zissou

When most people think of Ken’s original theme from Street Fighter II, hard rock is what usually comes to mind. With its heavy guitar intro and signature solo, it’s hard to mistake it for any other genre.

With this in mind, one can’t help but take notice when someone re-imagines the classic composition under a different genre. Such is the case with this cover by The Consouls,who put together a nice jazz rendition with their four-piece band. The result of this arrangement is a delightful piece that takes a song originally meant for brawling in the streets and turns it into one perfect for evening cocktails.

Source: the Consouls, thanks to Jarop for the tip.

Dee Jay is considered by many to be the worst character in Ultra Street Fighter IV. That said, he can still be a threat in the hands of the right player. One such player is Norther California’s Khiry “Mighty Kurokiba” Crawford, who’s has been doing quite well with the character for some time.

In order to highlight his achievements, Olympic Gaming took a look at Kurokiba in their latest Ultra Street Fighter IV player spotlight, showcasing matches against iPeru, Wolfkrone, 801 Strider, and even Evil Geniuses’ PR Balrog.

Be sure to also check out the interview in the video’s description.

Source: Olympic Gaming

Along with the release of new character Kan-Ra, Killer Instinct’s version 2.1 update also brought with it some changes to the existing characters. One of the characters affected by this update is Jago, who can no longer perform an ender combo directly after activating instinct mode. This change means that most of his older health regeneration combos no longer work.

To help players deal with this change, AcidGlow recently shared a video that shows off some new combos that incorporate Jago’s health regeneration. Below, he explains that the key is to do a linker, a manual, or an auto and then go directly into Jago’s fireball ender to start the life gaining process.

Source: AcidGlow

Newcomer Kan-Ra is now available for Killer Instinct players as part of the today’s update. As such, a ton of new footage recently landed online showcasing what the rotting sorcerer is capable of.

First up, Iron Galaxy Studios and Maximilian have provided some unedited match footage for those still on the fence about picking the character up. The video in question shows Kan-Ra taking on series veteran Orchid, and also offers a good look at how his Ultra interacts with his stage when he uses it to close out a match.

Speaking of Iron Galaxy, the developers held a special live stream today to celebrate the release of Kan-Ra and demonstrate some cool stuff he can do in the game. The full archive has been included below.

Watch live video from IronGalaxy on Twitch

Next up, AcidGlow shared a couple of huge combos that show off how well Kan-Ra can extend the pain.

Not to be outdone, Maximilian uploaded his own massive Kan-Ra combo, a 204-hit beauty that incorporates a good deal of his moveset.

And finally, mariotaz uploaded a nice piece of strategy, showing how Kan-Ra can utilize aerial recapture to return his opponent to the ground, keep doling out damage, and (most importantly) look good doing it.

Did we miss anything good? Feel free to post your favorite Kan-Ra videos in the comments below or send them to us through our tip line.

Sources: Maximilian, Iron Galaxy Studios, AcidGlow, mariotaz

Temo Koei’s Dead or Alive franchise has seen something of a resurgence in recent years. With a successful competitive push recently concluded during the Road to the Fall Classic and yet another update to Dead or Alive 5 in the works, things are looking up for the Team NINJA fighting game series.

Venture Beat’s Stephen Kleckner (who Shoryuken forumites may know as Sosage) recently caught up with producer Yosuke Hayashi, creative director Tom Lee, and director Yohei Shimbori for an interview to talk about the Dead or Alive 5’s development and their balancing process. On the latter, Shimbori specifically mentions the balancing act of taking in player feedback while still trying to stick to his guns and make sure that each character maintains their unique styles.

That challenge was compounded when they adapted Virtua Fighter guest characters, which ultimately forced a change in the game’s combo system due to direction from Sega AM2 representatives.

“We had a rule from Dead or Alive 4 which forced a juggle to end if the player input the same command twice in a row, but we wound up changing that rule. Virtua Fighter characters use P, P, P… as a base for combos,” Shimbori explained. “We weren’t talking about just two of the same command; we’re talking 4 in a row. So thinking about giving players more freedom in their combos, we decided to revert our rule to what had been in use through Dead or Alive 3: the same command doesn’t necessarily end the juggle. It’s simpler to juggle by using the same command rather than figuring out how to string together different moves, so novice players will find it easier to juggle their opponents.”

They also had the opportunity to touch on one of the game’s more controversial aspects–the oversexualizing of its female characters. Lee’s reply to this is interesting to say the least, pointing out that they are creating “strong, sexy, confident, and attractive” characters. That said, he also acknowledged that the issue was a touchy one even within the development team and that they are aware of the criticisms against their designs.

To read more on this and other topics regarding Dead or Alive 5, be sure to visit VentureBEat for the two–part interview.

Source: VentureBeat (1, 2)