In his latest How to Play 101 video, Alpharad is again joined by ZeRo before taking to the Gaur Plain to dole out some Monado justice with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U’s Shulk. Since ZeRo has made a few appearances in Alpharad’s recent demonstrations, fans of the two players were curious if this partnership could be expected to continue. In response, Alpharad says that he plans to take control of characters that he enjoys playing in the future, but ZeRo will continue to provide footage occasionally.
With ZeRo at the helm, viewers can expect plenty of high-level plays from the Xenoblade Chronicles veteran mixed in with Alpharad’s unique blend of text and sound-based humor. If you’ve ever had a doubt about Shulk’s viability, this footage could change your mind.
Earlier this week, we shared the secrets to beating Ibuki’s basic vortex. Now, thanks to the folks at Capcom UK, we can learn a little bit more about the girl who has been the source of so much frustration in Ultra Street Fighter IV.
As with previous World Warriors videos, this footage shares a breakdown of Ibuki’s story, treating viewers to details of her humble beginnings as a trainee in a secret ninja society all the way up to her task of infiltrating the Illuminati in Street Fighter III. But Ibuki’s background isn’t all fighting and ninjitsu; as her win quotes often suggest, she’s a sucker for cake and would like nothing more than to leave her ninja training behind in favor of a normal life.
If you’re a fan of Ibuki or just enjoy learning more about the Street Fighter universe, be sure to check out the video below.
Team PIE’s Smug has come to be known as one of the most exciting Ultra Street Fighter IV players on the scene today, and it’s easy to understand why. From his fearless approach to rush down, to his immaculate execution and ability to control the pace of any match, a Smug set is always sure to please.
Smug tied for a 17th place finish in Ultra Street Fighter IV at Final Round 18 over the weekend, which is nothing to scoff at considering the global competition that made it out to Atlanta, Georgia. Outside of the brackets, the east coast warrior was able to sit down with a handful of other top players from the event for sets of friendly matches.
Due to the nature of these matches, in conjunction with the sheer amount of footage that needed to make it up on streams over the weekend, these matchups sadly didn’t make a live broadcast. Thankfully, Joshua Taylor was standing by ready to capture the footage. Below, you’ll see Tokido and Mago of Mad Catz as well as Bonchan line up for a Smug showdown.
We’ve all seen Ultra Street Fighter IV’s Dudley land combos of devastating length thanks to his ability to keep the juggles rolling until there’s just no more meter to be spent; it’s what he does. Not only do these classy combos dish out big damage numbers, but with the right selection of pieces, they can also produce reliable stuns.
In their newest video, Allinois Fierce of Forbidden Technique TV shows off 25 different ways that Dudley can land a dizzy against an unsuspecting Seth. These methods start out simple enough, with a selection of crouching roundhouse confirms, jump-in confirms, and other similar approaches, but quickly moves on to using all sorts of different openers, showing the true versatility of this fighter. Toward the end, Allinois also incorporates some particularly dirty resets to keep things interesting.
Do note that even though the video features Dudley pummeling Seth until he crosses the stun threshold, these combos and setups will make anyone with a 900 or lower stun rating (like Akuma, Dhalsim, Guile, etc.) see stars. Allinois just really wanted to throw hands with Seth.
It’s no secret that Doctor Doom’s Hidden Missiles assist is one of the best available in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. Whether you’re using it to apply pressure for mix-up opportunities or to extend combos, few assists can stand up to this powerful tool.
But even though it’s great for combo extensions, knowing when to launch the projectiles in order to get the most out of them can be tricky.
With that in mind, Dustin of HitBox Arcade has compiled a lengthy series of M.O.D.O.K. combos that make the most of this powerful piece of Latverian technology. Dustin offers an array of combo starters ranging from instant overheads to throws and, like most of M.O.D.O.K.’s combo options, there’s plenty of full screen carry potential to be had.
Vortex setups can strike fear in the hearts of even the most seasoned fighting game players. Any time a single incorrect guess can result in losing half a health bar is understandably terrifying. But if you’re prepared to weather the storm, vortices becomes much less scary, and characters who often revolve around them become less intimidating as well.
Speaking from personal experience, there are still plenty of players who believe that delaying wakeup will be enough to stop Ibuki’s kunai onslaught in Ultra Street Fighter IV. Against some players, sure, that’ll work. But any Ibuki who has taken a few minutes to hit up training mode and practice setups that allow a kunai toss on reaction to the Technical message will be able to, at the very least, turn this situation into another block string, or, worse, score another knockdown and repeat the process.
Below, you’ll find a video from Slime Time which offers some great tips to help prepare players to properly deal with Ibuki’s basic vortex setup. It’s important to note that word: “basic.” A skilled Ibuki player will notice that you’re able to block a given setup and will then move on to something else. She is a character that excels at changing her approach, be it vortex or otherwise, so players still need to be on their toes when facing off against her. This video will, however, help shut down those auto pilot moments into which every Ibuki player slips from time to time.
Slime Time stresses a couple of key points about combating the vortex and I absolutely agree with both of them: don’t panic when you get knocked down and only hit buttons when you’re positive they’re going to net the expected results.
So if you’re having trouble dealing with Ultra Street Fighter IV’s resident kunoichi, check out this video and enter the next match with confidence.
Plenty of attacks in fighting games have gained a degree of notoriety over the years for one reason or another, but one that surely stands out in any Smash player’s mind is Jigglypuff’s Rest. This undeniably adorable attack defines her high-risk, high-reward play style and isn’t for the faint of heart–bad timing, slight spacing nuances, or even a connected hit at the wrong percentage can transform a happy nap into one filled with nightmares of taunts and raw smash attacks.
But when it hits, every missed Rest before then was worth it.
Since the result of a Rest can make or break a match for Puff players, it’s important to know as much about the attack as possible when entering a fight. With this in mind, Smash Highlights put together a quick video to show the percentages at which Rest will secure a stock against the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U cast.
As you’ll see, Shulk in Shield mode takes 115% to knock out and King DeeDeeDee takes 71%; from there, things begin to even out right around 60%, with a few of the lighter characters coming in much lower, and the balloon Pokémon herself able to lose a stock to an enemy Rest at a hilarious 38%.
This information isn’t only useful for Jigglypuff players, but to those who often face off against her as well. With these numbers in mind, we can be absolutely sure when that pink puff ball is coming in for a kill and can act accordingly.
Do note that this video doesn’t account for the rage mechanic, nor have the Mii fighters been included, so some mystery still surrounds this powerful attack.
Cody’s level three Zonk Knuckle opens up the opportunity for big damage output when used in conjunction with a Focus Attack Dash Cancel, but it can also allow for follow-ups under specific circumstances in the event of a trade. In their latest Ultra Street Fighter IV strategy video dedicated to Cody, GroundedSF offers up some ways of making the most of these situations.
The valid options for following a traded Zonk depend not only on the character Cody is fighting, but the button that he traded with and stage positioning as well, so there’s a lot to keep in mind when it comes to applying these combos in an actual match. GroundedSF does note, however, that the medium and EX versions of Ruffian Kick tend to be the most consistent across the board, so if you’re not sure what to use in any given trade situation, those should be the first to try.
Dudley has been a crowd pleaser since he tossed his first rose back in Street Fighter III: New Generation. Whether it’s his fancy duds (sorry), his ability to thoughtfully stroke his curled mustache with a gloved hand, or his sheer rush down and damage potential, it’s hard not to be entertained when a skilled practitioner takes the stage.
In their latest Ultra Street Fighter IV player spotlight, Olympic Gaming takes a close look at one player behind the mustache: el Mocha Latte. This Dudley faces off against a handful of top players including Alex Myers’ Sakura, Veloc1raptor’s Gouken, and Jazero’s Ibuki.
As always, you’ll find a short text-based interview with the highlighted player in the video’s description.
Alpharad recently held a Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tournament to celebrate reaching his goal of 10,000 YouTube subscribers. The winner of that tournament, Lyra214, got to pick the character to be highlighted in the next How to Play video. With that in mind, Alpharad brings us How to Play Pac-Man 101.
As usual, these For Glory match highlights show off a mixture of high-level play and hilarious antics, including ridiculous self destructs, incredible reads, and perhaps even a dash of luck here and there.
Pac-Man adds a unique spin to things thanks to his fire hydrant. The water spouts allow the Namco star to move toward his target while charging various smash attacks for some truly satisfying kills. And when he tires of riding the waves, Alpharad takes to knocking the hydrant around to help secure victory.
