The folks behind Churning the Butter have just gone live with another installment of their weekly tournament series, taking over Folsom Street Foundry in San Francisco, California to host Street Fighter V for local players.
Tonight’s event will focus on doubles competition, eschewing the tournament’s traditional singles format. If you’re interested in seeing what the NorCal cats have up their sleeves, be sure to check out the stream below and show your support. You can also head on over to Twitch if you prefer to chat.
Want to check these tournaments out for yourself? Well, you’re in luck, because even if you missed out this week, Churning the Butter is held every Thursday at 8:00 PM PDT during ShowDown’s game night at Folsom Street Foundry.
Following up on his earlier videos for Kim Wu and Tusk, Sajam has returned with two more character breakdowns for Killer Instinct Season 3. This time, he focuses on guest characters Rash and Arbiter.
As with Sajam’s previous breakdowns, these cover a characters normals, specials, linkers, enders, instinct mode, and more, while also going over their basic gameplan. Rash is, for the most part, the same as he was during the game’s beta last year. However, he’s received a few new uses for some of his tools, which Sajam also discusses.
Arbiter, on the other hand, has some pretty far reaching medium and heavy normals that allow him to control a lot of space, helping him make up for his somewhat slower walk speed. He can also spend Shadow meter and activate his overshield, another important tool for closing the gap between him and his opponent.
Killer Instinct Season 3 is currently available for Xbox One and Windows 10.
If you’ve been watching the Super Smash Bros. for Wii U scene recently, you may have heard about the new Bidou controller configuration that’s turning some heads. Last week, My Smash Corner demonstrated how this button layout can change the way the game is played by offering easy access to techniques normally avoided in tournaments due to their inconsistency, while also opening up some options not possible without it.
Since this stands to change the way we think of the fourth Smash title, it makes sense for top players to give their opinions on the matter. One such player is none other than Team SoloMid’s Gonzalo “ZeRo” Barrios.
The biggest problem with any change so drastic, as ZeRo points out, is the adaptation period required. Some folks have been playing Smash on a GameCube controller with a standard button layout for as long as they can remember, so making the change not only to a new layout, but also a new controller–anything Wii U compatible with four shoulder buttons–will understandably take some time.
Those who do decide to give the configuration a go will face unique challenges not present when doing something less drastic, like changing main characters. While mid-transition, players will likely suffer from the inability to reliably perform at tournaments, not only because they’ll be less consistent with the new layout, but because making a return to their comfortable, standard layout could work to erase any muscle memory they’ve built up. So it’s an interesting call to make: is the benefit of easy access to previously lab-only technology worth reconstructing the method through which players access the game? The answer to this will certainly depend on the player asked.
Toward the end of the video, ZeRo notes that “[a]ll it takes is one player mastering this technique and going to a tournament and having a great showing at it to prove if Bidou is or not the next big thing [sic],” and that’s a fair call. To make a switch like this look worthwhile, we need to see someone blow away the competition by using it. We need to see movement and positioning so crisp that the GameCube controller will become a thing of the past, but that doesn’t currently look too likely.
One thing to keep in mind, is that the Bidou layout takes advantage of some obviously unintended mechanics in order to create its effect. Certainly, bugs in fighting games are nothing new, and some do wind up sticking around, but with Nintendo still keen on patching the game, anyone looking to take their Bidou layout to an upcoming event would be wise to keep in mind that its effectiveness could be tweaked or removed at any point. If this does happen, it will likely happen without warning, or even announcement, thanks to how Nintendo tends to handle updates.
Check out ZeRo’s video below and let us know if you’ll be making the switch in the comments.
The folks at Smash and Grab released their latest Super Smash Bros. for Wii U tutorial earlier today. This new collection of footage highlights the abilities and strategic options of Corrin, one of the game’s final two downloadable characters.
True, Corrin released quite a while ago, but Smash and Grab produce tutorials that are quite a bit more than a simple list of how-to-play instructions. If you’ve seen their previous guides, you know that they draw inspiration from the highlighted character’s game (or series) of origin to create content that is both informative and entertaining.
If you’re looking to pick up ways to apply every move in Corrin’s arsenal and have a good time doing it, you’ll not want to miss this video.
As you’ve certainly noticed, we at Shoryuken enjoy rounding up footage of new characters and new games upon their release. These roundups often feature combos, setups, and various other tactics to help the community grow as a whole. However, in this most recent build of Street Fighter V, we’ve seen enough odd goings-on to warrant putting together the first roundup dedicated entirely to in-game oddities that will certainly result in some head scratching.
First, we have a video showcasing a strange move interaction. Alex’s standing roundhouse moves him forward a good bit before becoming active. It goes without saying that this sort of movement adds extra functionality to the move under specific circumstances, but all of those circumstances may not be intended. In the case of this video, from HeruButterfly, Vega performs a reversal timing EX Flying Barcelona on wakeup, in this case moving him forward slightly as well.
If timed correctly, Alex can perform a standing roundhouse on top of Vega as he does his wakeup and pass through the masked fighter, putting his roundhouse’s massive hitbox into a cross-up positioning and resulting in a crush counter. The timing isn’t terribly strict, but if mistimed it can result in either Alex losing outright or phasing harmlessly through the rising attack.
There’s a good chance this isn’t the only interaction of this kind for the standing roundhouse, but more testing is required.
Vryu123 found a couple of oddities in this build of the game as well. The first involves a shift in frame advantage following an EX projectile depending on which side of the stage the exchange takes place.
OMFG Capcom plz…You really did this? Left/right side Ex clap +3 on block stMP 6f startup pic.twitter.com/v1V9UgNAqH
The same sort of situation arises directly following a blocked stand short from the Brazilian fighter as well. Any number of things could cause this interaction–likely a hitbox/hurtbox interaction–but as it stands, all we know is that these sorts of inconsistencies shouldn’t exist in a game designed for competition.
Your guess is as good as ours when it comes to figuring out how dragonballjoseph wound up in this sitaution. When taking Alex into easy Survival Mode to unlock a new color, they were met with a screen that was entirely black aside from the HUD. Looks like Survival Mode just got a lot more difficult.
We wrap things up with another video from dragonballjoseph, which offers a quick look at Ken’s newest color: active camouflage.
This is where we would suggest you send us your own buggy findings, but hopefully there aren’t enough to warrant a second roundup of this sort. We’ll have to see!
It’s no secret that fighting game players often turn their favorite titles into completely different beasts than what shipped. Sure, creators have a vision for how their games will develop over time, but their potential isn’t truly discovered until they’re put through the rigors of competitive play.
It’s this relationship that’s explored in PlayStation’s latest episode of Makers & Gamers. Red Bull’s Darryl “Snake Eyez” Lewis, fresh off a fifth-place finish at Capcom Cup 2015, ventures to San Francisco, California to meet Yoshinori Ono, whose name has become synonymous with Street Fighter over the past few years. Their conversation is an insightful look into the world of fighting games, the people who create them, and the players that help them evolve.
Alex has barely been in our hands for a full day, and the community has already picked apart plenty of practical strategies for this returning character. And thanks to how fresh his appearance is, he’s truly the star of today’s roundup. Let’s get going.
John Crofts has been providing the community with tutorials of all types since the release of Street Fighter V, so it comes at little surprise that he was ready to tackle the game’s newest character as soon as he dropped. Today’s first video delves into notable normals, anti-air options, special move explanations, and a general gameplan for the returning fighter.
Frame traps are an important part of any offensive strategy, and if you’re looking to add some of these to your game with Alex, this next video, from Wave eSports, is just what you need.
SpabRog found out that Alex is capable of performing an EX Air Stampede directly following a connected clothesline to net some free (aside from the meter cost), safe pressure.
In the event that Alex lands an Air Stampede, he gets a free opportunity to continue pressing his advantage. In this next video, DaFeetLee demonstrates a throw or command grab option following the Air Stampede, as well as a meaty standing strong setup.
Now it’s time for combos, and boy we’ve got a load of them. This first reel, from Doopliss, opens up with some basic strings, but quickly evolves into some of the crazier options available to Alex. Doopliss also peppers in the occasional setups, so be sure to check it out.
Second on the combo front is none other than Desk. It comes as no surprise that the combo master has already had enough time to craft some impressive strings for Alex.
This next compilation, from izumojinX, kicks practicality to the curb. These combos will almost certainly never happen in a proper match, as most of them involve perfectly-timed projectiles colliding with Alex to expedite his journey through the recovery period of any given move and allow him to get the next swing started that much earlier. But that doesn’t make them any less entertaining to watch.
If you’re looking to snag some massive damage off of crush counter situations with Alex, these three one-off combo videos from wauhti should give you the ammunition you need. They also sent in a contender for Alex’s top damage output potential.
We round things out today with the second part of Shadowloo Bootcamp’s final F.A.N.G episode. In this chunk of footage, host Ricardo “Mono” Roman talks all things F.A.N.G footsies.
If you’re loving Alex enough to record some strategies of your own*, send us the footage! Your video may appear in our next Street Fighter V community roundup.
*We’re still cool with videos related to the rest of the cast, too.
With NorCal Regionals now behind us, it’s time to take a look back at the craziness that filled one weekend in Sacramento, California. If you missed out on watching this event live, Capcom has got you covered with their five favorite highlights from this Capcom Pro Tour premier event.
Below, you’ll witness moments like LAMERBOI’s insane Rashid setup against Qanba’s Xiaohai, Marn’s absolute tear through the pool of death, and, yes, the crowd’s enthusiastic portrayal of Karin’s haughty laughter. Check out the video, and let us know your favorite NorCal Regionals moments in the comments.
Surprise! Guilty Gear 2: Overture is now available on Steam.
Guilty Gear 2: Overture first appeared on Xbox 360 in 2007, acting as the first numbered sequel in Arc System Works’ marquee franchise. Despite bearing the Guilty Gear name, however, the gameplay was a mixture of the action and real time strategy genres, introducing characters like Sin Kiske and Raven who would later become playable in Guilty Gear Xrd.
If you’re interested in trying out this unique installment of the Guilty Gear series, Overture is currently available for $11.99. This price will rise to $19.99 in a week, so don’t delay.
It seems like we get a new King of Fighters XIV trailer every week! Earlier this morning, PlayStation dropped yet another teaser for the upcoming title, revealing three returning characters.
While much of the trailer is spent showcasing Geese Howard’s counter ability, there’s also a good deal of Ryo Sakazaki gameplay for those of you curious how the Art of Fighting protagonist has transitioned to the new game. Oh, and, don’t blink or you’ll miss Joe Higashi, though he doesn’t do much here apart from getting blown away by Geese.
King of Fighters XIV launches on PlayStation 4 later this year.
