Category: Fighting Games

Before you fire up the NorCal Regionals streams–or perhaps while taking a break from the action–be sure to check out some of the latest Street Fighter V technology from around the community below. We’ve got a lot to share today, so let’s get started!

It’s important for new players to get used to using training mode in whatever game they’re tackling, as they may be missing out on some of the more nuanced (and important) options available to add to their training regimen. With this in mind, James Chen of UltraChen TV recently covered Street Fighter V’s training mode in an episode of First Attack, and you’ll find the full playlist below if you missed out on watching it live.

GamersGrid TV and Ricardo “Mono” Roman keep the F.A.N.G train rolling with the newest episode of Shadowloo Bootcamp. This guide takes a look at the mixup opportunities M. Bison’s second-in-command can employ.

VesperArcade offers the next video today, which focuses on Ryu. If you’re looking for some ways to guarantee guard breaks while under the effects of Ryu’s V-Trigger, this video is a great place to pick up those options. These include activations off of a sweep, using a super after a block string to net the guard break, and more.

This next video, from alb3530, is a collection of miscellaneous information from the game. It includes things like Critical Arts with frame gaps, a demonstration of all of the invulnerable moves in the game, all moves with armor, and more things along those lines.

Now it’s time to step into the ring for a round of R. Mika tactics–both for and against her. First, Rainbow Impact offers up a massive punish combo that incorporates two of Mika’s standing roundhouse kicks as well as her V-Trigger.

Most optimal punish off CC 6HP axion told me about on my stream! Check it out^^https://t.co/uagooCMbrI pic.twitter.com/XMjM3bUy5I

— RainbowImpact (@AGNativeimpact) March 25, 2016

Next, HDJammerz demonstrates a meaty Passion Press setup off a back throw before showing a handful of follow-up options in the event that the meaty hits.

And to round out this segment, here’s some anti-Mika technology. Bafael sent in a video from Mark Sauvie which centers around maximizing punish damage when dealing with R. Mika’s charged roundhouse. As noted in the video, this move is hugely punishable thanks to its less-than-stellar hitbox, so just knock her out of the air!

This is perhaps the most niche bit of information we’ve showcased in a roundup, but if you’re looking to figure out the best way to perform Chun-Li’s instant air Lightning Legs on a Hitbox controller, Sora gives a demonstration in this next clip.

We close the roundup out today with a compilation of tricky Laura setups from HapkidoRed. These tricks make use of many of the fighter’s tools to keep opponents guessing, so those looking to equip themselves with more offensive options should definitely check it out.

Do you have a video of your own you’d like to show off? Send it to us, and it could appear in a future Street Fighter V community roundup!

Sources: UltraChen TV, GamersGrid TV, VesperArcade, alb3530, NativeImpact, HB|Sora, Mark Sauvie via Bafael, HDJammerz, HapkidoRed

Hi everyone!

If you’ve followed me on Twitter, you know that I’ve been posting long reads about fighting games. They’ve ranged from how-to guides to strategy and philosophy. This column is a continuation of that.

I want to share my experiences with both new and intermediate players who might be stuck. If you read one of these and think, “Well, that was obvious,” then good! If you take something away from these articles, then that’s good too.

If you have any questions or suggestions for topics, feel free to ask me on Twitter. Previous articles in this series can be found here.

Fuzzy jumps are a defensive technique that has been making the rounds for the past couple of years. If you want a quick primer, I highly suggest watching BananaKen’s video on the topic. Not only does it describe how to perform fuzzy jumps in Street Fighter V, but it is a good visual reference for the timing, the inputs, and how to set up a training dummy to practice.

To be honest, the actual idea is quite old. However, after last weekend, it was once again brought to the forefront for players who aren’t that familiar with the concept. Let’s take a look at common questions regarding Fuzzy Jumps and see if we can’t answer them.

So what’s the idea here?

To review, the idea is to defend against attacks and throws, while minimizing the risk you take defending against both options. As explained by BananaKen, when you input db, ub LP+LK, db:

• If they attack, you block.
• If they throw, you tech.
• If they shimmy, you jump.
• If they command grab, you jump.

All around, it’s a powerful defensive technique. In the first place, if an opponent isn’t aware that you’re using this or doesn’t know how to counter it, you should be able to defend against the vast majority of their offensive options outright.

That being said, fuzzy jumps aren’t infallible. While it’s on the opponent to call you out, as explained in the aforementioned video, the opponent can delay an attack to catch you during jump startup. You’ll be considered airborne (thus, unable to block) while still on the ground, which means you can get punished. This changes the dynamic between the attacker and the defender:

• The opponent runs through the above options > You defend them all.
• The opponent delays their attack > You get hit.
• The opponent delays their attack > You read it and mash > You hit them.
• The opponent thinks you’re going to mash and uses their basic options again > You get hit.

Now, while delaying an attack is the universal way to catch this technique, it isn’t the only way, and it’s definitely worth exploring if there is a better way for your character to punish.

When do you do use this? I feel like if you do this repeatedly, you’ll get hit for free! It’s too strict/hard to do!

Of course you wouldn’t use this repeatedly. Like any other defensive technique (think crouch tech), you would want to time this when you feel like your opponent might try to throw you. There isn’t a certain amount of times you should be attempting this – instead, you should use it like a throw tech.

And, like anything else, it takes practice.

It’s getting patched out, so I don’t need to learn how to do it.

It’s not necessarily getting patched out–rather, it’s being slightly weakened.

Increasing jump startup by one frame makes it easier for the attacker to catch someone performing this technique on the ground. Not only that, it lets the attacker potentially catch a fuzzy jump attack with an attack that has a higher reward.

That said, it’s still a good idea to learn how fuzzy jumps works. Not only will you be able to recognize them when an opponent uses the technique against you, but you can identify when people use it in other games (if it exists). For example, fuzzy jumps are used by players in every current Arc System Works game, and even though the specifics differ slightly, the basic idea is the same.

If you have any further questions, leave them in the comments!

(Featured image c/o FGC: Rise of the Fighting Game Community)

Just in time for the holiday, NorCal Regionals returns to Sacramento, California this weekend for another round of competitive action. As a premier event on the Capcom Pro Tour, stakes will certainly be high for Street Fighter V players, but folks interested in Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U should be happy to hear their games of choice will also receive the spotlight.

Some of the players in town include Razer’s Infiltration and Xian; Evil Geniuses’ Momochi, Chocoblanka, Justin Wong, Ricki Ortiz, and PR Balrog; Pandora House’s LPN, Nando, HooDaMan, Jame, and TZA; Mad Catz’ Tokido; Winterfox’s 801 Strider; GODSGARDEN’s Kazunoko; Red Bull’s Snake Eyez and Bonchan; Liquid’s Nuckledu; brenttiscool; Level|Up Series’ Alex Valle; QANBA’s Xiaohai and Dakou; Panda TV’s Dark Jiewa; Republic of Gamers’ Kelvin Jeon; Majestic’s Haitani; Team YP’s Filipinoman and Bizzarro Flame; r/Kappa’s Poongko; Panda Global’s Filipino Champ; GIANTSWORD’s gllty; bjUNCHAINED; Julio; Apologyman; Team Spooky’s NerdJosh; Foo; Hellpockets; Thebeautifuldude; NYChrisG; Jeopardy; KBeast; BROKENTIER’s Clockwork; WindZero; Wentinel; Kumite in Tennessee’s SBK; and many, many more. A full list of brackets can be found on Challonge.

Competition will be broadcast live across four separate channels, all of which you’ll find below along with a detailed schedule of each event. You can also click the links below each stream to visit Twitch and chat with your fellow spectators.

Watch live video from TeamSp00ky on www.twitch.tv

Watch live video from CapcomFighters on www.twitch.tv

Watch live video from IPLAYWINNER on www.twitch.tv

Watch live video from IEBattleGrounds on www.twitch.tv

Schedule

Friday, March 25

Saturday, March 26

Sunday, March 27

Sources: NorCal Regionals, Capcom Fighters, Team Spooky, IPLAYWINNER, IE Battlegrounds

The fine folks of Last Stock Legends have been putting in a ton of work recently, doing their best to highlight major Smash tournaments and behind-the-scenes moments with some of the community’s best players. This dedication will culminate next month with a special documentary devoted entirely to Genesis 3.

This documentary will follow four specific players: Counter Logic Gaming teammates Zachary “SFAT” Cordoni and Kevin “PewPewU” Toy, Winterfox’s DaJuan “Shroomed” McDaniel, and Alliance’s Adam “Armada” Lindgren. As one of the largest events in Smash history, Genesis 3 meant a lot of different things to a lot of people, even within the relatively narrow view of the film in question.

Last Stock Legends’ Genesis 3 documentary is expected to drop sometime in April. If the wait is too unbearable, be sure to go back and check out their previous teaser, which dives into the dynamics of double play.

Source: Last Stock Legends

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.

Competitors expected to be in attendance tonight include RB|Snake Eyez, Alex Myers, pavocado, Julio, GS|gllty, ROG|Kelvin Jeon, G Dragon, PAN|Dark Jiewa, YP|Filipinoman, Graham Wolfe, bjUNCHAINED, and DM|El Cubano Loco, among others.

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.

Watch live video from showdowngg on www.twitch.tv

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.

Source: ShowDown

Nothing gets the blood flowing to the sword arm better than barbaric beats, and that’s exactly the sort of foundation upon which celldweller and Atlas Plug built Tusk’s theme in Killer Instinct. But that’s only one of the pieces that were combined to bring the thousand-year-old brute’s anthem to life. The other two–Viking influences and, well, rock–assemble atop this foundation to bring about yet another killer track for the title’s upcoming third season.

As with a similar video dedicated to the Arbiter, the behind-the-scenes look below treats viewers to the process of creating this track, including a large portion of the recording session for the vocal segments.

Killer Instinct Season 3 is scheduled to launch for Xbox One and PC on March 29.

Source: celldweller via Rotendo

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U initially drew criticism from would-be players due to its purported low execution ceiling, and, when compared to a game like Melee, that seemed a fair call to make. However, as the game has grown, new, more demanding technology has continued to surface. Granted, not every bit of tech is useful, but a lot of it, like perfect pivoting, is. Naturally, these higher execution techniques have made their way into competitive play, but even so long after the game’s release, they can still prove quite difficult to perform.

A while back, a player by the name of Bidou figured out a way to alleviate some of this high-level execution, discovering that the use of a (semi-)specific button layout allows players to hold down the special button (in a shoulder position) and tap their right stick (also mapped to special) in order to perform micro movements thanks to the way this layered special input is read by the game. With this in place, all of the nuanced movement options available become drastically simpler to perform, while also opening up entirely new options not available without such a control scheme.

Sadly, the implementation of these tactics benefits from four shoulder buttons, so those using a GameCube controller will find themselves at a disadvantage. There’s also a chance Nintendo could quell this type of input layering in a future patch, since they still have their eyes on tuning the game.

For a full breakdown of what’s possible using Bidou’s layout, as well as tips on how to perform each action, check out the video below.

Source: My Smash Corner