Category: Fighting Games

We may not be able to live out our movie monster fantasies as Leatherface or get fall-down drunk mid-match with Bo’ Rai Cho. We may not be able to locate The Pit or that armory stuffed full of free medieval outfits. We may not–honestly, I could do this all day; let’s press on.

We of the PC ilk may not be prepared to forget (semi-)recent revelations regarding upcoming Mortal Kombat X content, but we are quick to forget the upper hand we’ve had on our console brethren since the game launched last year. Through the magic of mods–and some potentially dubious file delving–we’ve gained access to a handful of characters who, for good reason, are not intended for player use. Characters like Baraka.

To instill due jealousy in those stuck with an increasing roster of characters locked behind a pay gate, Jake “PND|Mustard” Neal took the game’s resident Tarkatan to training mode to show off just how powerful he is. Crouching attacks that hit mid, loads of pushback on his blocked buttons, a back dash that leaves him within striking distance of opponents, and other impressive Kombat tactics all roll into one hell of a fine fighter. Baraka is truly a force to be reckoned with…

…if you’re playing on PC, that is.

(Author’s note: Baraka is actually terrible. This is the only way I can cope with my feelings of rejection.)

You can find similar videos for Rain and Sindel by following their respective links.

Source: Mustard via Test Your Might

The Daily Dot’s Best of III returns with yet another fighting game luminary as a guest panelist. This time, they talk to none other than Ari “Floe” Weintraub.

Some of the subjects covered by the panel in the video below include Street Fighter V’s launch as well as the game’s record breaking registration numbers at Evo 2016.

Floe also stays on for an interview covering his new tutorial series, Street Fighter V’s Rashid, and more, so check out the archive below if you missed their live broadcast.

Source: Daily Dot eSports

With all the hype surrounding Street Fighter V, it’s easy to lapse into temporary amnesia with regard to other fighting titles. Luckily, My Smash Corner is still hard at work providing helpful Super Smash Bros. for Wii U content for those not wholly enamored with Capcom’s latest offering.

Their most recent video focuses on tech for series newcomer Bayonetta. Since she has come to be known for her devastating kill combos, you’ll find plenty of information on how to execute these strings against a few different directional influence options and weight classes. Perhaps more importantly, My Smash Corner includes a lengthy segment on how to prevent this gun-toting terror from scoring free stocks.

Whether you play as or against her, this Bayonetta video is worth a watch.

Source: My Smash Corner

Fighting games are complex. Learning how to create damage opportunities of your own while defending against an opponent’s attempt at the same can turn some seemingly simple strategies into truly overwhelming situations.

Because of this–and, certainly, other reasons, too–newcomers often have difficulty dealing with crossups. Even if they know how to correctly change their block direction, they may still find themselves stuck in an endless spin cycle with an opponent hopping from side to side attempting to crack them open with the same string until they eventually hit a button at the wrong time and eat a full combo. It’s frustrating.

In another recent tutorial video, jmcrofts addresses a few methods for dealing with these potentially infuriating attacks. Of course, the defender still needs to hone their reaction times in order to successfully pull these off, but, if nothing else, the video demonstrates that a crossup heavy offense is far from bulletproof.

For more beginner tips, be sure to check out the rest of jmcrofts’ videos.

Source: jmcrofts

Wednesday Night Fights returns to the eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California tonight for the long-awaited first installment of their 2016 season. Street Fighter V has graced the community since their time off, and will join Mortal Kombat X and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U as the main titles on display for the next few months.

But that doesn’t mean those are the only games they’ll be featuring. Attendees can also expect community-driven efforts for Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Killer Instinct, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late.

You can catch all the action by tuning into the live streams below or heading on over to their respective Twitch channels.

Watch live video from leveluplive on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from NickTanella on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from 2GGaming on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from Kevin_Ha on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Level|Up Series, Level|Up Live, Nick Tanella, 2G Gaming, Kevin Ha

The importance of frame traps can’t be denied, but figuring out how to perform them, or even what they are, can prove difficult to those new to the genre. In a recent video, jmcrofts offers a quick definition of the term, shows when frame traps can and should be applied in a match, and then goes on to demonstrate how to practice them in Street Fighter V’s training mode through the use of various options.

As with the other training mode videos we’ve featured since the release of Street Fighter V, this information might be old news to the majority of our readers; however, if you know someone taking their first steps into the realm of fighting, have them give it a watch. It may help them enjoy themselves more when throwing down for Fight Money.

Source: jmcrofts

This week’s installment of Next Level Battle Circuit is now streaming live courtesy of Team Spooky. As usual, the event is being broadcast from its namesake, Next Level Arcade, in New York City. Tonight, they’ll be introducing Street Fighter V into the mix, so be sure to tune in for that as well as some Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-.

Some of the players you can expect in attendance tonight include F3|Alucard, TS|Sabin, RayRay, PIE|Smug, Dieminion, LI Joe, DaFeetLee, and OG|Shine, among others.

If you would like to check out these weekly tournaments, you can head on over to Next Level Arcade and take part every Wednesday. The address has been included below.

4013 8th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11232

The stream is currently live below, but you can also visit Twitch to join the chat. Full brackets will be made available through Challonge.

Watch live video from TeamSp00ky on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Team Spooky

The folks over at VGBootCamp recently went live with another installment of Smash @ Xanadu from Xanadu Games in Baltimore, Maryland. These weekly broadcasts provide a great look at the region’s Smash community, and tonight’s installment will feature competition in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

In addition to local talent, Canadian competitor Kage the Warrior will also be in attendance.

If you’re interested in some Smash Bros. action, be sure to tune in. The stream is live below, but you can also head on over to Twitch to join the chat.

Watch live video from VGBootCamp on www.twitch.tv

Source: VGBootCamp

Evil Geniuses’ Eduardo “PR Balrog” Perez has done his fair share of match recording throughout the early life of Street Fighter V. He’s used Vega, Necalli, Laura, and a handful of other characters to dispatch opponents, but all of his training up to this point didn’t prepare him for a recent match against Lamerboi’s Rashid.

Their match starts out looking standard enough, but once Eduardo has Lamerboi on the ropes, things change; the restrictors truly come off. In a tweet containing the match video, Eduardo notes that Rashid looks a lot like a Marvel character in Lamerboi’s hands, an easy comparison to draw after witnessing the character’s juggle potential.

We’ve included this replay below alongside a couple more from Eduardo’s channel to highlight  his other matches. If you’d like to see even more, be sure to head over to YouTube.

Source: PR Balrog