Category: Fighting Games

When watching high-level competition in Ultra Street Fighter IV, it’s easy to pick out the best plays as they unfold on the screen, but unless we slow things, there’s a good chance that the finer details may slip by unnoticed. This is especially true following moments of increased excitement that tend to happen when one player makes (or fails to make) a hard read on their opponent.

Luckily, Jay Rego has been taking the time to slow down high-stakes matches so viewers can watch each decision some of the world’s best players make as they make them. His latest breakdowns cover the first two games of the Canada Cup 2015 grand finals between Mad Catz’ Tokido and Fuudo of Razer.

For more videos of this nature, be sure to take a look at Rego’s breakdown of the Stunfest 2015 grand finals as well.

Source: Jay Rego

The 2015 Ultra Street Fighter IV Capcom Pro Tour comes to its final stop before the grand finale! DreamHack Winter in Jönköping, Sweden will settle which player will claim the final spot in this year’s Capcom Cup.

In addition to a strong showing from the European scene with players like MD|Luffy, FA|Ryan Hart, and KIG|Problem X, a several international players will be crashing the party, including Gonzalez and Reiketsu of Japan; CCG|Humanbomb of Hong Kong; FA|Big Bird and Frametrap|The Prince of the Middle East; and DaFeetLee of the US. You won’t want to miss this one, so tune into Capcom Fighters on Twitch to catch the action.

Watch live video from CapcomFighters on www.twitch.tv

Sources: DreamHack, CapcomFighters

There’s no denying Sheik’s power in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, but even the (arguably) strongest character in the game isn’t without her shortcomings. Her biggest–and perhaps only–weaknesses include a general lack of reliable combo options above 100% or so, and difficulty finishing her plate. Once opponents make their way north of that figure, there’s a marked increase in the scramble-style of play that Sheiks often exhibit, a stark contrast to the perfectly-machined portion that usually takes place at the beginning of a stock.

This newest video from Deku Tree explores a way around both of these weaknesses by breaking down some information discovered and compiled by Tristan_win and Absol 359 earlier this year. In the video, Sheik players will learn to use a weak neutral air to set up a combo into her bouncing fish.

It’s important to note that this works for a fairly large range of percents and against a vast number of characters, though once outside of its sweet spot percentage range, it isn’t a true combo. However, having this option in your back pocket may be the best way to close out a set against an unsuspecting opponent.

Source: Deku Tree

We recently showcased a Marvel vs. Capcom 2 combo video from legendary creator Clayton “FINALSHOWDOWN” Chapman. But as any combo video artist will know, many combos end up on the cutting room floor as you put a project together.

Chapman has taken the combos and footage that didn’t make it into his previous Hayato combo video and strung them together to create a special leftovers showcase. As with the last one, this video features only Hayato, with no assists or DHCs.

Source: FINALSHOWDOWN

WinnerStaysOn’s LoganSama, Shady K, and Kim1234 of YUBIKEN recently put together a brand new fighting game podcast called The Jump-In to talk about various subjects concerning the community.

For their first episode, they touch on the subject of tournament commentary, highlighting the idea that the community may have lowered the bar when streaming was in its infancy by letting just anyone hop on the mic.

They also take the time to talk about the job itself, noting its difficult nature and the fact some competitors have to give up playing just to be able to do commentary for an entire weekend. This naturally leads into the question of whether or not commentators should be compensated for their work.

Give their thoughts some of your time and let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: The Jump-In

Tonight, Wednesday Night Fights returns with more live competition from their new home at eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California. After a brief foray into online tournaments, Level|Up Series is back to doing what they do best, and is set to kick off the fall season with brackets for Ultra Street Fighter IV, Mortal Kombat X, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and Super Smash Bros. Melee.

But that’s not all! While the four titles above are being considered the event’s main attractions, the larger venue has give Level|Up the opportunity to invite a number of other communities to take part. Some of the other games being featured tonight include Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Killer Instinct, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late, and more.

Every stream has been included below, but feel free to follow their respective links should you want to join chat. To attend these events in person, be sure to check out eSports Arena here.

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Level|Up Live (Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat)

Watch live video from Level|Up Live on www.twitch.tv

Nick Tanella (Street Fighter)

Watch live video from NickTanella on www.twitch.tv

2G Gaming (Smash)

Watch live video from 2GGaming on www.twitch.tv

Jyosua (Guilty Gear, BlazBlue, Persona, Under Night In-Birth)

Watch live video from Jyosua on www.twitch.tv

Kevin Ha (Marvel)

Watch live video from Kevin_Ha Live on www.twitch.tv

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Sources: Level|Up Series (1, 2), Level|Up Live, Nick Tanella, 2G Gaming, Jyosua, Kevin Ha