Category: Fighting Games

The folks over at VG BootCamp 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, with tonight’s stream focusing entirely on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

As a neat twist, the event will also allow players to choose custom moves, so check it out to see what these techniques bring to the table. 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: VG BootCamp

Although he placed third at Evo 2014 just behind Evil Geniuses Justin Wong and Christopher “NYChrisG” Gonzalez (then sponsored by GamesterGear), the early parts of this year have seen very little from Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 powerhouse Ryan “Filipino Champ” Ramirez. A new job working at Nvidia has consumed much of the time that practice normally filled, leaving little opportunity to attend tournaments on a regular basis.

That all changed at Final Round 18, an event that saw the former Evo champion edge out veterans and relative newcomers alike to secure his first major championship since West Coast Warzone 4 last September. That said, his victory came as no personal surprise to the Northern California competitor.

“It was just a matter of time for me to take it,” Ramirez told theScore eSports reporter Rod “Slasher” Breslau. “I’ve always put myself in the position to win by placing high consistently.”

Confidence has been a huge part of Ramirez’ game since he exploded onto the scene shortly after Street Fighter IV’s release in 2009. While some may be turned off by what they see as obnoxious behavior, he has regularly embraced the Filipino Champ persona, relishing the responses he gets from acting as the community’s heel. But that’s not to say there haven’t been cracks; narrowly edging out Gonzalez and runner-up Carlos “Infrit” Randay at Evo 2012 left him visibly drained, and an on-stream interview at Final Round 18 saw him bid farewell to the negative image attached to his gamertag.

Fortunately, the confidence is still there. While he still gives props to Gonzalez and Wong, Ramirez feels he is the most complete of the three, particularly when it comes to avoiding damage. “Defense to me is the highest attribute in fighting games and I work hard developing my defense over time,” he explained. “Thanks to it my tourney results are pretty consistent.”

There’s no doubt this factor of Ramirez’ game contributed the most to his first-place finish this weekend, and seeing him rise to the upper ranks of competition once again makes us excited to see what he has in store for 2015.

For more of theScore’s conversation, be sure to visit the original article.

Source: theScore eSports

Saying Final Round 18 brought the hype this past weekend would be a severe understatement; due to its status as the first premier event on Capcom Pro Tour 2015, players from across the world gathered in Atlanta, Georgia to put their skills on display in Ultra Street Fighter IV.

To showcase some of their favorite exchanges, Capcom themselves have put together a highlight reel of the top five moments from the event. If you missed out on the live stream and were left wondering what the hell folks were talking about as they went crazy for Team Spooky’s Arturo Sanchez, Snake Eyez, and Xian of Razer on social media, this is the perfect way to catch up.

Full results for this and other games at Final Round 18 can be found in our coverage hub.

Source: Capcom Fighters

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.

Source: Slime Time

While it may not immediately come to mind when thinking of strong areas in the fighting game comunity, Utah has produced its share to top players, with competitors such as 801 Strider and iPeru have become familiar sights in the upper echelons of many tournaments throughout the country.

To help get the word out on the state’s scene,  Steven “SRM Slinkun” Malecki produced The Saltiest Lake, a short student film that takes a closer look at the region. The documentary, which you can see below, features interviews with some of the bright lights of their scene (including the aforementioned duo), giving insight into their growing community.

Source: SRM Slinkun

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.

Source: Smash Highlights via SmashBoards

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.

Source: GroundedSF