While setups and setplay have long been a staple of the fighting game genre, perhaps no game has relied on it more heavily than Street Fighter V. In order to maximize your ability to win, you have to implement some setplay into your repertoire in order to deal enough damage to get a stun, or even a KO.
This video — using Ryu and Ken as an example — explores the concept of setups and setplays, and shows how to implement them into your game. With these kind of setups, you can catch a lot of your opponents’ wake-up options, and even force them into less optimal situations by trying to avoid your pressure.
Once again, Mikado Arcade has uploaded over an hour of in-house gameplay footage of Rival Schools 2: Project Justice, the sequel to the 3D Capcom fighter that has now become a cult classic. Like their other uploads, the footage is of a full tournament, as you can tell by the commentary and players using various teams coming in and out periodically.
Fans of Rival Schools have been practically begging Capcom for a successor to Project Justice for years now. In 2015, director Hideaki Itsuno entertained the idea of a new Rival Schools story, but it seems even he is in the same boat as the fans. Still, with all of the crazy developments we’ve seen in the world of fighting games lately, like the existence of Dragon Ball FIghterZ, Akuma and Geese Howard crossing over to Tekken, and ARIKA creating a new EX game, there’s no telling what the future holds.
In any case, it seems that the patrons and employees of Mikado arcade are keeping the school spirit alive. Check out their latest Project Justice footage below, and a load of their previous streams here.
The ever-increasing presence of super meter in the Tekken universe is controversial among some parts of the community. The first character in the series to employ such a mechanic, guest character Akuma, uses it to dish out a tremendous amount of damage with his Focus Attack Dash Cancels. This Street Fighter IV shoto is the subject of HapkidoRed‘s latest high damage, high execution, and highly situational combo video.
Perhaps, we should have always seen Akuma’s (and soon, Geese’s) meter mechanic coming to the Tekken series. Tekken Revolution‘s Eliza was clearly a test run to see if a fireball/dragon punch centered character could even work in the 3D field. In the end, even she was gifted with a new meter system. When Tekken 7 (and possibly future installments, too) continue to broaden the scope of system mechanics in the series, we can look back at this Raging Demon to see where it all began.
Can this smaller budget stick hold its own in a fight?
Players looking to try out an arcade stick — but not wanting to invest $150-$300 in an arcade-quality product — may turn their attention to low-cost “budget” sticks that utilize components of lesser quality than Sanwa Denshi, Seimitsu, or HORI’s more durable offerings. The HORI Fighting Stick MINI 4 falls into this category, but with the edge of being manufactured by a company that also produces arcade-spec parts for its higher-end products. How does this budget stick compare? HORI provided SRK a sample so we could find out for ourselves.
The “MINI” in the name is the operative word — this stick’s primary feature (and arguable selling point) is being small. And small it is. It is only just over eight inches wide, and the case is barely over an inch deep. The face pushbuttons are only 20mm across — while 30mm is the usual standard size for full-size pushbuttons, or 24mm for start/select versions. Even the balltop is slightly smaller than a usual arcade balltop. The result is truly MINI — it’s almost kinda cute, looking like “it’ll be a real fightstick when it grows up.”
The functions and features on this stick are bare-bones. It’s got the PS button, OPTIONS/SHARE (START/SELECT), and a switch to shift between PS3/PS4 compatibility (it is not advertised as PC compatible, but my PC did recognize it, and it worked fine). There is no turbo, or button reassignment — a shame on the latter, as that leaves the R3/L3 buttons completely inaccessible.
While in use, the lever and buttons actually feel pretty good. Not as good as Hayabusa or Sanwa Denshi stuff of course, but the buttons aren’t spongy, they have a quick, short throw and good snap. The square-gated lever feels almost identical to a Hayabusa or JLF — and even sounds the same — and I found both to be about as responsive in-game as their larger arcade-spec counterparts. (Upon closer inspection of the insides, it looks like the microswitches in the lever are the same type used in full-size sticks, just set in a much shallower base.) I could play and perform combos in Street Fighter V almost as well as usual; with time and practice, one could adjust to using this.
The issue, when it comes to gameplay, comes back to the unit’s size and weight. It’s tiny, so your hands are closer together; it’s very light, so if you put this on your lap you need to be very controlled and careful with your inputs, or the stick is just going to take off with you. The base has small, flat rubber feet, so on a tabletop that’s somewhat less of an issue. But if you play with the stick on your lap — which is clearly the most common — there’s a problem. This is too bad, as the small size and low weight make this little stick ideal to transport to events, or to a friend/rival’s house.
The size of the buttons themselves will prove a hindrance to some as well. If you have big hands, you’ll find everything here much too close together. On the other side: if you have small hands, it’s possible that the size of this stick and its lever/buttons may actually suit you more than a full-size fightstick. So: comfort will vary. Important to note: this is definitely not a mod-friendly product; unlike something like the slightly pricier Mad Catz FightStick Alpha, the case is so shallow that swapping buttons isn’t even a consideration — added to the fact that, as you can see below, the pushbuttons are soldered directly into a single board.
At $39.99-$49.99 USD, it seems pretty clear that the market for this stick isn’t hardcore fightstick warriors, but the casual market. And casual players may indeed find this controller entertaining, as it does essentially emulate the arcade “experience” for a reasonable price. If you just like mashing buttons in a fighter now and then, and want something a bit closer to an arcade configuration, you should get your money’s worth. I found it somewhat fun, but I would definitely prefer to use an arcade stick, or a pad. This stick’s design drawbacks don’t make it a practical substitute for a full-size fightstick, even if the idea of a portable fightstick seems appealing. Serious players — or even players looking get that arcade “feel” — will get more mileage and a better experience out of one of HORI’s larger products, such as the Real Arcade Pro line.
Pros:
Got small hands? This tiny stick may be more comfortable for you
Compact and light, easy to transport
Lever and buttons perform to nearly arcade-level specifications
Low price
Cons:
Got big hands? This tiny stick will be really uncomfortable for you
Too light to hold effectively on your lap during a fight
Compact integrated components rule out modding/repair
Esports are coming up as a topic for the Olympics, the biggest sporting event in the world. As we previously reported, the Paris 2024 committee is heavily considering adding virtual categories to its typical lineup of track and field athletics, gymnastics, and so on. They expressed some positive interest in adding certain games to it, though we haven’t heard specifics yet.
It turns out that the path won’t be as easy as it might have seemed. In a recent interview, Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, expressed some strong qualifiers as to what kind of games could possibly be included: those that don’t promote violence.
“We want to promote non-discrimination, non-violence, and peace among people. This doesn’t match with video games, which are about violence, explosions, and killing. And there we have to draw a clear line,” Bach said. Though he didn’t name any specific titles, the kinds of games he expressed enthusiasm for included sport simulators that mirror real baseball, soccer, basketball, and so on.
Maybe if games like Overwatch (rated Teen by the ESRB) and Call of Duty (rated M) are too much, would fighting games like Street Fighter V and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U not make it in either (certainly more family-friendly than Mortal Kombat)? We still have a few years to find out; esports titles are gaining traction at the 2022 Asian Games in China, becoming a medal event.
“These discussions are going on. It will still take some time because this industry is now shaping itself,” Bach said. “It’s a successful industry, but it is not yet really established in an organizational way.”
A tool to further increase the power of the Neo-Shadaloo Commander.
True unblockables are few and far between in Street Fighter V; in yesterday’s Menat roundup, we referred to an Ed unblockable that’s been making the rounds. In the video below from (appropriately-named) Young Commander, you can see the setup in question, and a breakdown of how it works: if the Psycho Cannon projectile and a charged Psycho Snatcher (V-Skill) meet on the same frame, the blocking opponent gets grabbed by the V-Skill.
Delayed wakeup (or invincible reversals) will beat this setup. Something to keep in mind for Ed mains — or when facing the Psycho-powered boxer as an enemy.
After a hiatus of over a month, the Shadaloo Combat Research Institute has unearthed another batch of their Activity Reports, containing information on various characters throughout the Street Fighter universe. Private Nakagawa returns to provide narration for these documents.
First up, we have Elena’s family members.
Private Nakagawa: “Today we’re introducing Elena’s family. A proud family that inherited the blood of warriors, who lives in harmony with nature in a house in the Savannah. (Who knows if they can all do Healing!…)”
Basic Info:
Name: Jafari [Swahili rendition of the Arabic male name جعفر Ja’far, “spring, rivulet.”]
Height: 190cm
Weight: 92kg
Blood type: Unknown
Birthday: January 2nd
Country of Origin: Kenya
Likes: The Spirit of Family
Dislikes: Alcohol (can’t hold it)
Basic Info:
Name: Amina [Swahili rendition of two female Arabic names: the first, آمنة Āmina (accent upon the first syllable) “safe, secure,” was also the name of Muhammad‘s mother. The second, أمينة Amīna (accent upon the second syllable) “faithful, trustworthy,” is the female version of the male name أمين Amīn.]
Height: 183cm
Weight: 62kg
Blood type: Unknown
Birthday: February 7th
Country of Origin: Kenya
Likes: Family, Sukuma wiki
Dislikes: Paved Roads
Basic Info:
Name: Marcus [English version of the Latin name Marcus “related to Mars.” It’s curious this shift of names’ origin in the new generation: even Elena comes from the Ancient Greek Ἑλένη Helenē, maybe from ἑλάνη elane “torch” or a corruption of Σελήνη Selene, “Moon.” ]
Height: 184cm
Weight: 77kg
Blood type: Unknown
Birthday: September 7th
Country of Origin: Kenya
Likes: Capoeira
Dislikes: Sweets
Private Nakagawa: “The head of the family Jafari descends from a family of warrors. The mother Amina kindly watches over her family. Elena is only a few years apart from her older brother Marcus. Jafari went to study abroad in France and has a PhD in Pharmaceutics and Veterinary Medicine. He’s a good leader, and an extremely wise man. Amina is a loving mother. Her relatives live nearby. Marcus is a master capoeirista, raised under his father’s wing. He’s expected to succeed Jafari and establish his own family. He’s also secretly a fan of Dee Jay. The family gets along well, and spends the weekends going to the city, visiting museums and seeing theater.”
To refresh your memory, here’s a look at them from Elena’s Ultra Street Fighter IV Arcade Mode prologue.
Next up, we have Aprile’s brother, Maggio.
Private Nakagawa: “This time we introduce a kid with special issues. He doesn’t seem like someone able to fight, but he’s studying some power, apparently.”
Basic Info:
Name: Maggio [Italian, “May.” Which doesn’t agree with his birth month… Anyway, Italy is now officially “the land of absurd hair” according to Capcom. Not even Guile’s family could compete (and I expect Guile’s wife to show up soon).]
Height: 167cm
Weight: 52kg
Blood type: 0
Birthday: August 5th
Country of Origin: Italy
Likes: His Sister, Yo-yo
Dislikes: Dark Places
Private Nakagawa: “He’s a young man who’s searching for his disappeared older sister. Just when his parents were about to accept the fate of his sister, he heard of a fortune teller who could see into the future. Maggio was only a boy back then, but all alone he kept walking for days up to Genoa, where the “Palace of Miracles” was. He’s currently learning fortune telling together with a senior apprentice [Come on, we all know it’s Menat. It would make sense for Menat to pester Ed even in her story mode: after all, Ed could know where Aprile went, or she could be a member of his Neo-Shadaloo. So Aprile is still missing months after Shadaloo’s fall, apparently…] under the mistress of the Palace, while continuing to search for his sister. He never lets go of his yo-yo, because it was a present from his sister. Sniff, what a sad story… …But pink hair and Italian origin just reminded me of someone I think I met somewhere. The infirmary… it was? I forgot.”
Finally, we close out this set of profiles with one of Retsu’s underlings from the Mad Gear Gang, seen in 1993’s Final Fight 2, Eliza.
Private Nakagawa: “She can kill her enemies with her agility and her proficiency with the knife! It seems her knife attack pattern is so irregular that it’s extremely hard to dodge.
Basic Info:
Name: Eliza
Height: 160cm
Weight: 48kg
Blood type: A
Birthday: August 5th [Suspiciously identical to Maggio…]
Country of Origin: USA
Likes: NWOBHM
Dislikes: Dirty people
Private Nakagawa: “She’s fickle and prone to pursue every new fad. She had some experience in a band, when she wanted to become a vocalist, but soon she got tired and quit. It seems she has a twin brother named Robert. She’s currently searching for a lover!”
And with that, we’re at 235 CFN Portal profiles. From the looks of things, they’ll be covering the remaining goons of Final Fight 2 for the next few weeks, before possibly moving on to the mooks of Final Fight 3, or perhaps something else entirely. If you’re interested in more recent CFN Portal profiles, you can check out the Activity Reports of Demon Machami & Shin, as well as Meterorito Jr. & Antler Inoki.
Feast your eyes on this sneak peek into a sumptuous visual history of Street Fighter.
To celebrate thirty years of the game that started the very genre we love, Dynamite Entertainment is bringing us Undisputed Street Fighter: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective, a 304-page artbook detailing any and all elements of the Street Fighter franchise over the last three decades. The book covers the rich history of the games, the merchandise, and the players.
To whet your appetite, here are some preview pages from the upcoming artbook’s first chapter, “King of the Arcade,” (provided by art designer Jason Ullmeyer) which focuses on the Street Fighter II series’ impact on video arcades. Commentary on these selected pages has been provided by author Steven Hendershot.
One of the revelations in the “Final Fight as First Step” section is the fact that Charles Bronson’s movie The Streetfighter was an influence on the development of both Final Fight and Street Fighter II. It sounds like a fairly obvious connection, but American audiences have mostly overlooked it, and the reason is that the movie was released here as Hard Times. I didn’t even put it together during my interview with Akira Yasuda in Tokyo — I heard him say “Charles Bronson” and “Street Fighter” but didn’t understand what he was saying until I was back in Chicago reading an actual translated transcript of the interview. Then I headed online and found the Japanese movie poster that’s on page 23, and got pretty excited.
The section on early Southern California players features some big FGC names in Tomo Ohira, Mike Watson, and Alex Valle. But early on in the reporting process, I fixated on John Bailon, the arcade manager who created this amazing culture that nurtured the development of so many top players. Considering that John still lives in the neighborhood where Southern Hills Golfland once stood, you’d think he would have been easy to track down, yet something it took like two months. Still, it was completely worth it because I loved hearing how he built Southern Hills scene, and thus the role he played in the creation of the FGC. He told me a story about going to Evo a few years ago, and how it was cool to be recognized by a few people, and to pose for pictures.
I hope this book does something similar for him and for all the other arcade managers who took special care to cater to serious players. They were instrumental. (Side note: I loved hearing John talk about what it was like to be Alex Valle’s boss when Alex worked at Southern Hills as a Street Fighter star slash regular arcade employee. A lot of that stuff didn’t make the book, but was fun to hear, like John saying “I had to reprimand people for staying too late after work, playing until the wee hours of the morning.” How many bosses have that problem, where they can’t get their employees to leave at the end of the day?
Undisputed Street Fighter: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective is available to pre-order right now from Amazon; you can get the regular edition (releases November 14, 2017) for $27.49 USD, or the deluxe slipcased edition (releases December 19, 2017) for $89.10 USD. It will also be available for Kindle, and via comiXology.
It’s day three of Menat-Mania in Street Fighter V. Rose’s fortune-telling apprentice has proven to be by far the most popular of Season 2’s reveals thus far. After seeing the tidal wave of tech coming in for her, it’s easy to think her future looks bright: she’s got great neutral, gimmicks, and the ability to cash out for a ton of damage from a variety of situations if she needs to.
Let’s see what the SFV community has come up with!
DaikenDanBB shows off Menat’s ability to combo off a grab…
Really, your creativity is the only thing between you and an absurd V-Trigger cross-up setup. Check out what DaFeetLee cooked up after looking at zaaa_ruuu‘s work.
Square Enix have announced that they will reveal a new character for Dissidia Final Fantasy on September 5th. The reveal will be during a stream on the Japanese streaming site NicoNico Live, where director Takeo Kujiraoka and producer Ichiro Hazama also plan to demonstrate their game’s latest updates.
Reportedly, Square Enix recently proclaimed that Dissidia would get a new character every month from August to November of this year. The release of Jecht that came early this month, coupled with this new character announcement, proves them to be true to their word so far.
You may not get a chance to play Dissidia Final Fantasy in the arcade, but Dissidia Final Fantasy NT comes out on PlayStation 4 on January 30th, 2018. You can pre-order it now.
The issue, when it comes to gameplay, comes back to the unit’s size and weight. It’s tiny, so your hands are closer together; it’s very light, so if you put this on your lap you need to be very controlled and careful with your inputs, or the stick is just going to take off with you. The base has small, flat rubber feet, so on a tabletop that’s somewhat less of an issue. But if you play with the stick on your lap — which is clearly the most common — there’s a problem. This is too bad, as the small size and low weight make this little stick ideal to transport to events, or to a friend/rival’s house.
![[regular edition]](http://i2.wp.com/shoryuken.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Undisputed-Street-Fighter-regular-cover.jpg?fit=278%2C320)
![[deluxe edition]](http://i0.wp.com/shoryuken.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Undisputed-Street-Fighter-deluxe-cover.jpg?fit=348%2C320)
