Top Street Fighter YouTube channel YogaFlame24 has created a new weekly series for “The Home of Fighting Entertainment.” This new “Top 5 Plays of the Week” series will count down what they feel are the five best SFV plays each week, based off of clips of online matches sent in by viewers to Twitter, as well as taken from various streams of top players.
The first episode features the controversial Wolfkrone making a V-Trigger comeback with Laura after being perfected the previous round, and Realistic’s crazy bomb shenanigans with Ibuki. There’s an absolutely breathtaking Critical Art escape from HORI|Sako, LI Joe taking an unsuspecting Zangief on a trip to Mixup City, and Chris Hu showing he’s more than just a commentator with a hype comeback at a recent Next Level Battle Circuit. (You might not want want to watch that last moment with headphones on.) You can catch the full video below to experience the hype for yourself.
YogaFlame24’s looking to make this a new weekly feature on the channel, so feel free to provide feedback in the comments and send him some clips of your own to YTYogaFlame24 on Twitter.
Famitsu magazine revealed that Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st] is coming to PlayStation 3 and 4–as well as the Vita–on July 20th. We now have a gallery of screenshots that showcase a little bit of Story Mode (apparently called Chronicle Mode) as well as Enkidu, the newcomer.
The screenshots below tease some dialogue from Chronicle Mode. We see several of Enkidu’s attacks, including what’s possibly his “Infinite Worth” super move. The stage shown in the background also seems to be new. One of the screenshots also teases a type of “Challenge Mode” that teaches combos, which should be a welcome addition. Mika is shown there, another new character who’s available in arcades.
Are you pumped for July 20th? That’s also Yuzuriha’s birthday, so mark your calendar twice.
On August 5th, a new Tekken-only tournament will open its doors!
Hosted at the University of Houston’s Student Center, the event is dedicated (As of now) solely to Tekken 7, and will be sporting a pot bonus of $1000. Early sign-ups are now online at it’s EventBrite page. You can also check out the event’s Facebook page. This event is at its cheapest the earlier you register, so make your plans soon.
Given the event’s pot bonus and it’s location (this is the same state with Tekken pros ITS|Spero Gin, DJ Kor, IceColdEdge, and more!), you can guarantee there will be strong competition at this event.
With less than a month to go until the release of NetherRealm Studios’ latest fighter–Injustice 2–news has been plentiful over the past few months. We recently got a gameplay trailer for Poison Ivy, and we’ve also learned about the new single-player Multiverse Mode. The final part of Shattered Alliances featuring new antagonist Brainiac has been revealed, and the next–and probably final–character reveal is scheduled for April 28th.
Among all this activity however, some big news snuck in without fanfare. NRS Creative Director Ed Boon changed his Twitter account’s icon and background yesterday, now featuring a black version of the Injustice 2 logo set against a solid gold background. This seems to imply that the title has gone gold–meaning that all content for the initial launch version of the game has been fully completed, and the discs are now ready to be pressed for release. The team is likely now focusing on the upcoming nine DLC characters, and other forms of post-release content. Boon did something similar during the lead-up to Mortal Kombat X’s release, specifically around a month before it was released–the exact time frame we’re currently in for Injustice 2.
There is also an even greater level of significance to the date of this change, as April 19th officially marked the six-year anniversary since the release of Mortal Kombat 9, the first fighting game title released under the banner of NetherRealm Studios–a fact Boon referenced on Twitter in a reply to community member Mr. Mileena, which you can see below.
As the release date draws ever closer, how do you feel about this news? What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming game? Sound off in the comments section below!
Injustice 2 will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 16th.
This is region parity like we rarely ever get to see: European publisher of several Arc System Works confirmed that the latest entry in the Guilty Gear series, Xrd REV 2, is simultaneously releasing on consoles in Europe and North America. PQube has announced May 26th as a release date.
A new European Guilty Gear website has popped up, detailing new features in REV 2–such as added stages, Baiken and Answer, rebalancing of the cast, more story content, and so on. The site points to Amazon to preorder Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, though the copies seem “out of stock” at press time. European players also have an option to purchase a Limited Edition of REV 2.
Expect to see REV 2 in stores on May 26th in both North American and Europe, while Japan gets the game on May 25th. There is also a yet unannounced REV 2 demo coming–most likely as a pre-order bonus.
In late March, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 was released into the wild of Japanese arcades. Since then, the Guilty Gear community has feverishly been labbing up the new characters for REV 2: Baiken and Answer. Legendary Guilty Gear veteran and I-no pioneer, Koichi, took the time to write on strategy for these characters, going into REV 2’s release. Koichi has recently transitioned into a strong leadership role in the Japanese FGC: from helping run events, to writing articles, to doing commentary for a variety of scenes. He is a member of the Goziline team, a website where he and his colleagues write about a variety of games. In order to give you a head start on Baiken in REV 2, this article will translate his ideas, strategy, and thoughts on aspects of her playstyle. This write-up is based on his original article published on Goziline, here.
Koichi’s fight card from the 2016 Arc System Works Fighting Game Awards. “I will show you the culmination of my 34 years of life as a man of games. Burn the spectacle of my life into your eyes.”
Please consider following Ruu and Kedako (who also streams on twitch.tv), two veteran GG players and community leaders from West Japan. These two are responsible for many valuable resources, such as the Answer and Baiken frame data (which you can access here, from Ruu’s blog). Thanks to Donyea, we even have an English translated version of the Baiken frame data, available here.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at Koichi’s thoughts on Baiken going into early REV 2.
Baiken’s Primary Attacks
5K – A quick, horizontal kick that you can put out in a carefree manner in the midrange. This attack gatlings into sweep, and is hit confirm-able into Suzuran~Kuchinashi (63214K~P)
2S – A small strike using Baiken’s mace. Has decent reach and although the return is low, if canceled into Suzuran~Rokkonsogi, it will connect on counter-hit.
2S is great for space control in the mid range.
2HS – A low profile, low hitting, and crouching sword slash with long startup, but is cancelable. Can be connected into from S buttons. Use this to cancel into Suzuran~Rokkonsogi (63214K+HS) for a push to the corner.
This new 2HS looks familiar, no? Ukyo Tachibana would be proud…
Suzuran~Rokkonsogi (63214K + HS) – Forward moving slash that floats the opponent on counter-hit, allowing for further pursuit. Slightly disadvantageous on block, so use Suzuran or Azami to cover yourself after!
Suzuran~Rokkonsogi is an important tool!
IAD Tatami Gaeshi (236+K) – Use air Tatami with IAD backdash to counter their pursuit. On hit, it floats the opponent, giving this attack high return. Inputting 2369N6+K will give you air tatami, but beware it is a little slow!
Try to use the above attacks during neutral, combined with anti-air 6P and 2HS strikes. When opponents are content to stay away, poke with her new projectile, Suzuran~Yashagatana. She shoots a small rocket along the screen at a low altitude. Although the startup is low and the attack level is suspected to be low, when combined with YRC, this likely presents a strong offensive option. Jump P is the default air to air button, and her Jump S is the preferred air to ground normal because of its reach and angle.
For Yashagatana, Baiken shoots a rocket from underneath her Kimono! Good for zoning and can be used with YRC to cover your offensive approach!
Day One Baiken Strats
First, we have to establish that in this game, Baiken is significantly weaker on defense. Guard Cancel? Nope. Reversal Tsurane? Too slow. Consider even her new walking animation; this is not the Baiken we once knew.
Thus, if you want to win, we have to find new ways to attack. We can make our horizontal push in neutral using Suzuran~Rokkonsogi and 2HS canceled into Rokkonsogi. Even on guard, it is difficult to punish, so in most cases you can use Azami stance afterwards. At first, you may be fine to rely on Rokkonsogi, but it is a good idea to mix your offensive front up with Kabari (41236+HS) and Suzuran~Yashagatana (63214+K～D). If the opponent is trying to escape through the air, using the S version of Kabari to grab them out of the sky is a good answer. Just as always, you can cancel into Kabari with your pokes. Using Suzuran and the Rokkonsogi or Kuchinashi follow-ups is the most practical approach. Try to use these in your offense!
Neutral Summary:
Make use of aerial Tatami Gaeshi, while checking aerial approaches from opponents with 6P.
Poke with 2S and 2HS, and cancel into Rokkonsogi!
From your pressure with Rokkonsogi, use Azami!
Okizeme
Koichi thinks Baiken will generally take knockdowns on the ground through Suzuran~Rokkonsogi and Suzuran~Kuchinashi.
Since Rokkonsogi leaves Baiken only slightly advantageous and close to the knocked down opponent, it is best to run a simple okizeme plan. Crush throw attempts with meaty 6K and neutral jump HS. Through these attacks, we can emphasize building guard bar while running okizeme. For more expensive okizeme using YRC, we can use meaty Tatami gaeshi > YRC > Mawarikomi (63214+K～K) for crossups, but Koichi recommends going for 5D > YRC (before the ball comes out) > and then going for throws or lows. Though simple, this kind of okizeme can also be strong.
After using Baiken’s throw invincible 6K, use HS Kagari!
Kuchinashi knockdown has more frame advantage, so you can run air Tatami gaeshi okizeme. For example, you can do Kuchinashi ender knockdown > whiff ascending Jump P > falling air Tatami Gaeshi (236+K) > YRC > airdash Jump S or land and sweep (the whiff ascending jump P helps for timing).
Although this kind of okizeme beats many defensive options, it is weak to blitz shield. Thus, you should actively try to read for blitz attempts and mix in backdashes after the tatami. Even if you don’t have meter for YRC, you can always go for Youzansen (9623+S) for an overhead strike after tatami. Thus, even with no gauge, this kind of oki is powerful.
We can use meaty Tatami oki from Suzuran~Kuchinashi (P follow-up) (pictured here). Use rising jump P after the hit to help time for the meaty.
Azami
Azami is done by pressing S+HS at the same time, and will put Baiken in Azami stance. You can hold either button to keep her in the stance. Standing Azami can counters mids and highs, but crouching Azami can counter lows as well as mids. Thus, on the ground, let’s primarily use crouching Azami. While you absorb hits in Azami stance, you can guard against chip damage, as well as use any of her Azami follow-ups. The return she gets on counter-hit Kuchinashi, the P follow-up, is terrific. This will be the primary follow-up we use. To make best use of this, we can mash P when she goes into stance. Rokkonsogi, the HS follow-up, is slightly disadvantageous on block,
It is also possible to deal with opponents’ projectiles using this stance. We can score knockdowns using Kuchinashi (P follow-up) at close range interceptions, and Rokkonsogi (HS follow-up) at long range. Since stance has 1 frame start-up, we can use it on reversal against projectile based setplay (Like Ky or Sol, for example).
Air Azami is also an option that you can use to tag opponents if you read an anti-air or in air-to-air situations. You can use air Azami as you rise, and again when you fall. This is a strong defensive option. During guard recovery, she can also use Azami, but using it in this situation changes the parry window, slowing it down by 2-3 frames. Since this makes sequences like Millia mashing 5K repeatedly become difficult to parry, it doesn’t appear to be something worth trying a lot in this kind of situation.
Combos
1)【2K→Close S→Sweep】xx Suzuran～Kuchinashi (63214K～P) There aren’t too many combos you can do from from tatami after sweep, so take the knockdown you get from Kuchinashi and focus on oki!
2)【5K→5HS】xx Suzuran～Rokkonsogi (63214K～HS) HS series buttons and 2S (if you are close) can be canceled into Rokkonsogi. Make sure to do the follow-up command input with appropriate speed depending on how far or near you are to the opponent!
3) 6P［Jump Cancel］Jump【S→P→K】［Jump Cancel］Jump【S→P→K】xx Youzansen Baiken’s classic anti-air combo. You can also use JS→JD but he feels the situation after is less desirable than sticking to the SPK series.
4) (Corner) Throw→ Sweep［Super Jump Cancel］Super Jump【S→D】→ Airdash→ Jump【S→D】→ Land 5HS xx Suzuran～Kuchinashi (63214K～P)
You have lots of options for throw combos in the corner, but this one is consistent in ending in knockdown and deals strong damage. For lightweights, omit the last 5HS and go straight into Kuchinashi.
5) 2HS xx Suzuran～Rokkonsogi (63214K～HS) ［RRC］Dash 5HS xx Suzuran～Kuchinashi (63214K～P)→5P→Jump【P→S→P→K】→Jump Cancel Jump【S→D】→Jump D Use this combo for strong return off of mid-screen 2HS. Note that dash inertia carries over into the Kuchinashi. Once you are close, you can freestyle into this combo.
6) (Corner) Sweep xx Tatami Gaeshi (236＋K) or (ascending) Youzansen [RRC]→ 6HS xx Suzuran～Kuchinashi (63214K～P)→5K[Jump Cancel] Super Jump【S→D】→Airdash Jump【S→D】→5HS xx Suzuran～Kuchinashi (63214K～P) The “Falling Demon” combo. Though difficult to get the knockdown, this combo can erase half an opponent’s HP from low or overhead options you can use from your tatami oki. If you think the 5K won’t connect, you can substitute it for 5P -> j.P
7) 5HS(hitting with the tip of the blade) [RRC] Airdash→Jump【S→P→P→K】→S Kabari～Tetsuzansen (41236+S～S)→Jump【S→D】
For tall opponents, use this high return, 50% meter combo when you connect with 5HS. It has strong corner carry, but the S Kabari is difficult to connect with, so he doesn’t recommend using it.
This was simply a quick look at Baiken core strategies. By carrying to the wall after taking your knockdown from Kuchinashi, while employing meaty air tatami oki into lows/highs/throws, we can see she has explosive power. It is more difficult for her to convert to knockdown mid-screen, so it seems it will be important for her to focus on corner carry. Given her new changes, attributes, and attacks, Baiken has a fresh feeling to her that players old and new should enjoy.
This concludes Koichi’s article on day one Baiken prep. Although it comes with losing sometimes, exploring new characters in fighting games is a fun, exciting experience. Arc System Works titles usually makes their characters highly nuanced, so there is a lot to explore! Work together with folks in the community to discover new techniques and strategies for your character! Enjoy the process of learning!
While we wait for Rev2’s console release, try watching some live footage from Mikado, and look out for Baiken players like Sharon, Kakkou, and Umecha. Watch footage of them and try to see how they apply the concepts discussed in this article!
Despite a number of changes coming into Season 2, R. Mika remains a relatively strong character in competitive Street Fighter V–as players like Liquid|NuckleDu and GRPT|Fuudo have demonstrated. Now, a recent discovery may shed light on one of the reasons why she’s remained such a force to be reckoned with.
The discovery has to do with R. Mika’s dash. Her dash has always been seen as good, and tends to catch people off guard, even those trying to poke it out. We now know why it is so good: as demonstrated in the tweet by TOOLASSISTED, her hurtbox retracts for about 6 frames during the start up of her dash.
Now, this apparently isn’t a new discovery, and players like NuckleDu have known about it since last season. However, it was only recently that it was brought to light due to a tweet from Japanese player WORLD_COMBO.
With the exposure of this property of R. Mika’s dash to the wider community, players such as Alioune and BX3|Phenom have started exploring it and figuring out what moves lose out to it.
Of course, the property has also sparked some discussion among the community on whether or not it should be retained or removed in a future balance patch. Javits Arias seems to side with the latter, stating on Twitter that while “people can definitely come up with ways to stop it in the meantime,” it’s also something that is unintentional and carries little risk of a counter hit.
Other players aren’t as quick to jump to gun on getting the property fixed. Speaking to Ian Walker over at Compete, David “UltraDavid” Graham has stated that he feels that it adds to the character, giving a character who has poor defensive options a defensive tool. More importantly, it gives the character–and the game–a bit more personality. “I like that it’s something else to factor in for both attacking and defending players,” states UltraDavid, “Some situations in Street Fighter V can feel repetitive because most characters have go-to mixups, regardless of who they’re playing against.”
Whether or not it eventually gets removed somewhere down the line, players are better off learning how to deal with it, for now.
After our Europe detour last week, we’re switching focus to North America once again. The Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League is set to provide more exciting sets between skilled players, with commentary. We have an I-no, Kum Haehyun, Dizzy Kiske, and Faust coming up.
The Daredevils this time are: Spectryn vs. Voguekun, and XAQshinor vs. Zinac. Let’s learn a little more about them.
Spectryn
On the match: “Well, my thoughts are simple, really: just to keep everything simple and keep a calm head. I don’t think it should be too hard to do.”
On his opponent: “Voguekun is an OK player, and he can do good, but the way he plays at least in my view seems too wild to master or achieve higher heights for a character like Haehyun. Personally, I’m not afraid or worried about much that he can do to stop me.”
On his own playstyle: “And as for my playstyle, I can’t really say, because it depends on the moment and character. I can be defensive or super aggressive. It mostly changes depending on what I feel like I can get away with during situations.
Besides doing good or bad potentially, I think it’s good for people to know that Connecticut does have a scene for anime, and that I will be helping, or at least trying to get them better. This is a chance to show them what type of player I am and give exposure to our scene here. But I have to heavily thank TSB/NY scene for helping me improve!
Voguekun
On the match: “I’m not sure who has an easier time in Kum vs. I-no. Haehyun is still relatively new with few players that main her, and I find my opinions on the character’s strengths shifting around all the time when there’s no established understanding of her match-ups. Kum has a lot of cheap ways to take rounds for free, all of which I take advantage of constantly. Against I-no there are a few specific ones I that saw Spectryn deal with relatively well, so I expect a set that goes to at least ten games. The move that will make or break this matchup for Spectryn is HCL (Horizontal Chemical Love), as it has to potential to absolutely dominate Kum in neutral if used wisely, or undo I-No completely if used carelessly.
On his opponent: “I don’t know Spectryn very well. I chose to accept his challenge because I have no reason not to, as it’s pointless to deny a set if it isn’t a hassle and both players are close in skill. If I had to guess, I think that he wants to fight me because I’m loud, flippant, and I pop-off. Regardless of how this perception affects my standing in the scene, I respect every player as a competitor and extend that respect to him. It’s fun to butt heads and rival with someone.”
On his own playstyle: “The US Guilty Gear scene likes to label me as wild and careless, and to some degree that’s true. But anyone who has played me in long sets, especially Dallas players whom I play weekly at our locals, can tell you that I’m more eager to trick you, something I picked up from years of Starcraft, than I am to press wake-up buttons. For the past 11 months, Kum has been the first and only character that I’ve used to learn Rev. It just so happens that Kum likes to coinflip with her high health and high damage, which has no doubt bled into my understanding of the game in a way that it might not have if I’d picked Sol or Ky to learn GG with.”
XAQshinor
On the match: “I think it will be an interesting match, both characters want to fill the screen with either projectiles or large/active normals, so I think some of those interactions and how we deal with them will be cool to see. Round start and before I can put things on the screen, Faust definitely has the edge, but it isn’t insurmountable and it’s actually a pretty fun matchup in my opinion.”
On his opponent: “I don’t know Zinac very well personally, but I know he’s a longtime GG and Faust player, and I know he has a strong grasp on the character. I also know he’s very knowledgeable about the game so I don’t expect him to be caught by surprise by anything weird that Dizzy may be capable of.”
On his own playstyle: “I guess I would describe my playstyle as calculated lame or guerrilla tactics style, hit-and-run, something along those lines. Dizzy is very momentum-based and her mobility is second to none. I try to use a playstyle that brings those strengths to the foreground, so I don’t like doing a lot of random or unsafe things. There is usually a purpose behind most things I do, and I typically try to play as safe as possible.”
Zinac
On the match: “I wanted to participate in this league for a while, because exhibitions are fun to watch and want people to see my style of Faust play.”
On his opponent: “XAQ was a really strong Dizzy in Accent Core. He may have even been the best in the US at some point. So I expect a challenging match from him. He’s experienced so won’t fall for simple tricks, and I have to expect he’s well prepared.”
On his own playstyle: “My style of Faust is definitely about creating momentum for myself. I look for any opportunity to swing a match in my favor. So I spend a lot of time planning out my strategy well ahead of a match.”
The stage is set for tonight’s Super Steam Xrd Exhibition League matches. As usual, tune in to Silva’s Twitch channel. The action begins at 9:00 PM ET/8:00 PM CST/6:00 PM PDT. Commentary will be provided by doren2k and Mynus–so expect a lot of insight on I-no.
One of the more surprising fighting game series from the last generation were the Persona 4 Arena games. Spin-off/sequels to Atlus’s cult-favorite Persona 4 JRPG, Persona 4 Arena and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax banked on the crossover appeal of the franchise, while also bringing fighting games to a new audience.
With a new game–Persona 5–just having been released, some may be wondering if Atlus will follow it up with its own fighting game spin-off. Well, it seems that they might be planning to do just that.
Atlus just recently registered a number of domain names for possible Persona 5 spin-offs. Now, all of these are domains are acronyms, and none of them give exact titles. However, some of these acronyms are similar to the ones used for past spin-offs of Persona 4. The first of these is P4AG.com, with the “A” part of the acronym meaning “Arena.” However, the “G” could also indicate a different spin-off.
The more-likely giveaway domain, however, is P4U.com. This acronym could likely refer to a “Persona 5 Ultimax,” matching up with Persona 4 Ultimax.
Of course, this is all just conjecture at this point–and, with all the number of domains that they registered, Atlus may just be may just be making sure they own those domains in case of future plans, and they might not actually make games for all–or any–of them.
What three fighters wear when they dress for success.
It turns out that the school-themed outfits for Ryu, Chun-Li, and Juri aren’t the only new premium outfits arriving on April 25. Capcom has revealed even more costumes, this time with a “work” theme: what do Street Fighters wear, when fighting doesn’t pay the bills?
Alex dons some fire-fighting gear…
R. Mika joins the cheerleading squad…
…and Chun-Li is ready for that meeting with the board.
They say dress for the job you want, not the job you have. These additional outfits will cost $3.99 USD each, and will be available on April 25.
