Learning to whiff punish in Street Fighter 5 (and forgetting what you knew in Street Fighter 4)
I want to start this by stating that the central purpose of this article is to help people get better at Street Fighter 5.
I see a very large road block in that players are dismissing footsies and whiff punishing in this game, and I think that's due to a combination of frustration and the fact that we're still figuring out the game's pace.
Since its early days, people have scrutinized Street Fighter 5 with claims that it dampers (or more extremely put, completely does away with) footsies and whiff punishing.
With more input lag than we've seen in previous titles and a priority system laced with Crush Counters, it's clear as to why people would feel this way, but I'm going to disagree with the sentiment that this trademark component of fighting games is lost completely on SF5.
SonicFox shows off a Captain Cold sequence that drains 100% of a life bar while freezing four times
FOX|SonicFox is a player that is known for playing a variety of characters in Injustice 2. Recently, he's been freezing over the competition with Captain Cold.
Every time that SonicFox messes with this character, we get a glimpse at some rather frightening tech. A lot of people's eyes have been opened up to what this character is capable of.
Recently, he posted on Twitter a rather interesting sequence that took away 100% of Superman's life bar. While all of it wasn't a true combo, it doesn't appear as though it can be escaped very easily.
What makes this clip especially fun is the fact that the training dummy was frozen multiple times. Four freezes in total.
There was even a moment where SonicFox left the opponent frozen while inside of a frost field. Standing next to the frozen opponent, he then just charged his trait.
When the opponent was able to break out of the frozen status, they were immediately frozen again without any interaction from Captain Cold. This only makes up two out of four of the freezes.
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Source: SonicFox's Twitter account.
Balrog takes on TJ Combo in the latest Death Battle
Honestly, it's somewhat surprising that this fantasy bout has taken this long to pop up on Death Battle, but nonetheless, we now finally find out which of these two iconic fighting game boxers would win in a punch out to the death.
Killer Instinct's TJ Combo goes head to head with Street Fighter's Balrog right smack dab in the middle of the squared circle.
ScrewAttack!'s Wiz and Boomstick do a bit of research to find the specific stats for both boxers, and it turns out they're surprisingly close when it comes to strength and resiliency.
I personally am going to give the edge to Balrog, as he's the bigger of the two a 6'4" and I've definitely felt his wrath in no small way with V-Trigger in Street Fighter 5.
A few notable feats to keep in mind, Balrog once punched an elephant to death and has survived a 1,200+ ft fall. TJ is able to launch Fulgore, a 560 pound robot, 12 feet into the air with a single hit. Curiously enough, he has also survived a 1,200+ ft fall.
The latter's out-boxer style would be a technical counter to Balrog's brawler approach, but I still feel the fight money-happy boxer's brute force will be the deciding factor.
This is THE most intricate and amazing Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Dante combo I have ever seen
Where to even being with this combo...
Cloud805 is well known in the world of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. An accomplished player in his own right, his team of Zero, Dante, Vergil is as sharp as they come.
Last night, Cloud shared a Dante combo on Twitter that he claims came to him in a dream. If that's the case... that is incredible.
This combo scores a slick 298 hits and does not use X-Factor. While Zero and Vergil assist with this sequence, Dante is definitely the man in charge here.
There are a number of things being utilized throughout. You'll spot TAC infinite loops, multiple OTGs, ground bounces, empty air tags that result in wall bounces, and much more.
The result is a meticulously thought out and executed combo that is absolutely beautiful to behold. I've seen a lot of Dante combos in my day -- even done some of my own -- but this has to be the best one I have ever come across.
Check it out below and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Click image to view the combo
Sonic and Tails as hidden characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee is one of the more infamous gaming April Fools jokes
Back in 2002, Electronic Gaming Monthly wrote in an issue that Sonic and Tails could be unlocked in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The method of doing this required the player to defeat 20 or more enemies in Cruel Melee.
Many people believed this and tried to fulfill the very difficult prerequisites. EGM would later have to confess that the whole thing was a joke.
Perhaps to ease the blow of having expended people's time for nothing, those who were able to prove that they actually beat the challenge did get a reward from EGM themselves. Players were sent a copy of Sonic Adventure 2: Battle, which was the first Sega game on a Nintendo console.
This was fresh off the Dreamcast's end, and the concept of Sonic on a Nintendo console was quite crazy back then.
Now, we have Sonic in Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. 4. He fits in quite well with Mario and the other Nintendo characters.
Only just recently, Sonic Mania came out for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, the PC, and, of course, the Nintendo Switch. It's quite funny how sometimes something that started off as a joke is something that would later become true, at least to some extent.
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PlayStation Experience and Capcom Cup 2017 officially returning to Anaheim Convention Center December 9th and 10th
It's official, Capcom Cup will be held in Southern California again this year during the PlayStation Experience.
The whole shebang will happen on December 9th and 10th at the Anaheim Convention Center, the same venue as last year. While the big draw is surely the end of the year Pro Tour finale, we'll also be keeping an ear out for big announcements for fighting game titles.
At this point, we don't know the official schedule for Capcom Cup, though last year it was divided between two separate days (and venues) with top eight being played Sunday evening.
The reveal article promises more information on this year's Cap Cup at a later time, and we'll share such info as soon it becomes available.
PlayStation has released an announcement video for PSX, (which can be found after the jump) and early bird tickets are now on sale.
Click the thumb below to see details for the event.
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Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono tries to land a Raging Demon in Street Fighter 5 and Street Fighter 4 simultaneously
It's becoming a bit of a tradition that whenever Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono visits the Capcom UK office he participates in a challenge orchestrated by Capcom UK community manager Matt Edwards. Last time, we saw Ono and Edwards man one fightstick to try and defeat CPU opponents. Today, it's the inverse.
Edwards soldered two fightsticks together so that one player can control two at once. Doing so allows for playing Street Fighter 5 and Street Fighter 4 simultaneously.
The "Die 2,000 Deaths" challenge requires the player land Akuma's Raging Demon in both games at the same time against the AI. In this video, we see Ono and Edwards do their best to complete the mission, as well as UK players UM|Tyrant and Shoryusengan trying their luck.
Though this might not seem like the hardest task to complete, the participants have to try extra hard due to the high difficulty setting of the CPU. On top of that, they have to build up enough meter on both ends without KO-ing the opponent or getting KO-ed, find a spot to fire off the super/ultra, and actually hit them both.
Needless to say, this is very entertaining to watch. Personally, I think I can do it... but it might be a completely different story actually trying it.
To give you just a taste of what to expect here, check out the GIF below. If you'd like to see if our challengers can pull through, catch the video after the jump.
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Thanos and Nemesis get their time in the spotlight with this new Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite footage
The Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite train draws ever nearer, and as we come closer and closer to release fans anxious to play are trying to absorb as much information about the game as possible. Today, we've got more match footage this time giving Thanos and Nemesis some screen time.
If you haven't heard already, UM Tyrant has a ton of match footage available on his YouTube channel. The set we have here comes from him and gives us a glimpse at some very interesting facets of the game.
For starters, we get to see a bit of what the aforementioned two characters can do when on a team together. Though the play isn't quite as polished as the Morri-Chun we saw earlier this week, there's still quite a few tactics players looking to play this team will enjoy picking up.
Not only that, but we also get to see the Mind Stone utilized effectively here. With this stone's Infinity Surge, the player will perform a close-ranged command grab that downs the opponent and puts them in a dazed state when they stand up.
This leaves the staggered combatant open to a full combo with what appears to be enough time to allow a jump in or even perhaps to set something up such as Frank's new tripod move or Dr. Strange's Eye of Agamatto (I'm guessing).
The Mind Stone's Infinity Storm also comes into play here. With the user's super meter constantly filling up without any requirement for action, we see the team of Zero and Dante go heavy on the hyper combos.
This stone looks like a solid choice for players, and I wouldn't be surprised to see it used in top-level play in the near future.
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New Street Fighter 5 30th anniversary costumes coming August 29th
Street Fighter 5 is receiving another new set of costumes. This upcoming batch is set to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the series.
On August 29th, fans will be able to purchase new outfits for M. Bison, Guile, Ibuki, and Karin. Each one will be available on PlayStation 4 and Steam for $3.99/€3.99.
The blog post over on Capcom Unity notes that each character is dressing up for the momentous occasion. 30 years of Street Fighter is indeed quite the milestone.
Capcom has been consistently releasing new DLC costumes for characters, adding a variety of different choices for players to select from. Last time, we saw the new Sporty outfits for Rashid, Laura, and Ibuki, as well as nostalgic costumes for Juri, Ibuki, and Alex.
On top of these new costumes, fans can still get their hands on the special Capcom Pro Tour DLC. This set includes fancy costumes for Ryu and Ken, as well as Liquid|NuckleDu's Champion's Choice costume for Guile.
To check out the new alternate outfits, click the images below.
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Sent in by Zephyrus, HiryuMK, and sviper14.
'Know your value, learn to tell a story, promote yourself' - Gllty has landed a prime time sponsorship and explains how you can do the same
Professional fighting game player Leah "Gllty" Hayes has officially joined the likes of Haitani, MOV, Fuudo and other top tier fighting talent as the newest member of team GRAPHT.
I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with Gllty in which she discussed a few particulars of her new partnership with me.
She also explained why she's plenty qualified for the spot alongside EVO finalists, and detailed the benefits opportunities for growth that this new venture will likely present her with.
Though her recent spotlight moments have all been in regards to Street Fighter 5, Gllty's first love is Marvel vs. Capcom, and she's very much excited for next month's Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite to drop.
What's more, she's not sweating most of the issues that a good many members of the Marvel community have been worried about.
Check out this exceptional fighting game artwork from SatsuiNoHado
Wallace "SatsuiNoHado" Pires is a Brazilian artist with a knack for for capturing mood and personality with his characters.
We've grabbed a selection from his portfolio that showcases combatants from Street Fighter as well as King of Fighters, Guilty Gear and BlazBlue.
While a few of these images are just portraits, many of them paint emotion and general atmosphere via facial expressions and actions, sometimes even giving us a full scene for our imaginations to run with.
As you may have guessed form the sub headline, I had a special liking for the Poison/F.A.N.G drawing in particular.
The idea of Abigail trying to sneak a bite of steak before they're ready (and using what look like car parts as chopsticks) is top tier as well.
Please let us know which selections you appreciated most and why in the comments.
Maximilian reveals just how insanely chaotic Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite can get
"I honestly kind of feel that this game is not made for the casual audience," a sentiment that Maximilian brings out fairly early in one of his latest videos on Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
While it's true that basic combos and inputs will be easy enough for newcomers to pull off fairly quickly, the depths this game jumps to (after a very short amount of time) are potentially intimidating even to seasoned fighting game professionals.
Max highlights a sequence during his captured footage to show just how crazy Infinite can get.
We essentially see two different fights go on at the same time as the players activate multiple partner switch mechanics in the same short period.
The chaos that ensues sees both players changing which characters they're controlling, sending certain characters into autopilot sequences, trying to interrupt said sequences and painting the screen with flashes and carnage.
This isn't necessarily a bad thing, by the way, as it looks to create very deep situations and potential fun for everyone.
The master at work: Watch Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama illustrate Goku
I think it's safe to say that most die-hard fans of the Dragon Ball series are familiar with the name Akira Toriyama. If you're not, he's the creator of the franchise (among other things) and an artist who is as exceptional as he is influential.
Growing up, I remember spending countless hours filling up drawing pads with Dragon Ball characters. Toriyama's amazing action shots, line work, and iconic character designs still wow me today as much as they did back then.
A video shared by a Goku-centric Twitter page called GodlyGoku features a timelapse drawing video of Mr. Toriyama illustrating Dragon Ball's key hero, Goku. Though this video is fairly old and I'm not quite sure where it originated from (if you know, please tell us in the comments below), it still does a spectacular job of showing the amazing skill of the creator.
Toriyma uses a combination of ink and paint to bring Goku to life on the canvas. His implementation of shadows on the clothing and skin look seamless, but the effect is very powerful.
With Dragon Ball FighterZ -- a new 2.5D fighting title from Arc System Works -- coming early 2018, longtime fans and newcomers alike will be hopping into the awesome world that Toriyama built. It's nice to see the man himself in action.
You can check out the clip below.
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Street Fighter PC Mods: Mai Shiranui from King of Fighters, Cody Travers from Final Fight, and Doomsday from D.C. Comics
It looks as though PC Best Mods has another set of characters to display on their YouTube page. All three of these characters have appeared in other fighting games before.
Mai Shiranui is one of the main returning characters from the King of Fighters games. She also appears in Dead or Alive 5 Last Round as a DLC character.
This character's mod was created by a user known as THEJAMK. He also created the Doomsday character mod.
Doomsday is a character that belongs to D.C. comics. While he appeared in the first Injustice game, is notably absent in the second game.
If you thought it was worth raising an eye brow to Abigail pretending to drive a car, you'll probably want to see how it looks when Doomsday is performing the same action. He is using Abigail's mannerisms, after all...
The Cody skin was created by MegatonClaw. This is a character I'm sure a lot of fans are eager to see in Street Fighter 5 at some point or another.
Cody appears to be wearing his street clothes before he went to prison. No hand cuffs are binding his hands.
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Kasai's fighting game-related artwork breathes life into some of our favorite combatants
The Japanese artist focuses mainly on illustrating women in fighting games, but has several pieces featuring the fellas too. Represented here are characters from Street Fighter, Smash Bros., Darkstalkers, and more.
Included are some of the new pieces from Kasai, peppered in with some of the previous images we've shared. There's a lot more on the artist's Deviantart page, so be sure to hit the above link to view the full body of work.
Below are just a handful of art pieces to get you started, but be sure to hit the jump for more.
127-hit Goku combo in Dragon Ball FighterZ
It's no secret that Dragon Ball FighterZ features lightning fast, exciting gameplay. With teams of three going against each other, assists jumping in to help, and all kinds of larger than life super moves, the upcoming 2.5D fighter is shaping up to be a spectacle worthy of watching.
With the game still being fairly early in development and its appearances at expos barely beginning, we're slowly learning more and more about the game. Players have yet to figure out the optimal combos for their favorite characters, but today we have something he haven't seen before.
In some new gameplay footage uploaded by NGI, we have the first combo that we've seen exceed 100 hits. In fact, this Goku sequence manages to score 127 hits total.
Landing the combo on Cell, the Goku player utilizes wall bounces, throws mid-combo -- which add nice bursts to the hit counter -- and two supers. Tossing it all together results in an epic sequence that sees the characters flying all over the stage reminiscent of a battle you'd witness in the Anime.
Twitter user Uri isolated the clip and shared it on social media. You can see the combo below, and you'll find the full match video after the jump.
Dragon Ball FighterZ is slated for an early 2018 release. Sign ups for the closed beta test are set to begin on August 22nd.
Click image to view the clip
Amazing, high-level Morrigan and Chun-Li gameplay footage in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite
UM Tyrant has been a deep well of excellent Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite footage. Having recorded numerous direct-feed matches from a recent event in the UK, there's still much to comb through.
Today, we get to see Morrigan and Chun-Li showcased. With Mr. E manning this powerful team, we are treated to some exceptional play.
The video includes roughly nine minutes of matches, and throughout we see the strong synergy between Morri-Chun. Mr. E utilizes many tag combos, often centered around Chun-Li's charged Spinning Bird Kick for its juggle potential.
Even solo, these two characters have some interesting tricks up their sleeves. There are intricate flight combos from Morrigan and air dash pressure/combos from Chun to check out here.
One thing that Morrigan players will want to keep in mind when playing her is the effectiveness of Shadow Blade. This uppercut can combo into her missiles hyper combo, making for some very useful confirms that lead into a tag and a follow up combo.
We're a little over a month away from Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite's release and already we're seeing some tremendous high-level play. Once its in the hands of the masses, it will only get better.
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