Universal Fighting Game Guide: Tier Lists

If you’ve ever played a fighting game with another person before, I’m sure you’ve discussed the hot-button topic of which character is best. You may have tried to rank these characters from best to worst. For a handful of seriously dedicated individuals, you may have even gone through the painstaking process of trying to mathematically calculate that pecking order.

Tier lists are a hotly-debated topic in any sort of competitive game. For better or worse, their presence in the competitive fighting games can’t be understated. In today’s world of online discussion and information transfer, you’re just a Google search away from finding dozens of different tier lists for any given fighting game written by players with various levels of understanding. Before you cling to a tier list written by a random message board user as fact, let’s take a moment to learn what tier lists are, how they work and what they’re good for.

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Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and the Execution Barrier

Though I don’t talk about it much on this blog, I am no slouch in the Marvel vs. Capcom 3 series. Having invested hundreds of hours into it, I wreak havoc online and it’s generally the game I do best at in tournaments. Say what I will about having the #1 ranked Rose in Canada on Xbox Live and PlayStation Networkmy best tournament placing to-date across any game is 25th in MvC 3 at T12; a point that arguably holds more weight in my fighting game resume.

Having said that, I have a glaring hole in my skill-set that keeps me from ascending to the upper echelon of players: my inability to land the biggest combos.

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Playing Capcom vs. SNK 2 For The First Time

Up until the creation of this post, I had never played Capcom vs. SNK 2 or any of the games in its lineage. By the time of its release, I was long gone from the scene. However, there was a brief moment in time where I wanted this game in the worst way. As an owner of a Gamecube, Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO was something I wanted to try. Unfortunately, lukewarm reviews and the thought of having to play it on that Gamecube pad ultimately drove me away.

Many years later, when I started taking fighting games seriously, I discovered that this a favourite among fighting game snobs. With it having come out recently on PS3 as a PlayStation 2 classic, I finally decided to see what the hype was all about.

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Universal Fighting Game Guide: Understanding Frame Advantage As It Relates To Safe On Block

ken-hitstop-feature

Many moons ago, I wrote a post about how to read frame data. While this post is great on its own (and is one of the most popular on my site) I never got around to providing any practical applications of frame data. In this edition of the Universal Fighting Game Guide, I’ll provide an explanation for frame advantage and a practical use for it, which is crucial to grasp if you’re looking to elevate your game.

Before you read through this, I strongly recommend going back and reading my guide that explains how to read frame data. This particular edition of the guide won’t do you much good if you don’t understand the basics of frame data, so please check that out first. If you’ve already done that or already know the basics, then let’s move on with the show.

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Check Out My EVO 2013 Wrap-Up On Splitkick.com

EVO 2013 definitely brought the goods this year. If you missed out on the action, definitely hit YouTube and catch the replays. But first, check out my wrap-up on Splitkick!

Check Out the EVO 2013 Wrap-Up On Splitkick.com


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Thoughts on Ultra Street Fighter IV

While we knew that Capcom was working on an update to Street Fighter IV, they announced at EVO that the update would be meatier than originally expected. In early 2014, the latest update will include five new characters, six new stages and new modes.

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Check Out My Viewer’s Guide to EVO 2013 At Splitkick.com!

The world’s biggest and most important fighting game tournament starts today! If you have any interest in watching this epic event, I highly recommend checking out my Viewer’s Guide to EVO 2013 over at Splitkick. It’ll tell you where to watch it, as well as a lot of helpful information about the event, especially if you’re not following the daily activities in the fighting game community.

Check Out The Viewer’s Guide to EVO 2013 At Splitkick.com!

Samurai Shodown II on iPhone Review

While many ports of modern fighting games have translated very well on iOS, such as Street Fighter IV: Volt and King of Fighters i-2012, the older titles in the genre haven’t carried over so well. Titles such as Street Fighter II Collection, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and SoulCalibur are plagued with sub-par controls, limited feature sets, shortened character rosters and unreasonable pricing.

As someone with a soft spot in my heart for the Samurai Shodown series, I was really hoping that the Samurai Shodown II port to iOS would buck that trend. I should have known better.

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How To Beat Scorpion In Injustice: Gods Among Us

Since his release as a DLC character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, Scorpion has quickly risen in popularity. This is partially due to him being the most recognizable character from Mortal Kombat, but also because he seems unstoppable. At this point in the game’s life, you’re bound to run into a ton of Scorpion players that are all abusing the same stuff. With this mini guide, you won’t have to just sit there and take a beating from this demon ninja. Instead, give him hell with these tips!

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Universal Fighting Game Guide: Cheap Is Such A Harsh Word

Cheap 1(one of many hate messages I received from a salty Deathstroke player in Injustice: Gods Among Us)

I hate the word ‘cheap’. In the world of fighting games, ‘cheap’ is most overused and misused word in the vernacular. It is a word that does more damage to the fighting game community than most people think. When someone takes a loss, many are quick to dismiss their own mistakes and learning opportunities by using the word as a flimsy crutch. With that mentality, most players will never get anywhere in a fighting game.

Losing to something ‘cheap’ isn’t the problem. Odds are, what you lost to wasn’t cheap at all. Heck, if you were willing to put in the time and effort to actually improve your abilities, you probably could have a viable counter ready for any tactic that is perceived as cheap. In this edition of the Universal Fighting Game Guide, we’ll talk about the word cheap, what it means and why you should stop using it immediately for the sake of your growth as a fighting game player.

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