For those beginning to learn Ultra Street Fighter 4, it can be difficult to know where to begin to become better when so much is out there bombarding the newcomer given the series' long lifespan. I have compiled five quick tips for beginners to get a jump start to learning solid fundamentals. This guide is intended for complete beginners or those that are struggling mightily to win a single match against their local competition.
Showing posts with label ngamer3k. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ngamer3k. Show all posts
Apr 24, 2012
Kansas City Maxout Tournament Quick Entries
I was waiting until more videos were uploaded to post about my trip to Kansas City last month for their monthly tournament series, Maxout, but I have since been back for this month's edition of the tournament so I am now compelled to post something. I fully intend on going into more detail later, but for now here are two quick summarizations of both tournament experiences with what everyone wants to know about, results.
Last month I placed a respectable 9th in Marvel losing to PJ "DatBoiSTL" twice. My fellow "NerdGamer" Joker placed 4th. Disappointingly in KOF, I went 0-2 losing close matches to "Focra" and Omaha's KOF junkie, "Kenshiro." Blank finished 7th and Curtis "TopHat" finished 4th. In SSF4 AE, I finished 2nd, losing to KC's best player, Samson twice. I was extremely proud of myself and satisfied with my performance. I bested myself once again from my previous 5th place finish and reached my goal to finish in the money.
This month and this past weekend, myself, Joker, and Blank returned intent to win the tournaments that we all felt we were capable of. I did manage to win the SSF4 AE tournament. A win that is a great step for me as a player. With confidence, I can say "Yes, I am one of the best in the midwest." The conclusion of this story will be told at the upcoming UFGT8 tournament in May-- an official Major and part of the Evo Tournament Season. Joker, perhaps disappointedly finished 5th in Marvel, and Blank and I both went 0-2 in KOF-- losing to the same two people in fact. We managed to scrap out a 2nd place finish in SFxT pair play though.
Last month I placed a respectable 9th in Marvel losing to PJ "DatBoiSTL" twice. My fellow "NerdGamer" Joker placed 4th. Disappointingly in KOF, I went 0-2 losing close matches to "Focra" and Omaha's KOF junkie, "Kenshiro." Blank finished 7th and Curtis "TopHat" finished 4th. In SSF4 AE, I finished 2nd, losing to KC's best player, Samson twice. I was extremely proud of myself and satisfied with my performance. I bested myself once again from my previous 5th place finish and reached my goal to finish in the money.
This month and this past weekend, myself, Joker, and Blank returned intent to win the tournaments that we all felt we were capable of. I did manage to win the SSF4 AE tournament. A win that is a great step for me as a player. With confidence, I can say "Yes, I am one of the best in the midwest." The conclusion of this story will be told at the upcoming UFGT8 tournament in May-- an official Major and part of the Evo Tournament Season. Joker, perhaps disappointedly finished 5th in Marvel, and Blank and I both went 0-2 in KOF-- losing to the same two people in fact. We managed to scrap out a 2nd place finish in SFxT pair play though.
Dec 23, 2011
Stuck in a Rut
My outlook towards my development in all fighting games has turned south over the past few days. I feel like I am at a place in my skill at which I cannot improve without constant quality practice. This is not your average halt in development where one is unable to diagnose problems and holes in their gameplay. I have always been able to do that, and I feel like I know of a lot of things I can do to become better gameplay wise across all games. However, for someone like me who constantly needs repetition in order to really learn something as advanced and complex like proper footsies and game sense- my current practice and training are not adequate.
Long story short, I need to seek out better competition. However, this is a universal problem affecting me and everyone else in this state and in the midwest for that matter. Due to our smaller pool of players, we cannot expect to have as much exceptional competition as many other regions. I can definitely feel the burden now unlike ever before. There's not much point for me to continue on when I feel like I can become better yet lack the means to do so. If the greatest potential cannot be reached, why torture myself by looking up at what could be. As such, I have seriously considered giving up competition altogether. I do plan on going to events in the immediate future. My performance and attitude at these said events will shape my future in fighting games.
Long story short, I need to seek out better competition. However, this is a universal problem affecting me and everyone else in this state and in the midwest for that matter. Due to our smaller pool of players, we cannot expect to have as much exceptional competition as many other regions. I can definitely feel the burden now unlike ever before. There's not much point for me to continue on when I feel like I can become better yet lack the means to do so. If the greatest potential cannot be reached, why torture myself by looking up at what could be. As such, I have seriously considered giving up competition altogether. I do plan on going to events in the immediate future. My performance and attitude at these said events will shape my future in fighting games.
Sep 1, 2011
3SO Videos Featuring Week 1 Ken
Screw the Xbox Youtube connectivity with 3rd Strike Online Edition. My ghetto way of recording FG vids is better than having to upload to a mothership channel of endless fluff and scrubbery. I want to look like a scrub where someone can actually find and see the evidence!
Aug 25, 2011
3SO - Day 1 Summary
The short version is I had a lot of fun playing with my fighting game buddies during the first day of the release. I found out that I have some ability in this game and do not totally suck. In my matches with friends that had mounds more experience than me, I held my own with my day 1 Ken-- relying heavily on Daigo videos and general SF experience to earn hits. I was certainly not a free win by any means. With that said, I went 2-4 in my online ranked matches. I need the experience in the matchups to be able to easily counter the tactics I have seen so far. I'm confident if I had known just a bit more information, I could have won a lot more.
I've always been critical of this game in the past. I like the system and mechanics for the most part. There are two main problems the way I see it. First of all and most obvious is balance. This is one of the most imbalanced competitive fighters out there, but this isn't really a huge problem to me--- but a problem nonetheless. The other problem, a much bigger one in my mind, is the way the game tends to flow. It is mostly about poking and fishing for a 1-hit confirm into Super. The ease at which a character does this is what usually defines how good the character is and to me getting one hit into big damage shouldn't be the how a whole round is decided.
Third Strike is a game beloved by mostly those that only play 3S and not much else if anything and I'm beginning to see why. It is a game that is very unique that attracts a specialized kind of player. Sure, fighting gamers can be successful at it, but it usually far from their favorite game. I prefer ST or Alpha for my sprite based SF game.
I've always been critical of this game in the past. I like the system and mechanics for the most part. There are two main problems the way I see it. First of all and most obvious is balance. This is one of the most imbalanced competitive fighters out there, but this isn't really a huge problem to me--- but a problem nonetheless. The other problem, a much bigger one in my mind, is the way the game tends to flow. It is mostly about poking and fishing for a 1-hit confirm into Super. The ease at which a character does this is what usually defines how good the character is and to me getting one hit into big damage shouldn't be the how a whole round is decided.
Third Strike is a game beloved by mostly those that only play 3S and not much else if anything and I'm beginning to see why. It is a game that is very unique that attracts a specialized kind of player. Sure, fighting gamers can be successful at it, but it usually far from their favorite game. I prefer ST or Alpha for my sprite based SF game.
Aug 23, 2011
3rd Strike Online Arrives Tomorrow on XBLA
One of the most common questions I receive nowadays being primarily a SF4 player, is whether or not I'm going to play 3SO. The answer is without a doubt, I am. I've always been interested in the game, I have two emulators that can play it already. The problem of course being that I can't proficiently practice this way. Not any longer. Be sure to look out for me online, scrubbing it up with the rest of the '09 class and uploading crappy youtube videos. Huzzahs all around, I'm sure.
Whenever I've played in the past, I've picked Denjin Ryu (lol unblockable fireball) and Ibuki, but I think I'm going to try my hand at either Ken or Chun-Li. I'll update the blog with my progress in the coming days and weeks.
Whenever I've played in the past, I've picked Denjin Ryu (lol unblockable fireball) and Ibuki, but I think I'm going to try my hand at either Ken or Chun-Li. I'll update the blog with my progress in the coming days and weeks.
Video: Self Commentated Matches 1- SSF4 AE
I'm going to be doing many of these for SSF4 so keep a look out.
Personal Development Log: MvC3 - In it For the Long Haul
People that have witnessed me playing this game in tournaments know I have a very simple style that isn't flashy but effective--not unlike my style in many other games. I also have not really deviated from my day 1 team of Wesker/Storm/Chun-Li. Truth be told, I have constantly thought about switching out one of these characters for a different one in hopes of giving me more of a chance to win than I already have. All this time, I have only entered tournament with one other team-- Wesker/Chun-Li/Phoenix. Although I won the tournament with that team, it didn't quite work the way I wanted to. Since I've invested so much time in my usual team, I think they work so well together, and I don't have much interest in the rest of the cast, I have decided to stick with them until Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3.
The purpose of the this post is to track my development of course, so right now I'll break down the team and the dynamics of how I play them and why I play them as a starting point.
Wesker- Good in nearly any spot on a team, he's my point character because he is my best character. Great zoning and runaway, decent mixup and damage, and I also take advantage of the DHC glitch with Storm. Easy character to use and play-- just my thing.
There's not much more I can do to improve other than combo execution and maneuvering.
Storm - Second position for the DHC glitch and a stronger character to come out when Wesker dies. She is my worst character as far as my ability to play her goes. This is why I have wrestled and fumbled with the idea of switching teams, but Storm has become a fundamental part of my team and overall style and strategy of how I play this game. I can't give her up. It's not all about the DHC glitch here, I can have plenty of success with this same team without the extra damage-- it's mostly about the other things she provides me. For one, an excellent DHC. Excellent damage in combos and a very safe option to tag out Wesker. Also, I use the DHC to counter virtually anything on reaction-- which I love to do, but mostly I love the safety this provides me. Her assist, while not great is still a good projectile that adds to my mixup with Wesker and provides with a boost in zoning. I play this game mostly defensively at a neutral position so I like the fact that her S move is such a great anti air.
Characters with 8-way dashes are everywhere in this game, so it wouldn't hard to replace her with say Magneto or Viper. However, I would lose the great damage on a DHC with Magneto and lose the assist with someone like Viper.
There's a lot that can be done with her. She's a good enough character that I shouldn't be struggling the way I am with her. I need to learn how to space her air normals a lot better, and confirm better as well. I often get counter hit mispacing one of her moves. I've have been getting better steadily over the course of my playing but she still needs work and is still my weakest link by far.
Chun-Li - Perhaps the most controversial and criticized component of my team among my peers. She is an assist character primarily-- something I feel I need in this game. The assist is not too great as far as pure assist characters go. The startup on legs is not invincible but it's fast and active enough to cause a real nuisance. The long active period is also a weakness that is easily punishable unlike many other assists. She has pretty good DHC synergy in combos with the other team members, but not phenomenal by any means. It's probably better than what I'd be getting with a Tron or Haggar. This brings me to my next point about her, I'm not bad with her and she isn't totally helpless. I don't have a huge comeback factor with her, but I've been known to weasel out some wins with level 3 X-Factor Chun-Li. That being said, she is no Dormammu or even Akuma. The only character I can see myself putting in her slot would be Sentinel so I don't lose DHC synergy and the character won't be helpless when fighting alone. The only problem is, I don't like Sentinel at all.
I need to do good meterless combos with her, which I don't do. Her damage isn't great even with meter. I still need to take full advantage of her speedy crossups and instant overheads. Combos is still the biggest thing I need to work on.
The purpose of the this post is to track my development of course, so right now I'll break down the team and the dynamics of how I play them and why I play them as a starting point.
Wesker- Good in nearly any spot on a team, he's my point character because he is my best character. Great zoning and runaway, decent mixup and damage, and I also take advantage of the DHC glitch with Storm. Easy character to use and play-- just my thing.
There's not much more I can do to improve other than combo execution and maneuvering.
Storm - Second position for the DHC glitch and a stronger character to come out when Wesker dies. She is my worst character as far as my ability to play her goes. This is why I have wrestled and fumbled with the idea of switching teams, but Storm has become a fundamental part of my team and overall style and strategy of how I play this game. I can't give her up. It's not all about the DHC glitch here, I can have plenty of success with this same team without the extra damage-- it's mostly about the other things she provides me. For one, an excellent DHC. Excellent damage in combos and a very safe option to tag out Wesker. Also, I use the DHC to counter virtually anything on reaction-- which I love to do, but mostly I love the safety this provides me. Her assist, while not great is still a good projectile that adds to my mixup with Wesker and provides with a boost in zoning. I play this game mostly defensively at a neutral position so I like the fact that her S move is such a great anti air.
Characters with 8-way dashes are everywhere in this game, so it wouldn't hard to replace her with say Magneto or Viper. However, I would lose the great damage on a DHC with Magneto and lose the assist with someone like Viper.
There's a lot that can be done with her. She's a good enough character that I shouldn't be struggling the way I am with her. I need to learn how to space her air normals a lot better, and confirm better as well. I often get counter hit mispacing one of her moves. I've have been getting better steadily over the course of my playing but she still needs work and is still my weakest link by far.
Chun-Li - Perhaps the most controversial and criticized component of my team among my peers. She is an assist character primarily-- something I feel I need in this game. The assist is not too great as far as pure assist characters go. The startup on legs is not invincible but it's fast and active enough to cause a real nuisance. The long active period is also a weakness that is easily punishable unlike many other assists. She has pretty good DHC synergy in combos with the other team members, but not phenomenal by any means. It's probably better than what I'd be getting with a Tron or Haggar. This brings me to my next point about her, I'm not bad with her and she isn't totally helpless. I don't have a huge comeback factor with her, but I've been known to weasel out some wins with level 3 X-Factor Chun-Li. That being said, she is no Dormammu or even Akuma. The only character I can see myself putting in her slot would be Sentinel so I don't lose DHC synergy and the character won't be helpless when fighting alone. The only problem is, I don't like Sentinel at all.
I need to do good meterless combos with her, which I don't do. Her damage isn't great even with meter. I still need to take full advantage of her speedy crossups and instant overheads. Combos is still the biggest thing I need to work on.
Aug 12, 2011
Tourney Log: Marvelous Street Kombat 3, Omaha, NE, 8/6/11
I had been away from Omaha too long. When one of the organizers of this monthly tournament series and friend of mine, Yulai, put up the date on Facebook in mid-July, I immediately made plans to attend. The last time I had been to Omaha was way back in February for Nerdtron which featured a series of disappointingly lackluster tournaments. Even with the poor recent history, I always loved coming to Omaha to see some of my favorite people in the gaming community. Besides, I still felt the need to prove myself outside of Iowa and cement my gameplay as among the strongest in the Midwest. Omaha would provide an excellent gauge for me to do just that. I thought I could win. I knew I could win, but didn't think I would. The past failures of out of state performance still haunted me despite recent upswings in that category. Talking with a good gaming friend, Christian, "Joker" the day before the tournament, he encouraged me to think more positively. Still, I didn't get much sleep.
Jun 10, 2011
Thoughts on AE Sakura After 3 Days
I was more than excited for Arcade Edition to be released because Sakura was being buffed significantly, or so I initially thought. Indeed, she is buffed, but not to the extent myself and many other Sakura players had hoped-- even by modest standards. For reference, here is my post on the changes Capcom were to give her. Now I'm going to break down the harsh reality.
The biggest buff she would receive was undoubtedly a quicker recovery to her fireballs. Although Capcom made it sound like every version of her fireball (both charged and uncharged) would recover less, viewing the new frame data and playing the game reveals that only the charged versions have benefited. Although this makes the Uyro meaty fireball corner setup even safer, her zoning game (if you can even call it that) remains stagnant. Right off the bat, Sakura is still very much the same.
The other buff of note was the changes to cl.MP. Sakura can now combo from cl.MP into cr.MP or cr.MK. It is also a very good +3 on block now. I initially thought this move could be used very similarly to Cammy's cl.MP as a throw tech punish into an easy confirm. In practice, I have not had success with this usage. Even when I know they are option-selecting throw I could not land a clean hit. Further, unlike Cammy's cl.MP, Sakura does not have a lot of time to confirm. Although not a big deal, since any decent Sakura should be able to confirm from cr.MK (which would follow cl.MP), I would have liked to be able to confirm earlier. I'll continue to work with this, but as of right now, the best usage of cl.MP would be for frame traps.
The st.MK buff has proven useful. I haven't messed with it too much, but when I have I've had success. The other specific changes to her like air tatsu gaining more hits have been insignificant. St.MP being special cancelable is just a gimmick at this point. There is not much more to say than that.
As for what I can tell, she did not gain any buffs to her hitboxes (other than st.MK), as was also reported. Her ground normals are still pretty awful. Bison, Chun, and Rog are still tough matchups for this reason.
So what's the final verdict? She is better, but not amazingly so (see Makoto). However, she does move up the tier list significantly to a solid mid status, but mostly on the merits of nerfs coming to the other characters. Her damage is astronomical at this point relatively to the rest of the cast and she will still stun you with just a couple mixups. Overall, I am pretty disappointed. I have been mainly relying on my tried and true tactics in order to get my wins, so I can't say how much or at all the changes have benefited my gameplay. With that said, I can't complain. She was not nerfed (she even retains her runaway tatsu), and her gameplay remains generally untouched. Shoutouts to the Sakura mains out there.
The biggest buff she would receive was undoubtedly a quicker recovery to her fireballs. Although Capcom made it sound like every version of her fireball (both charged and uncharged) would recover less, viewing the new frame data and playing the game reveals that only the charged versions have benefited. Although this makes the Uyro meaty fireball corner setup even safer, her zoning game (if you can even call it that) remains stagnant. Right off the bat, Sakura is still very much the same.
The other buff of note was the changes to cl.MP. Sakura can now combo from cl.MP into cr.MP or cr.MK. It is also a very good +3 on block now. I initially thought this move could be used very similarly to Cammy's cl.MP as a throw tech punish into an easy confirm. In practice, I have not had success with this usage. Even when I know they are option-selecting throw I could not land a clean hit. Further, unlike Cammy's cl.MP, Sakura does not have a lot of time to confirm. Although not a big deal, since any decent Sakura should be able to confirm from cr.MK (which would follow cl.MP), I would have liked to be able to confirm earlier. I'll continue to work with this, but as of right now, the best usage of cl.MP would be for frame traps.
The st.MK buff has proven useful. I haven't messed with it too much, but when I have I've had success. The other specific changes to her like air tatsu gaining more hits have been insignificant. St.MP being special cancelable is just a gimmick at this point. There is not much more to say than that.
As for what I can tell, she did not gain any buffs to her hitboxes (other than st.MK), as was also reported. Her ground normals are still pretty awful. Bison, Chun, and Rog are still tough matchups for this reason.
So what's the final verdict? She is better, but not amazingly so (see Makoto). However, she does move up the tier list significantly to a solid mid status, but mostly on the merits of nerfs coming to the other characters. Her damage is astronomical at this point relatively to the rest of the cast and she will still stun you with just a couple mixups. Overall, I am pretty disappointed. I have been mainly relying on my tried and true tactics in order to get my wins, so I can't say how much or at all the changes have benefited my gameplay. With that said, I can't complain. She was not nerfed (she even retains her runaway tatsu), and her gameplay remains generally untouched. Shoutouts to the Sakura mains out there.
May 4, 2011
Justin Wong Accused of Throwing Match - Disciplined by Evo
Big news went down yesterday, as Tom Cannon, one of the organizers of Evo, announced a ruling against Justin Wong regarding his dubious performance in the losers finals of the MvC3 Singles tournament at PowerUp this past weekend. He is being accused of intentionally underperforming in order to help his opponent and good friend, Noel Brown, place higher.
On the whole however, I do not like this decision. They have no real proof besides the video of the match, which in my viewpoint is not enough to conclude that Justin was doing anything more than screwing around. Evo's case comes down to the strategy Justin chose to employ for the first match by putting Phoenix first and not even knowing how to properly combo with Skrull. However, Justin actually won the first match of the set with this moronic strategy. If anything at this point, Noel should be investigated for throwing this first game in order to make their match look closer than it should have been.
Without clear proof that Justin wanted to intentionally lose, how can you possibly fault a player for their actions in game? If Noel and Justin both wanted to pick Random for their entire set, what then? Where do you draw the line? Justin had been picking Adon throughout the SSF4 tournament at PowerUp, even during top 3. He clearly would have had a better chance with his other characters, but he chose to stick with Adon. In my estimation, Justin was not trying his hardest to win here, he was simply testing his Adon in a tournament situation. If Justin had not been playing Noel in the losers finals, I believe his actions would not be an issue. The closeness of their set should also be taken into consideration. If Justin was trying to lose on purpose, I find it hard to believe he could make it look so close.
"In our judgment, by not making a good-faith effort to win, Justin intentionally underperformed. As a result, he forfeits the prize associated with the EVO 2011 Tournament Series portion of this event: his placement points. "Justin was also issued a yellow card for this violation, meaning any further rule violations during the Evo tournament series this year will result in a full disqualification from the Evolution World Championships in July.
"Since we do not have any clear evidence of collaboration between players, we can only penalize the player whose performance reflects intentional underperformance. Noel Brown will still receive points for fighting his way into the Loser's Final match, as matches up to that point do not reflect evidence of any collusion or intentional under-performance. We feel the recorded evidence is clear, and internal action on this matter began immediately following the match."On one hand, this decision is good for the spirit of competition. It shows that Evo will not tolerate this sort of action from anyone including top players like Justin. It sets a solid precedent for future occurrences.
On the whole however, I do not like this decision. They have no real proof besides the video of the match, which in my viewpoint is not enough to conclude that Justin was doing anything more than screwing around. Evo's case comes down to the strategy Justin chose to employ for the first match by putting Phoenix first and not even knowing how to properly combo with Skrull. However, Justin actually won the first match of the set with this moronic strategy. If anything at this point, Noel should be investigated for throwing this first game in order to make their match look closer than it should have been.
Without clear proof that Justin wanted to intentionally lose, how can you possibly fault a player for their actions in game? If Noel and Justin both wanted to pick Random for their entire set, what then? Where do you draw the line? Justin had been picking Adon throughout the SSF4 tournament at PowerUp, even during top 3. He clearly would have had a better chance with his other characters, but he chose to stick with Adon. In my estimation, Justin was not trying his hardest to win here, he was simply testing his Adon in a tournament situation. If Justin had not been playing Noel in the losers finals, I believe his actions would not be an issue. The closeness of their set should also be taken into consideration. If Justin was trying to lose on purpose, I find it hard to believe he could make it look so close.
Feb 9, 2011
Sakura's Matchups According to NGamer3k
For reference, this is what Arcadia thinks as of October 2010.
Honda- 4
M. Bison (Dictator) - 4
Guile- 3.5
Chun-Li- 3.5
Balrog (Boxer)- 4
Cammy- 4
Ryu- 4.5
Abel- 5
Dhalsim- 4
Rufus- 4
Sagat- 4
Seth- 4
Akuma- 4
Fei-Long- 4
Ken- 4
Rose- 4
Blanka- 4
Zangief- 3.5
Dee Jay- 5
Adon- 4
Ibuki- 5
Vega (Claw)- 4.5
Cody- 5
C. Viper- 4
Fuerte- 6
Dudley- 5
Gouken- 6
Juri- 5
T. Hawk- 5
Guy- 5.5
Gen- 5
Dan- 5
Hakan- 5
Makato- 6
Honda- 4
M. Bison (Dictator) - 4
Guile- 3.5
Chun-Li- 3.5
Balrog (Boxer)- 4
Cammy- 4
Ryu- 4.5
Abel- 5
Dhalsim- 4
Rufus- 4
Sagat- 4
Seth- 4
Akuma- 4
Fei-Long- 4
Ken- 4
Rose- 4
Blanka- 4
Zangief- 3.5
Dee Jay- 5
Adon- 4
Ibuki- 5
Vega (Claw)- 4.5
Cody- 5
C. Viper- 4
Fuerte- 6
Dudley- 5
Gouken- 6
Juri- 5
T. Hawk- 5
Guy- 5.5
Gen- 5
Dan- 5
Hakan- 5
Makato- 6
Feb 8, 2011
Thoughts on Sakura Changes in SSF4 AE
A week or so ago, the SSF4 Developer's Blog released some detailed notes on the changes to Sakura in SSF4 Arcade Edition. Now that everything that Capcom will officially disclose is known, I'm ready to give my impressions on her changes and try my best to explain what they will mean for Sakura players. I'll start by quoting the initial translation of the broader changes that were made:
The biggest buff here is the recovery of the fireball. Making her recover even two frames faster would improve her game significantly. Making her fireball-anti-air game a terror to deal with because of the slowness of the fireball combined with the forward movement of anti-air Shouokens. Opponents will be forced to block, walk back towards the corner or get closer to Sakura-- all good things. Recovery was also reduced for the other two levels of charge of the Hadouken. This may create even more interesting zoning and meaty setups.
To summarize the rest of her changes, I like to say they are making her more like better characters, thus making her better. Air Tatsu will get multiple hits, much like Ken's. Far standing strong is special cancelable, a change mirrored by Ryu in AE. This will help her pressure game and if anything else, give her that one extra option she can go to. Close strong will be able to be followed up with a combo now, similar to Cammy's close strong. Not only will this give her more ways to land her devastating combos, she may be able to use it as a way to punish crouch tech attempts.
I'm not sure what the line pertaining to hitbox adjustments and damage, this may only apply to the air Tatsu. Maybe the juggle potential is higher? Or perhaps cross-up Tatsu is more viable? (It's already possible in SSF4, but it is not a reliable tool)
Now, the detailed explanations (quoted translation from Neogaf):
-st.MK hurtbox from the shin to tip is cut, making it easier to use as a check
-Depending on the situation, it can be used as a front anti-air
st.MK in AE
- No changes to cr.HP, but because the move is 4F and forces stand, it's a good move to include in combos
-In the last two active fames, the hitbox becomes bigger, and there's no hurtbox from the wrist to tip, making it an unusually strong anti-air
cr.HP
We get more insight to the specific change to the hitbox of s.MK. The hurtbox has been reduced on the leg, making it a more useful anti-air. I believe this is how the move was initially intended to be used. It's a welcome change, because in both Vanilla and Super, this is one move from Sakura that is rarely seen. The change will help Sakura against opponents who abuse empty jumps, the sworn enemy of c.HP-- her normal anti-air option.
Speaking of, I'm not sure why they felt the need to comment on c.HP given that there was no change to it all. It's nice to finally see the hitbox though.
Finally, here is the opinion of three of Japan's best and most visible players-- Daigo, Mago, and Tokido. In an extensive interview about AE with VersusCity, they briefly discussed Sakura. Additionally, they each compiled their own tier list.
Recently Sakura seems a bit dangerous, doesn’t she?
Mago: I’ve been thinking that really, Sakura is strong as hell, isn’t she?
Daigo: Yeah her attack power has been buffed a bit.
Tokido: Her ability to buffer Shouoken off of Crouching MK is definitely strong.
Mago: Crouching HP as an anti-air is crazy good too, even if you use it only once, most, if not all characters will eat it. Sorry to change subjects, but I feel that Adon is a really tough match for Fei.
There's not much to really take from this other than the fact that they think she is definitely stronger and Mago can't discuss Sakura without thinking about non-Sakura things, this is reflected in their tier lists.
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun, Yang
A: C. Viper, Akuma, Ken
B: Makoto, M. Bison (Dictator), Dhalsim, Balrog (Boxer), Ryu, Cammy, Dee Jay, Zangief, Sagat, Sakura, Adon, E. Honda, Rufus, Vega (Claw)
C: Abel, Blanka, Chun-Li, Cody, Dan, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guile, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, Seth, T. Hawk
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun
A: Yang, Balrog (Boxer), Chun-Li, C. Viper, Akuma, Cammy, Sagat
B+: Ken, Adon, Zangief, Sakura, M. Bison (Dictator), E. Honda, Makoto
B: Rufus, Abel, Vega (Claw), Dhalsim, Guile, Dee Jay, Ryu
C: Blanka, Cody, Dan, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, Seth, T. Hawk
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun
A: Yang, Akuma, C. Viper, Makoto, Ken
B: Ryu, Chun-Li, E. Honda, Zangief, Dhalsim, Balrog (Boxer), Sagat, M. Bison (Dictator), Vega (Claw), Rufus, Abel, Seth, Cammy, Sakura, Adon
C: Blanka, Cody, Dan, Dee Jay, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guile, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, T. Hawk
If we do the math here, they think Sakura is the about the 16th or 17th best character. Right smack dab in the middle. The definition of solid-- way more tournament viable than she was. Also interesting, they all have Fei as top followed by Yun and Yang. T. Hawk is likewise unanimously agreed to be the worst.
I'm very happy with her changes. I was not expecting that she would receive a buff as big as the recovery of her fireball. That combined with all the other changes will significantly improve the chances of winning any given match and helps matches like Guile and Honda. I would have really liked an improvement to either her walk speed or dash lengths, but given the other changes-- I can't really complain. See you on top in AE!
- Close strong (medium punch) has less recovery, crouch strong and crouch forward (medium kick) can combo from hit confirm. Far strong can be cancelled same as Ryu. Vulnerable hitbox on far forward reduced, making it harder to hit her out of it.
- Air Tatsu can get more airborne hits. Other various adjustments on making hitboxes bigger, damage, and recovery done to make her stronger.
- Less recovery on each level of HadoukenIf you couldn't tell, those are all buffs! Capcom did this sort of thing with all of the characters considered "low tier," giving them buffs across the board with no nerfs in a deliberate effort to narrow the gap between the relative strength of each character. However, one thing that is not mentioned officially, but I'm pretty sure is true is that Sakura can no longer Tatsu escape from the corner. This was removed from all the shotos (Ryu, Ken, Akuma), so it can only be assumed that it was removed for her as well-- which is technically a nerf. But since this change happened across the board, it doesn't really impact things too much.
The biggest buff here is the recovery of the fireball. Making her recover even two frames faster would improve her game significantly. Making her fireball-anti-air game a terror to deal with because of the slowness of the fireball combined with the forward movement of anti-air Shouokens. Opponents will be forced to block, walk back towards the corner or get closer to Sakura-- all good things. Recovery was also reduced for the other two levels of charge of the Hadouken. This may create even more interesting zoning and meaty setups.
To summarize the rest of her changes, I like to say they are making her more like better characters, thus making her better. Air Tatsu will get multiple hits, much like Ken's. Far standing strong is special cancelable, a change mirrored by Ryu in AE. This will help her pressure game and if anything else, give her that one extra option she can go to. Close strong will be able to be followed up with a combo now, similar to Cammy's close strong. Not only will this give her more ways to land her devastating combos, she may be able to use it as a way to punish crouch tech attempts.
I'm not sure what the line pertaining to hitbox adjustments and damage, this may only apply to the air Tatsu. Maybe the juggle potential is higher? Or perhaps cross-up Tatsu is more viable? (It's already possible in SSF4, but it is not a reliable tool)
Now, the detailed explanations (quoted translation from Neogaf):
-st.MK hurtbox from the shin to tip is cut, making it easier to use as a check
-Depending on the situation, it can be used as a front anti-air
st.MK in AE
- No changes to cr.HP, but because the move is 4F and forces stand, it's a good move to include in combos
-In the last two active fames, the hitbox becomes bigger, and there's no hurtbox from the wrist to tip, making it an unusually strong anti-air
cr.HP
We get more insight to the specific change to the hitbox of s.MK. The hurtbox has been reduced on the leg, making it a more useful anti-air. I believe this is how the move was initially intended to be used. It's a welcome change, because in both Vanilla and Super, this is one move from Sakura that is rarely seen. The change will help Sakura against opponents who abuse empty jumps, the sworn enemy of c.HP-- her normal anti-air option.
Speaking of, I'm not sure why they felt the need to comment on c.HP given that there was no change to it all. It's nice to finally see the hitbox though.
Finally, here is the opinion of three of Japan's best and most visible players-- Daigo, Mago, and Tokido. In an extensive interview about AE with VersusCity, they briefly discussed Sakura. Additionally, they each compiled their own tier list.
Recently Sakura seems a bit dangerous, doesn’t she?
Mago: I’ve been thinking that really, Sakura is strong as hell, isn’t she?
Daigo: Yeah her attack power has been buffed a bit.
Tokido: Her ability to buffer Shouoken off of Crouching MK is definitely strong.
Mago: Crouching HP as an anti-air is crazy good too, even if you use it only once, most, if not all characters will eat it. Sorry to change subjects, but I feel that Adon is a really tough match for Fei.
There's not much to really take from this other than the fact that they think she is definitely stronger and Mago can't discuss Sakura without thinking about non-Sakura things, this is reflected in their tier lists.
Daigo Umehara
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun, Yang
A: C. Viper, Akuma, Ken
B: Makoto, M. Bison (Dictator), Dhalsim, Balrog (Boxer), Ryu, Cammy, Dee Jay, Zangief, Sagat, Sakura, Adon, E. Honda, Rufus, Vega (Claw)
C: Abel, Blanka, Chun-Li, Cody, Dan, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guile, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, Seth, T. Hawk
Mago
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun
A: Yang, Balrog (Boxer), Chun-Li, C. Viper, Akuma, Cammy, Sagat
B+: Ken, Adon, Zangief, Sakura, M. Bison (Dictator), E. Honda, Makoto
B: Rufus, Abel, Vega (Claw), Dhalsim, Guile, Dee Jay, Ryu
C: Blanka, Cody, Dan, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, Seth, T. Hawk
Tokido
S: Fei Long
A+: Yun
A: Yang, Akuma, C. Viper, Makoto, Ken
B: Ryu, Chun-Li, E. Honda, Zangief, Dhalsim, Balrog (Boxer), Sagat, M. Bison (Dictator), Vega (Claw), Rufus, Abel, Seth, Cammy, Sakura, Adon
C: Blanka, Cody, Dan, Dee Jay, Dudley, El Fuerte, Gen, Gouken, Guile, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Rose, T. Hawk
If we do the math here, they think Sakura is the about the 16th or 17th best character. Right smack dab in the middle. The definition of solid-- way more tournament viable than she was. Also interesting, they all have Fei as top followed by Yun and Yang. T. Hawk is likewise unanimously agreed to be the worst.
I'm very happy with her changes. I was not expecting that she would receive a buff as big as the recovery of her fireball. That combined with all the other changes will significantly improve the chances of winning any given match and helps matches like Guile and Honda. I would have really liked an improvement to either her walk speed or dash lengths, but given the other changes-- I can't really complain. See you on top in AE!
Sakura: SSF4 Guide - UPDATED FOR ULTRA - Updated 12/3/15
Played at an optimum level, Sakura is a scary character that can do in excess of 350 damage with any combo. Her main problem being that getting in to do that damage can be a challenge. She has strong jab pressure complimented with light hurricane kicks and frame traps at close range to make her supremely scary up close. She can be zoned out but once she's inside, the match can turn quickly. She is never out of it.
Feb 7, 2011
Post Mortem: HPiLC- Interview with Kurares
Last week, Iowa's up and coming Brawl Fox, Gary "Kuares" aka OG Melee Roy, "Zyroqwa" made his Brawl tournament organizing debut with Highest Point in Linn County. It featured a stage picking system that was described by several Iowa players beforehand as "interesting." Essentially, it gave each player an equal chance to counterpick a stage during the first two games, putting more emphasis on the third and final game. I sat down with Kuares to obtain his perspective about the rule set. And I didn't forget that while making sure the tournament was running smoothly, he also managed to place 2nd (even beating yours truly). We talked about his ability to adapt during matches and the future of the Eastern Iowa scene. Read on, after the break.
Jan 31, 2011
UPDATED AND CONDENSED: 10 Tips for MvC3 Newbies
I took way too long to update this post, mainly due to the fact it was daunting to write. However, I have thought of way to write this without making it long-winded. Besides, newcomers want quick tips and don't want to read an exhausting explanation do they? After seeing many people attempt MvC3 and session after session remaining clueless, I have a better idea of what makes these people struggle. Now without further stalling, here are my quick tidbits.
1. Execute your combos - This is one of the biggest hurdles people seem to face even with Marvel's very easy combo system. Execution of your combos means you take advantage of your hits which may not come easily against someone well seasoned in the game. This tip also implies doing the right combos. Research your characters and find out what combos are best for your team structure and personal play style. This is where videos help the most I think.
2. Use assists effectively - To Marvel newbies, assists are a very foreign concept. But put simply, assists are the most valuable tools in the game. They can be used to cover, defend, combo, mixup, and more! Remember, assist cooldowns are very short. If all else fails, when you're first starting out- do as my good friend Jayford says- "Spam the broken assist."
3. The best defense is a good offense - Marvel has always been a game of push buttons now, ask questions later and the games have been designed with the premise that rush down is king. This game is certainly no different with characters that have many offensive tools but lack adequate defense against them. When I first played a good Wolverine, I asked the player "How do you deal with that?" All he could say was "Don't let me get started." So true. As long as you keep the pressure on yourself, you can never be pressured.
4. Tag out your injured character - Having a fully comprised team is so huge in this game that saving all the red life you can while helping a severely hurt character survive should be a top priority.
5. Tag in/out safely - Learn to not rely on raw tagging all the time. Safe DHCs (Delayed Hyper Combos) and TACs (Team Aerial Combos) are the safest ways of tagging in. Of course you can always tag when you have killed off a character.
6. Kill off characters - Do whatever it takes. Killing a character is huge and 9 out of 10 times it's the right decision. As you become more advanced, you will know when to kill and when to pursue other avenues.
7. Use TACs - Team Aerial Combos offer little risk and a bounty of reward to the player using them. Use and abuse these for big damage, free meter, and a safe tag.
8. Use Snap-backs - Snap-backs are even more useful now than in previous Versus games. They can be combo'd into from any standing H and have tons of uses. Snap in the character who is close to death so he can't get red life back. Snap in your opponents best character if you know it. Snap in the team anchor to kill the come back factor and mess up the team order. Snap in the problem assist like Tron or Haggar. Snap in Phoenix.
9. Proper X-Factor use - Never die without activating!
10. Practice. Practice. Practice.
1. Execute your combos - This is one of the biggest hurdles people seem to face even with Marvel's very easy combo system. Execution of your combos means you take advantage of your hits which may not come easily against someone well seasoned in the game. This tip also implies doing the right combos. Research your characters and find out what combos are best for your team structure and personal play style. This is where videos help the most I think.
2. Use assists effectively - To Marvel newbies, assists are a very foreign concept. But put simply, assists are the most valuable tools in the game. They can be used to cover, defend, combo, mixup, and more! Remember, assist cooldowns are very short. If all else fails, when you're first starting out- do as my good friend Jayford says- "Spam the broken assist."
3. The best defense is a good offense - Marvel has always been a game of push buttons now, ask questions later and the games have been designed with the premise that rush down is king. This game is certainly no different with characters that have many offensive tools but lack adequate defense against them. When I first played a good Wolverine, I asked the player "How do you deal with that?" All he could say was "Don't let me get started." So true. As long as you keep the pressure on yourself, you can never be pressured.
4. Tag out your injured character - Having a fully comprised team is so huge in this game that saving all the red life you can while helping a severely hurt character survive should be a top priority.
5. Tag in/out safely - Learn to not rely on raw tagging all the time. Safe DHCs (Delayed Hyper Combos) and TACs (Team Aerial Combos) are the safest ways of tagging in. Of course you can always tag when you have killed off a character.
6. Kill off characters - Do whatever it takes. Killing a character is huge and 9 out of 10 times it's the right decision. As you become more advanced, you will know when to kill and when to pursue other avenues.
7. Use TACs - Team Aerial Combos offer little risk and a bounty of reward to the player using them. Use and abuse these for big damage, free meter, and a safe tag.
8. Use Snap-backs - Snap-backs are even more useful now than in previous Versus games. They can be combo'd into from any standing H and have tons of uses. Snap in the character who is close to death so he can't get red life back. Snap in your opponents best character if you know it. Snap in the team anchor to kill the come back factor and mess up the team order. Snap in the problem assist like Tron or Haggar. Snap in Phoenix.
9. Proper X-Factor use - Never die without activating!
10. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Jan 21, 2011
Marvel vs Capcom 3: Predictions
The hype for MvC3 can hardly contain itself. The sequel to one of the most beloved fighting games in history is mere weeks away. While people with access to arcades are sinking their teeth into SSF4 AE, the vast majority of us in the community have been dying to play something new. But MvC3's release is monumental for another reason. It will be mark the first time since SF4's release in 2008 that a fighter will make this much impact on the casual player base. Anticipating the overall implications of this fact and their effect on the community has me just as hype as for the game itself.
Jan 11, 2011
Video from Midwest Final Round Qualifier in KC
This video comes from my most recent tournament showing for Street Fighter and Blazblue on the 17th of December. Losers bracket, third round. As you can see, I'm pretty familiar with Gouken. My opponent seemed to be just as unfamiliar with Sakura. Rape ensued.
For those curious, I lost to Honda in the next round. Good enough for a 13th place finish. Not bad, but definitely not up to my potential or given ability. I'm still getting used to tournament play for this game. In Blazblue I fared somewhat better depending on how you look at it. I finished 5th. My lack of experience in the game shown through in my losses. If only I could get more competition in the game. I'd have more to say, but I'm too far removed from this event to go into detail. Enjoy the video.
For those curious, I lost to Honda in the next round. Good enough for a 13th place finish. Not bad, but definitely not up to my potential or given ability. I'm still getting used to tournament play for this game. In Blazblue I fared somewhat better depending on how you look at it. I finished 5th. My lack of experience in the game shown through in my losses. If only I could get more competition in the game. I'd have more to say, but I'm too far removed from this event to go into detail. Enjoy the video.
Jan 6, 2011
Vintage NGamer3k SF4 Vids!
This is from my very first Street Fighter tournament in June of 2009. This should be a special treat to anyone who has seen my gameplay now and thinks I didn't once suck or take my lumps. I played on a pad back then and didn't know how to hit-confirm combos. I also jumped a lot.
Every once and a while, I watch these to remind me of my progress and how far I've come.
Every once and a while, I watch these to remind me of my progress and how far I've come.
More after the jump...
Jan 29, 2009
The Untold Truth Behind Zombie Nation
First of all, the song is not called “Zombie Nation.” The actual name is Kernkraft 400 by the German techno “band” (really only one guy, Florian Senfter) that goes by the name of, you guessed it, Zombie Nation.
With that initial misconception cleared up for many of you, Kernkraft 400, meaning “Atomic Energy 400” in German is widely known across the globe. It topped several European music charts in its debut in 1999 where it was extremely popular in European dance clubs.
A few years later, the version we’re all familiar with, the appropriately named “Sport Chant Remix” made its way to the U.S. where it immediately gained notoriety as an immensely effective way of pumping up fans. It has since spread to nearly every sports stadium/arena and the rest is history.
But wait, there’s more! The song’s genesis nine years ago contains a certain point of intrigue from an unexpected place. The incredible popularity of the hypnotic tune begs the question of how a lone German guy, for the first track of his first album, could create one of the most resonating techno songs ever. The truth is, he didn’t. Senfter completely transplanted the tune from the 1984 Commodore 64 game, Lazy Jones. The original track is called "Stardust" and was composed by famed video game music maestro, David Whittaker.
Who knew? One of the greatest techno and stadium songs traces back its origins to an ancient video game.
With that initial misconception cleared up for many of you, Kernkraft 400, meaning “Atomic Energy 400” in German is widely known across the globe. It topped several European music charts in its debut in 1999 where it was extremely popular in European dance clubs.
A few years later, the version we’re all familiar with, the appropriately named “Sport Chant Remix” made its way to the U.S. where it immediately gained notoriety as an immensely effective way of pumping up fans. It has since spread to nearly every sports stadium/arena and the rest is history.
But wait, there’s more! The song’s genesis nine years ago contains a certain point of intrigue from an unexpected place. The incredible popularity of the hypnotic tune begs the question of how a lone German guy, for the first track of his first album, could create one of the most resonating techno songs ever. The truth is, he didn’t. Senfter completely transplanted the tune from the 1984 Commodore 64 game, Lazy Jones. The original track is called "Stardust" and was composed by famed video game music maestro, David Whittaker.
Who knew? One of the greatest techno and stadium songs traces back its origins to an ancient video game.
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