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5 Reasons Why I Love Fighting Games
Posted by Blazeknyt,
15 July 2012
·
498 views
fighting fighters fighting games mechanics comeback Street Fighter
The fighting game tournament EVO just finished recently, and with it, thoughts of fighting games sprung up. Fighting games are games you can almost always get into. In no particular order (except the last one), here are 5 reasons I love fighting games:
Most games have tons of characters, but with fighting games it’s even more pronounced, and that’s because many characters are playable. You can almost always find someone to play with, and the roster tends to grow with each new game. Seriously, Tekken started with 8 playable characters in the arcade, and now boasts over 40.
The growth of the video game industry made everything change. 2D fighters and 3D fighters offer different takes on the game. 2D fighters limit movement, but can really play with animations. Combos actually started as a glitch! 3D fighters offer a whole new range of movement, but tend to be slower in gameplay due to the more realistic movement portrayed. Soul Calibur’s movement has always felt smoother compared to Tekken’s.
You have hand-to-hand fighting games, weapons based fighters, and even wrestling, boxing and MMA games could fit in here. All of them offer different takes on fighting: Street Fighter and King Of Fighters are the 2D kings. The Marvel vs. Capcom series is the most renowned crossover, while Tekken and Soul Calibur refined 3D fighting.
The mechanics, or the engine of the game itself is how fighters differentiate themselves. How do the combos work? What can cancel into what? Once I finally figured out how some basic combos work out, I tried this in other fighting games, and found that basic combos (at least in 2D fighters) follow the same basic formula. A heavy attack can be canceled into a special move without interruption.
Street Fighter IV’s Focus attack has various uses, and Tekken has a very strong influence on juggling your opponent. My favorite two mechanics are the "C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!" from Killer Instinct, and the parry system introduced in Street Fighter III, which fuels another reason below, There are incredibly advanced combos in practice modes listed out for you now. The exact combo may not be practical, but it teaches the mechanics that many competitive players use. Figuring out the game works is like figuring out an intricate puzzle, and mastering that puzzle takes lots of practice. However, once you get into that, you just may fall into the…
In a fighting game, you are trying to prove that you are better than someone else, particularly by beating the crap out of him or her. The competitive spirit helps fuel me to learn the mechanics and analyze opponents. Knowing that I will go up against others who play the game, I need to know what combos work, what moves are worth using, and when to use them.
Competition has grown so much that local and international tournaments are held. It’s really cool to see that gaming has grown to become much more than a hobby. Along with tournaments, the internet has provided a way to garner information on different players and playing styles.
The unfortunate side effect of competition leads to emotions. Determination can lead to stubbornness, constant losses can lead to anger, and constant winning can lead to having no fun.
The comeback is one of the single greatest feelings you can achieve. It doesn’t even have to be in a video game, you could make a comeback in a sports match, a board game, or a race.
Just watch this video.
So what are your favorite fighting games, and why?
The characters
Most games have tons of characters, but with fighting games it’s even more pronounced, and that’s because many characters are playable. You can almost always find someone to play with, and the roster tends to grow with each new game. Seriously, Tekken started with 8 playable characters in the arcade, and now boasts over 40.
Variety
The growth of the video game industry made everything change. 2D fighters and 3D fighters offer different takes on the game. 2D fighters limit movement, but can really play with animations. Combos actually started as a glitch! 3D fighters offer a whole new range of movement, but tend to be slower in gameplay due to the more realistic movement portrayed. Soul Calibur’s movement has always felt smoother compared to Tekken’s.
You have hand-to-hand fighting games, weapons based fighters, and even wrestling, boxing and MMA games could fit in here. All of them offer different takes on fighting: Street Fighter and King Of Fighters are the 2D kings. The Marvel vs. Capcom series is the most renowned crossover, while Tekken and Soul Calibur refined 3D fighting.
The mechanics
The mechanics, or the engine of the game itself is how fighters differentiate themselves. How do the combos work? What can cancel into what? Once I finally figured out how some basic combos work out, I tried this in other fighting games, and found that basic combos (at least in 2D fighters) follow the same basic formula. A heavy attack can be canceled into a special move without interruption.
Street Fighter IV’s Focus attack has various uses, and Tekken has a very strong influence on juggling your opponent. My favorite two mechanics are the "C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!" from Killer Instinct, and the parry system introduced in Street Fighter III, which fuels another reason below, There are incredibly advanced combos in practice modes listed out for you now. The exact combo may not be practical, but it teaches the mechanics that many competitive players use. Figuring out the game works is like figuring out an intricate puzzle, and mastering that puzzle takes lots of practice. However, once you get into that, you just may fall into the…
Competitive spirit
In a fighting game, you are trying to prove that you are better than someone else, particularly by beating the crap out of him or her. The competitive spirit helps fuel me to learn the mechanics and analyze opponents. Knowing that I will go up against others who play the game, I need to know what combos work, what moves are worth using, and when to use them.
Competition has grown so much that local and international tournaments are held. It’s really cool to see that gaming has grown to become much more than a hobby. Along with tournaments, the internet has provided a way to garner information on different players and playing styles.
The unfortunate side effect of competition leads to emotions. Determination can lead to stubbornness, constant losses can lead to anger, and constant winning can lead to having no fun.
The Comeback
The comeback is one of the single greatest feelings you can achieve. It doesn’t even have to be in a video game, you could make a comeback in a sports match, a board game, or a race.
Just watch this video.
So what are your favorite fighting games, and why?
