Street Fighter IV: Improve Your Game!
“You ready?”So, you’re hyped about Street Fighter IV but you know you probably suck at it. The prospect of playing online scares the bejesus out of you. Don’t lose heart Dear Reader, I, and many others, am in the same boat as you. Whether it’s been quite a long time since you last picked a World Warrior to fight with, or you look at YouTube videos of high level and fear every single player online are just as good, it’s cool. I’m here to help. I’m going to provide you with some resources to get you on the road of Street Fighting greatness…or at least, a start to building a good foundation. This article will benefit those who wish to become better players much more than it will those who just want to mess around with the game with their friends and don’t care about skill level or anything like that. Either way is fine with me. With that in mind, let’s move on…
There are three things you must accept if you want to be a better fighting game player. These go hand in hand, but I’ll list them separately.
First, you must accept that becoming a better player means practice. Practice, practice and more practice. It means hopping in training modes and perfecting your timing and executions. It means taking your licks against players who are better than you and coming back for more. It means never losing heart when frustration tends to creep in. Becoming better at fighting games is akin to becoming better at a sport: You must put in the work to become a skilled player.
Second, you must be willing to learn outside of playing the game. Learn from those better than you when they write down their thoughts. Learn from their strategies, patterns and thoughts. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Learn the ins and outs of the different systems within the game through study. Read how to “charge partition”or “kara”, what they mean and the situations they would be most useful. What moves may have priority over others and how to use that to your advantage. There are tons of material and discussion out there (not to mention videos) on any character you’d like to dedicate your time to learn.
Third, and this is very important so listen (read) up, get any notion of “cheap” or “dishonorable” dishonorable tactics out of your head right now. Right now. For example, you may think an opponent who consistently throws you is being cheap. Or someone spamming Hadokens, Tiger Shots, or whatever else is lame. Perhaps you get trapped in a corner and an opponent just locks you down and you call foul. Sorry folks, these aren’t instances of being cheap. These are parts of the game and it’s your job to play through them, counter your opponent and puts things back in your favor. Unless it’s an obvious bug, glitch or game-breaking instance triggered outside of what the developers intended, it is acceptable and part of the game. Adapt, learn, counter, and improve. Lastly, don’t be a jerk and mark someones 360 gamertag/PSN username with negative comments because they beat you. They beat you fair and square. Man (or woman) up and don’t be a sore loser.
One last thing you may consider is acquiring an arcade stick. Granted, if you’re more comfortable using a good controller and d-pad by all means, go for it. However, the vast majority of the time, a good arcade stick will offer the player greater control over their actions as well as easier access to the many different button combinations you need to excel at the game. Of course, a good arcade stick will set you back a good amount of money. Anywhere from $79.99 to 149.99 or more. However, it’s best to think of it as an investment. Pick up a stick and you can use it for all future fighting games for that system or even for the PC (if you use GGPO or MAME). To get you started right off the bat, you can look out for the Mad Catz Street Fighter IV FightStick for both PS3 and 360 , the Hori Real Arcade Pro 3 for PS3 or the Hori Real Arcade Pro EX for 360.
Now, on to the resources!
iPlayWinner.com is a resource for both seasoned and beginner players who are looking to improve their skill set in the competitive fighting game world. They have a very detailed overview and breakdown of many popular fighting games including Street Fighter IV. Definitely a great place to get started.
As the name implies, this site is heavily focused on many Capcom fighting games (among others of course) including SF4. Their forums are a gigantic resource with many knowledgeable members providing tips, analysis and more. Breakdown your favorite character or find out how to modify your arcade stick. It’s all here.
Gootecks is the handle for Ryan Gutierrez, a fighting game tournament player with a site full of videos, audio and resources to improve your game. His free ebook, The 3rd Strike Player’s Guide to Street Fighter 4 is a very good read for 3rd Strike vets and new players alike. His pod casts are also highly recommended.
http://mycheats.1up.com/view/section/3163881/21109/street_fighter_4/xbox_360#characterselection
A quick copy and paste here says what this link is all about: MyCheats is back with an in-depth Street Fighter 4 Super Guide with the help of Neidel “Haunts” Crisan from iPLAYWINNER.com to bring you the most complete Street Fighter 4 Strategy Guide Walkthrough on the Internet. You’ll find complete character bios, combo videos, and ways to elevate your game to the next level. You could also navigate our Street Fighter 4 Character Selection sheet listed below to find the appropriate guide you’re looking for.
http://www.youtube.com/user/ArcadeInfinity
If you’re tired of reading, why not take in some recorded, high level fights featuring many tourney vets? Here you can see in action what you’ve been studying and reading about. Both reading and seeing it put to work really wraps everything together nicely.
Well, I hope you’re ready. If you’re lucky, you’re playing Street Fighter IV right now or you’re on pins and needles waiting for tomorrow. Either way, I’m up for a fight!
ref :: zenotaku
