Introduction to Fighting Games

Have you ever enjoyed a fighting game, mashing every button you desire, seeing your chosen character punch people in the gut while getting kicked in the face, and then find your enjoyment utterly evaporated upon your first encounter with an experienced player? All of a sudden you are unable to use any move you want or press whatever button you want. It seems everything you do gets blocked, or no matter what button you press you keep getting hit. Another scenario is you get thrown. The throwing doesn’t stop until your health drops. Or perhaps they decided to just run away from you for the entire fight, tossing projectiles your way until the K.O. flashes across the screen or you get frustrated enough to where you just walk into his moves until it shows up.

This is actually a common occurrence for fighting games. In my opinion, fighting games are perhaps one of the least beginner friendly genres for gaming. If a beginner plays against an intermediate player in 10, 20, 30, or any number of matches, I would venture to say the beginner will win zero to one matches. This can be very discouraging to a player. I will spend some time briefly explaining some of the concepts in fighting games that can go a long way in helping a player improve. I’m not going to give advice on what kind of character to pick, because in the end that depends on you (although, I say pick whoever aesthetically appeals to you the most).

One of the often ignored features of a fighting game is the first area you enter to help you grasp some crucial concepts. This feature is the training mode. Here is where you should learn what each of your buttons do, as well as your character's special moves. I know there is this huge temptation to instantly jump into online play, but containing that temptation to mess around in the training room first will make that online experience much more enjoyable. It may sound a bit rudimentary, but it does help to know what your character can do so you can form some sort of strategy before you go off mashing yourself into endless defeats. Also take note of the range and speed of your moves. How far do they travel? How fast do they come out? This will help for the next piece of advice.

Don’t constantly attack. Don’t just run in there slamming away at buttons. If you are playing a 2D fighter, don’t just jump at your opponent constantly. Try moving along the ground first. This is where knowing certain ranges can help you out, because as you proceed to move along the ground knowing what moves can reach depending on distance between you and your enemy can assist you. Whiffing slower moves is typically very bad, because your opponent is free to move while you are stuck in the animation. Going hand in hand with the idea of not constantly attacking, is not being afraid to block. It is better to block and try to find a way to go on offense, than always be offensive and end up losing your life because your guard is down.

I know these tidbits are short and generic, but every fighting game comes equipped with their own quirks and spins on the basic rules. 3D fighters such as Tekken rely heavily on character movement, and the speed and range of your basic attacks, as well as a higher emphasis on frame data for blocked moves. 2D fighters span a heavy continuum from the aerial and projectile heavy Marvel series to the ground based Street Fighter series. If you would like for a more in-depth article on a specific game, feel free to mention what fighting game you would like to have a “Learning how to play” guide and I’ll be glad to write it.