Hey everyone. Its just two days away from the opening EVO and been a pretty slow news week. However there is one thing that is making the rounds on net about fighting games is a new guide on how to get better at fighting games. From Masher to Master: The Educated Video Game Enthusiast’s Fighting Game Primer (Super Book Edition) is a free book published by SRK and written by fighting game writer Patrick Miller. I haven’t downloaded and read the book yet, however judging by a few of the comments I’ve read, I’ve heard its pretty good (albeit a bit more Street Fighter focused). With all of this talk about fighting game fundamentals, I though it would be a good time to contribute something I believe is a fundamental factor to understanding fighting games. Its something I’ve frequently come across when I get comments from people who have a very strong desire to learn fighting games. Its something I like to call “L” Factor, L for losing mind you. The point I want to make here is that everyone loses and that’s not a bad thing.
Before I start, let me make one thing clear: I’m no tourny champ nor truly great online warrior. At my best, I got 4th in a small Vanilla Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 tournament (and I only got that because my next match after I won my first match wasn’t found) and two B+ ranks with Cammy in Super Street Fighter 4 and Arcade Edition 2012 (and that’s online which really isn’t a great quantifier of personal skill). Nor am I a wonderful fighting game writer, I’ve only done this for about 5 years, and its only the last 3 that I have been really writing more on a regular-ish basis. Though from all my years of playing fighting games and writing about them, I have found one consistent complaint from people and myself: losing and the many things that come with a loss.
Let’s get this out of the way, everyone loses at fighting games. You, me, and even tournament champs/seasoned vets. Sometimes its just a really close game other times you get stomped on. Its sucks, hard. However, the most important thing is what you take from it as sappy as it sounds. Winning is fun but from losing teaches you so much more. I can attest to that fact. I’ve been playing Street Fighter 4 since the original game and I lost hell of a lot. When I started, the hardest thing for me to do was a simple fireball motion consistently. I took a lot of practice for me just to learn that which came from a lot of losses. Even then it took me a while find a character I could work with. I’d say it took me until Super Street Fighter 4 until I started to feel really comfortable with the game.
There is however one thing that losing can’t teach you: the desire to keep playing. I understand completely getting burned out after loosing a lot. The desire to keep going after losing…is up to you. I’ve been burned out by many fighting games and just stopped playing for a while or never just come back at all. What does keep me coming back after losing a lot for some fighting games depends on the games. Sometimes I just want to understand the games better or I’ve got friends who can help me understand what I’ve done wrong. A break after a big lost or a bunch of loses can be something that can be good because it allows you to rest up. From there you can get your mental mojo back on or take the time learn up about things to improve.
I guess the last thing I want to say is that with losing, there are multiple paths to take from it, with not all of them with bad. You can take a loss as a terrible thing or help you get to greater things. Everyone loses and every gets into ruts. Its those individuals who can take those loses and learn things from them, that make them into champs. Even if you don’t want to be super competitive, try to not get discouraged by loses. After all, one lost may lead you to something greater.
Because I’m not a great teacher, here are some other (probably much better) fighting game tutorial/ help series/YouTube Channels:
LevelUpYourGame and Avoiding the Puddle (Tekken and 3D Fighter Focused)
EmemporC0w’s Dead or Alive 5 Video Guide
Justin Wong’s Step Up Your Game Column (Street Fighter focused but applies to all fighters)
Shoryuken Wiki (Multiple Games)
If you have any other guides and/or places you’d like to recommend please feel free to share.
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