Let's Say I Want to Get Started in Fighting Games...

[marlowe221]

Online with peers? SFxT 2013 is probably your best bet. Best online of this generation and a lot of players of all skill levels. Also try KOF98 on GGPO. GGPO is great, almost any computer can run KOF98, almost any PS3 or X360 controller will work on PC, and there's a ton of people of all skill levels all over the world playing KOF98.

Online with Masters? GGPO is the place to go. Super Street Fighter II Turbo on GGPO has a lot of big players. I can't vouch for them personally, but I'm sure a few are helpful. Vampire Savior on GGPO, on the other hand, I can vouch for. VERY friendly community, VERY helpful and welcoming to newcomers, and it's just a fun fun game that will teach you a lot of fighting game concepts quickly.

Online is probably my best bet. I live in a town of 2200 total population so... not a very big local gaming community. I can't even get cable internet here; I'm working with DSL - fancy, decently fast DSL, but DSL nonetheless.

I am intrigued by this KOF98 and GGPO thing. Now, could you tell me what those things mean???

I like the idea of playing on PC with some kind of controller. That will certainly help contain entry costs in a genre that I am not entirely sure I am going to fall in love with yet. I already have a Logitech F310 gamepad that I use for a lot of my PC gaming - I'm sure it's probably woefully insufficient so recommendations on reasonably priced controllers would be cool too.

[rufus777]

I like the idea of playing on PC with some kind of controller. That will certainly help contain entry costs in a genre that I am not entirely sure I am going to fall in love with yet. I already have a Logitech F310 gamepad that I use for a lot of my PC gaming - I'm sure it's probably woefully insufficient so recommendations on reasonably priced controllers would be cool too.

A Sega Saturn model 2 controller and a Saturn-to-USB adapter is the best way to play fighting games on PC. They're relatively cheap, and not extraordinarily difficult to find.

KOF98=King Of Fighters 98, a Neo Geo fighting game usually regarded as the pinnacle of the KOF series. Very good for learning the fundamentals of fighting games. GGPO is some net thing that allows people to play it against each other online. Supposedly it has the best netcode out there, so the matches are more or less lag-free.

[the7k]

Online is probably my best bet. I live in a town of 2200 total population so... not a very big local gaming community. I can't even get cable internet here; I'm working with DSL - fancy, decently fast DSL, but DSL nonetheless.

I am intrigued by this KOF98 and GGPO thing. Now, could you tell me what those things mean???

I like the idea of playing on PC with some kind of controller. That will certainly help contain entry costs in a genre that I am not entirely sure I am going to fall in love with yet. I already have a Logitech F310 gamepad that I use for a lot of my PC gaming - I'm sure it's probably woefully insufficient so recommendations on reasonably priced controllers would be cool too.

GGPO = http://ggpo.net/
KOF98 = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkLIKGxmBAY

As for controllers, I personally use the Qanba Q4 RAF. (http://eightarc.com/qanba-q4-black) $150 is a lot to throw down at once, but considering it works for PS3, X360 and PC, it's a good deal. Plus it's pretty sturdy. It's taken quite a beating and still performs.

You can use any PS3 or 360 controller, though. I've used XPadder for that, although there are other programs out there that do it for free. (I got XPadder when it was free, you might be able to find some old version of it out there somewhere.)

If you want to play on pad, your Logitech F310 is probably not too dissimilar to the Logitech Precision, which is no longer made but was one of my favorite PC pads for playing fighters. The dpad on it was fantastic, although I seem to remember Logitech no longer using those types of dpads.

Also, keep in mind that a lot of us fighting gamers travel around 200 miles every other weekend just to get to a tournament for some local play. Like, this weekend, I'll be driving for 3 straight hours just to get some local competition in. It's one of those things where if you really wanna improve, it's gonna take some doin'.

[BogusMeatFactory]

The real question is what style of fighter you want to play. Soul Caliber is a far cry from Art of Fighting.

Oddly enough, If you would like to try 3d fighters, I'd suggest something from the Dead or Alive series. The attacks and counters are easy enough to pull off, but require decent timing. Tekken and Virtua Fighter are similar in concept here, but a little too prone to button mashing.

Street Fighter/King of Fighters are the standard for 2d fighting...if you want to learn 2d fighting, Try Street Fighter 3: Third Strike, and King of Fighters '98...both tournament staples.

.....seriously?

Tekken and Virtua Fighter are not even remotely the same. That would be like saying Street Fighter and Samurai Shodown are the same. To say that virtua fighter is more prone to button mashing than dead or alive is a joke.

I would not reccommend Street Fighter 3. It is seriously one of the best 2D fighters, yes, but it is incredibly complicated in terms of mechanics.

People are recommending GGPO for some experience and I would encourage it, especially if you want to play with some people here on the forums.

I use a Hori stick on there and enjoy the service a lot!

[Violent By Design]

I dont think Street Fighter 3 is necessarily complicated, it was the first or second fighting game that I really learned how to play (the other being MVC2).

I mean either way, if you want to learn how to play fighters you're going to have to deal with learning curves. Really makes no difference which fighter a person starts with imo. If anything, the less casual the better.

[Violent By Design]

the popular 2D fighters are Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition, Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and King of Fighters. Those are the big competitive games that you will always find someone to be able to play against. This is a very tough time to get into fighting games, since these games have been out for so long that the competition has learned and played it to the point of insanity.

I suggest getting together with a couple friends, picking a game, any game and having fun with it. Me and my buddies do this all the time with various games and genres. The only one I dedicate my real time to on a competitive level is virtua fighter 5 final shodown.

By doing it this way, you miss out on the frustrating part, the part where people pummel you into oblivion and send you horrifically negative messages. What you get instead is a bunch of friends who meet up and play and have fun and are better sports and you all get to learn the game together.

But if you want my personal opinion on what 2D fighter to play, it's Samurai Shodown 2.

I actually disagree with this. I think this is a much easier time to get into fighters then when I got into it (PS2 era).

During my time, I learned everything from youtube and practice mode. I had friends to train with, but it wasn't an every day thing since we were in our college years. I would have given a limb to be able to play against people online like I could with FPS and what not. I wasn't big on GGPO either, I couldn't deal with the lag sometimes which makes a big difference in fighters, though I'm sure it's better by now.


So sure, you'll run into people who will whoop your butt in today's world. But that's how you learn how to play. Plus, you can always just go on a board like on here and just make friends, and play with them.

[CD AGES]

I dont think Street Fighter 3 is necessarily complicated

I agree completely. I always get sick and tired people saying how hard or better yet complicated 3rd Strike (SF3) is to learn. I think such a stigma comes from the competition from players that have been mastering the game for quite some time, IDK really. Sure competition may be tough for the new guy trying to get into the scene, but learning the game is rather simple.. or better yet, its VERY Straight Forward allowing for faster progression over time. Cancels feel natural in 3S, inputs and more importantly execution feels very intuitive especially compared to its successor. Out of its entire legacy within the series, 3S is perhaps best to get into out of all the other SF titles that are competitively relevant (ST, Zero/A3, SF4 etc).

[BogusMeatFactory]

I dont think Street Fighter 3 is necessarily complicated

I agree completely. I always get sick and tired people saying how hard or better yet complicated 3rd Strike (SF3) is to learn. I think such a stigma comes from the competition from players that have been mastering the game for quite some time, IDK really. Sure competition may be tough for the new guy trying to get into the scene, but learning the game is rather simple.. or better yet, its VERY Straight Forward allowing for faster progression over time. Cancels feel natural in 3S, inputs and more importantly execution feels very intuitive especially compared to its successor. Out of its entire legacy within the series, 3S is perhaps best to get into out of all the other SF titles that are competitively relevant (ST, Zero/A3, SF4 etc).

Street Fighter 3 is a great game, yes, but is it the best to start off with? Absolutely not! It has game changing mechanics that require you to understand them to be competent or competitive, mechanics that you may not even know exist far into the gameplay. It is a ridiculous statement to say, "The one game you must play when starting off in fighting games is Street Fighter 3." No! They need to play something simple, Street Fighter 2, Samurai Shodown, World Heroes. These games incorporate the basic moves and concepts of a fighting game so that transition into the more complex and innovative games like Street Fighter 3 will be easier and more enjoyable.

Every fighting game now incorporates new features that change how a game can be played. If you can't understand the simple stuff, how are you able to handle the more difficult concepts. Sure, practice makes perfect, but guess what? Your progress will be a lot slower if you can't perform a simple super, or know how to block. You build up your reflexes and get used to the controls. Some of the motions can be jarring and abnormal at first, but you need those simpler games to become accustomed to them. Plus, they are damned fun and it is nice to get a reference to the history of the game. I mean everyone should know about Zangief dancing with Gorbochov.

[SteveyMajors]

Tekken and Virtua Fighter are similar in concept here, but a little too prone to button mashing.

Show me someone who mashes buttons in Virtua Fighter, and I'll show you someone I can beat at Virtua Fighter.

Marlowe, I'd say start with Samurai Shodown or Super Street Fighter II X. I think people are making an awfully big deal out of what game to start with. It's not like you're learning a foreign language.

[Snatch1414]

Tekken and Virtua Fighter are similar in concept here, but a little too prone to button mashing.

Show me someone who mashes buttons in Virtua Fighter, and I'll show you someone I can beat at Virtua Fighter.

Marlowe, I'd say start with Samurai Shodown or Super Street Fighter II X. I think people are making an awfully big deal out of what game to start with. It's not like you're learning a foreign language.

Yeah I'm glad a couple people have responded to that VF comment. Thought I was the crazy one at first.

I agree about what game to start with. I think 3 pages of recommendations with long ass paragraphs makes the genre sound more intimidating to get into than it really is. Honestly if I was starting over I'd play SFII for about 10 minutes with Ryu, then play something like SFA3 to make sure I can pull off the EX moves or whatever, then pretty much play whatever you want. For 3D fighters just pick anything that hasn't aged like crap or ignore them if you try them and you're not sucked in. SC would be best though I think.

Take it for what it's worth though. I'm the guy with a thread below complaining I can't pull off moves in Persona 4 Arena lol.