Fists of Forty (Round 2): Pre-Fight Preparations

My quest to become a better fighting game player began with research. Because I knew that if I wanted to get serious about learning fighting games, it would need to be on a stick, not a gamepad. Turns out those things are pretty expensive. For example, the only sticks out right now for XBox One are about $200, and Killer Instinct is really the only game I’d be putting time into on that console. On the PS4 side, a new stick is coming soon that will be able to toggle between the PS3 and the PS4, but that is also about $200.

So, I made the decision to focus on last gen consoles as far as training, with the idea being I would make a bigger investment on sticks for current gen if I actually am progressing.

But even sticks on last gen consoles are super pricey. So on the way home from work one day this week, I stopped by a local mom and pop game shop, where I was able to grab a very nice used stick on the cheap.

I knew that I had access to Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition on PS3, as it had become free for PS Plus subscribers a while back. And my original intention was to start with that game.

But, after doing a little research on fighting games for beginners, I came across a wonderful guide over on Shoryuken.com–From Masher to Master: The Educated Video Game Enthusiast’s Fighting Game Primer. Written by Patrick Miller, this is a free ebook aimed at people just like me–gamers who want to explore and get better at fighting games. In the book, Patrick suggests starting with Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix as your game to learn on. It was only a $10 download on PSN, so I bought it.

So, I had myself a good stick to learn on, a guide to walk me through the basics, and the game I was going to train with. I was ready to learn.

Next time I’ll write about my first training session.