05
DEFEND YOURSELF
Another error too many players make is ignoring the
defensive side of the game. Mashing out attacks isn’t going
to get you anywhere, you need to learn how to block and
play conservatively. Try to stay on the ground, too – jumping
in too much is a bad habit that gives your opponent easy
opportunities to punish you. Sometimes you do need to go
all-in, but save your aggression for when the time is right.03
LEARN THE LINGO
The fighting game community uses lots of slang and
technical terms, which can make even a beginner’s guide
seem impenetrable – but really they mostly have very easy-
to-understand meanings. A quick online search will give you
a glossary of the more common terms. Look up an explainer
for fighting game notation, too – understand that, and you’ll
be able to crib combos from other players.06
PRACTISE YOUR COMBOS
There’s no getting round it – ultimately, all fighting games
demand practice. The key thing is execution. At the very
least, you need to be able to consistently perform your
special moves. If you’re whiffing your fireballs, get to the
training room and throw ‘em until you can do it ten times
without a mistake from both sides of the screen. Then you’ll
be ready to commit your combos to muscle memory.04
UNDERSTAND YOUR NORMALS
A common beginner mistake is to concentrate too heavily
on special moves. While they may be less flashy, your basic
punches and kicks – or ‘normals’ – are a vital part of your
arsenal, and one of the keys to improving is learning the
properties of each. They’re usually much safer to lead with,
too – specials are often ‘unsafe on block’, meaning you’ll be
left vulnerable if your foe deflects the blow.STICK IT
TO ’EM
Many dedicated genre
fans prefer fight
sticks – alternate
controllers which
recreate the set-up of
an arcade
machine – over
gamepads. They’re
definitely more
precise and
responsive in the long
run, but they do take
a bit of getting used
to, and they can be
very expensive. Some
series, such as Street
Fighter, are very much
designed with them in
mind, while others,
such as Mortal
Kombat, work just as
well with a pad. If
you do feel tempted
to invest, make sure
that you do some
research first.
HOW TO...RECOGNISE
CHARACTER
TYPESZONER
These are the characters
who rely on reliable ranged
attacks to keep you at bay,
and powerful specials to
punish you if you try to close
the gap.RUSHDOWN
The complete opposite
of zoners – rushdown
characters are about getting
in close and keeping the
pressure on, with the goal of
forcing you into the corner.GRAPPLER
Usually big and slow with
high damage and health.
Like rushdown fighters they
want to be up in your face,
deploying ‘command throws’
to keep you guessing.WILD CARD
Most fighting games
have their gimmick
characters, based around
unpredictability and a few
weird moves that mess with
more typical strategies.More Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 105