IPW Feature: Deadpool/Chris/Dante Team Analysis and Breakdown Part One

Like guns, swords, bazookas and more guns? Then you will love this article. In a four part segment, I'll be breaking down the dynamic of a current team I'm playing, with this article being focused on teams and each subsequent part outlining the utility of a specific character. Though the article will be spotlighting a specific team, I want to urge people to read on even if you don't share a common character preference, as you might find useful tips in creating a team or simple things you need to keep in mind when searching for a compatible trio.

As the title suggests, I will be explaining the team consisting of Deadpool “type y” on point, Chris “type b” as my utility character, and Dante “type a” as my anchor. Later, I will go on to what this means and why I choose them. For now I want to explain the reasoning behind this team's construction, starting with the point character.

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Marvel vs Capcom 3 Online Play: Baffling Design Choices and Omissions

Marvel vs Capcom 3 is an amazing game.  The gameplay is everything I hoped it would be. It’s fast, fun and full of great characters with many unique playstyles.  It's a bit broken, but that's part of its charm.

Its got a lot going for it, but the online component of the game is pretty baffling.  I can understand why there is no spectator mode, so I’m not going to spend time lamenting about that here.  I don’t like it, but I can understand it.  For a game as fast as this one, lag is a huge concern.  It’s even more so than Super Street Fighter 4, as Super is a slower-paced game by comparison.  I'm also not going to mention the near-broken state of finding ranked matches outside of using fight request.  I'm hopeful that Capcom will patch this.  These two issues have been beat to death elsewhere, so we're not going to touch on those here.

But there are other design choices and omissions that just make no sense. 

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IPW Topic of the Week: What do you think of Marvel vs Capcom 3's Online?

Marvel vs Capcom 3 has been in the wild for a week now (longer in some lucky areas!), and many have been enjoying beating down friend and stranger alike.  The focus of today's topic is the game's online multiplayer.  In today's gaming environment, the strength of a game's online modes are extremely important, especially if you don't go to tournaments or have a group of friends to play against on a regular basis.

Many of you out there have seen the image on the left many times, and Capcom is working on the issue.

But what do you think of the quality of Marvel vs Capcom 3's online play aside from that? What do you like? What do you not like? Are there any modes or changes that you would like to see?

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IPW Topic of the Week: Memories of Marvel vs Capcom 2

The much anticipated release of Marvel vs Capcom 3 is almost here, and as such we would like to give players an opportunity to give a shout-out to Marvel vs Capcom 2.  Regardless of what you personally think of the game, you have to respect the fact that Marvel vs Capcom 2, along with Third Strike, was one of the pivital games that fueled the competitive fighting game scene for over a decade.

So, with this week's Topic of the Week you have the opportunity to share your thoughts on the game, maybe some of your favorite personal moments or memories, some of the most hype tournament matches you've seen, or some of your favorite features.  How will you remember Marvel vs Capcom 2?

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: XBL/PSN Streams - What Do You Want To See?

Sorry for a late topic of the week here, but we've been just a bit busy on this end. That said, lets get right into it. 

Nothing replaces the excitement of a real tournament, streamed live where you get to watch the action as it happens. Nothing can top this in my mind. 

Though these types of streams are ultimately the best, there are a few others that take a different approach by streaming online matches. PeacefulJay's and SRK Live come to mind and have certainty given some of us something to fill the void until the next major tournament rolls around.

Over here at iPlayWinner we feel there is a lot of room to expand when it comes to streaming online gameplay, and wanted to hear from the people what you want to see.

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Marvel vs Capcom 3 - What Team are You Thinking of Starting with First and Why?

With Marvel vs Capcom 3 hitting store shelves in just a little over a month now, and the recent character reveals, many of you are probably already starting to think about your squad. We want to know what team you plan on starting out with and why!

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: How do You Deal with Bad Match-ups?

This week I wanted to get everyone's thoughts on how they approach bad match-ups, whether it be in Super Street Fighter 4, BlazBlue: CS or even Jackie Chan: Fists of Fire. Match-ups are a huge part of pretty much every fighting game known to man, and if you want to be a competitive player -- or at least have some sort of consistency with your play -- knowing match-ups is paramount. 

Understanding a match-up can sometimes make up for weaker aspects of your game such as execution or reaction time. Simply knowing what is safe and what is punishable, and to what degree, can make a huge difference in your game. 

Now, regardless of which character you main, they are bound to have a bad match-up or two at the very least. So how do you approach the fight when the odds are stacked against you?

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: What would it take to get you to play Soul Calibur again?

This topic is inspired by an article put together by Aris over at AvoidingthePuddle.com, where he mentions that he is not at all excited about a new Soul Calibur coming out due to the past few games being well, pretty much crap all around from a competitive standpoint. 

This got me thinking. While I am always looking forward to any new fighting game, I really hadn't played the Soul Calibur series much at all since Soul Calibur on Dreamcast and a few casual sessions of Soul Calibur 2 on Gamecube. Why is that? Virtua Fighter 5, Tekken 5 and 6 -- hell, even NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. I played all of those games at a decent level but during that span of time never gave the newer Soul Calibur games a chance. There was never really much of a competitive scene wherever I played, and throwing in guest characters like Darth Vader and Yoda made the game look like a joke. 

Now of course there are players who still play these games competitively, but I know I am not alone in not giving the Soul Calibur series a second thought after playing it on the Dreamcast. 

So, what would it take for you to get back into the series?

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SSF4: AE and the Return of the Arcade Scene

It's all too easy to forget about the arcade scene with the ease and convenience of playing online and well, the fact that SSF4 was only on console to begin with, leaving Vanilla SF4 and the arcade scene in the dust. With the release of SSF4: AE, everything has changed, and once again, players both old and new get to experience that "arcade feeling".

Playing at MGL a few days ago reminded me of one crucial factor about playing at arcades: you simply level up much faster in this sort of atmosphere. 

But why? Isn't online or even local casual play just as effective? 

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Should Changes be Made to SSF4:AE if it's Released on Consoles?

With Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition released world wide, we've already seen many changes and adjustments to the cast, not to mention the addition of Yun and Yang. These additions of course change the dynamics of the match-ups -- even more than we currently realize -- resulting in almost an entirely new game on a competitive level.

That said, it's a pretty safe bet that SSF4: AE will hit consoles down the line considering the popularity of the game, but in what form, no one knows. Even more balance tweaks, nerfs and buffs? Perhaps a handful of new playable characters? It's anyone's guess really.

Assuming the game will see a release on consoles, would you rather it stay the same as the arcade version or would you want to see more changes and additions make it into the update?

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: How Do You Feel About Online Fighting Game Tournaments?

This week's topic is disguised as somewhat of a survey, so take that as you will. That said, we're looking for everyone's thoughts and opinions on this topic so be sure to comment and let us know. 

Over the past six months to a year we've seen more and more online Fighting Game tournaments pop up. Everything from the iPW/AiF Tournament Series, GodsGarden Online in Japan and just recently EVO Online just to name a few. These online tournaments don't seem to receive as much publicity as traditional tournaments, but they are becoming more and more common place. 

As a player or even casual spectator, how do you feel about these online tournaments? Do you compete in them personally, and if so what improvements could be made to them more enjoyable? If you don't compete in them, what adjustments would have to be made for you to have a change of heart and jump into the action?

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: How do you feel about Fighting Games becoming an eSport?

We've seen a lot of change in the Fighting Game Community over the past few years here, one of the biggest being sponsorships and fighting games moving towards a lot of trends that other games -- such as Starcraft and First Person Shooters -- have experienced for a long time now. Glancing at recent tournament results, it's hard to look past the fact that most of top 8, and almost always top 3, at tournaments are sponsored players these days.

Most will probably agree that this is just the beginning for this type of movement, with fighting games being played side by side with other games at major events  such as Dreamhack and MLG (Tekken 6) just to name a few. Generally this type of presentation and organization is referred to as "eSports" or "Competitive Gaming".

As a player, or even just a casual spectator, how do you feel about this movement? Do you feel this is the direction fighting games need to go or is the scene just far to different from the others to put them all under the same banner?

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IPW TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Are Tier Lists Created Too Early?

There's no denying that tier lists are an integral part of the fighting game community. Every player in the community has their own opinions on how strong their character is in relation to others. It's a topic of debate that not one day passes where someone in the community is talking about it.

That being said, do we as a community create tier lists far too early? Even us here at iPlayWinner released a SSF4 Tier List just a few months after the game was released. How long should we wait before we begin to rank characters and look at match-ups? Do you feel this is detrimental to new players who simply want to learn a character they enjoy, but are discouraged after seeing said characters on the tier list? 

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IPW Topic of the Week: What Fighting Game Would You Revive and How?

The console release of Street Fighter 4 in 2009 completely revitalized a genre that has been stagnant for years.  Since then, sequels for major franchises are regular, new franchises have begun, and a few have found new life as downloadable games.

So, for this week's topic, let's have some fun.  Is there a fighting game from the past that you would love to see brought back today?

Also, how would you like to see it revived? Would you like to see a complete makeover like Super SF2 Turbo HD Remix or perhaps even completely 3D graphics engine? What modes would you add?  Change the gameplay/balance or remain faithful? Retail or downloadable game? Pretend you are developer and publisher.

Have an idea for a future topic? Hit the thread in the IPW Forum and let us know! If you missed last week's topic, "How did you choose your main character?", check it out here!

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IPW Super Street Fighter 4 Strategy Guide Update

The latest update to the IPW Super Street Fighter 4 Guide is here!  We're going to push harder on adding to the guide.  We want to add as much as we can in the coming weeks before the end of the year.

One change we've decided to implement into the guide regards the descriptions of Special Moves.  The more information we add, the harder it becomes to find specific information.  So we've added some graphics and added a space of separation between the basic move description and the info regarding the move's EX version and FADC if applicable.  Doing this should make it much easier to find info within the description and helps break up the "wall of text" syndrome. The first character to use this is Balrog, as we basically did a rewrite of his guide anyway.

Got any ideas for what you'd like to see in the guide or want to submit information or tips on videos you think we should direct link to in the guide?

Send any info to tips@iplaywinner.com or leave it in the comments! Thanks in advance!

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IPW Topic of the Week: How Did You Choose Your Main Character?

Let's pretend that you haven't played fighting games in a long time, or perhaps you have never played one.  You pick one up from the game store and bring it home to see what all the fuss is about. You get into the game for the first time and you stare at the character select. There are so many characters! Which one do you choose and how do you decide?

For this topic of the week we'd like the community's help. Share with us the reasons you decided on the main character in your current favorite fighting game. If you have a set of criteria that you apply to all fighting games you get into, please share.

What we'd like to do is to create an article on this  which incorporates the points of view from players presented in this topic, as there is no right or wrong way to select a character. However, with fighting games getting more and more popular  there is a whole new generation of gamers out there who are getting into fighting games that are in the situation presented in the opening, and we don't want them to be intimidated and leave. We want them to have fun, stay, and perhaps become part of the community. Giving helpful advice on this could help many players.

So take a minute to share your method. Is it about looks? About moves? Did you decide based on a tier list? Are you a tourney player and that was a consideration? Don't be afraid to be honest! Thanks to everybody who contributes to this week's topic, as we at IPW think it's an important one.

Have an idea for a future topic? Hit the thread in the IPW Forum and let us know! If you missed last week's topic, "What if Street Fighter 4 had 2D Graphics Instead of 3D?", check it out here!

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IPW Topic of the Week: What if Street Fighter 4 had 2D Graphics Instead of 3D?

Street Fighter 4 brings together 2D gameplay and 3D graphics.  Whatever your view on the game as it turned out, nobody can debate either its success or the tremendous impact it had on the fighting game community and on the genre.

But what if Street Fighter 4 had 2D graphics instead of 3D? Would that have made a difference in the game's sales or its impact? Would the game, either in play mechanics and/or in graphical presentation, have to be modified to maximize its potential? 

Keep in mind that the genre was on life support before this game released, and even Capcom considered Street Fighter 4 a gamble.  For purposes of this topic, assume that Capcom allotted all the artists and resources necessary to take one, last daring stab at making a modern glorious 2D title.

Have fun, 2D fans!  No the game would not look like the SF4 characters brought to Third Strike mock-ups shown on left (which are awesome tho!).  Today's machines are capabable of incredible 2D.  Go wild!

Have an idea for a future topic? Hit the thread in the IPW Forum and let us know! If you missed last week's topic, "Taunting", check it out here!

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White Tower: Kuwait's Fighting Game Scene by 7ayat

Kuwait has a long tradition with fighting games, and like the rest of the world its scene has seen a resurgence since the release of Street Fighter 4. This year three of its top players will be headed to Japan to represent the country at Tougeki (SBO), the world's premier arcade tournament. 7ayat, one of the scene's notable players, gives us a tour of Kuwait's fighting game community.

Since the beginning, Kuwait has been notable for having a strong fighting scene in various games and have produced very strong players in each respective game.  These games include Street Fighter 2, King of Fighters, Guilty Gear Accent Core, Third Strike, and now Street Fighter 4 and now Super Street Fighter 4.  This year, three of our players will be representing the country in Japan's premier Tougeki arcade tournament. The place for competition is White Tower, Kuwait’s premier and longest running arcade for fighting games. White Tower brings in the top players.

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Street Fighter Vacations Part Deux

You ever feel like you keep grinding it out but can never get over that hump? Well you're probably not the only one who is in this rut. We have all been in this situation and have all made it over this bump in the road. The real question is, what are some actions to get out of the gutter.

It has been three and a half months since the release of Super Street Fighter 4. Over the past several weeks I have noticed a good amount of competitors not having the drive to keep grinding it out. I have complied a list of ways to get your mind in a state to go back and excel.

Take a break – This is the most obvious answer but the time you spend while taking a break will be the most important decision you make. You don't want to take too long of a break because you still want to keep the muscle memory in your fingers. A good time frame is a couple days up to a week. Any time after that of not playing you will start to loose your mix up game.

Play a different character – Sometimes taking a break is not the best answer. Learning another character can help you out with your overall execution. Go back to your basics and sit in challenge mode to learn your bread and butter combos. This will also get you excited about the game again because you get to play a whole new play style. You might not win a bunch of games with this new character but you get the feeling to learn new flashy combos that we all love so much.

Play another game – This idea might seem more counter intuitive, but this will also put you in different mind set. Try playing another fighting game to pick up different play styles or if you dare, Starcraft 2.

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3rd Strike Online Feedback Series: Mr Jared

At ComicCon 2010, Capcom announced Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition with no specific details. What was mentioned, however, is that should the fans have any suggestions on what should be included in this rerelease, they should inform Capcom. To aid this process, iPlayWinner will be publishing articles from notable members of the community on what they would like to see from this new edition of 3rd Strike. Please share your thoughts in the comments section, both in direct response to our ideas and to include your own as well. And be sure to return to iPlayWinner each week and let us know how your opinions have shifted, if at all, during the course of this series!

I liked 3rd Strike before it was cool.

No, really. There was a point where no one actually played this game. And not in the, "Only 12 people showed up to a 64 man tourney thus no one plays it" way that we joke about now. When Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike originally debuted, people took one look at Chun-li, called it broken and moved on. As someone who loved the mid-tier game within 3rd Strike, however, it was a revelation.

Suddenly, Necro and Elena weren't completely awful and new faces like Q and Hugo got me excited about the SF3 series all over again. Of course, this same love is why I never actually came close to winning any tournaments (Yes, that's the excuse we're going with), but for years it was a regular part of my arcade rotation at Sunnyvale and Milpitas' Golfland and beyond.

Unfortunately, the unbelievable success of Street Fighter IV has come at a cost and our dear friend 3rd Strike is one of its many victims. While I love SFIV, I also miss seeing good ol' fashioned 2D sprites at my local sessions. With the announcement of Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, not only does Capcom get to continue its public adoration for superfluous naming conventions, but we, the fans, may get a chance to rewrite history. Yes, I am in favor of blasphemy: I want to alter Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.

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