Looks cool right? After this, I saw some people on various forums complaining about how bad the damage scaling, reduction of damage during combos, is in Street Fighter IV and how it ruins the game.
I don't agree. I doubt the whole point of using combos is just to deal massive damage. Combos are also about getting in your opponent's head. Do you really think you would be able to focus after someone did a crazy long combo, like the above, on you and in a real match? It's probably pretty hard, especially when you know that your next wrong move could cause that same situation. Making it even worse is that someone with that much skill knows the combo isn't going to kill you; she's probably just showing off and proving to you that you're not on her level. Knowing that your opponent knows, and can flaunt, your weakenesses is pretty demoralizing.
Do you think that Justin Wong (the current US Champ) was able to win the next match after Daigo (the best player of all time) did this to him? Do you think that he was able to win anything for a little while after that? Do you think that's air you're breathing? The answer to all three is "no."
There are plenty of combos that serve a purely damage based purpose (no one is going to win awards for MP, HP, Dragon Punch or low MK, Fireball), but those long crazy combos are there to get in the other person's head and show off for the crowd. Basically, winning at Street Fighter is about getting in your opponent's head as much as using damaging combos.
Comments (8)
The first time I saw that Daigo parry I crapped my pants.
As for the psychological effect of long combos. Prolly. Everything about the pro scene in fighting games seems to be about strait up disrespecting your opponent like you disrespect the toilet after taco bell. A very unfriendly atmosphere to look in on.
I just personally don't like the pro scene in fighting games. It's fun to watch but because the makers of the game love to cater to that scene so much it ends up making those games so brutally hard to be even mediocre at that they are unplayable to me.
I'm hoping that when I try Tatsunoko vs Capcom out it's attempts to make things more simple and friendly will be a nice change of pace. Since Street Fighter 4 completely failed to deliver on it's 'newb friendly' promise it made while it was being marketed. Sure it's easy to do a dragon punch but everything more complicated then that takes perfect split second timing and a damn fight stick. I think I would be just fine at mind games and psychology but I can't even try because I can't combo or parry for crap.
