Fatal Fury: City of the Wolvesis now out for fighting game fans to pick up. Experienced players will pretty much know what to get into, and newbies will get some help with its Smart Style system which, much likeStreet Fighter 6’s Modern controls, simplifies everyone’s control scheme to a more straightforwardSmash Bros-style layout.
But even with Smart Style, beginners can’t just hammer the Special Move button and expect to get far in Arcade Mode or Episodes of South Town, let alone the online mode. Practice makes perfect, but new players can get a head start if they knowwhat mistakes to avoid.
8Jumping Too Much
Use Jumps Tactically or Get Juggled
This is more of a general tip for 2D-style fighters. It’s temptingto jump a lotin these games, as an errant leaping strike can open an opponent up for combos. Some players can even perform cross-ups where, if they strike their grounded foe just on the back of their head, they’ll land behind them, changing which way they should block and leaving them open for a follow-up.
However, it also exposes them to anti-air attacks, which everyone on the roster has to some degree. Rather than breaking their defense, players can end up broken via their opponent’s juggling combos. Players have to know when and how high to jump. For example, short hops are good for nippy overhead attacks and baiting opponents into messing up.
7Not Moving Enough
Even the Biggest Bruisers Need to Move
In turn, it’s no use staying on the ground on one part of the screen either. Some characters work better at controlling the screen space, like Billy Kane and his staff. But eventhey need to move around, or they’ll end up like a sitting duck. For example, knowing when to short hop can be an effective way to catch an opponent unaware with a quick attack.
Likewise, a good Dash Jump (leaping during a dash or sprint) can help close the distance andsort out zonersif they keep spamming projectiles. Many characters also have armored moves, where they can power through their opponent’s strikes to bring the pain. They’ll still take damage, but it will be reduced.
6Falling Wherever They Like
Roll With the Punches to Fight Back
Another general 2D fighter tip is knowing when to get back up from a knockdown. It sounds simple, but each character gets up at different speeds. Depending on when their opponent strikes, they can keep the player grounded with the right assault. This is known as okizeme, and characters like Kain thrive on it. If players can’t mix up their knockdown recovery, Kain and other characters will keep them down.
Luckily,FF: CotWoffers a handy skill inthe Tech Roll. With the above button inputs, the player will roll away or towards their opponent upon touching the ground. Rolling away can help them avoid further pain, while rolling towards can help them counterattack. However, tech rolling will leave them vulnerable to throws. It may be safer for beginners to roll back until they can form a good offensive approach.
5Random SPG Placement
The SPG Can Be a Player’s Ace-in-the-Hole
Inspired byGarou: Mark of the Wolves’ TOP system,the SPG (‘Selective Potential Gear’) systemlets players pick which third of their health bar they can enhance. That way, once they hit it, their attacks get a little bit stronger. They can pull off REV Blows that put some distance between them and the opponent, recover some life, and pull off their character’s Hidden Gear move, which istheir most powerful super combo.
For beginners, the best place to put it would be in the middle (Flux Ratio) or at the end (Final Ratio) of their health bar. It doesn’t offer as much of a power boost as placing it first (Accel Ratio), but they’ll have more meter to play with to make up for it. Then they can fight back with meaty REV Blow combos, or turn the tables with a Hidden Gear move.
4Not Knowing When to Feint or Brake
Lull the Opponent into a False Sense of Security Instead
Smart players know how to bait opponents into making mistakes. Tricking them into moving one way or another can help open them up for punishment, like making them jump into an anti-air strike, switch up their tech roll distance to make them attack empty air, or dare them to throw a super before dodging around it.
FF: CotWaids this by letting playersfeint some attacksorput the brakes on them. Feints will cancel out the attack before it lands, putting the player back into neutral, ready to punish any errant strike. Brakes will let players cancel a move mid-strike into another attack, which can be handy at extending combos. By mixing both effectively, players can make an opponent expose themselves.
3Overheating
Running The REV Gauge Too Much Will Burn The Player Out
Once players are comfortable enough to go on the offensive, they can be tempted to go overboard with the REV gauge. It lets them pull off enhanced versions of their special moves via the REV Arts, pull off strong REV Blows while in SPG, and push aggressive opponents back with the REV Guard. However, each REV technique comes at a cost. If they use them too much, they’lloverheat.
In this state, players can’t pull off any REV techniques until their gauge cools down. It’ll cool down faster if the player can keep on the offense, with each strike bringing it down. But it’s still not ideal, as they’ll have fewer options at hand. Blocking too much will also raise the REV Gauge, so players can’t turtle all day.
2Blocking When They Could Be Defending
Relying on Just Defends Works Better Than Just Defense
Another disadvantage to overheating is that players can’t pull offJust Defends. Returning fromGarou: Mark of the Wolves, this mechanic restores a little bit of life each time a player pulls it off, and gives them the advantage to counterattack through their opponent’s strikes. That said, they’re tricky to pull off, as they require holding back the moment the opponent’s attack is about to land.
But if players get the hang of it, they’ll heal a bit, cool off their REV gauge a touch while it’s still active, and leave the opponent open to attack. Players can get back on the offense with a special move, or use a super, which is guaranteed to connect after a Just Defend. Players can also try tapping forward during strikes a laStreet Fighter 3’s parriesto pull off Hyper Defense. This offers the same advantages as Just Defend, and is better at handling multi-string attacks.
1Skipping Training Mode
There’s No Harm in Practicing Offline
Training modesin fighting games can be dry experiences, even with fancy combo trials and command lists. Still, they are essential to helping players figure out which of their character’s tools are the best at forming combos. It’s better to see which setups risk making characters overheat while training than in the middle of an Online Ranked battle.
That said, if players prefer to learn while they earn goodies like avatars, color edit patterns, etc., they can give the Episode of South Town (EOST) mode a try. That way, they can gradually pick up onFF: CotW’s techniques in proper one-on-one encounters that scale up with the player’s skill. It’s trimmed down compared toSF6’s World Tour mode, but it focuses more on the main roster, giving the player more time to play with their tool kit.
