Ultimate is feeling like an introduction to Fighting games

[TheMisterManGuy]

Fighting games are known to be one of, if not the most mechanically complex genres in gaming. On top of controls with up to 6 attack buttons, you also need to learn things like Combos, special moves, frame data, blocking, counters, parries, rapid cancels, skippidy doo-das, and other techniques and mechanics that vary from game to game and character to character. No wonder the genre is still fairly niche. However, in recent years, there have been various games they try the make the genre less daunting and much simpler to understand for newcomers. You have indie titles like Pocket Rumble and Fantasy Strike, which forgo traditional conventions, but still keep the fundamental basics. And you have spin offs like BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle, which take the fundamentals of their main series, and streamlines them to a much simpler, but still deep experience. The latest in this rise of "Beginner Fighting games" believe it or not, is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Sakurai has always intended Smash to be a simple, yet deep fighting game for everyone. But more so now with Ultimate, It feels like he wants to use Smash not just as a party-friendly alternative to fighting games, but also as a Jumping off point to the genre as a whole. It starts with streamlining. Unlike Brawl, Ultimate doesn't remove techniques at the expense of pro players, rather, it simplifies and introduces new techniques that are very easy to execute, but still challenging to master. Things such as auto short-hop aerials, and dash-cancelling, and the new air-dodge system. All easy to execute, but still require skill to use effectively. They're also versatile mechanics as they can be used in conjunction with other existing techniques as well.

Another aspect is the new Training mode. Not only is there a proper training stage this time, but the mode itself now features a variety of new features. Including but, not limited to, frame-by-frame mode which let's you judge frame data for attacks, the ability to display launch distance, frame indicators for intangibility, and others. It really encourages you to experiment way more than the training mode of past games.

And how does the player learn this stuff? From the revamped help section on the dashboard. Smash 4 had a section to view random tips, but Ultimate makes this much more organized. Everything from lists of each character's special moves, to advanced techniques, to other tips to learn for each fighter, item, and stage. While's it's not quite a proper tutorial mode, it's nice that we finally have an in-depth segment of the game that makes the more advanced info accessible. You can even now display your characters move list on the pause screen!

It feels like Sakurai really wants Ultimate to help casual gamers become fans of fighting games. Smash has always been easy to play, hard to master. But it certainly feels like Ultimate is really embracing this fact, and on a console that's already getting filled with Fighting games, it's a welcome change.

 

[Orlando BCN]

I have Sakurai to thank for getting me into the genre as well, such that my SF skill is higher than my Smash skill. Lol.

From my personal experience, I found it much easier to get good at authentic fighting games rather than Smash. I find precision to be much harder in Smash than in other fighting games because of tilts, dash dancing, wavedashing, wavebouncing, etc. While one can get good at these with practice, it is undoubtedly easier to perform similar moves in a game like Street Fighter or MvC. For example, a wavedash in Melee is done by quickly pressing jump, then pressing diagonal-down and air dodging at that instant, while MvC requires you to press two buttons to dash, then crouch right after to cancel the dash. Although Smash players might seem to have different thinking strategies than other fighting game players, the fact that they were molded by such precision that they can do unthinkable feats is something to behold. This is why Melee is interesting to watch, from my perspective. Ultimate may have introduced some neat techniques that make battle flow much more nicely, but there’s really nothing quite like Melee.

I think it’s good practice for Smashers to branch out and experiment with other games, because you can surely learn a thing or two from them that could help you in your gameplan. SF taught me neutral and option selecting, and it’s proved to be just as useful in Smash. I plan on becoming a competitive Ultimate player alongside SFV, since I don’t have to forget everything I know to play Melee when I’m much more familiar with Smash 4’s mechanics. I just hope that Ultimate’s training mode has a record function, and my life is complete.

 

[jwillenn]

Heh. My first Fighting Game was Boxing!

 

[RepStar]

Never did care about fighting game termonology and "frame data" etc. I just played and did good. I thought FGs wasnt popular because theyre just not as fun to the masses and too time consuming to learn. U could say the same for sports simulators like nba2k, its a lot to learn but the main difference is its fun and other sports games are niche (beyond madden and fifa). Smash is popular because its fun but its also a spin-off Fg and its not too many of those whereas tekken is popular because its like the nba 2k of fighters. In essence smash got lucky and hit a jackpot as a franchise because spinoffs of a genre really never sell well.

Nba 2k= fun game of a niche genre
Tekken= fun game of a niche genre
Smash= fun spinoff game of a niche genre.

Any other games are mostly obscured.

 

[lucasla]

Smash never made me get interested in fighting games that are not Smash. Seriously, as I see there are many kind of fighting games:
1. The classic 2D style (even if they are 3D) like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Tekken, Soul Calibur, The King of Fighers... Where we always face out oponent, camera is pretty close, and can only move in a 2D axis.
2. The 3D style arena like Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm, Pokken Tournament, Arms, Dragon Ball Xenoverse... Where we have more 3D freedom, we can move in many directions.
3. And the "Brawler" style, where Smash Bros is the king, but we also have Playstation All Star Battle Royale and some others... Where we fight in a 2D axis but we have far more freedom in comparison with the classic 2D style, we not necessarily are always facing our oponents and we can even fight in group with many people.
4. Others.

After many hours playing Smash, my interest in playing games from groups 1 and 2 are still next to zero, I just don't have any fun playing them. I actually think the gameplay on these games are a bit clunky, the lack of freedom in movement is just not for me. I appreciate people that like this style of games, but I just never was able to enjoy them. So... I'm not sure if I can say that Smash is like an introdution to fighting games, cause it never made me get interested in play any other... If by introduction you mean finally enjoying some fun fighting game I agree with you, but as introduction to also start enjoying other styles fighting games I dont think so... It's really just Smash to me. Until now...

I'm just saying cause when someone says "introduction", it may looks like the game may be simple and inferior, like working as a tutorial to play more "expert" fighting games in a next step. And I dont think it's the case. For me the game feels more like a more inclusive fighing game, cause it is really easier to play but as hard as any other to master. The game as much it was an introduction in the meaning of finally having a good fighting game that I enjoy playing, it apparently is an end too, cause I don't think I will ever enjoy other fighting games in other styles. But of course this can change someday (and I hope so).