It’s taken me a long time to admit this to myself, but I think I’m finally ready to tell the world: I suck at fighting games. When I was in middle school, our summer camp had an old Neo Geo arcade cabinet with Samurai Shodown . I had no desire to go outside and play in the hot Long Island sun, so I spent all my time practicing at that game. While the other kids button mashed their keys, I attempted to pull off long strings of combos, desperate to prove that I was the best because I put the most work in. It didn’t matter, I still lost nearly every game to the other children. Since then, I’ve been committed to being passable at a fighting game.
It doesn’t matter which arena I’m fighting in, my hands are always to slow to press the buttons I need. Whether it’s Street Fighter or Tekken , I just can’t keep up with even the most moderate of players. I’d given up playing fighting games properly, choosing to game like those kids all those years ago, button pressing with reckless abandon. If I managed to beat somebody, it was a great feeling of accomplishment, but if I lost, it didn’t matter because I wasn’t even trying.
Here are some of the games I’ve tried to learn, all ending in the exact same way.
Super Smash Bros. Melee- One of the many Nintendo franchises that took over my life, Melee was the first fighting game I ever had at home. Kids would bring their Gamecubes to school, mashing Pikachus and Marios during lunch. My girl was Samus and my strategy was simple: stand in the corner and shoot missiles and bombs at whoever stood in my path. This didn’t win me many games or earn me many friends, I was cheesing my opponents hoping for an easy win. Since then, I use the same tactics whenever I have to brawl in Melee , which is why I try to avoid parties with Gamecube controllers.
Soul Calibur IV- Back when the Xbox 360 was still king, Soul Calibur was my favorite game. The combos were easy to pull off, the games were relatively quick and the heroes were all easy to look at. Most of my time was spent locked in my room, “practicing” Cervantes and Nightmare, getting ready for the one day when I’d have to show my fighting prowess. Looking back, I realize that all I was doing was the same overpowered combo that only the dullest noobs couldn’t counter. My confidence would have been shattered if I threw down with anyone outside my group of friends.
ARMS- This might just be the first fighting game I can be good at. I’ve been glued to my Nintendo Switch since picking the game up yesterday, learning how to slam, dodge and glide with every character. Ribbon Girl has become my main, her quadruple jumps and speedy play style make her perfect for an old slowpoke like me. For the first time in my life, I feel like I might be able to keep up in a competitive fighting game. Will I have the strength to continue my journey and grind on the ranked ladder still remains to be seen.
Are you a good fighting game player or have you given up on all of your Dragon Ball Z fantasies? Tell us in the comments.
