One popular topic running rampant around many of the hardcore gaming circles is this, are fighting game getting more casual gamer orientated? Flash back to years ago when I was younger. I remember how difficult it was for me to first perform a shoryuken or an hadouken. It is definitely not something one can learn instantly. It takes time to first learn how to pull it off. Then, more time to get comfortable enough to pull the move off in battle when it matters most. However, with many of these news games, things like input leniency, revenge meter (Street Fighter IV), and "rage" (Tekken 6) have given the less experience gamer a better shot at defeating the more experience gamers.
For example, in most older Street Fighter games each player had to earn their super bar up in order to perform a super move. A super move is of course an extended dramatic version of special moves each character has. Usually taking a substantial amount of damage if it connects. In the past, it was very normal to see players performing special moves across the screen with no intention of hitting the other fighter with the move so that they could fill his/her super meter up. A thing in the community known as "building meter". Super could typically be built up into level 1, 2, or 3. In other Street Fighter games like the Street Fighter III series supers were all one level but some supers could be stored twice allowing the player to perform the super move two times. Regardless, the player had to earn their meter. Meter could be built up by hitting the other player with moves, performing special moves (regardless if they hit), getting hit, etc.
All that has changed however with the release of Street Fighter IV. The players now have two meters. One meter (the super meter) is used to perform EX moves (more powerful versions of special moves). It is also used to perform a "super" move which is basically a level 1 super like in the older games. It does a decent amount of damage, but nothing too critical. Basically like how Street Fighter meters have been in the past. It must be built up by doing special moves (non-ex ones), hitting the other fighter, etc.
The other meter, the "ultra" or "revenge" bar, is a bar that a character can only build by getting hit. This bar cannot fill up by anything else. The only cheat around it is to "absorb" hits using the focus attack and hope to not get hit while your health builds back up. This is basically the equal of a level 3 super. If it lands, it's a game changer, it can tips the odds of the match greatly, especially if it lands by counter hit.
So how does this actually affect battle. Well, here is a very common scenario. Player A is a very good player, and thus is defeating player B. Player B thus is getting his revenge meter built by losing. Player B then does his/her Ultra and manages to hit player A with a counter hit Ultra. Depending on the Ultra and what fighter it can easily be as much as 70% of the other player's life. And now the game is more evenly matched. So in essence, the worst player, typically the one being hit the most, is rewarded for playing badly by giving him an Ultra combo.
Now before everyone gets up in arms with what I am saying, this is doesn't exactly ruin the game by any means or make it too noob friendly. It's just that in the past people usually build up their Ultras and earn them. And they aren't rewarded them for losing. In the end the better player usually wins but the player that benefits more so is the player who is not as skilled.
Continuing on let's move onto the Tekken series. With the release of the new Tekken 6 they've implemented this new "rage" system. Rage is activated when the player but a small amount of health. However, don't let it fool you to an easy victory. While in rage moves do much more damage than normal. Moves like Paul Phoenix's death fist can easily tip the odds back into the losing player's favor. Air juggles are even more deadly as they don't scale back as much damage. For those who don't know damage scaling is when damage for moves "scales" down to make it fair and do less damage as more moves hit. Thus, one or two air juggle combos and the player with the rage is back into the game. And let's not even think about someone who mashes buttons getting off a few random hits.
But once again let's look at what this is doing, it's basically rewarding the player for losing by giving them an advantage or a boost to help them win. Thus, in many gaming circles among the hardcore, they feel as if many of these newer games reward players who are less skilled and are losing. Now don't go thinking that you can go and play against Justin Wong in Street Fighter IV and have a chance. Or try to step into Atlanta and think you can take on the East Point crew. All that this article is saying is the new direction of these two games in particular is paving a path for more casual gamers. Is it a bad thing? I suppose you can be the one to decide that.
