SF Newbie Faq v1.1 INTRO This FAQ is designed for the man/woman who is interested in learning to play Street Fighter (or any other fighting game for that matter) but doesn't know where or how to begin. I wrote this FAQ about 10 years ago to help my nephew understand the basics of Streetfighter. My goal at the time was to attempt to correct some of the mistakes and bad habits he was beginning to develop. This FAQ should be used as a supplement. Get yourself to www.gamefaqs.com and download a engine description document for the game you want to learn. An engine description document describes the "rules" of the game. Normal & special moves available, modes of play, limitations and special attributes of the characters are some of the things you will need to equip yourself with. You can find a good explanation of the Street Fighter Alpha 3 engine at gamefaqs.com, it is called "street_fighter_alpha_3_info.txt" by Tom Cannon, with help from Ben Cureton and David Dial. Beware SFA3 is a complex game and will be difficult to learn as a newcomer to Street Fighter. You might want to start off with a simpler/older version of Street Fighter, such as SF Turbo or SF Super Turbo. There are general faqs on these games at gamefaqs.com as well. You might have a little trouble finding human opponents on the older games though. I recommend playing against the computer until you feel comfortable with the SF basics. FAQ For the beginning Street Fighter here are some general tips and advice. The two basic principles that should always be considered in combat are: SPACE & TIME. These two elements are essential to any successful attack or defense. The player should always be aware of the amount of distance between the characters on the screen. The ability to create space or close space is the most important weapon to have in your personal arsenal. For example, in a GUILE vs ZANGIEF match the GUILE player should try to keep as much space as possible between himself and ZANGIEF while the ZANGIEF player will try to do the opposite. Whichever player is most successful in this classic space war will probably win. The other factor which will come into play in this battle is TIMING. If the ZANGIEF player manages to get inside of GUILES outer defenses but fails to execute his slams before GUILE can get off a Flash-Kick then ZANGIEF will lose. Remember SPACE dictates what move to execute and TIME dictates when to execute it. To practice these principles start off playing against the computer and try to control spacing and distance. This will mean a lot of defense will be necessary because the computer will not give up position without a fight. Once you become good at spacing and defense, timing and offense will come easier because you will know when to defend and when to attack. Once you can defeat at least 6 computerized opponents regularly you are ready to test out of you skills against human opponents. Try to start playing people that are at your level or a little higher. Always keep the SPACE & TIME principles in your head as they apply even more against human opponents. As you see your technique improving don't be afraid to branch out and play some of the other 12 characters. The same principles apply to all characters and the more characters you master the better understanding you will have overall. Here are 10 Golden Rules to always remember (no particular order): 1 Never stand or land directly in front of your opponent with out making them defend. When an opponent is getting up after a knock-down be very careful about approaching. At this point you are more vulnerable than he is. Don't give him any options when he is getting up, make him defend whenever possible. 2 Always think defense before offense. Ask yourself before you do a move: "Am I in range to execute this move? and do I have the necessary time to do it?". Remember if you are not in range to execute a move your opponent will smash you after you miss. Then weigh the risks by asking "What are the consequences if I fail to execute this move?". If the benefits do not out- weigh the risks think of something else or go on the defense. 3 Think of a plan before the match starts. A good strategy is absolutely necessary. Just blindly jumping around and kicking will not win you a lot of matches. A strong player will attack weaknesses and try to hide his own. This should be the basis of all strategy and tactics through out the match. 4 Determine your opponents plan as quickly as possible. Examine his strategy for 'holes' which will allow you to get to his/her weaknesses. 5 Be flexible; flexibilty is a must for all Street Fighters. Each character has his own style and has to be played differently. Do not get trapped into playing one particular style as this will limit your progress. This is why I suggest dabbling in all of the characters. 6 Infflict as much damage as possible at all times. This sounds hard but it really isn't. Each character has super moves that do varying degrees of damage to opponents. When you have a chance for a "Free Hit" do your best super move. 7 Always make your main offensive objective to "Star" or "Daze" your opponent. By executing combinations of moves in the right order and quickly your opponent will become "Starred" or "Dazed". This will allow you to get at least 1 "Free Hit". 8 Use all six buttons & special attacks at your disposal. Do not get into the BAD habit of using one or two buttons/moves all the time. Each button/move is there for a reason. You will never be able to acheive Rule 7 effectively if you limit yourself. Remember it takes combinations to win. 9 Never under estimate an opponent. Treat every opponent as if they are the best. This will help you develop the mental toughness needed to tangle with the best players. 10 Never give up. No matter how far you get behind stick to your principles. You will find that you are able to come back from a lot of sure losses. CONCLUSION As a final bit of advice I would like to offer some recommendations for the beginner. Stay away from the VS series. These series of games are not true SF games. Their engines are driven towards more tactical play rather than strategical play. As a beginning Street Fighter you need to develop a strong base of strategical knowledge and experience before trying to master specific tactics/combos. As with everything else new, we must crawl before we can walk. Don't be afraid to ask for advice in the arcade, newsgroups, chatrooms or wherever. There's no need to be embarassed or afraid to walk up to a guy/girl and ask for pointers. More often than not they'll be glad to help (feeds their ego). Here is a good list of fighting games to try out: Street Fighter II Turbo (Hyper Fighting) Super SF II Turbo SF Alpha III Virtua Fighter 2 & 3 Tekken 3 Most importantly have FUN! This faq is dedicated to my nephew Hollow Danc, IMHO the most flexible & versatile gamer I've ever had the pleasure of training. In fact he's the only gamer I've ever personally trained :D +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +Feel free to distribute this faq, please keep my name on it though.+ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "I am the rocks of the eternal shore, crash upon me and be broken!" Infinity Danc (Oodancflashnet)