Am I imagining things or does the health bar spoon feed you the timing for links?

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter IV
1

I decided to postpone some online play in an attempt to collect all Chun’s titles today.

One thing I noticed was when you hit an opponent, the health bar (More like its outline) flashes and has a pulse travel down the bar. I might be imagining things but when I started timing my attacks to come out just as the pulse expired, I nailed all my links 100%.

Was this really intended as a cue for combos or is this a strange coincidence?

2

IIRC it’s been disproved. The flashing pulse used to represent points from the life gauge being transferred to the revenge gauge in previous versions when they were attached. Though the gauges were separated in later versions, the pulse was never taken out.

That’s what I heard though, so I could be wrong.

3

I believe the pulse travel is the same speed regardless of what attack you hit with. It has nothing to do with telling you when you can link.

4

you’d think they would’ve made something more observable to go by in training mode at least if they really wanted you to master your links… like having the character glow red when you hit them or something.

5

I wish there was a frame counter or a demonstratoin mode like Virtua Fighter

6

I see, well looks like it’s been discussed and disproved before. Can a mod/admin close this then?

7

Some people think it shows the link window, I think not. The reason they get the links to work isn’t because of staring at the bar, but because they found the right rythm.

8

This isn’t the case it’s all the same speed - watch a demo back in slow mo, you will see some links have to be done before the flash has reached the end of the health bar, some after. Also notice throws etc. flash but obviously you can’t do anything to follow up most throws.

9

Its not 100%. Ive had some where I have to hit after it travels across, some before the end.
It is good as a reference point if you cant judge timing properly or see the enemies frames.
you can pick a spot on the health bar and when the flash hits it, try to link. If nothing came out, too early, try to hit it a lil after that point.
Missed/blocked, then a lil earlier.
Its semi useful.