Getting back into fighting games, want to make a clean start and begin anew, questions within

Newbie Saikyo Dojo
1

I’ve played fighting games my whole life casually with friends; grew up with 3s SC2 and mvc2 then later SC4-5, mvc3 and smashbros throughout. I’d like to try investing some time into one specific title to see 1) if i enjoy the learning process of fighting games in general at a much higher level and 2) which series would be the ideal one to start learning competitively. I have a few questions for the more experienced players on here before making a choice.

For starters, I want to have a fresh start and build from the bottom up, so I have no problem with a game I havent played before as long as I can find games (online or otherwise). I have a good deal of tournament ssbm experience as a background. I really enjoy SC causally, but can already tell I wouldn’t want to get deeper into it (not that there is a scene around me anyway). The most active ones nearby are usf4 and mkx of course.

I guess my main question is, what one title/series will ‘carry over’ the most to others when learning it for the first time? which would be the best game to build a solid foundation on? Usf4 is the most accessible from steam / locals and SF5 release makes me think it will be a good time investment, but I really cant tell from the little footage i’ve seen if i’ll want to pursue sf5 at a higher level yet. I have access to s3/ps4/360 and also ggpo/fightcade so am willing to look into older ones beyond the obvious usf4/mkx choice. I’ve also heard that they aren’t exactly the most ideal to start learning on.

Lastly, could anyone recommend me a decent stick for PC + (the console for the game you recommend)? I have been using a crappy xb360 mk klassic which I am very sick of and ready for something better. Looking at the HORI Real Arcade Pro 4 Kai for PlayStation 3/4 but need to nail down my game/console choice first.

side question, is it a bad idea to start learning on a hit box? friend has an old one and i enjoyed using it the few times i tried, but i’m worried it will stunt my improvement if i practice on that instead of a stick

2

This question gets asked a lot around here but ultimately you have to play what you enjoy. If you have the opportunity to try out different titles (at a friend’s house, local gathering, tournament, etc.) give them all a try. If you are not having fun with a game then it is not really worth investing time into it.

As for a console suggestion, PS4 is looking quite dominant at the moment. The only real exclusive you won’t have access to is Killer Instinct but that will be coming to Steam eventually. I would expect some sort of response from Microsoft eventually though so you never know what could come.

Tech Talk forums can help you out more with hardware but I have heard good reviews about the Kai. It’s main critique seems to be that people prefer Sanwa or Seimitsu parts compared to the stock Hori parts.

3

If you want a game that carries over into most other games you’ll have to go with something like ST due to its focus on fundamentals. That said, fighting games are all based on certain principles such as adaptation and reads, game sense if you will, that aren’t confined to one title in particular so you can’t go wrong playing a game.

If you want to play on a hitbox go for it, I’m pretty sure they are tournament legal so I don’t see why you couldn’t just use one, and you’ll still build techniques such as pianoing and double tapping which will transfer if you decide to switch to stick. As ajyou said, Tech Talk is the place to go for stick recommendations, but I’d personally build my own. You can build a ps4/xbone ps3/360 stick for a comparable price, or even lower if you know where to shop, than commercial sticks that aren’t cross-compatible.