So I purchased Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, this has been the only fighting game I’ve played since back in the SNES days, but I’ve found myself getting really interested in the online/competitive community, however, I’m behind. I’m pretty new, and I’m not sure where too start? do you have a recommended game? or should I just do what I’m doing now, and just pick one and play for hours on hours.
The tutorial of SkullGirls is very good.
It will teach you the lingo and the rationale of many important things.
Skullgirls.
Personally, I say you should stick to SFIV and just grind it out. Choose a main (Ryu would be your best bet if you’re a total newbie), watch tournament videos of people who play that character, or just tutorial videos (like “how to play ryu” or something). Check the SRK forums relevant to your character. Ask questions, get involved.
I say to grind it out in SFIV because you will learn crucial fundamentals that carry over into virtually every other fighting game.
Last thing, do not get discouraged. This is one of the biggest things holding people back from enjoying fighting games. The only way you will progress at all is to keep practicing and practicing. Don’t expect to start bodying people overnight. You put the time in and you’re gonna get results.
Imho you should really just play alot of skullgirls and a version of street fighter 2 to be honest man.
Jumping into a game like that, you’d best be prepared some type of way beforehand 
Even mugen to a certain limit.
But if you do decide to dive into sf4 then…yep, gonna be a grindfest either way.
Yeah, I actually do HAVE skullgirls, and I love skullgirls. I’ve played it quite a bit, it’s a great game. However, it doesn’t feel all that alive anymore, maybe that’s just me. Chances are i’m just going to stick with USF4 and keep practicing and reading, and playing and reading.
Thanks for the tips though, honestly.
When they sa Skullgirls, they mean ply through the tutorial. The Skullgirls tutorial is excellent and will teach you fighting game fundamentals.
I’ve played a lot of the tutorial, it’s one of the best tutorials I’ve come across.
Not to say, I won’t play it some more.
You try reading the beginner’s guide to fighting games pdf by Patrick Miller? It really is quite good. It’s linked on the front page. Beyond that, what you should do is locate your local scene and plan to go to their next tournament, and in the meantime, learn techniques and fundamentals online, one clear concise goal at a time. Crouch teching, plinking, safe jump setups, etc.
Play whatever interests you the most. At the end of the day it should always be about playing for enjoyment.
That said, certain titles (like USF4) will have a larger audience and player base than others. If you have settled on playing USF4 then there are lots of resources out there to help you get into the game.
The most important thing is to play a game you have fun with. Pick one up, play it, pick another, see what feels good to play and do things in. Those are the games most conducive to learning.