I know they allow you if you can pull it off, a lot of damage.
How integral is it to master at high level play?
With two players of fairly equal skill, except one can do combos consistently, does the latter one win?
How hard is it to do links?
I’ve looked through the wiki and searched a number of locations, I can’t find a list of combos, or link combos.
Which characters benefit the most?
Personally? I think they only really matter at the higher echelons of play. The people who will ToD (100% or close to) combo you if they cross you up once. Even so, most good players won’t really put themselves in a position to get combo’ed like that.
Bison is probably the only character you’ll see people repeatedly using 100% combos.
(Insert fanfare here)
Do you have questions about links?
Do you wonder just how combo-rific some characters can be?
Do you wonder how combos and mind games can go hand-in-hand?
Well…WONDER NO MORE! (Insert same overly-dramatic fanfare!) Hi, I’m Onaje Everett, and I wrote this wonderful resource to answer these questions and more! Just head on over to GameFAQs.com and read my Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix Cross-up, Link, and Combo FAQ! (Listed under both the XBox 360 and PS3 sections.)
As a shortcut…go ahead and follow this link…
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox360/file/939066/56195
You’ll be glad you did!
(Insert same redundant overly-dramatic fanfare)
Ok…had to get my “radio commercial producer” on for a second there…but yeah…if you read my FAQ, you’ll get the answers you need. Links aren’t just about comboing. If you can link regular moves and special moves together, that has applications for when they’re blocking, too. Sets up stuff like…throws…fakes…mix-ups…crossups…and other interesting stuff.
Are they the end-all be-all of skill, though? No. I think James Chen and I still agree that none of that stuff matters without being able to play mind games with your opponent so you can set that deadly stuff up. But…if everything else is even, links, combos, and ultimately knowing what moves give you frame advantage in any given situation, definitely helps. After all, they can’t hit you if they’re knocked out, right? 
The only character I’ve seen who needs to utilize pure link combos (and they’re just 3 hits) at higher levels is Blanka. There are pretty useful 3-hit combos with Chun and claw as well. Generally, combos containing links end with a canceled or kara-canceled special or super (essential for dic and Dee Jay; useful with Guile, Ken, boxer).
If someone is good enough to pull off link combos in actual matches, they’ve normally put enough time in all facets to win against someone who can’t. But even top players mess them up every now and then.
Let’s clear one thing out of the way first: all those lists with 5-hit 60% link combos for most characters are not at all practical in a real match. They’re there solely to entertain combo maniacs. Just use the bread & butter combos mentioned in each character’s thread.
But…there are combos that powerful that are that practical, too. Most of the characters have at least one. I labeled them on my FAQ. I’m not a mindless combomaniac, you know. I’m a mindFUL one. HAHAHA!!
Sorry…the ‘maniac’ part put in that maniacal laugh.
I can agree with Ganelon. Bread and butter combos are the best to have when playing high level matches when one cross-over might be all you get the whole match, but also be aware of which combos are take more damage and which can be the easiest to execute continously. I personally think all combos with your character should be at least attempted to master (at least the main ones easy or not) that way when you do connect the bread and butter combos and they stun you can finish people off completely
Oh…and one more thing…in general, you’ll find that charge characters need something to do damage with if they find their opponent open and don’t have a special move charged. By using links, they can give themselves enough time to charge an attack and use it.
Just saying it’s possible. Some people just prefer to sweep or throw their opponent in those situations, but you can do a link combo that ends with a sweep. Not all link combos are hard, but they do require timing. Rhythm, if you will. You have to know what you’re good at and if you can hit those links under pressure, then do it. If not, don’t.
Oh…and did I mention that links are helpful for hit-confirming, too? Okay…I’m really done now.
sigh
No…I’m not done. I forgot to mention one very important resource that has helped me with figuring out link combos…
http://nki.combovideos.com/flame.html
T.Akiba’s Frame Data. This bad boy tells you how many startup frames, hitting frames, and recovery frames every move in the game has. This information is highly useful in figuring out what moves are easy to link from (fastest recovery) and what moves are easy to link to (fastest startup).
Of course…I indicate what moves those are in the FAQ, too, so I’ve done the homework for you. That’s why I wrote that FAQ. The Frame Data, and the other pages on that website, are all very useful information, so feel free to check it out.
That FAQ is extremely useful but when I was reading the Fei section’s advanced combos I noticed the fierce link after chicken wing is left in there even though it doesnt work in HDR. You should mark in the FAQ that that combo only works in vanilla ST. I’m also pretty sure Fei can no longer combo a flame kick after his super in HDR. Correct me if I’m wrong though, because if I am I better get practicing on this stuff.
I would say its necessary to learn everybody’s Bread N’ Butter combo’s.
THE one person that you should learn ALL of their combo’s is Bison however.
I agree with your first statement but I disagree with your last. I think people should practice all their main character’s combos. My game has improved 10x by learning and mastering Honda’s combos. Sometimes all he gets is one opening, and being able to kill (or knock off some serious damage from) your opponent at that time is crucial. It has worked out well for me at least.
It happens way more than you might think. Especially with people like Honda that can make an opportunity using a grab. I’ve even done it in tournament finals with Honda.
I guess those opportunities do come by more often than you would expect because of people getting nervous during tournaments. On xbox live when its more casual this is more rare I would say
Play claw.
Learn links.
I mean hell his bnb is entirely links.
Being able to pull off links is essential for Blanka IMHO. Especially given how great a crossup j.LK is. You have to use that move, which obviously makes you lose your charge. Also, c.MK x 2 into Blanka Ball is very important for his ground game. You can start the link with no charge and end with the BB. Just my $.02.
funny. I’ve been a blanka main for years and I still can’t do that the cmk x2 link consistently. It’s handy. but not that handy.
I use links all the time. I think anything more than a one frame link should be BnB for all characters. You should be able to pull 2 frame links off with your eyes closed.
However, most players will not need such abilities to play the game a fairly good levels of play. Only once you start getting into the higher levels of game play do you need them constantly.
I think you need to be able to pull your characters BnB links to fully utilize their power. More often then not they are not the tight 1 frame links.
Even though I go for Blanka’s MKx 2 all the time… Sorry KP :lovin:
Link combos are just like reversals, or cross-ups, or pianoing, or negative-edging, or getting good at throw/combo mixups. They’re all just tools. If your character has useful combos that involve linking moves, and most do, then you should learn them. You should learn everything about your character.
While I agree 100% with this, when you’re still fairly early in the learning stages, I’d say that the more difficult links should be a lower priority for learning than the rest. Learn and practice your basics first, get a general feel for the rhythm of your character(s), and learn how to force openings. Once you’re doing that, you’ll be much better prepared to find out how to best make use of those openings once you force them.
I just need to edit that FAQ! 
Thanks for catching the Chicken Wing, cl.:hp: link. I was in a rush to get that out.
This sums up my reasoning for even writing the FAQ. By all means, you should learn and master bread-and-butter combos first. That’s all I knew to use back in the day. But, my creativity then decided to see what else I could do. Some of the more complex combos really aren’t that hard with a little practice. You end up finding out that a lot of the combos have the same rhythmic pattern. You just have to adjust according to each character. I would imagine that people who only use one or two characters would have discovered this looooong ago and would easily have an advantage over those, like myself, who have spent time learning them for everybody.
Yeah…and I’m still looking for my royalties!! WHERE’S MY MONEY!!! MY FIGHT MONNNEEEEEYYYYYYY!!! 
But seriously, if you haven’t seen the video of this man busting out 95% damage from a combo that doubles as an Ochio Throw setup, you might want to check that out. Cross-ups have never been deadlier.