F5: such an innocuous button on our keyboard. You might know this button as the refresh button on any Windows operating computer. But hardcore fans mash this button whenever they’re absolutely desperate for the latest news from a developer. Usually there’s a single date that’s pegged for a big reveal on the dev’s website and one would lose sleep that night just waiting for an announcement.

Now try repeating the process every single night.

It’s funny how Smash Bros. is regularly debated on whether or not it’s a true fighting game in the eyes of the mainstream FGC, which is funny because the FGC itself is a niche community within mainstream video games. And yet the hype leading up to Brawl was just as much if not more when compared to Capcom’s big name fighting games, which are some of the biggest in the community.

Back in May of 2007, the official website of Smash Bros. launched, Smash Dojo. Over a period of a year, Smash fans were drip fed details of the game in a painfully slow fashion. In the beginning, basic facts that would surprise no one were revealed such as returning characters, basic fighting mechanics, and the premise behind Adventure Mode and so forth. We all know Mario is a returning vet and that there would be laser swords. Then as time went on, much bigger reveals were posted over stretches of weeks. And of course, this didn’t happen randomly. Posts didn’t go up whenever Sakurai felt like throwing us into a tizzy. Over time, the scheduled posts came to be known as Japan Time to Smash fans.


Japan time! Japan tiem! Japan tiem1

Smash Bros. is a Japanese thing. It’s not developed in America like Halo or Gears or GTA. It’s a Nintendo thing, made right in its homeland of Japan. So when posts go up, it was according to Japan’s time zone. Of course, since a new day officially starts at midnight, Smash Dojo was updated every midnight, Japan Time. Unfortunately, this led to lost sleep for many of us Western fans as Japan is several time zones away. I remember staying up as late as 2am just to see the day’s post. Apparently, it was 3am before that.

I’m not even going to get into the game itself. You want to talk hype? Excitement over Brawl probably peaked before the game was even released. Fake images were all over the internet. If Solid Snake and Sonic could get in the game, what about Ulala from Space Channel 5? Or Geno from Mario RPG? Bomberman? Before Brawl was released, the sky was the limit. Even if a fake image was obvious, everyone would just think, “Yeah, that’d be pretty cool. It’s pretty fake but pretty cool.”



Discussions were ablaze across the internet just on roster speculation. It’s entirely possible that just waiting for the game was more exciting than when it came out. It’s a great game, no doubt, but people who were interested in tournament competition found the game unsuitable for so called tournament play and it went downhill from there when that specific demographic bled over as a dominant scene for the game. Metaknight and Solid Snake’s overwhelming advantages, limited stage selection, items, and the most hated of all features even by people who don’t play in tournaments: random tripping. Everyone's got to admit that tripping is pretty stupid.

Regardless of what you think of Brawl now, as a game or as a fighting game, it had hype in spades. Remember when Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 was slowly revealing new characters like Wesker and Deadpool? That happened probably once every month or so in the time leading up to MvC3’s release. Brawl somehow did it nearly every single night for a year straight and it made the fanbase absolutely rabid whenever a day was skipped or even an hour late. If a post was late, cries of Japan Time were pasted over and over again in attempt to ease their minds off the unknown waiting for when the post would go up.



Congratulations Smash faithful who stayed up! You are now the first people to know that Meowth will be returning as a chance to appear in a Pokeball drop. Wasn’t that worth several hours of sleep?

Well, I remember my mind being blown when Sonic was introduced one October 10, 2007. The excitement is forever etched into my bones.

I’ve never been bothered by the argument of oversexualized females in video games, which is an especially common thing in fighting games. Soul Calibur? Let’s just recreate Superman and She-Hulk. Street Fighter? There’s always something redeeming about the characters on some level. Dead Or Alive? Well, that’s the whole point of course. But the argument finally hit me in a way that made me really think about the argument. Someone on tumbler reblogged a simple two way exchange that occurred.

“It’s… pretty damn sexist. Like, seriously. Stop. I know it’s a good game but no. Bad.”

“No. You are wrong. That is all.”

Skullgirls is special to me because it feels like a progression of the genre rather than just what a lot of fighting games are: a sequel. Or a sequel that builds upon its series but not the genre. Think of the first time you played Street Fighter II then when super moves were introduced and then tag team mechanics. Regardless of how objectively Skullgirls brings new ideas, it undoubtedly meshes them together into a strong, cohesive package (which still has its flaws).

But if there’s one thing I know will hold back this game, it’s the character designs. There are obvious panty shots and nearly everyone has a well-rounded chest that’d even make the women from Soul Calibur reel in shock. But despite the game’s choice in design, I don’t want people to just play this game because it’s good. I want people to respect it for what it’s trying to do and not what it’s trying to display.

My god, is this how fans of Dead Or Alive feel?



I can’t just defend these depictions of woman because I personally find them about as subtle as Ivy Valentine in a string bikini brandishing a can of whipped cream. Every time I win against Parasoul, those things flop up and down on defeat. I can’t bring myself to defend how the characters are portrayed and yet I want people to pick up this game because of how well it blends the 6-button fighting scheme with the new era’s mechanics like chain attacks and aerial movement.

Certainly not every character is hypersexualized. Peacock is a younger girl while Painwheel is more of a frightening monster than a sex object. But seeing the argument made me think about the issue with more forethought then I ever have. I won’t claim to think hard about the issue of the sexual image of woman in games, neither will I claim to be entirely interested in the discussion. I’m also not saying I’d wish Skullgirls would change how the characters look because I think that’s their image now and they have to stick with it. Dead Or Alive has never changed their depiction and it certainly looks like they'll embrace it well into their fifth iteration of the series, which I hate by the way. Not because of the sexualization of their females but because of how much counters seem dependent in any fight.

I can’t make a clear conclusion about how to fix the issue but I do know one thing for certain about myself: I will make it clear that I do not want any of my female colleagues, friends, our future generation, and my girlfriend to take away any suggestions of body image from Skullgirls. If you’re comfortable with the issue and how some of Skullgirls’ more prominent characters are more than a bit risqué in their choice of costume for their bodies, than thank you for being responsible adults about this. Also, in light of the FGC’s more controversial eruption earlier this year, I’d hope that the male half of the demographic not prod the issue like immature high school students. I don’t stand by Aris’s actions and while he’s made it clear that the FGC really is intertwined with that sort of attitude, that doesn’t make it a good community if it embraces that.



I can’t realistically propose that we approach how we design female characters more tastefully. If I could, I would. But Dead Or Alive 5 is clearly on its way and early indications reveal the females are still trying to fight as sexily as ever.

But is it wrong for me to say this one thing? Is it wrong for a game to be judged solely on its merits of gameplay? To ignore the issue of how characters are designed in sexually suggestive ways? I know I’m not the only person who vehemently defends Skullgirls’ honor as a great fighting game that brings a breath of fresh air into a genre that once experienced a collapse due to oversaturation. And I’ll continue to do so, whether or not people respect that I’m defending a game with a character with double D’s in a tube dress that’s too short. It’s because I believe in Skullgirls and what it represents at its core and not its chest; A fighting game that strives to bring a competitive and entertaining experience to both casual fans and hardcore tournament fighters, hopefully while grasping for that ever distant goal of balance.

So enjoy it. Just don’t enjoy it.

Where does one start on the freshest of all fresh slates? Not only is Skullgirls a new fighter with all new characters but the combo system brings a new feeling to how you string together hits for damage. Nothing feels familiar to me and everything is difficult. That’s saying something after jumping around Street Fighter IV, Blazblue, Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Third Strike, and a little bit of Street Fighter X Tekken along with all the revisions in between. Even with a small roster of eight, I still have trouble decided where to start.

Day 1
So right away, my first instinct is to play Cerebella, the archetype grappler. She’s been the postergirl for Skullgirls for the longest time, being able to demonstrate a lot of Mike Z’s progressive design choices. I was under the impression that as a grappler, all I’d need to do is get in close and try for command grabs. At one point, I did try this online but the experience was very difficult.

Since Skullgirls allows you to choose between one, two, or three characters teams of proportional strength, I found myself not only struggling against bad match ups (whether Peacock is popular or not doesn’t matter. There are only eight characters), but the problem was amplified when powerful assists are thrown into the mix. Every other player online has seen the power of Parasoul’s lovingly nicknamed Captain Corridor assist. Like Captain Commando in MvC2 or Haggar in MvC3, Parasoul’s Napalm Pillar is completely invincible and makes an excellent defensive tool. Add to Cerebella’s below average mobility and you had a frustrating time in online matches. Getting in was hard enough but then I had to deal with assists most of the time, which acted as an additional layer of defense to penetrate.



Of course, I had my own secret weapon that I hadn’t seen many players utilize. While Cerebella by herself seemed like a no-go, I had tested the waters of Double after hearing about her own invincible assist from my Norcal, competitive friend Dacidbro. Straight from my Facebook news feed, I saw Dacidbro proclaim the wonders of Double’s Hornet Bomber assist, a peach bomber-styled attack that also has invincible startup. The difference being that Double launches herself across the screen, controlling a great deal of space compared to Parasoul.

After some time in training mode, I actually got used to some very basic bread and butter combos with Double (combos that are easy to use in real situations). The question is who to partner Double with at this time?

My first choice, as usual, is dictated by a sense of being a hipster. Filia is like Ryu; probably everyone’s first choice. Everyone’s using Parasoul by default for her assist. If we’re playing online, people like to play Peacock just to troll everyone else with maximum zoning with online latency. Valentine is a cool ninja and Painwheel’s normal attacks turn me off. So, I gravitated towards Ms. Fortune in the end. Makes sense, right?

Day 2
Right away, I enjoyed the combo of an invincible tatsu assist (taken from Akuma’s extremely good assist in MvC3) backing up an extremely fast catgirl. If they fell for Double’s assist, I could run in with Fortune’s speed and capitalize off the knockdown for a combo. If they blocked it, I could keep the pressure on with her faster normals in order to protect Double as she recovered. Fortune’s speed with Double’s pressure gave me satisfactory success online.



After several matches and some time in training mode, I became satisfied with what I could and could not do as Ms. Fortune while she was on point. It was during her time partnered with Double though that I went even further with my understanding of Double’s strengths. Things like her using her dash like a teleport to crossup my opponent, extending her air combos with knockdowns, and optimizing blockbuster usage (super moves by the way).

Day 3
As time went on with Ms. Fortune, I realized something. I really hate rekka characters. Rekka characters, for your information, are characters with special moves where you must repeat the motion to get additional attacks. Fortune has additional combo opportunities when you use her rekkas, a sort of cat scratch combo, and I can’t do them because I hate performing these constant motions on pad or stick. Fortune has a lot of cool things like an invincible projectile move and sandwich combos with her dismembered head which can fall off and act on its own. But if I can’t do as something as simple as a rekka, I decided I’d play someone I could play to a higher level than someone I was missing out on despite being comfortable with her.

So I decided to swap her out for Filia. There are only eight characters so I might as well explore, right?

I discovered that in time, there are BnB combos every character, regardless of your skill, can come to rely on. It takes some digging but there are basic combos you can do that go beyond a simple ground chain drumming up the face buttons in succession. Many of them utilize a character's launcher attack and from there, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 fundamentals take over. I also discovered across all my time that the main bread winner was ultimately Double and that my point characters were ultimately batteries; characters whose main purpose is to earn meter for a teammate to use for great effect.

I continue to dabble in Painwheel, who seems to make a great battery, as well as optimizing my Filia. But for now, I’ve come to the conclusion that Double is my best character by a long shot and she often wins me fights due to how much I’ve come to learn about her relative to everyone else, especially her pseudo-teleports. Everyone else being new to the game like me also doesn’t hurt either.

Skullgirls is still undoubtedly a new game and I still have a long way to go before I learn how to exploit the combo system to get past the Infinite Prevention System, effective use of pushblocking, and dealing with the GGPO netcode and my execution limits with it. For now, the future for me contains signs of me learning Painwheel and fiddling around with using Double as a single character. Until next time on Strider Vs. Skullgirls!

It dawned on me one day that a dream collaboration like the one I envisioned would not be so easy nor simple to describe. Both men are widely known for creative and exemplary works. I was going to need a lot of drugs; primo stuff if you will.

Tim Schafer is known for his imaginative and colorful settings and characters. He's created a world where psychics dive into peoples' minds, a fully realized world based on heavy metal, a travel agent who works in limbo, and World War I with mecha.

Suda Goichi is known for making games with set pieces and action with a dial that goes to 11 and he cranks it past that. He's made a shooter with a space marine who can rocket slide, an otaku who joins an American guild of assassins, a bounty hunter who travels to hell if everyone spouted dick jokes, and a cheerleader who's also a zombie hunter.



Before I even partake in recreational drugs in an attempt to imagine what sort of game these two would make together, I already question myself: surely they both wouldn't run wild? One of them will eventually suggest something and the other will just look at him and say, “You're crazy.”

Then again, it just as easily could be a game of oneupsmanship. If Schafer suggests Jamaican ninjas, Suda will suggest Eskimo assassins. If Suda imagines a sword made of other swords, Schafer will insist it's wielded by a clown who's a vegan and feels the need to eradicate meat eaters. Really, how can I predict anything these two can make?

Seeing as how they both have their own studios, finding a publisher won't be a problem. Double Fine was founded by Schafer and Suda51 has Grasshopper Manufacturer. So what game could they both make that both would be able to flex their creative muscle?

Schafer's never been known for making particularly smooth games. People complained about the platforming in Psychonauts despite the darling world. Things got weird when Brutal Legend inserted real-time strategy to the mix. And while Costume Quest is adorable it's also repetitive. Suda would probably direct the technical aspects of how the game controls while Schafer can help put a star cast of characters in. I mean, do you honestly remember Sam Gideon? Or Garcia Hotspur? Maybe you remember that goofy name but how often have you seen the bounty hunter archetype. Suda's characters can be memorable for what they do but there also tends to be a large stable of characters who quickly become forgotten. Remember Bishop Shidux? Or Thunder Ryu?

Let's take a short break so I can light up another blunt.



So man, get this. I've never really seen a Double Fine game to really go balls-to-wall fast and crazy, you know what I'm saying? Schafer's stuff has always been at a pace where you could really appreciate who and what is going on. But I think if Suda can be allowed to really put in his way of injecting crazy, high-octane, nigh-uncontrollable speed induced atmosphere, while having Schafer support it with meaningful and colorful characters, then man, I think that'd be like awesome or something.

Speaking of speed.



But Goichi's always made product that tends to scare off the normal Western consumer. I mean sure, Schafer isn't exactly known as a blockbuster kind of guy, at least people in the West understand concepts and themes like trick or treating, heavy metal, and summer camp. Maybe Suda's stuff isn't exactly highbrow but the first reaction to what he puts his stuff out to be is usually a resounding, “Huh?” Darpa agents, surreal contrasts of violence, and that classic Japanese touch of design.

And now for some cocaine.



So after after we got this crazy, drug fueled math down, what do we have? We have an action-adventure game with explosive set pieces, memorable story arcs, powerful characters, and tight controls that always do what you want. It could be a third-person shooter like Suda is comfortable doing with the character progression and upgrading that Schafer has done. All that's left is the backdrop which would define how you'd remember the game. It could be anything really. All it needs is the creative spark that both creators are known for. But how about something I've just thought of that both men could try.

But first, some morphine, straight to the veins.



Japan is regularly the subject of many jokes in pop culture for how wacky it appears from the perspective of the west. Any number of themes could work in this line of thinking such as kaijuu movies (giant monsters) super sentai (Power Rangers), and general ideas of anime like moe or super violence. Suda can supply his own knowledge of otaku culture while Schafer could do some research to keep up with him. Think, out-of-work power ranger who's been out of the action for awhile and must return to his line of duty as all his monster enemies, who have also adopted day jobs in this economy, decide to return to a life of villainy.

Schafer, Suda, I'll be happy to supply an address where you can send your checks.

It's hard to imagine how wildly different yet familiar the new Legend of Korra is. Like remodeling your bedroom, you know it's the same room you've always done your business in the same shape and yet it's so fresh and different. Legend of Korra has all the advantages Last Airbender has without any of the hurdles it had to overcome. With exception to just living up to its pedigree, Legend of Korra is set to fulfill every bending-fan's itch while still crafting a new, separate story that interested new viewers can get behind. Why should you watch Korra, whether you're a longtime fan or a newcomer to the world of Avatar?

It takes place in an already established world
Imagine watching Last Airbender's first episode back in 2005, before it became amazing. Much like The Simpsons, it didn't simply explode onto the scene. Viewers were getting themselves into a new, unproven world of fantasy. Creating a new world that captures the attention of the public isn't easy as we've seen in other examples. Mass Effect did it with amazing success. Too Human collapsed over it's malnourished, buckling knees. So becoming invested in The Last Airbender could have easily led to joy or disappointment. But the team at Avatar: The Last Airbender proved that their world was fantastic and amazing with its sweeping oceans, crossed bred fauna, and Asian influences.

Skip to Legend of Korra and everything that's happening has been proven to fit and gel within the world of Avatar because it takes place years after the events of the Last Airbender. One of the reasons the announcement of a continuation of the Avatar series was received with so much excitement was because fans loved the rustic old villages, the bustling Japanese architecture, and the magic infused martial arts. And now it's all coming back but with a fresh coat of paint called progress.



The world has progressed into a new era
Speaking of a fresh coat, don't expect the same story of traveling through a mystic yet ancient world to save the world again. It's been 70 years since Aang saved the world and restored balance and in that span of time, the world was not standing still. The world of Avatar takes place in a vaguely steampunk, 1920s inspired world while retaining all its roots in Asian design and martial arts.

It goes beyond just saying, “There are cars now.” A major theme in the series is equality and revolution, with the antagonist having a flyer that looks an awful lot like the posters from China's Cultural Revolution. There's a major class struggle going on and there are triads are at the heart of the problem. There aren't any television sets but people huddle around a radio listening to exciting sports casts. There are even power plants which are of course powered by firebenders capable of shooting lightning. All things and ideals that probably wouldn't fit back in the more period settings of Last Airbender.

The new heroes are older
It's likely the children of Avatar: The Last Airbender were mature for their age. After all, they traveled all over the world in a flying bison, amidst a back drop of war with the fate of millions riding on their shoulders. Yet despite it all, they were still children who could be naïve and optimistic. The outlooks of the new teenage characters are fun new view after following 12-year-olds for so long.



Korra, the new Avatar is in her rebellious years which is further heightened by her aggressive personality. Not only is Mako level-headed and cool under pressure, he has a job and pays bills. His brother Bolin is, well, the guy who lightens the mood. Another thing to keep in mind is the sheer virtue that they're teenagers and thus already have a past. Most of the characters in The Last Airbender only had a childhood which made them who they are but not much beyond that. Korra's aggressiveness is probably due to her success in learning the physical aspects of bending. Meanwhile, Mako and Bolin have already revealed to have had a past working as the muscle behind the triads. The characters feel richer, especially behind the back story of the world of Avatar.

Tons of respect and references for the past
Despite taking place 70 years past the original Avatar, that's not to say Korra takes place in a vacuum. Fans who just can't let go of Aang and his shenanigans will be happy to know that in even the first three episodes, traces of the original cast and their historic actions can still be directly felt. Aang, Toph, and Zuko all have statues celebrating their deeds. From the first episode, the show establishes that Katara is still alive and is an accomplished waterbending master. Toph taught people how to metalbend and established a police force to keep the peace using their metalbending in Republic City.



There are other, subtler references that don't call out to the previous cast so much as to the past itself. In the premiere, Bolin teaches Korra modern bending and fighting which "keeps him light on his feet" much like a boxer, in contrast to Korra's traditional bending forms which keep her rooted. Particularly in the newest episode, Mako gets a job working at the power plant, which involves firebenders shooting lightning at a generator for power. In the past, generating lightning was a rare gift among firebenders and only two people were demonstrated as having the ability to shoot lightning. However, at the power plant, at least five other people were shooting lightning, perhaps showing that progress hasn't just been made technologically but also in bending as well. In the same episode, the primary antongonist's diabolical power was revealed (spoilers) to be the ability to remove a bender's ability to bend the elements in the same way Aang did to resolve his fight against Fire Lord Sozin. (end spoilers)

The new setting, Republic City
As mentioned before, there has been a lot of technological and cultural progress in Korra in the past 70 years. All this culminates in the new setting of Republic City. No more will we be enjoying the natural beauty of Avatar. Now we'll be seeing how bending ingenuity and architectural skill has allowed the construction of winding city streets and towering skyscrapers.



Many characters are closely attached to their home cities like Batman's Gotham City and Republic City has a lot of potential. And on a side note, try imagining how skyscrapers in the first place. Imagine a small army of earthbenders piling on stone and dirt for a strong foundation and fire nation metal workers constructing the iron skeleton to the building. It needs to be said that a city of this scale has never existed in the world of Avatar. Even the huge city of Ba Sing Se from The Last Airbender didn't have many buildings over three stories.

Music that matches the tone
Sometimes, I forget how memorable music can be in a good show. But Korra's music immediately jumped out at me due to how well it fit the tone of the era. Music that feels very swing and feels like it jumped right out of a history text about the roaring twenties.

While there are a lot of period instruments at work in Last Airbender, Korra defintiely has a large focus on violins and horn work that make you feel like you're going to a party, which is the kind of atmosphere you might find in a freewheeling, prohibition era city with supernatural powers running rampant and gang warfare constantly underlying many decisions.

Kind of makes me want to put on a fedora and go out for a drink. And if I could, I'd bend that hard drink straight into my mouth and pick a fight with an earthbender.

Whether you play King of Fighters, Street Fighter IV, Blazblue, or Marvel, performing combos has always been an important part of the game. Combos usually felt familiar no matter what game you played, but Skullgirls has put a spin on the combo system that feels brand new and foreign. There are no new terms of mechanics. Everything is just renamed to fit Skullgirls’ theme such as blockbusters (supers) and dramatic tension (meter). And yet executing combos feel new, even after getting familiar with your chosen character. There are new rules and mechanics in place that make it different from Marvel 3 or Street Fighter IV.

First, let’s familiarize you with how combos work in other fighting games.

If you’ve played Street Fighter, you’re familiar with its combo system. The limitations of a combo in SFIV are factors such as hitstun, juggle state, and knockback. Simply put, all attacks, no matter how they’re applied, have hitstun. So long as the attack following it is fast enough to hit while your opponent is stunned from hitstun, it will combo. The end of a combo is usually when the opponent falls down or if the invisible juggle counter reaches a certain limit. This system limits the number of times you can hit a helplessly airborne opponent and once they hit the ground, they’re free to spend those precious few seconds to plan out what they want to do on wake up.

Many new-school fighting games also function like a game you might’ve played, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. Because of the extravagant range and speed of most attacks, hitstun deterioration is in place to put a hard limit on most combos. This system reduces the amount of hitstun attacks have the higher the combo and the longer it’s gone on. It attempts to stop infinites which may happen in SFIV’s system, though infinites are still possible in a wide array of moves in the game’s repertoire. Combos can also be extended in a multitude of ways like wall bounce, ground bounce, and OTG attacks (off the ground).

So what makes Skullgirls different? It uses the hitstun system similar to SFIV, so all attacks retain their hitstun regardless of the length of the combo. Skullgirls also lets you OTG and bounce characters around.


So now you know about combos

The difference that makes Skullgirls feel different is the Infinite Detection System. The IDS is capable of sensing what you’re performing certain attacks in a repetitive loop and instantly makes those attacks worthless as well as giving the opponent the ability to burst out; a term you might otherwise know as a combo breaker.

Especially in games like Marvel and Blazblue, many people are conditioned to repeat loops. With hitstun deterioration, combos which involve loops can only be repeated so many times before the hitstun is so small, opponents can recover and flip out. However, the IDS in particular seems especially strict, not even allowing a you to repeat a specific string of attacks once.

If you've seen combo videos of Skullgirls, you may have noticed that this encourages using more normals in varying patterns. Notice how there are even 100% combos being figured out by combo makers? Each little rep of the combo has small variations in it to keep the IDS from popping up.

Another thing fresh about Skullgirls' combo system is the emphasis on special properties on normal moves. If you're coming fresh off of Marvel 3, you're probably used to using a special move in order to OTG, wall bounce, etcetera. Even Wesker's infamous Samurai Edge Lower is technically a command normal. But the normals in Skullgirls all have varying properties which makes the application of specials less essential for combo extending. The crouching moves of most characters in fact, can OTG. Like the ground and wall bouncing walls from Marvel though, you're only allowed one true OTG move per combo, which adds more rules to work with in creating useful combos.


Wesker's Samurai Edge Lower is a coveted assist in Marvel 3

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention one of the more obvious aspects that Skullgirls brings us in order to modernize how our fighting games work. Many old school fighters use a six button attack scheme and restrict most combos to links and cancels. On the other hand, many new school fighters use around four attack buttons and make use of chains. Both are seemingly different and yet Skullgirls melds both into one system. The game has six buttons of increasing strength for punches and kicks but they can chained together for simple combos. So there is a greater variety of attacks and combos without the barrier of entry links have.

For the longest time, the old and new school ways of fighting have been at odds as separate styles of combat. But despite being from a small time developer, Revenge Labs along with Mike Z's direction have created a new fighting game that should be tried due to the fresh new ideas it brings to the time old fighting genre.