For such an old-school game, there sure do seem to be a lot of new players. At least, I hope many of the people I've played online are new and not just lame. If you're new to this classic series or just want to avoid being "that guy," here are some tips.



Sirlin's blog
David Sirlin is a pro SSFII Turbo player. He was also a designer on HD Remix.His blog has a detailed list of all the changes made to each character and some basic strategy tips. Check it out at http://www.sirlin.net/sf. His blog posts are well-written and very informative.

DO NOT SPAM MOVES
See how lame it is when I bold and uppercase a heading? Spamming is even worse and even less effective. I've often hated the "scrub" label thrown around at sites like Shoryuken.com. But last night after playing against 2 players who both played as Bison and just torpedoed back and forth, I became angry and found myself cursing at these scrubs. Spamming is not an effective strategy and makes you look like a complete dick, because you're being one. Don't do this. Ever.

Learn the basics
The beauty of Street Fighter is that special moves are unnecessary for success. In fact, whenever I find myself in a match with someone on my level or better, I avoid special moves. These moves are generally higher risk than normals and only slightly more effective. If you watch high level ST matches, you'll be shocked at how few specials are thrown around; supers are even less frequent. Shoryuken.com has some very nice wikis on Street Fighter strategy.

Find you character
Whenever I get into a new fighter, I like to find a character that fits my play style in order to learn the finer points of the game. I find charge characters are harder to master, so I avoid them until I'm pretty good in a game. I often start with a very balanced character and then move on to faster characters as my skills progress. I am best with 3 characters in the game but, because I understand the basics, can do well with most of the cast.

Practice and make no excuses
The story mode is the best way to practice. Sure, practice mode is okay but performing a shoryuken on another player is much different than doing it to a masochistic practice dummy. If need be, start on easy and work your way up to normal and eventually hard. Once you understand the basics and can perform under pressure, your enjoyment of this game will increase ten fold. A solid base of SF strategy will serve you well in most other fighters, so invest the time. It's worth it. Learn from each loss and gain greater insight into both your skill and your opponent's abilities.

Never disconnect during a fight
It's not fun having your ass beaten completely. Even so, never ever disconnect during a fight. That's a bitch move. Instead, leave the room gracefully and send a "good games" message. Don't be that guy.