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What makes fighting games tick? Pros can tell you how to get better. Lab monsters can teach you combos. But here at Neutral Game, we're passionate about design. An interesting movelist, cool system mechanics, interesting writing, good teaching tools, compelling single player! A few mid-level fighting game friends discuss the genre, and the magic of a good fight.
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Well, it's a bit overdue, but let's talk about Tekken, shall we? The King of Iron Fist has returned, and our hosts have taken a while to sort out their feelings. Clearly, it's a well made game that does some impressive and admirable things. But it also engenders a weird sort of animosity in us? We finally sat down and decided to figure the whole th…
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Six and Kyrie are more than ready to Rock the Dragon with the newest fighting game in the Dragon Ball series! But, while Dragon Ball FighterZ was a tag fighter in the style of Marvel vs. Capcom, and thus very familiar, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is an ~arena~ fighter. You know, that genre that people scorn as being casual, fanservice only, broken …
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Today in Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising, 2B was released as the latest DLC character! Don't expect thoughts on her in this episode recorded last Thursday, but we have plenty of other thoughts about the cast of GBVSR, the modes and tutorials, the missteps, and the future of the game. Our artwork for the show is drawn by @WistWhistley! You can find …
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The original Granblue Fantasy Versus, high-budget fighting game adaptation of the popular gacha game Granblue Fantasy was... imperfect, to phrase it kindly. Netcode, balance, systems, there were some shortcomings that could use addressing. Unfortunately, the game hit at the worst possible time, and its life was squashed out of it- not given a chanc…
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Our Street Fighter 6 breakdown continues with discussions of the other half of the roster, modes, tutorials and training, handicap settings, World Tour discussion, and more. Plus, what's this about Rashid being legal at Evo despite how soon after his release that tournament will be? All this and more as we conclude our thoughts on SF6... for now! O…
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Neutral Game is back with a new cohost to cover a 2023 hit! Street Fighter 6 has been eating up a lot of time over at Scanline Media, as many normal hang sessions quickly become SF6 lobbies. Where does this new game fit in the legacy of Street Fighter, how is it a response to the lessons of 4 and 5, and what makes it just so electric? These questio…
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The power of a rollback netcode update has revived an old favorite! Six and Miodrag bonded in early days over BlazBlue, and yet somehow have never done an episode on a main series entry- only the Cross Tag Battle spinoff. How does it fair when approached with a 2022 mindset, and does this new netcode do the job? Our intro and outro music is Boss 06…
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For this special episode, Six is joined by fellow Scanline Media staffer Kyrie to talk about the DNF Duel beta! The first 8ing fighting game in a long time has Kyrie buzzing with excitement, and Six a little anxious though enjoying it. Let's talk new systems, new characters, new stuff! Miodrag will be back on the next episode, this is just a side t…
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Conventions deserve to be challenged in every medium, that's how we truly explore the form. It's in that spirit we are checking out Touhou 12.3 Hisoutensoku, the expansion to Touhou 10.5 Scarlet Weather Rhapsody. As you might guess, it's a Touhou fighting game. It's not the first, and it's not the last. And if the others are anything like this, the…
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This is an extension of our coverage of the beta, which you can find here or on the RSS as episode 42! Strive has now been out for almost a month, and met with great sales success. But how does the game hold up for our two genre fan hosts? Unusually, the podcast is split: Miodrag is pretty onboard, and Six is quite skeptical. Don't forget to check …
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To pursue the way of fighting games is to pursue mastery. You aim to be stronger, faster, smarter, all in pursuit of the win. And thus, most fighting game education is around teaching you to win, making you more likely to win. But the reality that folks don't want to talk about is no matter how good you are, you're going to be doing a LOT of losing…
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NOTE: This podcast was recorded before the announcement of Guilty Gear Strive's delay. The year's most anticipated fighting game briefly opened its doors and let us inside! Miodrag is a longtime Guilty Gear fan, whereas Six runs more hot and cold on the series. This beta of the newest entry offers a LOT to love, but some structural choices that don…
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Another year has come and gone, and so has another Deckcember! Miodrag spent another month streaming tons of fighting games, and is here to report about a bunch of classic and forgotten fighters, as well as the current state of Fightcade 2's multiplayer services. Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on Twitter at @sixdettmar and @mdkii respect…
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An unlikely year ends with us checking out an unlikely game! The followup to the beloved Marvel vs Capcom 3, Infinite was the punchline of many jokes at the time of its release. And certainly, its presentation is a proper mess. But if you look beneath the surface, there's some cool gameplay to be found. Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on …
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Even further into uncharted waters we go, as 2020 continues to offer little in the way of new fighting games. But glad we are for the shortage, as it has given us the occasion to explore gems of old. Few remember the name Ninja Master's: Hao Ninpo Cho, but this little-known Neo Geo fighter has gameplay and ideas beyond its age. Don't forget to chec…
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Mankind knew that they could not save society. So instead of reflecting on themselves, they blamed the zoanthropes. In this long fighting game drought we're living through, Miodrag and Six turn to the past for another classic. The Bloody Roar series doesn't have a lot of life these days, but if 2 is any indication, it deserves a lot more love and a…
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In the middle of a strange year, Miodrag and Six take a look back at some... classics? That title might be a little generous to one of these titles. Capcom vs SNK 2 is a much beloved, never imitated team fighter classic, and Kensei: Sacred Fist is a video game that you can play! Make time for old fighting games, friends: they have a lot to teach yo…
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Miodrag and Six are back to talk fighting games, and this time, V has come to(o). Street Fighter 4 was a WILDLY successful game that helped usher in a revival of the fighting game genre. After several years of expansion and patching, how does the legacy of its sequel stand in the line of a series that has defined the genre for decades? Don't forget…
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Neutral Game is back with the hottest pull in 2020 fighting games! The prolific veterans Arc System Works have adopted the Japanese gacha game juggernaut Granblue Fantasy into a fighting game. Will this olive branch extended from anime fighters towards Street Fighters stick the landing? Listen and find out! Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag…
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The Neutral Game crew is back to re-evaluate Tekken. How have the shifting meta, changes to the game, and new insights into how the game works affected their thoughts on the most popular 3D fighter in the world? Also, is Virtua Fighter ever coming back? (Probably not.) Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on Twitter at @sixdettmar and @mdkii r…
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The Neutral Game cast is revisiting BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle in the wake of its 2.0 update! More RWBY! More Persona! More UNIEL, more BlazBlue! ...A boobie ninja and a tank? Wow, this roster got weird. How has this tag fighter changed in the last year, and what do these new characters bring to the table? Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag o…
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There ain't no cryin at THIS rodeo. The team at Mane6 making a My Little Pony fighting game discovered that while Friendship is Magic, legal action beats magic. And so they were forced to shelve their project... until an unlikely solution presented itself. The fruit of their efforts, Them's Fightin Herds, is in early access and plans to release by …
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By popular demand, Miodrag and Six checked out Steam's hottest early access fighting game: Ultra Fight Da Kyanta! 2. It is possible you think you are prepared for what this game is. You are mistaken. It's a meme, it's a chaotic fast fighting game, it has interesting mechanics, surprisingly fun writing, unusual character designs. JUMPANG with us int…
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Faaaaaaame Douglas. On this episode of Neutral Game, Miodrag and Six play maybe the best 3D fighting game? Wow, it turns out DoA is really good! The two have their complaints about the costumes, the rough launch, and the focus on ecchi content, but the core gameplay is unassailable. If only they'd add those Virtua Fighter characters into this one t…
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With Evolution 2019 now in the rear view mirror, we have a decent idea of how the various subcommunities and metas of the fighting game community are shaking out. What can we learn from the top 8s, the announcements, and from the choices Evo made as an organization? It's not all smiles and rainbows: we're displeased with some of Evo's choices, as w…
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Show up to shodown. SNK is giving its samurai a spirited revival in the form of Samurai Shodown, a 2019 series reboot of the classic 2D weapon fighter. Will this turn out to be their last blade, or does the soul still burn? Six and Miodrag endeavor to find out in the latest episode of Neutral Game. Don't forget to check out Six and Miodrag on Twitt…
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Netherrealm's latest is also the newest episode for Miodrag and Six! Six has never played an MK seriously before, but Miodrag has given them a real shot in the past. How will this one treat newcomer and returner alike? Unfortunately, we can't just talk about the game, we find ourselves obligated to talk about the studio's labor practices and castin…
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On this latest episode of Neutral Game, Miodrag and Six cover a trio of old fighting games: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Hero Turtles: Tournament Fighters for the NES, Super Smash Flash 2 for the PC, and Samurai Shodown 3 for the Neo-Geo. From this collection, often overlooked fighting games, what fresh ideas and insights can be drawn?…
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This week, Six had the opportunity to sit down with Guilty Gear pro and Evo 2018 top 3 player, LostSoul. One of the best GG players in the US, the Elphelt from the East Coast has proved that result was anything but a fluke, with impressive tournament showings that cement him as perhaps the best Elphelt in the world. Six sat down with him to talk ab…
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This month, Bear and Six sit down to talk about VS Puzzle Games, which share a lot with fighting games. We particularly focus on Magical Drop III and Money Puzzle Exchanger.Oleh Scanline Media
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The world’s biggest platform fighter has come to a new platform (heheh) with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and a whopping roster of 74 fighters, with more still to come. And yet, none of them is host Miodrag, who is out on vacation! Scrambling to put together a show, Six grabbed ver friends Kat and Tai to come talk about the latest and greatest in th…
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This month, Miodrag and Six welcome you back to the stage of history. Soulcalibur claims to be a tale of souls and swords eternally retold, and after over ten games, we can at least agree that the series has remained true to the elements at the soul of its success. The fundamentals are the same, but how do new characters and new mechanics push the …
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SNK has a storied history of fighting games, from Art of Fighting to Samurai Shodown, and a wealth of other styles of fighting game besides. But of all their works, one of them is mentioned as perhaps being the best fighting game ever made. The end game of the Fatal Fury series, Garou: Mark of the Wolves is a masterful summation of what makes fight…
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Miodrag and Six welcome Mario to the show for the first (but likely not last) time as they discuss the Switch release, Mario Tennis Aces. It’s not that much of a stretch to imagine how a sports game can fit into the fighting game mold, but a Mario sports game? Well, this one’s a real moldbreaker. This month, we’re discussing the changes that made M…
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Another Evo has come and gone, and in its wake, Miodrag and Six contemplate what makes a good watching experience in a fighting game. Mechanics, presentation, commentary, community: all this and more combines, often in unexpected ways, to produce great spectator experiences. Plus: the duo comment on a few high profile Evo incidents, and their impli…
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This year has been so packed with new and noteworthy fighting games that Six and Miodrag have had to split the duties of coverage! When the developers of the old Street Fighter EX series finally decided to come back to the fighting game genre, we knew we had to be there to see what they made. What they made is Fighting EX Layer, or FEXL: a new figh…
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Fate will not be denied. Though we try to resist, fortune conspires for Miodrag and Six to come together once again and make a fighting game podcast… this time about the newest Arc Systems Works fighting game, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. Worlds collide, mechanics cross, but spacing and rushdown are the same as you ever knew. How have existing chara…
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As 2018 prepares to head into a fevered pace of fighting game releases, Six and Miodrag take a moment to look at the past before diving into the future. Neither of them played the Street Fighter Alpha series when it was popular, but it still has lessons to teach, even years removed. What systems and gameplay decisions in the oft-forgotten prequels …
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One of the most common scapegoats for players frustrated by the complexity of games, frame data is demonized as the inscrutable language of the elite that the average player cannot make use of. You have to be OBSESSIVE to learn frame data. It’s such a BURDEN, it’s unreasonable! Or… is it? Maybe you’re thinking about frame data the wrong way. Maybe …
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This month, we’re focusing on the more personal challenges of our cohosts, as Miodrag and Six tackle different elements of fighting games in their lives. Miodrag introduces friends and coworkers to Guilty Gear, and observes the challenges and pitfalls of new players trying to adapt to the most anime of heavy metal fighters. With all of the newbies …
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We’re about three months into 2018, and still no game has hit with the impact that Dragon Ball FighterZ has. With one of our favorite developers, Arc System Works, going all out to make a fighting game for a classic franchise, we couldn’t stay away. Miodrag and Six have spent the time in the lab and the ring, and now it’s time to sit down and talk …
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It is ever our endeavor to be your newbie-friendly fighting game podcast, so when famed competitive game designer David Sirlin and the team at Sirlin Games released a fighting game focused on making the genre more accessible, we took notice. Fantasy Strike declares that it has “cut the chaff to focus on the heart of the genre.” It’s certainly an im…
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Over the course of December, Miodrag undertook an ambitious task: to stream over eighty different fighting games, and demonstrate their systems. This great project would be known as… Deckember. Now, on the other side of the endeavor, Colin and Miodrag convene to discuss the lessons of dozens of fighting games, and what moments and games stood out a…
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We touched on it briefly last month, but on this episode, Miodrag and Colin talk in-depth about Gundam Versus, the first of its kind to hit western shores. From mechanics and systems, to strategy and personal favorites, it’s a great beginner’s guide to a game that is at once both fresh and familiar to fighting game veterans. Among your busy schedul…
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This month on Neutral Game, we take a look at team fighting games! No, not… not the games where you build a team out of characters like Marvel vs. Capcom. I can see how you made that mistake, Miodrag did too! I’m actually referring to games where multiple PLAYERS work together on one team, like Gundam Versus, or certain modes of Super Smash Bros, D…
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As much as we love fighting games, they drive us crazy sometimes too. There are so many backwards ideas and traditions about how they should be built, stemming from the genre’s arcade origins, hardcore player elitism, or simple thoughtlessness. This episode, Miodrag and Colin take the opportunity to discuss the quality of life changes that fighting…
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It’s easy for us to talk about what it’s like to get started in fighting games as a newbie, but in truth, it’s been a long time since either Miodrag or Colin started taking the genre seriously. We hope our advice can be a tool for newcomers, but… what is it actually like for someone who’s just getting started? In the interest of finding out, we’ve …
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The world’s biggest fighting game tournament, Evolution, has come and gone! There were many fantastic fights, incredible comebacks, and all around stunning displays of skill Miodrag and Colin may never hope to match. In the wake of this yearly clash of titans, what announcements made us excited, and what is the state of the competitive meta for var…
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For the first time on Neutral Game, Miodrag and Colin have both played a new fighting game, and tried to learn it using their own advice. What are their takeaways from their time in the King of Iron Fist Tournament? From story to online, bears to CEOs, and of course, with the looming threat of being tossed into a volcano, we’re ready to talk Tekken…
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With this episode of Neutral Game, we take a look at two subgenres within fighting games. First, we discuss platformer fighters such as Super Smash Bros and Rivals of Aether, then we move on to the varied world of sword fighting games like Nidhogg, Bushido Blade, and Blade Symphony. How should you adjust your expectations when tackling these subgen…
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