Getting started in fighting games can be tricky. Not only do you need to learn the pros and cons of the mechanics of different games, but the jargon experienced gamers use can sometimes sound like a completely different language. Even so, this huge barrier to entry just got a little easier thanks to a new database from fighting game guru Infil.
Known simply as The fighting game glossaryThis website does exactly what it says on the tin by defining and explaining over 600 combat game-oriented terms. But it’s not just words. Oh no, this is a multimedia project with video samples accompanying many of the entries to help people get a deeper understanding of the concepts involved. There are even Japanese translations to facilitate further research outside of the often closed Western perspective.
My favorite part is probably the inclusion of jokes that even newbies may come across. Sure, terms like “unga” – characters or strategies that allow a rash, relentless offense – and “American Reset” – an ironic way of describing a reset completely accidentally performed after a failed combo – may not be the most important parts of the community -Lexicons, but they are important in getting used to the unique culture surrounding fighting game competition.
While this type of database has been tried in the past (I was very partial the IPLAYWINNER glossary when this page was still a thing), Infil and the project different employees have gone far beyond that here. If you come across something confusing while playing or watching fighting games in the future, give it a try. At this point I have been very familiar with the genre for decades and am already learning new things from it.
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