Analysis: Can There Be a Serious Mobile Fighting Game? 

"Best used with both hands." uses one hand.

Playing with both hands doesn't mean using the other hand only for holding the device.

Just port divekick. I'd never put my phone down

"Best played with both hands" - Proceeds to play with only one hand

Real talk though, why isn’t there a mobile port of divekick

Gerald, I have answered your question XD

Flappy Fighter was INCREDIBLE. It’s so sad it got taken down for copyright before getting a proper multiplayer mode

Core-A Gaming: Can a mobile fighting game be competative and simple? Flappy Fighter: Hold my touchscreen

Yes. Skullgirls Mobile’s got a lot of depth using the touchscreen. It’s not furiously tapping the screen or tapping one card each for a combo. You to know the different touch inputs in order to chain the combos correctly. It’s the reason why it’s one of the best mobile fighters on the market.

Your analysis videos are always so entertaining as they cover interesting topics. Please keep it up man, there aren't really many channels that will cover fighting games in general like this.

I would approach it the same way people convert games to tabletop: ask yourself what the core mechanics are, and use only some of them. For example I'd take spacing, move execution and varied height of attack (hit boxes I guess) and make a fighter where, with your left thumb you swipe side to side to move and up to jump. And with your right you tap mid, low and high to jab and swipe up and down, and quarter circles to perform special attacks. Is still gives you 6 attacks on ground and potentially 6 in air (though I'd probably only have 2 options, a heavy and light). Not to mention the spacing adds more to the game than a simple block that most mobile fighters provide you with, perhaps a parry system where you can match jab for jab would work better. But that's where lag becomes an issue.

"Certified Casual Gamer, Guy" Oh you mean Guy slayer of the 9 gods? Winner of Evo 2009 to 20XX? Teacher of HAX and mentor of Leffen? The all knowing all masterful god of our world? That Guy that you shame each time you bring to your simpleton show? You should be ashamed of your actions. If Guy was serious he'd perfect you 3-0 each round but Guy is merciful and enjoys your pathetic attempts at painting him in a casual comedic relief manner. Just beware the day the four horseman of the apocalypse arive and the trumpeters beckon. That is the day Guy will destroy all in his path and reclaim his throne.

"I'm talking about Marvel.......... Contest of Champions" I'm kinda losing it

Flappy Fighter: *Looks in the corner* fools

very informative like always, keep doing these

"3 frames are too much for enjoyable play" *laughs in smash ultimate*

Footsies by Hifight and Flappy Fighter by Aapcom

Mobile could probably pull of a decent simplified Bushido Blade.

"most things are best done with both hands." - guy, 2016

I think it's perfectly possible. You just need to adapt to the controls and possibly try to make something very accessible. I'd say it'd be best to look towards the likes of Nidhogg and Rising Thunder in addition to the aforementioned Divekick as possible directions. Maybe it wouldn't resemble what we'd traditionally consider a fighter but a real level of depth as a competitive game can be there. Though the success of infinitey blade makes me wonder if something like a multiplayer Punch Out would be a valid route. I'd normally be worried about the business model , but something like Killer Instinct's model wouldn't be TOO horrendous and that's kind of the reference point for a successful free to play fighter.

Your production quality is insane. Consider me sold, can't wait until you release more videos

This is something Ive always thought about. Nice to see your take on it. Thanks for the vid

Flappy fighter? Idea for new video ? Content is great my man!! Soo great that I go back and rewatch all the time! Keep up the good work! And thanks for providing it!

There is a game surprisingly that does this well. The blazeblue mobile game actually has a really in-depth combo system and intuitive controls that really requires practice to master. Along with a good online system and other cool things. I'm not one for the knowledge of fighting games or anything but if you really want a good 'true 90's' fighting game experience I would pick this one up

check out Flappy Fighter

I don't see truly deep fighting games going far on mobile platforms, because there's bound to be input lag with the touchscreen and it's difficult to use an interface that you can't physically maneuver. A game like DiveKick would be absolutely astounding, though, with just a simple swipe and tap to get going. We need to start out small again with mobile fighting games, and then gradually see what works and what doesn't, rather than just trying to port the games over and see how it works out.

That transition from Miles to Chun Li was clean af

The most probable scenario is coexistence, just like it's now. Yes the market of mobile gaming is huge, but the pc hardware will always be on top, and have the more committed gamers supporting the industry. Point aside I would love sfv mobile and compatible with pads, not just a 4 button version.

2 Years have passed and here we have it, Flappy Fighter

I think the best you can actually do as far as this goes is a team-building or character-building game that's literally AI driven - choose one of three strategies; and then have the player manage the meter usage (counters/supers/etc.); or build a character-state-machine where movement and attacks are synonymous (drag in different directions to execute different movement/attack combinations, hold to block, tap for basic combo-strings or throws?). But it's not going to replace "fighting games as we play them today," because simply put, it IS too limited of a control scheme.

just found your channel, love the content!

you should take a look at the game Shadow Fight 2. It has an interesting control scheme that seems bad on the surface, but it is very comfortable and well developed once you get use to it.

I've shamefully played a lot of fighting games on mobile (Injustice, Marvel Contest of Champions, MKX, etc.) and not only are the controls are terrible, but the oversimplification of FG mechanics like spacing, proper counters, real block-breaking means the AI just cheats on higher levels. Almost all of them require some sort of power creep because F2P pricing model means a) incentive to buy power/levels b) boring gameplay requires grind to unlock characters to incentivize players who don't want to pay a ton, so most games actually focus on just powering your characters, and actual skill rarely means anything in being able to win against much more powerful opponents regardless of you playing perfectly.

First three comments I see: "Says it's best to use both hands Uses 3 hands"

Great video once again ! How did I miss that one... I'm working on something on my own, would love to show you that if you're in Seoul next week :-) Cheers

Man this channel is awesome. Keep up the good work bro.

Flappy Fighter is the truth!

Really cool, the only bad thing about Analysis is: i need MOAR

Watching your stuff again since sf6 has come out has done wonders :D

Excellent video, very comprehensive. Keep doing good work man

Handhelds are the next best thing. Seems like the Nintendo Switch could open up some new possibilities(if people can figure out how Joy-Cons work and connect to the system), assuming that the developers take into account the lack of a D-pad and a six-button layout.

I think something like what they were doing with Rising Thunder would be a step in the right direction.

competitive flappy bird kek

Flappy fighter when it get local pvp

Street Fighter X Tekken used to be on mobile, it was pretty good until it was terminated from the app store.

this videos are a treat :) keep it up

I play tekken 6 on psp emulator

I don't think a mobile fighting game should follow the standard setup for a fighting game, that being p1 health bar, time, p2 health bar, we've seen everywhere from arcades to PlayStation. I think it should be more focused on the touch controls, and the best I can see it being is similar to punchout, but with multiple playable characters and a greater focus on multiplayer.

wow spider man just wow

And here's an idea for a mobile control scheme: Bottom Left: Crouch(tap for a parry that has no end lag if successful, works similar to crouching parries in SF3) Top left: Move left/block(You can block while crouching by holding the left side with two fingers, tap in this quadrant to do a standing parry similar to SF3) Top right: Move right(Double tap in either direction across the top to dash left or right) Bottom right: Tap for Light attacks, swipe left or right for Medium attacks, hold for heavy attacks(works with aerials and crouching hits as well) Swipe up left, up, or up right: Jump(Short hops can't be implemented) Bottom and top right: Super window(explained later) Z input, quarter and half circle, and reversed versions do specials(Do these twice on a Super window to pull off a Super) Swipe across the whole top or bottom screen from left to right: Command Normals Super windows are created by doing the super input, then inputting the special input twice(The length of the super window is 1 second to pull off the inputs and swipes on touchscreen), and frame data can be tweaked if needed.

check out BlazBlue revolution reburning there's some issues with servers and balance and lag but the gameplay is intuitive I feel for a mobile fighter and is a step in a better direction to say the least it starts as a beat em up but as you progress you can access more traditional fighting and pvp modes

nah,i rather die than not play a fight game on a stick

How could you not try SF4 volt on iphone? It has been THE mobile fighting game for basically 6 years. The controls are much more responsive than any other emulated fighting game, and especially of KOF. It had a rampant community of fighters with quite a high level of multiplayer and for several years (the online became deserted only a few months back, only because it was not ported to the new ios and not because players lost interest). Look at the length of the discussion in the volt's forum on toucharcade if you want a proof of what I'm saying. Despite the limitations (20fps and on screen controls) it managed to be technical, thanks also to the SP button. Several high level players even didn't use any shortcut to specials. Also, the SP button was well thought (it almost couldn't do stuff that would've been impossible with normal controls, unlike the sf4 on 3DS in which charge characters did not have to charge when using SP).

Man ! I Love this channel !

you make interesting content, had a good time watching this

Flappy fighter came out, everything has changed.

Ughh. I can’t go back to contest of champions after street fighter volt and shadow fight 2.

This is the type of content that made me fall in love with gaming media. Love love love analysis.

koreA gaming love your videos man

It's possible to design a competitive fighting game for mobile, no doubt. It's almost certain that it will become a reality, sooner or later. But non-mobile gaming isn't going anywhere; there are still gaming experiences which can't be easily replicated on a smartphone, with its small screen and limited controls which obscure the screen when you use them. Anyone who says mobile games will be the _only_ games in the future is an even greater fool than those who call mobile gaming a fad.

it's very possible to make a great fighting game for mobile. that Marvel game has surprisingly deep strategy, and hard techniques, but it definitely is dumbed down for both accessibility and squeezing money out of you. but taking what they do right, and adding on to it positively can produce a surprisingly good fighting game.

I've been trying a mobile fighting game called Metal Revolution and it really goes deep, having the usual character styles and dynamics of classic games, it really looks like the best original game out there, withouth being an emulation for cellphones

I don't even play fighting games but this channel is just fucking lit.

revisiting this video just to tell y'all about FLAPPY FIGHTER

Flappy Fighter...though it lacks an online feature as of me typing this.

I have a suggestion for a mobile fighting game that might be more up people’s alley: BlazBlue Revolution Reburning. Yes, it’s full of RPG elements and monetized to hell and back, and for purists, the 5v5 arena mode or whatever it’s called is super laggy, but its simple (and patented :( ) control system based on tapping and swiping in various directions is pretty much a perfect harmony between giving you a variety of complex combos and ease of use on a touchscreen. A purer fighting game based off that would probably be great!

Nice! Have you tried the game Touch Fighter? A real nice cross between 2D and 3D fighters also with a nice simplified control scheme. No idea how balance is since I never got into multiplayer (Korean game/location/language barrier) I had a blast without spending any money :)

2019 just knocking by with flappy fighter and hero versus

The only true way to get fighting games on your phone is by emulating old fighting games

A REALLY great example of a mobile report that utilizes its platform is clash Royale. You have to play that game on a touchscreen and because of the built in delay anyone with decent connection can play.

i enjoy your videos a lot.

Who came back because of flappy fighter

Vita Fighters answered your prayers.

Thanks for your video :) It reminds me of Shadow Fight 2, which was a quite good 2D fighting game in Apple store.

@core-a: the solution to the lag and input time on mobile is to add an artificial buffer so that every input is realized after the same delay. Essentially a small amount of perpetual lag. This is how clash Royale remains competitive--server lag is obscured by the game compensating for it. With no true lag your inputs are still resolved one second later. With half a second of lag....one second later. It seems insane for a fighting game, but I believe it would just take a different mentality and play style.

No The End

the only I'd ever consider would be divekick. that game would fit perfectly!

Welllllll there’s a new mobile fighting game called Flappy Fighters, it’s currently solo play. But it is actually really nice, the community is hoping for online soon

I know this video is two years old now but their is a blazblue game for mobile that allows to perform combos easier through flick and touch controls it might seem like a spinoff at first but once you get three characters a mode unlocks that allows you to fight real players and I truly felt like I was playing a real fighting game that I could perform combos on other players the way that game handles the controls might be the way to go for mobile fighters

Does “Flappy Fighter” count?

And then flappy fighters appeared and it’s being ported to Android,we just need vs and online...

the injustice two mobile game seems to be adding a bit of depth to controls, time for another video on the idea?

I think if you were to have a competitve mobile fighter it should be something like Rising Thunder. Controls can be simple enough one stick and three buttons for light, medium, and heavy attacks. Hold down one of the light medium or heavy moves to exectute the character specific moves and have one meter for the ultra move or reversal

flappy fighters is my answer and i think the best.mobile fighting game ever buts itd on ios exlusive im on android still waiting for that android release.

What about slashers ? Is a good fighting game for Android

This video was a mere prophecy of flappy fighter’s rise

"Best used with both hands." Guy: And I took that personally.

*COUGH* flappy fighters

Ever heard of flappy fighter?

This is an interesting concept as im trying to do that very thing and create a fighting hybrid for mobile. we've been working at it for 3 years now and are nearly done. i do think its possible it just needs to be properly adapted.

I think it's time for an update to this video to see if anything has changed.

ayyy Flappy Fighter

Two words......flappy fighter

As for the complaint on the accuracy and responsiveness of touchscreen controls, I can definitely agree with that out of my own experience. I fell in love with a slow and clunky-like singleplayer mobile fighting game called Shadow Fight 2 about a year ago, and I've played it ever since. Because of how well-versed I am with the game at this point, I play all of the bosses on the game's hardest difficulty - impossible mode. In impossible mode your opponent is about 10 times stronger than you in every regard, making the fight a tough-as-nails balancing act between avoiding getting your entire health bar drained by a single head-hit, and achieving a high enough DPS to kill them before the 99 seconds of the round are up. Usually, these fights can include several days - heck, even weeks - of learning how to smoothen out your playstyle to the point of near perfection, avoiding all vicious one-shot traps and outplaying the opposition on literally every bend. You will not pass until you have solved the *entire* fight. Of course, with such minimal room for mistakes, the controls must be very responsive and totally reliable in order to keep up with the person behind the wheel. Spoiler alert: they aren't. From my experience with playing Shadow Fight 2 on impossible mode, I can say that a pretty alarming amount of my deaths have been because of failing to double-tap, or failing to make contact with the projected joystick. I'm not blaming the game, tough: this is just how it is with playing using the controls on a touchscreen - you can't actually *feel* them. With physical controls you can recognize whether you're on the button/joystick without a glance, and the mechanical input is more reliable too. Even as a rather experienced player, I can often catch my fingers sliding away to an unwanted part of the screen during a fight. Mobile games may be convenient, but the original still has the edge.

Whoa, you're from Seoul? You speak better english than many of my friends!

Would BlazBlue: Revolution Re burning work?

There is one already Gerald: Flappy fighter

Street fighter volt on the iphone is amazing. Beginners can do moves easily but the game itself makes links possible. Cammy can do crouching fierce, crouching m.k then spiral arrow there. Or akuma with standing H.k standing fierce into tatsu then goshoryu. Safe jumps also exist. And it's for the ios

2 things I want to talk about on this. 1. In my experience with trying to be pretty competitive in Call of Duty: Mobile, I have noticed that it can be harder to compete (though not impossible) with people who are willing to upgrade to a large screen tablet and use more than 2 fingers (just thumbs). I could certainly see people designing games that wouldn't get an advantage from that, but it's something to think about. 2. As far as things like practicing on your commute on the bus, all the fighting games on the Switch have been my go to for years now. It's not fit-in-your-pocket small, but it's still felt like a great mobile fighter experience to me.

A very intuitive take on this has been achieved by the blazblue team