One of the hardest video game genres for beginners to enjoy is fighters because of the complexity of the stick rotations and the button combinations, which is why most people tend to stay away from them. What had always been missing in fighting games was some type of tutorial to help newcomers develop and understanding of the basics, and then more advanced techniques introduced as they progress.
Super Street Fighter 4 takes some huge leaps forward to help beginners feel welcome. Challenge modes for every character show you basic moves and advanced combos, and then you can try those moves in the very customizable training mode.
With tons of opportunities to practice, at some point you would want to jump online and use your newly developed skills against some real people. After you got your ass handed to you, it becomes somewhat discouraging to keep playing against people that you know you won’t win against.
Though the interest for 2-D fighters has increased in the last year, there are still people who are too scared to take the chance and buy one. With Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and a new Mortal Combat currently in production, it would be great to see some beginner multiplayer modes, to help us novices out there improve our lack luster skills.