5 Most Complex Combos in Fighting Games

When it comes to fighting games, one of the most important things to master is combos. Nailing special moves is great, and these often feature excellent animations, but combos are where you rack up the most points, tearing down your opponent’s health with one hit after another. Because of this, there are plenty of combos that are incredibly difficult to pull off, much less master. We’ve dug through some of the best fighting games of the genre and uncovered some of the most complex combos that will definitely make your thumbs sore attempting to execute them.

1) Virtua Fighter 2 – The Stun Palm of Doom

If you played Virtua Fighter 2 when it was released in 1994, you likely already know of the infamously challenging SPod, otherwise known as the “Stun Palm of Doom.” This was one of Akira’s moves, and it was impressively hard to execute. The player must pull off incredibly fast inputs, long pauses, and do it all in the proper timing, or you’ll never execute it correctly. There’s a rhythm to the SPod that few could manage, and once you land a hit, it can completely knock out an opponent, making it a killer move to master.

2) Darkstalkers 3 – The Sako Combo

There are tough combos, and then there’s the Sako Combo, named after the gamer who discovered it. To execute the combo, you need to play as B.B. Hood in Darkstalkers 3, and while it sounds easy, it decidedly is not. The Sako Combo requires repeating the same three moves over and over, and while it’s fairly simple compared to others, actually executing it is a hand-straining nightmare. You have to pull off two frame-perfect moves, one after the other, and if you do, you execute an infinite loop combo that repeatedly strikes the opponent.

3) Marvel vs. Capcom 2 – Magneto ROM Infinite

The Marvel vs. Capcom franchise is well-known for its difficult combos, but the one that lands on this list is, without much competition, the Magneto ROM Infinite. This is probably one of the best-known combos out there, and it’s named after the first gamer to pull it off. The infinite combo requires continuous input without breaks, making it one of the hardest to properly do. If executed just right, you can repeatedly chain your attacks, pummeling your opponent until they’ve had it, winning the match. Of course, doing so is no easy task, but several pros have demonstrated it on more than a few occasions, giving hope to the rest of us.

4) Street Fighter IV – Zangief’s Dash 720

Zangief has been around for ages, and he’s a popular pick for some players in any Street Fighter. In Street Fighter IV, he has a complex combo that’s incredibly challenging to execute properly, as it requires a great deal of skill and timing. Zangief’s Dash 720 can completely wipe out the competition, but only if the player gets it right. The problem with this combo is that it uses a bunch of directional inputs, so you can run into an opponent or wind up rolling about the stage instead of pulling off the combo. Still, once mastered, it’s tough to beat.

5) Street Fighter 6 – Guile’s 84-Hit Combo

Guile is another longtime member of the Street Fighter community, and he’s especially powerful in Street Fighter 6. There are plenty of difficult combos in the game, but Guile’s 84-Hit Combo is at the top of most people’s lists. If executed correctly, it runs for a full 49 seconds, dealing an astounding 9,802 points of damage. This is enough to take down any opponent, and it is only possible after landing 24 Sonic Booms and ten full Drive Meters. Once it’s all entered by the player, Guile does his thing, and it’s amazing to see.

What’s the most complex combo that you’ve mastered? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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