CONGRATULATIONS! You’re moving on from being just a button masher! We all started out as button mashers. Here are a few beginner guides to fighting games for your journey.
The reason there are more than one guide to fighting games is because not all fighting games have the same mechanics and strategies differ by individual. There never is one true way to success.
Learning Fighting Game Terminology
Shoryuken Fighting Game Glossary – One of the oldest FG glossaries.
IPlayWinner Fighting Game Glossary – Has a search bar to quickly look up terms.
Wikitionary Fighting Game Glossary – In a wiki format complete with hyperlinks in the table of contents.
Reading Guides:
Fighting Game Beginner’s Guide Using Skullgirls by JasonS
From Masher To Master Using Super Street Fighters II Turbo HD Remix
Killer Instinct Guide By Infil
Learning Darkstalkers by Strategywiki.org
Learning Guilty Gear by the Guiltygear Sub-reddit
Mortal Kombat X Guide and Tips by Bryan Dawson
Tekken 7 Character Overview Guide for beginners – By @CKT Fergus
Undernight Inbirth – By dustloop
Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 – By Shoryuken (includes all characters frame data in each entry)
Video Guides:
Newcomer lessons Using Street Fighter IV by Jay Rego
How to Play Darkstalkers by Capcom Fighters
How To Play Skullgirls Using a Keyboard, Fightstick, and Xbox 360 controller by Yarcofin
Beginners Guide Tutorial Walkthrough using Guilty Gear Xrd by NinjaLand Games
Mortal Kombat X Beginner Guide by drpoplove
Learn Tekken Tag 2 and more by LevelUpYourGame
Frame Data For Fighting Games:
Blazblue Central Fiction
Guilty Gear Xrd: Revelator
Killer Instinct
King of Fighters 14 – A Free App!
Mortal Kombat XL – Has in-game frame data, but here’s how to understand it
Street Fighter V
Tekken 7
Vampire Savior