Why button check

competitive-gamingmarvel-vs-capcom-3

(Competitive) (Ultimate) Marvel vs. Capcom 3 matches typically start with a button check. Do the players perform actions simply to check that (all of) their button assignments are correct? Is it not sufficient to see what the button assignments are?

My question comes from more of a Super Smash Brothers fighting-game knowledge background, where button assignments are typically non-customizable, so there are no button checks. And even in those SSB games whose controls are customizable, one need not button check them/perform actions to know that they are correct.

Best Answer

There a few reasons that button checks are common at fighting game tournaments:

  • Some games -- such as many Capcom games -- don't allow players to change their controls from the character select screen. Since the game is usually still sitting at the previous match's results screen when the next set of players sit down at that match station, it's quicker to just select "Rematch" to jump back into the game, configure controls, and then test them out quickly to make sure everything is set properly.
  • Many players use their own arcade sticks, which get jostled and bumped around a lot as the player walks around the tournament venue. Button checks are a courtesy to give players a chance to make sure everything on their stick is working properly, and that no wires have become disconnected.
  • Some players use it as a brief warmup period to bang out a couple of combos and get acclimated to their sitting position, the position of the display monitor, and so on.
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