The Hit Box presents some unique input tricks and opportunities that Magneto can leverage. There are also a few tricks universal to the rest of the cast that become easier to execute. This article provides an accompanying perspective to the Magneto Tech video.
The footage in the GIFs was recorded at 240 frames-per-second for enhanced visibility. PC users can play back the GIFs at x4 speed to achieve ‘real life / 100%’ speed.
There are a few key concepts that interlink throughout the video:
Holding "Down"
The very first one about holding down through Magneto’s rushdown sequence is a fundamental technique that can be leveraged to apply high/low pressure on the opponent. Magneto’s CR.LK has 1 frame of startup; and in total, his instant-overhead has 5, including the jumping animation’s startup.
This is surprisingly easy since your left hand just has to keep Down held the entire time. In my opinion, training your right hand to use the claw method to do triangle jumps and Dash-CR.LK is the easiest way to do it. There is enough leeway to do the technique relatively slow, so it can be really hard for the opponent to react.Instant Overhead
This is one of the main ideas that requires learning some new techniques unique to the Hit Box. Since keeping Down held while pressing Up triggers a Normal Jump, it is possible to keep Down held in order to immediately do a Down+LK in the air to do an instant overhead. This has strict timing since too-slow and too-fast will not work for it.
I use an ‘inverted-slide’ using my right-hand thumb from Up to LK. It is kinda tricky to get used to the hand motion and ‘locating’ the buttons during a match. This kind of thing is easier to do on regular Sanwa buttons since they do not protrude too much, making sliding easy.Super Jump Instant Overhead
Cable’s crouching hitbox is a bit taller, allowing Magneto to do his instant overhead sequence with his Super Jump.
In this case, Down cannot already be held before executing; it has to be one quick motion to Super Jump. From there, I slide my right-hand thumb from Up to LK – and then pause as it is necessary for Magneto’s 2LK animation to finish before MvC2 will let him Dash. In other words, the Dash cannot be rushed, making it a bit tricky. After Dashing, Magneto’s LK and MK are done since they are very fast, and the MK put Cable in longer stun for Magneto to follow-up; again Down or Down-Forward never have to be let go during all of this.Psylocke Assist Timing
On regular-sized opponents, calling Psylocke before jumping is necessary in order to follow-up.
In most cases, calling Psylocke before Normal Jumping ensures that she will come out in time to combo after the Down+LK. One instance of this is when Magneto is low to the ground - Psylocke can be called while whiffing an attack low to the ground.
I use my pinky to call Psylocke while my index and middle finger are pressing Dash and HP. MvC2 will still register this as a valid assist-call, and Psylocke will ‘come out’ as soon as Magneto lands. From there, Magneto’s instant-overhead is done.
Getting accustomed to pressing Psylocke’s button while triangle jumping might be difficult since it is not a common practice; this is part of the overall Hit Box-Rushdown style.Super Jump Cancel CR.LK
There is a shortcut for Super Jump Canceling crouching attacks on Hit Box. By double-tapping Up while holding Down, MvC2 will register the inputs as a Super Jump Cancel.
In the case of CR.LK, there almost is not any timing involved since the move has one frame of start-up. Its main use in this case is allowing the player to keep Down held throughout whatever rushdown proceeds it.
Although it is flashy in most cases, being able to Super Jump Cancel Magneto’s CR.LK as part of a rushdown sequence versus Sentinel can be useful in order to break his armor.
In most cases, Sentinel players are not expecting Magneto to Super Jump Cancel his CR.LK into an overhead.
This is where keeping Down held can help because it allows Magneto to Super Jump Cancel the CR.LK, or simply attack low again.Snap-Super Jumps
This refers to the ability to basically Super Jump while blocking without going through neutral. Like in other games, this puts the character at an advantage since they are free to move once they land.
The trick with this is getting used to doing Super Jumps as fast as possible, and then treating it like a single input. That is, get used to doing the input for Super Jumps as fast as possible, that you can react or plan to do it versus attacks. I use my left hand entirely for this type of thing since I usually would like to follow-up using a Dash or something else involving the attack buttons.Hyper-Grav Tempest Mash-Out
Neutral is a big part of mashing out of this, and when Left and Right are held at the same time, the game registers a neutral input. Therefore holding Left, while mashing through Right can help with getting out of the Hyper-Grav-Tempest setup.
Unfortunately, this is required to learn on Hit Box since there is no other way to get out of it in time. Like on joystick, three right-hand swipes should be enough to get out in most cases. The only problem is that if you are on the right side, you will need to switch blocking directions once escaping.
This video contains a more in-depth look at this: https://youtu.be/VJtxZCZydzg
Super Jump Install
Super Jump Install refers to having Super Jump mode active on incoming, preventing Guard Breaks from working. There are a few ways to do it, and this video goes into detail on the whole thing: https://youtu.be/iFe9wJWpKPI
The Hit Box controller makes this easier since the directions are buttons, and have sort-of a tactile-feedback to them. Also, neutral is not necessary on a Hit Box, and this helps greatly.
The idea is to Super Jump, but cancel the animation into a tag, counter or Super > DHC before jumping.
There are different in-game scenarios where one choice is better than the other, but I have found that the overall technique is easier on a Hit Box than on a joystick since jumping is instant. There is a feeling of certainty when you press buttons that are not there with a joystick.Block Sentinel’s Unblockable
This refers to a special technique to avoid unblockables while incoming after a Snapback or death. Basically, MvC2 has a system of guaranteed guard frames where the game will allow the character to block anything while incoming; this window is only about 3 frames. There is a more detailed breakdown here: https://youtu.be/ciD_35TIT-s?t=1007
In this case, I have found that it is easier to do it on a Hit Box because the lack of neutral. I feel like one-frame directional inputs are way easier on Hit Box since you do not have to worry about going through neutral, and reacting-with-button presses is a skill people develop to punish attacks.
There really is not a trick to it, it is not just about pressing Back right before Sentinel’s unblockable hits.
Although lots of this stuff is advanced, the rewards they provide can be match-winning/saving. Playing MvC2 on a Hit Box can provide a new playstyle since the technical stuff is easier to do as a result of neutral not being an issue.
Most of the input-leniency style is that of a traditional Street Fighter 2 game. As a result, this article can help with the basics: https://www.hitboxarcade.com/blogs/hit-box/new-to-hit-box-go-old-school
Although it is not a tutorial like this one, this Dhalsim Video shows a lot of basic stuff being executed on a Hit Box controller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqBGrkUUD-E
- Magnetro