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Capcom Fighting Collection uses achievements called Fighter Awards to encourage players to spend more time with each game, diving deeper into their hidden features and mechanics. One example of such an award is "Around The World," which rewards a bronze medal for performing an Around The World Counter in Super Gem Fighter Mini Mix (Pocket Fighter).
However, you're likely scratching your head if you grew up playing Pocket Fighter on consoles or never played Pocket Fighter before. This confusion is because the Around The World Counter was a mechanic exclusive to the game's arcade version. Furthermore, even in arcade playthroughs, they're rare occurrences. So this begs the question, what is an Around The World Counter, and how is it done?
What Is An Around The World Counter?
An Around The World Counter is a counter hit that launches your opponent and stuns them simultaneously. When an Around The World Counter occurs, first, your opponent will fly through a wall. Then, an animation will show a small dot (your opponent) quickly orbiting the Earth. Finally, your opponent will return to the stage from the opposite direction that you launched them in a dizzy state.
Let's review:
STUN + COUNTER + LAUNCH=AROUND THE WORLD COUNTER
What Is Stun Damage?
You've seen stun damage in action if you've played a fighting game before. For example, consider the Street Fighter 2 series. Those moments when a character gets dizzy and stars show up around their head? That's an example of a stun. Stuns hinder your opponent, allowing you to get in extra hits without risk of punishment.
So, we've all seen stuns before, but how do they happen? Every character has a stun value, which is the number of damage points they can handle in a short period. If the damage points inflicted on this character exceed their stun value, they'll enter a dizzy state, known as stun.
While some fighting games, like Street Fighter 3, have a visible stun gauge, many do not, including Pocket Fighter. In general, however, your stun gauge increases as you take damage and decreases when you're not getting hit. So, stunning an opponent requires you to pressure them into a corner to ensure more attacks in less time.
What Is A Counter Hit?
Counter hits are straightforward. You've likely done many before without thinking about it. However, for clarity's sake, let's review. In short, a counter hit is a hit that lands on an opponent while they're still in the startup animation of their attack. So, in other words, if two fighters input an attack command simultaneously, the attack that lands first will get the counter.
While guard counters (forward+Special [during block]) are a fantastic mechanic and tangible example of a counter hit, they're unsuitable for achieving Around The World counters. Guard counters will not work because they are a reversal mechanic that pushes your opponent back but does not launch them.
What Attacks Are Strong Launchers In Pocket Fighter?
Now that we've covered the first two parts of our equation let's address the final element: launchers. The word "Launchers" is misleading because the term is often associated with juggling or air combo mechanics. However, when we refer to launchers in Pocket Fighter's case, we mean attacks that send fighters bouncing around the screen.
So, what moves are guaranteed to get your opponent flying? Of course, every character is different, so playing around in training mode is best to find what moves work. However, two attacks, in particular, Guard Crushes (Special or Special + direction other than back) and Dashing Punches, are often a sure thing.
If your opponent bounces around the screen after a launcher, watch out! They can collide with you and cause damage if you're not on the defensive.
Tips For Performing An Around The World Counter
Now that you understand the conditions required to perform an Around The World Counter, we should discuss how to achieve this feat in-game. The more you play Pocket Fighter, the higher your chances of nailing this counter hit. So, you could leave it up to chance if you want to work for it.
However, because Around The World Counters are so rare, it's a good idea to figure out how to increase those odds. One option is mastering your character's move set, practicing counter hits, and paying attention to how many damage points it takes to stun your opponent. Still, you can also learn how to use Capcom Fighting Collection's new features to bend the odds in your favor.
Play Aggressively
An Around The World Counter is a fun easter egg in Pocket Fighter. Still, it's not a mechanic you can manipulate into happening on its own. Doing so requires knowing your character's and opponent's attack and stun values. Therefore, the best advice we can give you is to play aggressively.
First, focus on pressuring your character with flash combos and special attacks. Furthermore, even better if you can level up your specials with gems. When you feel you've inflicted enough damage that your next attack may cause a stun, go for a counter with a guard crush or dashing punch attack.
Again, in a more controlled setting, this strategy makes sense. But unfortunately, it does not account for the actions of the game's AI. So, performing Around The World Counters becomes less practical if you play on a higher difficulty level.
Change The Game Settings
Aggressive fighting works if you have the time to wait for the perfect opportunity to land an Around The World Counter. But what if you want to nail the achievement quickly and get it out of the way? In this case, we suggest adjusting some key game settings. Here are the values you need to change.
- Difficulty: Zero Stars
- Attack Power: Low
- Timer Speed: Slow
Changing these values will A) make your opponent attack and guard less and B) give you more time and hits to activate a stun without knocking out your opponent.
Take Advantage Of Quick Saves
The quickest way to game the system and snag an easy Around The World Counter is through Quick Saves. You can save your game state anytime in the pause menu, even during a match. The key to this strategy is quick-saving your game the moment before you stun an opponent. Here are the steps:
- Raise Your Opponent's Stun Gauge: First, corner your opponent and attack them with an easily repeatable special move (Ryu's Shoryuken, for example). Land this move three to four times.
- Quick Save Your Game: After you've landed your third or fourth special move, pause and quick save your game. Then, continue attacking and save your game state before each attack.
- Stun Your Opponent: Eventually, you'll notice your attack stunned your opponent. DO NOT SAVE THE GAME AT THIS POINT.
- Load Your Last Quick Save: Go into the pause menu and load your last quick save. If you've followed these steps correctly, you'll restart the game from the moment before you stunned your opponent.
- Stun Your Opponent With A Launching Counter Hit: Hit your opponent with a Guard Crush, Dashing Punch Attack, or any other launcher you discovered with your character in training mode. If you land this attack and it counters, you'll likely activate an Around The World Counter. However, if you fail, reload your quick save and try again.