Desperation

What it is

In fighting games, there is sometimes a kind of status known as “willpower” or “desperation”, whereby as one’s life is depleted, certain properties change; for example, the character’s defensive ability often increases, reducing the damage they take from the same attacks.

It is only found in some games, and it is usually subtle (e.g., in Street Fighter III, it is hard to notice, but it does make things a little more exciting when characters’ life bars are running very low).

Certain characters are affected by this desperation factor more than others; in Guilty Gear, it is quite apparent that Mito Anji works well under this pressure, for example.

 

Some games have desperation values that raise offense; the Samurai Shodown series and the JoJo games do this. Capcom vs. SNK 2 raises both offense and defense, and the K-groove Samurai Shodown-style “rage gauge” also raises these.

Further reading

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Based off the article on the kakuge.com wiki, edited on or before 5 January 2009.
Unofficial translation published by BRPXQZME / Alfie Parthum 13 February 2009. No unauthorized redistribution permitted.