Rule number one...

...practice. I hope I can get the hang of Street Fighter IV. I like the idea of being good at a fighting game. Partly because it must be more fun than actual fighting, what with all the pain and teeth loss issues. But, mainly, it's because I like the idea of mastering a skill. A pointless one that only exists in fantasy land, admittedly, but something to achieve non-the-less.

So far I'm rubbish. I'm playing as Dhalsim, simply because he's the first person on the list. If I stick to cautious, jabbing attacks and block loads I can just about win a fight. One. There's also a little button mashing panic in there as well just in case. The one thing that's sorely lacking right now is any semblance of skill. A steely gaze, precision dodges, well timed blocks and tactical counters – non of these things are in my game.