I really don't see what is so hype about the SF matches. The combos are not that big and it seems like its about the odd attack here and turtling and dancing around the screen.
Fighting games are not just about combos.
SSF4 is super technical and heavy footsies oriented. Something most MK players just can't understand and appreciate because, well.. there's just no real footsies in MK9.
All those random pokes you see them whiffing have a purpose, to fool the eye and make the opponent think they're going to throw a projectile or whatever. All those "buttton pressing" are actually well designed frame traps (poke pressure with bait gaps for counter hits basically). The focus attacks to absorb grey damage are done to build revenge meter. All that dancing (moving forward and backward out of sweep/jump range) is playing chess footsies. They're constantly checking and conditioning the opponent, making sure he respects your ranges and pokes. They constantly buffer motions because they're trying to fish for a special or super move (something you can't do in MK9 because you can't combo a crouching attack into a special move or X-ray in MK). Every sweep or throw allows an untechable knockdown which is more important than damage in SF because they allow safe jump Option-Selects, vortexes and counter set ups.
If all you enjoy watching in fighting games is big flashy combos then I feel sorry for you because there's so much more interesting stuff going on in high level matches.
I prefer MK9's zoning wars and meter management. But the mid-range and up close game is so much more interesting in SF because of the fluidity of movement and pokes.
