Combo (video Gaming) - Types of Combo - Chain Combo

Chain Combo

A chain combo, first seen in Vampire/Darkstalkers, is a combo or a part of a combo that only uses normal moves or command moves. Although chain combos allow for a reasonable degree of flexibility, some characters (generally large ones) are unable to use chain combos. A typical mechanism for this is that predetermined pairs of moves can link into each other. In some fighting games (Mortal Kombat and Guilty Gear being prime examples), chain combos are an integral part of the game play, and are considered special moves.

Although 3D games have "chain combos" by this definition of the word, most players never refer to them as such, instead preferring to focus on strings which may have some sub-elements of chain combos within them but may have some non-comboing elements.

Sometimes fighting game fans only refer to a combo as a "chain combo" if it is within a game which has long and widespread examples of chain combos. For example, most Street Fighter fans described the chain combo system of Street Fighter Alpha as being discontinued in Street Fighter Alpha 2, even though Street Fighter Alpha 2 and other Street Fighter games still contain some combos which are only performed via normal attacks.

Alternative names for chain combos are: target combos, precanned strings, and canned strings. The latter two are generally misused (strings, by definition, are different from combos).