[If you're new to this blog series, try starting at the beginning.]
Q: What is a combo?
A: Any series of attacks that cannot be blocked (or otherwise evaded) if the first hit connects.
The above video is an amazing example of some of the combos possible in Street Fighter 2. Note that, once the first hit connects, every successive hit is also guaranteed to connect. This is true regardless of who the opponent is, or what buttons they press. Remember: there is no escape from the combo if you get hit!
Combos are powerful because they allow you to get the most out of a successful hit. Think about it this way: if two players are equally good, but one knows combos and one does not, who will win?
Well...if the two players are equally skilled, they'll get to hit each other an equal number of times. However, the player doing combos will do much more damage with every hit than the other player will. Result? The player who knows how to do combos will win. Usually in a fairly spectacular fashion.
The key point to making combos work for you is being able to land that first hit. Generally, this is done either by poking at the opponent during the course of the fight, or by performing mixups. Mixups are one of the best ways to land combos, and these two things taken together form a large part of high level play.
