Re: Fairy Fighting
I've never tried to win fairy fighting, to do so would be detrimental to the entire reason for being there.
Well I'd disagree there actually. Except for when I'm trying to work certain enemies for their harder to induce specials, I try to win all my fights. Kinda. I may not fight my hardest, or bother learning the combos or special attacks properly, but I always try to put up a decent show of resistance.
If you just stand there and take it, then Tiki becomes nothing more than a sluty fairy. And that's a turn off. Without at least some delusion of victory, there's no sense of struggle. Naturally I'm a little disappointed if I do win, but I can always go again. And visualising the aftermath of a very sore (and perhaps wet/sticky/full of something strange) Tiki walking away "victorious", only to bump into the next encounter... is fun too.
(And this bit is talking in general not Fairy Fighting specifically.)
An H game that allows a you a fighting chance, but is likely to trip you up at some point, is always my favourite. I'll happily battle through an H game for two hours carefully avoiding all the H scenes, as long as my heroine gets it eventually. It's that much more satisfying when it does happen, and part of what distinguishes a good game from a mere animation gallery for me. It's especially fun when you end up in the mindset of balancing the desire to see some damned H stuff, and keeping the character pure. Almost as if your character is getting a bit weak and having questionable thoughts...
So yeah, playing "to win" is the only way for me. If you ever have to fake a loss, then both you and the game are doing it wrong. (as far as I see it)
The game is of course also doing it wrong if it mercilessly forces you to watch the same three H animations/scenes repeat, dozens on dozens of times as you fail to progress to the next area. It's a very tricky and subjective balance. Fairy Fighting does at least allow for the level select, meaning you never actually get completely stuck on the harder stages, even if you never beat them. A benefit of the fighting game layout.