My skills are the only hope!

So I was going to work on the game's AI, but I decided that I wanted to get a blocking mechanic working first. And indeed, blocking is now in the game:


When I used to play Streets of Rage 2 and Golden Axe, it always upset me how I couldn't block. The only form of defense in those games was to hit them before they hit you. On the other hand, I didn't want to give the player in my game the ability to hold down a block button and turtle up.

So, I added a block button, but it's really more like a parry button. In order to block an enemy attack, you have to press the block button right when the enemies attack connects. If you time it just right, you'll block the attack. Projectiles can also be deflected with the block button. I figure that requiring the player to press the block button at the exact moment of impact will add an element of skill to the game that wasn't present in some past beat em ups. However, it should be noted that I was still able to turtle in a way by mashing the block key constantly. However, this isn't a full proof defense, as some attacks will still get through, but I guess it's a tactic the player could use if they get really desperate.