Ken performing a Chain Combo in the Street Fighter Alpha games.
A Chain Combo (also known as a "magic series" in some circles, and Zero Combo in Japan) is a type of combo introduced in Street Fighter Alpha.
Description
Introduced in the Darkstalkers series before debuting in Street Fighter Alpha, Chain Combos are a type of combo performed by pressing a series of normal attacks of increasing strength, in which the recovery of the previous attack is cancelled immediately into the next. The lowest priority of attack is a Light Punch, while the highest priority is a Heavy Kick. Any number of steps can be skipped between attacks, such as cancelling a Medium Punch to a Heavy Kick, forgoing a Medium Kick or Heavy Punch chain.
Chains can only go forward in sequence and generally do not allow for the same button to be used twice in a single combo. Though some attacks can be chained together, they will not necessarily combo together on hit depending on startup, recovery and pushback, often making the Light-Medium-Heavy structure the most reliable chain combo.
In regards to the aforementioned priority sequence, the usual "zig-zag" tends to be LP>LK>MP>MK>HP>HK for a full entire chain of possible normals. Note that with the obvious aforementioned rule of not being able to go directly backwards; if starting from any kick normal in most older games, the attacker cannot chain into a same-strength punch, and can only go into a heavier punch or kick normal possible within the sequence.
The Chain Combo system was almost completely removed in the game's sequel, Street Fighter Alpha 2, as most of the cast's light attacks were made slower in order to balance out the game; only Guy and Gen retain the ability to perform a Chain Combo throughout the series, replaced as a Target Combo within the series. Chain Combos, now known as Alpha/Zero Combos in Street Fighter Alpha 3, is a selectable and unlockable feature in its home console versions.
Chain Combos are not to be confused with the similar Rapid Cancel system for Light Attacks seen throughout the series, in which light attacks can be cancelled into certain other light attacks.
Furthermore, different from Rapid Cancelling, already since the start of Street Fighter II, rapid-fireable light normals mainly exist in the form of standing Light Punches, crouching Light Punches, crouching Light Kicks and jumping Light Punches for a majority of characters (via these normals being able to "rapid-fire" cancel into themselves, though crouching Light Kick exceptions exist in the Darkstalkers games). These may or may not help confirm into heavier moves in a chain combo (again, pushback is still a factor); such rapid-fire cancels are referred to as Renda (連打, Barrage) Cancels in Japanese.
In general, chaining light attacks into themselves or other light attacks helps with primarily enforcing blockstrings and safely confirming special attacks, though chaining exclusively from light attacks often limits which special attacks that can be properly cancelled into depending on the frame data (again, the rule of chaining from a very light attack to a slower attack with no proper bridge). There is also the trade-off of hit-confirming from light attacks which sacrifices damage that would've been achieved from landing heavier normals/starters.
Solely in the Vampire Savior installment of the Darkstalkers series, rapid-fire-able light normals provide a "Renda/Barrage Bonus" if rapid-fired enough times in a chain, in which the subsequent light punch/kick in the rapid-fire-chain gains a +3 frame advantage on block which makes such normals be suitable for enforcing safe blockstrings and/or stagger/frame trap pressure. However, rapid-fire crouching light kick normals were not as commonplace in the Darkstalkers games, and were more so in the Street Fighter games (thus light punch normals were more commonly associated with the Barrage Bonus).
Later game series such as the Versus series made extensive use of this feature, though the timing is eased significantly, and has since then become a staple game mechanic. Such later games can also allow the attacker to chain-cancel into command normals/unique attacks as well, while most older Street Fighter games cannot.
However, later fighting games depending on their layout and chain structure, may allow for a more freeform zig-zagging sequence built on what has been mentioned above, but with more specific limitations solely dependent on the normal attack used (such as certain normals being unable to chain cancel into specific ones, zig-zag limitations and so on).
Similar mechanics
Street Fighter X Tekken uses a Cross Rush mechanic that is performed similar to a Chain Combo, with regular attacks used in increasing strength order to create a combo that automatically launches a foe; if it lands successfully, the user will also tag their partner in to continue the combo.
Street Fighter X Tekken also uses two other Chain Combo-like mechanics, the aforementioned Target Combo for the Street Fighter cast (for those who have access), and also introduced in this game; "Tekken Chains", a tactic for the Tekken cast that works in conjunction with Cross Rush.
While not intentional, CPS1 Chains work very similar to boost combos, with different application and conditions.
Many Final Fight characters and Bushin-ryu practitioners, while not having true Chain Combos, often have their own variations of the 'Final Fight combo', starting with a Light Punch and ending in a Heavy Attack. Zeku's Bushinryu Shingekiko lets him cancel the forward dash into a full Chain Combo.
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