~B
*A COMPLETE GUIDE TO Z-ISM/A-ISM RYU (PS).*
By "NT" ( shatty99@yahoo.com )
CONTENTS
1. About myself
2. Intro to Ryu
3. Key list (basic & command attacks included)
4. Special moves
5. Basic combo list
6. Advanced combo list
7. Basic strategies
8. Advanced Strategies
9. Beating the crap out of opponents.
10. The End!
1. ABOUT MYSELF
===============
This is my second attempt at an FAQ. I decided to write on Shotokans
NOT because I love them, this is just the way I think one should play
with them. Everybody likes to play as them, hence the FAQ! (My friends
are really mad at me for writing one on Ryu though)
Other than that, I'm a Manga freak and collect animes and stuff.
Drawing is my main hobby and I'm working on a couple of Manga inspired
titles of my own. If you want to take a peek at them, feel free to
contact me and I'll get the pages scanned and sent to you.
That's it about me, let's get down to the FAQ.
2. INTRO TO RYU
===============
What's there to say? He's the main character and the SF series can't
survive without him. Along with Ken, both these characters made a big
splash in the fighting game circuit as the best fighters around. As
shotokans have always been easy to control and are also quick to boot,
both Ryu and Ken gained immense popularity among SF players and they're
still at the top. Although there is criticism about the monopoly these
fighters exercise, it would be wrong to blame those who play as them.
They're in the game and everyone's free to choose `em.
This FAQ focuses on Ryu only. Before we get on with details, I want to
make one thing clear that Ryu, Ken and Gouki are three different
characters. I've heard many intermediate and novice players complain
that all three of them have the same moves and styles, so why doesn't
Capcom merge them into just one fighter? Well, the answer is that the
style of play changes greatly when you make a transition from one Shoto
to another. Try it yourself. The timing of special moves is different
for every Shotokan, and so are the combos. Well.. most of them!
Ryu was there in the very first Street Fighter, he's here to date, and
he's going to stay for the rest of the SF series' life.
3. KEY LIST
===========
I'll be using the following abbreviations:
ATTACK BUTTONS:
JP = Jab punch
MP = Medium punch (or the strong punch, whatever)
HP = Hard punch
JK = Jab kick
MK = Medium Kick
HK = Hard kick
DIRECTION KEYS:
F = forward (you're the first player, i.e. to the left)
DF = down-forward
D = down
DB = down-back
B = back
UB = up-back
U = up
UF = up-forward
I'm including the basic and command attack descriptions in this section
so go through them if you want to.
BASIC ATTACKS
=============
First the STANDING ATTACKS:
JP: A quick forward jab. This is not the best weapon for poking, but
feel free to use it at close range. Might not hit crouching player.
MP: A quick straight punch in the kisser with the right hand. This is a
good attack to stop larger characters from coming close to you.
HP: This punch has been changed from `Zero 2'. It's a cross-moving
punch and it is not interruptible. At close range however, it turns
into a left hook that interrupts readily.
JK: A quick poke at the ankles. Interruptible.
MK: A kick to the face. Its not as fast as the MP and its no longer an
effective anti-air.
HK: The trademark roundhouse kick. Its not an effective anti-air, as
some people think. Turns into a super fast two hit axe kick at close
range. Not interruptible at long or short range (interruptible in X-
ism).
CROUCHING ATTACKS:
JP: A quick left jab to the feet. This is an excellent poke when used
in tandem with the JK. Its interruptible.
MP: The same as the standing MP, only hits lower as Ryu's crouching.
Interruptible.
HP: A wild thrusting uppercut. It's a good anti-air and interrupts if
the hit is made in its early animations.
JK: A quick footsie poke. An excellent attack indeed! Interruptible.
MK: A long stretching, interruptible, tailor made for combos kick! You
can even use this as an effective poke device when needed.
HK: A low arcing tripping kick. Its not interruptible any more.
JUMPING ATTACKS:
JP: A downward pointing jab punch in the air. I don't use it much.
MP: A two hit punch in the air. Its great for juggles, and also for
starting expert combos.
HP: A smack with the right fist. Great for hitting opponents on the
ground and for starting combos. Its not the best attack for aerial
combat though.
JK: An aerial knee attack. This is good for hitting opponents early.
MK: The cross-up attack. Has good priority in aerial fights.
HK: A fierce version of the MK. Does not cross-up but it's a good combo
starter.
COMMAND ATTACKS
===============
Command attacks are those which are executed by pressing a direction
key along with a punch or kick key. They either act as overheads or
quicker versions of the standard attacks.
NOTE: Most (if not all) command attacks do not combo.
Overhead Punch:
Ryu pauses for a second and then performs a two-hit downward pointing
punch. Its great to confuse opponents with as it comes out reasonably
quickly. Has to be blocked high. MOTION: F + MP.
Senpuu Kyaku:
Ryu hops forward, kicking with his right leg in a hurricane kick pose.
Hits only once and its not an overhead. MOTION: F + MK.
4. SPECIAL MOVES
================
Whew.. Man! The basic attack section can really get to be a bore! Now
its time to discuss the special moves, the moves that made Ryu the
fighter he is today.
Everybody knows the Dragon Punch and the Fireball, what they look like
and how to do them, so why do I need to discuss them? Well, to be
honest I don't know myself so just skip this section if you don't feel
like going thru it. Oh! Before I forget, I've included the Super
Attacks in this section as well. Happy? Ok then..
HADOKEN:
The basic fireball attack. Ryu stretches both his hands forward, palms
facing toward his opponent, and a blue aura emerges from his hands that
strikes anyone who gets in its way. This move is great for setups and
combos, as we'll see later. There are two available variations of the
fireball, the normal one and the flaming one. The flaming fireball, or
the stun fireball, seems to dizzy opponents quickly if comboed (not
confirmed!).
MOTION:
For normal Fireball: D,DF,F + ANY PUNCH.
For Stun Fireball : B,DB,D,DF,F + ANY PUNCH.(Knockdown at close range)
SHORYUKEN:
The classic uppercut attack is perhaps the most well know move in
business. Its an excellent anti-air and has great priority. Do I really
need to tell you what he does? NO!
MOTION:
F,D,DF + ANY PUNCH.
TATSU MAKI SENPUU KYAKU:
It hits three times and juggles now. Great to setup juggle combos when
fighting against larger characters. Can also be done in air.
MOTION:
D,DB,B + KICK.
FAKE HADOKEN:
The animation of the hadoken without the fireball. Read on to find out
why this move's so important.
MOTION:
D,DF,F + SELECT.
SUPER ATTACKS
=============
These are the attacks that require the super meter. The meter is
situated at the bottom of the screen and has a maximum capacity of 3
levels. A LV3 super does the greatest damage but empties the entire
meter in one go. A LV1 super can be repeated 3 times if the meter is
full but does little damage.
LV1 supers are executed by using the light versions of the punch or
kick. For LV2, use the strong version and lastly, use the fierce
versions for LV3.
You can fill up your super meter by performing various attacks. The
more aggressive you play the faster the meter fills up. Anyway, I think
you know about all this so read on.
SHINKUU HADOKEN:
A stronger version of the standard Hadoken. It can break thru other
projectile attacks and still hit the opponent. The LV3 version of this
super flames the opponent and sets up rather gruesome juggles in the
corners. Most players prefer to end their combos with the Shinkuu
Hadoken cuz its easy to pull off and looks cool as a finisher.
MOTION: D,DF,F,D,DF + ANY PUNCH.
SHINKUU TATSU MAKI SENPUU KYAKU:
A static hurricane kick. Ryu spins around in the hurricane kick pose
without moving across the screen. When he's in the frames of the super,
sparks fly around the area his feet cover. If anyone gets in range of
those sparks, they're in for a nice bashing! It's very easy to combo at
LV3 as the range of the super increases.
MOTION: D,DB,B,D,DB + ANY KICK.
METSU SHORYUKEN:
Ryu does a rushing elbow attack followed by a two hit Shoryuken. It
does pathetic damage, considering that it can only be done at LV3.
MOTION: D,DF,F,D,DF + ANY KICK.
SHIN SHORYUKEN:
Ryu does a rushing elbow attack followed by a punch in the gut and a
powerful rising Shoryuken. During the Shin Shoryuken, the rising
Shoryuken that Ryu does in the end will be different than the standard
Shoryuken. Its actually a static Shinryuken.
The motion for this move is the same as the Metsu Shoryuken, the trick
lies in connecting the Metsu Shoryuken as late as possible. Y'see, Ryu
slides with an extended elbow before actually doing the super so try to
connect the elbow in the last frames of its animation. If you do it
right, the entire animation of the super will change and a hell of a
lot of damage will be inflicted. Very difficult to connect in actual
battles.
MOTION: SAME AS THE METSU SHORYUKEN.
5. BASIC COMBOS
===============
Now its time to get on with the basic combos. These are very simple to
perform if you've played Street Fighter before. If you haven't, well,
tough luck. I'll try to help you as much as I possibly can ok?
You don't need to read the next few lines if you know the theory behind
the two-in-one combo system.
THE TWO-IN-ONE SYSTEM:
Ok beginner (I'm assuming that you are one if you're going thru this),
Capcom's greatest triumph in fighting game engines is its revolutionary
two-in-one system. This system allows basic attacks to be interrupted
into special and even super attacks to register massive combos. Some
basic attacks can be interrupted, some cannot be interrupted. You'll
just have to learn that by yourself. Its very easy, trust me. After a
little practice, combos become a piece of cake. No, make that reflex!
Ryu's greatest strength lies in his ability to combo quickly and
effectively. Most of his basic attacks are interruptible so you have a
large variety of combos to choose from.
To make things simple, I've divided the combos into steps. Here are the
simplest combos of them all:
BASIC COMBO #1:
a) Standing or crouching HP (or any punch for that matter) at close
range.
b) Two-in-one into a fierce Hadoken (flaming or normal).
This is a two hit, very basic combo that can be used time and time
again.
BASIC COMBO #2:
a) Standing or crouching HP (or any punch).
b) Two-in-one into a fierce hurricane kick.
A four hit combo that does decent damage. Its very effective in intense
battles as it sets up juggles in corners.
BASIC COMBO #3:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) BASIC COMBO #1 or #2.
This is your basic jump in combo. Jump ins require you to jump into an
opponent and then start the combo.
BASIC COMBO #4:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching JP.
c) Crouching JK.
d) Fierce Hadoken.
Another 4 hit combo. Its not a high damage combo but it seems to dizzy
quickly. Tag an opponent with this combo and after a couple more hits,
he'll get dizzy for sure!
BASIC COMBO #5:
a) Jumping HK.
b) Crouching MK.
c) Two-in-one into a fierce Hadoken.
This is a very well balanced combo that most people do. It does decent
damage and its very easy to time. Another plus behind this combo is
that even if its blocked, its very hard to counter as Ryu pushes
opponents away. Don't do it in corners! If this combo is blocked in the
corner, Ryu will be open to attacks.
BASIC COMBO #6:
a) Jumping HK.
b) Crouching JP.
c) Crouching JK.
d) Standing JK.
e) Two-in-one into a fierce Hadoken or Hurricane kick.
I find this combo useless but there are people who use this with insane
effectiveness. Its tedious to pull off so I stick with COMBO #4
instead. The results are the same so who cares?
Ok, these were the simplest combos I could think of. The basic combos
that I've mentioned are designed to be used 8-10 times in a normal
fight. They chip away at your opponent and can be used to tick as well.
Now its time to get on with the advanced combo section.
6. ADVANCED COMBOS
==================
These combos take away a large chunk of energy and are hard to do at
first. After a little practice, you should be pulling them off easily.
I need to make one thing clear at this point: Doing an advanced combo
is no big deal. I've seen people say, "man, I pulled off a 19-hit combo
yesterday!". What they forget to mention is that they did it in the
training mode! An expert player will know how to open an opponent
nicely to actually connect the combo. Believe me, sometimes its shit
hard to land one of these killers. An opening is something you'll
rarely get in an intense fight. The edge goes to the player who
actually takes advantage of that opening. Some players get too excited
when they see a missed, fierce Shoryuken and mess up the entire setup.
You need to be patient and take advantage of whatever comes in your
way. Practice these combos to reduce your margin of error. As far as
creating an opening is concerned, I'll discuss that in the next two
sections on general strategy.
NOTE: I'm only including combos that do decent damage. Pathetic combos
involving the Metsu Shoryuken have been excluded. I've yet to know the
exact way to combo a Shin Shoryuken. Can anybody help me on this one?
ADVANCED COMBO #1:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching MK.
c) Two-in-one into Shinkuu Hadoken (any level).
This combo is very simple to execute and lays the foundation for
comboing with supers. All you need to do is get the timing right for
the two-in-one and everything'll be excellent.
ADVANCED COMBO #2:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching HP.
c) Two-in-one into a level 3 Shinkuu Tatsu Maki Senpuu Kyaku.
This is a high damage combo that takes about 50% energy. Simple to
execute but hard to setup.
ADVANCED COMBO #3:
a) Crossup with MK.
b) Crouching MP.
c) Crouching LP.
d) Two-in-one into a LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken.
This combo is best done in corners. If chaining the MP and LP gets to
be a pain, forget this combo. It looks good, but when it comes to
effectiveness, it sucks BAD! I'd rather do ADVANCED COMBO #2 on a full
level 3 gauge.
ADVANCED COMBO #4:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching HP.
c) Two-in-one into a HK Hurricane kick.
d) Juggle with crouching MP.
e) Two-in-one into a LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken.
This combo only works in corners. Remember to use the HP at step (b).
Using any other punch or kick will make the combo harder to do. This is
also a high damage combo but only do this against intermediate players.
Experts will recover before the juggle everytime so its pretty useless
against them.
ADVANCED COMBO #5:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching JK.
c) Crouching JP.
d) Standing JK.
e) Two-in-one into a LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken.
This is a fun combo that's not too hard. It doesn't do as much damage
as the rest of the combos, but its quick and effective.
ADVANCED COMBO #6:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching JK.
c) Two-in-one into a LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken.
d) Juggle with standing HP.
e) Two-in-one into a fierce Shoryuken.
This is one of Ryu's most damaging combos. Surprisingly, its not too
hard to pull off and it makes a great finisher. Timing the JK and the
Shinkuu Hadoken is everything so practice this one a lot. Its an
invaluable asset. CORNERS ONLY!!
ADVANCED COMBO #7:
a) Jumping HP or HK.
b) Crouching MP.
c) Two-in-one into a HK Hurricane kick.
d) Juggle with crouching MP.
e) Two-in one into a HK Hurricane kick (opponent gets dizzy)
f) On dizzied opponent, cross up with MK.
g) Crouching MP.
h) Two-in-one into a HK Hurricane kick.
i) Juggle with crouching MP.
j) Two-in-one into a HK Hurricane kick (opponent gets dizzy again)
k) On dizzied opponent, jumping HK.
l) Crouching MK.
m) Two-in-one into a LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken.
This is an extremely difficult combo to perform, but its there in the
game as I've done it myself. I first saw it in a video file I
downloaded from somewhere (forgot!) and I thought, "what a load of
crap!". But the truth is that it's a genuine combo. You can only do
this on larger characters (very difficult to do on smaller ones).
(NOTE: Anybody can recover from the Hurricane kick juggle. Therefore,
it would be logical to think that this combo is actually a big fat
NOTHING! Anyway, do it for fun in a fight. Who knows, someone might be
dumb enough to eat it!)
And that's about it. I've excluded pathetic combos, as mentioned
earlier, and also those that don't actually work in real fights. What I
mean to say is that combos involving extensive juggles after a HK
Hurricane kick have not been included (exception: ADVANCED COMBO #7)
cuz anybody can recover from the juggle in time. In reality, those
combos just aren't there.
Ok man, keep practicing these basic and advanced combos. When you think
you're ready for the challenge, go thru these basic and advanced
strategies to really tick the $#!T out of opponents.
7. BASIC STRATEGIES
===================
This is the practical. Learning to combo is one thing, but applying
them in real fights is a different thing altogether. I've seen people
who have no concept of combos win, just because their basic game plan
was effective.
The strategies listed in this section will help you start thinking in
the right direction. Remember, Ryu's special moves have excellent
priority so don't get caught in the "playing too aggressive" trap.
That's what most people do.
Here we go!
BASIC #1:
Keep this in mind: The first move that your opponent makes determines
his skill level. This is a key to adjust your style of play. You can
choose from the three basic fighting patterns: Defensive, Aggressive,
and Moderate. Here's what you're supposed to do.
If your opponent jumps back and starts to throw fireballs (or any other
projectile) when the round starts, that's a clear indication that he's
a loser. Such players lack confidence in themselves and resort to
fireballs, trying to stay away from the real fight. They'll do the
occasional Shoryuken to keep you at bay, but don't worry.
I'll recommend the aggressive mode here. Fireball crazy opponents tend
to mistime one or two fireballs. They misjudge the distance between
them and you, throwing projectiles blindly. Jump over the fireballs and
let them have it. Once they're pinned in a corner, beat the crap out of
them. They're the most defenseless people on earth I tell you!
If your opponent starts jumping at you when the round starts, that
obviously means that he's feeling a bit combo deprived. Aggressive
players are the easiest to beat. They'll do a fluke super and stuff
like that, but in the end, you'll always win.
Playing defensive is the key to irritate such players. Keep blocking
their quicker attacks and counter any stupid jump or special move. Keep
in mind that aggressive players use fireballs sparingly. They're always
on the move and that makes it much easier to beat them. Sooner or later
they're bound to do something stupid and that's when you take the
advantage. WARNING: Most intermediate aggressive players have the basic
knowledge of combos so keep an eye out.
There's also a third kind of player. He's an expert, and you can tell
that by the way he holds the stick and looks at the screen.
Expressionless. Expert players will use all the punch and kick attacks
to full effect, using lots of jab pokes and heavy attacks for combos.
They'll use fireballs when its absolutely safe and they'll start
playing aggressive after making sure that they have an advantage over
you.
To beat such worthy opponents, you have to play in the moderate style,
meaning that your style of play will vary between the three modes all
the time. He'll be using the moderate style as well, so in the end it
all depends in the fighter who makes the least mistakes.
And that's about it. This basic lesson lays the foundation of the frame
of mind you'll actually be in while fighting. The following lessons
will tell you how to use Ryu in battles.
BASIC #2:
This lesson focuses on the Hadoken. It's an excellent projectile attack
with good speed and satisfactory recovery time. Using it effectively
can give you an edge, but doing it without thinking can land you in a
lot of trouble.
The safest way to use this move is when someone is recovering from a
knockdown or low juggle. This forces a block and as a consequence,
inflicts block-damage. There is only one other way to use this move and
that's in combos. Apart from these two situations, there is NO OTHER
valid way to use this move. Never use it from the screen's range as it
allows opponents to jump over the fireball and come closer to you.
Expert players might jump over your misdirected projectile and murder
you with a combo.
I repeat, this move is only to be used when you know that its
absolutely safe to do it. This way you reduce the margin of error and
tick the opponent to death at the same time.
One last thing, mix up the speed of the Hadoken. Use the extreme
versions of the punches (LP & HP) for maximum effectiveness. Use the HP
version from close range and the LP version from long range.
BASIC #3:
This one's really important. I've seen so many Ryu players show off
their skill by performing lots of special moves and supers, but all of
them suck when their super meter reaches zero. Timing supers is one
thing and doing special moves is no big deal. The real art lies in the
basic attacks that Ryu possesses.
I don't know why people over look the basic kicks and punches. In my
opinion, these attacks help the most when you want to inflict maximum
damage.
Ryu has great kicks and punches so use them more often. Don't go for
the super and specials alone, go for a more orthodox fighting style. By
orthodox I don't mean to say predictable, just try to count less on
luck and more on strategy. If you know the range and speeds of your
basic and command attacks, I guarantee you'll become the biggest pain
in anybody's butt!
BASIC #4:
Only use the LP version of the Shoryuken. It reduces your recovery time
and its invincible in its earliest frames. You'll be able to break thru
most supers with the help of this.
Please remember that its impossible to use the Shoryuken as a finisher
for a jump-in combo. Use it to juggle and stuff, but never combo it
after a standing HP, provided that both you and your opponent are
standing on the ground cuz it'll never connect.
BASIC #5:
This is also a very important strategy. You should try to jump less and
concentrate more on a ground-based game. Go for jumps only when you're
sure that the opponent is open for combos. Use simple two or four hit
combos to keep players on their toes and use super combos sparingly.
Playing the ground-based game requires you to use a lot of pokes and
accurate placing of jabs. Make the opponent fluctuate his blocking
stance from high to low and confuse him.
Playing in this fashion will force you to stay close to the opponent,
which in turn gives the other player less time to counter Ryu's fast
jabs. Don't get aggressive at this point! Keep your cool and play mind
games, anticipating missed attacks and stupid jumps.
Many players I've met complain that this strategy does little damage
cuz the jabs are being used. Well, this is what I have to say: Using
jabs repeatedly gives your opponent the illusion that his primary
attack strategy is proving to be a failure. Whatever he tries to do, a
jab poke is waiting for him. As a consequence, he's bound to release a
super attack or jump out of your range, giving you the chance to tag
him with a 50% drainer combo. See? Works everytime against
intermediates and beginners.
BASIC #6:
There are times when you face opponents who can do combos and special
moves with accuracy, but only from one side of the screen. You can
count on this weakness to your advantage. Keep them on their weaker
side and wait for mistimed hits and jumps. Sometimes, this is the only
way to beat expert players.
This strategy does not apply to all players.
This concludes the basic section. If you haven't figured it out yet,
this section is designed to give you a layout on which to build your
overall fighting plan. After you have formulated a sound strategy, use
some of the advanced tricks of the trade to rattle the strongest of
nerves!
Now its time to look at the advanced strategies.
8. ADVANCED STRATEGIES
======================
Listed in this section are those plans and tricks that help you create
setups for big combos. Also listed are ticking techniques and other
assorted stuff.
Please keep in mind that if your basic strategy is not technically
correct (eg. You find it hard to keep a cool head, etc.) these attack
methods and tricks are not for you. First improve your basics and then
build the expert tricks on top of that. It works that way for any
character.
Here we go!
ADVANCED #1:
There are two ways to create setups. Either you do something that
forces the opponent to open himself up, or they do something stupid.
Either way, you are the person responsible for triggering them.
The first method requires you to perform an unorthodox pattern or
sequence which seems inviting to the opponent, forcing a missed attack.
The second method keeps on popping up when you've successfully psyched
out the opponent.
I'll only deal with the expert players here. Intermediates and
beginners will always open themselves up after being psyched out so you
don't have to worry about them. Your basic strategy will be more than
enough. Experts, however, are a different story altogether. They're
very sharp and are very flexible in terms of fighting styles. They have
a large arsenal of combos and special maneuvers that they keep a secret
until required. You can knock them down but they're never out, that
sorta jazz.
Expert players have a weakness too. They sometimes fall prey to
patterns and you'll notice them repeating the same tick over and over
again. Y'see, ticks and combos are things which get integrated with
fighting styles quickly. Expert players love to combo and when you
starve them by blocking their pokes and giving minimum chances, they
get frustrated. This is your chance!
At this point, they'll either do a pre-planned sequence of attacks or
waste their super meter by doing an unnecessary super. Kill them when
that happens and remember to combo correctly. Experts don't give second
chances.
ADVANCED #2:
This is a cool way to force opponents to either block or jump toward
you. Its called the "pretend fireball".
When you are at combo range from the other player, do the fireball
motion but DON'T press any button in the end. Make the fireball motion
as noisy as possible to wake the opponent and force him to do something
silly. As no projectile comes out in the end, you'll have ample time to
Shoryuken their ass or sweep them if they block high.
This is a great way to psyche out opponents as it'll make them think
about the wide arsenal of tricks you possess.
ADVANCED #3:
Mix up the fake Hadoken with the normal Hadoken as often as possible.
The Fake Hodoken has little recovery time so use that to your
advantage.
Here's how the two should be used. Use the normal fireball ONLY when
its absolutely safe to do it. I've mentioned this earlier in this FAQ
so grind this in your head. This is one move you don't want to mistime
as it opens you up for quite a long time.
The Fake Hadoken should ONLY be used from combo range, i.e. when you do
the move, the second player should find the placement of your character
most inviting for combos. As your recovery time is shortened by the
fake move, you'll be ready for his jump-in attacks and the Shoryuken
counter will come into play once again.
ADVANCED #4:
Whenever possible, use the LV3 Shinkuu Hadoken to counter air attacks.
If your opponent jumps and you spot that he'll land short of you, do
the LV3 super to make him eat all the hits in the air.
Remember to do the super quickly cuz if he reaches the ground first,
your super will go to waste.
ADVANCED #5:
This one works very well against intermediates. If they block your
jump-in combo, don't get pissed. Do this instead:
Jump with a HP or HK, Do two crouching JKs and then stand right there
for a second doing absolutely NOTHING. When you feel they're going to
attack, do a super to counter any threats.
You need to be quick to pull this off, but if you're able to time this
right, it guarantees a successful super attack. Anticipation is
everything so keep a cool head.
ADVANCED #6:
Whenever possible, replace the jumping HP or HK with the MP for
starting jump-in combos. The MP hits twice and does a bit more damage,
but its difficult to time sometimes. Anyway, if you're looking for an
extra hit, this is for you.
ADVANCED #7:
Crossing up is very important if you want to increase the probability
of your combo to connect. Fortunately, it's now easy to perform a
cross-up (it was a bit difficult in Zero 2).
Ryu's cross-up attack is his jumping MK (same as in Z2). After pinning
the opponent to the ground, e.g. after a sweep, jump on top of the
fallen sprite and do the MK. As your opponent gets up, he'll have to
shift his block to the opposite end to prevent the cross-up attack,
which is very difficult. As cross-ups connect deep, they're great for
combos even when you're in the middle of the screen. Practice this in
the training mode. After a couple of successful hits, you should be
able to do them with ease.
You can also cross-up a standing opponent, but that takes a bit of
practice. Anyway, try it.
ADVANCED #8:
This is a great confusion move. When you pin your opponent to the
ground, walk on top of the fallen sprite and do the Senpuu Kyaku (F +
MK) as soon as he gets up. In a split second you'll swap sides with him
and this creates a hell of a lot of panic. Use this opening to your
advantage and connect a 50% drainer combo!
ADVANCED #9:
Another confusion creating tactic. If you've jumped with the intention
of doing a combo and your opponent manages to sneak under your jump, do
a LK Hurricane kick to drop altitude quickly. You just might catch them
off guard. The LK Hurricane kick, if executed in the air, makes Ryu
reach the ground very quickly. If you've played table-tennis, its
almost like playing a top-spin shot! To create super confusion, keep
jumping and doing the hurricane with the LK. Intermediates will get so
confused, they might leave the arcade! Don't use this tactic
excessively against experts.
BONUS !!!:
Here's a neat way to freeze the screen when you beat your opponent. It
works with all fireball tossing players (Ryu, Ken, Chun-li, Sakura
etc). All you have to do is make the opponent eat a fireball attack
from the screen's range WHEN HIS LIFE BAR IS ALMOST EMPTY. This is very
important! Make sure that his life bar is on or about zero so that he
dies as soon as he blocks or eats the fireball. As soon as your
fireball connects, quickly follow with a super attack of your choice.
The screen will freeze for a few seconds and while your character will
be stuck in the super charging pose (looks extremely cool), the other
guy will be stuck in the knockout frames (oooa, oooa, oooa!).
There's another way to make this gimmick even more spectacular and
that's to kill your opponent with a super fireball instead of a normal
one. When the super kills the other guy, the screen will get filled up
with blast lines. Now as soon as that happens, do another super (not
the super fireball one) and the screen will freeze up again, the only
difference being that the blast lines will stay for a long, long time
and both characters will remain stuck in their respective poses. Really
cool trick! Remember, both characters will remain completely STATIC
(i.e. they will not move AT ALL) if you do this right.
That's it! Get these attack methods right and you'll become a well-
balanced fighter in no time. I've missed out on many things, I admit
it, so let me know. Now its time to..
9. BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF OPPONENTS
=================================
In this section, I'll deal with the general strategies against every
character (I'm assuming you're playing against a human).
(in Zerobetical order)
1. ADON: God I hate Adon! Adon players love to take advantage of his
speed so you'll have to think faster than usual. His moves have
little or no recovery time (he plays like a KOF character if you ask
me) so its hard to create an opening. All I can tell you here is
that wait for them to make mistakes and counter HARD when that
happens. In X-ism, Adon gets an even nastier aerial crescent kick so
watch out for it. In a nutshell, Shinkuu Hadoken the stupid jumps
and use Shoryukens sparingly. I hate this guy!
2. BIRDIE: Keep him away or you'll get grabbed. Birdie players use his
charging attacks to get close so counter them if you're fast, or
just block and counter. Don't jump mindlessly as he's got an
excellent standing HP anti-air. Use the Hadoken to full effect here
as Birdie's large character sprite forces him to land on one every
now and then. Cross him up when ever you get the chance and keep him
pinned in corners.
3. BALROG: This guy's extra quick! The Shoryuken's your best friend
here as most Balrog players are insane jumpers. Get ready to be
poked and frustrated as nailing combo on him's very difficult. Use
the jumping MK to beat him in the air and the crouching JK to
interrupt his rolling attack. Try to keep him down and dictate
terms. Don't let him swap sides (i.e. left to right) quickly as this
might throw you off balance. Use the jab version of the Shoryuken to
slow him down. If he loses his claw, feel free to play aggressively.
Keep your cool and hunt him down.
4. BISON: I can't believe it! I forgot to mention this guy in my
Zangief FAQ! AAARGH! Ahh well.. He's not as effective as he used to
be, that's just my opinion. He has a great standing HP but his
rushing attacks have been toned down a bit. Its very easy to counter
him whenever he goes into one of his moves so don't worry about this
guy. Use your supers freely against his special moves (very easy)
and play offensively. He'll give up soon.
5. BLANKA: This guy's a tough cookie. His rolling attack is very
unpredictable (comes out of thin air!) and its hard to counter even
when blocked. He has a good sweep and the electric charge + zoning
moves make things even worse. Don't try to challenge him in aerial
combats cuz he'll kick your ass most of the time. Try to play
defensively against him and frustrate the hell out of him using the
jab and medium attacks. Don't go for the flashy stuff cuz in this
fight, there's no room for mistakes. Wait for Blanka to mistime an
attack or two and take advantage. Once you psyche him out by
unleashing a nasty combo, play a natural game and win. Watch out for
the ultra-damaging biting grab!
6. CAMMY: She's a great fighter and has all the necessary moves to kick
the hardest of butts. Block and counter the cannon drills and don't
jump mindlessly. Her fireball evasion move can juggle now so don't
fireball at combo range. Remember not to get stuck in the corner cuz
she has the ability to murder you there. Shoryuken, or just jump and
counter, her irritating rolling grab attack and Shinkuu Hadoken her
cute ass after blocking a Cannon Spike or Spin Dive Smasher.
7. CODY: At first I used to think that Cody players were push-overs but
they've improved dramatically in the last couple of months! His
basic aerial attacks have a lot of priority so don't try to mess
with him in the air. His most dangerous attack is his kicking super
(forgot the name.. ummm..) which, people say, is completely
invincible in the initial frames (confirmation requested!!). I don't
know about you but I've never been able to counter it with special
attacks. So for the moment, block the super because its very easy to
spot and counter afterwards. For the rest of his attacks, they have
a lot of lag time so you shouldn't have much problems. Keep a low
block against his special moves cuz he has the ability to sneak in a
sliding trip, and counter whenever you get the chance.
8. CHUN-LI: Bitch. That's right, I hate her! There's just one thing I
like about her and that's her inability to combo after that ^%#^%
crouching MK. Her kicks are faster than ever and her axe kick has
been improved. Remember that expert Chun-Li players will make you
shift your stance from high to low block, so be prepared for stupid
pokes. The best strategy here would be a ground based one. Let her
come to you and try to catch her off-guard. Chunners love to come in
close for a quick throw so keep your itchy trigger finger on the JK
and do a million crouching JKs when she tries that same old trick.
Don't jump on her when she's pinned cuz her Tenshou Kyaku can have
the same effect as the Shoryuken. Also, provoke players to do the
axe kick by keeping a low block whenever they get close. Block the
axe and let `em have it with a drainer!
9. DEEJAY: Nobody uses him here so I don't exactly know how experts use
him. I just keep on kicking his butt by using simple attacks and
stuff, but I don't know how to counter some of his attacks with
precision. Wait for the FAQ upgrade for anti-Deejay tactics.
10. DAN: Kill him! Some Dan players can be surprisingly good so watch
out for them. If that happens, treat him like any other shoto.
11. DHALSIM: This guy is good. I mean, he can be a major pain if
someone knows how to use him properly. Dhalsim's excellent reach is
actually his demise against Ryu. Although his attacks go a long way,
he takes a lot of time to retract his arms and legs. Use this time
to chip away at him using HP Hadokens. His teleportation attack is a
nuisance when executed in the air cuz is usually followed by a yoga
spear. Whenever that happens, keep a high block and counter the
spear AFTER it has been blocked. Another thing that gets to be a
bother is his yoga spear frenzy (short jumps followed by HK spears
at close range). When Dhalsim gets into that mode its very easy, and
at the same time, extremely hard to beat him. If you're good and
quick, counter each and every spear with LP shoryukens. If you're
not quick, its going to be a hell of a time for you.
12. E.HONDA: This guy is surprisingly effective. The computer doesn't
use him all that well so don't underestimate his skills. Honda is
very slow and you shouldn't have any problems spotting his lazy
jumps. Shoryuken whenever he jumps at you and if you're quick, try
to do the same to the torpedoes. Here's the problem: Although he
can't jump at you, you can't jump on expert Hondas as well. Don't
ever get frustrated by this fact. You can NEVER do a jump-in on an
expert Honda cuz he'll torpedo your ass everytime. If his torpedo
charge is incomplete and you think that you have a chance, forget
it. He has a standing HP chop to counter you everytime. Hadokens
will have little effect on his massive body so chip away at him.
Patience is everything so don't get intimidated.
13. FEI-LONG: This guy is good! His attacks are very impressive and
do a lot of damage. Don't counter his Dragon Kick cuz its hard to
interrupt. Instead, block it and them let him have it. Experts love
to mix up his Rekka-Ken, doing the first two punches quickly and
delaying the third one. Keep such tactics in mind and counter the
Rekka-Ken as soon as it ends. Play a balanced game here, cuz Fei-
Long's attributes are similar to Ryu's in more ways than one.
14. GEN: His chain combos can get to be a pain so try to interrupt
the chain initiating attack with a jab. Gen players are normally
aggressive cuz they need to get in close to connect high damage
combos. Oblige by letting them get close and counter the `LAST chain
attack only'. This is very important. You CANNOT interrupt the chain
while it is in progress. Most Ryu players make this mistake against
Gen. They think that the chain is over and stick out an attack,
realizing in the end that they have been suckered into a delayed
chain followed by a LV2 Zan'ei + LV1 Jakouha. Use the crouching MK a
lot against him but ONLY when his super gauge is empty. On an empty
gauge its much easier to beat him, so make him miss supers and take
advantage. You'll find that without his ultra-quick supers, beating
Gen is a piece of cake.
15. GOUKI: Fighting against Shotokans is Ryu's greatest strength.
Ryu's combos are the easiest to perform and they come out when you
want them to. Gouki's fireballs take a longer time to come out, and
if you're quick enough to spot that, jump in for a big one. His
Shoryuken is a problem though. It hits three times no matter the
strength of the button pressed. Here's the good news. Ryu's
Shoryuken can counter Gouki's, but ONLY the HP version can do it. If
you use any other button to counter an anticipated Gouki Shoryuken,
you'll eat the three hits. The air-fireball is not as effective as
it used to be so don't worry about that. The air-fireball super is a
different story altogether. In a nutshell, use Hadokens sparingly
and stay sharp. Ryu is faster than Gouki and that's your primary
advantage!
16. GUY: Get ready to be poked! His standing MK has the same effect
as in Zero 2 so remember to counter it with a Shoryuken or Hadoken.
I haven't seen Guy players use his rolling attack all that much cuz
its difficult to get the placement right. Anyway, if they do it
mindlessly, Shoryuken their ass. One thing you need to watch out for
is the Houzantou. Its Guy's primary attack against Shotokans cuz its
invincible in the initial frames. Its easy to spot though, so block
and counter everytime. The Bushin Senpuu Kyaku is an anti-air now so
don't jump mindlessly. It juggles and does a lot of damage. As far
as Guy's supers are concerned, they're still pretty much useless
against Shotos unless you're stupid enough to eat `em. Play a well
balanced game by mixing up jumps and tick away at him by doing three
or four hit combos at most. Guy has a tendency to provide you with
openings so take advantage whenever you get a chance.
17. GUILE: Read Nash. Almost the same tactics work against both of
them.
18. JULI/JUNI: They're basically Cammy in fighting style. Juli, in my
opinion, is the more dangerous one cuz of the Sniping Arrow. It
comes out fast and can juggle in corners. Juni's excessive charge
timing makes her a bit unpopular in this part of the world so I
don't exactly know her complete abilities. In a nutshell, block and
counter the Arrow and treat `em as if you're playing against Cammy.
19. KARIN: Once she starts going, there's no way you can beat her!
I'm talking about expert Karin players here, they have this uncanny
ability to counter every attack you think of (Yasha Gaeshi). I've
started to play as Karin now and she's excellent against Shotokans.
I'm not exactly sure how to beat an expert Karin, but I've done it
using my instincts. What I mean to say is that different people use
the same Karin in different ways. You have to learn your opponent's
style of play pretty quickly to ensure a win. Her crouching MK is
the main poking weapon so don't try to counter it all the time. Play
defensively and counter the Rekka-Kens instead. Jump on her ONLY
when she's pinned, otherwise she'll let you have it with that anti-
air super.
20. KEN: Brrr.. scary fight! Ken is an aggressive player and his
moves are designed to inflict large amounts of damage. It doesn't
matter how much you beat him up, one of his combos can turn the
fight on its head. Your best chance lies in making him miss, and
that happens quite a lot. Ken's special and super moves have a lot
of lag time so you should have no problems in connecting a 50%
drainer. If you eat one of his killer combos at the start of a
fight, I would advise you to play a defensive game and make him miss
again to even up the odds. His standing HK is an excellent poke so
don't try to counter it unless you're sure your attack will hit. In
a nutshell, play defensively and poke a lot.
21. NASH: Most Nash players I've been up against are turtles.
Fortunately, Ryu is the perfect anti-turtle player! Keep on throwing
Hadokens from a short-of-combo range if they keep on blocking low
and pounce on `em if their somersault shell charge is incomplete.
His Sonic Break super is very easy to spot but the Crossfire Blitz
is nasty. Don't let him come close to you, instead keep on charging
at him by mixing up the basic attacks. Use the jumping JPs and JKs
to counter the backfist and you should be home safe and dry.
22. R.MIKA: Nobody uses her here cuz she's a punching bag. She
doesn't have the power and range of Zangief and her butt attacks
have bad recovery time. She can get to be a pain on the ground, and
that's because of her low attacks. Well, if you think that you're a
good Ryu player, you should have no problems with her. Get out there
and kick butt! (With all due respect to R.Mika players, I'm not
saying that she sucks. Its just that I've never seen anybody win
convincingly with her.)
23. ROLENTO: He's quick but his attacks do little damage. Primarily
he's a poker and that's what you should expect of Rolento players.
They're always on the lookout for a little gap that you might leave
and take advantage in split seconds. Don't worry about the Patriot
Circle as the damage is pathetic compared to the 9 hits. Also, don't
get frustrated if he keeps on poking at you. Remember, poking is
Rolento's strength and if you do something rash, like a missed
Shoryuken, he'll let you have it with the MineSweeper which hurts
quite a lot. Don't throw fireballs from across the screen or he'll
hit you with the Steel Rain. And lastly, when you're in close range,
keep a low block at all times because of the third and most damaging
super "Take No Prisoner". Oh, one more thing, don't jump on him
excessively because of his standing HP. Keep a cool head and play a
ground based game, inviting him to jump on you instead.
24. ROSE: She's not the quickest of fighters but her long legs make
up for that. Her kicks have great reach and they come out quickly as
well. Whenever you get in range of her kicks, jump on top of her cuz
its hard for Rose to counter unexpected jumps. Ok, so she has the
Soul Throw, but it has to be timed properly. If you don't keep on
jumping and make her think, it'll be hard for Rose players to
counter your jumps. Use this strategy to keep her down. Don't throw
fireballs mindlessly otherwise she'll reflect `em back at you. Also,
her LV2 Aura Soul Spark can be murder so don't try to counter it
even if you can.
25. RYU: This is a tough one. Expert Ryu players will play just like
you (if you're an expert as well) so both of you will be aware of
each other's capabilities. This round goes to the fighter who makes
the least mistakes. Tick away when you find it tough to connect a
big combo and don't mistime moves frequently. Play your cards right
and you'll be the winner.
26. SAGAT: He has been improved a lot. His combos inflict great
damage and they're easy to perform now. Although the Tiger Blast was
once his primary weapon, the Tiger Knee is the weapon most experts
prefer. Its quick and most importantly, it ends quickly and can be
followed by any other move with lightning speed. Your advantage lies
in the speed department again. Sagat is way too slow, its only the
moves that make him a little fast. Remember to keep a block in the
air AT ALL TIMES because the Tiger Blow is easy to block in the air.
Also, if you block the Tiger Knee, keep on doing crouching jabs to
interrupt the following attack. Don't try heavy hits cuz you'll be
surprised at his ability to counter missed attacks.
27. SAKURA: Ryu has everything to counter Sakura's attacks. She's a
very slow version of Ryu (when it comes to special moves, that is)
so you should have no problems spotting her heavier attacks. Her
Hurricane Kick is a pain cuz it juggles three times and does a lot
of damage. Expert Sakura players are good at poking and you'll
notice that they like to come in close for that occasional JK poke
and grab. To discourage them from doing that, do a couple of
crouching jabs yourself and if you're quick, follow with a Shinkuu
Hadoken. They'll get the message immediately. Don't worry if you eat
her uppercut cuz your's does more damage. Play a ground based game
and let her jump instead, cuz she can counter almost any jump with
her standing HP.
28. SODOM: He's very difficult to use and also slow to boot. I don't
know what to say here, but if you're having problems against him, I
would advise you to practice more. I have a request though: if
anybody out there has access to a really good Sodom guide, please
let me know where it is cuz I've not been able to find any good
ones.
29. THUNDER HAWK: He's Zangief + Ryu. Although he has 360 degree
grabs and uppercut attacks, they're toned down versions. What I mean
to say is that his grabs don't have great range and the uppercut
attack (Tomahawk Buster) is not as effective as the Shoryuken. The
Condor Spire is an overhead and in my opinion, its his most
dangerous attack. You take damage if he hits you and if he misses,
you get sucked in for a grab if you don't jump out of the setup
quickly. The Shinkuu Hadoken is your best friend here so use it
against jumps and the Condor Dive. Because of his big size, play a
ground based game and jump when its safe. Stay cool.
30. VEGA: His jumps are in the shape of long arcs so you should have
no problems countering them. His fireball is as crappy as ever but
the Scissor Kick is painful. Don't counter it after blocking,
instead, do crouching jabs to make him retreat. Stick with JP
Shoryukens and Shinkuu Hadoken the missed Somersault Skull Divers.
Exclusion of the ultra damaging Psycho Crusher makes normal Vega
much easier to beat compared to Shin Vega.
31. ZANGIEF: Because I love Zangief, I won't give away the secret to
beat him. Kidding man! Its actually easy to beat Zangief if you look
at his size and speed, but he can be troublesome if you're up
against an expert. Expert Zangief players actually train to destroy
Shotokans, but don't let that get to you. Keep a cool head and jump
as soon as you think that they're setting you up for a grab. It's
the only way out. Don't let them jump on you a lot and Shoryuken
with extreme caution. Expert `Giefs have this ability to sucker you
into a missed Shoryuken and then kill you!
I have omitted characters such as Satsui no hadou ni mezameta Ryu and
Shin Gouki cuz they're considered "cheap". Yeah, whatever! Anyway, I
hope this covers just about anything. If I've left out on anything
important please let me know.
10. THE END
===========
Well, that's it! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank some of my
closest friends, especially Uzair (again) for introducing me to Zangief
four years ago. Uzair, if you're reading this, I'd like to thank you
for showing me that Shotokans are not the reason behind Street
Fighter's success. Thank you! My brother, for playing and practising
with me for countless fun filled hours. Mansoor, Umer and Arsalan, for
giving me and my brother lots of support and showing that true
friendship does exist. They're the only reason why I keep on drawing.
Suleman, for providing a decent challenge with Fei-Long. Hey Suleman
I'm not kidding, you have improved a LOT! And last but not the least,
"BJ", for actually encouraging me to write another FAQ and also to keep
on drawing.
Please send your comments on this FAQ at shatty99@yahoo.com and let me know
how good (or bad) it is. Your suggestions will be most welcome. Don't
forget to go thru Kao Megura's excellent SFA3 general FAQ. You can find
it anywhere cuz of its popularity.
Thank you once again for going thru this FAQ. I hope that sharing my
little knowledge with you helps improve your game with Ryu.
