I’m a lucky guy. Last week I got to spend a couple of hours with my game press cohorts play testing Street Fighter V. You’re lucky as well, because I’m also pretty obsessed over Street Fighter. So much so that I tend to note down a lot of details about this king of fighters that others may not have noticed.
In my other article I explained how the overall system of Street Fighter V works. Now I am going to go in-depth about what I discovered about the four main characters.
Ryu
Compared to every other character I played during the session, Ryu has the least noteworthy changes compared to his Street Fighter IV version. Low Medium Kick (Forward) is still the money poking normal for sneaking in 2-in-1 fireballs, while Low Hard Kick (Roundhouse) still doesn’t cancel into any specials. That’s something every Ryu player checks for in every new Street Fighter.
His variable Medium Punch (Strong) and Hard Punch (Fierce) are the same as well. Toward and Medium Punch (Strong) performs his two-hit overhead punch. Toward and Hard Punch (Fierce) executes his two-hit advancing punch. He still doesn’t have his Alpha/Super Turbo Toward + Medium Kick (Forward) “hop kick” overhead.
Ryu has always been, and is in Street Fighter V, the base character. Every playstyle I can plug into him works comfortably toward building to an endgame that features either a big Super move finish or a V-Trigger (the latter being an easy and quick meter to fill for Ryu). His V-Skill acts like a weak parry, which is a good tool for occasionally sucking up projectiles or momentarily halting a upclose offensive. When in V-Trigger mode, he is an absolute beast. His projectile game in particular becomes ridiculous, with fireballs that travel almost twice as fast, contain armor, and electrify. If you’re not in V-Trigger mode, then your priority should be to get into V-Trigger mode as soon as possible.
V-Gauge Blocks: 2
Special Moves
Hadoken: Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
The classic Street Fighter II fireball. Light punch (Jab) version goes slowest across the screen yet has quicker recovery. Hard punch (Fierce) version is quickest yet has longest recovery. EX version gains armor and does multiple hits.
Shoryuken: Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
Ryu’s jumping uppercut antiair special. A simplified input of this move uses down + forward, down + forward + punch. Light punch (Jab) version has the least range but quickest recovery. Hard punch (Fierce) version has more range but least recovery. EX version gains armor and multiple hits.
Tatsumaki Senpukyaku: Down, Down + Back, Back + Kick
AKA Hurricane Kick. Ryu spins towards his opponent, kicking several times. Can also be performed in the air. Light Kick (Short) version travels the least, Hard Kick (Roundhouse) version goes the furthest out. EX version has armor and multiple hits.
Shinku Hadoken: Down, Down + Forward, Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
This is Ryu’s Super move, which requires a full EX-Gauge to perform. It’s essentially a huge fireball attack.
Hashogeki: Forward + All three punches (while in block)
This is Ryu’s V-Reversal.
Denjin Hadoken: Down, Down + Forward, Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
This is a modified version of Ryu’s Super move, which requires both a full EX-Gauge and being in V-Trigger mode.
Mind’s Eye: Medium Punch (Strong) + Medium Kick (Forward)
This is Ryu’s V-Skill, which essentially acts as a one-hit parry. Useful for gaining a slight edge when defending against an offensive or nullifying projectile attacks.
Denjin Renki: Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
Ryu’s V-Trigger is stupid-good, and you should activate it as soon as possible. If not, Ryu players need to prioritize getting that V-Gauge filled. He gains a huge boost in damage output and certain moves get a significant speed upgrade. Normal fireballs in particular come out ridiculously fast, have EX-like properties, and electrocute.
Chun-Li
Like Ryu, Chun-Li’s normal moveset from Street Fighter IV to Street Fighter V doesn’t seem to have changed much, if at all. This means she is a gawd-damned beast at the mid-range mind game, with enough solid poking tools to terrorize people who are horrible at making good guesses.
Her big changes are in her specials. Her flip kick has been changed to down + forward + Medium Kick (Forward), but I could only get that to come out occasionally. I get the feeling that the designers aren’t sure if they want that move implemented or not. She has no diagonal up kick anti-air special. Yet she still has her Spinning Bird Kick, which I guess still works as an anti-air if all else fails.
Her lightning legs, aka “masher’s best friend,” is now a command special (quarter circle forward + kick). I think this is an odd decision, because the nature of “mash” specials, where you need to input multiple button presses, is that there is a skill at high levels to know how and when to press buttons to turn the move on or off. When I execute something like lightning legs without being in control of when it shuts off, I lose a piece of that move’s mind game potential. I can’t trick my opponent into letting go of block too soon anymore. See Street Fighter IV Blanka’s Electricity pressure game for another example of what I am talking about. I really hope they reconsider going back to the mash execution of this move in a later build.
V-Gauge Blocks: 2
Special Moves
Kikoken: Charge back, Forward + Punch
Chun-Li’s fireball. Light Punch (Jab) version doesn’t make it across the screen. EX version gains armor.
Hyakuretsukyaku — Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Kick
Aka Lightning legs. Longtime Chun-Li players will be a bit thrown off by this not being a “mash” executed move. Light Kick (short) version is slower and has fewer hits. Speed and hits increase with higher version of kick. EX version gains armor.
Spinning Bird Kick: Charge Down, Up + Kick
The original spread legs spinning kick. Acts pretty well as a wake up anti-air. Light Kick (short) version goes a shorter distance. Distance increases with harder kicks.
Hoyokusen: Down, Down + Forward, Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Kick
Her Critical Art (Super Move).
Rankyaku: Medium Punch (Strong) + Medium Kick (Forward)
This is one of the few V-Skills in the current build of the game that is an offensive, forward momentum attack. Chun-Li does a sort of dash at an up and forward angle, acting like an anti-air. It can also be used as a low angle jump against grounded opponents. There may be some cross up shenanigans going on here, but it requires a lot more testing to be sure.
Renkiko: Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
Like Ryu and M.Bison’s V-Triggers, Chun-Li’s moveset gains a speed and damage boost.
Sohatsukei — Forward + All three punches (while in block)
Chun-Li’s V-Reversal
Nash/Charlie
Charlie/Nash is the most radically changed character so far. He’s graduated from Guile clone to, well, whatever the hell this is.
First of all, none of his special moves are charge-based. Everything is executed either with a quarter circle toward or quarter circle back. All of his specials have forward momentum, including his Sonic Boom, which gain an offensive follow-up with his V-Trigger. Only one special acts like Guile’s anti-air Flash Kick, and even then it requires a specific button press to pull it off.
What he does retain from his Guile clone days is his variable normals. Forward + Light Kick (Short) will perform an advancing knee, Forward + Medium Kick (Forward) will execute his spinning Sobat kick, and Forward + Hard Kick (Roundhouse) will bust out an advancing ranged kick. Forward + Hard Punch (Fierce) will perform his spinning back hand. What’s new is Forward + Medium Punch (Strong), which now gives Charlie/Nash an overhead in the form of a swinging arm attack.
His V-Skill, Bullet Clear, acts as a projectile absorption move, where his V-Trigger puts him into an even more advantageous rushdown mode, with various teleport set-ups. The one oddity of the V-Trigger, however, is that it is not a timed mode. Once you execute a V-Trigger teleport, the V-Gauge needs to be refilled to teleport again. Perhaps this is a sign Charlie/Nash may be able to fill his V-Gauge quicker than the rest of the cast?
Even if not, most of these design changes try to make Charlie/Nash play like something other than a Guile clone, which makes me think that Guile is an obvious shoe-in for the cast.
V-Gauge Blocks: 2
Special Moves
Sonic Boom: Down, Down + Forward, Foward + Punch
Charlie/Nash’s projectile. With V-Trigger, you can follow up with a sort of teleport move that places him in an offensive position.
Sonic Scythe: Down, Down + Back, Back + Kick
Light Kick (Short) and Medium Kick (Forward) versions of this move will perform a sort of forward moving slash kick. The hitbox appears to be forward and down. The Hard Kick (Roundhouse) version of Sonic Scythe will perform a mini-Flash Kick. Putting the hitbox into a position where the move becomes an anti-air. It doesn’t reach far, but it seemed good enough to anti-air most attacks coming in.
Moonsault Slash: Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Kick
To put it bluntly, this is Adon’s Jaguar Kick. Charlie/Nash flips forward and does an axe kick, with the hitbox vertically landing around the high mid-range. Traveling distance, speed, and recovery depend on the type of kick button you use.
Tragedy Assault: Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
Charlie/Nash leaps across the screen, grabs the opponent, and slams them into the ground. This move is technically not a command grab, since it won’t land if the opponent is blocking (and leaves him wide open for getting punished). In it’s current form, I’d use it sparingly.
Judgement Saber — Down, Down + Back, Back, Down, Down + Back, Back + Punch
Charlie/Nash’s Critical Art
Bullet Clear — Medium Punch (Strong) + Medium Kick (Forward)
Charlie/Nash can absorb a projectile or deflect a normal attack (I’m not absolutely sure if this counts as a parry).
Sonic Move – Hide — Forward + Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
Charlie/Nash is the only character, as of this build, whose V-Trigger that does not activate a timed mode that features a speed or damage boost, but is rather tied to three different possible move options, which are all teleports. Every time you activate one of these teleports, the V-Gauge empties and must be refilled again if you want to perform another teleport. Sounds weird, but I believe the idea is that Charlie/Nash will be able to fill the V-Gauge meter up very quickly.
This version of his V-Trigger will teleport Charlie/Nash behind the opponent.
Sonic Move – Blitz Air — Back + Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
This version of his V-Trigger will teleport Charlie/Nash behind the opponent in the air.
Sonic Move – Steel Air — Down + Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
This version of his V-Trigger will teleport Charlie/Nash in front of opponent in the air.
Sonic Move – Avoid — Forward + All three punches
Charlie/Nash’s V-Reversal.
M. Bison/Vega/Dictator
I predict a lot of crying in the M. Bison forums of Shoryuken.com.
If it wasn’t for Nash/Charlie’s makeover, I would’ve said M. Bison received the most startling changes out of the cast so far. The most obvious? He has the slowest walk speed in the game. And I haven’t even seen the rest of the cast. For a Street Fighter IV comparison, I’m talking Makoto walk speed here.
Why is this shocking? It’s because M. Bison is the original speed intensive, rushdown character. A large part of his game up to this point has been mobility. Now he walks like a tank stuck in first gear.
That may be the worst of the changes, but I still have some bad news to report. Although his standing Medium Kick (Forward) is the same as it has been in previous games, which is to say it comes out quick, has a lot of reach, and some good hit box properties — they’ve taken away his standing Hard Kick (Roundhouse). In previous games, M.Bison’s standing Hard Kick (Roundhouse) was like a clone of his standing Medium Kick (Forward), it just hit a bit higher and made for a great anti-air option. In Street Fighter V, the move has been turned into a short knee. It was difficult to tell if it was viable as an anti-air during the play test, but my instincts tell me it isn’t.
His jumping Medium Punch (Strong) has also changed. Ever since Super Street Fighter II Turbo, it has been a two-hit juggling move. It actually became one of this character’s strongest anti-air options in other games, since he moved so quickly, M. Bison players could react to someone jumping by executing this move and juggling the opponent into a high damaging super-move. This move is completely gone and replaced by a one-hit nothing of a normal.
His Psycho Crusher is also, obviously, missing. It appears in his Critical Art, but it’s otherwise no longer a tool for the normal portions of his game. Manual teleport is also gone.
So why make all of these changes? My theory is that the designers want to force M.Bison players into a specific play rhythm, where they spend the first half playing passive, building the V-Gauge. They then spend the second half threatening to activate V-Trigger and go apeshit. M.Bison’s V-Trigger, like Ryu’s, creates a massive leap in his damage and speed game. His dash becomes one of the best in the game (so far), allowing M.Bison to teleport through attacks insanely fast.
Unlike Ryu, M. Bison has an extra block of V-Gauge to fill. Combining playing passive, which may mean also using V-Reversals, on top of having a larger V-Gauge to fill gives M.Bison a slightly more difficult path to activating V-Trigger.
Yet it isn’t as if M. Bison can’t move around the screen without that godlike V-Trigger dash. I was mixing normal dashes with smart use of Head Stomp/Devil’s Reverse and Double Knee Presses, and I was still able to put together a workable rushdown offensive. I just couldn’t count on using M. Bison’s normal walk to step back and forth when I was in the middle of a mid-range poke game. His gameplay design doesn’t seem to allow for a solid middle ground. I either had to rushdown, or turtle in the corner trying to build V-Gauge.
V-Gauge Blocks: 3
Special Moves
Psycho Blast: Charge back, Forward + Punch
This is like a weaker version of Street Fighter Alpha series M. Bison’s projectile special. The normal version of this move will see M.Bison throw out a point-blank wave of Psycho power in front of him. The EX version of this move will produce a projectile.
Double Knee Press: Charge back, Forward + Kick
The old, reliable favorite of M. Bison players everywhere. It comes out fast, has good recovery, and great hitbox priority. The building block of every M.Bison rushdown block string.
Psycho Inferno: Charge down, Up + Punch
I believe this is intended to be his anti-air special. M. Bison unleashes a bunch of Psycho Power around his body, from the ground upward.
Head Press: Charge down, Up + Kick
Aka Head Stomp. Still a reliable tool for terrorizing projectile heavy characters.
Somersault Skull Diver: After Head Press, hit any Punch
One of M. Bison’s potential follow-ups after a Head Press. If after a successful Head Press the M. Bison player wants to put on some offensive pressure, they can push him toward the opponent and execute this move as an aerial attack. Still acts the same way it always has.
Devil’s Reverse: Before Head Press hits, hit any Punch
Devil’s Reverse was acting a bit strange during this playtest. It seemed like I had to commit to the Devil’s Reverse input way before the Head Press jump arch had reached its peak. I’m use to the move allowing me a lot more leeway when deciding if I want to swap from Head Stomp to Devil’s Reverse.
Ultimate Psycho Crusher: Down, Down + Forward, Forward, Down, Down + Forward, Forward + Punch
M. Bison’s critical art. The only appearance of Psycho Crusher in the game.
Psycho Burst: Forward + all three Punch buttons (while blocking)
M. Bison’s V-Reversal. It shoves the opponent off with a sphere of Psycho Power.
Psycho Reflect: Medium Punch (Strong) + Medium Kick (Forward)
Acts like a projectile absorption, but I could swear it is also supposed to reflect it as well (hence the name). I didn’t get to see that part of the move work, so don’t hold me to that.
Psycho Power: Hard Punch (Fierce) + Hard Kick (Roundhouse)
As with Ryu’s V-Trigger, you absolutely want to get to activating M. Bison’s V-Trigger as soon as possible. All special moves gain increased damage output and some gain armor properties. Although M. Bison is still cursed with the Makoto walk speed, he gains one of the craziest dashes in the game, which acts like a teleport. Doing a block string into cross-up teleport to the other side of the opponent, then to teleport back to the other side to mind-game them into a throw, is satisfying as hell.