Ryo Sakazaki
Fighting Style : Kyokugen Karate
Birthdate : 2nd August
Nationality : Japan
Blood Group : O+
Height : 179 cm
Weight : 75 kg
Likes : Weekend Carpentry
Fav. Food : Mochi (rice cakes), natto (fermented soy beans)
Strong Sports : Sumo Wrestling
Important Things : His recovered motorcycle, horse
Hated Things : Bugs with multiple legs
THROW
Tomoe Nage: close, b or f + A + C
COMMAND MOVES
Hyouchuu Wari: f + A
Joudan Uke: f + B
Gedan Uke: df + B
SPECIAL MOVES
Ko Ou Ken: qcf + P
Kohou: dp + P
Hien Shippu Kyaku: hcb + K
Tsuika: Hien Shippu Kyaku (D), K
Zanretsuken: f, b, f + P
DESPERATION MOVES
Haohshokoken: f, hcf + P
Ryuuko Ranbu: qcf,hcb + P
So what use is the Ko Ou Ken now that projectiles can be canceled with heavy attacks and it doesn’t seem to go a bit ahead of his fist like it used to? It seems like just a stronger punch now. They were saying that they were taking everyone to thier roots, I was expecting him to get his 94 projectile Ko Ou Ken back.
That’s true his Ko Oh Ken does look a bit weaker and smaller this time around. But I am noticing that for all the projectiles, which makes it sadder because it wasn’t one. I am hoping that someone that played as Ryo will be able to tell if the range is as small and ineffective as it looks.
I’m hoping it’ll have some sort of property to make it still worth using. It was a great tool I used to cancel out other projectiles and hilariously end some fights with the C version as my opponent was trying to get one more projectile out and ate my Ko Oh Ken canceling it and hit on the very tip.
But the way it looks now I don’t think that’s going to happen.
Fireball still kinda useful for short combos, if you want to think of it as a glorified punch that happens to cancel projectiles (though tbh you can actually just punch projectiles to clash them in XII).
Haven’t played Ryo yet but I am a seasoned Ryo player. He is my strongest and most used character so after watching many KOF XII Ryo vids, I will give my impressions.
Initially I thought Robert was better but after watching a bunch of vids, it seems Robert seemingly has an advantage because of a couple abusable specials, but his gameplay will rely on spamming, but for Ryo its different, he has more options more combos and more damage.
The Arcadia Tier List confirms this. And just search youtube for vids featuring Ryo, many will suck but some are really good showing off his potential. And as always he is the only character in KOF that can parry.
Ryo isn’t as popular as the other mainstays because many just write him off as a shoto-clone but Ryo veterans know he plays differently.
I think it’s important to also point out that Ryo’s fireball, after '96, was no longer really a fireball per say. Much like Terry’s Power Wave, it’s priorities were drastically changed. It was NEVER a Dan like quasi-fireball piece of crap.
The “wave(?)” style fireball had a slower start-up time and a larger hit-box. It would also eat right through “normal” fireballs and knock the opponent down, unless only the very tippy-tip hit.
example: Mai throws a slow fan at full screen and dashes behind it. If Ryo times his Ko ou ken right, it will nullify her fan and knock her down.
I hope this information at least explains why, even if at first glance, it seems like a crappy move, it really is far from it. Keep in mind, after 96 Ryo’s game style changed drastically to a more close-up/mid-range mix up game than your typical shoto style gameplay. It’s a lot harder to learn and maintain, but if you can, damn it feels good.
So that being said, I think I have a question for those of you lucky enough to play this game; Did they actually nerf it into a Dan-like fireball? Or is it that wave-type thingy it’s been for years now?
ive seen it link after light hits. doing it in the corner might make it so that you could juggle with a DP or even a zanretsuken (not likeley). but i havent played the game so i wouldnt know. if kyo can do that shit with his rdp+LK, i think ryo can do so with his firebal.
Played as Ryo a little since I last posted here and yeah, his KOF XII fireball looks like it has a smaller range but it comes out pretty fast and hits just as well as his older ones and it is still good for catching the occasional jumper.
I do miss his flying overhead chop, but other then that he plays pretty much like Ryo of old with a few tweaks.
i predict ryo will be the most overused and whored out character online trying to get the jump on his info so i can put an early stop to all the bs scrubs are going to pull out and be ready for the vet players
I also agree this is an odd prediction to make. I would think most non-KoFers would run through everyone’s special attacks in the training mode, hit Ryo and immediately be reminded of Dan. This would elicit two reactions, I would think.
Either; "Oh weak, this guys like Dan! Screw him! How was he ever a main character in any game??"
Or, the more overconfident ones; “Oh dude, I am totally gonna pwn all those sorry KoF players with the Dan in this game.”
The former players will be quickly confused when they get destroyed by good Ryo players, the latter will eventually come to realize his true potential, if they stick it out long enough.