Makoto Tips N' Tricks

Classic Fighting Games Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
1

Alright this is my first stab at a tutorial and its a mini one at that. I know most of this has been covered but I think Makoto’s a real in depth character - I wish there was a video for her like thre is for Oro (Oro Man Of Gold video). But since I don’t have those video abilities I’ll give text a shot and hopefully others will add in. I don’t take credit for any of the information here as I didn’t create the combos I just am sharing them. Oh and I don’t claim to be a makoto expert - but I think I have the theory down fairly well, just need to work on my mechanics.

First lets discuss her normals.
Standing:
Short - I only use this for zoning and karas. By zoning I mean doing lk, mk combo to push me away.
Forward - i use this rarely as an antiair and otherwise only after a lk
Roundhouse - almost never use this move - karaUOH is somewhat useful with it but more about that later.

Jab - useful reset otherwise i don’t use this too much
Strong - again i rarely use this
Fierce - you’re all in one plan. it stuns, it deal damage, and it starts SA1, SA2, Hayate, or EX KarateChop - if your opponent is on the ground and you get a parry in… this or Karakusa is definately the way to go usually

Crouching:
Short - Never use it
Forward - To stuff … almost everything. It’s also a full fledged Urien killer
Roundhouse - Meter builder and anti air. I don’t use it to often as AA but it can be done its just kinda slow.

Jab - I use this after a blocked UOH to then dash in and throw.
Strong - Reach! Its got good reach and speed. Unfortunately people come to expect it after certain parries but it still proves itself useful in zoning back out.
Fierce - Makoto’s sweep attack. Its very useful. Use it as a quick sweep. It appears to have lots of range. I’m not a frame reader so I don’t know specifics but I think its one of the quicker sweeps, I think the range is somewhat a deception though because of her positioning. Still useful though as Makoto is all about getting your opponent to stay down.

Air:
I’m not gonna list them all out cause most of them say "I don’t use this much."
Basically I tend to use the rh, fp, and mk aerial attacks. Primarily mk if its air to ground. rh or fp if its air to air.

Towards + :
Towards + Strong: Can be used as a reset but its rarely used
Towards + Fierce: Nice move for mindgames and mixup. Not used often but its still nice. If you hold it for the extra hits it does a lot of damage.
Towards + Short: Never use
Towards + Forward: Mixup! Also if you’re playing people that don’t know Makoto do RH after it for extra damage. Even if they block the RH part it pushes you back further which is always good since its not to safe otherwise
Towards + Roundhouse: Mixup times 2!
Hold down version - sidesteps Makoto forward. Awesome mixup into something else. Nice to use into the Towards + MK or just into Karakusa.
Released version - a sweep technique without crouching. Its pretty good but I tend to fake more since everyone expects the follow through for some reason.

Specials: Coming Soon

2

Specials:

karakusa: hcb+k
karatechop: qcb+p
hayate: qcf+p
dragonpunch: dp+p
axekick: (in the air) qcb+k

Karakusa: Her command grab, its the most powerful move in Makoto’s arsenal and quite possibly the game. Granted mixup wins games with Makoto but if you can get a Karakusa or 2 in - you’ll make life much easier for yourself. The basic combo after it is fierce, hayate. Also useful will be fierce, exkaratechop or of course supering. Other options will be discussed more in depth later.

Karatechop: A decent move with no meter, with EX meter its quite handy. Remembering that we like to zone with makoto after a throw you shimmy back a bit where you’re in sweep range, karakarakusa range, and yes Kara-EX-Karatechop. To perform this very handy move simply press lk - qcb - 2p. It will prove to be useful.

Hayate: A lunge punch that is very fast. Its chargeable by holding down the P button and while charging can be cancelled by pressing a K at any time. Also the P button chosen determines how far she lunges forward. This move is very useful. jab one is nice as is the ex one. strong is useable but not abuseable and fierce is hard to find a purpose in. Fiece however can be nice by karacancelling into. lk - qcf - fp. it gives it a bit more range that can really take someone by surprise if they’re building meter across the screen or something.

Dragonpunch: Makoto’s dragonpunch is in my opinion one of her greatest assets. I don’t know why more people don’t use it. Unlike shotos - Makoto’s goes straight up wherever she is. For that reason the normal one is nice for crossovers but the EX one and KaraEX are far more useful. Its excellent at stuffing jumpins - and dive moves from the twins, akuma, necro, and alex. I’d have to test it to recall but if I remember correctly it will also work under Urien’s headbutt and some of Dudley’s attacks. The EX one is even more potent because nobody expects a dragonpunch almost halfway across the screen. To perform press forward-neutral+lk - down - forward - 2punches. The trick is getting the lk when you return to neutral. The dp is also useful in some advanced setups discussed later on.

Axekick: Should only be used during advanced setups or the EX version as your opponent is waking up. Performed by doing a fake tiger knee motion - up - down rolled to back + 2k.

Supers: Coming Soon

3

Supers

First off lets get SAIII out of the way. ---- If you can parry like a beast, use it boldly; for everyone else… don’t give up the ability to the block nothing is worth it.

Now onto good supers:

Superart 1:
qcf*2+P

A series of punches that leave Makoto in an enormous stun afterwards. So if Makoto finishes it but doesn’t land it, you’re taking a combo to the head (or a throw if your opponent happens to be Twelve).

This super can be karacancelled off a lk. Do it very similar to the karaDP discussed in the prior section. qcf - return to neutral + lk - qcf + p. the trick again is returning it to neutral. This can reach an opponent a good ways away including the distance of the starting spots.

This super also links off of a hayate which is probably the most practical way of landing it.

I personally rarely use this super but I’m under the understanding karaUOH with RH which moves Makoto back a little will put you at the perfect distance to link into SA1. I’ve never tried it.

Other setups with this super are the obvious ones, basically anything a jab hayate will work off of so will this super.

Super Art 2:
qcf*2+K

Hard to get off in a good fight but well worth the payoff - 100% on some characters. And almost if not 100% stun on all characters.

basically look at the clock - if makoto is facing the clock you can land the super. if her back is to the clock you can’t. technically you can… but not off the basic combo.

Now then assuming you are in a corner facing the clock and your opponent is in karakusa range or perhaps for those who are keeping up karakarakusa range you grab them. Fierce punch them. And do the appropriate SA2 (kick decides distance).

Followups: From meterless to 2 full supers
dash forward - dragonpunch, superjumpcancel, rh
dash forward - dragonpunch, EX dragonpunch
superjumpcancel - mk axekick, dash under, mp, SA2, follwup.

those are the most used and yes there are more. I’ll be posting some more later but the simple fact is there are tons of options between resets and mixups afterwords.

Strategies: Coming Soon

4

Strategy:

Mix that shit up. Makoto is all about mind games and zoning. By playing Makoto you hopefully realize by now she’s got to be played randomly and there’s no real guaranteed damage.

Use her walk and dash to vary speed. Hell use her toward+rh being held to vary it even more. Its sometimes even better cause they think you’re gonna sweep and its a free karakusa a lot of times. Just play cautiously against shoryukens basically - its her biggest enemy.

Most people will say with Makoto its all about rush down with mixup. That’s not true. Zoning is key. You want to always be outside of throw range while inside of Karakarakusa range. Thats the ideal zone for Makoto.

Blocking is important with Makoto. She’s a strong defensive player by getting them in then pushing them out and then knocking them down. On wakeup Makoto will own everyone.

Knock your opponent down and you have - UOH, fp.sweep, t+rh.sweep, fake t+rh.sweep into karakusa, karakarakusa, karaEXKarateChop, low EX AxeKick, or just block and then karakusa the blocked Shoryuken. Its entirely up to Makoto what happens.

After Karakusa besides the fp, hayate or super. You can mixup a bit. karakusa sweep, karakusa fp-EX_Karatechop. Karakusa dash karakusa. Karakusa mp karakusa. Etc… just don’t always go for the fp into hayate, its not always the best answer as it doesn’t knock your opponent down.

Oh and also for those who don’t already know, Karakusa off of a Hayate is nice but not guaranteed so don’t get greedy with it.

More Followups for SA2: Coming slowly if I see people use this thread and want more followup options.

5

linking off of hayates is not only hard… but damage scaling usually makes it not worth the while…

c.short, c.strong, s.strong, s.fierce cancels into SA1

c.forward, short and forward axe kick links into SA1

links into hayate for good mixup…
sets up for karakusa
cancels into SA1
also can use for the beginning of a hayate cancel mixup game…

6

Standing strong is really good. Links and combos into a lot of things and has a lot of priority.

The best part about it is that it stays out for a while so its a great meaty move. You can mix up the timing and really throw people off.

7

Another thing about low short…I recall Izu, in the first SBO, always successfully landing low short into SA1. Was he just lucky, or is it possible to reliably hit-confirm that? If there is it sounds very useful, much more damaging that adding the hayate in there…

-Josh

8

heh…

umm, i usally just throw it out there. I usally always land it. You just have to know when they are going to block high. latley ive been able to hold off from hitting the button if they block though…

i tend to dash in and ace people with it, but i play like an idiot so that might not work for everyone.

9

the only cancel i can hit confirm with decency is s.strong.

dashing under is your best bet…
dashing under attacks guarantees the low short to hit because of their recovery… and unless they know thats what you want, many peopel will not block low after you dash under them…

looks pretty badass too… :smiley:

10

MrQuotes: Haha, reminds me a lot of my favorite tech for getting free tengu stone combos. =)

Hm…wonder if you just have to have mad fast reactions. Like how I’ve heard how a few Elena players can actually do this with her low short into brave dance…

-Josh

11

I like to use c.jabx2 xx SA1

12

i dont like c.jab because it lacks the overall range and awesomeness of c.short :cool:

13

But you can’t hit confirm c.short

14

Izu said it is possible to hit-confirm cr. short, but even he is only able to get it around 50% of the time.

15

you can block c. jabs high or low and parry high or low while c. short is a low only. that about evens it out. or makes c. short even better.

16

well like my post said to begin with - I’m not the best Makoto, don’t claim to be. As far as some of this goes - I play mainly on DC so hit confirm is pretty foreign to me except short jab short super

Glad this post was taken off a bit though. They’re a lot to discuss with her and it just seemed a lot of the threads about Makoto were what to do when X happens - none that really covered the makoto mindgames and fundamentals to being successful with her.

Hope everyone keeps posting in here.

To add some more conversation and tips here are some nice things to do to keep your opponent down.

-You can karakarakusa as they’re getting up. Timing should be about lk while they’re standing and the grab should work.
-You lk XX ex Karatechop performed either at a distance to karatechop them back down from afar or stand right over them and lk through their body cancelled into the EX which they should like the karakarakusa be standing in time for.
-You can do forward RH right over their body and mixup holding it and not holding it.
-You can shortjump EX Axekick.
-You can jump and just land and throw them, ex karatechop them, or karakusa fairly safely. I’m not a big hayate fan but you can probably do the EX or Jab hayate as well.
-You can just c.fierce and sweep them back down.
-You can of course UOH

Those are most of the options I use, others may post more which is what strategy forums is all about. Just remember when using them - don’t get greedy. Know your opponent and their potential wakeups as well as whether or not they have a super to let off on you when they wake up.

17

You can combo SA2 after an Oroshi at almost full screen’s length away IIRC

18

RH Karakusa>Fierce>Activate SAIII>c.Strong>Hayate

Anyone else got stuff like this to post? I really wanna start playin with her but only in SAIII.

19

http://www.shoryuken.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=59996&perpage=15&pagenumber=3

20

jiorn, you need to make me an avatar.