I’m really getting into USF4 and I’m trying to pick a character. I’ve been learning Ryu but I think its time to branch off into someone a little better. I was told to learn the game with Ryu and I did, but now its time for a switch. I’m pretty sure I want to stick with a shoto for now, so I’m really between Ken and Akuma. The only concern I have about ken is figuring out all of the Kara stuff. I can kara throw but I can’t kara hurricane kick or DP, both of which seem to be important.
What do you all think about Ken for a new(ish) player? Is there a really good place to go for combos? I’m having a ton of trouble doing hadoken FDAC into Ultra 2. I can do it but the dummy always blocks. Is there a really good video somewhere that shows you how to do the kara stuff (in depth)?
Also, Bafael mentioned in one of his videos that target combo is trash. Is that the case? Should I stay away from it? Why?
Thanks!
EDIT: I also am having trouble doing DP into arial tatsu.
So, you can do his kara throw? Can you do his simple meterless combos?
If the answer to both of these questions is “yes”, I’d say you’ve got the most important technical aspects of him down. Winning with Ken pretty much always comes down to how good your ground game is, and how good you’re at converting offense into damage. The rest of the stuff you mention is definitely useful to know(kara EX air tatsu in particular can be stupidly good), but it’s not essential, especially if you’re new-ish.
Can you give me some advice on how to do the kara ex air tatsu? Also, can you no longer DP FDAC air tatsu? I can do it in challenge mode but not in USF4. Did they take that out?
What are your thoughts on playing Ken vs Akuma? I’m trying to figure out who I should be dedicating my time to. Thanks for the advice!
Jump forward and input the EX tatsu command by plinking HK with MK when you’re around the top of the jump arc. If done correctly you’ll pretty much go fullscreen.
As far as I know, yes. The changes to the regular EX tatsu arc removed that combo. Not that it was that important anyways, but it was nice for style points.
You’re asking a Ken main if he prefers Ken over Akuma. GEE I WONDER WHAT HE WILL ANSWER 8D
Joking aside, both characters are good. Ken is far more to my taste, however. He’s better at bullying people in the ground game than Akuma is, and can use that to generate offense. Akuma is good at frustrating people into making a mistake and can use that to completely destroy people in return because of his damage, but his low health means he doesn’t really want to play the ground game as much as other characters.
I’m talking about at the highest level. Not that I’m anywhere near that - I’m just curious. People keep telling me that Ryu (in ultra) really doesn’t have an advantage over evil Ryu or ken. I was just curious as to your take on it is all.
Ryu’s fine. He’s probably the worst shoto at the moment(him or Oni), but he’s good enough to hold his own either way.
(for the record, I’d personally rank the shotos E.Ryu > Ken = Akuma > Ryu = Oni >>> DAN THE MAN)
For the kara EX tatsu plink, press HK first and MK second. Alternatively, if you have the triple K button bound(like I do, because I’m a filthy casual who hasn’t ever played at an arcade cabinet), you can press HK first and plink with the triple button, that works as well.
There’s nothing wrong with playing E.Ryu even as a beginner. It’s just that what truly separates him from other shotos (his insane damage conversion off of c.MK xx hadoken FADC) is really hard, otherwise he’s more or less Ryu with a bit less health, bigger combos and a bad teleport.
Ryu is boring and has the personality of a plank of wood.
Evil Ryu is not different, he’s only popular because of damage output.
Akuma is emo and Oni is just the same, but worse.
Dan is and always will be an idiot.
Ken was a wife, he has a kid, he has money, he wears suits.
When you uppercut, do you do it with a burning rage?
Do you have swag?
If the answer is “Yes”, along with footsies, meterless combos, karas… Then Ken is for you.
As for Evil Ryu, I wouldn’t say he’s that hard. His BNBs can be learned easily in a few days, of course others will take long. As any other shoto, except on PSN, you have to learn footsies.