Okay guys gulps here are the dreaded changes and my thoughts on them. Got any opinions or possibly rants. Never fear VENT IT ALL OUT HERE!
Close HK (2nd hit) – Hit effect on airborne opponent changed to bound.
- Can now be canceled
(Good change, it now makes the Mid-screen Misogi much easier to do in Pandora set-ups off of wall-bounces and it will do more damage as well. I think Cr.:mp: > Close St.:hk: > MISOGI will be the new super set-up now off of a launcher.)
Far HP – Can now be canceled
(Somewhat underused as a normal but a new special cancellable normal is always welcomed in my opinion. Now you can punish stuff like Yoshi’s Gehosen without needing to sweep him)
Far HK – Blockstun frames changed from +5 on hit/±0 on block +6 on hit/-2 on block
(Reverting a little back to it’s AE form. I had a feeling that this change would happen considering of how much of a god-send it was to begin with. Me however, I always thought the second hit was -2 on block anyway lol. But no seriously, no more free Far St.:hk:s against Julia, Zangief or Ken kind of sucks though.
Ashura Senku (Punch ver.) – Distance covered has been reduced
- Invincibility time changed from 1-50 frames to 1-40 frames
- Full frame length changed from 61 to 72 frames
Ashura Senku (Kick ver.) – Distance covered has been reduced
- Invincibility time changed from 1-40 frames to 1-30 frames
- Full frame length changed from 54 to 64 frames
(Nerfs to teleports, it seems that people complained about keep-away Akuma a little bit too much. I think they’re trying to make him less zoning oriented and. more offensive as a character I think)
EX Gohadoken – ”
Abolished from mid-air combo limit”
(Erm…never a very great move to use in combos to begin with. I didn’t even know that it had an air combo limit 
. Seems like one of those: 'Oh we’ll buff this just to make the character look better changes because EX fireball isn’t really a great EX in my opinion simply because it doesn’t cause a hard-knockdown on hit and it doesn’t do a lot of damage for an EX making it seldom used move
Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (MK) – Damage stun changed from 40+20+20(80) to 40×3(120)
Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (HK) – All hits are guaranteed if the first hit connects
(Changes to the Tatsus. They did crap damage in my opinion to begin with in my opinion. Damage buffs to :mk: tatsu are pretty good but we may be seeing some more usage of the :hk: version especially off of launchers considering that it’s more guaranteed this time around.
Airborne Tatsumaki Zankukyaku – Hurtbox increased
(Here come more nerfs. Kind of sucks that they are still on the tatsu nerfing. This means that it could kind of suck as a cross-up attempt now as you could get stuffed for doing it.
Hyakki Gojin – Damage increased from 50 to 70
Hyakki Gosho – Damage increased from 70 to 100
Hyakki Gozan – Damage increased from 60 to 80
(Damage buffs to the Demon Flip Repetoire (well except the throw.) I welcome these changes especially because that palm now does 100 damage which could mean that the EX Version could do even more damage. There’s also slight damage buffs to the dive-kick and the slide which are welcomed too but their uses aren’t as strong as the palm. Well at least at this point in time.)
Zanku Hadoken – Hitbox has been reduced
- When used during a backwards jump, 5 frames added upon landing
(Nerfs to air fireballs, another reason, why I think they’re making Akuma more of an ‘in your face’ character which I applaud greatly. The idea of 5 extra landing frames is a blessing and a curse. Mainly because it will allow him to tag out more efficiently with air fireballs because the tag period will be increased in theory. BUT the extra landing frames on block make it suck as a defense tool as well as it’s reduced hit-box.)
Goshoryuken (MP, HP) – During the first hit, blockstun has been decreased by 10 frames
- The second hit does not connect on a crouching, blocking opponent
- Pushback on block has been reduced
(OK THIS IS THE KILLER! The nerfing of DP switch cancel. My only issue with this now is that will the 3rd hit connect as well? Otherwise, tagging out could be made much harder than it was before combined with the nerf of his teleports.)
Misogi – Hitbox has been increased
(Nice small buff to Misogi, I hate to be greedy but I wanted more than just this 
like more damage wink wink)
Special move meter gain
Gohadoken: whiff 15->5, on hit 40->20
Shakunetsu Hadoken (L): whiff 15->5, on hit 20->25
Shakunetsu Hadoken (M): whiff 15->5, on hit 20×2(40)->15×2(30)
Shakunetsu Hadoken (H): whiff 15->5, on hit 20×3(60)->10×3(30)
Zanku Hadoken: whiff 15->5, on hit 5->16
Goshoryuken (M): on hit 20+20(40)->30+10(40)
Goshoryuken (H): on hit 20+10×2(40)->20+10×2(40)
Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (L): whiff 15->10, on hit 40->20
Tatsumaki Zankukyaku (M and H): whiff 15->10, on hit 40 x number of attacks->20+10 x number of attacks
Airborne Tatsumaki Zankukyaku; whiff 15->0, on hit 40->35
Hyakkishu: whiff 10->0
Hyakki Gosho: whiff 0->15
Hyakki Gojin: whiff 5->10, on hit 40->30
Hyakki Gosai: whiff 5->15, on hit 40->60
(Ok so Akuma didn’t come out as destroyed as Ryu did in the fact that at least his fireballs still build meter. I had mistaken these for damage buffs :lol: it goes to show how much a good sleep is needed. It seems that they are really encouraging offensive play with these moves. I’m going to miss the lack of meter build on his demon flip charge move. I loved to use that to build free meter from full-screen :(. )
So overall, Akuma came out pretty, well in-tact at least in comparison to the other SF Cast members.
He came out with some good changes especially to his normals Cl.St.:hk: is much better now and Far St.:hp: being special cancellable is welcomed big time.
Buffs to Demon flip follow-ups is also welcomed as well. The palm is the most notable.
Misogi being buffed slightly isn’t that bad but personally, I wanted more!
Tatsu changes are welcomed. I could see the tatsu being used as a viable entry off of a launcher now.
HOWEVER
He came out with some crippling nerfs.
Nerfs to teleport, air fireballs and his DP switch cancels really hurt his zoning game and his ability to tag out which was arguably one of the stronger reasons to use him over other shotos in my opinion.
Nerfs to his Cross-up Tatsu also hurt his offensive game slightly. I don’t know why Capcom like to beat a dead horse like that.
Meter build on a good portion on his moves were changed however the throw seems to have come out as the main winner. Consider the fact that +300 is almost a whole bar, then you can see where I’m coming from at least.
COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE CAST (SF SIDE)
Akuma ain’t the only one!
The nerfs to boost combos will make his punishment game stronger in my opinion.
Nerfs to the health limits of some people like Guile and Rolento could help him in those match-ups. No offense but I don’t know why Rolento was given 1000 health to begin with in my opinion maybe it’s because of his lack of damage.
No health buff but then again I didn’t really expect to be greeted with one anyway.
Although his escape options aren’t as free anymore, he still has his forward throw for a safe-ish tag at least. This throw is about to get better because of the decrease in throw start-up times.
Now we have to wait for the Tekken Side.
I do fear for the Mishimas in a way.
Fingers crossed that Lili doesn’t get completely shafted (personally at least). One side of the squad is alright, let’s hope the other side isn’t as bad 
.
(Not that it’s exactly a great match-up in this game either but Cody has more escape options now.)
. Seems like one of those: 'Oh we’ll buff this just to make the character look better changes because EX fireball isn’t really a great EX in my opinion simply because it doesn’t cause a hard-knockdown on hit and it doesn’t do a lot of damage for an EX making it seldom used move
.