The Ultra Buffs/Nerfs

Classic Fighting Games Ultra Street Fighter IV
1

Just to put into writing what theUltra Presentation said about rebalancing etc and see everybodys thoughts on it:

Compressing the tiers gap - all players should have top tier potential

“Address unblockables” - make of that what you will

Character examples

Balrog (Boxer) - Made to be more Super-Turbo-Rog

  • Longer-range Dirty Bull
  • Reduced recovery time for Buffalo Headbutt
  • Lower charge time for higher-levels of turnaround punch

Cammy - Reduced ability to win in 2 combos (Combo options intact)

  • Cannon Strike can be done lower to the ground
  • Damage reduction on Heavy attacks
  • Stun reduction on Heavy attacks

Chun Li - increased offensive game

  • HP increase to 950
  • EX Kikoken to knock-down on hit
  • EX Hazanshu has armor break

Dudley - Improved middle-distance game

  • Short Swing Blow completely throw invincible
  • Increased damage on target combos
  • Larger hit-box on some attacks

Ibuki

  • EX Kazegiri has more invincibility frames (to improve wake-up options)
  • Tsumuji has a larger lower hit-box (to accomodate crouching opponents)
  • All versions of Neckbreaker (except EX) no longer a hard knockdown.

Honda - Offensive Un-Nerf

  • Extended range of Ultra II
  • Ultra I has a shorter start-up time
  • Fwd Jump M-Punch has smaller hurt-box

Ken - Faster, flashier, less like Ryu

  • Shorter start-up for Cr.HK
  • Faster walk speed
  • Higher damage on (non-animated) Shinryuken

T.Hawk - better pressure-play, less grab-dependant

  • Cr.MK special-cancelable
  • Faster Walk Speed
  • Improved Ultra II

Vega (Claw) more offensive options, improved wake-up

  • Hit-stun increase on Cr.LP
  • Faster start-up on Bloody High Claw
  • Faster Start-up on Splendid Claw

Yang - Faster and more dynamic (but conservative) play

  • Shorter start-up on Standing Light Kick
  • Increase in Jumping Middle hit-box
  • Faster walk speed

Edit: Differences picked out from the Ultra announcement trailer, twitter, other threads and Capcom-unity.

Chun Li

  • df+LK un-nerfed
  • (Still need confirmation) Damage increase on Ultra II?

Cody

  • Knife throw has armor break
  • Normal Zonk Knuckle FADC-able

Dhalsim

  • 2-strike MK

Dee Jay

  • Standing HP causes float state when counter-hitting airborne opponents.

Dudley

  • Improved Footsies

Evil Ryu

  • Larger hitbox for LK Tatsu

Fei Long

  • cr.lk is now 4 frame startup
  • Rekkaken range decreased (lp confirmed, other strengths not yet)

Guy

  • Target combo impacts on crouch
  • Target combo extended range

M.Bison

  • Improved anti-air game
  • Improved Ultra II

Rufus

  • EX Messiah impacts on crouch

Ryu

  • Cr.MK to DP shortcut removed to better allow Cr.MK to Hadouken…I use Cr.Mk>FB all the time and never had an issue?

T.Hawk

  • EX Tomahawk FADC-capable
    +/-? Some commands remapped to kick commands to prevent overlap

Yang

  • Far sMP special cancelable
  • Other normal attacks special cancelable?

Zangief
Slight nerf of Spinning Pile-Driver

So…what do y’all think?

My thoughts
Glad to see it’s mostly positive, rather than just nerfing everything that’s easy to do.
Glad to see Cammy get a wee nerf, didn’t think Ibuki needed the buff, but guess it’s a tradeoff for the neckbreaker
Looking forward to seeing a faster Ken again :slight_smile:
Good to see the boxers and Honda getting some TLC, they’re fan-favorites but don’t get enough attention in SSFIV

2

Rose for a damage buff on most of her moves and an actual reversal

3

The irony here is that those changes make him even More like Ryu because he already has a faster walkspeed/sweep and his FADC into U1 deals more damage lol

4

I’m looking forward to see a Crossup for Hakan and other nice buffs

5

I was literally about to post the exact same thing. They didn’t really think that statement through.

6

Fei

-cr.lk is now 4 frame startup
-Rekkaken range decreased (lp confirmed, other strengths not yet)

7

I really hope that the changes for characters are significantly more expansive than they are letting on.

8

That’s all? For Cammy? I think they need to nerf the active frames of cannon spike while it’s Airborne… They also need to add height restriction to EX cannon strike, but no… they buff regular cannon strike… I also wouldn’t mind a nerf to.standing roundhouse and/or lowering her health to 900. She would still be a B+/A- tier character …

9

she can keep her normals and her old TKCS if she has 900 health and 900 stun.

10

The fact is that health / stun has been proven time and time again to not be a significant balance tool. 900/900 wouldn’t hurt her that match while TKCS would buff her A TON.

11

her other tools would still be strong, but what i’m looking for is something that would make her think before attacking.

This might not be a huge buff if capcom gives everyone a considerable amount of buffs. One character i am concerned about is Hakan…

12

The Olympian and his Cammy avatar LOL’d at me =[ My life is over…
anyways…
I was excited to see the Yang Buffs, and very curious to see Akuma.

13

Olympian LOLs at everyone who thinks Cammy needs nerfing :smiley:

14

thanks

Just a thought, if people could point out any differences they notice in the Ultra announcement trailer I’ll add them to the list.

My character knowledge isn’t great; I can pick out Dhalsim’s 2-strike MK and that’s about it lol

15

@manbehindthewires

Cody knife throw breaks armor (yay.)
Rufus Messiah kick no longer goes over opponent
Yang far sMP is now special cancelable

16

For those wondering about Evil Ryu’s buff, it’s either expanded hit box on his LK tatsu or it travels farther now. The main reason for this is so after MK axe kick he can finish the combo with cr. MP > LK tatsu against the whole cast because it won’t work on some characters like Rufus and Blanka right now. Not the most exciting buff but I’ll take whatever I can get. I just hope that the best is yet to come because he has bigger problems that needs to be addressed.

17

Ibuki changes are interesting, they are very vague with her changes. But mix up characters like her, Fuerte, Blanka, Akuma and the like are hard to balance, one change and they are either very good or terrible. More defensive options would be great as Ibuki has few tools to deal with divekicks and one costs meter. However, the nerf to neckbreaker may make EX the only useful one.

Also, give Gief knockdown on EX hand, let him teach people to not chuck too much plasma :). There is no reason as to why Akuma can punish it on HIT!

18

More demo footage of the Ultra changes.

19

Gen’s Super does too much damage.

20

What…? No…