I. Introduction II. Nomenclature and Abbreviations used in this FAQ III. Moves List IV. Comprehensive Explanations for Moves and some Tactics V. Strategy Guide VI. Tactics Guide VII. Combos, Sequences and Juggles VIII. Additional Info IX. Credits
+---------------+---------------+-----------------+---- I. Introduction +---------------+---------------+-----------------+----
Ok, basically this FAQ was started to fill up a void in FAQs relating to my favorite character in SFZero3, Ken Masters. People generally think that they already know all there is to be known about using Ken. They see Ken merely as "yet another Shotokan character", and either refrain from using Ken if they don't like to use Shotokan-style characters, or they use Ken in an extremely narrow and unimaginative way as they normally do with Shotokan- style characters. Well, labeling Ken as merely Shotokan is severely limiting, and simplistic, almost as simplistic as calling Ryu a carbon copy of Ken. IMO, the game designers at CAPCOM have done exceedingly well in crafting the character Ken, making him out to be extremely playable, fun, powerful, and most importantly, sneaky. Which is basically how I feel he should be played.
This FAQ hopes to fulfil two objectives:
1) To encourage players who normally refrain from using Shotokan characters to use Ken.
2) To show advanced Ken players totally new dimensions and possibilities available when using Ken. Expert players can usually skip right to sections 5, 6 and 7 for juicy strategies and tactics.
This FAQ assumes that the player already knows how to use certain generic moves usable by any character (e.g. Blocking, Escaping from Throws, Air Recovery, Ground Recovery, etc)
+------------------+-----------------+-----------------+------- II. Nomenclature and Abbreviations used in this FAQ +------------------+-----------------+-----------------+-------
Ub, u , uf, b, f, db,d, df: Basically this corresponds to the different joystick directions. Quite intuitive. LP, MP, HP: Light punch, medium punch, heavy punch LK, MK, HK: Light kick, medium kick, heavy kick PP, KK: Pressing any two punch buttons, pressing any two kick buttons Fireball: Hadoken - Ken's Fireball move DP: Shoryuken - Ken's Dragon punch move HurricaneKick: Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku - Ken's cyclone kick Roll: Zenpou Tenshin - Ken's rolling move Splat: Zentou - Ken's roll onto his back Overhead kick: Inazuma Kakato Wari - Ken's overhead kick Backward Spinning kick: Ushiro Mawashi-geri - Ken's backward spinning kick
Special terminology used in this FAQ:
Combo: A series of moves which will all hit, if the first part of the series is not blocked Sequence: A series of moves that is not a combo, but is generally useful Cross-up: A jump-in attack from the front which hits the back of the opponent Overhead: Hits a crouch-blocking opponent Sweep: A crouching HK, which knocks down an opponent
+-----------------+------------------+---------------+-- III. Moves List +-----------------+------------------+---------------+--
1. light punch: LP 2. medium punch: MP 3. heavy punch: HP 4. light kick: LK 5. medium kick: MK 6. heavy kick: HK 7. overhead kick: f + MK 8. backward spinning kick: f + HK 9. Jigoku-guruma/Tsukami Nage(Throws): f/b + PP/KK 10. Jigoku Fuusha (Air-throw): f/b + PP (in the air) 11. Fireball (Hadoken): d, df, f + P 12. Hurricane kick (Tetsumakisenpuukyaku): d, db, b + K (can be done in air) 13. Dragon punch (Shoryuken): f, d, df + P 14. Roll (Zenpou Tenshin): d, db, b + P (this move is not usable in X-mode) 15. Splat (Zentou): d, df, f + Start (this move is not usable in X-mode) 16. Taunt: Start 17. Shoryuureppa (Super): d, df, f, d, df + P (X and Z mode only) 18. Shinryuugen (Super): d, df, f, d, df + K, tap P/K rapidly (Z mode only) 19. Shinpuujinrai Kyaku (Super): d, db, b, d, db, b + K (Z mode only - at level 3) 20. Alpha counter: (after blocking) f + P+K (P and K of same strength) 21. Air recovery: PP (after getting hit in the air) 22. Ground recovery: KK (after getting knocked down or after air blocking)
+------------------+---------------------+--------------------+-- IV. Comprehensive Explanations for Moves and some Tactics +------------------+---------------------+--------------------+--
1. Light Punch: LP
Standing: Cancelable. Ken does a teeny-weeny jab. This move is actually very useful as a defense against some rushing moves like Blanka's Roll. Just keep on pressing the punch button as Blanka is rolling towards you, and you will hit him out of the air.
Crouching: Cancelable. Ken does a small jab whilst crouching. This move is useful to "poke" your opponents as they get up after being knocked down (since all of Ken's light punches have good priority over medium and heavy counters from opponents), or as an overall part of combos.
Jumping: Practically useless. If you can find a good use for this move, please inform me. Damage and priority are pathetic.
2. Medium Punch: MP
Standing: Cancelable. Ken does a punch. If close enough to the opponent, f + MP will make Ken do a head-butt. Not very useful outside combos.
Crouching: Cancelable. Ken does a punch whilst crouching. Not very useful outside combos.
Jumping: Ken does a punch whilst jumping. Damage-wise, you are better off using heavy punch.
3. Heavy Punch: HP
Standing: Cancelable. Ken does a strong punch to the front (or slightly up, depending on proximity). This move is very useful as a reflexive anti-air defense, since it has good damage and priority.
Crouching: Cancelable. Ken does a strong upper-cut. This move has poor horizontal reach, but excellent vertical reach, damage and priority. Hence it is also useful like the standing HP as a reflexive anti-air defense.
Jumping: If jumping in close to the opponent (but not doing a cross-over), this is the punch of choice. Damage and priority is high.
4. Light Kick: LK
Standing: Cancelable. Ken does a small sort of kick. This move recovers as fast as Ken's light punch, but it looks somewhat more deceiving, making this the move of choice if you are seeking to goad your opponent into jumping in, by making as if you are doing a fireball.
Crouching: Cancelable. Ken does a poke with a leg. I find this move a useful link to the Shinryuken super - both have about the same sort of horizontal range.
Jumping: Quite useless. Low damage and priority.
5. Medium Kick: MK
Standing: Cancelable. Ken does a kind of axe-kick that may hit for two hits. Not very useful outside combos, I think.
Crouching: Cancelable, and this is my preferred move to start combos with - I often link this move to a heavy fireball. Ken pokes his leg out quite far. This move has good reach, speed, priority and recovery. See the Tactics Guide for more possibilities on using this move.
Jumping: The medium kick when jumping in is your best friend when you are attempting cross-ups on your opponent. It is tremendously easy to do a successful cross-up on your opponent when you use this kick.
6. Heavy Kick: HK
Standing: Not cancelable. If close, Ken does a kind of axe-kick. If far (and this is the most useful part of it), Ken does a kick with moderately good horizontal reach and speed (though reach seems less compared to SFZero2).
Crouching: Not cancelable. This is a sweep with a rather slow recovery (compared to SFZero2). It also differs from SFZero2 in that it is non- cancelable.
Jumping: If jumping in onto the opponent from a distance further away than that of which you use heavy punch, this is the kick of choice. Excellent reach, damage and priority. I also use this kick when I'm intercepting opponents who are jumping in, when I jump up towards them and kick them in the air.
--------------------------------- Summary of the above basic moves: ---------------------------------
In general, when jumping in at an opponent, use HP if he is quite close, HK if he is further and MK if you are doing a cross-up. If intercepting your jumping opponent with a jump of your own, use HK because of its reach.
When fighting on the ground, your crouching MK is your best tool for attacking your opponent. Use sweeps only if your opponent exposes himself (like a mistimed DP or a misjudged sweep).
Crouching and standing HPs are good tools as anti-air defenses. LPs are effective defenses against certain threats like Blanka's rolls.
I can discard completely the following moves because I feel that they are simply quite useless. They can usually be substituted with more effective moves. They are: MP (for all situations), and while jumping everything except HP, HK and MK.
7. Overhead Kick: f + MK
Non-cancelable. This move has moderate horizontal reach (but it has much less reach compared to Ryu's overhead punch.) Definitely one of Ken's more important moves, for breaking an opponent's defenses. See the Tactics Guide for more on how to use this move.
8. Backward Spinning Kick: f + HK
Non-cancelable. Ken does a small step forward, spinning around as he does so, and finally unleashes a heavy kick with pretty good horizontal reach, and damage. He is vulnerable during the part where he is just spinning though. But because this move brings Ken slightly closer to the opponent, it has tremendous usefulness in ground-fighting. (See Tactics Guide for additional info.)
The above move are throws. The first one is executed by pressing any two punches, the second by any two kicks. Generally, I almost never use throws when playing SFZero3, and especially not when using Ken. Ken is not strong on throws. When punishing opponents for their mistakes, it is always more advisable to use combos or supers instead of throws, as throws are escapable from, it's still less damage than any super, and they have vulnerable miss-throw animations if they miss.
10. Jigoku Fuusha (Air-throw): Any direction but u / d + PP (in the air only)
Ken's air-throw. I have never gotten around to experimenting with this move very much. But if it has priority over most of other opponent's attacks, I think it would be a viable alternative to the jumping heavy kick. Have to check on this.
11. Fireball: d, df, f + P
Using light punch will produce a fireball with the slowest speed, and heavy punch a fireball with the fastest speed. I believe that all the fireballs produce equal damage (have to check this), although a heavy fireball has more dizzy potential than a light fireball.
Ken's fireballs are useful in certain cases. First use is as a long-range weapon. Second use is as a universal juggle after countering your opponent's jumping attack with a punch or kick. Third use is for inflicting cheap block damage on your opponent when he's not in a position to avoid it (e.g. when he's getting up after getting knocked down.)
A slow fireball is useful at long ranges in helping you get the initiative or as a foray to reconnoiter your opponent's defenses or non-instinctive reactions to your fireball. Imagine this scenario where you throw a light fireball from more than midway across the screen. As the fireball is travelling forward slowly, your opponent has already decided he will block it. There is a lapse of two seconds where he is just standing still waiting for your fireball to reach him. During this time, your Ken has already recovered from the fireball, and you are free to do what you want - maybe edge forward, maybe jump in, jump back, whatever - the idea is that you have the initiative of deciding your next move as your opponent is stuck in time just waiting for your fireball to reach him. This is what I mean by getting the initiative. Reconnoitering your opponent's reactions is simply an extension of the above; because of the "extra" time you have obtained from the slow fireball, you can watch your opponent's reaction, and do appropriate counter- measures.
If you ever feel like engaging in long drawn-out fireball battles with other players, it is important to vary the speed of the fireball, the rhythm, and the distance at which you execute the fireball. This is so as not to fall into a predictable tempo which the opponent can exploit by suddenly jumping over your fireball and landing a combo on you. Also, following a slow/light fireball with a fast fireball very often catches the other player off-guard, usually resulting in him being hit with your fireball as he is midway through the animation of throwing his.
Conversely, always watch out for predictable rhythms that other opponents may fall into when they are trading fireballs with you. Your objective should always be to make use of a choice moment to jump over your opponent's fireball and nail him when he is vulnerable. Ken's forte is not in fireballs, and hence if possible, one should avoid fireball battles with characters like Ryu or Charlie (Ryu recovers slightly faster from his fireballs, and his super- fireball may blast through yours. Charlie recovers almost instantaneously from his sonic-boom, and may walk forward and hit you as you are recovering from yours.)
Take note that many MANY characters in SFZero3 have moves which circumvent fireballs by travelling either through or around them. Also take note that many characters' super-moves also afford invulnerability, and may be used to go through your fireball (e.g. Ken's Shoryu-reppa).
To summarize, fireballs are useful as part of your overall repertoire, but you shouldn't rely on them. After all, fireballs don't really inflict that much damage, and you are better off engaging opponents with close-range combos.
12. Hurricane Kick: d, db, b + K
This move is cancelable, and can be done in the air.
Ken's hurricane kicks differ from Ryu in that they hit for multiple-hits when they connect successfully, but Ryu's only hits a single time (so if you are a combo-crazy player, Ken's kick chalks up a higher number in your combo). Ken's hurricane kicks also don't have as much juggle potential as Akuma's, so forget about DP-ing your opponent after you juggle them with your hurricane kick.
Ken's hurricane kick can escape some fireballs, but it's generally not reliable. If you are able to time a jump over a fireball with a hurricane kick, you will be better off using that timing to jump over the fireball and nailing your fireball-throwing opponent with a combo.
The horizontal distance traversed by the hurricane kick is proportional to the strength of the kick used (hence, a heavy hurricane kick will traverse a greater distance than a light hurricane kick.) You may want to use the hurricane-kick as an aggressive alternative of closing the distance between you and your opponent - the other alternatives are jumping in, walking in, or rolling in). Take note that each hurricane kick is extremely vulnerable to a sweep as it ends.
A tricky way to use hurricane kicks (if you are an advanced player), is to use them (usually the light version) to cross-over to the other side of your opponent. Picture this scenario....opponent is crouch-blocking, and you are standing in front of him, about a sweep distance away. You execute a light/medium hurricane kick, and your opponent instinctively tries to sweep you (and a lot of opponents have this instinct!). You land just behind him as he is going through his sweep animation, and he's a sucker for your shinryuken super. (This tactic is also frequently exploited by Akuma players, and its deadlier then because Akuma's hurricane kicks are very rapid.)
A cheesy way to use hurricane kicks is when you want a relatively effective way of making the opponent take block damage from you when he's standing. It may also whittle away his guard-meter (although I don't know how effective that is.)
When executed in the air, the hurricane kick changes somewhat the trajectory of the jump. Also, you gain somewhat air superiority with respect to most of other kicks or punches your opponent may attempt to execute on you while jumping at you (i.e. When both of you meet up in mid-air). When your mid-jump hurricane kick hits an opponent in the air, it usually connects for multiple hits.
With respect to how the trajectory of the jump is modified by executing a hurricane kick in mid-air, the general rule is that jumps can be divided into two parts - the up-jump (where Ken is going up in the air, whether forward, on the spot or backward) and the down-jump (where Ken is coming back down onto the ground, whether forward, on the spot or backward) - and the hurricane-kick only affects, and lasts as long as, that part of the jump when it is executed. The effect is to prolong the REACH of that part of the jump. If you execute a jump forward, and when Ken is beginning his downward trajectory, you execute a hurricane kick, Ken will hurricane-kick on his way down and reach a distance further than if he had just jumped normally (let's call this tactic 1). If you execute a jump back, and execute the hurricane kick on the upward part of the jump, the horizontal distance of your upward jump will be increased, and effectively, your jump back traverses a greater distance (let's call this tactic 2). I can't quite remember the effect of hurricane kicks on jumps on the spot, but I have never been able to find much of a use in it, other than saving your ass when you mis-time a vertical jump over your opponent's fireball (the effect is to make you stay in the air slightly longer than just a plain jump, which may give you additional time for your opponent's fireball to travel under you).
Tactic 1 in detail: A mid-air hurricane kick executed this way allows you to attack your opponent with a jump from a distance further away than normal. Hence this move allows you to fool around with distance more (See Strategy Guide). When this is used though, it doesn't connect into a proper combo (as far as I can tell) - that is, don't expect to be able to link a Shoryu-reppa with a descending hurricane kick. However, it is still a fairly reliable SEQUENCE. Take note that if the opponent is astute enough, he can simply crouch as you are jumping in with the hurricane kick, and sweep you as you land (and there's no way you can avoid that sweep). This is the MAJOR difference between a straightforward jump-in and a hurricane kick jump-in - while a normal jump-in attack needs to be blocked while standing up, a hurricane kick jump-in will MISS a crouching opponent. Some of your opponents may not know this however, or they may not be astute enough to exploit this.
Tactic 2 in detail: I generally use this if I want to get a good distance away from my opponent, since the horizontal distance traversed is greater than a normal jump backwards. I also use this move if I need a safe way to charge up my super-energy while maintaining a safe distance. In fact, I use this move almost compulsively as a substitute for a normal jump backwards.
Additional Tactic: If let's say you have a side-deficiency when you play Street Fighter (like if you are more comfortable executing moves when your character is facing left, or when your character is facing right), or you know your opponent has a side-deficiency, you will find this tactic a boon in switching sides with your opponent. Execute a jump-forward and do the hurricane kick as you are still going upwards. If you do it at the right distance, this hurricane-kick-enhanced-jump can make your Ken sail right over the head of your opponent.
Another way I use this move is when I am fighting against an opponent who is dying to hit me with a DP (or any anti-air move) if I attempt to jump at him (like most Ryu, Ken or Akuma players). I do this move from normal jump distance, sail over his head with my hurricane kick, and fireball him or sweep him from the opposite side after I land. He ends up looking silly executing a missed DP while I spin over his head.
I am not sure of the effect of using different intensity (light, medium, heavy) of hurricane-kick in mid-air. Need to check on this. Normally, I just use heavy.
13. Dragon Punch: f, d, df + P
Ken's signature move! For that matter, this is the signature move of the entire Street Fighter series!
A light DP will hit only once, and has the least horizontal-vertical displacement. A heavy DP may hit three times if you are close enough, and has the greatest horizontal-vertical displacement. A medium DP hits twice (I think) and has a horizontal-vertical displacement midway between the two.
The key to succeeding in using Ken is to be able to perform this move at a drop of a hat. Practice until you can execute this move as a REACTION to a jump-in attack from your opponent, not as an ANTICIPATION to a perceived jump-in attack (this is the failing for most novice Shotokan players).
The next key to succeeding in using your dragon-punch is knowing which situation needs what intensity of punch. Normally, I just use either light DP or heavy DP, forfeiting medium DP, depending on the situation.
Light DP: Use this one as an anti-air defense. Using the heavy version will leave you extremely vulnerable if you miss, or if it's air-blocked. The light one recovers MUCH faster, and damage-wise is equivalent to using the heavy one (that is, if the heavy one hits for all three hits....actually I'm not sure.....have to check on this). Time your DP in such a way that you can execute it at the very last second - this will maximize the damage inflicted.
This is also very effective as a recovery move (i.e. executing it as you stand up after you are knocked down, especially if your opponent is jumping in on you).
In general, the light DP is your best friend in terms of usefulness when you are using Ken. (Your best friend in terms of sneakiness is the Roll, which I shall get to later). It has complete priority over all non-special moves and excellent priority against most special moves. (I am not sure whether it can escape fireballs....have to check on this.)
It has excellent recovery potential (by this, I mean that the period of vulnerability after using it is VERY little compared to other moves). This will usually gain you the initiative after it is used successfully. For example, after knocking your opponent down using this move, you have so much time to decide and execute your next move - maybe jump in with a combo, maybe jump behind him with a cross-up, maybe move in close and doing an overhead move.
Heavy DP: This is the one you want to put into your combos instead of the light version. Damage inflicted is higher, three hits are effected, and it takes off more from the guard-meter. It also has excellent priority like the light dragon punch over most moves. (It also looks more spectacular as a round-finisher or combo-finisher!) A cheesy way to utilize this is again by making your opponent take block damage when he has little blood left, especially just as he is recovering from a knock-down.
Other than that, other ways you can utilize this move is by taking note of its superior horizontal-vertical reach compared to the light one. For example, you can use this as a juggle if the opponent is in the right place in the air.
All else being said, DO NOT overuse this move! This move leaves you VERY vulnerable if you miss! Do not use this as an ANTICIPATIVE move (I've said it before, but I'll say it again.) One can often distinguish between novice Ken players and advanced Ken players by how frequently they use this move. Novices use this almost ALL the time. Advanced Ken players use it only when it's advantageous for them to do so, like during situations where the opponent is completely vulnerable.
But as a final note, don't hold back when it is finally time to execute this move. Especially if you have connected deep-in with the initial parts of a combo. You can get very respectable damage from heavy DP combos.
14. Roll: d, db, b + P
This move is, in my opinion, what makes Ken such a sneaky (and fun) character to play.
The horizontal distance traversed in executing the roll goes up with the intensity of the punch you use (i.e. light the least, heavy the most).
Ken is not invulnerable when he is rolling. He MAY pass under certain fireballs, but this is generally an unsafe manoeuvre to try out.
What makes the roll so sneaky is that it is an ideal instrument for suddenly going BEHIND your opponent (especially the light roll, executed at slightly less than light punch distance). The light hurricane kick can be used this way too, but it is much more obvious, and it remains in the air for too long, allowing your opponent reaction time. For that split second after you have surprised your opponent, you are free to follow up with any move you want when he is totally vulnerable since he is blocking in the wrong direction. This can be done when he is recovering from a knock-down too.
To use the roll effectively this way, it MUST be at the right distance. If it's too far, it will not bring you behind your opponent. If it is too close, it brings you too far behind your opponent. Also, the light roll is much more useful than the other two rolls in this case, since it recovers much faster (kind of the same reason why a light DP is more useful than a heavy DP), and is thus harder to react to.
However, once you have surprised your opponent this way, you can doubly surprise him by rolling at a slightly further distance, and ending up on the same side from which you'd started. Expecting you to roll behind him, your opponent blocks in the opposite direction, which is the wrong direction in this case. And again, you are free to nail your opponent when he is most vulnerable! (Sneaky eh?)
Another way one can use the roll is to close the distance between you and your opponent. This is especially useful since you don't have to stand up to walk to the opponent, hence it is less obvious, and less vulnerable to counters like sweeps from your opponent. In this sort of case, it is still better to use many light rolls (executed with variations in timing) rather than a single heavy roll, for obvious reasons of vulnerability.
For more on the roll, check out the Tactics Guide.
15. Splat: d, df, f + Start
Ken executes a maneuver that starts off looking like a roll, but he flips onto his back instead, and flips back onto his original position.
This move is difficult to use as part of your overall strategy, because for most consoles, the start button is really difficult to access, since it is usually placed far away from the rest of the buttons. And most people regard these moves as novelties rather than as actual moves. Well, my opinion is that this move is really flamboyant, but if you succeed in pulling it off on your opponent as part of your overall strategy, you will feel really super (and your opponent will either show you mute respect or be really pissed-off!)
And one way to use this move is as a sneaky follow-up once you have gotten your opponent used to your roll maneuver! Imagine a situation when your opponent is already having the idea that you like this tactic of suddenly rolling behind them. Now in the midst of your combo/sequence, you suddenly execute this move , and your opponent is dumbfounded by your audacity. Chances are, he is either going to be blocking in the wrong direction (since he was fooled by the initial part of the move which shows Ken executing a roll), or he will be so surprised that he will not know what he is doing at all, and leave you free to nail him with any follow-up you like.
For more on the splat, see the Tactics Guide.
16. Taunt: Start
Ken does a thumbs-up sign. This move does not inflict damage like some other taunts can. If used, it can only be used as a psychological maneuver, either to surprise your opponent with your audacity, or just to make him wonder what the hell you are doing. Some opponents may get pissed-off and play poorly as a result (and accost you in a dark alley as you are going home); some opponents may end up being inspired to win such a show-off like yourself; some opponents may feel the need to taunt you back, and may leave themselves open as they do so. Whatever the case, the effect this move has is unpredictable. It can only be used once per round.
Seriously though, stay away from this move when you are playing against strangers unless you are feeling foolhardy and reckless. It is not like Street Fighter 3: 2nd Impact where taunting increases your super energy. If you really feel like impressing people, do so by displaying your potent playing prowess and impeccable sense of distance and timing; don't do so by taunting.
In serious battles though, a taunt may be a small but significant part of your overall repertoire. Perhaps, you will taunt in such a way as to goad the opponent into jumping in, whereby you will nail him with a dragon-punch. But most of the experienced opponents you will encounter will either watch and see what you are doing, or punish you severely for it.
17. Shoryuureppa: d, df, f, d, df + P
This is the first of Ken's super moves in Z-mode, and is the only super move in X-mode. This move is basically like a dragon punch but with considerable horizontal reach. It is invulnerable during the first dragon-punch part of it, but not the second.
In Z-mode: When LP is used, Ken will do a level 1 super. If MP is used, Ken will do a level 2 super. If HP is used, Ken will do a level 3 super. (Obviously, you need to have the requisite number of levels in your super-meter.)
In X-mode: There is only one level, and the punch you use does not matter.
Generally, this move should only be used when your opponent is on the ground, usually as part of your combo. This is because this move will usually only hit twice against air-borne opponents, and damage is not maximized. It is thus a waste of your super-energy to use this move as an anti-air defense, or as a juggle. However, note that since super-moves cannot be air-blocked, you may decide to use this to kill your opponent anyway.
Since this move is invulnerable during the first part, it may be a useful trick to get past your opponent's fireball and nail him, especially if you know that he is going to throw a fireball at that precise moment.
This move has considerably more horizontal reach than Shinryuken, so it is more logical to use this move in combos where you don't end up deep enough to use a Shinryuken. If you have the distance, timing and reflexes for it, you may want to use this move to nail your opponent if he just misses you with a sweep. (You have to be pretty damn good to pull this off - and doing it at the wrong distance will render you very vulnerable since it won't be a true combo; you may hit the opponent during the first part, but he may block the second part.)
Just a note on the technique of combo-ing this with a cancelable move - in general, you can press any kick you want (except HK) on the first quarter- circle motion you execute, and it should combo. Combo-ing with a punch is more difficult because you may end up with a misfired fireball or dragon- punch instead.
18. Shinryuken: d, df, f, d, df + K (mash the buttons for extra hits)
The second of Ken's super moves in Z-mode, and in my opinion, the most useful one of the lot.
In Z-mode: When LK is used, Ken will do a level 1 super. If MK is used, Ken will do a level 2 super. If HK is used, Ken will do a level 3 super. (Obviously, you need to have the requisite number of levels in your super- meter.)
This super-move is an EXCELLENT air-defense. On top of its superior damage to a light dragon punch, it also cannot be air-blocked! (You should practice this move until you can summon it at will). Mashing the kick buttons and vibrating the joystick should enable you to get slightly more hits (and damage) from this move.
The best things about this move is:
1) It rises vertically in the air. This will enable you to nail opponents from this angle, and is especially useful for nailing them even if they are attempting a cross-up. 2) If blocked, it has amazingly little vulnerability (i.e. surprisingly quick recovery). This is because the opponent still has to block the move even when it is already moving down.
The bad things about this move is:
1) Its horizontal reach has decreased significantly since SFZero2. In the past, it was possible to "suck" your opponents into your super-move (leading me to call this move the vacuum punch). Now it's not.
Still, this move is your best bet against opponents who jump in at you. This move is much more usable compared to the Shoryureppa, I think, because it is usually easier to nail your opponent with an anti-air defense than when you nail him with a combo.
When you succeed in doing a combo that lands deep enough to use this move, it is preferable to use this super rather than Shoryureppa because it is less vulnerable if blocked.
This move has very good juggling capabilities too. (See Tactics section)
19. Shinpuujinrai Kyaku: d, db, b, d, db, b + K
This super-move requires a super-meter filled to Level 3.
This move is basically just a souped-up hurricane kick. It has relatively poor juggling capabilities, and I dunno about its use as an anti-air defense (have to check this out, but I suspect it's not useful in this respect.)
Generally, since this move requires a full super-meter, it is not very useful in my opinion. I would use this only as a rather showy finishing move.
However, for a really sneaky use of this move, check out the Tactics section.
20. Alpha-Counter: (immediately after blocking) f + P+K (P and K must be of same strength)
In Z mode, Ken does a dragon-punch (looks like a medium dragon punch, but only hits once). Its priority is quite good, as it comes out almost instantaneously, but it is not invulnerable, and it is possible to trade damage with your opponent. Its horizontal reach is quite pathetic, making it virtually useless against most crouching attacks, and its damage (as like all alpha-counters in this game) is almost nothing
In V mode, Ken does a heavy standing kick. Its horizontal reach is superior compared to the previous alpha-counter, making this marginally more useful. (But you don't want to choose V mode simply because the alpha-counter is slightly less useless.)
In general, the use of Alpha counters is very limited in SFZero3 compared to SFZero2. I don't usually use this move except during these situations:
1) You are on the brink of getting guard-crushed. 2) You are on the brink of receiving fatal cheese damage. 3) You just want to regain the initiative from an opponent who is constantly attacking you.
However, bear in mind that since the use of alpha-counters is so limited, the opponent is likely to be doubly surprised when you do use one. He may end up playing more cautiously against you, which may be bad or good depending on the circumstances.
21. Air Recovery: Press PP after getting hit in the air
All characters have this ability. What many people do not know is that you can control the distance by which your character recovers by using the joystick. If you hold the joystick forward as you press PP, the character recovers close to the opponent. If you hold the joystick back as you press PP, the character recovers far away from the opponent. (Thanks to K. Megura and his FAQ for this info.)
22. Ground Recovery: Press KK after getting knocked down, or after you've air-blocked an attack
All characters have this ability. What many people do not know is that if you hold "f" after pressing KK, you will roll all the way behind your opponent, even if he is standing in the corner. (Thanks to K. Megura again) I suppose that judicious use of the "f" motion of the joystick can control exactly how you roll: whether you just want to move closer to them, or whether you want to pass through them.
For how you can work the ground recovery into your overall strategy, see the Tactics Guide.
------------------------------------------------------- V. Strategy Guide -------------------------------------------------------
How does strategy differ from tactics?
While most people use the word strategy interchangeably with tactics, I use these two words in this FAQ to indicate two different areas that I want the reader to be thinking about. These are my definitions of these two words, as applied in this FAQ:
Strategy: An OVERALL style of play Tactic: Specific pattern of play for a specific situation
Thus, a strategy is composed of many small different tactics. Whichever tactic is used at that point of time varies according to the situation, but the overall strategy may remain the same.
This is my strategy when using Ken, which is the way I feel he should be played, and is also the way I feel he is most effective. In fact, I may be wrong, but I also think that this is the way the game's designers at CAPCOM meant for him to be played.
Firstly, when you are playing against the computer, how does the computer Ken normally fight? (This is the modus operandi built into Ken by CAPCOM.)
Answer: He fights in such a way that you think almost immediately, this guy has one hell of an ego. Which other character in the game does so many superfluous actions like flamboyant dragon punch sequences, extravagant hurricane kicks, and rolls all around you? And mid-way through your battle, you find yourself getting nailed from behind by a Level 3 Shinryuken which you never even saw coming. Then you start to think whether all that arrogance you saw earlier was only a front to conceal his sneaky back-stabbing maneuvers he suddenly pulls out of his pocket. You wonder whether all his posturing just now was just a mask to make you underestimate him and leave yourself open for punishment when you commit errors of judgement due to your overconfidence.
The thing with computers is that they tend to be inflexible. As long as the human player starts to respect Ken and plays against him cautiously, most of them should have no problem exploiting all the unnecessary dragon- punches. But this works both ways: imagine applying a human mind to that kind of style of play the computer Ken uses. The human mind discards that which is unnecessarily vulnerable, and retains all the audacious movements that are designed to exploit errors of judgement. The human mind throws away everything that is not going to work, and keeps everything that the opponent will never expect to work, but does. The human mind can make Ken an unpredictable, sneaky, brazen, fighting machine......
And that human mind can be yours. Try thinking about Ken in those terms, and you will discover a new level to your playing which you may never have known before.
The tactics which follows are designed to fully exploit such a strategy: the strategy of being unpredictable and sneaky. Fool around with your distance and timing as much as you can, jump back and forth to confuse your opponent, and finally whip out your punches when he inadvertently over-reaches himself.
--------------------------------------------------- VI. Tactics Guide ---------------------------------------------------
The tactics guide that follows is divided into several sections. Each section describes a specific situation by which the tactics that follows can be used. Keeping to the strategy of unpredictability, one should not use the same tactic for the given situation more than once. In fact, one should reach that zone of calmness and serenity to be able to read the opponents game; be able to know what tactic he EXPECTS you to pull off, and instead do one which is diametrically opposite to that.
* : Tactics that have had a high success percentage for me.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Situation One: Your opponent has been knocked down, and is about to get up. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tactic I: Stand near him (about crouching medium kick distance away; not too near) and as he gets up, do a crouching medium kick and cancel into a heavy fireball.
Tactic II: Crouch nearer to him and do a light punch or kick as he gets up. This should forestall most of the non-special moves he might do as he recovers, since the light punch/kick has pretty good priority over most moves.
*Tactic III: Move back and forth near him, making yourself appear that you are going to do something as soon as he stands up, but playing with distance well such that you are safe from anything he might do by blocking immediately as he recovers. If he recovers with a special move (like a dragon punch), he will miss you completely and you can sweep him or Shoryureppa. (This will especially work against characters with recovery moves, like Shotokan characters. Almost all of my opponents try to demonstrate that they can recover with a DP, and I punish them dearly for it.)
Tactic IV: Jump at him from the front, prepared to do a combo or a sequence.
*Tactic V: Jump at him with a cross-up (always use medium kick for cross-ups)
Tactic VI: Jump at him but lend in front of him instead of on top of him. If he recovers with a special move (like a dragon punch), he will miss you and you can sweep him or Shoryureppa.
Tactic VII: Jump up and hurricane kick till you effectively land behind him but at a safe distance away. Fireball him or sweep him depending on what he does as he recovers.
*Tactic VIII: Stand very near him. Just before he recovers, execute a light roll and land behind him. Do either a heavy dragon punch or a Shinryuken.
Tactic IX: Stand quite near him. Just before he recovers, execute a light roll and land in front of him this time. Depending on the situation, you can fireball him, or dragon-punch, sweep or Shinryuken him.
*Tactic X: Stand quite near him. As he recovers, do your overhead kick.
Tactic XI: Stand near him. Just before he recovers, roll behind him (light roll, as always) and do an overhead kick.
Tactic XII: Stand near him. Just before he recovers, do a splat, and then either sweep, fireball, dragon-punch or super-move him.
*Tactic XIII: Stand near him. (Your sense of distance must be really excellent here to give this move a chance of success.) As he recovers, roll to the exact center of where he is going to stand. If you are confused as to whether you are now in front of him or behind him, that's the point - your opponent will be confused too. And during the roll, start your joystick motions for Shinpujinrai-Kyaku, timing your move to start just as your roll finishes (You need at full super-meter for this, and you may also decide to use a medium roll earlier to give yourself more time to input the joystick motions.) Now if you are in front of him, you will execute your level 3 Shinpukinrai Kyaku. If you are behind him, don't worry - your joystick movements will still set into motion your level 3 Shinryuken! Cool yeah? You have a 50% chance of nailing your opponent with a level 3 super-move!
--------------------------------------------- Summary of the above tactics in this section: ---------------------------------------------
The basic idea behind these tactics is that most of them will work only if your opponent is in the blocking frame of mind - that is, he recovers with a crouch-block. If they recover with a special move, start switching to Tactic III - they will pretty soon get the idea and start crouch-blocking as they recover. This is when you can start using the rest of the tactics.
For tactics which involve going behind your opponent, ideally, the opponent should also be ready to block as he recovers and not recover with a special move, because sometimes the computer will switch the direction of that special move even though it was done in the wrong direction. Meaning to say, the opponent may still hit you with a special move as he recovers even though he did it in the wrong direction, because the computer corrects the "fault" automatically.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Situation Two: Your opponent is playing defensively and crouch-blocking you. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the ideal situation, I think, because once your opponent starts turtling, you are basically free to do as you please in defeating him. You can have two motives:
1) Combo-ing or sequencing him (see the Combos, Sequences and Juggles section).
2) Guard-crushing him, either through the above, or by using a mixture of these ground-fighting moves: Crouching HK (sweep), crouching MK, backward spinning kick, and doing light rolls to maintain engagement distance for the above. Remember also that the backward spinning kick brings you slightly closer to your opponent.
Generally, in SFZero3, the strategy of turtling or playing defensively or playing reactive tactics, will definitely lose to the strategy of playing aggressively and pro-actively. Why? Because of the guard-meter. You can no longer block indefinitely and rely on cheap zero-counters (i.e. Alpha Counters) to win the game. This is what makes SFZero3 such a great game, in my opinion. The focus has changed from defensive play to offensive play, which is so much more exciting.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Situation Three: Your opponent is throwing fireballs at you, and dragon-punching you (or using any anti-air move) when you jump over. ------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tactic I: Trade a few fireballs, but vary your rhythm. Seek to put yourself at the right distance. When the opponent starts becoming predictable, jump over and HK his head. (By kicking early i.e. not striving for a combo, you become slightly less susceptible to a dragon punch/anti-air move.)
*Tactic II: At a distance longer than that in Tactic I, jump over and DO NOT kick/punch. Instead, air block as you near the opponent. If done correctly, your opponent may misjudge his dragon-punch/anti-air move and hit nothing or the move glances off your air-block and leaves him vulnerable.
Tactic III: At a distance even longer than that in Tactic II, jump over and hurricane-kick as you come downwards. Take note that you are susceptible to a sweep if you miss when the opponent crouches.
*Tactic IV: At a relatively close distance, jump over your opponent and hurricane-kick as you are still travelling upwards. This will bring you to the other side of your opponent. Carry on as you like. Usually, I do a fireball or sweep if the opponent does a futile dragon-punch.
Tactic V: Jump over and air-block his DP. Do a ground recovery and try to roll behind your opponent. Sweep or dragon-punch him or fireball him, depending on whether you are successful in rolling behind. (This tactic has surprise value only if you do it VERY rarely.)
---------------------------------------------- Summary of the Above Tactics in this Section: ----------------------------------------------
In general, since Ken should not try to trade fireballs with opponents which can churn out faster fireballs/sonic-booms, like Ryu or Charlie. Rather, vary your rhythm, throw a few fireballs just to keep your opponent guessing, watch out and be ready with a light dragon-punch if your opponent jumps over your fireball. Vary the distance, and jump over his fireball to either close in or to nail him. Mix up your intent of the jumps as much as possible - with kick, or without kick, to combo or not to combo, to air-block or not to air-block. In fact, sometimes, I jump over the opponent's fireball and jump right back, just to "test the waters" and evaluate the opponent's timing and sense of distance in performing his defenses.
---------------------------------- Additional things to take note of: ----------------------------------
Some opponents may attempt to jump-kick you out of the air as you jump-over. Stay alert, and try to kick them first if they do that. At the same time, if your opponent jumps over your fireball, you can also try this maneuver and kick/jumping hurricane-kick them out of the air.
Tactic I : This only works at the distance whereby your opponent is attempting a cross-up on you. As he is jumping in with his cross-up (and your reactive timing must be great), do a light roll forward. Your opponent will now miss his cross-up completely, and you can Shinryuken him or DP him from his back as he comes down.
Tactic II : This is an opportunistic tactic. If you ever miss your opponent with a Shinryuken (either missing completely or he blocks it), and you have at least one level of super-energy left, try doing a second Shinryuken as you finish the first. If done with the correct timing, your window of vulnerability between the two supers is VERY small, and you may end up surprising your opponent as he is moving in to nail you. (In fact, I once saw this absolutely superb Ken master play it this way. He was fighting a Ryu, and Ryu blocked his Shinryuken. After that, Ryu did a super-Hadoken, and the screen showed the Chi-animation for the super-hadoken energy building up. Immediately after the Chi-animation of Ryu's, Ken's Chi Animation for his second opportunistic Shinryuken went up! And guess who got nailed....)
+-------------------+---------------------+------------ VII. Combos, Sequences and Juggles +-------------------+---------------------+------------
These are the combos that I generally find useful and easy to use. They may not chalk up a high number of hits, but you can usually pull them off relatively easily.
The combos below can all be substituted with a jumping medium kick cross-up as the starting move if you feel like it.
--------------- Normal Combos: ---------------
Fireball Combo One: Jump forward, HP/HK, crouching MK, Heavy Fireball (3 hits) This combo has good forward range. You may follow up with a backward spinning kick to make the last part a sequence. That will also help you take a chunk out of your opponent's guard meter. Just do not get predictable with your backward spinning kick. This combo is fairly uncounterable even if you do not connect, as the fireball will push you away from the opponent.
Fireball Combo Two: Jump forward, HP/HK, crouching HP, Heavy Fireball (3 hits) This move has more damage (and hence takes more chunks off your opponent's guard meter), but it has much less forward range than the first combo, so make sure you do this only if you land deep into your opponent. Otherwise, your crouching HP (the uppercut) may just hit empty air, leaving you totally open in the interim.
Dragon Punch Combo: Jump forward, HP/HK, standing HP, heavy dragon punch (5 hits) This combo should only be done if you land "deep" into your opponent after you jump. Otherwise, you stand the risk of hitting your opponent with just one hit on your dragon punch rather than the full three hits which is supposed to knock him down. If that happens, you are easy meat for a counter-attack from your opponent. If you are not deep enough, it may be easier to just forget about the standing HP, and simply just do a heavy dragon punch as you land.
Hurricane Kick Combo: Jump forward, HP/HK, crouching MK, heavy hurricane kick(7 hits) Generally, I hardly use this unless I am certain I will hit. This combo has a generous total number of hits, but damage wise, it's not that great. And as with all hurricane kicks, it is vulnerable once it ends as Ken lands on the ground, which is why I don't use it often.
Shoryu-reppa combo: Jump forward, HP/HK, crouching MK, Shoryureppa This works if you are relatively far away. If you are deeper, you may want to try this instead: Jump forward, HP/HK, crouching LP, crouching LK, Shoryureppa In fact, the last part of this combo (ie. crouching LP, crouching LK, Shoryureppa), is ideal for your standard move against opponents who are vulnerable, like after a missed heavy dragon punch. You should also practice this move such that you can convert to a crouching MK into fireball sequence should your LP/LK fail to connect. The way I usually do it is always to do a fireball motion with my joystick as I do a crouching LK. If I can see that it connects, I just do one more fireball motion with a HP, and it will cancel nicely into a Shoryureppa. If it doesn't connect, I switch to other sequences.
Shinryuken combo: Jump forward, MK (Cross-up), crouching LK, Shinryuken You really have to land deep for this, and the best way to land deep is through doing a cross-up. If not, you may decide to forfeit the crouching LK, and simply do the Shinryuken as soon as you land.
My favorite sequence is if you successfully pull this off on your opponent in the corner. If you have a full super-meter bar before this, you expend one bar on your first Shinryuken. Then as soon as you land, you use another bar for your next Shinryuken, and it will still hit your opponent! And as soon as you land for that one, you use up your next bar for your last Shinryuken! But it is still not over.....after that, you culminate your awesome series of juggles (for that was what it was) with a heavy dragon punch! (This is the only way so far I've managed to get three consecutive supers on my opponent. And my opponent is usually dumbstruck with awe after I pull this off!)
Shinpujinrai Kyaku Combo: Jump forward, HP/HK, Shinpujinrai Kyaku I usually don't have much opportunity to use this, since you need a full super meter to pull this off. And I also find it difficult to put any sort of hit like MP/MK before the Shinpujinrai Kyaku....more often than not, I end up misfiring a roll or a hurricane kick. So I think it is best to forfeit that extra hit.
The sequences available to Ken are basically just mixing in certain moves which are not combos, but work simply because your opponent is expecting a combo and will block your sequence instead of attempting to interrupt it with a counter-move of his own.
There are no limits to the number of possible sequences one can do. It all depends on the distance between your character and your opponent's. What follows are some of my favorite sequences.
Sequence I: Jump in with HP/HK, crouching LK, overhead kick You can forfeit the crouching LK, but I've found out that doing a normal basic crouching move before doing an overhead move greatly increases the chance of the opponent getting hit by that overhead move.
Sequence II: After any crouching MK which cancels into a fireball, do a backward spinning kick. This was mentioned earlier.
Sequence III: With any combo, after your jumping kick/punch, once you land (you have to land deep), do a light roll behind your opponent. Follow-up with any move you want (I usually use heavy dragon punch), or any combo. The ultimate in deceiving your opponent would be to cross-up your opponent, then roll back to the front, and then combo him!
Sequence IV: This requires an extremely acute sense of distance. The basic idea is that with each jump-in combo, or sequence as your opponent recovers from being knocked down, you stop your combo/sequence midway and jump over your crouching opponent. Your distance has to be such that you would hit your opponent for a cross-up (use MK). Then you carry on with your combo. If done well, this sequence really allows you to chain sequences together. If done well enough, the amount of opening your opponent has to counter you, would be extremely small. And you can really take big chunks off your opponent's guard meter with this. If you are successful, you can do any super-combo for your second/third sequence, and it will eat up your opponent's guard meter completely and destroy him.
Ken is not a character that is strong in juggles - Akuma and Sakura both outshine him in this respect. Nevertheless, here are some of his juggles, which can usually be executed after a successful light dragon-punch/standing -HP/crouching HP against an airborne opponent:
Juggle I: A heavy fireball (usually works despite variations in the distance).
Juggle II: A heavy Dragon-punch (distance dependent - you may need to roll forward/hurricane-kick forward to gain the forward distance before doing this.)
Juggle III: Jump forward, and do an air-hurricane kick while rising.
Juggle III: Shoryu-reppa/Shinpujinrai-kyaku. This is generally a waste of super-energy, I think, because damage is not maximized against an airborne opponent, but it is still an option.
Juggle IV: Shinryuken: This works better against an airborne opponent. You usually have to gain some forward distance (like doing a roll first) before you can use this.
Other juggles that may work are usually doable only when you have forced the opponent to a corner. These include repeated light dragon punches, or any basic P/K. Look at the Shinryuken combo under the Super-Combo section above for my ultimate corner juggle.
+----------------+-------------------+--------------+- VIII. Additional Info +----------------+-------------------+--------------+-
Here, for want of a better category to put it under, I've put some of my thoughts on the different modes of play - Z-mode, X-mode or V-mode. I find Z-mode to be the most versatile and usable mode of play. Z-mode has the advantage over X-mode I think, because you have the Shinryuken super-move in Z-mode, which I find to be the single most useful super Ken has, or in fact, any Shotokan character has. V-mode I don't even use at all. Perhaps if there is a really good custom combo for Ken, then it might work, though I doubt it. X-mode remains a viable alternative to Z-mode if you find yourself really hard-pressed to match your opponent's speed. But although Z-mode Ken is not particularly fast, he's far from being slow. What one should try to do is to play more rapidly and aggressively, not move to a more rapid-mode, I think.
One last note: if you find yourself really hard-pressed against "cheap" characters like Dhalsim who hangs really far back and chips away at your guard-meter, then you might consider using Classic Mode. In this mode, you don't have a guard meter, so you can't be guard-crushed. But I consider this the last resort. (To access Classic mode, hold HP and HK down after you insert your money, and press Start.)
The following is adapted from K. Megura's FAQ, and is put here for the sake of completeness.
ABILITIES X-ISM Z-ISM V-ISM ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Blocking No Yes Yes Air Recovery Yes Yes Yes Ground Recovery No Yes Yes Taunts No Yes Yes Guard Power Rating High Normal Normal SC/OC Gauge Speed Slow Normal Fast Levels Available 1 3 2 (50% / 100%) Alpha Counter Cost n/a 1 SC + 1 GP 50% OC + 1 GP Damage Rating x1.2 x1.0 x0.8 Defense Rating x0.8 x1.0 x1.0
------------------------------------------------- IX. Credits -------------------------------------------------
Thanks to K.Megura for translations and his extremely helpful landmark FAQ, some of the information of which I repeated here for the sake of completeness.
Thanks to CAPCOM for making such a great game.
Thanks also to all the excellent Ken players out there who inspire me with all the amazing stuff you can do with my favorite character Ken.
And lastly, thanks to all the Ken players who read this FAQ. Your comments/suggestions/feedback would help me immensely in upgrading this FAQ.
