Ryu (SSB4): Difference between revisions

|ranking = 11

:{{Cquote|Here Comes A New Challenger! Ryu|cite=Introduction tagline}}

Ryu is voiced by Kyle Hebert in English and Hiroki Takahashi in Japanese, both of whom have voiced him since ''Street Fighter IV'' and make him sound akin to his appearance in ''Street Fighter V''.

Ryu is ranked 11th out of 55 on the [[tier list]], placing him at the bottom of A tier. In addition to tying him with {{SSB4|Marth}}, this renders both of them as the lowest ranking top-tier characters. The control input carryover from the ''{{Uv|Street Fighter}}'' series benefits Ryu immensely, with his tapped attacks being useful combo starters and his held attacks being great combo finishers or potent KO options. This is complemented by his multiple combo-breaking options, such as [[Shoryuken]], neutral aerial, and [[Focus Attack]], all which have quick start-up and make him surprisingly difficult to [[juggle]], whereas the latter two also allow him to start damaging combos due to the good damage and speed of his moveset.

Ryu's recovery is also very easy to [[gimp]] if [[Shoryuken]] is his only available option, due to its fixed movement and inability to [[edge sweetspot]] until the later half of its animation. Finally, Ryu often suffers with "forcing" KOs, as he lacks reliable finishing moves outside of set-ups from Focus Attack or his tapped tilts, making it difficult for him to KO without starting a combo.  

Despite his abundance of strengths, Ryu has his weaknesses, some of which are exploitable. Despite his aforementioned recovery being very long-distanced overall, it is very short if many extendable elements, such as [[Tatsumaki Senpukyaku]], are not utilized. Canceled Focus Attack still requires a brief charge before it can be canceled. Tatsumaki Senpukyaku's long duration makes it susceptible to being interrupted by long-ranged attacks during use, and he can only use it once before landing (unless he is affected by hitstun). Ryu's falling speed, low jumps and very poor air acceleration causes his vertical recovery to suffer if he is constantly forced offstage at lower trajectories, which is exacerbated by Shoryuken's recovery being almost strictly vertical while also having very high aerial lag. As such, while Ryu has a manageable horizontal recovery, his vertical recovery is easy to predict and interrupt. Additionally, while Ryu excels at shield pressure, his [[grab]] game is otherwise poor. Aside from its high damage output and quick [[pummel]], none of his throws have effective follow-up or KO potentials due to them having too much knockback to combo, and too little to secure stocks. Down throw is his only combo throw, but only at very low percents, while the unique mechanics of his other throws only work in [[doubles]] play (down throw instantly breaking shields, and up throw being capable of KOing bystanders).  

Ryu's strong combo potential is also held back by his mediocre [[neutral game]], with several factors making it difficult for him to find openings. His very slow walking speed hinders the otherwise great utility of his tilt attacks, and his overall range is very short despite his good frame data (especially in regard to his tapped tilts and neutral aerial), giving him trouble with characters who possess [[Hitbox|disjointed hitboxes]], especially when including his tall stature. His only projectile, [[Hadoken]], is very easily telegraphed and punishable due to its sluggishness and lag. Overall, these two issues force him to play patiently and take advantage of any openings, due to his difficulty with contending against opposing [[camping]] and inability to force [[approach]]es. Aside from the advantages granted by his neutral aerial and Focus Attack, Ryu's aerial approach is comparatively poor due to his fixed arc jumps, which forces him to commit with air attacks. Furthermore, the advantages offered by Focus Attack are match-up dependent; it is relatively ineffective against characters with several multiple hitting moves (most notably {{SSB4|Meta Knight}} and {{SSB4|Fox}}), with some characters being able to exploit it for a free hit (such as {{SSB4|Shulk}} and {{SSB4|Cloud}} with their up aerial and [[Cross Slash]], respectively). As Focus Attack is also Ryu's main method of escaping combos against such characters, Ryu's high weight and rather quick falling speed leave him susceptible to some combos and juggles, and his slow fast-falling speed gives him occasional difficulty landing.  

Overall, Ryu is a combo-oriented fighter with a fearsome offensive ability, due to his unique mechanics deliberately giving him the true combos necessary for many characters' competitive success; his ability to overwhelm opponents by trapping them in hitstun/shield pressure, multiple options to negate and escape combos, along with his dependable recovery all tie in to him being very rewarding and unpredictable, with his strengths overpowering his weaknesses. However, his polarized movement, subpar neutral, and lack of approach make him difficult to use optimally without mastering his options. Possibly his biggest issue is his notably high learning curve; much practice is generally required for his command specials in order to use them reliably and consistently rather than accidentally inputting the wrong move. Additionally, using the C-stick or other separate analog stick for tilts is arguably more essential to Ryu's optimal playstyle than to any other character, due to the dexterity required to pull off his command inputs during combos, making him more difficult to play using controllers that lack a second analog stick or on a first generation Nintendo 3DS system.  

Ryu has been buffed both directly and indirectly via game updates. Update [[1.1.0]] increased the length of his turn around animation, which allows for easier usage of his directional inputs without accidentally turning him around. The same update's changes to shield mechanics, alongside update 1.1.1's universal increase in [[shieldstun]], also greatly helped Ryu's already impressive shield pressuring potential.

*{{buff|Turn around animation length increased|2 frames|5. This makes directional inputs easier to perform without unintentionally turning Ryu around.}}

|neutral3dmg=5%  

|ftiltname=Collarbone Breaker ({{ja|鎖骨割り|Sakotsu Wari}}, "Collarbone/Clavicle Splitter") (held)

|dtiltname=Light Ankle Kick (Tapped)<br>Heavy Ankle Kick (Held)

|fsmashname=Joudan Sokutougeri ({{ja|上段足刀蹴り|Jōdan Sokutō Geri}}, "High-Level Foot Edge Kick")

|fairname=Tobigeri

|uairname=Sukui Tsuki

|dairname=Straight Punch

|bthrowname=Somersault Throw

|uthrowname=Heel Drop

|fsdmg=1% (Shin Shoryuken electricity), 10% (Shin Shoryuken hits 1-2), 20% (Shin Shoryuken last), 29%-30% (Shinku Hadoken)

|fsdesc=A Final Smash that varies depending on range. At point-blank range, Ryu traps the opponent with the '''Shin Shoryuken''', a three-hit combo that launches the opponent with an even stronger Shoryuken. Begins KOing at specific percentages for every character, much like [[Straight Lunge|KO Uppercut]] and [[Limit Charge|Finishing Touch]]. At any other range, Ryu performs the '''Shinku Hadoken''', a much larger Hadoken that [[windbox#pulling attacks|vacuums]] nearby opponents into it before dragging them a distance across the screen and exploding. Shin Shoryuken has much higher KO potential against a single opponent, whereas Shinku Hadoken has more range, reliably affects multiple opponents, and is capable of bypassing walls.

''See also: [[:Category:Ryu professionals (SSB4)]]''

*{{Sm|Trela|USA}} (#65) - The best Ryu player in the world for the first 2 years of the game's active lifespan. Placed 1st at {{Trn|2GGT: Fresh Saga}}, 4th at {{Trn|Clutch City Clash 2}}, 9th at both {{Trn|The Big House 5}} and {{Trn|EVO 2016}}, and 17th at {{Trn|2GGC: Civil War}} with wins over players such as {{Sm|ZeRo}}, {{Sm|MkLeo}}, and {{Sm|VoiD}}. Formerly ranked as high as 1st on the [[Texas Power Rankings]].  

:'''Ryu'''

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Ryu visits from the Street Fighter series! Ryu's fighting style is based on karate, but he's mixed in some other martial arts to make his own unique style. In Smash, he will perform either weak or strong attacks depending on if you press or hold down the buttons. His special attacks also have three power levels!''

::{{flag|pal}} ''Ryu makes his Super Smash Bros. debut! His fighting style is based on a form of karate, but he's mixed in some other martial arts to make his own unique style. Here his attacks can be weak or strong depending on whether you press or hold the buttons. Each of his specials have 3 levels of power using the same method.''

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Ryu's Focus Attack move lets him withstand a blow and then counterattack. The longer you hold it, the longer your enemies will be stunned if you hit them. If it hits a standing enemy, the enemy will become defenseless. When that happens, cancel your Focus Attack and unleash a sick combo!''

 

::{{flag|pal}} ''Ryu's down special, Focus Attack, allows him to withstand a single attack and then unleash a counter. The longer you hold the button, the longer a standing enemy will be stunned if you hit them. An enemy in the air will fall slowly, defenceless. When that happens, cancel the Focus Attack and go for the knock-out!''

 

:'''Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken'''

::{{flag|ntsc}} ''Use this attack when Ryu is far away from an enemy to unleash a Shinku Hadoken that penetrates through the stage. But if you use it when Ryu is close to an enemy, he'll unleash a Shin Shoryuken uppercut attack. When it hits, Ryu will follow up with his other fist and launch the opponent up, up, and away!''

 

::{{flag|pal}} ''Ryu's Final Smash takes on two different forms depending on how close Ryu is to the enemy. If he's farther away, he'll use Shinku Hadoken, a move that pulls in any enemies nearby. If closer, he'll instead use Shin Shoryuken. He'll hit the enemy once with a powerful uppercut, then follow it up with the other fist to finish the job!''

 

RyuTrophy3DS.png|Classic (3DS)