 Ryu
"Fight your best or don't fight at all"
Most people already know how to use Ryu because of the fact that he's in every single Street Fighter and Versus Series game. However, the introduction of the Shotokan Mode Switch adds an entirely new aspect to his game!
Strengths
Having a split personality helps Ryu to keep his opponent confused. Depending on the mode he's in, Ryu's strategy will vary. The mode switches and resultant strategy switches will keep your opponent guessing! In all three modes, Ryu has an extremely fast super that is great for punishing mistakes. The Shinkuu Hadoken can be pulled off even in mid air, allowing him to counter even before he hits the ground! The Shoryu Reppa and Messatsu Gou Shoryu are both extremely fast and invincible during start up. If Ryu is up close to the opponent and both pull off supers, chances are that Ryu will come out on top. Whenever Ryu has a weakness that a certain character can exploit, he can switch modes to adapt to the situation! When in normal Ryu mode, he loses very little life, has an excellent dash and does a lot of damage with his strength. He's also got incredible keep away power with his fireballs and Shinku Hadoken. In Ken mode, he gains incredible speed, an awesome Dragon Punch and two extremely effective supers. Ryu's Akuma mode has the best Hurricane Kick, Akuma's multiple air attacks, speed and power all rolled into one! Finally, he's got the Raging Demon for you guys that luv to show off! Hehehe...
Weaknesses
Well for one thing, the Shotokan Switch takes up a super level. So if you want to switch to Ken or Akuma mode right as the battle begins, Ryu's opponent will have the advantage of a charged level of super meter to use! Normal Ryu is quite slow. One needs to be extremely patient in order to come out on top with him. To remedy this, constantly dash in and poke until you get an opening. Then follow up with a combo super. In Ken mode, Ryu has a horrible dash. It's very quick and is useful for dashing Dragon Punches, but in terms of ground combos, it's very hard to set up. Also, Ryu is extremely weak in Ken mode. Even his supers will do very little damage. All I can say about Akuma mode is that you should not let yourself get hit. While in Akuma mode, Ryu loses an insane amount of damage for each hit. Be careful and immediately switch to Ryu if you find yourself getting hurt.
Offence
Ryu Mode - In Ryu mode, you should rely more on ground combos than anything else. Since he has an excellent dash, keep on dashing into your opponent. Always start off Ryu's ground combos with the C.Short. From there, you can pretty much follow up with any of his ground combo supers. If they do manage to block the attacks, just cancel into a jab fireball to do some chipping damage and to push your opponent away. Ryu's Hurricane kick is extremely painful, doing tremendous damage whenever it hits. You should use it while jumping if you think that the arc of the hurricane will take Ryu behind or above his opponent. This usually crosses up most humans, allowing you to follow up. When using the Hurricane as an AC Finisher, stick to using the Short or Forward versions. The Roundhouse will leave him spinning too long. Always have the Shinkuu Hadouken ready to go! I can't stress how many matches you'll win just by reaction time alone! Most opponents have supers that will leave them open to counter attack if blocked. They pull 'em off anyway because they think that the super will push Ryu away far enough to leave them safe. Wrong! Which supers can Ryu counter with a Shinkuu? Proton Cannon, Death Bite, Maximum Spider, Captain Storm, Silhouette Blend, Royal Flush, Senretsu Kyaku and the list goes on and on. You'll get the hang of it and as soon as you see someone pull off a move that you know takes a while to recover from, punish 'em for it!
Ken Mode - Whenever you switch to Ken, you've gotta have the adrenalin pumping! As Ken, you've gotta constantly be jumping and attacking. Never give 'em a chance to breath unless they're faster than you. It's best to stick to Ken's kicks cause they're a lot better than his punches. Don't use his dash too much cause it kinda sux. It's a good way of faking them out for a Dragon Punch though! Don't use his fireballs. They are really really useless. If you like fireballs, then switch to the other two modes. Ken's specialty is air Hurricanes and Dragon Punches. However, he can still combo fireballs pretty well and his air versions are good for keeping them on the ground. Just don't try to play keep away with them. Never stay still as Ken. If you're just standing in place, the opponent knows that you're waiting for him to jump so that you can Shinryuken him. He's not dumb enough to let you do that. To get any of Ken's supers to connect, just keep jumping in with his kicks, and follow up with either a launch to Shinryuken or a C.Forward to Shoryu Reppa!
Akuma Mode - In Akuma Mode, you've gotta play with a mix of Ryu and Ken tactics. He's got the speed to play like Ken but he's got keep away tactics and air dominance that beats even Ryu! The idea with Akuma is to keep your opponent on the ground while you attack from the air. Use his diving kicks, air fireballs and Tenma Gou Zankyu to make sure they stay there. Like any other mode he's in, Ryu should dash in with his C.Short. I can't stress how important this move is for him. Akuma can follow up with a Messatsu Gou Hado or a Messatsu Gou Shoryu. Don't use the Raging Demon too often if you're in a desperate fight. Since Ryu charges the super meter really slowly, wasting three levels is simply a sin! Use it only if both your guys are still alive and you're fighting an opponent that you really want to get off your back.
Defence
Ryu's defense is basically the same in all three modes. Against jump ins, you should use either his launcher or a Dragon Punch. The launcher is safer but has less range while the Dragon Punch will leave him vulnerable, but has a better chance of connecting with a jumping opponent. Generally it's a better idea to use the launcher cauze you can follow up with a damagin air combo. However, against characters with high priority jump attacks like Spidey, Hulk, Wolverine and Captain Commando, the Dragon Punch might be a better idea. When throwing out ground fireballs, don't get predictable. If an opponent anticipates and jumps in as you throw one, you'll be left vulnerable to their best attacks! Generally it's not a great idea trying to win a fight with fireballs. The Shin Shoryuken and Shinryuken are excellent air defenders! Ryu will be invincible during the start up frames of both moves. Just make sure to pull them off at the very last second so that your opponent will already be attacking as the move starts.
Fighting Ryu
Ryu can play keep away with the best of them. Watch out for constant fireball barrages. If you jump in, chances are he'll try a Dragon Punch. Just block it and counter. Never ever try to counter the Shinkuu Tatsumaki-Senpukyaku unless you've got a beam super. Even push blocking is risky so it's best to wait it out. On the other hand, puch block the Shinkuu Hadoken as much as you can. In Akuma and Ryu modes, watch out for the Hurricane Kicks. They have great priority and will often beat you. If you block a Ken mode Hurricane, immediately counter. Don't jump over Ken mode cause he's waiting to launch you into a Shinryuken. Also, watch out for Ryu on the ground cause he'll keep dashing in and trying to trip your character for an OTG with the Super Hurricane. Ryu's air combos are extremely painful and his launcher has great priority. Watch out when jumping against him.
Moves, Combos, Strategies
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