Ryu (Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U)

''This article is about Ryu's appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. For other uses, see Ryu.''

Ryu(リュウ, 隆, Ryū) is the main character from Capcom's Street Fighter series. He is a downloadable character in ''Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. '' He is the fifth non-Nintendo character to appear in the series, following Solid Snake, Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man and Pac-Man.He was shown in a leak showing actual gameplay of him, and then officially confirmed during Nintendo Direct on June 14th. He became available for download in June 14th, 2015, alongside Lucas and Roy.

Strengths:

 * Has a huge variety of moves depending how the button is pressed.
 * Has one of the strongest combo potentials in the game, which was even referenced by Sakurai in the Nintendo Direct.
 * Most of his attacks deals high hitstun and have high priority.
 * Good mobility on both ground and air.
 * Has a Meteor Smash: Down Aerial.
 * Can cancel many of his Tilt Attacks into Special Attacks.
 * Low to no ending lag on many moves, further increasing his combo potential.
 * Good horizontal and vertical recovery with Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Shoryuken, respectively.
 * His Special Moves can be adjusted in speed, power and/or range depending how long the B button is pressed. Inputting the half and quarter-circle commands result in a even stronger version of said moves.
 * Hadoken is a good tool for spacing, being fast and causing significant hitstun. Players can input a half-circle command to unleash the Shakunatsu Hadoken, which is a fire-based Hadoken which causes multiple hits and strong knockback in the end.
 * Shoryuken, when input with the command, grants Ryu invincibility frames and no landing lag penalty.
 * Focus Attack grants Ryu a very powerful super armor, although for only one hit; any additional hit will interrupt his attack. The stun effect it causes is unique to the game, with the opponent falling down to his/her knees on the ground, being the highest hitstun in the game.
 * Additionally, players can cancel its execution, much like in Street Fighter IV, allowing for more mindgames. Also, if the aerial version is cancelled, Ryu will do a short dash towards the direction the player has input; this can aid in his recovery and give him more mix ups.
 * Players can change the direction of the attack by holding left or right after the special button is pressed; changing direction doesn't increase its damage, unlike Falcon Punch and Warlock Punch.
 * Has two Final Smashes depending on the distance between him and the opponent: Shin Shoryuken if very close, and Shinku Hadoken.

Weaknesses:

 * Difficult to master due the unique control scheme.
 * Shakunatsu Hadoken can only be used through the half-circle command.
 * Hadoken cannot be spammed: Ryu can only use it again after the projectile connects with an opponent or disappears after reaching full range.
 * Below average recovery.
 * Shoryuken, while granting him a high horizontal boost if the button is held, has an obscene ending lag after the punch is delivered. Ryu will only become helps after the ending animation of his recovery from the Shoryuken ends; until that he cannot control his landing trajectory.
 * Low to medium range on many attacks.

Summary
Ryu's gameplay has one of the most unique mechanics of all characters in the Smash series; his controls tries to replicate the control scheme of the Street Fighter series, where players fight using 6 buttons for weak, medium and strong attacks. Since the Smash Bros. series uses only two buttons for attacks (one for normal attacks and other for Special Attacks), players can use different attacks depending on how long the attack button is pressed (tap for a weak attack, and hold for a strong attack). Also, all but his Down Special Move can be used by inputting using half and quarter-circles for a stronger variation of just pressing the B button.

His combo potential is one of the most versatile in the game, with many of his attacks being able to chain together depending on how long the player presses the button, whether they tap it or press and hold it. Those attacks also deal a good amount of hitstun, allowing players to keep combos going.

As for his finishing moves, his Forward Smash, Back Aerial and Down Aerial (if sweetspotted) are his strongest normal attacks, while Shoryuken is his most powerful attack if input with command, KO'ing opponents below 90% if sweetspotted.

One of Ryu's flaws, however, lies in his poor recovery, even with the B button being held to extend the range. His Hadoken also cannot be spammed like other projectiles, functioning much like Bowser Jr.'s Cannonball: can only be used after the projectile disappears. This gives Ryu trouble in zoning, forcing him to go offensive more often.

Normal

 * Neutral Attack (Weak): Ryu does a series of three punches: a jab (2%), a cross (3%) and a hook (5%). The last hit inflicts significant knockback. Based off his standing light punch, close medium punch and standing hard punch in Street Fighter III, respectively, and the second attack can also be seen as a reference to his "Solar Plexus Strike" command normal from Super Street Fighter II Turbo onward. It is one of the strongest Neutral Combos in the game in terms of damage.
 * Neutral Attack (Strong): Ryu does a roundhouse kick (10%), launching opponents diagonally upwards. Great for spacing and can kill at higher percents. Based off his standing heavy kick from Street Fighter II.
 * Side Tilt (Weak): Ryu does a quick kick forward (6%). Good range, though a bit slow. Useful for spacing. Based off his standing medium kick from Street Fighter III.
 * Side Tilt (Strong): Collarbone Breaker ((鎖骨割り, Sakotsu Wari) - Ryu does a punch that goes downward, dealing two hits (3%, 4%). It inflicts a lot of shield damage (specially the second hit), enough to break it in one go. Has a considerable startup lag, but the attack is quite fast. Based off his "Collarbone Breaker" command normal - The input is forward medium punch in Street Fighter - from Super Street Fighter II Turbo onwards.
 * Down Tilt (Weak): Ryu does a quick kick (1%) with low range. Can combo with itself if tapped repeatedly, as well "lift up" characters that are in their lie down animation (floor recovery), allowing for more combos. It is possible to cancel it into a  Special Move . Based off his crouching light kick from Street Fighter II.
 * Down Tilt (Strong): Ryu does a strong kick (7%) with more range, but with considerable ending lag. It is possible to cancel it into a Special Move, but only if it connects with the opponent. Based off his crouching medium kick from Street Fighter II.
 * Up Tilt (Weak): Ryu does a quick elbow strike upwards (2%). It's one of Ryu fastest attacks, which can combo with itself as well lock opponents. However it doesn't connect well against shorter enemies such as Kirby. It is possible to cancel it into a Special Move. Based off his close standing light punch in Street Fighter II onward.
 * Up Tilt (Strong): Ryu does a quick uppercut (12%). It's Ryu strongest tilt in terms of both damage and knockback. A good follow up from his Weak Up Tilt. Very low horizontal range. Based off his close standing heavy punch from Street Fighter II onward.
 * Dash Attack: Ryu does a flying kick (12% on first frames, 8% on later frames). Quite fast, and has high base knockback for a dash attack. However, it has considerable ending lag. Based off his original jumping medium and heavy kick in the Street Fighter Alpha/Zero games.

Smash

 * Side Smash: Joudan Sokutogeri (上段足刀蹴り, "High-Level Leg Blade Kick") - Ryu does a forward kick (16% close, 17% far) that moves him slightly forward. The tip of his foot is a powerful sweetspot. Originates from Street Fighter III. It's Ryu's strongest Smash Attack, as well his ground attack with the highest range. Was originally his half-circle forward kick special from Street Fighter III.
 * Up Smash: Ryu does an uppercut (17%), with higher vertical reach than his Strong Up Tilt. Powerful but has very low horizontal range. A good follow up for his Weak Up Tilt. Based off his crouching heavy punch in the original Street Fighter.
 * Down Smash: Ryu does a sweeping kick (15% close, 16% far) along the ground. Unlike most Down Smashes, it only its in one side, in front of Ryu. It launches opponents more horizontally. It's Ryu's fastest, but also weakest Smash Attack, having slightly less reach than his Forward Smash. Good for edge guarding. Based off his crouching heavy kick from Street Fighter II.

Aerial Attacks

 * Neutral Aerial: Ryu hits with his knee and his fist at the same time (8% on first frames, 4% on later frames). Low range but very fast, being a reliable Sex Kick for starting combos. Good for starting combos, and it auto-cancels on the ground. Based off his jumping light kick in Street Fighter II.
 * Forward Aerial: Ryu does his classic flying kick, the foot is the sweetspot (15% on first frames, 13% on later frames, 9% on sourspot). It's also a Sex Kick. Based off his jumping heavy kick from Street Fighter II.
 * Back Aerial: Ryu does a backward round-house kick (16%), his foot has strong launch power, while his upper leg inflicts high shield damage. It is Ryu's strongest aerial, being a powerful finisher. Very useful in short hops for a surprise KO. Based off his neutral jumping heavy kick from Street Fighter II.
 * Up Aerial: Ryu does an uppercut that deals two hits (5% and 6%). Good for starting combos, and it auto-cancels on the ground. Based off of Ryu's jumping medium punch from Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
 * Down Aerial: Ryu does a downward punch (15% on sweetspot, 11% on sourspot). Can Meteor Smash opponents if it connects with his arm near his chest, at the first frames.. It is one of the fastest Meteor Smashes in the game, sending opponents diagonally downwards rather than straight down; can safely Meteor Smash opponents near the edge trying to recover with a jump. Based off of Ryu's jumping heavy punch from Street Fighter II.

Grabs and Throws

 * Pummels: Hits opponents with his knee (2%). Based off of Ken's - Ryu's sparring partner and best friend who has the same fighting style as him - neutral throw in Street Fighter III.
 * Forward Throw: Shoulder Throw - Ryu throws the opponent straight forward (9%). Based off of Ryu's punch throw in Street Fighter II.
 * Back Throw: Somersault Throw - Ryu falls on his back on the ground, and launches the opponent behind him with his foot (12%). Based off of Ryu's kick throw in Street Fighter II.
 * Down Throw: Ryu throws the opponent on the ground and attacks with a chop (9%). It launches the opponent diagonally up and has considerable low knockback scaling, allowing for many follow ups, specially against fast fallers. Based off of the block chopping bonus game from the original Street Fighter.
 * Up Throw: Ryu does an axe kick (8%) and then kicks again downwards (15%). It is one of the few throws in the game that deals two hits, as well dealing the highest damage of any throw in the game. Can combo into his other aerials at low percentages against fast fallers. Based off of Ryu's close heavy kick in Street Fighter II.

Street Fighter Inputs

 * ↓ ↘ →+A (facing right): Hadoken (Fireball)
 * ↓  ↙ ←+A (facing right): Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (Hurricane Kick)
 * → ↓ ↘+A (facing right): Shoryuken (Dragon Punch)
 * ← ↙ ↓ ↘ →+A (facing right): Shakunetsu Hadoken (Scorching Fireball)

Negative Edge
The Negative Edge is a technique used in the Street Fighter series that also shows up in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U excusively to Ryu, it's a easier way to use his input Specials. It's done by holding A or B, doing the input of the Special Move you want to use and releasing it.

Taunts

 * Up Taunt: Turns around and tightens his headband while saying "Come on!"
 * Side Taunt: Points his fist forward while saying "Talk is cheap!".
 * Down Taunt: He slams his foot on the ground, bending his knees and getting on the balls of his feet, putting his fists by his sides. He grunts while doing this. Resembles his tenth taunt from Street Fighter IV or his standard taunt from Street Fighter III.

In Competitive Play
To be added.

Ryu

 * 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!

Ryu (Alt.)

 * 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!

Trivia

 * Ryu is the first DLC character to be a newcomer, as well as the first third-party DLC character.
 * Ryu is the second Capcom character to be in Super Smash Bros (the first being Mega Man).
 * This makes Capcom the first third party company to have multiple characters in Smash Bros.
 * Ryu is the first and only character who has additional moves beyond those of the other fighters, as he can use different attacks depending on how much the attack button is pressed. This makes Ryu the character with the highest amount of normal attacks in the game.
 * Ryu is the only character that can input commands to unleash special attacks. Entering his traditional Street Fighter special move inputs also changes the potency of these Special Attacks. When using them with input commands, the attacks make a different sound effect from his normal Specials, both in the hit sound as well in Ryu's voice. They also have a distinct graphical effect to further show the differences between types of Special Attacks.
 * The buffed special moves performed by using the original Street Fighter move inputs are also a reference to the EX Specials that were introduced in the console ports of Street Fighter: The Movie and Street Fighter III: Second Impact.
 * Ryu is the first and only character that has two Final Smashes, one when he is far away from the opponents (Shinku Hadoken) and one when near them (Shin Shoryuken).
 * The "Here comes a new challenger! Ryu" is a reference to when a second player joins while the player 1 is fighting in the Arcade Street Fighter. His character trailer is an homage to the opening of Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers in which he is seen in the shadows and throws a hadouken. He ends the trailer with the line, "You must defeat my Shoryuken to stand a chance!" which references his winning line from Street Fighter II (Though in North America it was infamously mistranslated as "Sheng Long" rather than "Shoryuken").
 * His character poster is an homage to the original Street Fighter II Japanese brochure, which replaces the Street Fighter characters with Smash Bros characters.
 * Ryu's alternate colors are based off of his colors from the original Street Fighter II and its revisions.
 * Ryu's All Star "clear" image is a humorous reference to the famous "Shun Goku Satsu" super used by Akuma. Said "clear" image features Ryu down and out on the ground with a grey Yoshi standing over him with his back to the camera as well as Ryu's Final Smash "sunburst" effect overlaid in the background. In the Street Fighter series, Akuma's Shun Goku Satsu would normally end in a similar fashion, with Akuma standing over his defeated enemy with his back to the camera, and the Japanese kanji for "Heaven" shown in the background as well as glowing on Akuma's back.
 * Ryu's "Give it your all!" win animation is his win screen animation from Street Fighter IV.
 * Ryu's attacks, when connecting, trigger hitsounds from the SNES version of Street Fighter II, making him one of the few characters to have this attribute.
 * One of Ryu's Victory Animations has him slinging a duffel bag over his shoulder. This duffel bag is the same one he drops down in his normal intro in Street Fighter III. In story, it is stated that his bag contains travel supplies as well as money in various different international currencies.
 * Ryu's perfect shield is a reference to the parry mechanic present in Street Fighter III and his Omega form's Parry special in Ultra Street Fighter IV, including the original Parry sound effect from III and the particular pose from the same games.
 * Ryu's trailer shows him using the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku and Shoryuken while being pushed by Mario's F.L.U.D.D. This references Ryu's ending from Street Fighter II where he trains by continually performing Shoryukens under a waterfall.
 * Ryu's poster artwork seen in his page in the official Smash Bros. site was illustrated by AKIMAN, the original character designer for Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. It is also a direct imitation of a piece of promotional art for that game.
 * The remix of Ryu's Street Fighter II stage theme is arranged by the song's original composer, Yoko Shimomura.
 * Ryu's 3DS Classic "clear" image displays both him and a beat-up Little Mac on a black screen, imitating the typical post-match victory screen from the original Street Fighter II wherein the loser's portrait featured their character looking quite injured. Ryu's pose in said image also resembles his original character select portrait from Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. The "Congratulations!" caption is also written in the original CPS-1 SFII font.
 * Smash Bros. marks the third time Ryu and Mega Man were present and playable in the same game (The first two being Marvel vs. Capcom and its sequel, Marvel vs. Capcom 2) as well as the second time for Ryu and Pac-Man (the first being Street Fighter X Tekken, although in that game Pac-Man rode a hollowed out Mokujin machine.)