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Hadoken (波動拳, lit. "Wave Motion Fist") is Ryu and Ken's Neutral Special Move. Ryu and Ken launch a blue fireball that goes straight forward. Holding B will make it go longer.

Overview[]

Inputting the original commands from Street Fighter (quarter-circle forward B) will make it stronger, while inputting half-circle forward and A/B will cause Ryu to use the Shakunetsu Hadoken (灼熱波動拳, lit. "Scorching Wave Motion Fist"), a more powerful, fiery Hadoken that deals multi-hit damage, though with a shorter range. Only one Hadoken can appear on screen at a time. The difference can be seen by Ryu yelling differently and the Hadoken being bigger than the normal input. The same applies to Ken, though he lacks a Shakunetsu Hadoken.

Origin[]

The Hadoken has been Ryu and Ken's most iconic signature move throughout the Street Fighter series, used by the two as well other practitioners of the unnamed Ansatsuken martial art, including their master Gouken (who is capable of throwing one-handed Hadokens) Akuma, Sakura Kasugano, Ryu's "Evil" counterpart and his Kage doppelganger (who can throw melee range Hadokens with one hand) and Ken's "Violent" counterpart, respectively. It is an attack that is thrown through the user's hands through the motion of striking into form parallel antipodical palm thrusts, through which a ball of ki/qi is launched to strike the opponent. In sprite form, the Hadoken typically contains a spectral image of two hands in a Hadoken-throwing position. This graphical quirk is seen in Ken's version of the move in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Ryu and Ken's Hadoken graphics differing like this references the Alpha series, where while Ryu's Hadoken sprites were newly drawn and lacked the spectral hands, Ken's were reused from the original Street Fighter 2 games.

Throughout the series, characters perform the Hadoken differently and have different attributes to them. According to supplementary materials, Ryu's is the more potent between him and Ken, where it is said to be as strong as a hard kick and lingers, where Ken's is like that of a hard punch.

"Shakunetsu Hadoken" is an alternative, more powerful Hadoken that first officially debuted in Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers. The move first originated from an Easter Egg (originally believed to be a glitch) in the CPS-1 based revisions of Street Fighter II where Ryu and Ken's Hadoken fireballs would rarely appear orange instead of blue, leading players to believe a method of throwing more powerful orange Hadokens existed. From the CPS-2 revisions onward, Ryu would receive an orange Hadoken as a special move, though Ken would not (the closest Ken would come to is a levelled up fire-based Hadoken in Super Gem Fighter and as part of his Heat Rush V-trigger in Street Fighter V.) In later games, the Shakunetsu Hadoken would no longer serve as a regular special attack. In Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter Alpha 2 the Hadoken would briefly take on the appearance and abilities of Shakunetsu Hadoken when Hard Punch was used (In Street Fighter Alpha 3, it became a separate attack again). In the Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV games, Shakunetsu Hadoken would instead serve as the EX version of the Hadoken. Akuma and Ryu's counterpart, Evil Ryu also possesses this move. Also in it's original debut in Super Street Fighter II: Turbo the Shinku Hadoken was called the Hadoken (due to the fact that no Super Combos were named onscreen until Street Fighter Alpha).

Gallery[]

Ryu's Special Moves
3DS/Wii U Ultimate
Standard Special Hadoken
Side Special Tatsumaki Senpukyaku
Up Special Shoryuken
Down Special Focus Attack
Final Smash Shin Shoryuken / Shinku Hadoken

Ken's Special Moves
Ultimate
Standard Special Hadoken
Side Special Tatsumaki Senpukyaku
Up Special Heavy Shoryuken
Down Special Focus Attack
Final Smash Shinryuken/Shippu Jinraikyaku

External Links[]

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