The King of Fighters 2002 UM/Ryo Sakazaki

Movelists

Normals

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• cl.A/B/C/D are special cancel-able
• cl.A chains into itself
• cl.B is negative on block and best used within combos
• cl.D does good guard damage and is fast for a cl.D, slightly negative on block

Stand

• only s.A is special cancel-able
• s.A chains into itself
• s.B is a great horizontal spacing tool
• s.D has a steep upward angle that makes it a decent anti-air tool. On crouching opponents it will it near the end of its active frames. On smaller crouching opponents such as Chin or Bao it will whiff completely

Crouch

• cr.A/C/D are special cancel-able
• cr.A/B chain into themselves and each other
• cr.C has a totally vertical hitbox that is useful as an ant-air
• cr.D is whiff cancel-able
• all his crouching normals are safe to -1 on block
• many of Ryo's BnBs stem from his cr.A/B starters

Jumping

• NOTE: all of Ryo's jumping normals have neutral and forward versions. These sometimes interact with character sizes differently locking or unlocking angles of attack.
• j.A:neutral is a downward elbow. Forward/backward is a chop
• neutral j.A can hit crouching medium and large characters, but will whiff on small character like Yuri, Bao, Kula etc
• j.B: neutral is a downward knee. Forward/backward is a horizontal kick
• neutral j.B's downward angle allows it to hit on all character size classes
• because of the horizontal angle of forward j.B it has limited crossup possibilities
• forward j.B will whiff on the smaller characters
• j.C: neutral is a quick horizontal punch. Forward/backward is a downward angled punch. Hop neutral j.C is also the downward angled strike
• j.C is Ryo go-to jump in tool. It has nice ambiguous crossup properties.
• j,D: neutral is a spinning air roundhouse with an upward angle. Neutral hop D is also the spinning kick. Forward/backward is a downward angled kick
• j.D in neutral hop is a decent air to air for certain situations, but at full neutral jump the angle to a bit high to be useful. Hop j.D can be used as jump in on large opponents.
• j.D in normal and super jumps are a good jump in tool to start combos, but it has a deceptive hitbox that starts more toward Ryo's ankle and is not very big leaving it an imperfect tool with a tendency to whiff.
• j.D as a jump in will whiff completely on smaller characters like Bao, Chin etc
• j.D does have crossup ability which is much easier to judge on larger characters

Blowback

• Ryo's s.CD is quite fast and is even on block
• s.CD is whiff cancel-able which gives Ryo an interesting advancement ability by canceling into qcf+C or by staying in pressure by canceling into one of Ryo's parry command moves
• s.CD will whiff on crouching smaller characters
• j.CD has a slight upward angle that makes it whiff on crouching characters leaving it largely as an air to air move

Throws

Tana Otoshi - (close b/f + C)

• causes hard knockdown

Tomoe Nage - (close b/f + D)

• causes soft knockdown
• Ryo throws the opponent behind him 100% of the screen

Command Moves

Hyouchuu Wari - (f + A)

• Ryo slides forward with a thunderous chop
• you can combo into it, but not out of it except to cancel into BC mode
• if done raw it is an overhead

Joudan Uke - (f + B)

• Ryo throws out his palm and forearm parrying the opponents next move
• this move essential eats up some or all of the active frames of your opponents moves.
• this version will parry mids and high attacks, but not lows
• if timed correctly it can parry both hits of a 2 hit normal such as Lin's cl.C
• this version will parry most mid fireballs like Athena's or Kensou's, but not low fireball like Iori's
• it can cancel normals into Ryo's parry from block stun allowing for blockstring mixups if you think your opponent will try to attack.
• it can be thrown out of the parry by normal and command throws

Gedan Uke - (df + B)

• Ryo blasts a fist angled to the ground, parrying the opponents low attacks
• parries low normals and low fireballs like Iori's
• like the mid/high parry a wonderful move to make your opponent think twice from throwing out moves in block stun
• it can still be hit by some of the slower sweeps in the game if mistimed
• it can be thrown be normal and command throws

Special Moves

Ko Ou Ken/Ken Ko - (qcf + A/C)

• Ryo throws a puissant fist toward the opponent, creating a large burst of physical energy
• both versions can be comboed into, hit mid, make the opponent fly into the air and cause soft knockdown
• both versions have a small hurtbox on Ryo's fist making it possible for opponents to hit Ryo out of the move if you are too predictable in applying it.
• A version is faster and leaves Ryo stationary
• A version is negative on block, but can be made safe by spacing
• A version is one of Ryo's primary pressure and combo tools
• C version is slower and moves Ryo forward toward the opponent
• C version is more negative on block, but it can be mitigated by spacing
• C version is Ryo's harder hitting combo ender for a jumpin you've confirmed and a great way to space your opponent while advancing on them

Kohou - (dp + A/C)

• Ryo leaps into the air with the most classic expression of fighting: the dragon punch
• both versions hit mid and cause soft knockdown
• both versions are negative on block, C version much more so
• both versions are super cancellable
• A version hits once and has a much shorter vertical reach
• A version is Ryo's best reversal
• C version hits twice, has a vertical reach that nearly hits the top of the screen and Ryo moves forward slightly before hitting
• C version is best used as a more damaging combo ender or way into super, but can be used sparingly in anti-air instances

Hien Shippu Kyaku - (hcb + B/D)

• Ryo flys through the air in a flurry of kicks
• both versions hit mid and causes soft knockdown
• both versions are extremely negative on block
• both versions are comboable
• B version hits twice and goes about half the screen
• D version hits three times and goes full screen
• D version's 2nd and 3rd hits will whiff on crouching opponents even if comboed (on large opponents only the 3rd hit whiffs)
• because of how negative on block these moves they should mostly remain combo filler for corner carry

Zansetsuken - (f, b, f + A/C)

• Ryo creates a vacuum of punches in front of him, sending the opponent bruised and flying
• both versions hit mid and are very unsafe on block
• both versions can be comboed into
• interestingly both versions will whiff the first hits on crouching opponents, but if it then hits anyway it will still do the full 13 hits
• A version ends with horizontal smash and a hard knockdown
• C version ends with an uppercut and soft knockdown
• C version stays on the screen longer

Kohou Shippuken - (qcb + A/C)

Mouko Raijinsetsu - (qcf + B/D)

Desperation Move

Haohshoukoken - f, hcf + A/C

Ryuuko Ranbu - qcf, hcb + A/C

Super Desperation Move

Tenchi Haohken - qcf x 2 + AC

HSDM

Retsu Ryuuko Ranbu - qcf, hcb + AC

Geki Ryuuko Ranbu qcf + C,A

Combos

• cr.B×1～2, Far A, hcb+B
• cr.B, cr.A, qcfx2+AC
• cr.B, cr.C, qcf+P/hcb+K/qcf hcb+P
• qcb+P, hcb+B/qcfx2+AC
• qcb+A, (run) Far A/cr.C
• (corner) j.C, cl.C, qcf+A, dp+A/cr.C/cl.D

JCD Counter Hit

• j.CD (CH), qcf+C
• (corner) j.CD (CH), qcf+A, dp+C
• (corner) j.CD (CH), qcfx2+AC
• (corner) j.CD (CH), hcb+D

Max Mode

• (corner) j.C, cl.C, f b f+C, (DC) qcb+C (1), (DC) dp+C (1), (DC) qcf+D

BC Mode

• f+A,(BC run) cl.C, qcf hcb+A/qcfx2+AC
• cl.C,(BC run) cl.C, dp+C, (SC) qcf hcb+A/qcfx2+AC
• cl.C,(BC run) cl.C, f+A, qcfx2+AC

Max Mode Tenchi Haohken Set-ups

• j.C, cl.C, f+A, (BC) qcfx2+AC,(dizzy, corner) j.C, cl.C, qcf+A, dp+A
• j.C, cl.C, f+A, (BC) qcfx2+AC, (dizzy), j.C, cl.C, qcf hcb+A
• j.C, cl.C, f+A, (BC) qcfx2+AC, (dizzy), j.C, cl.C, dp+C (1), (SC) qcf hcb+A
• j.C, cl.C, f+A, (BC) qcfx2+AC, (dizzy), (BC) j.C, cl.C, MAX2
• j.C, cl.C, f+A, (BC) cr.C, qcfx2+AC,(dizzy), (BC) j.C, cl.C, MAX2
• j.C, cl.C, (BC) cl.C, f+A, dp+C (1), (SC) qcfx2+AC, (dizzy), (BC) j.C, cl.C, MAX2

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