Hadoken
| Hadoken | |
|---|---|
 Hadouken's preview icon in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. | |
| User | Ryu |
| Universe | Street Fighter |
Hadoken (波動拳, Surge Fist) (also spelled Hadouken) is Ryu's neutral special move in Super Smash Bros. 4.
Overview
Ryu shoots a large energy projectile while announcing its name. Only one Hadoken per player can be in play at any given time; attempting a second Hadoken if the first one is still active will result in Ryu making the move's pose with only a puff of harmless smoke appearing from his hands.
As with most of Ryu's special moves, performing specific direction inputs changes the properties of the Hadoken. Each version has low speed and variable damage, and travels half of Final Destination's length; because of these properties, all variations of the Hadoken are ineffective at KOing, but good for racking up damage at range, useful in Ryu's tapped tilt combos, and can be used as a option to wall off opponent's approaches, albeit being less effective than other projectiles like Megavitamins due to the limit of one active Hadoken per player. Additionally, all versions of the projectile have extremely low priority and can be blocked by almost any attack, including extremely weak projectiles, which makes Hadokens easy to counter at a distance. Shooting the projectile midair gives Ryu a tiny amount of lift, like Mario's Cape; this does not occur if Ryu fails to produce a projectile due to another one being in play.
Standard Hadoken
| “ | A projectile from a world-class fighting game. Hold down the button to vary how fast it travels. It’ll disappear after a set distance. | ” |
| —In-Game Tip | ||
Pressing only the special button performs the standard Hadoken, a small blue energy projectile, while Ryu voices out "Hadoken!" in a slightly stern voice. The damage and speed at which the projectile moves can be altered based on how long the button is held. Deals 5-6%, with low enough knockback that it can jab reset opponents.
Input Hadoken
| “ | Quickly input down, down-forward, forward for 1.25x power. You might have to practice a bit to really figure out howtodo a Hadoken. | ” |
| —In-Game Tip | ||
Inputting the original arcade input for the move (down, down forward, forward, attack/special) makes Ryu perform a stronger Input Hadoken, with him voicing out the attack with a fiercer voice. The projectile becomes slightly larger and minutely stronger in the process, doing 6-7% damage, but still travels slowly with similar range as the original. The attack emits a tiny spark if the player successfully inputs it correctly, similar to the spark seen by fast falling fighters. Ryu can also perform this while in standby after breaking the Smash Ball.
Shakunetsu Hadoken
| “ | Input back, down-back, down, down-forward, forward to unleash a fiery Shakunetsu Hadoken that can deal multiple hits. | ” |
| —In-Game Tip | ||
Performing the move while moving the control stick in a semicircle towards the direction Ryu is facing (back, down back, down, down forward, forward, attack/special) will unleash a Shakunetsu Hadoken (灼熱波動拳, Red-Hot Surge Fist). This Hadoken is coloured a blazing red, does flame damage, and deals multiple hits before exploding upon hitting an opponent. The projectile deals a total of 7-8%; like other versions of the move, however, knockback is weak and distance is unchanged. The first hit doesn't make the opponent flinch, making it possible for them to shield the rest of the attack. Ryu voices "Shakunetsu!" when using the move.
Copy Ability (Kirby)
Kirby can also perform all versions of the Hadoken once he Inhales Ryu, by inputting the same motion on the control stick. He voices out all attacks like Ryu as well, albeit in his more lighthearted voice; attempting to shoot a Hadoken while one is still in play makes Kirby voice out a short "Hah!", unlike Ryu, who simply scoffs. Kirby can also perform an Input Hadoken while in standby after breaking the Smash Ball.
Customization
Special Move customization was added in Super Smash Bros. 4. These are the variations:
| 1. Hadoken |
|---|
 |
" Fire an energy wave from your palms. Move the Circle Pad as shown to power it up. (Pad icon: Down and front)  Fire an energy wave from your palms. Move the Control Stick as shown to power it up. (Stick icon: Down and front) "
|
- Hadoken: Default
Like the other DLC characters, Ryu lacks custom move variations.
Origin
Hadoken, colloquially called a "fireball," is a special move available to several characters such as Ryu and Ken in the Street Fighter series. It involves the user thrusting their palms forward to fire a blue surge of spirit energy, or Ki. It is most commonly performed by the player moving the joystick or D-pad a quarter circle forward towards the opponent from the down position, then pressing a punch button, with the projectile's speed and distance varying depending on the specific button pressed. The creator of Street Fighter, Takashi Nishiyama, credits the 1970s anime Space Battleship Yamato as the inspiration of Hadoken, based off of a missile called Hadouho. In the main Street Fighter series, Ryu cannot perform a Hadoken in midair, but he can in some crossover games like Marvel Vs. Capcom.
The Shakunetsu Hadoken was formally introduced in Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers as a new move for Ryu, a special red fireball that could burn the opponent. In the original Street Fighter II the regular Hadoken occasionally turns red due to an easter egg (originally thought to be a glitch), which lead to rumors that this "red Hadoken" was stronger; Capcom thus decided to make the "red Hadoken" a separate move with actual differences in properties. In the Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV games, Shakunetsu Hadoken serves as Ryu's EX version of the move.
Note that in Super Street Fighter II Turbo Ryu's Shinku Hadoken was also referred to as just the Hadoken, as none of the characters' Super Combos were properly named onscreen in their debut. This was changed in Street Fighter Alpha.
Trivia
- The Input Hadoken (including the Shakunetsu Hadoken) can still be performed while in Final Smash standby mode, making Ryu (and Kirby with Ryu's Copy Ability) the only fighters who can use a neutral special move in standby after breaking the Smash Ball, barring glitches and disc load delay.
- Kirby's appearance with Ryu's Copy Ability resembles Fighter Kirby, which in turn pays homage to Ryu. Various games allow Kirby to perform some of Ryu's other attacks, like the Shoryuken (as "Rising Break") and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku (as "Aerial Spin Kick"), and both Kirby's Return to Dream Land and Kirby Triple Deluxe allow Kirby to fire the Instant Mega Force Blast using the traditional Hadoken command, which is called "Hadou-Shot" in Japan.
