#05 - How to Memorize All These Moves?
(Continuing the guide I was writing previously)
Virtua Fighter has so many moves it can make your head spin, and each of those moves has a different risk, return, and purpose, making them used more diversely than in other games. This is why even with a small character roster, it takes much longer to research countermeasures. I'll share a surprisingly easy way to understand this.
1️⃣ Define the Abstract Tiers of Moves
While some moves in Virtua Fighter have different performances to maintain character individuality, you can generally understand the advantage/disadvantage after guard/hit by categorizing them.
| Class | tot | Startup | On Guard | On Hit | On Counter | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Punch / 立P | 27 | 12 | +2 | +5 | +8 | Some characters have 11P. Damage difference in order: Takaarashi > Wolf/Jeffrey > Others > 11P |
| Crouching Punch / しゃがP | 33 | 12 | -5 | +4 | +7 | All characters have identical specs. Takaarashi has slightly longer range. |
| Elbow / 肘 | 36 | 14 | -4/5 | +0 | +7 | Lei-Fei/Shun/Vanessa (Def.) do not have Elbow. |
| Short Knee / こ膝 | 40~ | 15/16 | -4/5 | +0~3 | +5~ | Possessed by: Lion·Brad·Jeffrey·Jacky·Jean·Sarah·Pai·Lau·Vanessa (Off.) |
| Mid Kick / ミドル | 42~ | 16 | -6/7 | +0 | +8 | Lion/Vanessa/Aoi have slower startup and longer reach. Jeffrey/Wolf have different characteristics. |
| Uppercut / アッパー | 45~ | 15/16 | -6/8 | +3 | down | As it's a crouching move, an additional +1F is needed when performed standing at max speed. Some do not have an uppercut. |
| Knee Kick / 膝 | 54~ | 17 | -15 | down | down | Lau/Lion/Lei-Fei/Aoi/Shun/Vanessa (Def.) do not have it. |
| Low K / 下段 | 46~ | 14/16 | -15 | -6 | 0~ | Properties vary significantly by character. |
| Low Spinning Kick / 下段全回転 | 58 | 19~ | -18 | -4 | down | - |
There are character-specific exceptions, but once you organize them like this, it's not difficult to just remember the exceptions. The further down the table you go, the longer the animation, slower the startup, and larger the opening.
2️⃣ How to Interpret Those Numbers?
While most fighting games consider frame advantage/disadvantage, how to interpret its meaning in Virtua Fighter might be unfamiliar, so I've organized it in a table.
| Advantage Frames | Characteristics | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 1~3 | Slight Advantage | A buffered jab or elbow beats all opponent's moves. |
| 4~6 | Significant Advantage | A buffered mid kick or uppercut beats all opponent's moves, creating a throw/mid mix-up. |
| 7~9 | Mix-up Opportunity | Can strongly initiate powerful combo starters, spinning moves, or throws (stronger than a Knee Kick). |
| 10~11 | Guaranteed Throw | If you throw with a buffered input, there's no counterplay except a throw escape. |
| 12~13 | PK Guaranteed | - |
| 14~15 | Elbow/High Attack Guaranteed | - |
| 16 | Mid Kick Guaranteed | - |
| 17~ | Knee Kick Guaranteed | - |
3️⃣ Moves that Nullify Frame Advantage/Disadvantage
- Jump moves (e.g., Lion's 8K)
- Counter-attack moves·Sabaki (parry/evade)·Moves with Super Armor properties
- Moves that dodge and hit by ducking or retracting the body, such as Lei-Fei's Haiya (1P+K) or Akira's Mabochoukou (2_3P+K)
- Extremely fast special moves outside standard specifications
| Move Name | Character | Startup | Hit Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cut Uppercut (3P) | Vanessa(D) | 10 | High |
| Crush Jaw (Standing up ↖Neutral P) | Vanessa(D) | 13 | Mid |
| Yoji (43P) | Aoi | 13 | Mid |
| Souanshou (3P+K) | Pai | 12 | Mid |
| Back Knuckle (44P) | Sarah | 10 | High |
| Sharp Sword (44K) | Sarah | 13 | High |
| Ti Sok Throng (4P+K) | Brad | 12 | High |
| Imonchucho (66P) | Akira | 13 | Mid |
* Moves with 44 or 66 commands typically incur an additional 1-frame delay due to the dash input occurring first, but this can be circumvented with special input methods (33·11 commands cannot be performed without this delay).
By organizing it this way, you can understand the flow of reading frame advantage/disadvantage and using high-efficiency moves accordingly.
In the next part, we will cover the importance of 'tot' (total motion, total animation) from the table above.
Original Source: Ruliweb (rchacha)
※ Written before the R.E.V.O World Stage update — some details may differ from the current version.