Street Fighter IV: Volt Battle Protocol
Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2015 5:52 am
So my idea is that this is somewhere I can list some of my junk for Street Fighter IV Volt and hopefully inspire some people or gain some inspiration from everyone else's input/questions. The list is not yet exhaustive but I hope it will be!
Street Fighter IV: Volt was released on June 30 2011. It was the updated version of the iOS Street Fighter IV app. The main difference being the addition of online content. Since then, Street Fighter IV Arena has been released in the Korean market.
Volt has 22 characters (Abel, Akuma, Balrog, Blanka, Cammy, Chun Li, Cody, C. Viper, DeeJay, Dhalsim, E. Honda, Fei-Long, Guile, Ken, Makoto, M. Bison, Ryu, Sagat, Sakura, Vega, Yun, Zangief). (Two additional boss characters of Boss Bison and Shin Akuma exist). Due to the time it is released, it is most similar to Super Street Fighter IV. It is not a port, so there are numerous differences which I'll try to list and explain.
Basic mechanics
-4 button layout: Punch, Kick, SP and Focus.
Due to one button for Punch and Kick, most characters have limited normals. Different normals are performed with a direction + button. e.g. Ryu has d or db+K = cr.LP. d or db+K is cr.MK. df+P = cr.HP and df+K = cr.HK. Collarbone Breaker is b+P. Additionally, most characters have only two jumping attacks. Chun Li however has headstomps as d+k and nj.K as her nj.HK. An interesting consequence for combos is that this allows Ryu to land FA 3, j.MP on some characters allowing for some interesting combos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VscHiZUh2ss. Due to the simplified layout and overlapping controls, some combos cannot be performed such as s.HP xx Zonk Knuckle (Cody).
Lastly, there is no close/far variations of moves. So Akuma's s.HK is always the far version.
-SP button and SP assist mode.
SP button is how EX moves are performed. e.g. with Ryu fireball motion + SP would give EX Hadouken. SP assist on allows for one button specials. e.g. Ryu: (neutral) SP = Hadouken, d+SP = Shoryuken, b+SP = Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. This means that each character only has one version of their specials, usually the hard version. SP button is also used for the manual Ultra inputs (e.g. qcfx2+SP for Metsu Hadouken).
-One touch Supers and Ultras.
Press the gauge for the respective Super/Ultra. Still requires charge for charge ultras. (Charge not required in iOS SFxT nor Arena). Aesthetically, Super/Ultra meters are below the health bar. Each character has only one Ultra, sometimes U1, sometimes U2. Sakura has two versions of her Ultra: Shinku Hadouken and Shinku Tangyo Hadouken. The latter is performed as b+ultra tap. Manual motions are still available for Supers/Ultras. Super/Ultra animations freeze the timer, so no Timer scam
-Throws.
Throws are inputted as either f or b + P. Each character only has one throw. You can tech while crouching.
-Taunts
No taunts. But I pretend Cody's fake stone is a taunt anyway.
Main differences from Street Fighter IV (all versions)
-Volt runs at 20fps
Overall the feel is slightly faster than Street Fighter IV. As a consequence, frame data is roughly the same as 1/3 of the value for SFIV. Due to rounding, some attacks are quite fast (1f startup HP) or attacks lose frame advantage on hit
-FADC
DP, FADC, is the same as pre-USFIV. The main difference however, is the dash cancel out of a Focus Attack, it only requires one input of forward or back. FA2 and FA3 on hit crumple for the same amount of time. Pressing a second forward input gives you a second forward dash, with no delay in between dashes. (You can only do 2 forward dashes or 2 back dashes. No combination of the two.)
-Charging and Charge Partioning
Due to the nature of SP inputs, you can maintain charge for Volt exclusive combos. E.g. since Flash Kick can be done as charge d + sp, you can perform Flash Kick, FADC, EX Flash Kick (https://youtu.be/sZa3xhcPsBE?t=29s)
Additionally if you have a charge, the game will allow you to register an additonal input whilst still maintaining charge. e.g. (EX) Sonic Boom, Ultra is a link (https://youtu.be/sZa3xhcPsBE?t=4m17s). You are also able to FADC/ into charge moves (utilising the one tap dash cancel as part of the motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQjYA4ARUuE). Charge ultra/supers/specials can be performed.
If you have frame perfect charging, you can maintain charge whilst crossing someone up.
-Gravity
In general, characters don't float as high on juggles, so FA 3, FA 2, Metsu Hadouken won't connect with Ryu. Neither will Sakura's Sakura Otoshi (2 hits), Ultra. Abel cannot followup cr.HP xx Marseilles Roll, except with Super.
Pushback
In general pushback on moves is far more than SFIV. Sakura Senpukyaku loops are much shorter, for example. Zangief actually has less pushback.
-Rapidfire/Chainable light attacks
The major difference is that you can cancel rapidfire/chained lights. so cr.LK x3 xx Knee Press (M. Bison) is fine.
-'Missing' Moves and Pickups
Cody has no Knife and no knife moves. Sagat has no Angry Scar. Zangief has no flying power bomb. Vega's mask and claw don't come off
Super Freezes
-Game is completely frozen during super animation.
-Knockdown + Projectile glitch
If a projectile and a knockdown move both hit in the same frame, the opponent does not get knocked down. (https://youtu.be/aVSltwQ5wuU?t=3m5s)
-No Height Restriction on Divekicks
Cammy can do j.HK, Cannon Strike, s.HP. Yun can do Fa 3, Dive Kick, normal
-Juggle Point Changes
Most move properties are the same as Super Street Fighter 4 with some interesting changes. The first hit of EX Flash Kick puts the opponent into a free juggle state, as does the first 2 hits of Ken's EX Shoryuken as an anti-air. Interestingly, Guile High Kick does so too, but only on grounded opponents. It has to be meaty to have a followup.
-Post KO
You can only do Focus attacks and normals post KO (well, OK, technically you can cancel a rekka into the 2nd or 3rd one). If the finishing blow is on the ground, the opponent will be in a free juggle state. So Ryu can do cr.MK (KO), cr.MK. Fei Long can do Shienkyaku (KO), FADC, j.HP. The character will go into win pose a certain time after the opponent hits the ground. Yun's Genei Jin gives infinite juggle points to moves so long as the move wouldn't reset them so this is possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GJr9uRz0PA
-Yun's Genei Jin
Grounded normals are jump cancellable. Combined with no height restriction on divekicks, you can get combos like the one above of cr.MP /\ Dive Kick, cr.MP.
-Guile changes
Guile High Kick is F+K, so it is much harder to maintain charge. Guile's j.MK crosses over very easily.
-Kara Moves
Sagat can Kara cancel his step kick into his specials. Akuma can kara cancel his normals into super/ultra. Additionally, armour cancelling does not exist.
-Option Selects
Option Selects largely do not exist. The ones that do exist are largely imperfect.
-Negative Edge
Exists only for moves inputted with buttons (i.e. not for one touch supers/ultras).
-Plinking
Due to only having one Punch and Kick button, you cannot plink out a specific normal. However, in some cases you can slide over P and K if they have similar properties to land a tight link. e.g. pressing db+p/k (cr.LP/cr.LK) after Sakura's Senpukyaku.
-Landing Frames
After an air attack, the first two frames you land you cannot block, but you can perform an attack. After an empty jump, you cannot attack on the first frame, but you can block.
-Safe Jumps
Most DPs are 1frame so the safe jumps that exist are 2f safe. When used against 1 frame reversals, an empty jump will be able to block, whereas the jumping attack will not be able to block.
-Meaty Attacks
Many attacks only have 1 active frame so cannot land meaty. Mid combo meaties do not exist
-Counter Hits
Generally +1 frame of hitstun. Some moves do not have a counter hit bonus e.g. 2nd hit of Guile's Target Combos.
-Less Floaty Knockdown moves
Cody's EX Ruffian Kick, and DeeJay's cr.MK slide cannot be followed up
-Corner Crossovers
Many jumping normals will crossover in the corner. Some are very character specific. e.g. Balrog can land crossover j.HK on Zangief. Ken can land j.HP crossover very easily against all the cast.
-Frame Rounding weirdness
Akuma can land far s.HK, s.HP. Cody is +0 on hit with s.HP. Cody's EX Criminal Upper is 1f startup. Vega is +0 on hit with Rolling Crystal Flash. (EX) fireballs have more recovery. Very few EX fireball loops exist (Akuma can do EX Zanku Hadouken, DeeJay can do EX Air Slasher and Guile can do his loops). Chun's Lightning Legs are +0 on hit, but you can FADC into a followup. Most command throws are 1f startup, but since it requires 1f to input a move to avoid them, they are the fastest punishes in the game)
General less hitstun on 1st hit of 2-hitting moves.
-So Knee Press, FADC doesn't connect into anything. Neither does Double Rolling Sobat, Criminal Upper or other moves like that
-Super Jumping
To cancel a seismo into a super jump, only one input is required.
-Mashing moves
Normals can't be mashed. They will come out a few frames later. Non-charge specials can be mashed and will come out frame perfect. Charge specials/supers/ultras have a sort of cooldown and cannot be mashed out.
-Volt Specific Weird Stuff
In a previous version Makoto can do FA 2, FA 2 indefinitely against the whole cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeCUD3J2ypw
C. Viper's EX Seismo is unblockable at max range. Her normal seismo has one input and tracks automatically for light/medium/hard version
Blanka can land Ultra, Super in the corner. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PrVco6C8HU)
Vega's Scarlet Terror, Super can go into the throw version.
Zangief can do EX Green Hand, FADC (back dash), cr.LP.
C. Viper's feints are all identical. She can do cr.LP, feint, cr.LP.
Due to this not being a port, SFIV glitches do not exist (e.g. crossup unblockables and unblockable ultras)
Street Fighter IV: Volt was released on June 30 2011. It was the updated version of the iOS Street Fighter IV app. The main difference being the addition of online content. Since then, Street Fighter IV Arena has been released in the Korean market.
Volt has 22 characters (Abel, Akuma, Balrog, Blanka, Cammy, Chun Li, Cody, C. Viper, DeeJay, Dhalsim, E. Honda, Fei-Long, Guile, Ken, Makoto, M. Bison, Ryu, Sagat, Sakura, Vega, Yun, Zangief). (Two additional boss characters of Boss Bison and Shin Akuma exist). Due to the time it is released, it is most similar to Super Street Fighter IV. It is not a port, so there are numerous differences which I'll try to list and explain.
Basic mechanics
-4 button layout: Punch, Kick, SP and Focus.
Due to one button for Punch and Kick, most characters have limited normals. Different normals are performed with a direction + button. e.g. Ryu has d or db+K = cr.LP. d or db+K is cr.MK. df+P = cr.HP and df+K = cr.HK. Collarbone Breaker is b+P. Additionally, most characters have only two jumping attacks. Chun Li however has headstomps as d+k and nj.K as her nj.HK. An interesting consequence for combos is that this allows Ryu to land FA 3, j.MP on some characters allowing for some interesting combos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VscHiZUh2ss. Due to the simplified layout and overlapping controls, some combos cannot be performed such as s.HP xx Zonk Knuckle (Cody).
Lastly, there is no close/far variations of moves. So Akuma's s.HK is always the far version.
-SP button and SP assist mode.
SP button is how EX moves are performed. e.g. with Ryu fireball motion + SP would give EX Hadouken. SP assist on allows for one button specials. e.g. Ryu: (neutral) SP = Hadouken, d+SP = Shoryuken, b+SP = Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. This means that each character only has one version of their specials, usually the hard version. SP button is also used for the manual Ultra inputs (e.g. qcfx2+SP for Metsu Hadouken).
-One touch Supers and Ultras.
Press the gauge for the respective Super/Ultra. Still requires charge for charge ultras. (Charge not required in iOS SFxT nor Arena). Aesthetically, Super/Ultra meters are below the health bar. Each character has only one Ultra, sometimes U1, sometimes U2. Sakura has two versions of her Ultra: Shinku Hadouken and Shinku Tangyo Hadouken. The latter is performed as b+ultra tap. Manual motions are still available for Supers/Ultras. Super/Ultra animations freeze the timer, so no Timer scam
-Throws.
Throws are inputted as either f or b + P. Each character only has one throw. You can tech while crouching.
-Taunts
No taunts. But I pretend Cody's fake stone is a taunt anyway.
Main differences from Street Fighter IV (all versions)
-Volt runs at 20fps
Overall the feel is slightly faster than Street Fighter IV. As a consequence, frame data is roughly the same as 1/3 of the value for SFIV. Due to rounding, some attacks are quite fast (1f startup HP) or attacks lose frame advantage on hit
-FADC
DP, FADC, is the same as pre-USFIV. The main difference however, is the dash cancel out of a Focus Attack, it only requires one input of forward or back. FA2 and FA3 on hit crumple for the same amount of time. Pressing a second forward input gives you a second forward dash, with no delay in between dashes. (You can only do 2 forward dashes or 2 back dashes. No combination of the two.)
-Charging and Charge Partioning
Due to the nature of SP inputs, you can maintain charge for Volt exclusive combos. E.g. since Flash Kick can be done as charge d + sp, you can perform Flash Kick, FADC, EX Flash Kick (https://youtu.be/sZa3xhcPsBE?t=29s)
Additionally if you have a charge, the game will allow you to register an additonal input whilst still maintaining charge. e.g. (EX) Sonic Boom, Ultra is a link (https://youtu.be/sZa3xhcPsBE?t=4m17s). You are also able to FADC/ into charge moves (utilising the one tap dash cancel as part of the motion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQjYA4ARUuE). Charge ultra/supers/specials can be performed.
If you have frame perfect charging, you can maintain charge whilst crossing someone up.
-Gravity
In general, characters don't float as high on juggles, so FA 3, FA 2, Metsu Hadouken won't connect with Ryu. Neither will Sakura's Sakura Otoshi (2 hits), Ultra. Abel cannot followup cr.HP xx Marseilles Roll, except with Super.
Pushback
In general pushback on moves is far more than SFIV. Sakura Senpukyaku loops are much shorter, for example. Zangief actually has less pushback.
-Rapidfire/Chainable light attacks
The major difference is that you can cancel rapidfire/chained lights. so cr.LK x3 xx Knee Press (M. Bison) is fine.
-'Missing' Moves and Pickups
Cody has no Knife and no knife moves. Sagat has no Angry Scar. Zangief has no flying power bomb. Vega's mask and claw don't come off
Super Freezes
-Game is completely frozen during super animation.
-Knockdown + Projectile glitch
If a projectile and a knockdown move both hit in the same frame, the opponent does not get knocked down. (https://youtu.be/aVSltwQ5wuU?t=3m5s)
-No Height Restriction on Divekicks
Cammy can do j.HK, Cannon Strike, s.HP. Yun can do Fa 3, Dive Kick, normal
-Juggle Point Changes
Most move properties are the same as Super Street Fighter 4 with some interesting changes. The first hit of EX Flash Kick puts the opponent into a free juggle state, as does the first 2 hits of Ken's EX Shoryuken as an anti-air. Interestingly, Guile High Kick does so too, but only on grounded opponents. It has to be meaty to have a followup.
-Post KO
You can only do Focus attacks and normals post KO (well, OK, technically you can cancel a rekka into the 2nd or 3rd one). If the finishing blow is on the ground, the opponent will be in a free juggle state. So Ryu can do cr.MK (KO), cr.MK. Fei Long can do Shienkyaku (KO), FADC, j.HP. The character will go into win pose a certain time after the opponent hits the ground. Yun's Genei Jin gives infinite juggle points to moves so long as the move wouldn't reset them so this is possible: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GJr9uRz0PA
-Yun's Genei Jin
Grounded normals are jump cancellable. Combined with no height restriction on divekicks, you can get combos like the one above of cr.MP /\ Dive Kick, cr.MP.
-Guile changes
Guile High Kick is F+K, so it is much harder to maintain charge. Guile's j.MK crosses over very easily.
-Kara Moves
Sagat can Kara cancel his step kick into his specials. Akuma can kara cancel his normals into super/ultra. Additionally, armour cancelling does not exist.
-Option Selects
Option Selects largely do not exist. The ones that do exist are largely imperfect.
-Negative Edge
Exists only for moves inputted with buttons (i.e. not for one touch supers/ultras).
-Plinking
Due to only having one Punch and Kick button, you cannot plink out a specific normal. However, in some cases you can slide over P and K if they have similar properties to land a tight link. e.g. pressing db+p/k (cr.LP/cr.LK) after Sakura's Senpukyaku.
-Landing Frames
After an air attack, the first two frames you land you cannot block, but you can perform an attack. After an empty jump, you cannot attack on the first frame, but you can block.
-Safe Jumps
Most DPs are 1frame so the safe jumps that exist are 2f safe. When used against 1 frame reversals, an empty jump will be able to block, whereas the jumping attack will not be able to block.
-Meaty Attacks
Many attacks only have 1 active frame so cannot land meaty. Mid combo meaties do not exist
-Counter Hits
Generally +1 frame of hitstun. Some moves do not have a counter hit bonus e.g. 2nd hit of Guile's Target Combos.
-Less Floaty Knockdown moves
Cody's EX Ruffian Kick, and DeeJay's cr.MK slide cannot be followed up
-Corner Crossovers
Many jumping normals will crossover in the corner. Some are very character specific. e.g. Balrog can land crossover j.HK on Zangief. Ken can land j.HP crossover very easily against all the cast.
-Frame Rounding weirdness
Akuma can land far s.HK, s.HP. Cody is +0 on hit with s.HP. Cody's EX Criminal Upper is 1f startup. Vega is +0 on hit with Rolling Crystal Flash. (EX) fireballs have more recovery. Very few EX fireball loops exist (Akuma can do EX Zanku Hadouken, DeeJay can do EX Air Slasher and Guile can do his loops). Chun's Lightning Legs are +0 on hit, but you can FADC into a followup. Most command throws are 1f startup, but since it requires 1f to input a move to avoid them, they are the fastest punishes in the game)
General less hitstun on 1st hit of 2-hitting moves.
-So Knee Press, FADC doesn't connect into anything. Neither does Double Rolling Sobat, Criminal Upper or other moves like that
-Super Jumping
To cancel a seismo into a super jump, only one input is required.
-Mashing moves
Normals can't be mashed. They will come out a few frames later. Non-charge specials can be mashed and will come out frame perfect. Charge specials/supers/ultras have a sort of cooldown and cannot be mashed out.
-Volt Specific Weird Stuff
In a previous version Makoto can do FA 2, FA 2 indefinitely against the whole cast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeCUD3J2ypw
C. Viper's EX Seismo is unblockable at max range. Her normal seismo has one input and tracks automatically for light/medium/hard version
Blanka can land Ultra, Super in the corner. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PrVco6C8HU)
Vega's Scarlet Terror, Super can go into the throw version.
Zangief can do EX Green Hand, FADC (back dash), cr.LP.
C. Viper's feints are all identical. She can do cr.LP, feint, cr.LP.
Due to this not being a port, SFIV glitches do not exist (e.g. crossup unblockables and unblockable ultras)