The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match/Ryo Sakazaki

Move list

Normal throws
Tani Otoshi	(throw) f/b + C
Tomoe Nage	(throw) f/b + D
Command move
Hyōchū Wari	f + A
Special moves
Koōken	qcf + P
Kohō	dp + P
Hien Shippūkyaku	hcb + K
Kyokugen-Ryū Renbuken	(throw) hcf + P
Mōko Raijingō	qcb + P
┣ Kohō	(during Mōko Raijingō) dp + P
┗ Hien Shippūkyaku	(during strong Mōko Raijingō) hcb + K
Mōko Raijinsetsu	qcf + K
Super special moves
Haō Shōkōken	f hcf + P
Ryūko Ranbu	qcf hcb + P
Tenchi Haōken	qcf qcf + P

Normal moves

• cr.C and cl.C - both have quick startup; they can be linked into from cr.B. Afterwards, you can combo into something or just use it properly.
• cl.B – an irregularly powerful ground zoner. It has long reach, and quick startup, even when whiffed.
• j.C – has some crossup ability. The hitbox is good, so it’s powerful used in hops.

Command move

• Hyōchū Wari

• f + A
• An overhead with long reach. The cancelled-into version can be crouch-blocked, but cannot be cancelled itself.

Special moves

• Koōken

• qcf + P
• SNK-style non-launched projectile. The weak version, which isn’t very vulnerable, is for combos; the strong version has long reach, and is for zoning such that the very edge touches.

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• Kohō

• dp + P
• An extremely powerful anti-air. The hitbox, which faces forward for the weak version and upward for the strong version, is extremely strong; against zoning moves and such, it can’t be beat at stuffing (weak) and anti-air (strong).

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• Hien Shippūkyaku

• hcb + K
• A flying kick. The weak version combos from weak moves and does two hits; the strong combos from strong attacks and does three. It is powerful, but if blocked, even if the very tip touches, it’s probably going to be countered, and since Ryo can’t use a command move in a special move combo, using it in a combo is tough. It now leaves the opponent with a hitbox, so if you use quick MAX you can juggle the opponent, but the practical utility of that is low.

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• Kyokugen-Ryū Renbuken

• hcf + P at throwing distance
• A proximity unblockable striking throw that launches the opponent. That it can’t combo into supers is a shame, but it is a powerful move that does combo even from weak moves. However, from any forward input (like say, a dash), the command becomes f hcf + P and does Haō Shōkōken instead, so you have to pay attention if you’re using this.

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• Mōko Raijingō

• qcb + P
• A rushing move; Ryo winds up just a little, and smashes his fist, then his elbow, into the opponent. It has autoblock during startup. If the very edge touches, there isn’t much of an opening.
• The weak version now has faster startup, but the strong version now has slower startup, and so it can no longer be used in combos. The second hit can be cancelled into Kohō, but if you weren’t close to begin with, it won’t combo.
• The strong version can now be cancelled into Hien Shippūkyaku, so you can resolve the problem of distance, but now you have the problem that it could just not touch short opponents.
• By pressing AC instead of either button, you get the advantages of both strength levels: it combos from strong attacks, and you can cancel into Hien Shippūkyaku.

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• Mōko Raijinsetsu

• An overhead attack; Ryo arcs through the air with a chop. It’s usable for things like surprise attacking over a projectile.

Super special moves

• Ryūko Ranbu

• qcf hcb + P
• Ranbu-type super (duh) that continues even if blocked. Very powerful, but only combos from strong attacks. It has invincibility frames during startup.

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• Haō Shōkōken

• f hcf + P
• A big projectile. Using the weak or strong button will launch the blast with very different speeds. The weak (slow) version is tough for the opponent to evade with a forward roll.
• It smashes through and obliterates normal projectiles, so the strong version can be used as an effective counterattack against projectiles.
• The weak, non-MAX version combos from strong attacks.

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• Tenchi Haōken

• qcf qcf + P
• Ryo gives the appearance of punching really, really, really, really, really hard. It has startup invincibility and combos from weak moves. The damage isn’t actually all that much, but it has a lot of dizzying capability.
• If the normal version does a counter-hit, on the other hand, it does a whole lot more damage.
• The MAX version pretty much guarantees a dizzy, so you can use whichever combo you like. The damage done by the MAX version has been decreased from OG.

Match-Ups

The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match