Pros
- Ryu has a strong zoning game with a serviceable projectile and an invincible anti-air.
- A two-bar V-Gauge almost always guarantees that he’ll deal some chip damage with powerful and quick projectiles.
- As a well-rounded fighter with no glaring weaknesses, he can fight up close, mid range, and at long distance reasonably well.
- Variable travel speeds and recovery timings on different Hadoken versions allow for better versatility in terms of fireball patterns and traps.
- With his intuitive gameplay, Ryu is easy for most players to pick up.
Cons
- He’s a predictable character, as most people experienced in the Street Fighter series are familiar with fighting him.
- His V-Skill is challenging to use effectively because it requires making smart guesses in most situations.
Ryu is a solid overall fighter and a good starting character to learn for Street Fighter novices who want to pick up fighting game fundamentals. He has options in most situations and does not have matchups that are particularly difficult to overcome. He’s easy to learn, but difficult to master.
Your objective is to force out mistakes from your opponent through a strong zoning game, which you can then capitalize on with his more than capable up-close offense. Achieve this by:
- Baiting out badly timed jump-ins through threat of your Hadoken and punishing foes with MP or EX Shoryuken
- Utilizing powerful attacks such as Solar Plexus Strike and crouching
at mid range to pressure the opponent into the corner - Scoring a knockdown with Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku combos, then following up with close-range frame traps and throw attempts
- Applying frame trap and throw pressure with his standing
at close range, threatening with high-damage link combos