Differences between 2.0 and 2.1

by Joji Suzuki

     

For the most part, changes in 2.1 affect the balance of power between

characters.

However, there are all sorts of little interesting cosmetic details that

don't affect gameplay:



  o The opening scene shows the characters in their alternate uniforms; also,

    there is a small ".1" added to the title screen as well as above the time

    during the fights.



CHANGES FOR ALL CHARACTERS:



   1)  No more multiple backward dashes. Technically, you can't buffer in

repeated back dashes, although forward dashes still work. In addition, if you

get hit while dashing back, you stagger, even if you G-canceled in time! It's

almost like having a recovery time for your back dash (no damage in this

case, however). This gives people the incentive to play more aggressively, in

your face. This was to prevent people from playing machi (see Glossary).



   2)  P,K is no longer a knock down move. This is a heavy blow for players

like Sarah or Kage. For Lau, P,P,K is not a knockdown move either, but only a

stagger. For Lau, Pai, Shun and Lion, the opponent staggers, but the recovery

of the PK is slow so it balances it out. After any PK hits, the two players

are almost at equal, but it depends: If the opponent is heavy, you are in

throwing range; if they are light, they will be waaay out of range. This

makes it very interesting how you approach the next move for both characters,

adding to "psychological warfare" strategies.



   3) The stagger is much shorter, and a very simple struggle (hold G, move

stick from left to right twice or three times) will get you out of classics

like Kage's elbow-PK-sweep. This change is dramatic since there's no sure way

to add on damage. Again, this enhances psychological battle, meaning the game

is more difficult, but also more interesting.



   4) It used to be that you would stop running at the 3.0m mark in front of

the opponent. Now, it's down to 1.5m. You can even run from the opening (when

you start the fight, you can run in to the 1.5 mark). Since the heavies can

throw at a distance of 1.5m, Jeff's Backbreaker can get you...



   5) Before, the Kick could be retracted anywhere from 1 frame up to 12

(longer for slower kickers) frames after the kick came out. Now, the cancal

only takes place after 8 frames, which means you will always see the kick

before it retracts. Also, Akira and Jacky can no longer kick the opponent and

simultaneously cancel it at the 12th frame (also known as "Iai Geri").



   6) When the opponent does a self-knock-down move (like Shun's b+K, or

Jeffry's butt), you can start the pounce much earlier, and the damage is 1.75

the regular damage. This means Shun, Jeff and Wolf cannot "earn" time by

waiting on the ground.



   7) Minor counters are Damage X 1.25 + 2 (used to be Damage X 1.125 + 1).





CHARACTER SPECIFIC CHANGES:



   Lau: PK, PPK, UpKnPK, UpKnPPK are all non-knockdown moves (DnKnPK,

however, IS a knockdown move). The opponent will stagger. Green and purple

Lau now have the same float, but the opponents float less in general. His

b,d+P+G is easier to execute.



   Sarah: No more shun-puri. Her side hook kick's recovery time is 4 frames

longer, so as with Jacky, you can P,K counter (not sure about Jeff and Wolf).

Her turn-around-low spin can be countered in some conditions with a P,K. Her

leg slicer, like Jacky's, will knock-down if it hits as a minor counter.



   Shun: His dodges are like Lion's (see below). His uppercut (d,d/f,f+P) is

easier to execute. He can also achieve the 9th dan (1st grade) in ranking

mode (it wasn't possible before because the computer didn't count the d+K+G).



   Pai: The crouch throw gives her more time to attack, so the d+K+G can

combo after it. Her PK causes the opponent to stagger. Her b,d+P+G is easier

to execute.



   Lion: His dodges are much more effective; they now move 45 degrees instead

of 30, and the opponent's moves do not correct their direction. If you dodged

at the beginning of a PPPK, the opponent will do PPPK in the same direction

while you move to the side. In addition, his d/f+G goes in one direction (it

used to alternate between left and right).



   Jeffry: The machinegun knee does 80 points damage (up from 60), but since no

pounce can connect the powerbomb and stomp is a better option. 1P and 2P Jeffs

have the same pouncing distance (the 1P distance, not the 2P distance).



   Kage: His super-roll can be done infinitely (used to be 3 times maximum).

A counter hit can be comboed into a flying kick (b,d,f+P, b,d,f+All). After

the 10-foot-toss, you used to be able to connect a rising knee and then a

PPPK; in 2.1, it only works when the opponent's energy is less than half.



   Wolf: His f,d+K is easier to execute.



   Jacky: His kickflip recovers 12 frames longer, so you can't add on a large

pounce, only a small pounce. His side hook kick recovers 4 frames longer, so

a PK will counter (not sure about Jeff and Wolf). If the leg slicer (d+K+G)

hits as a minor counter, it'll be a knockdown.



   Akira: No more G-cancel kick that hits, as noted above. When executing the

SPoD, the stick must be in neutral when you initiate the move (it used to be

that the reverse bodycheck needed to start from neutral). This means no SPoD

from a crouch dash. No more reversal trap against Akira's high or low

reversal. The recovery of the dashing elbow is slightly longer if it misses.

His stumbling trip (b,d+P+G) is easier to execute.