Your opinion of each characters jump from VF3-VF4

I have yet to play VF4 as all the arcades around me are behind the times and suck horribly. So, for example, just list the character and then if they're weaker, same or stronger...maybe reasons why as well.

Also, the only joystick I can seem to find for DC is the Enforcer. It has a ball joystick and two curved sets of three buttons. Has anyone tried it?

 

This may be a good place to start:

<a target="_blank" href=http://virtuafighter.com/view.php?section=vf4&file=vf4_chara_chart.html>Character Selection Guide</a>

It's available on the VF4 home page, along with links to other helpful documents. Click the Virtua Fighter 4 link in the left column on the home page. Hopefully, you'll get an idea of who you like. Also, check out some of the VF4 movie clips. There are a ton of them on the internet, and <font color=orange>feixaq.com</font color=orange> and Creed's ftp site have most of them. Clips give you the chance to see the characters' styles and how they are played at high levels, since you don't have VF4.

 

this sort of thing is hard to guage. Everyone had moves improved or added, yet some of them end up lower in the ranks anyway. A good example is kage, who gets all his jumonji toys and a couple of decent float/stagger tools... yet is definitely worse off thanks to little thinks like the inability to combo the running slide.

Anyway a quick stab:

Akira: better. SDE---> DLC is more reliable, d/f+P+K combos are more reliable, and moves that were of marginal use in VF3 are now much strong (EG standing palm, or double fisted strike).
All akira lost was ST --> SJK combos, and now he gets ST, sgpm, dbpm instead. And in place of guard break-->SJK-->DLC he has guard break, stpm, P, dbpm.
Relative to everything else in the game, his double palm became really good, faster and less counterable.

Kage: weaker. TFT combos do about 30% less. Simple, effective combos that made use of f,f+K or running slides after knockdowns don't work anymore (thanks to TR and tweaks to his slide). Kage has lots of confusing new pokes, but he was always at his best when played bare bones... a few simple but powerful moves.

Wolf: stronger. The weakened GS is his only loss, and that's just part of the game system (the advent of QR/TR to reduce throw damage). His new throws, the way he can combo easily from 'leg flop' attacks, his really nice HCB+P,P (the command probably changed in VF4), and his new canned combo throws (charge'n'catch ... diamond cutter...SSD and HCB variations...) are all useful.

Jeff: if version C jeff had version B's d+K+G... maybe stronger. As it is about the same. Maybe weaker, VF3 jeff did great using pounces after every combo, 50% damage from a knee changes the game a bit. You can fuckup twice vs. VF4 jeffry and still be OK.

Jacky: in VF3 OB he was a monster, in VF3 TB he was fair. In VF4 ... I dunno. I wanna say weaker. No more EK pounce, instead you're committing to P+K, P for similar damage. d/f, d/f+P+G --> pounce is also unlikely in VF4, tho it wasn't really guaranteed in VF3.

Sarah: waaay better. She got reamed in the transition from 2-->3 but her flamingo stance attacks bring back her ability to do seemingly nonstop, safe, rewarding pokes.

Pai: Stronger I suppose. She went from weakest VF3 character to a more interesting weakest VF4 character.

Lau: Played the same as ever, but he has more moves now. The stpm is much better too. ST - Stpm combo is really painful, where before it wasn't anything too special. hopkick - stpm - P,b+P,P is also a nice addition. b,b+P is less counterable. Elbow-palm feels the same, which means it's good.

Shun: stronger in VF4, more tricks, old moves that used to be sucky are now powerful (mulekick for example... or D,f+P, which is almost as good on MC as the inane VF2 version)...

Lion: better, just watch chibita. Lots of free combo starters, safe low pokes (nothing like his VF2 pokes), and his ability to TA and then quickly present a guessing game with TT attacks... well, it sucks. It drives me nuts. Lion's like VF3 lion but with two extra hits comboing after every attack.

Aoi: better, again she sort of had to be. She can finally combo with something other than a MC d/f+P. Crap like the double stop and D/F+P were made useful. More throws. Autoreversing stance. It's all happy.

 

I quite agree with CreeD, to sum up I would say that Akira, Sarah and Shun are probably those who have ithe best improvements.
I don't think Jacky is weaker, he's different, it's true that some guaranted combos have dissapeared but they gave him some variety (as if he hadn't enough yet...) and a good okizeme tool .

Jeff is ceratainly the char that has the least improvments he really plays similar than in 3, but U have to deal with opponent TR esspecially on knee combos.I like to do knee, knee then:
-d+K+G on the bounce if they don't TR
-SplashMountain if they TR for great damage !!

U can also be very nasty with his ground throw

Aoi, Lion are stronger now and beautiful to see in motion, especially Aoi (I Love her...)

Wolf is also stronger GS is weaker in term of damage but wouah!! the range is so....
his Escape move can also be tricky to deal with.