Help:Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T V W Z

A Active - n. - The period of time during an animation where the character has a hitbox which can deal damage to the opponent. Aerial Rave - n. - See "Air Combo." Air Blocking - n. - The ability for characters to block while in the air. Some games do not have Air Blocking at all, others only allow you to Air Block certain moves, and some games let you Air Block everything. Air Combo - n. - Used to describe the classification of Combos that are performed when both character (the attacking and the victim) are in the air. In Japan, this is referred to as an "Aerial Rave." - v. - To perform an Air Combo on your opponent. Air Dash - n. - A Dash performed in the Air. In most games, Air Dashes cause you to move straight and forward in the air quickly. - v. - To perform an Air Dash. Air Reel - n. - When struck in the air, this is the period of time your character is stuck in Animation Frames of getting hit. Most games, Air Reels end the instant the character goes from being struck into starting to Flip to land on their feet. In games without free-form Juggling Systems, the character usually becomes invincible at this point. Air Reset - n. - In the Street Fighter series, some moves cannot juggle airborne opponents, instead putting then into an invincible air reel animation, where they will be invincible until they land on the ground, and capable of acting the first frame they land, similar to a knockdown. Air Tech - n. - A tech that is performed in the air, causing the character to exit juggle state and enter a neutral air state. Sometimes you can air tech forwards or backwards. Air Throw - n. - A Throw performed in the Air. See "Throw." Air-to-Air - n. - Using an air attack versus an opponent who is also airborne. Animation Frame - n. - In 2d games, characters need to be animated by drawing an image of each pose they go through in the course of performing a particular move. In games using 3d engines, the characters are typically "tweened" between frames For example, a Crouching Short Kick from Ryu in Super Street Fighter II Turbo is composed of three Animation Frames: one where Ryu is starting to kick, one where Ryu has his leg extended, kicking at the enemy, and the last one with Ryu retracting his leg. - n. - All of a characters actions are portrayed through Animation Frames, regardless of whether the game is 2-D or 3-D. Anti-Air - adj. - Describes any attack that is designed or used for attacking enemies who are airborne. It may do this by hitting upwards, being invincible versus air moves, or catching the opponent's landing. When a move is described as being Anti-Air, it also implies effectiveness at doing its job. Dan's KouRyuKen, for example, looks like a Shoto ShouRyuKen, but has no invincibility. Thus, it is not really considered an Anti-Air move. Often abbreviated "AA." B Back - n. - Describes the position of the joystick that is opposite the direction your fighter is currently facing. Block - v. - To defend against an opponent's attack. Usually, doing so puts you into Block Stun. Block Combo - n. - Similar to a Combo, except your opponent is Blocking the whole time. No where in the midst of a Block Combo can the opponent escape without using a form of Counter Attack. Also called a "True Block String." Block Damage - n. - Moves that cause Block Damage mean that, even though you defended against the attack, you still take a little bit of damage. In most games, Block Damage can only be caused by Special Moves and Supers. Block String - n. - Term used to describe a series of attacks that are good for pressuring the opponent and keeping them in a defensive position. Block Strings usually contain many holes that the opponent can escape from, making Block String patterns not particularly effective. The most effective Block Strings are ones constantly improvised while gauging your opponent for when they will try to react. Block Stun - n. - After blocking an attack, characters go into what is known as "Block Stun." During Block Stun, they are stuck in blocking animation and cannot do anything except block again. The length of Block Stun depends on the attack that was blocked. In almost all games, once you start blocking, you will continue to block all further attacks, even if you let go of the joystick. You still have to block high or low correctly, though. Also, in some games, players can "escape" Block Stun with moves such as Alpha Counters or Red Parrying or Burst. Block Zone - n. - The area that is blocked when guarding. Moves can hit high, mid, or low. In 2d Fighters, the block zones are standing and crouching. Standing will block highs and mids. Crouching will block mids and lows. Since Lows can come out quickly, it is usually advised to block crouching until the opponent jumps or performs an overhead. In 3d games, standing block will block highs and mids, but crouching block will cause highs to whiff, and only block lows. Bread and butter - n. - A [or the] staple combo or approach for a character. Break Fall - n. - See "Flip." Buffer - v. - 1. In 2-D games, Buffering is the name given to a character's ability to cancel certain Normal Moves' animations into a Special Move or a Super. In some games, you can only Buffer moves in certain, specific Animation Frames. Also, in most games, you can only Buffer moves if they connect against the enemy, whether blocked or not. But in some games, you can Buffer moves in any frame and sometimes even if they miss. 2. In 3-D games, Buffering refers to executing a character's move before a current action completes, so that the instant the current action completes, the move you did the command for executes right away. BYOC (Bring your own controller) - n. - Term applied to tournaments where attendents are required to bring their own controllers to play with, as none or few will be provided. Bread and Butter - n. - A Bread and Butter combo is any basic combo that the player has practiced and memorized for game play. Bread and Butter refers to the fact that this combo should be the staple of the user's strategy. Also known as BnB. C Cancel - v. - Beginning a move before the animation of the previous move has finished; the end of the previous move is "canceled" and the next move begins immediately. What moves can be canceled into other moves depends on the game, but in many cases weaker normal attacks can be canceled into stronger normal attacks, and all normal attacks can be canceled into special moves. Chain - v. - Used to generically describe the cancellation of any move into any other move. - n. - The act of Chaining one move to another. Chain Combo - n. - The ability for certain characters to cancel a Normal Move into another Normal Move. Also referred to as a Target Combo in some games. Chi Gathering - adj. - See "Super Flash." Chip - n. - See "Block Damage." - v. - To hit a blocking opponent with a move that causes Block Damage. Close Up - adj. - Used to describe the type of Normal Move in some 2-D games that can only be performed if you are within a certain distance of the enemy, usually a very small distance. Combo - n. - A series of hits that, once the first connects, the rest will connect without giving the opponent the ability to defend at any point. Some games have moves that act as "Combo" breakers, but most do not. - v. - To perform a Combo on an opponent. Combometer - n. - The counter on the side of the screen that tells you how many hits are in your combo. Depending on the game, it may appear after the combo is finished or while the combo is in progress. Command Normal - n. - A type of Normal attack that comes out when a button is pushed in conjunction with a joystick direction. This is opposed to a Normal attack that is activated by a single button press. Command Throw - n. - A special type of Throw that is a Special Move. That is, it requires a joystick motion to perform and has all the other properties that Special Moves have (able to be Buffered into, etc.). Corner - n. - The ends of the playing field, where the screens stop scrolling. The corner is the furthest to the side you can go. Some games do not have corners and in many 3-D games there are various walls that indicate the end of a stage, but are not referred to as Corners. Counter - n. - A type of defensive maneuver that negates an attack and automatically performs a follow-up. This technique is more common in 3-D Fighters than in 2-D fighters, though a few 2-D fighting games will have them. Counter Hit - n. - The act of connecting an attack against an opponent during the startup or active frames of their attack. Not all games give any special reward for landing a Counter Hit, but in many Counter Hit rewards you with extra damage, longer Hit Stun, or higher Floats. - v. - To hit the enemy with a Counter Hit. Cross-Up - n. - The type of attack that can hit the opponent behind you when you jump over them. An example of this is Zangief's Down + Fierce in the air in just about every game he's been in. It can hit behind him when he jumps over the opponent. Attacks that have Cross-Up potential generally have long hitboxes that extend downwards underneath a character, instead of in front. - v. - To land such a hit on an opponent. Cross-Under - v. - Similar to the Cross-Up, except that it is performed by walking or dashing underneath an airborne opponent. Crouch - adj. - The condition your character is in if you hold any of the three down positions on the joystick. Describes attacks done from this position. - v. - To press one of the down positions to cause your character to be in a crouching position. Crouch Dashing - n. - The same as a "Dash," but performed while Crouching. Mostly applies to 3-D games. Custom Combo - n. - The name of the special attack method created in Street Fighter Alpha 2 that allowed you to Chain any attack into any other attack at the expense of your entire Super Meter. In Japan, they are called Original Combos. The properties of Custom Combos vary greatly between games. Note that in Street Fighter Alpha 3, the Custom Combos available to V-Ism characters are often referred to as "Variable Combos." D Damage Scaling - n. - A system in many fighting games where combos do less and less damage as the number of hits on the Combometer increases. Dash - n. - The act of making your character move forward more quickly than if you just walked. In some games, Dashing is distinguished from a Run because Dashes stop after a set distance, while Runs can keep you moving forward indefinitely. However, every game implements Dashes differently, and in many games, Dashes and Runs are the same thing. - v. - To perform a Dash. Delay - n. - The period in a any move where your character can no longer hit the opponent and is still stuck in recovery time, unable to do anything except wait for the move to finish. Also referred to as Frame Disadvantage. Desperation Move - n. - See "Super Move". This is the term for a super move in many SNK fighters. Usually becomes available at low health. Directional Moves - n. - The name of Normal Moves that require you to hold a specific direction on the joystick. Ryu's overhead punch is an example of this because you have to hold Toward on the controller and press Medium Punch in order to do the move. Leaving the joystick at Neutral or Back will not result in the Hop Kick. Also referred to as "Command Normals." Dodge - n. - A type of action that causes your character to attempt to avoid an attack rather than blocking it, usually by making the character invincible to strikes temporarily. This can come in the form of Dodges in Capcom Vs. SNK 2 or Side Stepping in the Virtua Fighter series. - v. - To perform a Dodge. Dodge Attack -n. - In some games, there are certain attacks you can perform only in the middle of a Dodge. These are known as Dodge Attacks. E Exhibition Combos - n. - Term referring to combos that have no practicality in actual competitive play, but are really funny, cool, or amazing to see. Combos that are really cool but do less damage than a simpler, easier Combo can be considered an Exhibition Combo. They are really just for show, or for gaining a psychological edge over opponents when done in competitive play. Exhibition Combos are usually what are on display during Combo Videos. F Far Away - adj. - Used to describe the type of Normal Move that is performed at a slight distance away from the opponent. This only applies to games that have Close Up moves. If the game does not have Close Up moves, then everything, in essence, is a Far Away move. Fighting Game - n. - If you are reading this and don't know what this is, you are in the wrong place. Float - n. - Describes the condition that is created when moves pop the opponent into the air as a set-up for Juggles. This term is used mostly in 3-D games. Flying Screen - n. - Only applies to the Versus Series of games. This is an event where the screen scrolls very quickly after a character is struck by a certain move in certain situations. The view of the game follows the person who was hit and the person who initiated the hit is scrolled off the screen. Once the screen stops moving, the person who was hit will just lie there while the other player hops into the screen from the side. One of the most significant things about the Flying Screen is that, once put into effect, many limitations come over the attacking character, such as the removal of the ability to Super Jump or perform Special Moves. Flying Screen Deterioration - n. - The Flying Screen causes limitations against the person who caused the Flying Screen. However, there are ways to get around the limitations, and pretty much eradicate all limitations completely so that your character is free to do whatever he/she would like. This is known as Flying Screen Deterioration, often abbreviated "FSD." Frame - n. - All Video Games display what is happening on-screen by replacing the image periodically over short intervals of time. Each of these images is called a frame. Almost every fighting game runs at 60 frames per second. This means the smallest window of time in a fighting game is 1/60th of a second, or 16.667ms. It also means frames can be used as a common unit of measurement for time in fighting games, allowing you to measure how long each part of a move takes, and the total duration of the move. - n. - Unlike Animation Frames, Frames refer to the frame count of the game. Most games output at 30 Frames per second, so when you refer to a Frame, you are referring to 1/30th of a second. This is used heavily in Move analysis, learning about which moves have Frame Advantage or how many Frames a move takes to recover and such. Frame Advantage - n. - The duration of time after you recover from an attack, but before an opponent recovers from the Hit Stun or Block stun of that attack. Some moves innately have frame advantage because their recovery is shorter than their hitstun, others can be made advantaged by canceling them. When you have frame advantage, if both you and your opponent attempt to attack at the first possible moment, your attack will come out first. Some refer to having frame advantage as it being your "turn." If a move has enough frame advantage on hit, it can combo. If it does not, it can frame trap. Frame Disadvantage - n. - The duration of time after your opponent has recovered from Hit Stun or Block Stun, but before you have recovered from the attack that dealt that hitstun or blockstun. When your attack has frame disadvantage, your opponent is capable of acting before you are. You have surrendered your "turn" to your opponent. If your attack has enough frame disadvantage, it is Unsafe. Frame Trap - n. - A situation in which you have frame advantage, leaving a small gap between your prior attack and next attack, a gap shorter than the duration of your opponent's attack's startup. The opponent is trapped between the advantage frames of your prior attack and quick startup of your next attack. If there is no gap, it becomes a true blockstring and the opponent has no chance to attack, and thereby no chance to get trapped. - v. - To employ a situation of frame advantage in order to counter hit an opponent as they attempt to attack. Full Parry - n. - This refers to a situation in which all hits of an incoming combo are parried. Take what happened at Evolution 2004 for example, when Daigo parried every hit of a Houyoku-Sen (Chun-Li's SA2). For more info, see "Parry." - v. - To perform such an action. G Grappler - v. - A character archetype that typically has a large hitbox, long ranging moves, a lot of health, slow movement, and powerful command grabs. Guard - n. - See "Block." Guard Cancel - n. - An action that can be performed during blockstun that allows you to cancel blockstun and hit the opponent, likely while they are still committed to attacking. This appears in many games, such as Street Fighter Alpha with Alpha Counters, Guilty Gear with Dead Angle Attack, Street Fighter V with V-Reversal, Dragon Ball Fighter Z, Dark Stalkers, and Garou: Mark of the Wolves. Guard Crush - n. - The act of having your Guard Meter, if one is present, depleted, leaving you vulnerable for a brief period of time to any attack. Guard Damage - n. - Damage done to your Guard Meter as opposed to your Health Meter. Guard Meter - n. - In some games, this meter is added to discourage repeated blocking of your opponent's attacks. It typically drains after blocking attacks and recovers its energy slowly. If it is completely drained, the character will go into Guard Crush, a small period of stun where they are vulnerable to any incoming attacks. H Health Meter - n. - The Meter that shows how much energy you have left. The first person to have their Health Meter drained is the person who will lose the Round/Match, depending on the game. High - adj. - The attribute of an attack that can only be blocked standing. High Jump - n. - An action that causes your character to Jump higher and farther than your normal Jump. This only exists in a few fighting games, most notably the King of the Fighters Series and the Street Fighter III series. It's not quite the same as Super Jumping. See "Super Jump" for differences. - v. - To execute a High Jump. High Jump Cancel - n. - In some games, there are Normal Moves that can be canceled by a High Jump, and only a High Jump. Doing so is what is referred to as a High Jump Cancel. - v. - To perform a High Jump cancel. Hit Box - n. - Most Video Games do not use the visible models or sprites for collision, instead using invisible geometry called "Hit Boxes" generically to determine if two objects are in contact with each other. These Hit Boxes can perform a variety of different functions, such as determining where characters are attacking and can be hit; keeping characters separate from one another; determining whether a move crosses up or not; or determining the proximity in which a move will force the opponent to block. Hitboxes can be a variety of different shapes, from actual rectangles, to bubbles, capsules, or 3d geometry. - n. - A Hit Box that deals damage when it makes contact with an opponent's Hurt Box. Hit Confirm - n. - In most fighting games you have the ability to cancel or link attacks. The decision to do so may be based on whether the opponent has guarded the attack or if the hit connected. Visually confirming that the attack has connected in order to make a decision on how to proceed is called a Hit Confirm. Hit Frame - n. - An Animation Frame of your character that actually can register a hit. For example, Ryu's Crouching Fierce in Super Street Fighter II Turbo has multiple Hit Frames. He can hit with the Animation Frame with his fist still at chest level as well as the Animation Frame with his hand up in the air. The Animation Frame where he is retracting his arm, however, is NOT a Hit Frame because it cannot hit anyone in the particular frame. Hit Freeze - n. - This occurs in most Fighting Games, but not all (more typically in 2-D fighting games). It describes the tendency for moves that connect against the opponent to "freeze" and almost have time stop for a fraction of a second on the frame that it makes contact (whether the move is blocked or not). This hitfreeze is generally also the window to cancel into a move, though some games will allow you to cancel after it on a successful hit or block. Some games do not have hitfreeze, such as the Mortal Kombat series, but this tends to be the exception rather than the rule. Hit Stun - n. - A reeling animation the character is forced into when they are hit by an attack. During this state, the character cannot perform any actions until the stun animation has ended. Hitting the character again before they recover from hitstun is called a Combo. Hurt Box - n. - A type of hitbox that is specific to the areas where a character will take damage Hyper Combo - n. - See Super Combo I Install Super - n. - A type of super move that, rather than dealing damage, powers up the character temporarily. Instant Air Dash - n. - This is a technique that applies only to games with an Air Dash mechanic. It allows you to go from a grounded position to the air, performing an Air Dash almost instantaneously, so that your Air Dash is low to the ground, allowing for a quick attack from the air. Invincibility Frame - n. - Invincibility Frame refers to those frames of animation where an attack will have no effect on a fighter despite collision. J Juggle - n. - Any hit that occurs against an opponent in the middle of a Reel in the air. - v. - To hit the opponent with a Juggle. Jump - v. - To make your character jump into the air, most of the time to perform jumping attacks or to avoid the moves of your opponent. - adj. - Used to describe attacks done while in a Jump. K Knock-Down - n. - A move that, when landed on an opponent, causes the opponent to fall on their backs (as opposed to landing on their feet). - adj. - Used to describe a move that causes a Knock-Down. L Launcher - n. - These are moves that put your opponent into the air so that you can perform a Super Jump Cancel or High Jump Cancel to follow the opponent into the air to Air Combos. Level - adj. - In a few Fighting Games, Super Meters come with "Levels," allowing you to perform smaller or larger versions of the Super Combo. Whenever you see a Super described as a "Level #" Super Combo, that referrs to doing the Super at the indicated Level. Life Meter - n. - See "Health Meter." Link - n. - A combo method where you combo two moves in a row not based on any special system built-in combo method. The first move simply recovers fast enough and the second move simply comes out quickly enough for the two to connect. - v. - To perform a Link. Low - adj. - The attribute of an attack that can only be blocked crouching. M Magic Pixel - n. - The condition in which your character has absolutely no energy left in your Health Meter. The next attack that does any damage will defeat you, no matter how small the damage is. Can be especially relevant in games where the opponent cannot be defeated by chip damage. Match - n. - One complete game of a Fighting Game. When you defeat your opponent, you've won the Match. Meaty - adj. - Describes attacks that are timed or spaced so they will hit the opponent on their last active frame, so they will have more frame advantage, or less frame disadvantage. A good opportunity for this is when an opponent is rising from a knockdown. Meaty attacks can sometimes allow new combos to happen. Spacing moves that move over time, such as Cammy's spiral arrow, so they hit with the very end can make them safe where they are otherwise unsafe on block. - adj. - Describes attacks that are timed so that the enemy gets up into it when they get up after being knocked down, named for their high potential to hit opponents with the last active frame. Meaty Attack - n. - An attack that is Meaty. Meter - n. - When used in Fighting Game discussions, it almost always refers to the secondary meter for the character, most of the time the Super Meter. So when someone asks, "Do you have enough Meter for the move?", they are referring to the Super Meter. Mid - adj. - The attribute of an attack that can be blocked standing or crouching. Minus - n. - To be at frame disadvantage. - adj. - Describing a move that has frame disadvantage. N Neutral - n. - Describes the position of the joystick when you are not holding it in any direction. Neutral State - n. - The period of time when your character is NOT in the middle of any move or jump. A Neutral State is when you character is on the ground and has the freedom to choose any action including walk, Crouch, Jump, attack, and block. In most games, Neutral States do not come into play, but there are a very few games where it can affect gameplay. Normal Move - n. - This is used to describe any attack performed by a character that does not require a joystick motion. Normal Moves typically do not cause block damage and are done by simple, single button presses. Directional Moves count as Normal Moves because they only require a joystick position, not a motion. Many of the major 3-D games are not applicable to this term because there are no Special Moves. O Offensive Crouch - n. - Describes the position of the joystick when you hold diagonally between the direction your character is facing and Down. Overheads - n. - In 2-D games, describes the name of an attack performed from the ground that must be blocked while Standing. If the enemy Crouches and blocks, they will get hit by Overheads. In 3-D games, this is usually referred to as a "Mid Attack". Option Select - n. - When a player inputs multiple possible options at the same time, and the computer automatically selects the appropiate one according to the situation. As an extremely basic example, in Super Turbo, you attempt to throw your rival with Medium Punch. If you are within throw range, a throw will come out, otherwise a Medium Punch will come out. Advanced option selects are used to reduce the risk of getting punished if your initial option fails. An example of this would be Honda's Auto Mix-up in Super Turbo. Basically, you do something, and if that something fails, another useful move comes out in its place, reducing (or eliminating, in some cases) the risk of geting punished for it. P Parry - n. - An alternative to Blocking. Rather than Blocking an attack and dealing with all of the Block Stun and Pushback associated with it, you deflect the attack without any Pushback and virtually no delay of any kind. This usually involves putting your character at risk, as the window for Parries is often small. The difference between this and Counters is that Counters usually have an automatic follow-up. Parrying allows the character to do anything they want afterward, even another Parry if the next attack is coming too quickly. Parrying also avoids any Block Damage. - v. - To perform a Parry. Piano - v. - To use a technique for performing a move at the earliest possible instant or within a narrow frame of time by quickly pressing and releasing all the buttons that can produce the move. One use of this in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is to link supers after overheads on some characters, or performing reversal moves in games with tight reversal windows, such as Street Fighter II. The window for these can be as tight as a single frame, so by pressing and releasing all the buttons can give you more chances to hit the correct window. Plus - n. - To be at frame advantage. - adj. - Describing a move that has frame advantage. Priority - n. - In most games this is an abstract notion of how likely a move is to beat other moves, based on a mixture of its startup, range, and hurtbox size. Some games such as Guilty Gear or Arcana Heart employ an actual priority system where moves of the same priority will clash and moves of greater priority will win. Priority is also used to resolve moves that hit on the same frame in some games such as Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike or Street Fighter V, where the higher priority move will not trade with lower priority moves if they hit on the same frame. Projectile - n. - The generic name applied to all Special Moves where the character produces an object that travels independently of the character and has a hit box which can damage the opponent. Pushback - n. - After Blocking or getting hit by an attack, your character will slide away from the attacker a slight distance. This is referred to as Pushback. In the Corner, your opponent will be pushed away from you rather than you getting pushed back, since you have no further room to move. In the corner, projectiles will not push back on either character, and you will not be pushed back as far by juggle moves, which can enable some corner-only combos. R Rapid Fire Weak Attack - n. - In many 2-D Fighting Games, there are Normal Moves that are usually performed by the "Jab" or "Short" button that execute quickly and can be repeatedly Chained into itself or, sometimes, into other Rapid Fire Weak Attack. Other non-Capcom games, such as Guilty Gear, have Rapid Fire Weak Attacks as well. Reel - n. - This is the action of a character when they are hit by a move. Reel Arc - n. - The path that a character falls in after being hit by a Knock Down move. When hit by a Knock Down, the character usually flies upwards a little and then falls back down in an arc. Reversal - adj. - This describes the ability for a character to go from a "non-hittable" state straight into a Special Move instantly with no extra Frames in between. This refers almost exclusively to the Street Fighter series (Classic, Alpha, III, etc.), as in most other games Reversals are almost unimportant to the actual gameplay, though it does apply to certain other games. There are three situations that a player is able to perform a Reversal attack: *1) Going straight from getting up off the floor (during which you are invincible) into a Special Move (the instant you are done getting up, you go from the last frame of getting up into the first Frame of your Special Move). *2) Going straight from Block Stun into a Special Move (the instant your Block Stun ends, you go from the last Block Stun Frame right into the first Frame of your Special Move). *3) If you are hit out of the air by a non-Knock Down move and can no longer be Juggled, you can go straight from your landing animation (during which you are invincible) into a Special Move the INSTANT you land (right when you land, you go from the last Frame of landing right into the first Frame of your Special Move). This is most useful in conjunction with moves that are invincible when they start (Ryu or Ken's Shoryuken, Cammy's Cannon Spike, most Level 3 Super Combos, a Custom Combo, a Roll, etc.), as they will beat any attack that is attempted on you as you are getting up. Roll - n. - 1. When hit by a Knock-Down, there is the ability in some games to, upon landing on the ground, to roll forward the instant you land rather than falling onto your back. Different games have varying degrees of invulnerability during these Rolls. - n. - 2. In some games, Rolls are a method of moving your character while being invincible during most of the move. Some games only let you Roll forward, others let you Roll in either direction. - v. To perform a Roll. Round - n. - In most games, matches are separated into Rounds. Whoever wins the majority of the Rounds wins the Match. Most Rounds are determined by who drains the opponent's Health Meter completely first. Run - n. - A method of movement much faster than walking. This usually keeps your character moving forward continuously, but leaves them vulnerable. In some games, this is synonymous with Dashing, but in others Running and Dashing are two different techniques. - v. - To perform a Run. Rushdown - n. - A strategy of trying to get into close range in order to pressure and deal large damage. - adj. - a character archetype that uses the rushdown strategy. S Safe - adj. - Also "Safe on Block." Describes an attack that cannot be punished. An attack is safe based on the range and frame disadvantage of the attack. To punish, an opponent must have an attack that starts up in less frames than the attack's frame disadvantage, that also has enough range to reach at the distance between the characters after pushback. Short Hop - n. - In a few fighting games, most notably the King of Fighters series, there is a way to make your character perform a Jump smaller and shorter than a normal Jump, allowing for quicker attacks from the air. - v. - To perform a Small Jump. Shoto - An archetype of fighting game characters who have dragon punches and fireballs, such as Ryu or Ken. Slide - n. - This is the classification of moves that cause the character performing the slide to travel forward with an attack that must be Crouch blocked. - v. - To perform a slide. Special Move - n. - This is used to describe the type of attack that requires a joystick motion or a combination of buttons to perform. One of the main properties of a Special Move is their ability to do damage even if the attack is blocked (although in some games, everything does Block Damage). Another property of a Special Move is the ability to be canceled into from a Bufferable Normal Move. This term is not applicable to the major 3-D games out there because there are no moves which fit this definition. Spinning Pile Drivers/SPD - n. - This is the slang name given to all Command Throws that particularly require the 360º motion. The motion consists of six consecutive directional inputs [which amounts to 3/4ths of a circle] on the joystick plus a button. In many game manuals, it is notated as a 360º motion, but in fact all games only require the motion to be 270º for it to register. This term comes from Zangief, the Street Fighter II character who was the first to have a Command Throw executed with this motion, his trademark Spinning Pile Driver. Moves such as Cammy's Hooligan Throw (not a Spinning Pile Driver motion to perform) or Sodom's Daikyou Burning (not an unblockable Throw even though it uses the 360 motion) do not count as a Spinning Pile Driver. Abbreviated SPD or 360. Standing - adj. - The condition your character is in if the joystick is in any of the middle positions: Back, Towards, and Neutral. Describes attacks done from this position. Stun - n. - In many Fighting Games, when a character is struck by moves too many times in a quick succession, the character goes into what is known as Stun. The character is unable to move, Block, walk, Jump, attack, etc. They are just sitting ducks for a short period of time. The only action available to the Stunned character is to attempt to shake out of being Stunned quicker than normal. - v. - To cause your opponent to go into Stun. Stun Damage - n. - Most games have an internal Stun Meter kept track of that, when filled up, causes the character to go into Stun. Each attack that lands builds up this Meter. The amount of Stun built up on the Meter is referred to as Stun Damage. Stun Meter - n. - Most games have an internal Stun Meter kept track of that, when filled up by repeated Stun Damage, causes the character to go into Stun. Some games have the Stun Meter exposed. Super Armor/Armour - a. - A property of a move (or character) wherein the move requires more than one hit (or a certain amount of damage in certain games) to interrupt. Super Combo - n. - A special type of attack that usually consumes energy from a secondary Meter to perform a particularly damaging and powerful attack. The power and effectiveness of Super Combos does vary from game to game, but the key factor of a Super Combo is that it requires energy from a secondary Super Meter. Super Flash - adj. - Usually describes the period of time when a character is about to perform a Super Combo or Custom Combo. The screen goes black, the game freezes for a second, and the character performing the attack that caused the Chi Gathering may or may not continue to animate. After the Chi Gathering, the person performing the move usually has some Frame Advantage afterwards. Super Jump - n. - In some games, you can make your character Jump far and above regular Jumping and even High Jumping. This is usually only included in games that the playing field is twice or more the height of a normal playing field, allowing for Air Combos and various forms of aerial combat. - v. - To perform a Super Jump. Super Jump Cancel - n.- In some games, there are Normal Moves that can be canceled into Super Jumps and only Super Jumps to allow you to chase the opponent into the air for Air Combos. - v. - To perform a Super Jump Cancel. Super Meter - n. - A secondary meter included in many Fighting Games that builds up energy during the course of a Match. Once filled up completely or to certain points, the character who the Super Meter belongs to is able to perform a Super Combo. Supers - n. - See "Super Combo." Sweep - n. - An attack that must be Crouch blocked and knocks down when it successfully connects, including Slides. If you are performing a Stand block, you will be hit. - v. - To hit your enemy with a Sweep. T Taunt - n. - An action whose sole purpose is to taunt the enemy. These actions usually leave you completely wide open to attack. So by putting yourself into a position in which you are completely helpless on purpose, you are showing your enemy that you do not think them worthy enough to defeat you even though you are leaving yourself vulnerable. In some games, Taunts can be canceled partway through and in other games Taunts give you special abilities. - v. - To perform a Taunt. Tech Hit - n. - In actuality, Tech Hit is a terminology used by Capcom to describe any sort of bonus to the score of a character who did something special, such as a Counter Throw or a Parry. Many times though, people associate the term with a Tech Throw, which is actually just a Counter Throw. Tech - v. - To perform an input that enables you to Throw Tech, or exit a disadvantage state more quickly, such as knockdown or juggle. In some games you can roll to the left or right when you tech, or tech to delay wakeup. Throw - n. - Describes the form of attack, whether performed from the ground or in the air, that cannot be blocked at all. This can be a regular Throw or a Special Move Throw such as a Spinning Pile Driver. - v. - To perform a Throw. Throw Tech - n. - In most games it is possible to break out of throws when your opponent attempts one, usually by pressing a specific button, or attempting your own throw at the same time. You usually cannot throw tech when you are performing a move. The window for throw teching can vary wildly by game from same instant, to completely reactable. Tier - n. - A term used by Fighting Game players to indicate a quality level of characters in a game. "Top Tier," for example, refers the the best characters in the game. Games are usually divided into multiple Tiers, the higher ones being where the best characters are, and the bottom ones being where the characters who stand less or little chance are. Tiger Knee [Motion] - n. - A slang term, originating from Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, which eventually became common jargon in many other fighting games. The original Tiger Knee command, used by the Street Fighter II character Sagat, consisted of the inputs: [Down, Down-Toward, Toward, Up-Toward + Kick]. In later games, when aerial Special Moves were implemented, the Tiger Knee Motion was used to minimize the time required to Jump and perform an aerial Special Move from the ground, particularly ones that were of the Down, Down-Towards, Towards code variety. Now, however, the term "Tiger Knee Motion" applies to all aerial special moves performed quickly from a Standing or Crouching state by taking the normal command input and adding an additional [Up-Towards], [Up-Back], or [Up] at the end of the input with the corresponding attack button. Touch of Death -n. - A combo that will completely eliminate an opponent's health. Also referred to by the acronym "ToD". ' Toward - n. - Describes the position of the joystick that matches the direction your fighter is currently facing. U Unsafe - adj. - A move that has so much frame disadvantage that an opponent can punish it. Sweeps and Dragon Punches are commonly unsafe against blocking opponents. Fireballs are sometimes unsafe, even on hit, versus opponents in the corner. More frame disadvantage can lead to a move being more unsafe. Moves that are at frame disadvantage are not necessarily unsafe, only if the opponent has a fast enough move to punish them at that range. V Variable Combo - n. - See "Custom Combo." W Wake-up - adj. - Wake ups are just the one class of Reversals that are performed when getting up from the ground. See "Reversal." Walk - n. - The action of moving forward or backwards simply by holding left or right on the joystick. - v. - To actually perform Walking. Whiff - v. - The act of an attack missing the opponent. Whiff Punish - v. - Hitting an opponent who has whiffed an attack during their recovery frames, either by hitting them directly, or hitting their outstretched limb. Z Zero-Frame Move - n. - A move that is active before the first frame of its animation. Meaning if the opponent wasn't blocking before the first frame, they will not be able to block on the first frame. Some Supers, especially command grab supers, place the startup before the superflash, making them effectively 0-frame moves after the super flash, preventing your opponent from escaping or blocking on reaction to the super flash. Throws in some 2d games like Street Fighter II and Guilty Gear come out in 0 frames. In Guilty Gear this means throws can interrupt meaty attacks. Zoning - v. - To use long ranged moves to keep opponents outside of your space. Zoner - adj. - A character archetype that primarily uses Zoning.