Introduction
Color Options
New Zangief Colors
New Zangief's color options in Super Turbo
To choose the "Hold" color, press and hold any button except Start for 2 seconds. To choose any other color, simply tap the desired button.
--Raisin (April 30, 2007)
Old Zangief Colors
Old Zangief's color options in Super Turbo
Old Zangief's input code is LRRR. Pressing Short simultaneously with Jab or Fierce will give you the alternate color.
--Raisin (April 30, 2007)
Moves List
Normal Moves
Throws
Toward/back + strong: Zangief sits on the opponent's head, opponent always stays in front of Zangief. Sets up a crossup fierce splash when unteched. Zangief's most commonly-used normal throw.
Toward/back + forward: Zangief throws the opponent over his head, opponent always ends up behind him. Not as useful as strong because the opponent is thrown too far for a splash.
Toward/back + fierce: Gief does, I don't know, something to the opponent's face for multiple hits. Not really that useful.
Toward/back + roundhouse: Gief bites the opponent for multiple hits, also not that useful.
Down-toward/down-back + strong: Crouching version of the fierce throw, not that useful either.
Down-toward/down-back + forward: Same deal, not that useful.
Toward + roundhouse while jumping with opponent in the air: Zangief grabs the opponent out of the air and flings him behind himself. Ok range, but very rarely useful.
Command Normals
Toward/back + strong/fierce: Gief does a stupid little hop. The hitbox has like no range and beats just about nothing out. It was probably meant as a way for Zangief to be able to hop over opponents' low normals, but it's not very good at doing that. Mostly it's just an annoyance.
Special Moves
Spinning pile driver (360 + punch): A command throw with great range that does great damage; this is Zangief's most important move, and his entire game revolves around trying to land it. Jab has the best range but the worst damage, and fierce has the worst range but the best damage, although the range and damage don't vary all that much.
Atomic suplex (close 360 + kick): This is a more damaging command throw, but it's range is pretty small. If you're right up close, go for this as more guaranteed damage.
Running bear grab (far 360 + kick): Gief runs a little distance, and as soon as he gets close enough he grabs the opponent for less damage than spd. This is very useful in some matchups and in surprise situations, but if you have the option, spd is better.
Punch lariat (Jab + Strong + Fierce): Gief spins around with hands a-flailing. Goes through fireballs and some supers. It's a great antiair in some situations and beats things like headbutt and psycho crusher sometimes. I say sometimes because the active hitbox extends to all of the area around Gief's head but only to one of Gief's hands. If the hand with the hitbox hits the headbutt, it will win, but the chance of that happening is a little less than 50%. This has no lower-body invincibility.
Kick lariat (short + forward + roundhouse): Like the punch lariat, but this one has a shorter duration. It also hits "lower", for example, punch lariat beats Claw's far standing fierce better and kick lariat beats Claw's crouching strong better. This also generally has no lower-body invincibility, but it does go through Sagat's low tiger shots.
Green hand aka banishing fist (toward, down-toward, down + punch): The fist beats out fireballs and moves Gief forward quickly. It's used to move through fireballs, but it's generally not as good at that as the lariat because of its recovery if whiffed. The hitbox at the fist is really robust, and it beats out just about everything if timed right. It's also used immediately after a spinning piledriver/atomic suplex/running bear grab in order to get Gief in a better range more quickly.
Super Art
Move Analysis
Combos
Zangief's moves are remarkably linkable, so I'm going to put down the links with the move being linked from and linked into and then a couple of the most-used link combos, but you can figure out a whole bunch of others too.
Crouching jab, crouching jab
Crouching jab, crouching roundhouse
Crouching jab, crouching short
Crouching jab, far standing short
Far standing short, crouching roundhouse
Far standing short, far standing short
Standing strong, far standing short
Standing strong, green hand
Standing strong, crouching forward
Crouching forward, green hand
(Crossup fierce splash) Crouching jab, crouching jab, crouching jab, crouching roundhouse
(Crossup fierce splash) Crouching jab, crouching jab, far standing short, crouching roundhouse
(Crossup fierce splash) Standing strong, far standing short, crouching roundhouse
(Crossup fierce splash) Standing strong, crouching forward, green hand
Jumping fierce, standing strong, crouching roundhouse
Frame Data
Normals
Throws
Command Normals
Special Moves
Super Art
Additional Frame Data
Strategies
Overview
Zangief's game revolves around landing his command grabs. He wants to be up close to the opponent ticking into spd or getting a running bear grab. Gief uses his lariats and green hand to get into footsie range, where he uses his excellent crouching roundhouse, standing short, and standing forward pokes as well as lariats to get a knockdown or set up a spinning pile driver.
Basics
Zoning
Mixups
Additional Notes
Match-ups
- Balrog (Boxer)
- O. Balrog (Boxer)
- Blanka
- O. Blanka
- Cammy
- O. Cammy
- Chun-Li
- O. Chun-Li
- Dee Jay
- O. Dee Jay
- Dhalsim
- O. Dhalsim
- E. Honda
- O. E. Honda
- Fei Long
- O. Fei Long
- Guile
- O. Guile
- Ken
- O. Ken
- M. Bison (Dictator)
- O. M. Bison (Dictator)
- Ryu
- O. Ryu
- Sagat
- O. Sagat
- T. Hawk
- T. Hawk
- Vega (Claw)
- O. Vega (Claw)
- Zangief
- O. Zangief