Ryu doesn't wear shoes. Ryu has unblockables. Ryu can kill anyone in two interactions.
Despite appearances, Capcom's poster boy plays the same game he always has in Street Fighter EX. In fact, Ryu is a great example of just what exactly Arika changed approaching the EX series. Some decisions enhance, others tweak, but very little of what's different keeps Ryu from feeling like himself.
Uppercuts in SFEX are crazy good. Longer Kara Cancel windows let big brains threaten with 2HK~DP at roundstart. Unlike other games in the Street Fighter series, uppercuts in Arika games will never trade.
SFEX predates "being minus." Jokes aside, Ryu has it up to his headband in plus frames: Nearly his entire kit either grants advantage or can cancel to Hado for safety.
Tatsu (214K) has been totally reworked from Street Fighter II, and would go on to be reworked again in EX2 Plus. Tatsu is now a Rekka, and Ryu can steer himself in the air or end Hurricane Kicks prematurely. Hurricane Kick's use as an Anti-Projectile tool is severely nerfed in this version.
Normals
Standing
Standing Light Punch 5LP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
1-6
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Ch/Sp/Su
5LP is completely outclassed by his lows. Don't press this.
Standing Medium Punch 5MP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
16-20
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Sp/Su
Godlike in Alpha 2-- Middling at best in EX.
5MP isn't fat enough to beat most jump options, but it's a start. OS Medium DP with this in tight anti-air situations.
Standing Heavy Punch 5HP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
23-28
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Su
Standing Light Kick 5LK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
6-11
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Sp/Su
While it wont combo into any other normals, 5LK is a fantastic little check.
5LK, Hado is a cute frametrap.
Cancel this into Heavy DP in punish situations where you aren't sure Ryu's typical starters will hit.
Standing Medium Kick 5MK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
15-20
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Su
Kudos to the JP players in my EX2 Mook that tried write something positive about 5MK... I won't.
This normal is terrible. Overall a tremendous downgrade from Ryu's axe kick in Alpha 2. 5MK is slow to start, glacial to recover, whiffs on crouchers, and can't be special canceled.
Yes, it steps lows... But so does Hopkick and Tatsu, and both of those actually hit the opponent.
Very situational use as an Anti-Air. This ain't replacing DP anytime soon.
Standing Heavy Kick 5HK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
23-28
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Su
In 3D, 5HK is an actual roundhouse, and is the key to Ryu's hardest link in EXA.
Not the best poke, not the worst.
1-Frame Link into 2MK
Crouching
Crouching Light Punch 2LP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
1-5
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Ch/Sp/Su
Crouching Medium Punch 2MP
Godpunch.
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
15-20
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Sp/Su
2MP is a monster, and sits comfortably among Ryu's "Big Three" neutral tools.
The hitbox for Crouching Medium Punch is far lower than it's animation suggests, likely to curb it's use as an anti-air.
Combos into itself.
Crouching Heavy Punch 2HP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
23-28
-
-
-
-
-
-
H/L
Sp/Su
Fat and fast.
2HP is Ryu's best normal anti-air in EXA.
Crouching Light Kick 2LK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
1-5
-
-
-
-
-
-
L
Ch/Sp/Su
Ryu's ankle biter.
2LK is his go-to crouch tech and abare tool.
Crouching Medium Kick 2MK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
16-20
-
-
-
-
-
-
L
Sp/Su
Far and away Ryu's best poke, potentially the best poke in the game.
You'll be pressing 2MK a lot.
Crouching Heavy Kick 2HK
Sweep!
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
24-28
-
-
-
-
-
-
L
Sp/Su
Sweep is plus on block in EXA.
Cancelable, like the good old days.
2HK low profiles projectiles and many mids.
Tack this on to the end of your blockstrings.
Jumping
Jumping Light Punch j.LP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
6-11
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Jumping Medium Punch j.MP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
12-17
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Hits twice on exceptionally deep jumps. Half the listed damage for an estimate on shallow hits.
Jumping Heavy Punch j.HP
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
19-24
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Ryu's preferred combo starter.
j.HP leaves you close enough and plus enough to link anything.
Can instant-overhead bigbodies.
Jumping Light Kick j.LK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
6-11
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Ticks well for throws.
Jumping Medium Kick j.MK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
12-16
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Ryu's best cross-up.
Jumping Heavy Kick j.HK
"Hyyyyaaaah!"
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
19-24
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
Su
Route to sweep on far jump-ins.
Moves List
Throws
Punch Throw 4/6+MP/HP
Seoi Nage
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
30
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Ryu's throw will always sideswitch.
Kick Throw 4/6+MK/HK
Tomoe Nage
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
30
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Command Normals
Hopkick 6MK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
16-20
-
-
-
-
-
-
L/H
-
Special Moves
Hadouken 236P
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
16-20 (4-5)
-
-
-
-
-
-
L/H
-
Hurricane Kick 214K (x3)
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
6-11 (2-3)
-
-
-
-
-
-
L/H
-
Tatsu is a Rekka in Street Fighter EX.
Dragon Punch 623P
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
24-28 (6)
-
-
-
-
-
-
L/H
-
Damage is random in Street Fighter EX-- Except when it isn't. Ryu's DP on block always does 6 points of chip damage, regardless of strength.
Super Moves
Guard Break LP+LK
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
15-19
-
-
-
-
-
-
Unblockable
-
Shinkuu Hadouken 236236P
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
44-48
-
-
-
-
-
-
L/H
-
Shinkuu Tatsumaki 214214K
(Air Ok)
Damage
Startup
Active
Recovery
Total
On Hit
On Block
Guard
Cancel
52-59
-
-
-
-
-
-
H
-
The Basics
Don't jump. Play footsies. Cancel Sweep.
EXA Ryu has everything he needs: He plays the system to his strengths, and isn't more than one jump in away from a spectacular comeback. You've played this character before.
Like Street Fighter II, linking to 2HK "Sweep" is very practical. Nearly everything in SFEX is a hard knockdown, so short combos like j. HK, 2MP, 2HK let Ryu run great Oki for no resources.
Sweep's cancel properties mean it carries little risk outside total whiffs in EX. The move also has niche uses as a low profile: Its fast startup and low hurtbox make it a great option to check fireballs in neutral.
EXA's projectiles can feel weird. Fullscreen zoning as a whole is much weaker in SFEX, so EXA Ryu usually just chucks plasma at midscreen. Hado checks bad pokes, adds up meager chip damage, and baits for jumps. DP is rewarding on its own, but you can almost triple your damage with a Super Cancel to Shin Tatsumaki.
Advanced Strategy
Unblockables
Throwing the opponent "Off-Axis" is far easier in EXA than EX2+. You've probably done it already by accident.
Any time Ryu cancels a confirm or Anti Air to Air Shin Tatsumaki (STK), he's in position to hit his opponent with unblockable oki. Midscreen, meaty j. MK will either OS an dubious crossup or hit the opponent off axis on their wakeup. In setups where this is framekilled, the opponent can fuzzy their way out. In Ryu's case, j. MK is manually timed, making its block direction effectively random. This often leads to a full combo, an unscaled backturned super, or can be routed to loop "unblockables".
Midscreen Setup:
Anti Air 623P xx 214214K, Sideswitch, (Hold Forward/Macrowalk), j. MK Unblockable
2MK xx 214HKx3, 214214K, Sideswitch, (Hold Forward/Macrowalk), j. MK Unblockable
(Punish) / Corner Setup:
(j. 5HP), 5LK xx 623HP xx 214214K, Sideswitch, (Hold Forward/Macrowalk), j. MK Unblockable