Instant Air Dash
- n. - This is a technique that applies to only a few certain games. It's a technique that allows you to go from a grounded position to into the air performing an Air Dash almost instantaneously, so that your Air Dash is right next to the ground. It allows for a quick way for people to 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.
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 to 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.
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.
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 is referring 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.
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 so that the enemy gets up into it when they get up after being knocked down.
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.
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.
Offensive Crouch
- n. - Describes the position of the joystick when you hold diagonally between the direction your character if 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 Crouch blocks, they will get hit by Overheads. In 3-D games, this is usually referred to as a "Mid Attack".
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 Block Stun or 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 afterwards, even another Parry if the next attack is coming too quickly. Parrying also avoids any Block Damage.
- v. - To perform a Parry.
Projectile
- n. - The generic name applied to all Special Moves where the character attacks the opponent with an essence that travels independently of the character who has thrown the Projectile.
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.
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 Reel Arc is what I call 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 one 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 will moves that are invincible when they start (Ryu or Ken's Shouryuken, 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. 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.
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 - v. - To perform a slide.
Small Jump
- n. - In a few fighting games, most notably the King of the 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.
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 Special Moves.
Spinning Pile Drivers
- 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. They've all been generically given this term due to Zangief, the popular Street Fighter II character who was the first character ever to have a Command Throw executed with this motion. That move, the Spinning Pile Driver, is his trademark move.
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 for short.
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 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 that, when filled up by repeated Stun Damage, causes the character to go into Stun. Some games have the Stun Meter exposed.
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.
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 defeating you even though you are exposing yourself that much. In some games, however, Taunts can be canceled part way through and in other games, Taunts give you special abilities.
- v. - To perform a Taunt.
Tech Throw
- n. - See "Counter Throw."
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.
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.
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.
Towards
- n. - Describes the position of the joystick that matches the direction your fighter is currently facing.
Variable Combo
- n. - See "Custom Combo."
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. - An attack which does not connect with anything, e.g. missing the opponent. "You can be countered easily if you whiff this move."
Whiff Punish
- n. - To strike an opponent before their own missed attack has finished recovery.
Zero Vital
- 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.