Street Fighter IV/Gouken

From SuperCombo Wiki

Introduction

Gouken is a console-only character with tools to shut down many common character types, including charge & shotokan characters. He is best played by someone who can consistently predict his opponent's next move based on their prior patterns. He has the concept of Shoto style, but no shoryuken, and a much different hurricane kick. This leads to a weak wake-up game, and his worst matchups are against characters with many safe or armor-breaking moves like Dictator and Boxer. His combos are very high damage, which makes up for his lack of offensive options.

How do I unlock Gouken?

Follow the instructions on the main SFIV page.

Move Analysis

Guide to Notation

Normal Moves

  • c.FP: Great anti-air, general poke & combo starter.
    • Combo timing changes when you hit from further away.
    • Hit it late as an anti-air.
  • s.HK: Distance poke; unpunishable on block.

Normal Throws

  • LP + LK or f + LP + LK: Regular throw
  • b + LP + LK: Dat backthrow. Follow up with...
    • Full 3-hit Ultra
    • c.FP xx Demon Flip
    • j.MP (one hit) combo. ??
    • QCB + HK
  • s.HK ~ LP + LK: Kara-throw.

Command Normals

  • f + MP: Overhead

Focus / Saving Attack

Special Moves

  • QCF+P: Hadoken
    • P strength determines angle - lp is horizontal, mp is slight upward angle, hp is sharp upward angle.
    • Juggles - combo into dash punch whenever possible.
  • Ground QCB+K: Tatsumaki (Hurricane Kick)
    • Most useful when guaranteed after an EX Rush Punch or backthrow
    • EX: Invincibility frames on startup. Useful if your enemy is pressuring you on wakeup, but NOT if they're crossing over. Hitbox is high, so it can whiff on many characters if they are crouching.
  • Air QCB+K: Air Tatsumaki (Hurricane Kick)
    • Travels horizontally
    • Can punish Gief's Lariat at the right height
    • EX Forward-back direction can be controlled.
  • DP+P: Senkugoshoha ("Rush Punch")
    • Armor Breaking
    • Has three "phases": startup, dash, attack. Is invulnerable during the dash phase. Dash phase will end prematurely if Gouken reaches the opponent.
    • Punch strength determines the startup time & "max range" of the dash portion. All version (incl EX) are punishable.
    • EX: Two-hits, launcher.
  • Reverse DP+K/P: Kongoshin ("Counter")
    • Can be cancelled into super.
    • Punch version generally counters high hits (high with regards to hitbox, not hit type). It will counter Chun-Li's sweep and Akuma's slide kick.
    • Kick version counters low hits.
    • EX: Counters high & low, does slightly less damage.
    • Vulnerable against...
      • Armor-breaking moves (including reversals)
      • Grabs & grab supers/ultras
      • Certain multi-hit moves (loses to Zangief's EX palm, but beats Bison's Scissors)
    • See Matchups for a table of which Ultras and Supers can be countered.
  • DP+K: Demon Flip
    • EX: Invincible startup frames; tracks opponent.
    • Followups
      • P: Focus
      • K: Dive kick - does more hitstun than the bare Down + MK dive kick. Can hit-confirm into c.hp for combo starter.
        • The lower you are when you hit, the more frame advantage you'll have. This is why you cannot combo if you hit the top of Zangief's Lariat, and why a Sagat can punish this on block if you hit him high.
      • LP + LK: Grab - works on standing and crouching opponents. Timing is very tight.
        • Has instant recovery as soon as you hit the ground.
      • No Input: Slide kick.

Super Move

Kinjite (Forbidden) Shoryuken: QCF, QCF + P

  • Can be cancelled into from Counter or Dashpunch

Ultra Move

Shin Shoryuken: QCF, QCF + PPP

Comboing into Shin Shoryuken

  • Backthrow, Ultra
  • Ex Palm xx FADC, Ultra
  • Tatsu xx FADC, Ultra
  • Demon Flip, Dive Kick xx Ultra
    • This only works if you basically kick their toe. This works because you hit the ground sooner, and thus can hit the Ultra while they're still in hitstun.
  • Corner
    • Counter xx FADC, Ultra
    • EX Palm, Ultra
    • EX Palm, EX Hadoken, Ultra

To combo the full 3-hit version from a juggle, your opponent has to "fall" onto the first hit, so don't time it too early. If it still catches someone, a many-hit version will come out

Trades with Gief's Lariat

FADCing into Shin Shoryuken

Practice this: MP+MK, QCF, QCF, PPP. If you do the QCF, QCF fast enough, the "forward" parts will count as the double-tap you need to dash cancel the Focus Attack. That is, QCF, QCF will count as your dash input and your Ultra input. All you have to do is time the PPP once you recover from your dash, and you'll Ultra. Make sure you release MP+MK as you hit PPP, or at any time before you hit PPP.

The Basics

Combos

Any combo beginning with s.FP or c.FP can be started with an FP or deep MK jumpin, or a dive kick.

BnB's (Bread 'n Butter Combos)

  1. FP, EX DP+P, DP+P
    • Works against all characters
    • DP+MP is easier to time than DP+FP
  2. FP, EX DP+P, dash forward, QCB+HK