Top 10 Difficult Moves in Virtua Fighter (Virtua Fighter Month)

Picture this: You’re doing command training in Virtua Fighter. You were doing well in practicing the character’s strings until you got to one of their most difficult one, which requires a strict input. Now you’re left with two options: You’re not going to advance to the next move in the list until you manage to pull this move off, or you’re gonna say screw it and skip to the next command. 

It’s common in fighting games, mainly in 3D fighters, to have command training just so you can learn how to do the commands in the move list. And at times, there are moments where you can play a demonstration on how the move should work so that you can get the idea when using it during matches.

Virtua Fighter is no different when it comes to command training, although it takes it one step further compared to other fighting games. For instance in VF4 Evolution, there will be a moment where the game will tell you if you’re pressing the button too early or too late. It’s no secret that VF4 Evolution has been praised for their training mode, and for very good reasons since it will teach you how to play the game.

When it comes to each character’s moveset in VF, there will always be one or two moves that require lots of repetition just so that you can pull it off without any issues during matches. Once your muscle memory kicks in,  you’ll be amazing in no time.

As we get into the top 10 difficult moves in VF, let this be known that there will be more than one difficult move in the command list for each character. I’ll try to go into detail on why each move is difficult to pull off. 

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get to it!

#10: Jacky’s Flash Sword Kick (6_KG)

This move is one of Jacky’s best strings to use. It’s a 16 frame high kick that launches on any hit, and it’s +3 on block. Best used in combos, especially as a launcher on any hit. The timing on the move can be pretty strict, so you have to make sure to press G right when the kick hits. In contrast, doing the FSK in the DOA series is actually easier compared to his 

My recommendation is to practice his FSK first in various numbers of reps, 10 on each side. Once you feel comfortable doing it, try to apply it with combos. It’ll come natural once you get the hang of it.

#9: Sarah’s Gatling Roundup Somersault Beat

Sarah has a total of three forms in her movelist: Flamingo, Step, and Forward Slide. Each form has a throw command that can be used. The Step form is used out of Sarah’s Flamingo stance and there are a total of seven commands used in this stance. Out of the seven, two of them are throws.

The Gatling Roundup Somersault Beat is a half circle throw that can be done out of her Step form. What makes the move difficult to do is that you have to be on point with this throw because her Step animation goes back into neutral position, and you have to make sure that you get the Half Circle input out.

#8: Wolf’s Giant Swing (Fastest Swing version; 41236P+G)

The Giant Swing has been Wolf’s signature throw since the first VF game back in 1993. If you wanted the highest damage throw in past VF games, Wolf players would use this to their advantage. 

Now why is the Giant Swing on the list, you ask? That’s because since VF4 Version C, there’s two versions of the input. The fastest input version is the most damaging of the two, considering that you get a cinematic version of the throw animation and the throw damage is 85. 

While I didn’t list this on the countdown, his Emerald Flowsion has a fast input as well, known as the Emerald Flowsion Variant. Like the fast input version of the Giant Swing, it also does more damage as well. I would recommend practicing the fast input just so that you can use that to your advantage during matches.

#7: Akira’s Hantei Goko Tensetsukou (3K+GP466P+K)

The best string to end a combo as Akira. Debuted in Virtua Fighter 3 in 1996, this move was hard to pull off because of the last string itself, which is the command for the Tetsuzanko, 466P+K. The VF community refers to this move as the Dragon Lance Combo, or the DLC for short. 

Since VF5 Vanilla, there’s an easier version of the string, which is 3K+GPP+K, which does less damage compared to the original. It’s still a good combo ender and great for those who are learning Akira, but this won’t do when it comes to optimal damage.

This move was satisfying to pull off on training mode alone, but you gotta make sure you can efficiently pull this off in your combo practice.

#6: Kage’s Zenten Links

Ah, the Zenten. A move that’ll make you feel like Sonic The Hedgehog.

The Zenten and its two links, Kouten and Shinsodan, have been the staple of Kage’s moveset since Virtua Fighter 2 in 1994. Zenten is a forward roll, while the Kouten is a backwards roll. After the second roll, it transitions into the Shinsodan, which has an attack property.

What makes this move difficult is that you have to keep doing the half-circle notation consistently in order for it to work. But once you practice it multiple times on both 1P and 2P sides, it’ll come natural for you.

#5: Jean’s Shichou Tenrengeki

Jean is a character with guard breaking strings. If you want to talk about a character with a good pressure game in VF, look no further. And this string is one of them.

The first string, 46P+K, is a guard break against a high block. You have to make sure your opponent is blocking in order for it to work. And that’s not all; once you break their guard, you have to commit to the string. The second K and the last K both require strict timing, so you have to be on point with those. It’s tricky to do, and the first hit is a linear high, so be careful of using this move because if your opponent evades the first move… you’re gonna have a bad time.

#4:  Akira’s SPoD + Goh’s Basara (P+K+G 43P+G 6P & P+K+G 43P+K 6P or 4P)

I’m gonna cheat here because both Akira and Goh’s throw combos are similar to each other.

Akira’s staple throw combo, Hontei Goko Hazankou, has been around since Virtua Fighter 2 in 1994. Known as the Stun Palm of Doom, or SPoD for short, this was a hard move to pull off at the time. As the years passed, this move is now easier to pull off nowadays, especially in the DOA5 series.

Goh’s Basara, on the other hand, has a similar command to Akira’s SPoD, but the only difference is that he uses 43P+K on the second hit. To be honest, I don’t see many Goh players use the Basara since it’s considered to be a useless move in the game. I don’t recommend using this move as Goh.

#3: Akira’s Teishitsu Daitai (Frame Knee; K+G [Release G after 1 frame])

I rated this one high because while it’s pretty easy to do on stick, it can be REALLY difficult to do on pad, especially during combos. Akira’s one-frame knee has been the staple since the first VF game, and it is a great launcher to use. The only downside is that it’s a linear attack and it’s unsafe on block.

A lot of people who are learning Akira for the first time will get lost in translation on how to do the Frame Knee. The command calls for releasing the Guard button after one frame of the K+G, which is kinda tricky to do.

If you’re playing on stick, here’s a trick that I learned while I was playing both VF5 and DOA5: lightly flick K+G on the stick in order to get the move out. Practice this a couple times alone and when you’re feeling confident on pulling the move out, try it on your combos. It will feel rewarding to pull off.

#2: Goh’s Tsukamigaeshi (P+K+G during an opponent’s throw)

Did you know that Goh has a throw sabaki? Yep, you heard that right: Goh has a throw sabaki that works with any throws possible.

The Tsukamigaeshi is a throw sabaki that puts Goh into a Tsukami position. It’s a great way to turn the tables on your opponent that’s about to throw you. So why is this move difficult to pull off? Mainly because of the fast timing. Let me break it down for you.

First of all, throws have 1 active frame, and this move can only work 1 frame before or after the active frame. This means that you have 2 frames to work with. But if you are at a disadvantage of -10 frames and your opponent will try to throw punish, that’s when you can do it. It can be used in conjunction with Kumite Harai, killing two birds with one stone. That means you’ll be able to buffer a throw escape and you’ll transition into Tsukami if an opponent tries to punch you.

#1: Akira’s GBoD (Guard Break of Doom)

The most difficult move to pull off, but it’s satisfying at the same time. Akira’s Toryuu Tenshin Hazankai debuted in VF5R, taking the #1 spot as the hardest move to pull off in the game. I’ll let the gif speak for itself…

Yep. This is why it’s #1.

Honorable Mentions

While some of the moves didn’t make the top 10, here’s a list of the ones that are difficult to pull off:

• Vanessa’s Wall Kiss Throws (Defensive Stance) - Vanessa has two throws in VF5 that can be done after you hit your opponent on the wall in her Defensive Stance, and they can be done by the Wall Kiss throw. 
• Goh’s ShinShouSanGou - This move was only seen in VF4 Final Tuned and is the hardest move in that game because the last input is a half circle throw. The command for this is 6P+K+G43P+K63214P+G.
• Jean’s Hizakura Midarezaki - 
• Wolf’s Emerald Flowsion Variant - I already explained this one during his Giant Swing, but this also has a faster input version that can be done against a back-turned opponent.
• Kage’s Hagakure-ryū In Suzaku Hishōkyak - I was debating to add this or the Zenten links for the Top 10, but I’ll add this into Honorable Mention. The move is done by 263P+KPK(hit)K, but the last part of the string has strict timing.

It’s known that Virtua Fighter can be hard to play due to the effort you need to put into these characters. But once you get to know how to use the characters and the strings, it’ll become second nature to you. 

This may be the end of the blogs for this year’s Virtua Fighter Month, but the month is not over yet. December 29th is my Twitch Affiliate anniversary, which means that we’re going to do a special stream as part of FGHS 101. I will be doing a Pepsiman Run of Fighting Vipers, followed by the Sonic The Fighters Randomizer. Along the way, I’ll revisit Fighting Vipers 2 because I forgot a few things to mention during the previous stream.

But now, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Hopefully in 2021, we’ll find out more information about Virtua Fighter x eSports in the future!

Until then… Train Up, Fighters!

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