Hadoken



The Hadoken (波動拳, hadouken, "Surge Fist", a Japanese neologism, also "Wave Motion Fist"), also sometimes spelled as "Hadouken" is a special attack that originated in the classic Capcom fighting video game series, Street Fighter. The practitioner thrusts his or her palms forward, sending a surge of spiritual energy (or ki) flying towards the opponent.

It is usually performed by moving the joystick or D-pad a quarter circle forward towards the opponent from the down position, then pressing a punch button, which is usually written in manuals and guides as "↓↘→P" (assuming a right-facing character). It is referred to colloquially as the "Fireball", even though most versions of the Hadoken do not involve the use of fire. Most versions can be dodged by jumping over them.

The Hadoken is considered the series' most famous attack alongside Shoryuken, and has received a great amount of parodies and references in media. The Hadoken itself is often featured in the intros of various Street Fighter games, usually at the end, the trend starting from as early as Super Street Fighter II to the recent Super Street Fighter IV.

Different Types of Hadoken

 * Hadoken (波動拳, Hadoken, "Surge Fist") – The basic type of Hadoken. A surge fist in which a fighter's willpower is utilized to focus ki into and through the palms. As the palms are thrust outwards towards the target, a surging energy (or ki) wave is expelled that results in a punching force traveling through the air. The user will usually be immobilized for a short time after performing this move, leaving them vulnerable to counterattack. The normal versions do not usually consume the Super Combo gauge. Also, in after effects or anime, Hadokens have lightning, as shown in the 3rd picture.
 * Shakunetsu Hadoken (灼熱波動拳, Shakunetsu Hadoken, "Scorching Surge Fist") – A Hadoken which is imbued with the power of fire, can launch from one to three depending on the strength of the punch button, anyone touching this Hadoken risks immolation and will be knocked down. Also known as the Red Hadoken and is an actual fireball.
 * Gou Hadoken (豪波動拳, Go Hadoken, "Great Surge Fist") – It is more powerful than a normal Hadouken. Gouken can charge this move to launch two at varying angles depending on the strength of the punch button.
 * Zanku Hadoken (斬空波動拳, Zankuu Hadoken, "Air Slashing Surge Fist") – This is an aerial Hadoken used by Akuma, Evil Ryu and Ken (in the Crossover Games), which travels diagonally down and towards the opponent. In some games, Akuma can launch two Zanku Hadoken at the same time, with both traveling at different angles towards the ground.
 * Tenma Go Zanku (天魔豪斬空, Tenma Gou Zankuu, "Demon's Great Air Slash") – A more powerful version of the Zanku Hadoken. Akuma uses this Super Combo to throw a barrage of mid-air projectiles or one giant projectile at his opponent, crushing them.
 * Messatsu Gou Hado (滅殺豪波動, Messatsu Gou Hadou, "Annihilator Great Surge")  –A more powerful version of the Shinkuu Hadoken using massive amounts of the Satsui no Hadou. In Street Fighter 3, it is depicted as being a few times larger than a regular Hadouken.
 * Denjin Hadoken (電刃波動拳, Denjin hadoken, "Lightning Blade Spirit Surge Fist") – A chargeable Hadoken that electrifies the defender, stunning them momentarily.
 * Metsu Hadoken (滅波動拳, Metsu hadoken, "Destruction Surge Fist") – Using the energy of the Satsui no Hadou, Ryu charges a hadoken with the intention to kill.
 * Shinku Hadoken (真空波動拳, Shinkū Hadoken, "Vacuum Surge Fist") – A Super charge of the Hadoken; when executed, the Shinku Hadoken can hit the opponent multiple times and destroy other projectiles launched by the opponent. It is much more powerful than a normal Hadoken. Its appearance in the Vs. series comes in the form of a large beam that highly resembles the Kamehameha from the Dragon Ball series. In Marvel vs. Capcom 3, the move can be aimed in various directions, similar to Cyclops' Super Optic Blast.
 * Gorai Hadoken (轟雷波動拳, Roaring Lightning Surge Fist) –An electric hadoken used by Oni in Super Street Fighter IV. It is possible it is a weaker version of the Denjin Hadouken.
 * Meido Gohado (冥恫豪波動, Dark Painful Great Surge) – Oni's first Ultra Combo. If fired at point blank range, Oni will then fire a second one into the opponent, causing the power to flow through them and form Oni's Kanji Character behind them.

Ryu & Evil Ryu
Ryu focuses more on the Hado principle of the fighting style, which makes him very skilled with his usage of ki. Most of Ryu's finishing attacks are variations of the Hadoken technique, which make him generally a better user than Ken. As time progressed, Ryu's version was the most outstanding of its practitioners, with superior speed and recovery time compared to his rivals. Ryu, in some games, has an exclusive "fake-out" Hadoken, executed by doing a quarter circle forward and pressing the taunt button. By doing so, Ryu will simply do the hand thrusting motion for a Hadoken, not firing it.
 * Hadoken
 * Shakunetsu Hadoken
 * Denjin Hadoken
 * Shinku Hadoken
 * Metsu Hadoken
 * Hado no Kamae (Fake-out Hadoken)

Ken
Ken Masters is also a student of Gouken alongside his partner and best friend Ryu. However, although he possesses the ability to manipulate ki, he has chosen to focus on developing moves & techniques more in line with his speed-oriented fighting style.

In the crossover games, he gains various types of Hadoken, such as the Shinku Hadoken.
 * Hadoken
 * Zanku Hadoken (crossovers)
 * Shinku Hadoken (crossovers)



Akuma
Akuma infuses his Hadokens with the Satsui No Hadou, giving his Hadokens the potential to kill an opponent. He has the ability to launch a "Shakunetsu Hadoken" by doing a half circle backwards and punch, which is a Hadoken with fire effects and more power, and more hits depending on the strength of the punch button used. Akuma also has the ability to use the Zanku Hadoken, a Surge Fist that attacks a ground opponent while he's in the air. Given the amount of Hadoken variations Akuma can conduct, he appears to be far more proficient in this move than Ryu.
 * Hadoken
 * Shakunetsu Hadoken
 * Messatsu Gou Hado
 * Zanku Hadoken
 * Gou Hadoken
 * Tenma Gou Zankuu

Sakura
Sakura Kasugano has an imperfect Hadoken since she is not trained in the Hado-style. She learned by imitating Ryu. She can charge her Hadoken, though the more she charges the shorter it goes. Even with no charge the projectile does not go too far.
 * Hadoken
 * Shinku Hadoken

Sean
Sean Matsuda appears to have a powerful Hadoken, but it is not fully mastered yet and he has yet to fully understand how to manipulate ki. Unlike the other fighters, who have variations of the original technique, Sean has only Hadou Burst as his only projectile.
 * Hado-Burst

Allen
Allen Snider self-developed Hadoken, although he is fully mastered yet and he has remastered very well in ki. http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/streetfighterex/images/7/75/Allensforce.png
 * Soul/Fire Force

Dan
Dan Hibiki "invented" the Gadouken (我道拳, Self-Taught Fist), which has some attack power and also has a short range. It is done with the same input as the Hadouken, though he appears to launch it with one hand. He gains the Shinkuu Gadoken with the similarity of a Shinkuu Hadoken except it is a short distance fireball to close range combat. He also gained and advanced the Gadouken, the Haoh Gadouken in Super Street Fighter IV which is similar to Ryu's Super Fireball, and also parodies the Haoh Shokoken used by Ryo in Art of Fighting/The King of Fighters. The distance of a regular Gadouken depends on how strong the punch button was pressed. Also, Dan can use the EX Gadouken, which boosts the range of the blast.
 * Gadouken
 * Shinku Gadouken
 * Haoh Gadoken



Gouken
Gouken deploys Hadokens based on his belief that martial arts were meant for self-defense. He uses only one-handed for his regular Hadoken in Street Fighter IV, a reference to the "Sheng Long" rumors and can also fire them straight as well as upwards (depending on the strength of the punch button pressed). His Hadokens can also be charged by holding down a punch button after executing them. The EX version involves him firing two Hadokens at the same time with one going straight and the other in the air. He does, however use 2 hands for the Denjin Hadoken, in order to control the Hadoken while he charges it before releasing to his opponent.
 * Gou Hadoken
 * Denjin Hadoken

Oni
Akuma improved since his transformation to Oni, he now fires a one-handed Hadoken similair to Gouken, which can also be charged. If left uncharged, his Hadoken will "fizzle" out after a certain range, but if charged to the maximum, it can hit twice, and will continue to fly without fading. The EX version of this attack does not need charged, hits twice, and also continues to the end of the screen. Oni also possesses the Gorai Hadoken, which replaces the normal Shakunetsu Hadoken. His Gorai Hadoken is filled with electricity instead of flames, he uses two hands to shoot it and charge it. He also possesses a stronger version of the Messatsu Gou Hadou, called the Meido Gohado. This special fireball can be fired in 3 ways: on the ground, horizontally and vertically, or in the air, at an downward angle. Each variation bears a different name: Meido Gohado (shot straight), Messatsu Gou Tenha (shot upwards), and Messatsu Gou Zankuu, (shot down from air at angle).
 * Gou Hadoken
 * Gorai Hadoken
 * Meido Gohado
 * Messatsu Go Tenha
 * Messatsu Go Zankuu

Sprites








Photos
File:Ryu-a-fix.JPG|SFA intro artwork of Ryu charging Hadoken File:SF2T-ryu-hedoken.jpg|In Street Fighter II Ken-hado-motion.jpg|Ken doing the motion for Hadoken File:SF4-ryu-ken-hadoken.jpg|In Street Fighter IV Hadoken-ssf2-intro.jpg|In Super Street Fighter II's intro. SSF2THDR-ryu-hadoken.jpg|Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix 176570-sf4_07_super.jpg|A Metsu Hadoken 

Trivia

 * In Super Street Fighter II Turbo and in Street Fighter IV, strategy guide writers consider Ryu's Shinku Hadoken and Metsu Hadoken as the best Super Combo and Ultra Combo, respectively.
 * The Hadoken may have been inspired by the Kamehameha from the Dragon Ball series. Both have identical hand movements and are fired the same way. They are also similar in apperance (though the Kamehameha is a laser-like beam).

Other Appearances

 * The Hadouken appears as a taunt attack in Valve's First-Person Shooter, Team Fortress 2. It's used by the Pyro. If the fireball connects, it instantly kills any enemy player unfortunate enough to be hit. While it is called "Hadoken", technically it is a Shakunetsu Hadoken (as the attack is in itself a melee-range puff of flames that leaves its victims on fire).
 * In episode 33 of the anime Keroro Gunso, the character Tamama uses a parody version of Shinku Hadoken called Shinku Tamamaken, the attack looks exactly the same.
 * In the game Megaman X, if the player collects all items and exit 5 times in Armored Armadilo's stage, at the end of the level above the boss door the player will find a secret capsule in which Dr. Light dressed as Ryu will teach X the Hadoken. The way it is performed is the same as in the games. Unlike the usual Hadouken from the Street Fighter Series, it is quite lethal, as it can kill all bosses in one hit, although X will need to be at full health in order to use it.
 * In the Nexon imported game "Dungeon Fighter" the Fighter's Hadoken-like move, Nen Blast, uses the same command as Hadoken. This could be seen as a nod to the legacy of the attack.
 * In the Super Smash Bros. series, both Mewtwo and Lucario's Standard Special Moves (Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere, respectively) seem to resemble the Denjin Hadouken both in pose and projectile.
 * In a reputable comic series inspired by Smash Bros., Kirby can use Hadouken after "copying" Snake, and shaving his beard, leaving his headband. His headband resembles Ryu/Ken's.
 * In the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft, the Troll spell-casting animation mirrors the Hadouken.
 * In the Worms game series, there is an attack called the "Fireball" (later renamed as "Dragonball") which is a clear parody of the Hadouken.
 * In Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time, Dr. Nefarious played a game where he used a attack which parodies of Hadoken.
 * In Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2, the character Jago, uses an attack that is respectively similar to the Hadoken, called Endokuken.
 * In the game The Adventures of Dr. Franken, Franky uses a fireball projectile that greatly resembles the Hadoken. He also uses a similar-looking Sonic Boom and Flash Kick like moves. This can be at seen at 2:54 in this video:
 * Kirby's Fighter ability allows Kirby to use a fireball that resembles the Hadoken, and even wears a headband as a tribute to Ryu.
 * A band is named after the move, "Hadoken!".
 * The Angry Video Game Nerd uses the Hadoken various times while fighting the Nostalgia Critic:
 * Dark Jak's "Dark Strike" move is used in a similar way to a Denjin Hadoken; Jak charges dark energy, with dark sparks being created, and mimics the hand thrust of the Hadoken fireball being released. However, the Dark Charge projectile itself is two dark-powered fireballs twirling at once.
 * In the webcomic 8-bit theater, created by Brian Clevinger, the character Black Mage uses the Hadoken to deal massive amounts of damage to different enemies. The move looks like a steady stream, similar to one of Akuma's. It is used as a clear parody.