Sonic Boom


 * "That was a Sonic Boom that hit you, not a tank!"

- Guile, Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX

The Sonic Boom (ソニック ブーム) is one of Guile's and Charlie's signature special attacks, as well as one of the many techniques copied by Seth in the Street Fighter IV series.

Description
The user throws a crescent-shaped wave of energy with a quick arm motion (that may or may not be an actual shockwave that is created by a force faster than the speed of sound, which is what an actual sonic boom is). The arm motion varies with the user: for example, Guile's is accomplished by a double-arm cross slash, while Charlie's involves only one arm.

Guile
Executed by charging backward, then pressing forward and punch, Guile has had the move ever since his debut in Street Fighter II, and it is considered one of his deadliest moves. Guile launches his Sonic Boom with both arms, and its range is the same as the Hadoken, though Guile's tend to be a little slower. This is explained by the fact that he learned the move (and his Flash Kick) from Charlie, but his hot-headed demeanor prevents him from being as proficient. Like with most charge-motion moves, the Sonic Boom has rather fast recovery at the end of its firing animation compared to most circle-motion projectile moves.

In the Street Fighter IV series, Guile's EX Special Sonic Boom travels very fast and hits twice.

The Sonic Hurricane is a more powerful Sonic Boom that frequently appears as Guile's Super Combo in various crossover appearances, his Super Art in Street Fighter X Tekken and as his second Ultra Combo in Super Street Fighter IV.

Charlie
Executed the same way as Guile's, Charlie's Sonic Booms are overall similar to Guile's, though they move faster, and Charlie does it with one arm via an inward clothsline hook with his following arm. Though not as useful in Street Fighter Alpha due to the series' projectile physics (which hurt its combo and dizzying ability), as well as the fact that Charlie recovers a bit slower, it is still useful as his primary projectile. Charlie also uses Flash Kicks which a Sonic Boom can effectively lead into.

The Sonic Barrage appears as Charlie's Super Combo throughout the Alpha series, and demonstrates his mastery of the move.

Seth
As Seth mimics moves from some of the fighters of Street Fighter IV, he thus has the ability to fire a Sonic Boom. Executed the same way as a Hadoken, he performs the move with only one arm, similarly to Charlie, only in an outward swat with his leading arm.

Tactics
It has plenty of uses, regardless of speed, and is very useful in the hands of a pro. The Sonic Boom has huge combo potential, and is often used for mind games. Guile's has a good amount of stun, and mastering it is essential for his various combos, as well as Charlie's.

The Sonic Boom can be used, as with the Hadoken, to control the horizontal field of play, forcing the enemy into movement or pushing them away. In addition, because of the minimal lag after performing the move, it can be used to set up combos by following the projectile in and launching an air attack, for example. Guile typically has no lag at all following a Sonic Boom, allowing him to move immediately, while Charlie tends to pause for a split second. However, it is still possible to perform combos using both fighters that incorporate more than one Sonic Boom.

Due to the charge time on both moves, it is usually very difficult to throw a Sonic Boom and then follow up with a Flash Kick if the opponent jumps over it at close range. This is often subverted by computer-controlled versions of Guile and Charlie; in some crossover games, the input is changed altogether so that they do not require charges.