User:Lord Grammaticus/Option Selects



Option Select refers to pressing a combination of buttons that will result in a different action depending on what the other player is doing. One example is crouching back and pressing light kick and light punch together, which would perform a throw if you were standing. If the other player tries to throw you while doing this then you will tech the throw but otherwise you will perform a crouching light kick.

For another example, if you play Ryu and jump towards Akuma, during your jump you input hard kick and before it hits you input the Tatsu motion. Now two things can happen, depending on what your opponent does:

•Opponent is hit / blocks your hard kick -> tatsu is not executed

•Opponent evades hard kick -> tatsu executes immediately

Your opponent has fewer options if he does not punish your jump:

•He blocks -> you can input a block string

•He backdashes -> tatsu will hit him

•He teleports -> tatsu will hit him

Your opponent’s best move is to block your jump and eat the block string or if he is fast enough he can punish you with an anti-air.

The Japanese player AirRyu has a very good analogy: “Think of it as a rock paper scissors game. But instead of choosing only one you choose two at the same time. You can select paper and scissors or rock and paper. It is not all mighty as you cannot select all at once but you improve your odds.”