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Ken Chain Combo

Ken performing a Chain Combo in the Street Fighter Alpha games.

A Chain Combo (also known as a "magic series" in some circles, and Zero Combo in Japan) is a type of combo introduced in Street Fighter Alpha.

Description[]

Chain Combos are performed through the repeated use of a light punch or kick, followed by a stronger attack in a sequence of cancelling normals into one another (e.g. jab into strong, short into forward or jab into roundhouse, etc.); this also includes the function of already being able to cancel into certain unique attacks and/or special attacks immediately after. These combos follow a pattern of consistent escalation, from weakest to strongest in regards to the possibilities. Most characters in Street Fighter Alpha have one move that can initiate a Chain Combo, due to the speed it requires.

However, it is possible to start the chain from a medium attack instead of a light attack. But for the most part, one cannot go backwards in the chain (only light-to-medium-to-heavy, light-to-heavy or medium-to-heavy) as well as each normal attack can be used only once in the sequence. The only exceptions are mainly since Street Fighter II, that light normals can be chained into each other freely due to their speed and/or less cancel restrictions (often dubbed as "rapid-fire-able").

The main rapid-fire normals for a majority of characters across games are usually standing jabs/light punches, crouching jabs/light punches and crouching shorts/light kicks. Rapid-fire normals ever since have had their uses in landing close-range hit confirms even with minor damage involved due to their overall speed (which makes most light normals prime chain combo starters in most standard situations). Said speed may also involve light normals to be linked into one another in any combination slowly due to their fast recovery (but in some games may allow for lenient chaining).

The Chain Combo system was almost completely removed in the game's sequel, Street Fighter Alpha 2, as most of the cast's light attacks were made slower in order to balance out the game; only Guy and Gen retain the ability to perform a Chain Combo throughout the series, replaced as a Target Combo within the series.

Chain Combos, now known as Alpha/Zero Combos in Street Fighter Alpha 3, is a selectable and unlockable feature in its home console versions.

Chain Combos are predated by the Darkstalkers series, where it was first featured. Later game series such as the Versus series made extensive use of this feature, though the timing is eased significantly, and is a staple game mechanic. Furthermore, rapid-fire-able light normals solely in the Vampire Savior installment of the said series provide a "Renda" (Barrage) Bonus, in which the subsequent light punch/kick in the rapid-fire-chain gains a +3 frame advantage on block.

Tying into the Alpha/Zero Combo example, a majority of other fighting games have their own spin on the Chain Combo/magic series mechanic, often allowing for basic blockstrings during pressure, as well as each game series following their own set rules for what attacks can chain-into-what when it comes to the character and their normal attacks in question (such as which normal can chain into which other normal or a Unique Attack then into a special). These games also may or may not have their own unique names for their Chain Combos in that regard.

This attack scheme is also used in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, it is usually still referred to as a "magic series". This makes most combos less execution-heavy as in the main game as most inputs can be pushed in sequence compared to linking Combos in the main series, even though the speed/low amount of the series' hitstop frames still add to the execution.

Even then, despite the flexibility proposed by such a mechanic, the one consistent factor to keep in mind is the pushback of normals (or in some games, the victim's height during a juggle); the chains can only be kept up if attacks connect on hit or block, and for the most part may keep pushing the victim away from the attacker (or vice versa if the victim is in the corner).

As a result, chain combos depending on the scenario and distance, are often limited to around 3 attacks or less and rarely over 4 or 5 despite it being technically possible due to the victim being out of reach the more attacks connect (in spite of some moves being able to move the attacker forward as general pushback still might be stronger upon inflicting hitstun).

Even then if some normals can be chained together, they will not necessarily combo; a good example is with chaining a light punch/jab into something such as a heavy kick/roundhouse without making use of a medium attack of any sort in between (mainly due to the low hitstun of the light attack and the slow startup of the heavy attack, and/or both moves that have been chosen in question). Thus, the light-medium-heavy-rule is often the core basis to stick to perform chain combos that don't have much unintentional gaps.

There are also still common restrictions in Darkstalkers, Alpha/Zero and the Marvel vs. Capcom games to consider:

  • Upon connecting with a punch normal, you can go into either the respective same-strength kick or stronger punch and/or kick. But when connecting with a kick normal in this regard, going into its respective same-strength punch is not allowed (can only go into a stronger punch or kick button).
  • Standing and crouching same button normals unlike how later games manage them, cannot be zig-zagged into one another (e.g. standing light punch and crouching light punch cannot be chained into one another in any order).
    • Though akin to some other fighters, zig-zags in games such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom and for most characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 to compensate for the lesser amount of normals (3 at base: Light/Medium/Heavy) can allow for a zig-zag from a standing normal into its same-strength-crouching version, but not the other way around (somewhat emulating the punch-to-kick restrictions) save for on most light normals that can be rapid-fired. However, other non-Capcom fighters alleviate such restrictions for the standing-and-crouching-same-button-normals rule.
    • Though for some characters throughout the Marvel vs. Capcom games, they are unable to zig-zag fully and may only be able to go from only these 2 other route styles:
      • A single-normal-stronger magic series, where they cannot do more than one of the same-strength-tier normal and only chain a maximum of 3 normals via only 1 light-medium-heavy each. An example would be that if one started from a connected medium punch, they cannot go into a medium kick and must only go into only one next tier normal of any kind (any heavy punch or heavy kick at least once). In Marvel vs. Capcom 3, this also makes it so that standing same-strength normals cannot zig-zag into their crouching versions.
      • A light-to-stronger-start magic series, where if starting from a light normal, then only either a medium or heavy normal can be chained-into via usually having 2 normals maximum.
      • Even then to these 2 rules, there are character-specific exceptions.

Similar mechanics[]

Street Fighter X Tekken uses a Cross Rush mechanic that is performed similar to a Chain Combo, with regular attacks used in increasing strength order to create a combo that automatically launches a foe; if it lands successfully, the user will also tag their partner in to continue the combo.

Street Figther X Tekken also uses two other Chain Combo-like mechanics, the aforementioned Target Combo for the Street Fighter cast (for those who have access), and also introduced in this game; "Tekken Chains", a tactic for the Tekken cast that works in conjunction with Cross Rush.

While not intentional, CPS1 Chains work very similar to boost combos, with different application and conditions.


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