OMEGA Mode is an additional mode in Ultra Street Fighter IV. Only available via the DLC patch set (Version 1.04) that was released in winter 2014, this adds an extra edition to the Edition Select option for all characters, also re-introduced in Ultra Street Fighter IV.[1]
Description[]
Omega Mode is a completely different edition from the other selectable editions. In general, many attacks deal increased damage and/or have other properties changed. Several characters obtain completely new moves, as well as "legacy" attacks from their previous game appearances in the series. In addition, an Omega character's Super or Ultra Combo does not fill the opponent's Super Combo Gauge if the opponent is hit by such moves. However, the opponents can now instantly recover from an Omega character's usage of their sweeps or throws (which would otherwise inflict a hard knockdown in other editions). Red Focus Attacks or Ultra Combo Double also cannot be used by Omega characters.
Commentary by Tomoaki Ayano, translated on Peter "ComboFiend" Rosas's blog, also lists the inspirations behind each set of changes.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
An Omega Mode exhibition was announced as part of the Capcom Cup in December 2014, and several players, including Alex Valle, competed.[9]
In online versus modes, Omega edition characters can be used in unranked matches but not in ranked matches.
List of character changes[]
- Ryu gains new Target Combos, more offensive and defensive options, and a move known as the Hanagashi, which simulates the Street Fighter III series's parry mechanic; Ayano wanted "A showcase of Ryu’s moves from all of the Street Fighter games that have been released up until now."
- Ken gains several new kick-based attacks, including the Reppu Hadoken, and regains his infamous Shippu Jinraikyaku; this was designed to keep "his hands tied behind his back."
- Chun-Li's unique attacks and special moves have been changed from the original Street Fighter IV, making her more of a pressure-oriented character. In addition, she regains her infamous Houyoku-Sen, her Kikoken command is changed to a half-circle, and she also gains the projectile-nullifying Hakkei, a powerful palm thrust that appeared in Street Fighter Alpha 3 (in her X-ISM only) and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
- E. Honda is more versatile and draws more on his sumo expertise, gaining the yorikiri-based Zuri Fugaku, a new command grab (Back Crusher), and a taunt animation called the Salt Toss.
- Blanka gains two lightning-charged moves that completely change up his usual approach: the Lightning Mole, a surprise electric charge from underground, and the Lightning Grenade, an invincible hop followed by Electric Thunder. He can also perform moves while in Coward Crouch position.
- Zangief gains two new unique attack tools for setting up grapples in the Russian Stomping and the Street Fighter Alpha-inspired Chrome Head.
- Guile gains Charlie's Sonic Break, which allows him to use additional meter to fire extra Sonic Booms while performing the EX Special version. He also gains two new special moves, Blitz Combination (the EX version of which is his Total Wipeout from Capcom vs. SNK) and Strike Eagle (based on Remy's Cold Blue Kick), as well as the CPS1 Chain, a Chain Combo-esque mechanic based on a glitch in the CPS1 software used for the original Street Fighter II, Champion Edition and Hyper Fighting arcade releases.[10] This significantly improves his approach abilities and defenses.
- Dhalsim's yoga abilities are brought to a tier "beyond mere mortal levels," granting him three new moves; the Yoga Legend, Yoga Rapture, and Yoga Chop.
- Balrog's moveset becomes even more aggressive. His Gigaton Blow returns from the Alpha series as an EX follow-up to his EX Dash Straight. He also gains the Horn Breaker special command throw, based off his Dirty Bull, along with several new close and long-range options fitting of "a wild bull with giant horns".
- Vega has a "thornier" option for his Flying Barcelona Attack: the Rose Thorn, a dive kick with dangerous cross-up potential. He also gains the Crimson Crucify, a powerful variant of his EX Rolling Crystal Flash that gives him a multi-hitting combo option.
- Sagat lives up to his title as Emperor of Muay Thai, with new target combos, feint moves, and the return of the Tiger Raid from the Alpha series, giving him even more tools to pressure and take advantage of his long reach. Also, his Tiger Knee is executed more slowly.
- M. Bison utilizes his Psycho Power to even more dangerous effect; he obtains the Psycho Crusher Omega, a more powerful EX Psycho Crusher that adds an explosive uppercut and the use of his trademark pose, and the Psycho Sever. Bison's existing moves have altered properties, and he also has new unique attacks.
- Akuma gains the Shura Rengoku, a follow-up that can be used during a short forward Ashura Senku and acts as "another version of the Raging Demon." Several of his EX Special attacks have also been retooled to significantly improve his air game.
- Gouken's versatility and ground game are improved; his match intro animation is used in a special move called Fudoshin, a useful short-range combo tool, and his EX Gohadoken flies at different angles depending on the button combination.
- Seth gains some new approaching tools; his EX Sonic Boom freezes before flying at the foe, allowing room for pressuring follow-up. His Hyakuretsukyaku (aside from the EX Special version) is now physically performed by the character, and he also gains Urien's Chariot Tackle, formerly only alluded to by his Focus Attack. His moveset is also tweaked for ease of use.
- Abel regains his Shoulder Tackle from Street Fighter X Tekken, complete with the ability to charge and cancel the move via punch button. Though he loses his Change of Direction, he gains new command normal and special attacks designed to make him play more like a throw-focused MMA fighter.
- Crimson Viper refines her battle suit skills, gaining a powerful anti-air option in the Flash Kick-like Burst Heel, and a combo-extending tool in the Thunder Fist.
- El Fuerte gains options for all six buttons during his EX Habanero Dash, including a more ground-borne Fajitas Buster. He also gains a new move called the Flying Nachos, as well as better movement specials and a higher jump.
- Rufus becomes a faster, almost new character entirely with new target combos and the addition of the Dynasty Dash, a forward slide with three punch button-based options: the speedy high-aiming Mach Back Knuckle, the Peerless Palm, and the slow-but-powerful Premium Tackle. The latter two can even break armor.
- Cammy lives up to her "Killer Bee" moniker, becoming an airborne fighter that can "dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee!" She has a reworked Hooligan Combination, a launcher called the Killer Bee Stinger that takes advantage of her mobility and sets up combos, and a specialized Cannon Strike (called Target Strike) that can cause hard knockdowns from the air.
- Fei Long moves away from his Rekkaken-centered play style and becomes a "one-hit wonder" with new moves evocative of his hot-blooded style; he gains the powerful Ryuogeki ("Dragon King's attack"), a high-risk Armor Breaking backfist, and the flaming uppercut Shō En Ryū (昇炎竜 "Dragon of the rising flame"), which can launch foes for combo set-ups.
- Dee Jay goes "back to his Jamaican roots" and becomes a full-on command character; his moves are retooled to emphasize his dancing. He also gains new command normals, target combos, and a new approaching tool in the Waning Moon, a flying crescent-moon kick.
- T. Hawk gains more range and versatility with adjusted inputs for his special attacks that make them more intuitive and easier to use. He also gains a powerful ranged option in the Earth Rage, which works similarly to C. Viper's Seismic Hammer, and the Thunder Bird, a more powerful variant of the EX Mexican Typhoon that uses an extra bar of the Super Combo Gauge to lead with a Tomahawk Buster, followed with a midair Typhoon.
- Sakura regains the Okakyaku, a dive kick that has appeared in previous games and can dive at varied angles. She also regains the Hadosho, a stationary Hadoken that acts as a useful combo tool and can block projectiles, similar to Chun-Li's Hakkei, first seen in the Capcom vs SNK games.
- Gen regains his Mantis Chain Combo abilities from the Alpha series in the Kokukan, which he can cancel into various normals and certain EX Special attacks, including the new style-changing Setsunasen. His Mantis and Crane styles have also been overhauled, and the Style Change can be used like an EX Special, increasing his technical capabilities.
- Rose, drawing from her appearances in the Alpha series, gains two new Super Combos in one with the Aura Soul Spark Due, which gives her a more aggressive option; the fierce punch version becomes the Soul Spark Tre, a powered-up Soul Reflect that leads into Soul Spark. She also gains the Alpha Counter-like Soul Passing, which gives her the opportunity to follow up.
- Dan expands his potential while retaining his usual character; he regains the Saikyoryu Defense, which allows Dan to retreat while blocking instead of pushing the opponent away, and gains the Danretsuken, a strike that can be followed with a short-range barrage of attacks if successful. He gains a command grab in a fashion similar to Karin's.
- Guy's techniques are expanded to give him more ninja-like movements, including the Utsusemi, a ninja-style teleport counter designed for cross-ups, and a modified Hayagake; the EX version provides two new options in the Hagakure Ten and Hagakure Chi.
- Cody is made easier to play, going back to his Final Fight roots; he regains his well-known glitch attack from the series in the form of the Final Combination. He can end the four-hit string of jabs with an uppercut (based on the similarly rooted A-ISM Final Destruction in Street Fighter Alpha 3) or throw his foe mid-combo. Cody also gains the Mega Crash, an invincible kick based off his special attack in the series that uses a bar from the Super Combo Gauge in lieu of health.
- Adon becomes more of a ground-based fighter, with new command normals and specials designed to bring more out of his Muay Thai. He gains the armor-breaking Jaguar Bite, whose second hit can be Super Cancelled for major damage, and the Jaguar Claw, which provides combo opportunities if landed at close range.
- Rolento's new moves complement his existing moveset and characterization, and are designed to make him a danger in terms of using meter; his modified Stinger lets the player control the jump arc. The knives can be thrown straight across the screen with two punch buttons, and he'll attack with it if two kick buttons are pressed. Rolento also gains the Snare Mine, a short-range grenade trap that is the perfect set-up for his Stinger, among other moves.
- Ibuki's ground game is further augmented, with several changes made to her moves. She also gains a "trapping" special attack called the Kagenui that stops the foe in their tracks with a kunai; the EX Special version uses two bars of the Super Combo Gauge to become the Yami Shigure, returning from Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
- Dudley's Short Swing Blow becomes one of many follow-up moves for a new special attack: the Sway/Sway Back, which provides varying forms of invincibility, and can also follow into the new moves Cutting Upper and Step In, the latter being an alternative to ducking. Dudley also gains several feint moves to emphasize his boxing skills.
- Makoto becomes a more "fury-driven" character: her Tanden Renki now requires only a half-full Super Combo Gauge, unleashes her true potential, modifying most of her special attacks and basic movements for offensive use. Its startup time and duration are also based on the amount of meter used. She also gains a couple of special moves: a Tanden Renki-exclusive parry move called Kumohara, and the powerful Armor Breaking headbutt, Isana.
- Yun's existing moves undergo several changes, and he gains two special moves designed to setup most of his combos and offensive opportunities. The Shukuchi Rimon Chochu is a dashing special attack that works well with his Genei Jin; during the EX version, he can use an extra bar of the Super Combo Gauge to perform the Renkan Shoko, a launcher that can provide prime combo setups.
- Yang becomes more of a counter fighter, gaining the Honshin, whose counterattack changes with the buttons used (including the EX version). Yang also gains the Rengeki Tourouha, an enhanced EX Tourouzan that uses two bars of the Super Combo Gauge to perform a powerful multi-hit strike that can easily be comboed into.
- Hugo gains more defensive options against rushdown strategies, including the anti-air Victory Column, based off one of his win animations, and the Diamond Body, a parry move that works the same as Ryu's.
- Elena is balanced to take advantage of her low-to-mid-hitting approach, and her existing moves have been given more flavor. She also gains the Giraffe Neck, a downward-angled handstand kick that acts as an excellent, hard-to-read overhead, and the Sylph Amulet, a Super Combo that calls upon the power of nature to draw the opponent in with wind and blast them away. Ayano suggest that "there's something else to the move", but decided to leave it as a surprise for players to discover.
- Juri further utilizes the explosive power of her Feng Shui Engine, gaining a few new options for mid- and close-range attacks. The Jyafuten is a Fuhajin-styled attack that produces two different follow-ups based on how the button is released; moving forward and releasing the button unleashes the Fusatsusen, whose properties depend on the kick button used, while moving backwards uses the launching Shotenha.
- Hakan becomes the "slippery king", gaining the ability to cancel out of many of his current moves and perform feint variations. He also gains the Hakan Launcher, which can create an opening for Oil Showers, and the Hakan Splitter, a slow-but-powerful overhead.
- Evil Ryu gains the Rakuyo Hadoken, which flies straight up and then down at an angle; this gives him a "jump-free" Zanku Hadoken. He also gains a more powerful version of the Ryusokyaku called the Ryukosai, which uses two bars of the Super Combo Gauge to hit multiple times, breaking armor and striking over head. Many of Evil Ryu's new Target Combos can combo into the Ryukosai.
- Oni becomes a "demon dancing through the sky"; he gains a powerful air option in the Kyoseijin, which uses the same jump as his Sekisei Jiraiken, and can also follow-up with this and other moves like the diving kick, Tenma Rakuseikyaku, Zanku Hadoken or Meido Gohado. Oni also gains the Mu, a Shoryuken-like move that breaks armor on the first hit and locks the foe into the rest of the move.
- Poison becomes a more projectile-oriented character, with a heavily reworked Aeolus Edge and an "automatic" EX Whip of Love with an electrifying final strike. She also gains the anti-air Honey Trap, a stun-heavy projectile that can set up for her other high-stun moves; the EX version uses two bars of the Super Combo Gauge for something that Ayano decided to let players figure out on their own.
- Decapre becomes a completely revamped command character themed more around being an "invisible assassin". She gains the Black Widow, a fast anti-air, and the Invisible Ray, a super-fast projectile with varying startup and and recovery based on the button used. She also uses the Psycho Transaction, borrowing a page from Juli and Juni's Psycho Charge attacks: she can fill her Super Combo and Revenge Gauges at the cost of her Health Meter.
Trivia[]
- OMEGA Mode was designed by the same team that would go on to develop Street Fighter V. Many aspects and design choices of OMEGA are shared with the latter, such as the lack of hard knockdowns on sweeps and throws, a three-frame buffer that replaces one-frame links, an extra emphasis on Super Combos, and various additions and adjustments to character movesets. Examples include:
- Ryu's target combo, parry with a damaging followup, and axe kick via a command normal.
- Akuma's far Standing Heavy Kick becoming a target combo, Zanku Hadoken having an EX variant based off of Tenma Gozanku, and a new Standing Heavy Punch target combo.
- Blanka's Coward Crouch gaining a launching attack called Wild Lift and a jumping attack called Raid Jump, as well as Backstep Roll no longer bouncing off on hit.
- Cody's Final Combination target combo along with his Double Kick invincible reversal.
- Zangief being able to combo into his Spinning Piledriver by spending resources, a chargeable Heavy Punch, a Double Lariat with an outer hit, and overall exchanging better damage for worse neutral.
- Dan's Danretsuken being taken directly from this mode, along with an overhead chop and a meterless followup to the Koryuken.
- Certain concepts were also used for new or different characters, such as Seth's chargeable Scythe Kick being given to Urien, Hugo's Diamond Body parry counter and armored Heavy Punches becoming Abigail's Hungabee and Max Power, and M.Bison's Psycho Throw absorbing meter and health similar to Nash's Tragedy Assault.
- Sakura's new moves are all homages to Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000, having a follow up kick for her Shunpukyaku, a stationary Hadoken in the form of her Hadosho, Okakyaku as a dive kick, and Sakura Fubuki as a Custom Combo barrage of special attacks.
- OMEGA Mode is similar to the concept of EX Mode characters as found in the Guilty Gear series, where they are altered and somewhat unbalanced and optimized movesets centered on drawing out a character's full capabilities, reimagining how they play with a focused concept, or brings back popular aspects of older movesets and updates them in the latest installment. The BlazBlue series also follows a similar vein to their EX character portrayals, but powering them up akin to the Marvel Versus series.
Gallery[]
Images[]
References[]
- ↑ EventHubs: Omega Mode update for Ultra Street Fighter 4 drops Winter 2014, will be playable online in unranked lobbies
- ↑ ComboFiend @ Capcom Unity: An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 1
- ↑ ComboFiend @ Capcom Unity: An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 2
- ↑ ComboFiend @ Capcom Unity: An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 3
- ↑ ComboFiend @ Capcom Unity: An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 4
- ↑ An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 5
- ↑ An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 6
- ↑ An Introduction to the USFIV Omega Edition Characters: Part 7
- ↑ EventHubs.com: Omega Mode exhibition announced for Capcom Cup, Alex Valle, Filipino Champ, and more to compete
- ↑ SonicHurricane.com: SF2 Chain Cancel Minutiae