Hadouken

Ryu (left) performs a Shakunetsu Hadouken in Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Revival on the Game Boy Advance

Hadouken (波動拳, hadōken, "surge fist", a Japanese neologism, literally "wave motion fist") is a fictional 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 spirit energy (or ki) flying towards the opponent. It is normally 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 Hadouken do not involve the use of fire.

The Hadouken is the archetypal projectile attack in 2D fighting games. Almost all fighting games of the sprite-based era used projectile special moves, and while the actual type of projectile launched varies from game to game and character to character, the execution and behavior of these attacks are almost always identical to the Hadouken. These moves are sometimes informally referred to as a Hadouken or fireball, especially if the equivalent directions and buttons are used to perform it. The move is used to control the horizontal playing area, and often used to force an opposing character to jump towards the player, since most characters using the Hadouken can also use the Shoryuken as a follow up.

Most Street Fighter games feature three different strength punches and kicks: light, medium, and heavy. Like many other attacks in these games, the Hadouken can usually be performed in three different degrees depending on which type punch is used; these will affect its speed, damage caused on impact, and sometimes its range. As a general rule in Street Fighter and similar games, if two standard Hadouken (or any other type of fired projectile) meet, they will cancel each other out.

In most Street Fighter games, if one looks closely at the Hadouken sprite animation, a pair of disembodied hands in the Hadouken firing position can be clearly seen within the projectile.

Varieties of Hadouken

Hadouken (波動拳, hadōken, "Surge Fist") – The staple surge fist in which a character's willpower is utilized to focus ki into and through the palms. As the palms are thrust outwards towards the target, a surging shock-wave is expelled that results in a punching force traveling through the air. The character will usually be immobilized for a short time after performing this move, leaving them vulnerable to counterattack.

Shakunetsu Hadouken (灼熱波動拳, shakunetsu hadōken, "Scorching Surge Fist") – Originally known as the Fire Hadouken in Super Street Fighter II and first used by Ryu and then Akuma. A Hadouken which is imbued with the power of fire. Executed by Akuma, anyone touching this Hadouken risks immolation and will be knocked down; when performed by Ryu however, the flames will stun the victim, but not knock them down. In the original Street Fighter II (as well as in Street Fighter II Champion Edition and Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting), Ryu and Ken could perform a red-colored Hadouken projectile once in every 255 chance, although this variation had no difference between it and the regular Hadouken.

Shinkuu Hadouken (真空波動拳, shinkū hadōken, "Vacuum Surge Fist") – A Super Combo version of the Hadouken; when executed, the Shinkuu Hadouken can hit the opponent multiple times and destroy other projectiles launched by the opponent. In the Vs. series, the Shinkuu Hadouken takes the form of a huge energy beam launched from the character's hands. This type of Hadouken inflicts much more damage than the normal versions of the Hadouken.

Gou Hadouken (豪波動拳, gō hadōken, "Great Surge Fist") – A slightly more powerful Hadouken used by Akuma. Some versions can hit multiple times.

Zankuu Hadouken (斬空波動拳, zankū hadōken, "Air Slashing Surge Fist") – This is an air fireball used by Akuma, which travels diagonally down and towards the opponent. Some versions of the Akuma character can launch two Zankuu Hadouken at the same time, with both traveling at different angles towards the arena floor.

Messatsu Gou Hadou (滅殺豪波動, messatsu gō hadō, "Annihilating Great Surge") – This is a version of Gou Hadouken used as a Super Combo by Akuma, and is somewhat similar to the Shinkuu Hadouken.

Tenma Gou Zankuu (天魔豪斬空, tenma gō zankū, "Heavenly Demonic Great Air Slash") – Akuma uses this Super Combo to throw a barrage of mid-air projectiles at his opponent, crushing them.

Denjin Hadouken (電刃波動拳, denjin hadōken, "Thunder Blade Surge Fist") – A Hadouken backed by the power of a Japanese thunder god. In practice, the move begins in a similar way to the Shinkuu Hadouken. The player can then hold down the punch button and rotate the joystick to charge the move to its full strength (leaving them vulnerable). The move cannot be blocked and at full strength, will instantly dizzy the opponent while dealing heavy damage.

Metsu Hadouken (滅波動拳, metsu hadōken, "Destructive Surge Fist") – The evil version of the Denjin Hadouken used by Evil Ryu in Capcom vs. SNK 2. This Hadouken electrocutes the victim. It behaves as a more powerful Shinkuu Hadouken but has an execution delay and is rose-red in color with energy trails whipping around it. This technique is used as Ryu's Ultra Combo in Street Fighter IV.

Other users

The Hadouken has been seen several times in the Mega Man X series. It was a hidden Easter egg ability in the first game (Mega Man X) and its remake (Mega Man Maverick Hunter X). In Mega Man X4, Magma Dragoon uses the move (the copy of Magma Dragoon also uses the move in Mega Man X5). It was also available to the player in the Mega Man Xtreme games. The Tails Clan, a group of secret bosses in Mega Man X: Command Mission, use a move called "Annihilator Hadouken".

Dan Hibiki, another Street Fighter character, uses a variation of the Hadouken called the Gadouken. However, unlike the regular Hadouken, Dan's version is fired from a standing position using only one hand and has pathetically short range, often traveling only one or two virtual feet before completely dissipating. Dan has also developed a more powerful version of the move called the Shinkuu Gadouken. It is more powerful and has better range than the regular Gadouken, but pales in comparison to other moves of its type such as the Shinkuu Hadouken. The Gadouken's impact is said to feel like a normal slap to the face.

Black Mage of the webcomic 8-Bit Theater also uses the move, although it looks more like the Shinkuu Hadouken as seen in the Marvel vs. Capcom games, is powered up very differently, and is spelled Hadoken (with neither a "u", nor a macron over the "o"). Black Mage charges and fires it more like a Kamehameha wave from Dragon Ball Z, or a Shinkuu Hadouken. According to Black Mage, his Hadoken attack is powered by siphoning love out of the universe. There are several parody Hadoken moves in the comic, one of them being "Fighterdoken" (throwing his ally Fighter into a pack of monsters; Fighter later performs what he terms "me-doken" by throwing himself at an enemy); "Hadouyastopthis", in which Red Mage mimics the move after his class change, and "boatdoken", which Black Mage uses to rocket-propel the ship the party is traveling on. At one point, Red Mage suggests that Black Mage perform a "Hado-Jump" to get the Light Warriors back to their own continent. He says that to preform a Hado-Jump, one simply casts a Hadoken on the ground at a certain angle, and then use the resulting explosion to propel them in the direction of a desired destination. Red Mage's term for the technique, Unda Pugneus, is roughly Latin for "Surge Fist".

In the Worms series, the "Dragon Ball" is an attack available to the worms, which is basically a Hadouken attack. The worms can also perform a "Fire Punch", their variant of the Shoryuken. When preparing to perform either attack, a worm will put on a red headband like Ryu's. When speaking in English, in most games the worms also yell "Hadouken" or "Shoryuken" as they are attacking.

Cyber Hero, from Capcom's Gotcha Force, is able to perform a Hadouken as well, though it is referred to as "Hero Shot". He is also able to perform the Marvel vs. variation, though it is called the Hero Beam. He is also able to perform a forward-bearing variation of the Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku, though it is called the "Hero Spin".

One of the special PoW's in the Metal Slug series named Ichimonji Hyakutarō, once rescued, will follow the player character and will use a hadoken-like homing fireball attack to assist. According to his Metal Slug 2 concept art, he gained his ability while experimenting with electromagnetic currents in the tank weaponry.

Rogue can absorb the skill from Ryu and Akuma in X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

Guy, a Street Fighter Alpha crossover character from Capcom's Final Fight series, projects a fireball like a Hadouken in Final Fight 3, even using the same button combination as Ryu's.

In the limited edition PC fighting game Lucky Star Chronicle from PS2 Lucky Star, Konata can use the Hadouken.

In Looking for Group, Richard uses the Hadouken to attempt to escape the Plane of Suck.

In Smosh's video "Food Battle 2008", Ian Hecox shouts Hadouken while throwing a pink frosted, sprinkled doughnut.

In Team Fortress 2, the Hadouken is one of the taunts of the Pyro class. It has a very slow buildup, but if it hits an enemy, it is an instant kill. Killing an enemy in this way results in the player receiving an achievement.

Street Fighter II V

The Hadouken is described as being released from the energy of one's surroundings (specifically of other living things nearby), and flows from the sixth Chaktra called "Swadithtanaa" (or "Tanda of the Abdomen").

Spelling

Spelling differs in game instruction manuals from "Hadouken", "Hado ken", and "Hado-ken". For example, the PAL version of Street Fighter EX Plus α manual uses the spelling "Hado-ken". "Hadouken" is the most widely used on the Internet (due to the general inconvenience of using special characters, as in "Hadōken", "Hadôken", etc.). Refer to "Romanization of Japanese".

Varieties of Hadouken

Other users

Street Fighter II V

Spelling

See also