Most of the guides here focus on input shortcuts and alternate techniques to get the most out of modern-day fighters. However, there are many other games that don't allow shortcuts. These are mostly legacy games like Street Fighter Turbo, among many others.
Booting up Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection, we're going to tackle the old school 'honest' way to play in Super Street Fighter II Turbo.
QCF
Roll your fingers from Down to Forward to throw your first fireball. Quarter Circle Forward:
Down Down + Forward
Forward (release down to finish)
QCB
Now let us roll the other way. Rolling to the left, this motion to the left may feel weaker at first. Give your Ring Finger time to strengthen and get used to the motions if you're having trouble at first. It will feel natural very soon!
Remember, you can practice by moving your fingers slowly and the move will still come out.
Tip: During the motion you can slightly move your wrist like you are turning a key. This takes much of the work from your Ring Finger. If you'll notice, the hands on Quarter Circle Left have this slight rotation, but the first video (QCF) does not.
Dragon Punch
The classic Shoryuken comes out fast and clean.
Forward Down
Down + Forward
Once again, remember that you can practice these motions very slowly. Repetition and consistency will allow you to speed up naturally.
SOCD Dragon Punch (Walking)
The alternative motion used here uses the concept of SOCDs: at any point if you cross Left and Right at the same time, they will cancel each other out!
Left + Right cancel back to Neutral! So what would happen if you were to press Left + Down + Right?
Left and Right are cancelled out, so only Down remains! This is the foundation of the SOCD Dragon Punch.
Forward (Hold Forward throughout the whole motion.) (Forward) + Down + (Back) (Forward and Back cancel each other out, leaving only the Down direction.)
Forward + Down (When you release the Back button, it finishes the motion into Down-Forward.)
You can almost think of it as holding Forward and tapping Down-Back. Just release one finger to Down-Forward.
(If you would like to learn more about SOCDs, click this article here!)
Half Circle Forward
This is a tricky motion sometimes, because you might accidentally skip the Down input. All of the directions in the Half Circle Forward are required.
Tip: It can be helpful to think of the motion in two parts: Quarter circle down, then roll to Forward. This little mental trick will make sure you always hit the cardinal Down button. Also, remember to practice slowly for good habits!
Back Back + Down
Down (make sure you do not skip!)
Down + Forward
Forward
Half Circle Forward (SOCD)
This technique is the recommended way on Hit Box. It once again uses SOCD Down similar to the alternate input above for SOCD Dragon Punch.
Back + Down
(Back) + Down + (Forward)
Down + Forward
Forward
This method makes it much harder to skip the Down input while you are rolling a half circle. Because you are adding buttons for the first half instead of rolling, it is a much more consistent way to guarantee that you don't skip the Down input. It also takes some of the burden off of the Ring finger on Player 2 side.
QCF x2
Roll a normal fireball twice in a row. There is no hurry either, try to make sure you have a smooth motion before speeding up. If it is challenging on Player 2 side at first, don't be discouraged. Your Ring Finger will become more confident over time.
Tip: On Player 2 side, you can slightly move your wrist during the motion like you are turning a key. This takes much of the work from your Ring Finger.
QCF x2 (Walking)
This technique is not mandatory! We are using the SOCD tech again to give us alternative options.
(Back) + (Forward)
(Back) + Down + (Forward)
Down + Forward
Forward (still holding)
(Back) + (Forward)
(Back) + Down + (Forward)
Down + Forward
Forward
This motion looks like a simple tap while holding Forward, but there is a slight roll of the fingers to guarantee the diagonal inputs for the full Double Quarter Circle.
Player 2 side is shown here as well, and demonstrates that this technique can be used simply for comfort. If you are feeling that your Ring Finger is still sluggish, then using these SOCD input methods move all the work to your Middle and Index fingers!
Many people only use SOCD moves when they are on Player 2 side for this reason. It's all about preference.
And that's it! Now you're ready to jump in and play almost any fighting game! It's much better in matches to focus on your opponent than your inputs. That's why mastering these fundamental motions will help you stop having to fight two opponents at once: your opponent AND your thumbs!
Happy Training!
HBDustin
HBDustin