How to get out of corner bullying?

Question

My opponents keep trapping me in the corner and destroying me whenever I get up... What should I do to get out of this situation?

This is in Third Strike. I play Akuma, but general tips would also be nice.

Asked by Muhd

Answer

Usually, the best thing to do on wakeup is block. This goes for most Street Fighter games, and 3rd Strike is no exception. If you keep getting destroyed when you get up, then you should block more.

Your opponent is at the advantage when you are getting up, especially in the corner. Don't make things easier for him by trying to attack from a bad position! By simply blocking, you deflate his momentum and can wait for an opportunity to work your way out of the corner.

For example, let's say you do an uppercut on wakeup. In the best case, you'll hit your opponent for ~15% damage and gain momentum. But if your opponent blocks/parries, you will eat a full damage combo for 50% of your life! And unlike other games, most uppercuts in 3rd Strike are vulnerable before they hit. This means that you can get hit out of wakeup uppercuts by a well-timed meaty attack! (EX uppercuts are invincible until after they hit, but Akuma doesn't have these.)

If you block, then the only way the opponent can hurt you is by throwing. Don't be afraid of eating a throw or two. They don't do much damage, and it's better to eat a throw than to eat a full combo.

There is also the problem of overheads. Characters like Ken and Dudley can combo into super from their overhead, giving them very potent mixups when they knock you down. For example, Dudley can either do cr.LK, cr.LK xx super to hit you low, or he can do F+HK > super to hit you overhead. But the overhead has a bit of startup, and you can try to react to it. Start by holding down-back, and if you see the opponent go for an overhead, switch to holding back.

This is not to say that blocking is the only thing you should do—a good read on the opponent and a well-placed wakeup uppercut or super can be a life-saver. But keep the risk-reward in mind, and avoid guessing when it's not in your favor. Particularly as Akuma, who has a low amount of life.

When you have gotten up safely, you can work your way out of the corner. Here are a few ideas:

• Walk. Simply walking out of the corner can be effective. You can take short steps, walking a few pixels, block, walk a few more...
• Throw out normals to push your opponent back. Moves like far MP, far MK and far HP have a lot of range and pushback, giving you room to move out of the corner.
• Hurricane kick. Akuma's hurricane kick is very good and difficult to punish, especially when playing online. It can even cross up in some situations. Just keep in mind that it is punishable, and skilled players can punish it with a full combo.
• Super jump out. You could try doing an air hurricane kick, or you can do an empty jump, allowing you to parry in the air if your opponent tries to counterattack.
• Teleport. This is risky, but it's a good way to get out of Urien's Aegis Reflector.

Answered by Mike Welsh

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How to block attacks in Street Fighter 3?

Question

In playing Street Fighter 3 (3rd strike), I see the opponents blocking my attacks all the time so it doesn't do any damage. What buttons do I need to press to do this myself? (i.e high punch, med punch, up, down, etc.)

Answer

There are 2 types of blocking in SF3, the standard block, and parry.

The standard block is just to hold back or down+back to block high or low attacks, you will take some damage from special attacks this way.

The one that doesn't do any damage is most likely parry.

To properly parry an attack, you need to move into the attack at the moment the attack is about to hit you. Basically, push forward or down+forward depending on if it is coming in high or low. If you time it right, you will parry the attack for no damage at all.

If the opponent is performing a normal attack move you on you (i.e. punch, kick, etc), they will be left open for a counter attack. If you parry a special (and yes even supers can be parried) then you will simply take no damage.

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