The fast guide to Virtua Fighter 5

Jacky and Lau are geared mostly towards offense, but Lion offers a game that's a bit more skill-oriented. His attacks might not look like they hit hard, but when strung together, they can be both painful and embarrassing for your unfortunate foe. Learning Lion's skills can help a new player understand some more technical aspects of VF without too much pain.

Down (hold), Forward + Punch (D (hold), F+P)

Expecting an attack from the opponent? This essential skill leaves the enemy airborne when it scores a counter hit, from which you can go to town with a combo of your choosing. This technique must be performed from a crouch, though, so watch out for fast middle strikes that could spoil your fun.

Back, Down-forward + Punch (B, DF+P)

Got an opponent that likes to keep their distance? Try using this technique on them to literally knock them off their feet. Once they've lost their footing, you can tack on a skill like F, F+K, K for some extra hurting.

Down (hold), Down-forward + Punch + Guard (D (hold), DF+P+G)

Can a throw be a combo starter? You betcha. Try pulling this one off when you're crouching at close range. (One common tactic is nailing this throw immediately after you hit with D+P.) Your opponent will flop onto the ground, leaving just enough time to score one or two more hits. A standard followup is F, F+K, K, but there's other skills that'll hit, as well.

Back, Back + Kick (B, B+K)

Wait, did Lion just turn around and leave his back to the opponent? Isn't that a bad thing? Not necessarily - all characters have specific attacks they can perform while backturned. In this case, Lion turns around with a high kick that can send the enemy into the air, then immediately follow it up with P+K and further combo hits. Be careful, though - since this is a high-level attack, it will fly right over the head of crouching opponents. Exposing your back always involves some risk, so make sure you've got a handle on the situation before pulling this one out.

Take it to the next level

Weight plays a big role in the effectiveness of combos in Virtua Fighter. A combo that can cause major damage to a smaller, lighter character might not even hit a big guy like Jeffry or Wolf. Some of Lion's more common combo starters play out close to the ground, so if your opponent's heavy, they're going to hit the floor a lot faster, leaving you less time for additional strikes. Try practicing Lion's B, DF+P and D (hold), DF+P+G and followups in the dojo on various opponents to get a feel for how height can affect gameplay.

CATEGORIES
Latest in Fighting
Minecraft characters Alex and Steve riding in mine carts in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, being chased by Bowser Jr..
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate villain Minecraft Steve is the star of the "best Smash clip of all time," as genius player makes a literal Trojan Horse to destroy an unsuspecting opponent
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS key art.
Masahiro Sakurai says Super Smash Bros "might have died out" if not for late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "There's no doubt that he influenced me in many ways"
Mortal Kombat 2 3DO
After 32 years, Mortal Kombat 2 has finally been ported to the one hyper-expensive '90s console that could actually do it justice
jinx in 2xko weilding a big hammer with a smirk on her face
The League of Legends fighting game spin-off won't be getting its big playtest, but that's so that more of you can play it later this year
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer celebrates Capcom’s greatest fighting games
A screenshot shows Fatal Fury ninja Mai performing a combat move in Street Fighter 6.
Fatal Fury's top anime girlfriend Mai "bounces" into Street Fighter 6, and her bouncy arrival is driving Capcom to horny madness: "She's giving fierce. She's slaying"
Latest in Features
The Punisher holding two machine guns in the rain
Daredevil: Born Again - Learn the bullet-riddled comic book history of the Punisher before he officially joins the MCU
A woman in a underwater machine waving during the cinematic teaser for Subnautica 2.
Subnautica 2: Everything we know about the new underwater survival game
The AMD Ryzen 7 8700G being held above a motherboard by a reviewer
AMD's pro-consumer 9070 strategies are exactly why it's primed to dominate the CPU market in 2025
Assassin's Creed Shadows cinematic screenshot
Assassin's Creed Shadows' transmog looks set to combine the best of Odyssey and Vahalla to make changing my drip easier than ever
Split Fiction screenshot of Zoe and Mio in a fantasy world
Split Fiction feels like a Mass Effect-meets-Fable platformer and I'm obsessed with it after just one hour
Monster Hunter Wilds characters share a meal
Oh no, Monster Hunter Wilds is so good that I'm already counting the days until its inevitable Master Rank expansion