Character Description: Ryu, the wandering warrior, is a video game character and protagonist of the
Street Fighter series, first appearing in the original
Street Fighter. He is an experienced martial artist, highly focused on his training, aiming to become the strongest he can.
Gerudo Followups (unteched): Ganondorf does not get any followups off an unteched choke on Ryu. You’re going to have to rely on reads if you want to get a punish.
How to Deal with Projectiles: Ryu’s only projectile is Hadoken and the Shakunetsu Hadoken. The regular Hadoken variant clashes with jab, dash attack, but stops Wizard’s kick.
The Shakunetsu Hadoken is a multihit projectile with low priority. This means Wizard’s kick goes right through it without clashing, so you can use it to punish Ryu. Dash attack works similarly.
Understanding the Matchup:
Ganondorf himself is a slow character with a giant hurt box, as he is extremely tall. Lacking a projectile, Ganondorf needs to get in a range where Ryu can’t exactly hit him, but where Ryu throwing out Hadokens can be punished.
Because Ryu’s aerials are fairly low lag, and his attacks just simply string together, it’s hazardous to approach Ryu recklessly. Ryu’s not that good at approaching either, so you don’t have to feel pressured into approaching. Hence, the name of the game is to play more towards the mid-range. Play passive aggressively, looking for openings at a distance where Ryu will have trouble hitting you.
You don’t want to get too close to Ryu. Ryu’s kit revolves mainly on his true Shoryuken (TSRK for short). This move can kill as early as under 100% with rage, which is almost as strong as Ganondorf’s attacks. Approaching Ryu in the air would also be a problem since his strong Up tilt is a disjointed anti-air move that’ll knock Ganon upwards, and at low percents, can combo into weak Shoryuken.
On the plus side, the majority of Ganon’s kit can outrange Ryu while staying at a safer range. This includes his jab, tilts, forward smash, and aerials. It’s possible to play patiently and beat Ryu despite Ryu being able to seal a stock as early as Ganon with TSRK.
This match is very reliant on your mixups and DI once you do get hit, since a missed DI can lead to a loss of stock. This also goes for his up tilt strings. Ganon is at the weight where light up tilt strings can rack up percent very easily. This means you need to pay very close attention to Ryu and not rush in. Ganondorf does have options to beat Ryu but it requires patience and analyzing habits, as well as managing space.
During this MU, you’ll find Ryu relying a little more on his Focus Attack and Hadoken since we have few moves that are multi-hit, and that we don’t have a projectile. To beat Focus Attack, you have three options: Nair, Flame Choke (aerial flame choke is a little better due to better range), and Dark Dive. Nair is a move that hits twice, so it’ll break Ryu’s FA. However, Flame Choke and Dark Dive are grab moves, which bypass the FA. Flame Choke is great at resetting the neutral, sending Ryu into a disadvantageous state where you can punish his get up option. Dark Dive is not a great punish move but it can be used if Ryu lands on your shield. Lastly, aerial Wizard’s Foot is an option since the shockwave does count as a second hitbox.
Against his Hadoken, you must understand there is some endlag. If Ganondorf is positioned in a way he can perfect shield and Wizkick or Dash attack Ryu, that’s the ideal punish. It’s possible to jump in order to read Ryu’s Hadoken, and then throw out an aerial to hit Ryu.
Snuffing approach: When approaching, Ryu tends to leave out several gaps. Ryu has a low air acceleration and low mobility. This means if Ryu decides to approach, he’ll also be likely to throw out a Hadoken or Shakenetsu Hadoken for Ganon to have to avoid. This way Ryu can close distance. If a Hadoken is thrown, then all Ganon has to do is perfect shield and then punish Ryu’s approach with an aerial or tilt that outranges Ryu. If it’s the red fireball, a perfectly timed Wizkick can punish Ryu also. It’s possible to, however, roll back or jump away from the fireball, but that’s playing Ryu’s game.
IF CAUGHT ABOVE:
Ryu has a lot of good anti-air moves so it’s best to recover away from Ryu. If caught above, try to mix up your descent to the stage with an air dodge, Wizkick, double jump, or no reaction. Be warned though. Up air and strong up tilt are Ryu’s two best options for anti-airing. They’re both disjointed so wizkick as an option will fail since the hitbox of wizkick is on Ganon’s foot, which is also his hurtbox.
Punishing a Whiff Hit: Generally, Ryu’s commonly used moves are rather low-committal, barring Shoryuken. To punish TSRK, punish Ryu before he hits the ground. That could be done by a tilt or Smash if you have the time. However, Ryu does have endlag on his Smash attacks, Hadoken, and Tatsumaki (if shielded). Dash attack and Wizkick can punish those moves well.
Recovering: Ryu isn’t that great off-stage, so recovering low is your best bet. Be careful and mix up your timing though, because Ryu can attempt a Tatsumaki edgeguard to 2-Frame Ganon’s recovery.
Against a Ryu trying to land: If Ryu’s going to get back on stage, he will be recovering away from you, air dodging, or Focus Attacking to sponge up an attack. Nair beats the latter of these two and is the most optimal of these punishes. However, if Ryu is trying to just get back on stage far away from you, you can opt to wizkick if you don’t think he will FA. Otherwise, letting him recover and punishing him with another move is OK.
Grabs: Down Throw can lead to Nair, up air, and Dash attack at lower percents. Dash Attack, as said previously, provides a lot of utility in that it can set up for juggles and a lot of damage. However, it can be sponged with FA. Forward throw is a great way to rack up damage, while back throw to knock someone off stage to force a recovery. Up air is a move that’ll usually work, but it can also be absorbed by FA. Nair is your best punish if you anticipate Ryu going for a FA, since both hits will break it.
On the other hand, Ryu’s main grabs aren’t that great. Down throw can lead to several combos or juggle opportunity for Ryu, while Back air can send you off the stage or a tech chase, but it’s not too bad.
Edgeguarding: Ryu has several options for recovery but only Shoryuken is really hard to block. If he expects an attack, he’ll use the Focus Attack and Dash Cancel to get some space. This is remedied by multi-hit moves or grab hitboxes. Namely, your nair will break his FA.
Tatsumaki (side B) is the next option. Ryu can opt to use the descending tornado kick, or expend his jump for additional height. The best way to intercept Tatsumaki is up air from below or dair/Wizkick from above. The hitbox of Ryu’s side B reaches horizontally so it’s best to attack from above or below. However, with strict timing, fair and nair can also connect.
Hitting the Shoryuken is a little bit more difficult, but can be done by facing the stage while being offstage and using Nair to intercept Ryu’s Shoryuken recovery.
However, it’s also possible to 2-frame Ryu’s ledge snap with aerial Flame Choke. It’s advantageous to do this if you’re ahead in stocks, or if you have the same number. Hold down when using side B and Ganon’s choke duration will extend instead of Ganon ledge-snapping. He’ll then Ganoncide Ryu.
Customs to consider:
Warlock Blade: This move is slightly weaker than default Warlock Punch but has a large hitbox that rewards Ganondorf if he hits at the tip of the blade. It also has shield break properties and super armor. This move is great for stage control and, though punishable, good for interrupting approaches and momentum. Due to the slowness of all variants of Warlock Punch, neutral special isn't often used in this matchup. But it does beat out her Side B.
Dark Fists: This move has super armor at the start and the first hit will link to the second, which is a killing blow. This can punish attempted edge guards, and has giant knock back. Also a potent OoS option. It can kill as low as 40% and delivers another potent move to Ganondorf's killing options. It can kill at a ridiculously high percent, especially if launched high up into the air. Dark Fists can also be used to ledge-stall, as the second hitbox can pop up the stage and net a surprise KO. It also breaks through Hadoken, but fails to beat Focus Attack.
Wizard's DropKick: First things first, it really helps Ganondorf's below average recovery, which mainly reaches vertically. It can bypass Hadoken, so you will be able to hit him out of it without having to jump.
Stages to consider:
You are a lot of good stages with Ryu, so bear in mind that Ganon won’t benefit too much in his stage picks. For stage picking, it’s picking from personal preference, playstyle, or just simply not letting your opponent get a big advantage.
Battlefield is your best bet in this scenario. Although Ryu also is great at this, his aerial mobility isn’t the best and can be telegraphed. If you get him above the main platform, you can have an easier time racking up damage and trapping him up there. It’s also crucial to keep him up trapped so he lands right on your sweet-spotted up smash. Be careful though – you can get juggled too, so don’t overextend or fight too close range to Ryu. The ceiling is a bit high so you won’t die early from TSRK.
Lylat is generally a good Ganon stage, but it benefits both parties in which both characters can easily get stuck under the lip of the stage, leading to massive salt. Pay attention to when the ship tilts because that’s when you know where you’ll die to a TSRK at a lower percent. Like Battlefield, you want to pop Ryu up onto the platforms without having the same happen to you.
Smashville is another good option as the smaller base platform allows you to approach with less distance, and the moving platforms. Overall, the stage is fair for both parties. Pay attention to the moving platform because that’s where Ryu wants you to be. The platform means he’ll kill you at an earlier percent.
Final Destination is not as bad an option as it sounds, but space control will be very vital. Try to play at a distance where Ryu can get punished by throwing out Hadoken. Don’t get discouraged by the projectiles and plow on ahead. You won’t die too early here since the lack of platforms means Ryu will have to actually get you above 100% to kill you without rage.
Dream Land 64 plays a lot like the matchup on BF. Unlike Battlefield, it has a lower ceiling and it’s harder to land an up smash on the platform. The stage itself is larger, making approaching more difficult. It's a pretty decent stage if you have rage and need to land one solid kill. Hence, pick this stage if you feel comfortable with the three platforms and BF is banned, but there are better options.
Duck Hunt is a wide stage, but that’s both a good thing and a bad thing. Ryu has an easier time managing space, but you also have more space to run around away from Ryu. (Ledge cancelled Wizkicks are a thing) Bear in mind that a whole ledgejump on the left side of the stage can land you right on the platform, if you want to run away. Be careful of the dog though. Landing a smash while you’re both on top of the dog is great, but you really don’t want to eat a TSRK on the dog. This stage requires more patience than the others.
BAN: Town and City. Ryu thrives off the low ceiling as well as the additional room to run around. Ganon’s slow so this is a really bad idea since Ryu can afford to throw Hadokens to control space.
Short Summary of Matchup:
Play at a mid-range, at a distance where your down tilt can outrange Ryu's light/strong down tilt, and punish Ryu's moves with pivot F-tilt, down tilt, Wizkick, Dash Attack, or grab. Be sure to punish Hadoken since there is enough endlag for that to happen. Ryu's approach is lackluster, so be wary for what Ryu may be up to. Overall, you can kill either horizontally or vertically, depending on the stage.
If you do get caught by Ryu's up tilt strings, be aware that you can recover with your up b until 55% if he has low rage. If you're above that percent, try to DI towards the platforms, or just away from the edge of the stage. Mix it up a little. Since Ganon's fall speed isn't exactly terrible, it can be easy to confuse the Ryu player. But if you're above the stage, a direct descent is sure to get punished since Ryu has good disjointed anti-air moves. Try to recover on the ledge, on a platform, or at a safe distance from Ryu.
Overall, you want to play in a scenario where Ganon can pressure Ryu without having to throw out too many unsafe moves. Space is crucial to this matchup, while throwing out moves won't work here. DI well and make sure you do not eat a Focus Attack, since Ryu combos off those well.
CM Ratio of the Matchup: 40-60
Ratio of the Matchup: 40-60
Thanks to: the Ryu and Ganon JMU contributors
FOR NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING ???
