Sakura Fubuki

Sakura Fubuki is one of Sakura's super combos, exclusive to the OMEGA Mode in Ultra Street Fighter IV.

Description

Performed by pressing three punches together, Sakura strikes with her Crouching Medium Kick, her Standing Heavy Kick, then a Light Shunpukyaku. Depending on how many EX bars Sakura has on activation, she then follows up with three progressively stronger variations:

• Version 1 (with two EX bars)
• Version 2 (with three EX bars)
• Version 3 (with all EX bar, as a standard Super Combo)
• Punch Follow-up (when blocked)
• Kick Follow-up (when blocked)

Version 1

When done with two EX bars, Sakura ends with a Shouoken followed by a Sakura Otoshi.

Version 2

When done with three EX bars, Sakura charges a Hadoken then ends with an ascending Shunpukyaku.

Version 3

When done with a full Super Gauge, Sakura performs a light Shunpukyaku and a series of three Shouoken (two medium and a multi-hitting heavy), then Sakura will drop down with an Okakyaku and then launches the opponent with a Pendulum Upper, ending with her using a Hadoken that hits three times. This version has a total of 20 hits and causes damage comparable to that of an Ultra Combo.

Punch Follow-up

When blocked, by pressing the punch button, Sakura will interrupt her Super Combo and will start to shoot several Hadokens at the opponent.

Kick Follow-up

When blocked, by pressing the kick button, Sakura will interrupt her Super Combo and will start making a series of kicks against the opponent.

Tactics

The Sakura Fubuki serves as a quick and simple way to spend meter in a combo. While it freezes the screen and costs multiples EX bars, it is not considered a Super Combo, but rather a special move, meaning that it cancels from her normals and not her specials. Version 2 and 3 can be used as powerful reversals, while Version 3 is both projectile-invincible and can be used after Shouoken midscreen. It can be used from empty cancels and convert stray hits off Standing Light Kick and Crouching Medium Kick into considerably high damage, greatly powering up her neutral.

The blocked versions are used to mix the opponent up, with the punch version serving as a blockstring that pushes the opponent out, while the kick version can surprised a blocking opponent. Both of these moves are not true block strings from Sakura Fubuki however, and can be interrupted with a well-timed attack, making it effectively unsafe on block regardless.

Trivia

• Sakura Fubuki resembles the Custom Combo mechanic, or more specifically Capcom vs. SNK 2's A Groove. Sakura's utilization of three Shouokens in a row with the voice clip cutting out is a reference to the same thing happening for one of her strongest combos.