Street Fighter: Making Fight Moves That Feel Right

A heated discussion of the art of punching started as a Twitter thread. Richmond Lee explained why Street Fighter V Sakura looks weak and flat compared to the Street Fighter IV version. The key difference is that in SF IV the punch goes all the way from the hips making it look heavy and powerful while in SF the body looks static, almost frozen and it is only the fist that is moving ahead.

Another important detail is the head: the SF IV punch is so strong, Sakura is leaning forward and you can barely see her head. In SF V the head is weirdly static and is facing forward making it an almost perfect ballet-like posture. You cannot feel the force, you only see a lazy attempt to throw hands. 

Overall, the SF V pose is a little too polished to be believable. There are not enough twists and turns that occur naturally when you go in for a powerful punch. As the author notes, according to animation standards, the SF V pose is better as it has a well-defined "line of action" and clear placement of the head, however, in this case, it is more of a disadvantage.

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