The posts up to now have all detailed the things Dee Jay players do which typically lead to their doom (as well as ways to get around these problems). Once you start editing these bad habits out of your game play, trust me, your chances of success will skyrocket. BUT you also have to be able to mix up your attack strategy and adjust it in response to the opponent's habits and reactions. In particular, you have to see any strong attack strategy on the part of your opponent as a puzzle or problem to be solved with an appropriate counter response, not as an unbeatable tactic that shuts you down because Dee Jay sucks. In 99 per cent of cases, there is a viable counter to every attack pattern. It's up to you whether you wish to complain or find it.
The shoto habit of dragon punching through your block strings is a good example of where this mindset might come into play. While you may argue that opponents being able to blow through your block strings repeatedly is utter bullshit and that Dee Jay sucks because of this, it can actually be viewed as an opportunity in the making if you choose to view it that way. Once you know they are going to dragon punch you after a certain number of blocked normals, for instance, all you have to do is adjust your attack plan accordingly: simply block it and then punish them when they come down from their reversal. The truth is that this is free damage they have given YOU, thanks to what some might consider the bullshit nature of the blockstun on Dee Jay's moves. In other words, it can be one more avenue for beating the shit out of your opponent - if you know how to take advantage of it.
Getting rid of a weak, excuses-based attitude can't be stressed enough with this fighter. Dee Jay's wins are not as easy as for some characters, but it is more than a bit short-sighted to approach him thinking he sucks just because that's what everybody else says (most of whom never even picked up the character during SF4's run). Here are similar bullshit arguments you may have heard along the way:
a) Dee Jay is a low-damage fighter/can't do any big damage - this is demonstrably wrong (even when you use the slightly less damaging Ultra "W" mode). You just have to know the best ways to land his big-hitters and the situations in which they are most likely to work. Sure, there may be a bit more practice required to get the heavy-damaging combos down . . . but if you weren't interested in putting in the time to make the character formidable, why even bother picking him up? (there are plenty of others with a far shorter learning curve.)
b) Dee Jay's normals all suck - there is no such thing as a normal that sucks in all ways. There are just different properties associated with them that make them better for certain situations than others. Dee Jay has normals that work great at certain ranges and less well at others . . . JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. The key is to use them at their optimal range and not at all at the others if you can prevent it (the earlier posts in this journal tried to point out the best ranges for Dee Jay's attacks for this reason). Similarly, players frequently say Dee Jay's heavy buttons all suck for attacking, which they mostly do in the neutral position game . . . BUT they are also powerful starting hits to use in combos (after a focus crumple, for instance) so they do have a great use in that respect. The point is, don't assume just because a normal move sucks in one situation that it can't be useful in another. Instead, be creative in your usage and see where it takes you. 2024 Update: Keeping with this advice, I've recently completed additional research on Dee Jay's heavy punch, in particular . . . and lo and behold, it actually has a number of potent uses which players completely glossed over during SF4's reign (a rundown of these can be found here and here).
c) Dee Jay is a shitty Guile - he IS if you insist on trying to play him just like Guile. Which makes no sense, anyway. If you wanted to play a character as Guile, why wouldn't you just pick Guile to begin with? This goes the same for trying to play him like Ryu in fireball wars. While there are some elements that are similar to both, these are mostly cosmetic (e.g., both have a quick projectile) and don't take into account their differences in mechanics (one is a charge character, one is motion-based). Really, you're better off taking elements from a wide variety of characters' attack strategies and figuring out how they can be applied to Dee Jay's moveset, mechanics and game design limitations. Playing him exactly like another character, though, is a great way to get ruined quickly.
These are just a few of the many excuses people regularly give for losing with Dee Jay. There are certainly others as well. Just remember that excuses are common because excuses are EASY. It takes real work and commitment to not only stick with a less user-friendly character but to take the time to learn what works well with him and what doesn't. Sadly, most people never bothered to do that with Dee Jay during SF4's run. For those of you who still play, though, feel free to read what I have provided here, use what you find beneficial, and discard what you don't . . . and, above all, prove all the naysayers wrong in your own unique way.
TLDR: Don't get salty. GET GOOD.
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| The difference between the person on the right and the left is only one thing: CREATIVE ATTITUDE |
FINAL NOTE: That covers the main fixes you need to improve your Dee Jay play. The rest of the posts in this journal contain additional topics, tips and tricks beyond the basics which can be used to further increase your Dee Jay success. IF you are interested.