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Additional Topic: Which Version of Dee Jay Was Better and Should We Even Care? (AKA Recognizing When Our Past Memories Trip Up Our Present Experiences . . . Sometimes Into the Future)


Since the early days of SSF4, players were regularly dismayed at Dee Jay’s supposed low effectiveness level, particularly when they compared him to his earlier version in Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Interestingly enough, Dee Jay was not considered great in the early days of that game either and didn’t really have his level of potency revealed until several years into the game’s lifespan. So, to a certain extent, looking back wistfully at the “golden age” of Dee Jay’s success in SF2 was partially a case of chronic “rose-coloured glasses” coupled with a degree of (arguably exaggerated) optimistic nostalgia. This had the unfortunate effect of pissing many SF4 Dee Jay players off, and the more they tried to play Dee Jay exactly the same as in SF2, the more demoralized and frustrated they tended to get. 

As I have ascertained many times throughout this journal, however, the main issue that Dee Jay players have always had during the entire game’s run was a stubborn desire to play the character exactly the same as in SF2 or exactly the same as other fighters in SF4 (most notably Guile). This habit made it next to impossible for most players to consider how Dee Jay could be reinvented to make better use of his new gameplay design features in SF4. By the time the “Dee Jay sucks” meme was in full force around the first iteration of USF4, very few individuals were putting in any work to see how Dee Jay could be improved upon to make his matches easier/more successful (although FreeJ4Y on YouTube remained committed to finding new tech for the character all the way up to the release of SF6; God bless him). A lost opportunity for greatness, if we are being honest.

In any case, and mostly as an entertaining diversion, I have compiled a list here of what I think were Dee Jay’s main advantages in both SF2 and SF4 (specifically, the latest versions of each). While Dee Jay in SF2 might score slightly higher in SF2 (largely because he has been explored in much greater depth during that game’s 30-year existence), I think that SF4 Dee Jay also had a lot of things going for him which few people ever noticed or capitalized on. Whether you agree or not with the points below is up to you. Regardless, happy reading.


Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo Dee Jay

  • Better overall use of a wide range of normal attacks (e.g., Roundhouse Slide consistently safe on block, meaning better pressure options with it).
  • Blocked specials such as a Dread Kick and Hyperfist do not leave Dee Jay punishable after they finish.
  • Has a consistent cross up dizzy combo using the super-powerful Hyperfist.
  • Higher damage on average per hit.
  • Points 3 and 4 above allow for effective touch of death combos (i.e., opponent is dizzied, then KOed, off a single unblocked hit such as a cross up)
  • Greater throw range and some damage awarded even from a softened throw.
  • Jump Toward Roundhouse has farther horizontal range (good for clipping opponents who are in mid-fireball).
  • Easier to grasp gameplay design than in later games such as SF4 (specifically, it’s easier to learn Dee Jay’s moves and eventually get effective with them).

 

Ultra Street Fighter 2 Dee Jay

  • Short Sobat/Dread Kick is invulnerable to most low attacks and adds a new element to Dee Jay’s footsie game.
  • Sobat Carnival Super has more reach and invulnerability, and also has a far larger number of uses than in SF2 (where it is mostly an afterthought IMO and not essential to Dee Jay’s main game).
  • Far greater juggling options in SF4 off of a variety of moves (e.g., off of all special attacks, some normal attacks, focus attacks, supers, etc.), In particular, Jackknife/Upkicks has a much larger number of juggling follow-ups than in SF2.
  • Better mobility (thanks to moves such as dashes, focus attacks and jumping short knee).
  • Charge time on specials feels slightly shorter than in SF2. Also able to maintain charge better throughout a match than is the case in that game.
  • Focus attacks allow another means of landing damaging charge combos on opponents.
  • Different jump arcs from a jumping Short knee allows mix ups from the front which SF2 Dee Jay doesn’t have.
  • Access to “Ume-Upkick” possibilities (thanks to relaxed charging and shortcut system in SF4) making it easier to counter incoming moves.
  • More ways to get around projectiles (less prone to fireball traps).
  • Can usually be hit several more times in SF4 than in SF2 (due to lower damage sustained in 4 and fewer quick dizzies compared to the case in SF2).
  • Ultra Combos allow for comeback potential from a variety of situations.
  • Far greater nuance to Dee Jay’s gameplay (i.e., not as linear as SF2 Dee Jay) which makes him a much more interesting character IMO  (though not necessarily better).

 

FINAL NOTE: Funnily enough, a lot of what made Dee Jay better in SSF2T was not specific to him but was a feature of most characters in that game (e.g., greater throw range, heavier damage, more frequent dizzies, etc.). So, as difficult and frustrating as Dee Jay had it in SF4, it would be a mistake to think that Dee Jay was cruising on easy street throughout all of SF2 (trust me, there is plenty of rage-inducing bullshit in that game, too; we just didn’t seem to notice it as much during the late 90s compared to now). So maybe the message here is that it is best to focus on Dee Jay’s potential strengths rather than his frustrating weaknesses, regardless of the game you are in (also a good strategy for real life). The more you know . . .

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