Super Naruto: Clash of Ninja 4/System
General Movement
Walking
Pressing or holding left or right on the Control Stick or D-pad will make your character walk forwards towards the opponent, or backwards away from them. This is the slowest and most basic form of movement in SCON4, but also presents the least risk.
Dashing and Running
To dash towards the opponent, double tap forward towards the opponent (
), and the direction can be held to keep running forward. A dash cannot be cancelled into any other actions except for jump until the animation completes, but a run can be cancelled into jump, a unique sidestep, or one of two unique attacks that are only available while running.
Backstep
To perform a backstep, quickly double tap backwards away from the opponent (
). The character will do a backwards dash, making it useful for dodging attacks if timed properly. Unlike forward dashes or runs, backdashes cannot be cancelled into anything; your character cannot act at all until the animation ends. This means that while backdashes can be effective at dodging a single attack, it can be punished by whiff cancellable strings, far-reaching attacks, or an opponent waiting for you to use that option and chasing down your recovery instead.
Sidestep
Pressing either the L or R Trigger will make your character perform a sidestep in one of two directions, L being to the camera's left and R being to the camera's right. Similar to backsteps, sidesteps are also evasive maneuvers as they move the character out of the way of attacks, however they differ in that they have strike invincibility for the first 3 frames (although they are still throwable during that time). They can also be used to get behind the opponent to hit them with unguardable attacks, or throw them when they're performing front throw invulnerable attacks.
Running Sidestep
Inputting a sidestep while running will perform a special sidestep called a Running Sidestep (running SS), which allows the character to sidestep while approaching and also has a much stronger rotation effect to where a running sidestep can make the character end up behind the opponent's back. It's very useful for gaining ground while still dodging the opponent's long-range attacks or projectiles, or also has a niche use when backturned to where you can run from their attacks, and then immediately running SS to autocorrect to face them and whiff punish their attempted backturned attacks.
Health
The Health Gauge represents the remaining health of a character. A character loses the round when their health bar is reduced to zero. Health that's recently been lost from incoming attacks is lost immediately and is represented on the health bar by that portion turning to a solid red, and then the visual drains out slowly once the combo ends. When a character's health falls to around the orange segment of the health bar, that character then enters "Crisis Mode" where they generate significantly more chakra from their attacks than normal.
Every character has their own Health Gauge values, resulting in some characters being able to endure more damage than others:
| Health | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| 240 | Choji, Jiraiya, Jirobo |
| 230 | Kakashi, Might Guy, Zabuza, Iruka, Kisame |
| 220 | Naruto, Rock Lee, Awakened Hinata, Gaara, Mizuki, Anko, Third Hokage, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Kidomaru, Sakon & Ukon[1] |
| 210 | Sasuke, CS2 Sasuke, Sakura, Neji, Tenten, Shikamaru, Ino, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Tayuya, Kimimaro, Itachi |
| 200 | OTK Naruto, Temari, Kankuro, Haku |
| 190 | Kabuto[2] |
Chakra
Chakra is the essential component of jutsu in Naruto, and thus translates to functioning as the main meter mechanic in this game. Characters gain chakra from numerous actions, such as:
- Performing attacks (regardless of if they hit or not)
- Being hit by and blocking attacks
- Tech rolling after landing on the ground
Chakra gain varies a lot based on the action. For example, whiffing attack strings builds a very insignificant amount of chakra, while actually landing attack string on the opponent build a decent amount.
The amount of chakra that each character has at any given time is shown via the light blue meter bar underneath their health bar that is divided into 4 sections.
Spending Chakra
In SCON4, there are many ways that chakra may be spent. Some chakra expenditures require at least 25% (1 bar) chakra, while others can be used at any amount and can also vary in the amount of chakra they cost and how quickly. Here is a list of the most common / universal usages of chakra in the game and how much they cost:
| Cost | Action(s) |
|---|---|
| 25% | Y-Cancels, activating Sasuke's Sharingan |
| 50% | Character state changes (Kakashi's Sharingan, Lee and Guy's Gates, ZTK) |
| 75% | Substitutions, non-cinematic supers |
| 100% | Cinematic supers |
Attacking and Hitstun
Weak & Strong Attacks
There are two primary attack buttons in SCON4: Weak Attacks, performed by pressing 
, and Strong Attacks, performed by pressing 
.
Weak attacks are mostly standard, fast taijutsu attacks such as punches and kicks, while Strong attacks are much more similar in nature to what you would call a "special attack" in other fighting games, as they can greatly change between characters to either make use of unique weapons like kunais or by using the character's various ninjutsu abilities from the series. The Weak or Strong attack used also varies based on the cardinal direction being held (if any at all); for example, Sasuke's is a basic jab, while his is an armored hopkick, and his is a spinning back fist.
Every character has 10 standing normal moves that can be performed from a neutral state (5 weak and 5 strong), 2 air normal moves (1 weak and 1 strong), and 2 moves possible while running (1 weak and 1 strong).
Strings
Pressing one of the two primary attack buttons again after another one connects with the opponent on hit or block will initiate a string of follow-up attacks from that attack. Attack strings can vary based on the character being played, the button pressed, and even whether or not the previous attack connected with the opponent at all or whiffed altogether. Most strings in SCON4 contain attacks that are very useful (launchers, safe on block attacks, super-cancellable attacks) yet are otherwise inaccessible to the character on the fly, and so thus memorizing and understanding how your character's strings work is essential to playing them properly.
If a character's string tree has narrowed down to a path that only accepts one valid button follow-up, even pressing the other button in the string cancellable window will perform that single possible follow-up.
Throws
Pressing 
when very close to an opponent will perform a Throw on them. Your character will grab the opponent, hop over them and launch them sky-high with a headlock throw, dealing a little damage on its own but most importantly providing you with a lot of time to run up and follow up with just about any combo. Throws are frame 1, so they can be a great option at point-blank range to either open up a guarding player as a mix-up, or to punish even some of the least punishable recovery moves (if the opponent is in range to get grabbed).
Beware that if there is no opponent nearby to be thrown or the opponent is in an unthrowable state, your character will do a 48-frame long throw whiff animation that is easily punishable. Opponents also cannot be thrown while they are in hitstun (except for mashable stagger) nor blockstun.
Anko stands out for having a unique throw from the rest of the cast.
Air Throws
Air throws follow basically all the same conventions as ground throws, except for the fact that they typically don't allow for a combo afterward (they dunk the opponent straight to the ground and this can be emergency teched). They also have a difference in their recovery; the recovery on an air throw is until the character lands + a 9-frame landing recovery animation.
As opposed to grounded throws, not every character in SCON4 is able to air throw. The characters who can do so are the following:
- Anko,
Awakened Hinata, 
Choji, 
Ino, 
Iruka, 
Jiraiya, 
Jirobo, 
Kakashi, 
Kabuto, 
Kankuro (
only), 
Kiba, 
Kidomaru, 
Kimimaro, 
Naruto, 
OTK Naruto, 
Rock Lee (with at least one 
open), 
Sakon & Ukon (only 
), 
Shino, 
Third Hokage, 
Tsunade, and 
Zabuza.
Custom Throws
Some characters have alternate, "custom" throws that are input with 
and do different things than the universal throw, such as switching sides or causing hard knockdowns.
Similar to air throws, not every character has a custom throw. The characters who can do so are the following:
- Anko, Choji,
Gaara, Ino, Jiraiya, Jirobo, Kakashi (air only), 
Kisame, 
Might Guy, 
Mizuki, 
Sakura, 
Sasuke, Shino, Tsunade, and Zabuza.
Throw Break
Inputting , , or within the first 6 frames after being grabbed by an opponent's throw will perform a Throw Break, breaking yourself free from their grab without taking damage and also separating the two characters. In the event of a throw break, the character who defended against the throw is at a 5 frame advantage over the attacker. Almost any time time a throw is executed on a player, the defender will most likely be able to throw break it if they catch it, regardless of if it was from behind, as a punish on startup or recovery frames, while they were in hitstun, etc. There does exist some exceptions, with the most common situation being during the startups of certain 4Bs.
If or are input on the same frame as an opposing throw, the throw will take priority and a throw break will not start, though the player being thrown can still input a throw break during the following 6 frames. If both players input throw on the same frame, both throws will whiff.
It should also be noted that some characters have attacks that may look like throws, but are unbreakable no matter what.
Unthrowable State
Many attacks and some other actions in this game put acting character in an unthrowable state for a part of their duration, where the acting character cannot be attacked with throws from the front. Most attacks are throw invulnerable from the front starting on frame 2 until 1 frame after the latest active frame ends. Additionally, all hitstun states are completely unthrowable unless the character is in a staggered hitstun state. Despite this, a successful back-throw is still effective and will connect on an unthrowable opponent that is not in hitstun.
Special
- Alternate names: Super, Jutsu
Pressing 
while at 75~100% (3~4 bars) chakra will perform a special "Jutsu" attack, which are this game's equivalent of supers. They are typically much stronger than even attacks or provide much more utility, at hefty costs of chakra. Every character has at least one super and some characters have multiple, with many of them varying in usage. There are many different kinds of supers as well:
Cinematic
Cinematic supers consist of an initial unblockable hit, that then proceeds into the cinematic if it connects with the opponent. Every character has at least one of these, and they typically cost a full chakra gauge and are uncomboable afterward. The damage from cinematic supers also ignore combo damage scaling, making them amazing for high-damage, round-ending combos.
Counter
Counter supers are supers that only activate their effect when they are triggered by the opponent, either by attacks or by projectiles; in some cases it's only one or the other, in some cases the counter can activate against both.
Transformation
- Alternate names: Install
Transformation Supers are supers that only affect the character that inputs it. Transformations adjust the properties of moves or give completely new moves to use, such as Sasuke's Sharingan transformation giving him access to his Chidori super. Transformation supers are typically input with 4X, and are uniquely usable at 50% (2 bars) chakra.
Y-Cancel
- In-Game Name: Combo Cancel
Pressing after most moves while launching or juggling an opponent in hitstun will make your character perform a Combo Cancel, or more commonly known as a Y-Cancel. When this is executed, after the attack's active frames, the Y-cancelling character will completely stop the action they are doing and assume a stance at the cost of 25% (1 bar) chakra. The stance can then be immediately cancelled into any action, including attacks and movement, meaning that Y-cancels can also be used to string together continuous juggle combos for bigger damage or to dodge KnJs and punish them afterward. Do note that attacking immediately out of Y-Cancel stance incurs a damage penalty on the following attacks, though this can be circumvented by a simple technique known as Stance Breaking.
Most characters will utilize their 4A counter for the animation, while others who have slow or non-traditional 4As may have a completely unique animation for their Y-Cancel stance (i.e Shikamaru). This has zero gameplay implications at all.
Y-Cancels are typically infinitely bufferable (similar to buffering and in strings). Additionally, the opponent leaving hitstun via any means (such as KnJ or tech rolling on the ground) will immediately disable the attacker's ability to 
, even if the attack connected. Finally, they can only be performed while the character is considered to be on the ground; it should be noted, however, that some moves that go into an airborne state (or are initiated in the air and then touch the ground on their recovery) can still be Y-Canceled once they return to the ground (examples being 
Neji's 
or Kiba's 
).
Special Hitstun States
Stagger
When a character is staggered, they enter a distinctive reeling animation and longer than average hitstun, but can mash directional inputs to shake out of staggered hitstun quickly. Typically, a half-circle input is enough to shake out of a stagger. This hitstun state is also uniquely the only one in the game where the opponent can be thrown, but they can still break out of the throw.
Launch
When a character is launched, they are lifted off of their feet into an airborne hitstun state, allowing for juggle combos afterward.
Keep in mind that there are actually two launch types: regular launch, and also spinning launch, where the victim is put into a distinctive spinning animation and is typically sent much higher than a regular launch. Moves that spinning launch are also able to beat out the armor of certain armored moves. If a spinning launch victim is juggled again during this state regardless of if the juggling move is a spinning launch or not, they will be sent into a regular launch.
Capture
A move that puts the opponent into a cinematic as it hits is considered to be able to put the opponent into a Capture state during the short cinematic. While the opponent is captured, they are unable to KnJ the hit(s) that occur and the damage that they take is also unscaled. Capture state is seen on every cinematic super, and also commonly seen on hitgrab moves such as Kabuto and Kakashi's , and Neji's ().
Trapped
When an opponent is Trapped by an attack, they are stuck in place and cannot attack or move. As with stagger, they are able to use substitution, as well as mash to reduce its effect. However, traps are notorious for being much harder, even futile, to try and shake out of. Examples of Trapped moves are and Shino's and Tsunade's (on a far hit).
Defense
Guarding
Pressing nothing in a neutral state when about to get hit by an attack from the front or sides will have your character guard against the attack instead. Guarding can also be manually input by holding when about to get hit. Characters can guard all blockable attacks from the front and some angles to the sides in such a way, but attacks that hit the character from behind cannot be guarded at all.
This game does not feature manually switching guard stance like other traditional fighters, nor does it contain any moves that require doing so. There are no moves that must be blocked as overheads or lows in the traditional mix-up sense; only moves that literally hit high (can be low profiled/crushed), and moves that literally hit low (can be high profiled/crushed).
Guard Gauge
- Alternate names: Guard Bar
At the top of the screen, on the left and right sides of the timer are special gauges made up of 5 icons, called the Guard Gauge. As each character blocks attacks, their Guard Gauge is depleted a tiny bit at a time, which is represented by the icons disappearing. This is also reflected by the color of the guarding visual effect going from blue, to yellow, to red.
It is important to note that every character has their own values for their Guard Gauge, resulting in some characters being able to block attacks for longer than others:
| Guard Bar | Character(s) |
|---|---|
| 2000 | Gaara |
| 1920 | Choji, Jiraiya, Jirobo |
| 1840 | Kakashi, Might Guy, Awakened Hinata, Zabuza, Iruka, Kisame |
| 1760 | Naruto, OTK Naruto, CS2 Sasuke, Rock Lee, Mizuki, Anko, Third Hokage, Tsunade, Orochimaru, Kidomaru |
| 1680 | Sasuke, Sakon & Ukon, Kimimaro, Itachi |
| 1640 | Sakura, Neji, Ino, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Kabuto, Tayuya |
| 1600 | Tenten, Temari, Kankuro, Haku |
| 1520 | Shikamaru[1] |
- ↑ Shikamaru does not take guard damage while his dodge mechanic is in effect.
Average guard gauge across the cast is 1734, median guard gauge is 1760.
Guard Break
If a character's Guard Gauge is fully depleted while blocking, they will suffer a Guard Break, which will force them out of blocking and into a vulnerable stagger animation. They will temporarily be completely open to attacks, and also be additionally punished with all except for 1/4th of a bar of chakra being drained from their meter bar. The guard break animation can be shortened with button mash recovery, similar to the stagger effect. Players who are guard broken while airborne can tech roll recovery upon touching the ground.
Certain characters also have attacks that instantly Guard Break the opponent if blocked, such as Might Guy's 4[B] or 
CS2 Sasuke's running B.
Autoguard
Some moves in this game cause the character to automatically guard most attacks that hit them on certain frames during the startup of the attack. Every character (except for CS2 Sasuke) has at least one of these moves mapped to the input 4B (). Autoguard frames can guard against almost every move, and when they successfully autoguard against an attack, it does not deal damage to the character's Guard Bar. However, autoguard does not defend against hitgrab attacks or true unblockables (such as back hits or super activators), and the defender is still able to receive chip damage. Autoguard frames are also unique to regular guard in that they are actually also be able to defend against moves that would instantly Guard Crush a normal block.
Knockdown
OTG State
The OTG State is the short amount of time that a character can still be hit by attacks that can reach them on the ground before they go invincible for wake-up. OTG damage against opponents is massively scaled down however, and 5X supers will not continue into their cinematic if they somehow hit OTG.
Tech Roll
Pressing or while holding no directional input, , or within 3 frames of hitting the ground while in hitstun will make your character perform a tech roll, in which they will roll either away from the opponent, or into the foreground / background (dictated by the direction held) and also gain a little bit of chakra. This is fully invulnerable and thus can be used as an attempt to escape some immediate okizeme setups from the opponent, but the time it takes to roll can sometimes inadvertently give them more time to perform stronger okizeme from their combo ender if they're anticipating it.
Missing a tech when hitting the ground after most moves deals somewhere between 1~6 damage to the victim, but this cannot kill them.
Wakeup Options
When knocked down, there are multiple wake-up options possible to defend oneself against the opponent's advantage state. These options include:
Neutral Wakeup
Pressing no buttons while waking up will perform a neutral getup where the character slowly rises with invincibility. The no-commitment wake-up option.
Wakeup Roll
Identical to the Tech Roll, although it performed as a wake-up option by holding a direction while knocked down on the ground instead of when the character first hits the ground.
Wakeup Kick
A new mechanic, implemented from CONR3. Holding an attack button ( or ) while waking up will make your character perform a Wakeup Kick, where they will do a spinning kick that'll sweep the opponent off their feet. Wake-up kicks hit Low and are able to crush both Highs and Mids on their start-up, and the damage from them is also able to kill the opponent, however they are even punishable by some supers if the attacker blocks it.
Substitution Jutsu
Pressing 
or 
while in hitstun or knocked down with 75% or more chakra will cause your character to perform Substitution Jutsu (aka "Sub" or "KnJ"), an escape technique where the character goes invincible, teleports out of the combo they're stuck in, and reappears behind the back of the attacker (nothing personnel). Substitution is this game's equivalent of a combo-breaker mechanic such as "Burst" in Arc System Works' games, or "Circuit Spark" in MBAACC. Unlike those games, however, chakra gain is incredibly fast in this game and so the threat of Substitutions are much more prevalent in almost every situation imaginable. There are two types of KnJ's that are possible:
- Neutral Substitution: Pressing while in hitstun performs a KnJ that will make your character reappear on the ground behind the attacker and in a neutral state. This carries less risk than the other KnJ and allows flexibility in what you can follow up with afterwards. Neutral Substitution is also colloquially known as "LSub" or "LKnJ" due to the button used.
- Offensive Substitution: Pressing while in hitstun performs a KnJ (RSub, RKnJ) that will make your character reappear behind the opponent as well, and immediately launch a counterattack on them. This attack is able to kill the opponent if it will do enough damage to do so.
- RKnJ varies based on whether or not it is used in grounded hitstun or airborne hitstun. Airborne hitstun RKnJ ("ARKnJ") will make the character reappear in the air behind the opponent and perform a falling hammer punch attack, while grounded hitstun RKnJ ("GRKnJ") will perform a character-unique grounded attack from behind.
- Airborne RKnJ only suffers a 9-frame landing recovery, unlike grounded which has an extended recovery, so it can be a combo starter and combos starting from RKnJ can still kill as well.
Finally, there exist certain attacks in this game that can disable the ability to use KnJ upon hit, either for the hit or for an extended period of time. Some examples include all cinematic attacks and OTK/Sasuke's anti-air hitgrabs.
