Cloud Strife/YAMAKICHI's version

One of the most commonly used versions of Cloud, this version is one of the first to use custom sprites and is a fairly basic character with a four-button layout, features such as EX Moves and a Guard Cancel and several Specials and Hypers based on Cloud's Limit Breaks from Final Fantasy VII''. His comboability may be limited, but chaining Specials or Hypers allows for huge damage to be dealt, and this fact is emphasized by his custom A.I.''

Gameplay


Cloud Strife is a six-button character that plays like a four button character, with a button layout similar to The King of Fighters, using the, , and  buttons for attacks and using the  and  buttons for shortcuts that can be used to substitute for pressing respectively + and + to activate certain special and Hypers; in addition, + and + inputs are used for Roll Dodges, a Guard Cancel and a Power Charge. Cloud Strife has an EX version of one of his Specials, as well as a standalone EX Move, and his other Specials lack an EX version, with both EX Moves using one-third of a Power bar. Cloud Strife also has a Super Jump, although the height of the Super Jump is variable and depends on how quickly the player taps after pressing.

Cloud Strife's damage output is a bit low and his comboability is fairly limited as the maximum amount of hits in a single combo usually cannot extend further than four or five hits, though he can cancel Normals into any Special or Hyper except for Cross Slash, and his combos deal a decent amount of damage to compensate for his limited comboability. Any of Cloud Strife's punch attacks and Specials involving use of the Buster Sword have infinite priority, which is expectable but can give Cloud Strife an advantage, though some of Cloud Strife's kicks also have infinite priority due to the attacking hitbox overlapping the collision hitbox. Cloud Strife's airborne Normals cannot hit grounded opponents that aren't incredibily large because they're cancelled when Cloud Strife lands before hitting the opponent.

All three of Cloud's Hypers are level 1 Hypers, with no level 2 or 3 Hypers and the damage output of Cloud Strife's Hypers is very inconsistent, because Braver and especially Finishing Touch deal below average damage for a level 1 Hyper while Omnislash deals significantly more damage than those two Hypers, though Braver can follow up into Finishing Touch after the last hit of Braver for huge damage while using only 2000 Power. Cloud Strife's hitboxes are a bit unoptimized because there are three or more collision hitboxes in many of his animations while one or two would suffice.

Cloud Strife has a custom A.I. that is very competitive and often tries to get close to the opponent, trap them in a corner and attack very frequently, often performing high-damaging combos and often incorporating Specials and Hypers in them, though if a player gets trapped in a corner by the A.I., it's not very hard to escape from the corner and get behind Cloud Strife, and sometimes he may also get behind the player instead of keeping them in a corner. He often makes some distance between him and his opponent before performing Omnislash, which can be used as an opportunity to interrupt or block Omnislash and attack.

Trivia

 * Cloud Strife has two special intros, one against Tifa Lockhart and one against Aeris Gainsborough; his intro against Tifa Lockhart involves him entering the stage riding his motorcycle (the Hardy-Daytona) and his intro against Aeris Gainsborough involves him scratching his ear while his Buster Sword is into the ground.
 * Omnislash being a 15-hit combo references Omnislash hitting 15 times in its appearances in the Final Fantasy series.