Notation

Numpad Notation

7	8	9
4	5	6
1	2	3

Numpad notation is a system for writing the inputs used in fighting games in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and language agnostic way. The core mechanic of numpad notation is also how it gets its name: numbers are used in place of directions, according to their position on a keyboard's numpad. Numpad notation always assumes that the player character is facing the right side of the screen. Pictured to the right are each of the directions in numpad notation, represented by arrows on a gamepad's directional buttons, next to a full-size keyboard's numpad.

Directional Inputs

In numpad notation, direction inputs are represented by a number corresponding to the direction the user inputs on their analogue stick, directional pad, or other input device. In traditional 2D fighting games, a player makes their character jump straight up by pressing up on their controller. This is represented by the number 8. Similarly, diagonal jumps are performed by pressing diagonally to the upper-left or upper-right . These jumps can be written as 7 and 9 respectively. Players can make their characters crouch by holding down on their controller which is represented in numpad notation as holding 2. If no direction is listed, then it is assumed to be "neutral" or the number 5 which is the same as not pressing any direction at all.

Attack Buttons

Attack buttons, often called simply "buttons" for brevity, are represented by a capitalized letter. For instance, the button is represented by the capital letter K.

On the Dustloop Wiki, some games will have an additional layer of differentiation in the form of color coding. Games such as Guilty Gear XRD and Granblue Fantasy Versus have in-game button prompts which are color coded, and as such Dustloop Wiki will attempt to match the colors of those prompts with text color coding.

Command Normals

In numpad notation, attacks are represented by combining the direction the user must input with the attack button that the move uses. If a move is performed by pressing the button while holding forward the input will be represented as 6P. Similarly, pressing the button while holding down is represented as 2K.

Special Moves

Most traditional 2D fighting games will allow players to input special moves by performing a series of inputs which usually involve three or more directions combined with an attack button. In numpad notation , these special moves are represented as a series of numbers followed by an attack button. Take for example Ky Kiske's fireball special, Stun Edge. This move is performed by inputting the directions down , then diagonally down-and-forward , then forward followed quickly by the attack button. These directional inputs would be represented by 2 then 3 then 6 in that order. Many in-game training modes will show this with an icon representing the motion and an icon representing the attack button, in this case +. As such, Ky's Slash version fireball is notated in numpad notation as 236S.

Charge Moves

Charge moves are performed by holding a direction and then switching to a specific direction and inputting an attack button. One example would be Venom's Stinger Aim attack which is input by holding backwards for a period of time then inputting forwards and pressing either the or attack button. Holding a button is indicated in numpad notation by surrounding the held input with a set of square brackets, [ and ]. This can apply to both directions, such as [4], or attack buttons, such as [P]. With these rules in mind, Venom's Stinger Aim is written as [4]6S for the version or as [4]6H for the version.

Most of the time the release of a button is not strict and as such not noted, but in the case that there is a very specific release of a button the square brackets are reversed. For instance if you need to release the P button at a specific time the release is represented as ]P[. Surrounding a button with hyphens is also a common notation for button releases. Releasing P would be notated -P-.

Air Moves

Most 2D fighting games will allow the user to input normals, command normals, and special moves while in the air. When a move is performed in the air it will be preceded by the prefix j.. Listed below are some examples:

The basic attack in the air is represented by j.S.
If a move is performed by pressing down and the attack button in the air it is represented by j.2K.
Ky's Stun Edge can be performed in the air by inputting +. This air version is notated as j.236S.

The Exceptions

Because we prioritize ease of communication sometimes moves will be notated by colloquial terms or their proper names on a case-by-case basis. Some moves have long inputs that might be more difficult to parse than their actual names and as a result people will often opt to simply use the name or a nickname for the move instead of the input. For instance, Potemkin's Potemkin Buster is often referred to as "Pot Buster", "Potemkin Buster", or "PB" rather than writing out the notation for it, 632146P. When this scheme will happen is determined entirely by the community and is simply whatever people find to be the easiest.

Combos in Numpad

CombosA series of attacks which hit the opponent without them being able to act and stringsA general term describing a loose series of actions which may or may not be a combo written in numpad notation use a set of special characters to help the reader understand what is happening within the game state in as few words as possible. These characters and their uses are as follows:

>: The Right Angle Bracket is a catchall for proceeding from one move or hit in a combo to or string to the next without any specific conditions.
,: The comma is used to specifically denote a linkPerforming one move, usually in a combo, briefly after the previously used move has recovered; Note: unless links have an especially long wait on them, timing is usually not written. Typically the next move is performed as soon as it's available to use and will hit the opponent.
->: An "ASCII right arrow", formed by a minus, -, character and a right arrow, >, character represents cancelingTo bypass the remaining time or frames in an action by proceeding directly into another action one special move into another special move
land: The English word "land" is used in notation to explicitly note when the player character must land mid sequence.
~: The Tilde is used to indicate a Kara Cancel/Followup. This is used when a player must perform some action immediately after another action. The Tilde is placed between the first action and the second action.

Additional Notation Features

There are some symbols, terms, or abbreviations that are used in notation which are specific to certain games or characters. Because most users will not need them, they are covered in the combo notation section at the top of any page which necessitates them.

Multiple Possible Inputs: This comes up more often in some games than others, but almost always turns up in move lists. When multiple buttons can be pressed with a single movement input, slashes (/) are used to separate the possible inputs. If ANY input is acceptable, an X is used.

Example: D -> A/B/C/D = press neutral D, then you may press either A, B, C, or D.
Example 2: 236X = press Down, Down-Forward, Forward, then any attack button.

Holding/Releasing Buttons: Sometimes an attack or command requires an input to be held, and then released later. Brackets are used for both, [] for hold and ][ for release. You'll see a lot of these in Carl combos.

Example: 5[D], 22]D[ = press D while neutral, then press Down twice and release D to perform the second attack.
Example 2: [4]6A = hold Back, press Forward + A.

Repeating Inputs: Some attacks require, or allow, an attack button to be pressed multiple times. It's simple math: Command (xNumber of times to perform the command). If an entire group of commands is to be repeated, the commands will all be surrounded in parentheses with the multiplier outside.

Example: j.C(x5) = while jumping, press neutral C five times.
Example 2: 5C(xN) = press neutral C forever, or until it stops working.
Example 3: (5A 5B 5C)xN = loop neutral A, neutral B, and neutral C forever.

(Fatal) Counters, and Rapid/One More Cancels: Some combos only work under special conditions. One of the most common is a combo that's started with a counter hit - because counter hits have additional hitstun, they allow for combos that would otherwise be impossible. When an attack has to be a Counter Hit to work properly, CH or Counter Hit is written before the attack. If it needs to be a Fatal Counter, FC or Fatal is used instead. Furthermore, some moves don't link together naturally, and require a Rapid/One More Cancel for the combo to continue. When a Rapid Cancel is used in a combo, it is abbreviated as RC (One More Cancel is OMC, while Burst is OMB), with no other separation, and you'll use it to cancel the move that came before it.

Example: CH 5B > 6A RC 236B = neutral B hits as a counter, then cancel to forward A, and rapid cancel that into quarter-circle forward B.

Whiffs, and Other Unusual Things: You can't have shorthand for everything. Sometimes an unusual circumstance comes up that can't be adequately explained in three letters, and so instead we simply give the instructions in the combo itself. Common instances of this are "whiff", "dash", and "delay", but there are plenty more besides those.

Example: BC whiff, 6C = press B and C together to perform a throw that misses the target, then cancel to forward C.
Example 2: 236236B, walk forward 4D = double quarter-circle forward B, then walk forward in order to make the back D hit.

Attacks After Landing, Dust Followups (GG Only): Links can sometimes start with an air move and finish with a ground move. When this is the case, the gap between moves during which you land on the ground is indicated with |>. In Guilty Gear, combos performed in the superjump following a successful Dust attack are indicated with two opposing slashes - /\.

Example: j.5C |> 6C = perform a midair neutral C, then land and perform a forward C.
Example 2: 5D /\ j.P j.K j.S = perform a standing Dust attack, then jump to perform the Dust superjump and, while in midair, press punch, kick, then slash.

Prefixes: Sometimes you'll see a prefix before a numerical movement command or attack. Here are some of the most common:

j. Jumping, or in midair. sj. indicates a superjump.
- Example: j.2C = perform a Down+C attack while in midair.

jc. Jump Cancel (cancel the previous attack by jumping, then perform the indicated command), sometimes written as dj. (Double Jump)
- Example: 6A > jc.B > j.C xx j.236C = Forward + A, cancel with a jump and attack with neutral B, cancel with neutral C, cancel into the special move quarter-circle forward + C.

c. Close. In Guilty Gear, Slash attacks work differently when you're near your opponent. f. is for the Far version of that attack.

d. Command performed while in Drive (Noel's Chain Revolver moves are notated this way)
- Example: 5D > d.6D = press neutral D to initiate Drive, then press forward D while in Drive for the next attack.

tk. Tiger Knee, indicating that the command should be performed on the ground with an upward end to the motion, allowing it to be performed just as you enter a jump state.
- Example: tk.236A = Down, Down-Forward, Forward, Up-Forward, then press A just as you enter the air.

Move Names, Placeholders: In combos, you may find the name of an attack used in place of an input. Just perform the move that's written. Additionally, combos might end with phrases like "air combo ender," "OTG ender," things of that nature. In these cases you would use any general combo that suits the situation and yields the result you want, rather than writing out a new combo for each possibility.