Shotos, they are the most balanced and easy to grasp characters in street fighter (I include sagat in this category).  What good reason is there to play any other type of character.  I know the argument that every character has their own strengths, but the shoto characters are pretty much good at everything and they have combos that are easy to use.  Example huricane kick into dragon punch= good damage for 2 inputs.  The more I play the more shotos I see and the more I wonder why do people use anything else when they want to win.  I understand a person likeing a character or his/her play style, but when you want to win why not use the characters who can do everything?

Charge characters are just as good as shotos you just need to know how to utilise your charge.

Most good players know the weaknesses to shotos.  I play Honda and when I fight a Ryu or Ken, I know how to handle them.  Also, the hurican kick, DP combo just works for Akuma.  If Ken tries to use it, you have enough time to block the DP.

But is there a weakness of the character or the weakness of the player you exploit I mean i know of akuma's glass jaw and kens huge recover time after his fierce dragon punch.  Bujt a good player playing a shoto seems to have the tools to handle everything.

what the heck is a shoto?

One weakness is if they miss a DP (except jab DB), people can punish them easily.

" what the heck is a shoto? "

Against my Ryu, most halfway decent Blanka or Bison players can rip right through me.  Your assumption that shotos are naturally better and easier to use is negated by your own argument - some people play differently, and therefore, get wins in a different fashion.  The best players I know master three or four different characters (or more), so that they aren't locked into just one style.

The problem is shoto's are so fucking overused, their tricks do not work on an experienced player. Just ask JJ....fucking Honda.

" But is there a weakness of the character or the weakness of the player you exploit "

I play as Shoto characters because I suck with everyone else. Simple.

Charge characters are hard to catch off guard since they're always blocking, also people who play charge characters are usually frustrating to fight since vega and m bison can jump across the screen, and attack with little risk of punishment. The fact of the matter is charge characters are really annoying and I don't see why anyone wouldn't use them.

Some people just want a character that fits their more defensive/aggressive play stile.

Respect.

I wipe the floor with shotos.

"LOL IMMA GET U WITH A WAKE-UP SHORYUKEN!!11111"

" Respect.

Shotos are so freakin easy that there's almost no honor in winning with any of them.  If you want to win an easy match, use a shoto...  If you want to have an interesting, skill-based match and have the respect of your opponent, use a real character.

"

" "LOL IMMA GET U WITH A WAKE-UP SHORYUKEN!!11111" "

I hate shotos because DP has priority over pretty much anything and does massive damage, so scrubs just throw it out randomly, which can win matches. Especially against me cause I kinda suck. If they nerfed the DP's priority you would see a lot less shoto players I think... However my least favorite character in the game by far is Blanka. If I get beat by one more guy that just does a jump in and mashes punch until the electric shock comes out, then throws out a roll and repeats, I'm gonna hurl.

To answer the OP, if you can play shoto vs shoto every match and not get bored, that's great. I played a bit of most of the characters, found I was pretty good with Balrog (and he also happens to be high tier) and stuck with him. I still like to shake it up and play as Chun or Ryu every so often because I get bored playing as and against the same characters all the time. YMMV.

" I wipe the floor with shotos."LOL IMMA GET U WITH A WAKE-UP SHORYUKEN!!11111" "

Wiping the floor with shotos and wiping the floor with scrubs are 2 different things.   Anyone with experience will know what to do against a wake up dragon punch.  It is way worse when you are playing good shots who know that the jab dragon punch is hard to punish or who can fireball trap. 

This topic may be flawed because if anything my opponents have answered the question for me.   90% of the time my opponents choose Ryu, Ken, or Akuma and if they switch after a few games they just change to another shoto.  I guess I'm more frustrated than anything.  For my Fei Long to win I have to dodge fireballs and dragon punches, get in close and stay there.  It just seems like they take less effort to get better results.

Cause Rufus is boss.   That's why.   Dive-kicking all over this bitch.

sure my gamer tag is thatpinguino

" @thatpinguino: Less effort but not as rewarding. It's much easier to do a short uppercut to ultra with Ryu then land a perfect ultra as Guile but I don't think anyone disagrees which one is more satisfying. "

" @Napalm said:

" I wipe the floor with shotos."LOL IMMA GET U WITH A WAKE-UP SHORYUKEN!!11111" "

Still waiting for a match. You seem confident enough. "

" @Keyser_Soze said:

" @TheGremp said:

" Respect.

Shotos are so freakin easy that there's almost no honor in winning with any of them.  If you want to win an easy match, use a shoto...  If you want to have an interesting, skill-based match and have the respect of your opponent, use a real character.

"

What a load of absolute nonsense. Go away scrub no one wants to hear your whining. "

Spoken like a true Shoto user. "

" @Napalm: The reason you can't join our player matches is because you need to forward ports on your router. "

" Respect.

Shotos are so freakin easy that there's almost no honor in winning with any of them.  If you want to win an easy match, use a shoto...  If you want to have an interesting, skill-based match and have the respect of your opponent, use a real character.

"

Because after ten plus years of playing them you get bored and moove on to other characters.

Wow this thread is full of ignorance.

Nothing wrong with using a shoto, but it's all personal preference, I honestly cannot get to grips with them as easily as I can charge characters, and I can't be bothered to learn FADC, so Balrog serves me needs well, and I routinely trash shoto's with him.

In SF4 the reason you see the shotos alot online are different for each.  Sagat (if you consider him one) is dominant, has a pretty easy fadc -> ultra setup, and can end a match in a hurry with a corner trap.  Ryu has a billion and 1 ways to land ultra, and online this is even more prevelant as blocking jab DPs can be much more difficult, and him landing an ultra can swing many many matches in his favor.  Ken is huge online for some reason (or was at release anyway).  Part of it is his short DP is very nearly impossible to punish online due to lag being about the same as his recovery.  I have been hit by a fierce DP countless times after a jab DP, trying to punish with a combo that is just flat out too late, and you cant hit him too early or he air resets/ you eat the top end of the dp, whatever.  These things along with the fact that Ryu/Sagat/Ken are the most recognizable characters for people returning to the franchise make them really popular.  They are familiar with strong moves that most everyone can pick up and do out of the box, its not hard to learn to throw a fireball, or cr.mk poke into fireball.

Ryu and Sagat also happen to be quite strong anyhow, with great priority on moves, so you see plenty of very good players using them as well.  I chose to pick a fight style i like, I play Cammy (a kinda sorta shoto hybrid?) who I pay as a big rushdown character.  High risk vs high reward.  The reason you might not pick Ken/Ryu/Sagat/Akuma etc is because you simply prefer another fighting style, as I do.  :P

" @Keyser_Soze said:

" @TheGremp said:

" Respect.

Shotos are so freakin easy that there's almost no honor in winning with any of them.  If you want to win an easy match, use a shoto...  If you want to have an interesting, skill-based match and have the respect of your opponent, use a real character.

"

What a load of absolute nonsense. Go away scrub no one wants to hear your whining. "

Spoken like a true Shoto user. "

" Shotos, they are the most balanced and easy to grasp characters in street fighter (I include sagat in this category). 

" In SF4 the reason you see the shotos alot online are different for each.  Sagat (if you consider him one) is dominant, has a pretty easy fadc -> ultra setup, and can end a match in a hurry with a corner trap.  Ryu has a billion and 1 ways to land ultra, and online this is even more prevelant as blocking jab DPs can be much more difficult, and him landing an ultra can swing many many matches in his favor.  Ken is huge online for some reason (or was at release anyway).  Part of it is his short DP is very nearly impossible to punish online due to lag being about the same as his recovery.  I have been hit by a fierce DP countless times after a jab DP, trying to punish with a combo that is just flat out too late, and you cant hit him too early or he air resets/ you eat the top end of the dp, whatever.  These things along with the fact that Ryu/Sagat/Ken are the most recognizable characters for people returning to the franchise make them really popular.  They are familiar with strong moves that most everyone can pick up and do out of the box, its not hard to learn to throw a fireball, or cr.mk poke into fireball.Ryu and Sagat also happen to be quite strong anyhow, with great priority on moves, so you see plenty of very good players using them as well.  I chose to pick a fight style i like, I play Cammy (a kinda sorta shoto hybrid?) who I pay as a big rushdown character.  High risk vs high reward.  The reason you might not pick Ken/Ryu/Sagat/Akuma etc is because you simply prefer another fighting style, as I do.  :P "

I feel like it all depends on your playstyle and the strengths of the character you're playing, not what "type" is better.  I personally play charge characters far better than I play shoto characters, and don't fear many shoto players because I know my own character's/playstyles strengths and weakenesses as well as keeping a general mind as to what the strengths/weaknesses of my opponent's character are.
Besides, you're missing the point that even in high-level competition play, charge characters are not ranked far below shotos.  Balrog and M. Bison are considered very high-tier.

"

I feel like it all depends on your playstyle and the strengths of the character you're playing, not what "type" is better.  I personally play charge characters far better than I play shoto characters, and don't fear many shoto players because I know my own character's/playstyles strengths and weakenesses as well as keeping a general mind as to what the strengths/weaknesses of my opponent's character are.
Besides, you're missing the point that even in high-level competition play, charge characters are not ranked far below shotos.  Balrog and M. Bison are considered very high-tier.

"

"@ImperiousRix said:

"

I feel like it all depends on your playstyle and the strengths of the character you're playing, not what "type" is better.  I personally play charge characters far better than I play shoto characters, and don't fear many shoto players because I know my own character's/playstyles strengths and weakenesses as well as keeping a general mind as to what the strengths/weaknesses of my opponent's character are.
Besides, you're missing the point that even in high-level competition play, charge characters are not ranked far below shotos.  Balrog and M. Bison are considered very high-tier.

"

Guile and Ken are both in tier three I believe."

So ignorant idiots can call you a "scrub" and feel good about themselves when they lose, which they always do.

" @thatpinguino: Less effort but not as rewarding. It's much easier to do a short uppercut to ultra with Ryu then land a perfect ultra as Guile but I don't think anyone disagrees which one is more satisfying. "

" @Scooper said:

" @thatpinguino: Less effort but not as rewarding. It's much easier to do a short uppercut to ultra with Ryu then land a perfect ultra as Guile but I don't think anyone disagrees which one is more satisfying. "

Perfect ultra? I prefer the one that does more damage and im not a shoto player. "

" @lemon__fresh said:

" @Scooper said:

" @thatpinguino: Less effort but not as rewarding. It's much easier to do a short uppercut to ultra with Ryu then land a perfect ultra as Guile but I don't think anyone disagrees which one is more satisfying. "

Perfect ultra? I prefer the one that does more damage and im not a shoto player. "

I mean a perfect Ultra as in all hits connect. It's so easy with Guile to only hit maybe 3 times for the same damage as a throw but when you land every hit it's really satisfying. As you prefering ones that do more damage, that's fine, it's your opinion. "