Command Moves

Command Moves (Special Skills) are a staple mechanic in fighting games.

These attacks have a simple input, followed by a button. While they are stronger than regular attacks, they are still slightly weaker than Special Moves by comparison, but still open up a lot of options; in The King of Fighters series, these can be used directly after regular attacks as a combo link, and often can be cancelled into a Special Move.

Attacks like Kyo Kusanagi's Ge-Shiki Goufu Yo are overhead attacks, which means these attacks cannot be guarded while the defender is crouching. Similarly, attacks such as Iori Yagami's Ge-Shiki Yuriori are specifically designed to be used as cross-up attacks, which make the defending player push the opposite direction to block, as they will be hit from behind not guarding properly.