Capcom’s iconic wandering warrior returns with a few new tricks up his sleeve. Appearing under-powered and limited offensively by the end of Street Fighter IV, Capcom has given him a few more tools to succeed. His normal moves link together better for more combo possibilities. His parry V-Skill is fun to use and a great tool for countering your opponent’s predictable offense. Also, his V-Trigger that allows him to charge up his super-fast fireballs can make him an offensive threat from almost any range.
Ryu may not be the main character for you, but he’s still the best character to start with. Use him to get an overall feel for the game before moving onto someone else. Or, at least at this juncture, Ryu still has enough juice in his tank if you want to take him all the way.