Basic Skills (not to be confused with Skills) are controls in S4 that are uncommon in other shooters. These skills are Sprinting, Dodging, Wall Jumping. These basic skills consume SP.
Sprint[]
Sprinting (or Dashing) activates when the player double-taps "W." As the name suggests, Sprinting makes the eSper runs fast. Sprinting in the air (normally after a jump) is commonly refered to as Air Dashing.
- When Air Dashing, the eSper falls faster than normal. Because of this, a skilled player can jump in rapid succession. This move, known as, "Bunny Hop" is used to create more unpredictable movement, allowing the eSper to dodge bullets more often than not. "Bunny Hop" also consumes less SP than Sprinting, but covers less ground over time. When "Bunny Hopping" with no SP, the eSper still falls faster, allowing the "hop" to continue, even if the Sprint isn't availible.
Dodge[]
Dodging activates when the player presses the "Spacebar," while holding "A" or "D." The eSper performs an evasive manuvers sideways, either left or right. For the guys, the dodge appears to be a "duck-and-slide." For the girls, the dodge appears to be a "no-handed cartwheel." One can also dodge in the air. (known as an Air Dodge) One can also dodge forward or backward by turning the camera 90-degrees and dodging "forward."
- When dodging, one can cancel the dodge and jump in the air by holding "W" or "S" and pressing "Spacebar". While in the air, the eSper can Air Dodge and continue the chain by "jump canceling." This move, known as "Wave Dodging" or "Wave Dashing" (probably based on a similar looking move from SSBM) can be used to dodge bullets even more effectively than "Bunny Hop." However, this technique heavily consumes SP in a short period of time.
Wall Jump[]
Wall Jumping activates when the player pressing "Spacebar" while somersaulting into a wall. This means that you can only wall jump after a jump. (You cannot wall jump during a fall.) Wall Jumping follows the property of
Diagram of the Law of Reflection
reflection, meaning that the angle entering a wall jump is equal to the angle leaving a wall jump. This property allows an eSper to travel across a gap at an extreme distance, by wall jumping off a wall on the side of the gap.
- Occasionally, an eSper can Wall Jump over a wall, if the wall jump happens at the very top of the wall. This happens because the game recognizes the wall jump, but not the wall, thus there isn't anything the "reflect" off of. People who master this technique (known as the "Reverse Wall Jump") can perform ridiculously spectacular jumps.
- An eSper can perform a reverse wall jump an the bottom of a wall allowing him to do 2 Wall Jumps on a flat wall. This technique is known as "back-coming" and is harder than a simple reverse wall jump. You can see it being performed here.
- One can cancel a wall jump by changing to a weapon that requires reloading. If timed correctly, a player can jump after canceling, allowing a double jump without using SP. This technique, "Reload Canceling Jump", can provide an extra boost for a eSper to reach places with the fumbi in Touchdown. Unfortunately, "RC Jump" has no other practical use.