Mechanics

Controls & Notation
Chaos Generation uses four attack buttons, two each for punches and kicks of light and heavy varieties. This layout will be familiar to you if you've played The King of Fighters before.

A (light punch), B (light kick), C (heavy punch), D (heavy kick)

Type A is the game's default layout, and provides the benefit of having the two-button throw on a familiar input. However, for those more familiar with a 2x2 or even the traditional Neo Geo style button layout, this can feel very awkward.

Type B is a very commonly used button layout, arranging the buttons in a 2x2 fashion with punches on top and kicks on the bottom. The entire layout will likely feel more natural and familiar to most fighting game players, but performing the two-button throw may feel slightly awkward.

This wiki uses number notation when listing move inputs. Use the following guide if you are unfamiliar with this system.

HUD
1. Match timer

Normally ticks down from 99.

2. Life bar

Standard issue life bar. Empty the opponent's life bar before they empty yours and you win.

3. Guard gauge

Block too much and you get guard crushed, leaving you open to attack.

4. Win counter

Game only differentiates between normal victories and perfect victories.

5. Super meter

Holds three stocks. Fills up as you perform special moves, dish out and receive damage, and even when you break throws. Has quite a few uses in game.

6. Ultra meter

Used for Ultra Combos. Can be built by taking damage, parrying attacks, and performing Free Cancels while in MAX Mode.

Universal Functions
Chaos Generation uses a jumping system similar to that of The King of Fighters. In addition to standard jumping, lightly tapping an upward direction will cause a short hop, pressing a downward direction before jumping will cause a high jump, and doing the same before a short hop will cause a '''hyper hop. Tapping 222 will perform a hopdash''', where the character hops forward very quickly and very low to the ground. Every character is capable of performing a jumping normal out of this hopdash, but only one normal (these will be listed on the character pages).Dodge: Dodges in place, providing invulnerability to all non-throw attacks. Attack follow-up can be cancelled into specials, allowing for a combo.

Roll: Dodges forward or backward, providing invulnerability to all non-throw attacks. Can pass through opponents. Rolls can also be used to cancel normal attacks, which can be very useful for combos or just making moves safer.

Throw: An attack that can break through an opponent's guard. Every character can perform a forward throw or a back throw. Forward throws are performed with 6A+D or 4/6C while close, and back throws are performed with 4A+D or 4/6D while close. While the resulting throw is the same regardless of the input, the two-button and one-button throw inputs each carry unique advantages and disadvantages.

Two-button throws carry a 3-frame startup and a heavily punishable whiff animation, but have more range than the one-button throw, can be kara cancelled from certain command normals, and are easier to perform from a run.

One-button throws only carry a 1-frame startup, but have less range than the two-button throw, and can be harder to perform from a run.

To break a throw, simply input your own throw as you are thrown.

MAX Mode: Spend one bar of the Super Meter to activate a power-up mode that temporarily provides access to a number of new abilities, as well as the addition of Anywhere Juggle to all attacks. Can be cancelled into from normal moves and some special moves; activating MAX Mode in this way has faster startup, but decreases the overall duration of MAX Mode.

Focus Attack: Functionally identical to Street Fighter IV's mechanic. Can be charged up to three levels, has one hit of super armour, and can be cancelled into a dash at any point during the charge. Level 1 FA is special cancelable, Level 2 and 3 FA launch the opponent and are dash cancelable on hit and block, Level 3 FA is unblockable. Some attacks break armour.

Red Focus: By pressing 236CD, your character will flash red and perform their focus attack near instantaneously for the cost of one bar of meter. You can use this in any situation you could use an EX Focus Cancel, making it useful if you need to convert into a full launch.

Guard Cancel: By pressing C+D during blockstun, you can spend one bar of meter to cancel your blocking animation and perform an invincible attack that knocks the opponent down. This can be cancelled into MAX Mode for a full combo.

MAX Mode
One of the major points of difference between the arcade and Steam versions of Chaos Generation is that the Steam version lacks the Groove-style Fighting Mode selection of the arcade version. Instead, all characters default to the "Attack" mode, and gain access to new abilities from the other Fighting Modes by entering MAX Mode.

Free Cancel
Allows the player to cancel special moves into other special moves, and in some cases, command normals. Along with the universal Anywhere Juggle property, this forms the basis for many of Chaos Generation's most damaging combos.

Absolutely Defense
These are parries that function almost identically to Street Fighter 3's version of the mechanic. Press 6 or 2 just before an attack would land (for high/mid and low respectively) to completely negate any blockstun or chip damage, refill the MAX Mode timer, build some ultra meter and all but guarantee a punish.

Air Mobility
Grants free use of the Double Jump and Air Dash abilities, which are normally only accessible as cancels that cost one bar of super meter. Double Jump is performed with 5AB in the air, while Air Dash is performed with 4/6AB in the air.

Stylish Combo
Press A repeatedly to execute an automatic combo, similar to Persona 4 Arena or Under Night In-Birth. The Stylish Combo will use a Super or Ultra combo to end if the resources are available, otherwise it will end with a special move. This is possible from both standing and crouching A. Usually one of the hits of a character's Stylish Combo has enough hitstun to link back into itself, but this is susceptible to the game's infinite prevention mechanics.

Strings
A number of characters in Chaos Generation have access to strings (sometimes known as target combos). These are pre-built combo strings, similar to those found in Tekken or Mortal Kombat. Their uses are character specific, so make sure you study your strings on the character pages.

Air Combos
Every character in Chaos Generation is capable of chaining together their aerial normal moves in a kind of "Magic Series", in the order of A>B>C>D>CD, although aerial A and B can chain between each other. This is a common combo part for almost every character, so familiarising yourself with air combos will be very important.

Super and Ultra Cancels
Chaos Generation provides a lot of flexibility in how you can use Super and Ultra special moves. Most normal moves, including those that normally aren't special cancelable, and special moves can be cancelled into a Super or Ultra special move. Super special moves themselves can be cancelled into EX Super special moves (performed with a Super input with two buttons, i.e 236236AC) as well as Ultra special moves. Finally, EX Super special moves can be cancelled into Ultra special moves. For a visual example, the cancel chain is as follows:

Normal/Special > Super > EX Super > Ultra

You can skip any number of steps as needed.

Juggle Classes
Chaos Generation uses a simple juggle system where attacks that cause juggle states allow for different kinds of follow-ups depending on the attack used. These moves are differentiated by the different juggle classes they cause.

Class 1: Also known as a free juggle state. Allows any move as a combo follow-up, including normal moves. Class 1 juggles are often achieved through EX special moves, Focus Attacks and some supers and ultras, although some characters can achieve class 1 juggles without meter expenditure.

Class 2: Allows only special moves and supers, as well as some command normals, as a combo follow-up. A large number of meterless launching special moves cause class 2 juggles.

Class 3: Only allows EX special moves and supers as a combo follow-up. Many moves designed to be combo enders cause class 3 juggles.

Anywhere Juggle
Normally, hitting the opponent out of the air with any move that does not cause a knockdown will result in the opponent flipping out of the air in an invincible state, and then landing on their feet. This is known as an air reset. However, some moves are capable of hitting an opponent during this air reset state. This property is called Anywhere Juggle, and many characters are capable of utilising this, primarily through EX special moves and MAX Mode. There are even some moves in the game that can only juggle as an Anywhere Juggle. Generally speaking, combos will only allow for one Anywhere Juggle without meter expenditure.

Keep in mind that Anywhere Juggle moves will only hit an opponent during the flipping part of their air reset animation. If they complete their air reset animation, they cannot be hit until they land on the ground again.

Combo Limit
Chaos Generation's method of infinite combo prevention employs a combo limit system, where moves will force knockdown, or change a move's juggle class, once a certain number of hits has been reached in a combo.

Example 1: Lu Meng 214C is CL4, meaning that it will leave the opponent standing and allow further combo extensions as long as the combo counter is equal to, or less than, four hits when 214C makes contact. If the combo counter is greater than four hits when 214C makes contact, the move will instead force a knockdown.

Example 2: Wei Yan 214P~C is CL1. This means when the move hits by itself (i.e. the combo counter is less than or equal to one hit), it will achieve a class 1 juggle, and Wei Yan will be able to perform a follow-up combo. However, when the combo counter is greater than one hit, 214P~C instead achieves a class 3 juggle, allowing only special moves and command normals as combo follow-ups.

Bear in mind that the following actions affect the combo limit counter: Some moves also do not have CL restrictions. These moves are either normals with limited combo follow-ups, or moves that require some form of meter expenditure. However, some moves that allow combo follow-ups do not have CL restrictions, allowing for infinite combos.
 * entering MAX Mode freezes the CL counter at zero for its duration (it will begin incrementing again once MAX Mode ends)
 * moves that enforce class 1 juggle reset the CL counter to zero when used in a combo
 * performing an EX Focus Cancel/Red Focus resets the CL counter to zero
 * the opponent entering a dizzy state resets the CL counter to zero