** *** ** *** *** *** *** *** ** * * *** *** ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * # # ## ## ## # ## # # # ### # ## ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ## # # # ### ### # # ### ## # # # ### # # ______________________________________________________________________ +--------------------------------------------------------------------+ | AA AA | | AAAA LL PPPPP HH AAAA | | AAAAAA LLL PPPPPPPPP HH HHH AAAAAA | | AAAAAAAA LLL PPPPPPPPPPPP HHH HHH AAAAAAAA | | AAA AAAAA LLL PPPPP PPPPPP HHH HHH AAAAA AAA | | AAA AAAAA LL PPPPP PPPP HHHHHHHHHHH AAAAA AAA | | AAA AAAAA L PPPPPPP PPP HHHHHHHHH AAAAA AAA | | AAA AAAAAAAAAAAA LLLLLL PPP PPPPPPPP HHH AAAAAAAAAAAA AAA | | AAA AAAAAAAAAAAAA LLLLLL PP PPPPP HHH AAAAAAAAAAAAA AAA | |_____________________ _____________________| +--------------------\\ //--------------------+ \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\ // \\// ************************************** STREET FIGHTER ALPHA Frequently Asked Questions ver 2.0 ************************************** Current 2.0 version by Allen Kim (ak10@cornell.edu) Version 1.5 by Dan Wells 7/24/95 Original 1.0 version by Tom Cannon Please send any corrections or comments to ak10@cornell.edu ------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS 1) INTRODUCTION 1.1) Author's Preface, Version 2.0 1.2) Introduction to SFA 1.3) What's New In This Revision? 1.4) Where to Get SFA Resources 1.5) Is Alpha Still Beta-Testing Or What? 1.6) Legend and Abbreviations 2) GAME ENGINE SPECIFICS 2.1) SFA ROM Options 2.2) The Old and the New 2.3) Proximity Blocking 2.4) Auto-Blocking 2.5) Chain Combos 2.6) The New Super Combo System 2.6.1) Using Super Combos 2.6.2) Super Combos and the Animation Pause 2.7) Alpha Counters 2.7.1) Practicing Alpha Counters 2.7.2) How to Avoid Getting Alpha Countered 2.8) Air Blocking 2.9) Rolling on the Ground 2.10) Overhead Hits 2.11) Throws, Throw Softening (Tech), and Ticks 2.12) Jump-ins, Neck Kicks, and Meaty Attacks 2.13) Wake-up Dragon Punches 2.14) Taunts 2.15) Choose Your Own Winning Quote 3) Moves and Strategies Specific to Each Character 3.0) Conventions Used 3.1) RYU 3.2) KEN 3.3) SAGAT 3.4) CHUN LI 3.5) CHARLIE 3.6) BIRDIE 3.7) ADON 3.8) GUY 3.9) SODOM 3.10) ROSE 3.11) AKUMA 3.12) M. BISON 3.13) DAN 4) Secrets, Storylines, and Extras 4.1) Endings (Spoiler Alert!) 4.2) Those Little Symbols 4.3) Character Histories 4.4) Selecting the Hidden Characters 4.5) Code to Fight Akuma or Dan 4.6) Ryu & Ken vs. Bison Code 4.7) Special Endings and Hidden Characters 4.8) The Future for Capcom's Fighting Game Genre 5) Appendices 5.1) Glossary 5.2) Top Eleven Reasons to Use Dan 5.3) Top Ten Meanings for the Kanji on Akuma's Back 6) Credits and Thanks *************** 1) INTRODUCTION *************** ---------------------------------- 1.1) Author's Preface, Version 2.0 ---------------------------------- Tom Cannon was the original FAQ writer, but, due to the fact that he unfortunately was unable to update it, people still had many questions. Dan Wells became the next keeper of the FAQ, but then even more secrets were found, and Dan was not able to come up with a revision. Thus, I have taken over as the maintainer of the SFA FAQ. After writing a draft revision of the FAQ, I let it sit so that I can spend some time verifying a lot of the information on the FAQ. Of course, I wanted this final revision to be finished much earlier. However, time constraints plus the lack of new SFA discoveries made me procrastinate somewhat. Still, I saw that there are many people who still download the FAQ for informational purposes. There is still a lot of talk about various aspects of SFA, such as the value of Alpha Counters or Overhead Hits. Finally, there is no telling whether Street Fighter Alpha will hit the home systems like the Sega Saturn, the Sony PSX, or even the upcoming Ultra 64. Thus, I considered it worthwhile to bring out a final 99% accurate version of the FAQ. Anyway, Tom Cannon and =P (Mr. Cheung) deserve a lot of credit for finding a lot of the preliminary moves out. They were the first to have the game and were (and still are) much appreciated by those of us who weren't fortunate enough to have beta versions at the time. Also, a lot of credit belongs to Dan Wells for his excellent writing and efforts. This current version of the FAQ borrows very heavily from his version. ------------------------ 1.2) Introduction to SFA ------------------------ Street Fighter Alpha is Capcom's latest installment in the Street Fighter series. The graphics style has been changed to a more anime-esque look, and almost every character in the game comes from a game from Capcom's past. There is Charlie, Guile's friend who was killed by M. Bison. You can play Guy from Final Fight or try your hand at Adon, the wicked Thai kickboxer from Street Fighter 1 who still retains his awesome Jaguar Kick. Or go the alternate route and play Rose, a woman with magical hair and clothing that falls into the style of Darkstalkers 2. SFA is truly a blast from the past which brings back the magic of the SF series all over again. Note that in Japan, SFA is known as Street Fighter Zero, which is why a 'Z' zig-zags across the screen during transitions. ------------------------------------------- 1.3) What's New In This Revision of the FAQ ------------------------------------------- Changes in version 2.0: - Added ASCII logo. - Added section, "How to Avoid Getting AC'ed." - Corrected method to roll on the ground. - Auto-Block section revised. - Added section, "Wake-up Dragon Punches." - Added Japanese names for moves where available. - Added starting and winning poses. - Changed Guy's move names from "Bushido" to "Bushin." - Sodom's cheesy S. ROUNDHOUSE added. - Added how to choose winning quote. - Revised "Code to Fight Akuma or Dan." - Added glossary. - Added Top Ten lists. - General additions, revisions, and corrections all over the place. Changes in version 1.9: - Added the Ryu & Ken vs. Bison code. - Added the Fight Against Akuma code. - Moves and Strategies now combined into one section. - Changed some names of moves. Some moves also have two names; the one in parentheses is the name I made up. - Dan Wells' Top Ten list deleted. - General revisions in wording and grammar for just about every section. - General corrections and additions to the moves section. Changes in version 1.5: * Explanations of the various operator-controlled options in SFA. * Better explainations of how to link SC's with chain combos. * Expanded uses of the Alpha Counter for specific characters. * Clarification of air-blocking multiple hits. * A Moves Legend added * Corrected/added moves for: -Ken Shoryureppa SC corrected -Chun Li Mega Kikoken SC corrected -Charlie Standing ROUNDHOUSE kick clarified -Birdie Chain Grab corrected Leaping Chain Grab SC corrected Overhead Hit added -Adon Offensive crouching FORWARD kick added -Guy Overhead Hit added "re-dizzy" fully explained -Sodom Sai Grab corrected Sai Crawl added (explained) -Akuma A couple moves corrected/updated Downward Air Kick added -Dan Total information added * Official Capcom names for moves added * Expanded and re-done character strategy sections. * Updated information on Super Combos, including # of hits and damage inflicted * Verbatum endings (some of them) * Information on the new hidden character, Dan. * My Top 10 Cheap Things in SFA List * An expanded Wish List of stuff that I want changed. :) ------------------------------- 1.4) Where to Get SFA Resources ------------------------------- This FAQ has generously been put on a couple of FTP sites where you can always download the latest version. * brawl.mindlink.net /pub/sfa/sfafaq20.txt Brawl is an FTP site with a large directory dedicated to fighting game FAQs, pictures, sounds, guides, etc. You can DL pictures of SFA digitized from the latest Gamest magazine at this location. * ftp.netcom.com /pub/vi/vidgames/faqs/sfalpha.txt Maintained by Andy Eddy, Senior Editor of GamePro magazine, this site carries tons of FAQs regarding both arcade stand-ups and home entertainment system games. If there's a video game and there's a FAQ for it, it's here. * AOL Game Forum If you are an AOL member, just go to the keyword GAMES and check the game FAQ section for this file. For pictures of SFA digitized from various magazines like Gamest and DHGF, you can D/L these at brawl.mindlink.net in the same directory listed above. If you're looking for good Web sites that feature SFA, let me suggest one of the following: - Patrick Beja's SFZ Page. http://www.miage.dauphine.fr/~beja/sfz/sfz.html - Shoryken's Site O' Nothing http://www.crl.com/~shoryken There are two "combo" guides out there that do a really good job listing which of the moves in SFA can be used in a chain combo or an interrupt combo: - Derek Liu, SFA Advanced FAQ. E-mail lanzer@mindlink.net - Patrick Beja, SFA List of Comboable Moves. E-mail beja@miage.miage.dauphine.fr As usual, there are many character-specific guides out there written by fans like you and I. I'll list just a few here; if you'd like your character guide listed here, just tell me and I'll put it in later. AKUMA Derek "Dee-ciple" Bryant, Unofficial Akuma Mini-Faq. (udjbryant@cc.memphis.edu) (ftp://brawl.mindlink.net/pub/sfa/guides/akuma.bryant) ROSE Dmitri "Dmitheon" Lenna, Rose: The Guide. (lennad@rpi.edu) (http://www.rpi.edu/~lennad/vg/rose.htm RYU Samuel Goh, Ryu Guide. (ftp://brawl.mindlink.net/pub/sfa/guides/ryu.goh) KEN Rahmon "Omar" DeLoney, Ken Strategy Guide v1.0. (HyperFyter@aol.com) (ftp://brawl.mindlink.net/pub/sfa/guides/ken.deloney) Finally, if you have files pertaining to SFA, such as character guides, digitized pictures, and BGM .WAV or MIDI files, by all means upload them to one or all of the public sites mentioned above! ----------------------------------------- 1.5) Is Alpha Still Beta-Testing Or What? ----------------------------------------- Alpha is completely done beta-testing. From all reports and indications that I've gotten, the versions of SFA released nationally are virtually identical to those that were beta-testing in Chicago, California, and elsewhere. The only difference may be in the computer AI difficulty. There still exist some flaws in the game engine, such as Guy's re-dizzy combo and Sodom's unblockable S. ROUNDHOUSE. If the rumor is true and Capcom releases a new version of SFA, these bugs will probably be fixed. (See section 4.8) ----------------------------- 1.6) Legend and Abbreviations ----------------------------- Throughout this guide I will be using symbols and notations for moves that you may be unfamiliar with. Here is what everything means: JOYSTICK POSITIONS O O O Backwards Jump Vertical Jump Forward Jump \|/ O--*--O Back Center Forward /|\ O O O Defensive Crouch Down Offensive Crouch *NOTE*: ALL JOYSTICK DIAGRAMS ASSUME THAT YOU ARE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE SCREEN FACING RIGHT. Thus, if you are on the right side facing left, just reverse the left and the right. BUTTONS JAB STRONG FIERCE O O O O O O SHORT FORWARD ROUNDHOUSE C. JAB translates as Crouching JAB S. FORWARD translates as Standing FORWARD J. ROUNDHOUSE translates as Jumping ROUNDHOUSE (a jump kick) Some Abbreviations: You should be able to figure out most abbreviations from the context, but just in case something stumps you, here are some of the abbreviations that you may find. SSF2T.....Super Street Fighter II Turbo (the last of the SF2 series) SC.....Super Combo AC.....Alpha Counter QCF.....Quarter Circle Forward QCB.....Quarter Circle Back HCF.....Half Circle Forward HCB.....Half Circle Back FB.....Fireball DP.....Dragon Punch (usually referring to a DP-type motion) HK.....Hurricane Kick FK.....Flash Kick TBK.....Thousand Burst Kick (Chun Li) TAH.....Turn-Around Headbutt (Birdie) ************************ 2) GAME ENGINE SPECIFICS ************************ -------------------- 2.1) SFA ROM Options -------------------- There are 4 main options that your operator has control over in the SFA ROM Menu. * Speed Select The speed of the game can be preset at 3 different speeds: Normal, Turbo 1, and Turbo 2. The operator also has the option of letting the players select their speed. Unfortunately, when this option is active, players can only choose between the 2 slower speed settings. Many players prefer Turbo 2 because this speed is similar to SSF2T, but others (like myself) feel that Turbo 2 turns the game into a spaz-fest. On the other hand, I find that the normal speed is just too slow, but some people prefer to play at a less hectic pace, so it's up to you. * Auto-Blocking Arcade operators have the option of turning Auto-blocking on or off, which determines whether players get the option of using it. See Section 2.4 to find out how it works. * Damage Level This is also configurable to several levels. If it is set at anything less than normal, the only difference I've noticed is that you get considerably more time-out victories, which isn't too good. On the other hand, if the damage is set too high, you'll find that typical combos, especially Level 3 Supers, will cause over 3/4 damage, which may be overdoing it (IMHO). * Computer AI Difficulty There are at least 6 or so settings for this. I've played one of the harder ones, and the computer AI pulls NASTY combos on you with ease, almost to the point where it gets like SSF2T was. It is still a fun challenge, but you really have to know what you are doing (i.e. newbies will get squashed!). ------------------------ 2.2) The Old and the New ------------------------ The first character you will pick when you first play SFA will probably be Ryu, Sagat, Ken, or Chun Li. It's understandable. One thing that needs to be stressed, however, is that while this game is essentially based on the SF2 engine, there are a LOT of little nuances and tricks, as well as some major alterations, which make SFA dramaticly different from SSF2T. If you play SFA exactly like you play SSF2T, you're going to get your butt blasted once you run into someone who's learned to adapt to the new engine. Don't make the mistake of assuming that Charlie is Guile, Ken is Ken, Ryu is Ryu, etc. and overlook the differences. Definitely experiment and fool around a bit. Figure out what everyone has lost, what they've gained, and what the new guys mean to the old SF2 strategies. The first time you play Ryu and get grabbed by Birdie's Super Combo, torn apart by a Guy player, or humiliated by Rose and her "magic shawl", you'll know what I mean. ----------------------- 2.3) Proximity Blocking ----------------------- One of the limitations of the old SF2 engine was that you could not walk backwards if someone threw a projectile at you. However, in SFA, the blocking has been modified into what I call "proximity blocking." Basically, if you are moving backwards and the opponent throws an attack or a projectile, you will not go into a block stance until the attack is within hitting range. The obvious advantage is that you can back away from projectiles and some close-range attacks. However, some people are in the habit of moving the joystick back for a standing block when they see a projectile coming from long range. Thus, their character will keep walking back and back until either the projectile is blocked or until they corner themselves. This happens especially with joysticks that don't have sensitive diagonals. Thus, to avoid moving yourself into the corner, either block the projectile with a crouching block, or move the joystick back at the moment before the projectile hits. ------------------ 2.4) Auto-Blocking ------------------ Auto-Blocking is now in SFA (provided your arcade operator has activated the option). If you choose Auto-Block, then you will see a counter up in the corner next to your portrait. This counter will start at some number (8 for human competition) and count down every time you block a hit, whether automatically OR manually. Once the counter hits zero, you must block manually for the rest of the round. The counter is reset at the start of every round. Unlike Capcom's X- Men:CotA, if you win the match, Auto-Block will remain active for subsequent matches. The most severe limitation of Auto-Block is that you will only be able to store one level of energy in your Super Meter. Another limitation is that you will automatically stand to block Sagat's High Tiger Shot and Tiger Cannon SC. You cannot duck these projectiles unless your Auto-Block counter is at zero. Note that if you are playing against the CPU with Auto-Block activated, your first round of the game will set your Auto-Block counter to 10. If you win the round, the next round your counter will be reset to your original value, minus 2. In other words, after you win a total of five straight rounds (not matches), you will no longer have Auto-Block, and you will still be stuck with the limitations of Auto-Block. But if you lose a round, the next round (if you haven't lost the match yet) will add 2 to your original value. Furthermore, if you lose a match, continue, and activate Auto-Block again, your counter will go back up to 10. If you win the game with Auto-Block and without continuing, you don't get to see the credits. Finally, if you get a high score, your entry in the high-score charts will have an "Auto" label next to it. Auto-Blocking comes with one more advantage. Anyone using the Auto- Block feature can execute a Super Combo by pressing a punch and a kick button of the same strength simultaneously. For example, once your meter is charged up, you can simply press STRONG + FORWARD, just like the motions in X-Men:CotA and Nightwarriors. This can allow players to throw easy SC's on reaction without the need for precise timing and dexterity. For example, Ryu could easily throw a Shinkuu Hadouken SC right after blocking a sweep. ----------------- 2.5) Chain Combos ----------------- Like Darkstalkers and X-Men, SFA now has chain combos. Not only do you have "normal" combos from SF2, but you now have certain combinations of normal moves that are specificly designed to work together in a "chain." More specifically, when you see a sequence of ground attacks and each attack "interrupts" the previous one, that's a chain combo. The only way you can recognize these chain combos is by the way that they "flow" together. These chains open a whole new door to comboing. Take Ken for instance. If a chain combo starts with a JAB, you can do the JAB 1-2 times, follow up with a C. FORWARD, a C. ROUNDHOUSE, and then finish with a special move. You can mix chain combos and Super Combos, or even lead off the chain combo with a jump attack. The whole system is pretty flexible now, allowing you to use which combo you need at the right time, whether you are comboing in a Super Combo, going for maximum damage, or trying to get a dizzy. ------------------------------- 2.6) The New Super Combo System ------------------------------- Every character has a Super Meter at the bottom of the screen that is divided into 3 Levels of power. Your character adds to your Super Meter as he or she fights. Note that the Meter is reset only between matches, not rounds, so you get to keep whatever you already built up in your Meter. There are 4 ways to increase your Super Meter: 1) Hitting your opponent By far the quickest way of increasing your Super Meter. Attacks that damage will increase your Meter faster than attacks that are blocked. 2) Performing special moves Everytime you do any type of special move, whether it hits your opponent or not, your Meter goes up. 3) Getting hit by your opponent Blocking and taking damage increase your Super Meter, but only by a very small amount. 4) Throwing a normal punch or kick Every time you hit a button (except JAB or SHORT), you will add a tiny amount to your Super Meter. Each character has two, three, or four Super Combos which require energy (Chi) from their Super Meter. Each Super Combo can be performed at 3 levels of power, corresponding to the 3 levels of the Super Meter. To perform a Level 1 SC, simply do the proper joystick motion and hit a single punch or kick button (according to the SC). To perform a Level 2 SC, press any 2 of the punch or kick buttons. To perform a Level 3 SC, press all 3 punch or kick buttons. When you actually execute the SC, the screen darkens, the game pauses for under half a second, and Chi (or energy) swirls around your character, focusing on their fists, feet, or even their eyes. The SC is then executed with blue "shadows" trailing your character. Since you gather energy relatively quickly while fighting, you almost always have a Level 1 SC at your disposal. For this reason most Level 1 SC's have somewhat mediocre priority, invulnerability, and damage potential. Level 2 and 3 SC's are much better, especially Level 3 SC's where you can often get up to 50% or more damage with all hits. ------------------------- 2.6.1) Using Super Combos ------------------------- When executing SC's, you can either attack with a series of weaker SC's or strike with one big SC. Which approach you use is totally dependent on the character you are using, your opponent, and your individual style. In general, if you want to shave off your opponents health little by little, throw a series of weak SC's. If you like to wait until you see a rare opening, execute the Level 3 SC to cause the most damage possible in a single opportunity. However, there are 2 things to be careful of. First, if you use a SC, make sure that you are in a position to get most or all of the hits. Using Ken's Level 1 Shoryureppa against a jumper isn't very effective since you'll get a pitiful number of hits and damage. Don't do Charlie's Level 3 Rushing Kick SC if your opponent is airborn since you will only get 2 hits of the SC. Don't execute Rose's Aura Soul Catch SC if your opponent is on the ground. Pretty basic stuff. Second, remember that you keep your Super Meter Chi between rounds. Thus, you want to be careful about finishing off an opponent with a SC if he is already near KO. That can be a big unnecessary waste of Chi. Similarly, if you are losing to an opponent and he hasn't already won a round, you might want to save your Meter for the next round. Here's another thing you may want to consider. Let's say you are saving up your Meter for an opportunity, but you can't find one and your meter has remained at Level 3 for a while. Instead of keeping a full meter, consider throwing a Level 1 SC to cause block damage to your opponent. You might as well use the Chi energy that would otherwise just sit there, and your meter will quickly charge back up to Level 3 anyway. (Alternatively, you can use an Alpha Counter instead of a SC. AC's are explained in section 2.7.) ------------------------------------------- 2.6.2) Super Combos and the Animation Pause ------------------------------------------- If you perform a SC while your opponent's guard is down, he WILL NOT be able to block for a very split-second after the Chi gathering animation ends. Thus, if your opponent is close and you catch him with a SC while he's not blocking, he simply cannot just block after the SC animation begins. This is very good, IMHO, since it doesn't allow the Chi animation to be a sort of a "flag" that gives the opponent all day to block the oncoming SC. Note that this "no-block period" means nothing if your opponent is at a fair distance away from you. When you perform a Super Combo, the game progresses your opponent's animation by one frame. One partial reason for this may be to show players who tap a button at the last second before a SC that they actually did indeed push a button. In terms of gameplay, though, you can make use of this and other properties of the SFA engine in a particular situation. When your opponent jumps toward you, you can back off (since you can walk backwards while being attacked). This will cause your opponent's jump attack to miss. Then, just before your opponent lands, perform a Super Combo. The animation will progress so that your opponent will land exactly as the Super Combo is performed. Then, since your opponent technically isn't blocking as he automaticly lands, he will not be able to block the Super Combo. Net result: properly timed, you can nail opponents jumping in by throwing a ground-based Super Combo (i.e. Charlie's Crossfire Blitz SC). Since the damage potential is very good, especially if you have a Level 2 or 3 SC ready, you may want to consider this in place of your standard anti-air move. ------------------- 2.7) Alpha Counters ------------------- There is now a guard-reversal system in SFA called Alpha Counters. To execute an Alpha Counter, perform the following joystick motion early in your block-stun animation: O- / | + Any punch or any kick button (punch or kick depends on O O the character, noted individually.) In other words, right when you block an attack like a jump kick, move the joystick down and press a punch (or kick, depending on the character) button. Basicly, when you do this, your character will swat your opponent's attack to the side, freezing the animation by one or two frames. Your character then throws one of his moves over your opponent's move, knocking them out of it (in theory). When you hit your opponent with an AC, they are knocked down spinning with air swirling around them. Note that an AC requires one level of your Super Meter. Thus, an expert in Alpha Counters can't just retreat back and play like a turtle who AC's every attack. You must "finance" your Super Meter by throwing attacks and becoming offensive before you become defensive with AC's. Unfortunately, Alpha Counters seem to be the most unpredictable moves of the entire game. Sometimes AC's will be blocked or will not hit. Some characters' AC's just can't hit aerial opponents that well. To top it off, AC's don't cause a whole lot of damage, especially considering that it uses up some of your Chi Power. Why would you use one, then? * Getting out of the corner. The corner is a BAD place to be in SFA, and you can sometimes use AC's to smack your way out of a corner/fireball trap. * Keeping an opponent in the corner. The corner is a very powerful tool in defeating your opponent. It is often much more critical to keep your opponent in the corner than to preserve one Level of Chi for a Super Combo. * Smacking those annoying kicks! For battling characters who use a lot of long-range kicks (i.e. Adon, Guy, Ken, Charlie, etc), you can break through their kicks and try to make your opponent a bit more weary by Alpha Countering. * Stopping those projectile patterns. Some characters have AC's with good reaches. Thus, if someone throws a projectile at you from a close or medium distance, you can AC it and smack him while his guard is down. * Alpha Countering a Super Combo. Sometimes an opponent will try and use a SC to finish you off by making you eat tons of block-damage. You can _usually_ AC a Super Combo without any difficulty. * Getting Out of a Tick Attempt. When your opponent is mad and cheap and you can't deal with it, just Alpha Counter the jump-in or whatever other move is being used as a lead-in for the tick. As a word of caution, be careful about using Alpha Counters against a Super Combo. Do it only if it is crucial to you staying alive. Sometimes, if your opponent is performing a Level 2 or 3 SC and your character's AC isn't fast enough, the Super Combo will knock you out of your Alpha Counter and you will be the one that ends up getting plastered, not your opponent. This can REALLY be disappointing when you try to AC a Level 3 Super Combo and you end up eatting the whole SC because your AC wasn't up to par. :( -------------------------------- 2.7.1) Practicing Alpha Counters -------------------------------- If you have trouble with Alpha Counters, practice against a projectile thrower like Ryu or Ken. Have your opponent throw projectiles at you. When you block a projectile, immediately execute the AC. (Yes, you can AC a blocked projectile, but in an actual match, it has little tactical value unless you are close to your opponent.) Remember, you _must_ block first, then AC. The timing is pretty quick, but with a little practice, it will become second nature to you. One skill you will have to learn is Alpha Countering from a crouching position, i.e. AC'ing sweeps. To do this, you simply need to quickly move the joystick out of the defensive crouch position and perform the Alpha Counter. You have to be very fast, but you will be able to do it with practice. This ability really helps out when both you and your opponent have very little life left and both have enough Chi for an Alpha Counter. These situations can turn into huge turtle-fests where both opponents are afraid to touch each other for fear of receiving an Alpha Counter. One tactic here is to try a lot of low attacks, since these are much harder to Alpha Counter. If you can reliably AC a low attack and your opponent cannot, that gives you a definite advantage that could very well win the round for you. ------------------------------------------- 2.7.2) How to Avoid Getting Alpha Countered ------------------------------------------- Here's the situation: You are fighting against an opponent who uses AC's regularly. Plus, he plays rather offensively, meaning his Super Meter charges rapidly, yet whenever you throw an attack, he blocks it and AC's without difficulty. How do you fight a seemingly "invulnerable" opponent like that? - Be unexpected. Throw low attacks sparringly. Don't jump in and attack, because you might as well hold up a sign that says "Alpha Counter me." - Use someone with a projectile, and fight from a distance. If your opponent closes the distance, do whatever it takes to get away. - Walk up and throw. (Yeah, you'll be called cheap, but this IS Street Fighter, not KI, and throws are all part of the game.) If your opponent can see your throw attempt coming, either throw a few sweeps now and then, or just "fake" a throw attempt, block any sweep and AC it. - Jump in, but don't throw any aerial attack. Your opponent will be expecting to block *something* so that he can perform an AC; thus, he may not throw an attack. Once you reach the ground, either throw or sweep. Or when you land, just block and hopefully you'll draw a blocked counterattack from your opponent so that you can AC him. ----------------- 2.8) Air Blocking ----------------- SFA now has air-blocking in its game engine. Note that SFA has limited air-blocking, where some moves can be air-blocked and others can't. This differs from Capcom's X-Men which has full air-blocking. Here is the list of what can and cannot be air-blocked in SFA: Moves that ABSOLUTELY CANNOT be air-blocked: * Super Combos, except Charlie's Sonic Blade SC and Akuma's Air Fireball SC. (Note that you CANNOT air-block other SC projectiles like Ryu's Vacuum Fireball SC.) * All ground-based normal moves (i.e. normal uppercuts) Moves that USUALLY CANNOT be air-blocked but very occasionally are: * Ken/Ryu/Sagat/Akuma's Dragon Punches * Chun Li's Vertical Kick * Adon's Jaguar Knee Moves that USUALLY CAN be air-blocked * Charlie's Flash Kick and Sonic Blade SC * Adon's Jaguar Kick and Jaguar Tooth * Akuma's Air Fireball SC * All normal projectiles * All normal air-based moves Basicly, there are some weird cases (i.e. Ryu's HK), but these are the only exceptions you probably need to be concerned with. Don't worry about all the weird cases, just learn what usually can and cannot be air-blocked and don't be surprised when something else (like a DP) gets air-blocked occasionally. One thing you will want to keep an eye out for is retaliating against your opponent after air-blocking his attack, like a jump kick. Although it typicly only happens near the corner, sometimes you will land close enough to an airborne opponent to hit them as they come down. Your airborn opponent will not be able to block whatever attack you throw at them, so use this opportunity to quickly land a hit instead of waiting for them to land (i.e. a fireball, DP, uppercut, etc.). The reverse is also possible (the attacker landing first and attacking) but this happens less frequently. -------------------------- 2.9) Rolling on the Ground -------------------------- As you are knocked down, such as from a sweep or throw, perform this motion: O-- / | + punch (An easier way to roll is to just keep moving O O the joystick in quarter or half-circle motions while pressing the punch button.) and you will hit the ground rolling, similar to Ken's rolling move. You can also roll after getting knocked from the air or even after an air-block. This move can be used to get out of corner traps, counter a fireball set-up, etc. The roll can also go through projectiles. However, you are not invulnerable to other attacks while rolling, like sweeps. You can also get thrown if you end up too near to your opponent. Note that you can only roll towards your opponent, not away. The only exception is Sodom who can roll forwards or backwards, or even initiate his Tengu Walk if he "rolls forward" with a kick button. ------------------- 2.10) Overhead Hits ------------------- Similar to Ryu's Rushing Punches of SSF2T, many characters have been given overhead hits that will hit a crouching defender. These moves must be blocked standing, like a jump kick. There usually is a delay to overhead attacks, so if you keep on your toes, you can spot them. One tactic is to jump-in and immediately perform an overhead hit. Since most people will block low after blocking an aerial attack, you can nail people with the overhead hit. ----------------------------------------------- 2.11) Throws, Throw Softening (Tech), and Ticks ----------------------------------------------- Yes, those ultra-cheap throws are back! :) Capcom has made some adjustments to the throwing part of the game engine to appeal to both throw and non-throw players. * Capcom now calls throw-softening "techs." To soften a throw, or "tech out of a throw" as I call it, just move the joystick either towards or away from your opponent and press Fierce right when you are thrown (Roundhouse can sometimes work as well.) In essense, you are trying to counter your opponent's throw with a throw of your own. * Throw softening is more difficult now. Your reaction time to the throw has to be much quicker than in SSF2T. You also can't soften throws "accidentally" like you almost always could in SSF2T. * All non-special move throws can be softened now, which includes presses and air-throws. * Throw ranges have been reduced. This makes ticking (throwing someone as they come out of a block stun) more difficult and easier to anticipate. * Special move throws like Birdie and Sodom's grabs have shorter ranges than Zangief's piledriver and can can be countered with a jab or other move pretty easily. Ticking is much easier to anticipate now with the reduced throw ranges. It is very easy to chain combo someone out of a tick attempt. The exception is Birdie, who has a few monster ticks with his Chain Grab. However, this tick requires the slow, lethargic Birdie to move-in and get a close jump-in attack or other set-up move, something which isn't necessarily easy. The bottom line is that ticking and throws are harder than before and play less of a role in the outcome of the game. They are not as big a nightmare as they were in SF2. --------------------------------------------- 2.12) Jump-ins, Neck Kicks, and Meaty Attacks --------------------------------------------- Just as in SF2, you can jump-in on an opponent who is getting up so that they must block or be hit. In this FAQ, we refer to this type of aerial attack as a jump-in attack. It is reasonably difficult to time, being somewhere between Turbo and Hyper Fighting. Of course, your opponent can try Alpha Countering, but that's the risk you take. If your jump-in attack connects (maybe your opponent tried and failed to DP or something), there are a number of Super Combos and chain combos that go well with a jump-in. These are described later on. If you try and jump-in, however, you must watch to make sure your opponent does not roll away and try to nail you as you come down. There also exist a form of neck kicks in SFA. This is where you hit your opponent's "neck" with the back of your leg as you jump in. Because of the positioning, the fighter on the ground must "reverse his block," or block by holding the joystick TOWARDS the opponent, as opposed to away. Neck kicks is much harder to do than in SF2 due to the difficult timing and positioning. The only character I personally can do it reasonably well with is Ken with his flying forward kick. The positioning is actually pretty deceiving since Ken hits on the very upper forward part of the opponent's forehead. Ken then "magicly" skips to the other side to hit behind his opponent. This move sets up some really nice combo attempts. Other characters may have similar attacks. I've seen a human Ryu land a neck kick a few times before as well as the CPU with several characters. But, because of the really difficult positioning and timing, don't expect it to be a huge part of the game by any means. Contrary to the difficulty of jump-ins, meaty attack are relatively easy. Meaty attacks are the ground-based equivalents of jump-ins; in other words, just stay on the ground and throw an attack as your opponent gets up so that he will have to block or get hit. These are very easy to time. One strategy is to land early from a jump-in, faking your opponent into trying to throw or DP, and then throwing a meaty attack at the last second. All attacks can theoreticly be used as meaty attacks. Try mixing in long-range kicks and close-in punches and jabs to provoke your opponent to try something. As with jump-ins, meaty attacks are prone to the same risks with regard to Alpha Counters as jump-ins. ---------------------------- 2.13) Wake-up Dragon Punches ---------------------------- It seems that SFA really does allow players to perform wake-up Dragon Punches. A wake-up DP is performed right as the character is getting up from a knockdown and the opponent is coming in with a jump-in attack. Apparently, if timed right, the wake-up DP will always win over a jump-in attack, even if the jump-in itself is timed perfectly. Of course, the catch words are "Perfect Timing," since if you mistime your wake-up DP motion, your opponent will be able to land a pretty hefty jump-in combo. Thus, in my opinion, wake-up DP's should not be performed unless absolutely necessary, such as when you have little life left. There are other, safer ways to deal with jump-in attacks, like Alpha Counters, or even blocking and waiting for the opponent to make a mistake. ------------ 2.14) Taunts ------------ Yes! The SF series has jumped on the humiliation bandwagon by putting character taunts in SFA. To taunt, just hit the START button (yours, of course! Your opponent could get very mad if you accidentally make him taunt you). Remember, you can only taunt once per round, with the exception of Dan. Taunts do not use up any Chi, do not hit your opponnet (except for Chun Li's), and leaves your guard down for a brief moment. You cannot use a special move to get out of a taunt. You just have to sit there and let the animation run its course. Neat, eh? Perfect for using after a big SC, or after throwing a non-thrower. Sodom is perfect for this as he just picks up his opponent and throws quickly without even bending down. Taunting right afterwords makes him bow down at his opponent in "respect." Gets people real mad! :) ----------------------------------- 2.15) Choose Your Own Winning Quote ----------------------------------- If you win a match, you can choose your own winning quote by holding down all three punch or kick buttons and moving the joystick in a certain direction before the winning quote appears. For example, after you win the second round with Ryu, hold Up + All Punches to choose one quote, or Down + All Punches to choose another. By itself, this feature doesn't mean much; however, it is a requirement to get to Dan as a computer opponent. See section 4.5 for details. ************************************************** 3) MOVES AND STRATEGIES SPECIFIC TO EACH CHARACTER ************************************************** What follows is an in-depth coverage of each of the individual characters' moves and a general strategy outline for each character. This covers what combos are most often used, what each opponent's strengths are, and what to avoid or watch out for when playing with or against a certain character. Note that the combos listed for each character are there to give you ideas and should not be considered an exhaustive list. The combo system in SFA is very flexible, allowing players to create their own combos or modify existing combos to suit their playing styles. Thus, listing every possible SFA combo in existence is impossible. If you do want a guide that tells you what moves are interruptable or chainable in combos, try either Lanzer's SFA Advanced FAQ or Patrick Beja's SFA combo guide. See section 1.4 for details. --------------------- 3.0) Conventions Used --------------------- Move names and translations: I know that each move can have several different names, according to who you talk to. Therefore, I will use the name that is most commonly used on the Internet newsgroup alt.games.sf2. However, I will also give the "official" name designated by Capcom and listed in Gamest magazine. If the name is in English, I will list it in curly braces {}. If the name is in Japanese, I will give the Romanized Japanese name in , then the English translation (if available). The translation will most likely not be a straight literal translation, so all you Japanese speakers out there please bear with me! (By the way, in Romanized Japanese, "ou" is pronounced like the long 'o' in "go." For example, Gouken is pronounced "go-ken", not "goo-ken.") -------- 3.1) RYU -------- "What's wrong? Why do you hold back?" -Ryu, SFA Ryu is in the tournament for the spirit of the fight. Does he need a better reason? Starting Pose: Ryu tightens his headband, then his gauntlets. Winning Pose #1: Ryu raises his fist in triumph. Winning Pose #2: Ryu folds his arms and looks away from his fallen opponent. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Ryu blocks the attack and throws a fierce Dragon Punch. While not having as much range as other Super Combos, this AC has the advantage of hitting your opponent the instant it starts (no unnecessary animation like in Charlie's or Birdie's AC's). It does not hit as deep as a normal DP, so be very careful trying to AC sweeps and slides. The AC is pretty invulnerable, insuring that you can use it against all types of attacks and Super Combos without much fear of trading. Since Ryu performs a FIERCE Dragon Punch, make sure you connect with this move, or you will definitely be eating a combo on your way down. *Taunt* #1 Ryu stops to adjust his gauntlets. #2 Ryu stops to adjust his headband. *Overhead Punch* --O + STRONG Ryu raises his fist over his shoulder and then slams down for 2 hits. This is an overhead hit. This is a decent move. It has more range than you might think, and you can sometimes nail your opponent with the last part of the hit from afar. *Spin Kick* --O + FORWARD Ryu does one rotation of a Hurricane Kick. Ryu's foot hits the opponent as he comes down. Can hit crouching opponents, but note that this is not an overhead hit. This move is very quick and lets Ryu skip in closer to his opponent without retaliation. You can use it to try to push your opponent back, tick with it, or skip over foot sweeps, slides, and other low attacks. Since you can sometimes be hit afterwords if you try anything but blocking (depending on distance), your opponent may try and sweep you afterwords. Try using a Super Combo as you land if your opponent becomes this predictable. *Fireball* | \ --O + punch O O The FIERCE fireball flickers red for a brief second after it comes out. If you hit your opponent with it while it is red, they will catch on fire and be knocked down. Ryu still has a very short fireball delay. However, since many opponents have other means besides jumping to get around fireballs, you have to be very careful when and where you throw fireballs. Fireball corner traps don't work against a lot of characters, and using only fireballs to push an opponent back is risky as well. Use fireballs more in moderation with other attacks to keep your opponent guessing. To keep opponents away, combo fireballs after footsweeps and other attacks, forcing them to block and be pushed back. Whenever adding a fireball to a combo, use the FIERCE version. If you are close, your opponent will be set on fire and be knocked down, giving you the positional advantage. *Hurricane Kick* | / O-- + kick O O Now goes over fireballs and Charlie's Sonic Boom. Can be done in the air. Knocks opponents down in a single hit. If you are quick, this move can counter close-range fireballs easily. You have to do it slightly early to make it over the fireball. Also, if you need to air-block, use the aerial HK instead while jumping to gain superiority over most of your opponent's aerial attacks. *Dragon Punch* --O | \ + punch O O Almost impossible to air-block. If blocked, Ryu's DP can hit twice, but if unblocked, it will knock down an opponent in a single hit. As usual, this move causes the most damage if the opponent is hit during the first few frames of motion (while Ryu's fist is still below his shoulders). It is also invulnerable during this time. However, once Ryu's fist extends over his head, the DP is no longer invulnerable, and it causes less damage. This makes timing all the more essential, since you want to execute the DP as late as possible so that you will cause the most damage without worrying about getting hit. *Super Combo #1* Shinkuu Hadouken | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Ryu sends out a massive fireball that goes through projectiles. The fireball loses 1 hit for each projectile it passes through. Level 1: 3 hits. Level 2: 4 hits. Level 3: 5 hits. The Shinkuu Hadouken is an excellent attack in fireball wars and close-in fighting. For example, if you are throwing projectiles at each other, throw the Super Fireball instead. It will go right through your opponent's projectile and score some hits. By having a charged SC, you can really take control and intimidate a fireballing opponent. Close-in, ALWAYS look for openings where you can throw your SC, especially in the corner. Opponents will often throw a fireball that they expect you to block. However, even if their fireball is right in front your face, you can still launch the SC instantaneously and nail your opponent. Here's a good habit: Always do the SC motions as you are pulling out of certain moves and watch for a projectile attempt from your opponent. Good situations include after a blocked sweep or uppercut, after an intentionally missed sweep (hit them as they run in to hit you), after the overhead punch as they try to retaliate, etc. Using the Shinkuu Hadouken in normal combos requires a bit of fancy joystick work, but the results can be particularly damaging. You have very little leaway in getting the motions done if you want the SC to hit. The optimum move for this is the crouching FORWARD kick. Basically, you need to insert the FORWARD kick into the first QCF motion of the SC. Then, after the first QCF, just buffer-in a normal fireball. If you do everything close enough together, you will get the Super Combo instead of a fireball, doing nice damage to your unfortunate opponent. It looks something like this: | \ + FORWARD --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Or it may look something like this: | \ --O | + FORWARD \ --O + punch O O O O Because you have so little time to buffer the SC motion into the C. FORWARD kick, you have to start the motion for the SC before you actually kick. Doing a C. FORWARD and then attempting to do the 2QCF motion will not work. You simply cannot do it fast enough (physically). As described in the combo section, you can incorporate a variety of combos with the Shinkuu Hadouken like above. As a final warning, be very careful when trying to use the Shinkuu Hadouken against an opponent with an anti-fireball SC like Adon or Birdie. These characters can buffer their SC's during the chi animation of your SC, thus being able to easily counter before your SC fireball even comes out. *Super Combo #2* Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku | / O-- | / O-- + kick O O O O Ryu does a Hurricane Kick in place, and you can see the air fanning away on the ground. Hits lots of times and does KILLER damage, even if blocked. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 8 hits. Level 3: 12 hits. This move really has little range, so you have to anticipate your opponent moving in or opening-up to get it to hit. It is best used at close range, especially when your opponent is cornered and desparately trying to escape. Try using it after the Spin Kick if you know that your opponent will try and retaliate. This move does very good damage, so don't totally discount it based solely on its limited range. If you play Ryu like an old-schooler (constantly throwing FB's and DP's), this SC may be of little use to you. However, for players like me who like to take the fight up close and personal, this SC can be a real beefy attack. I like to execute a Level 1 after coming in with a flying kick. If anything, it will cause good block damage. Do not use this move as an anti-air defense. If you have time to do the SC, do a Dragon Punch instead. If you do this against an airborne opponent, you will get a poor number of hits and damage. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE C. SHORT, C. ROUNDHOUSE C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, C. ROUNDHOUSE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. STRONG, C. FORWARD, FIREBALL The old SF2 combo is still there. It isn't a chain combo, so you do have to time it differently than chain combos. J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. JAB, S. STRONG, FIREBALL J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, FIREBALL Similar to another old SF2 combo, you can now insert a couple C. SHORT kicks since they chain with the C. FORWARD. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, SHINKUU HADOUKEN SC The easiest combo to put the Shinkuu Hadouken SC into. As described before, practice putting the FORWARD kick in during the QCF motions. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, SHINKUU HADOUKEN SC * RYU'S TOUCH OF DEATH * The ultimate Ryu combo, this will do *heavy* damage at Level 2 or 3. I recommend putting extra money in the machine and playing a standing-still opponent to get good at this combo. On the heavy-damage machine I've been playing on recently, this combo automatically kills your opponent at Level 3. On a normal damage machine, it might do something like 70% damage. SIDE NOTE: It is possible for Ryu to trip-up an opponent with a ROUNDHOUSE sweep and hit them with a Shinkuu Hadouken on the way down. However, anytime you can get a RH sweep, you can usually FORWARD sweep instead and tack-on the SC on the ground, giving you full hits and damage. The Shinkuu Hadouken can only hit an airborne opponent twice, so its damage potential is limited. Basically, Ryu has not changed much from SSF2T. With the ability to throw multiple Shinkuu Hadoukens per round, Ryu can gain considerable ground superiority. However, there are many, MANY moves designed to avoid and retaliate against fireballs. Anti-Fireball Moves: *Ryu- Shinkuu Hadouken SC *Ken- Ground Roll, Shoryureppa SC *Sagat- Tiger Cannon SC, Tiger Knee *Chun Li- Axe Kick, TBK SC *Charlie- Sonic Blade SC *Birdie- Chain Grab SC *Adon- Jaguar Kick/Jaguar Tooth/Jaguar Revolver SC *Guy- Bushin Leap/Bushin Jump SC *Sodom- Slide *Rose- Slide/Soul Reflect *Akuma- Take your pick... *M. Bison- Demon Stomp *Dan- none When playing Ryu, keep these moves in mind for each character and try to minimize their threat. Remember that standard fireball traps will not work against many characters, so be very careful when trying to corner your opponent. -------- 3.2) KEN -------- "Now you understand the difference between us!" -Ken, SFA Ken is fighting for a re-match with his long-time friend and rival, Ryu. (By the way, Ken's last name is Masters.) Starting Pose: Ken throws two punches, then beckons his opponent closer with his fingers. You can see the cocky look on his face. Winning Pose #1: Ken runs his fingers through his hair, looks at the players, smiles, does a thumbs-up, and says "Yattaze!" Winning Pose #2: Ken raises his fist in triumph. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Ken blocks the attack and does a fierce Dragon Punch. Ken's AC is identical to Ryu's. Because it is a DP move, it has excellent priority and speed. It also will leave you wide open if you miss with it. *Taunt* #1 Identical to winning pose #1. #2 Ken beckons his opponent closer with his fingers, similar to his starting pose. *Overhead Axe Kick* --O + FORWARD Ken lifts his leg straight up and slams it down on his opponent for 2 hits. This is an overhead hit. The axe kick has good recovery, but it is also a very predictable overhead hits in the game because of its strange animation. Still, it is useful for getting around your opponent's defense. *Standing Forward Kick* S. FORWARD Ken throws a spinning side kick to the high section. Not really a special move, but it hits twice and is great for combos. It can sometimes hit opponents out of the air, too. *Flying Neck Kick* J. FORWARD Kind of a funky flying front kick, it's identical to his kick in SSF2T. Although this kick doesn't damage that much, it has good priority and excellent neck kick potential. *Shin Kick* S. ROUNDHOUSE Ken does a spinning side kick to the shin area. It possesses good range. This awesome kick definitely helps Ken a lot by giving him quick, mid-range striking power. Excellent in ground games when your opponent refuses to jump. *Fireball* | \ --O + punch O O Standard fireball. *Hurricane Kick* | / O-- + kick O O Goes over fireballs and Charlie's Sonic Boom. Hits multiple times, much better than it did in SSF2T. Use this move in combos to score multiple hits and push your opponent back far. Also use it in the air for attack priority. *Dragon Punch* --O | \ + punch O O The Fierce DP hits up to three times and sets the opponent on fire. Difficult to air-block. As with Ryu's DP, Ken's is invincible during the first few frames of animation. Afterwards, the DP causes less damage and is no longer invulnerable. As usual, the Fierce DP (the flaming version) should only be used for ground combos, since it only hits aerial opponents once and causes miniscule damage. *Ground Roll* | / O-- + punch O O Ken tucks into a ball and rolls forward. The length of the roll is determined by the button pressed. Good for evading projectiles. Note that this roll is identical to anyone else's recovery roll, except now with Ken you can roll whenever you want, not just after being knocked down. This is the move that makes the new Ken so awesome to play. It is not invulnerable, but it allows Ken to: A) Go under all projectiles (including Sagat's Low Tiger) You can react to fireballs from the correct range, even Ryu's fireballs. You can sweep or DP as you come out of the roll, or try a SC if you are close enough. B) Roll under some rushing SC's Not particularly consistent, but it saves your butt sometimes. C) Roll to the opposite side of your opponent quickly. One NASTY trick is to start a combo, insert the roll into the combo, and then perform a SC just as you reach the other side. It is very quick, and you can often catch your opponent just before they have time to switch their block. Basically, make the roll an unexpected surprise when you have the opportunity, and make it count. Oh yeah, and don't roll against janitors (sweepers). *Super Combo #1* Shoryureppa | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Ken does multiple Dragon Punches in a row. Same as his SSF2T SC. Level 1: 2 jumps, 4 hits. Level 2: 2 jumps, 6 hits. Level 3: 3 jumps with flaming fist, 8 hits. This SC has excellent range on the ground. You can snag opponents from sweeping range, and it combos very well with a FORWARD kick (see how to do Ryu's combo with the Shinkuu Hadoken.) Not recommended against jumpers unless they are cornered, since the SC will only hit them once or twice. Note that the Shoryureppa is only invincible during the start of each rise. It is vulnerable as Ken is coming down from each DP as well as when he is high up. *Super Combo #2* Shinryuken | \ --O | \ --O + kick O O O O Ken does a vertical Dragon Punch, spinning around as he goes. Unlike the Shoryureppa, if the Shinryuken is blocked, Ken will recover fast enough to defend against counterattacks. Level 1: 6 hits Level 2: 10 hits Level 3: 14 hits (Note that players are in the habit of tapping the buttons as the SC hits the opponent. Supposedly it's to score more hits, but I have seen no difference whether you tap the buttons or not. I guess it wouldn't hurt to tap the buttons, though.) This is Ken's most devastating move and it should be used whenever possible. Since this is a vertical Dragon Punch, you either have to combo it in or get close enough to ambush your opponent. It works pretty well against jumpers at Level 2 or 3, but you have to be sure to hit your opponent as low to the ground with it as possible to get sufficent hits and damage. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE C. JAB, C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, C. or S. ROUNDHOUSE (Ending this combo with a C. ROUNDHOUSE will knock your opponent down, but a S. ROUNDHOUSE has better range.) C. JAB, C. SHORT, S. FORWARD *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. STRONG, C. FORWARD, FIREBALL Standard SF2 combo. It is not a chain combo, so the timing is more precise than other combos. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. or S. FORWARD, DRAGON PUNCH Decent damage and easy to perform. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. or S. FORWARD, HURRICANE KICK This easy-to-perform combo can score up to eight hits and requires little practice to master. However, this will not work against some crouching opponents, since the HK will just sail right over them. J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. STRONG, FIERCE DRAGON PUNCH A nice, easy 5-hitter from SF2 that does excellent damage. Make sure you are close for this one. J. FORWARD, C. or S. JAB, S. SHORT, S. FORWARD, HURRICANE KICK Not really a combo you'd use everyday, but it's an example of Ken's amazing combo potential. Make sure that you execute the HK before the S. FORWARD lands its second hit. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, S. FORWARD, GROUND ROLL, SHINRYUKEN SC Not a combo, this series of moves is a good example of how you can incorporate the Ground Roll into your routine to screw your opponent up. You have to buffer the Ground Roll early-on in the S. FORWARD kick. Note that this combo will also work with a Shoryureppa SC. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. or S. FORWARD, SHINRYUKEN SC This is easier to perform than Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken SC because Ken's SC sucks the opponent in easier. Excellent damage. Again, you may substitute the Shoryureppa for the ending SC. Thanks to Ken's new kicks, he has many other combos as well. Experiment! The combos that will suit you best will be the ones that you create yourself, of course. As for fireballs, mix them in with Ken's S. RH and other attacks. Be unpredictable. Push your opponent back. Use that nasty roll move to confuse and ambush your opponent. :) Also, be aware that Ken's flying FORWARD kick can neck kick his opponent easily. Use this occasionally to throw your opponent off-balance. Make sure you have a SC charged-up so that you can take maximum advantage of the hit. A good combo in this situation would be J. FORWARD, C. JAB, C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, SHORYUREPPA SC. Just in case you have trouble deciding whether to use Ryu or Ken against an opponent, here is a list of some of their general differences: - Ryu is more of a cold, solid fighter, while Ken concentrates more on combos and flash. - While Ken allows more freedom of play and creativity, Ryu is played more mechanically. - Ryu usually knock opponents down in a single hit, while Ken's attacks leave the opponent standing, allowing combos to score more hits. - If you are an old-schooler who's an expert in the fireball trap, Ryu is the more appropriate choice because of his knockdown abilities, valuable for pushing opponents into the corner. - If you like to mix up fireballs, DP's, chain combos, long- distance fighting, and close-in brawling, Ken's your man. ---------- 3.3) SAGAT ---------- "Accept your weakness. Never return here!" -Sagat, SFA Sagat seeks a rematch with Ryu, the young fighter who stripped him of his title and scarred his chest in the first Street Fighter tournament. Starting Pose #1: Sagat stands and laughs at his opponent. Starting Pose #2: Before fighting Ryu, Sagat's scar on his chest glows, and Sagat winces in pain. Winning Pose #1: Sagat crosses his arms over his chest and laughs. Winning Pose #2: Sagat puts his hand to his chin in his "thinker's pose." He looks at his opponent and grins. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Sagat throws a standing forward kick which smacks the opponent clear across the screen. Good horizontal range. Use it to smack out of corner traps. *Taunt* Identical to winning pose #2. *Low Tiger Shot* | \ --O + kick O O Note that the Low Tiger Shot can be buffered by a C. FORWARD kick. *High Tiger Shot* | \ --O + punch O O Sagat's arms stick out ANNOYINGLY far. This fact, combined with his increased height, allow most opponents to either jump over the Tiger Shot to hit him from afar or simply nail him on the ground after the Tiger Shot passes overhead. Use with extreme caution. I like to throw a slow High Tiger Shot from time to time when the opponent is across the screen. This usually keeps him grounded. *Tiger Blow* (formerly Tiger Uppercut) --O | \ + punch O O Hits up to 1, 3 and 7 times, depending on the button used. Although Sagat's Tiger Blow hits much better than in SSF2T, it still isn't such a hot move because of its pathetic priority. You may want to use a S. ROUNDHOUSE or Tiger Crush instead. However, seven (potential) hits is nothing to scoff at. Try using it in combos for good results. Also, note that the first hit is the one that causes the most damage. Thus, if you throw a Fierce TB, you won't cause much damage if only the last six hits connect. That deep first hit is the key. *Tiger Crush* (formerly Tiger Knee) --O | \ + kick O O Hits up to 2 times. This move can be used as an anti-air defense if your opponent jumps in from afar, thinking that he will trade or knock you out of a Tiger Blow. The RH version also goes over fast projectiles. Do this from medium range to set your opponent up for a Tiger Raid or Genocide SC. *Super Combo #1* Tiger Genocide | \ --O | \ --O + kick O O O O Sagat does a Tiger Knee followed by a Tiger Uppercut. Goes through fireballs at all Levels. Level 1: 5 hits. Level 2: 9 hits. Level 3: 13 hits. This SC goes through fireballs very well and has excellent reach. However, if you miss or get blocked, you are totally vulnerable coming down from the uppercut. *Super Combo #2* Tiger Cannon | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Sagat does a High Tiger Shot that goes through projectiles. It loses 1 hit for every projectile it goes through. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 5 hits. Level 3: 6 hits. This is similar to Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken. However, it travels much higher in the air than Ryu's SC fireball. Thus, the Tiger Cannon cannot hit crouchers, making it impossible to do all of the nifty ambush techniques that Ryu can do with his SC projectile. However, this SC is good for using against projectile-happy opponents. *Super Combo #3* Tiger Raid | / O-- | / O-- + kick O O O O Sagat does several standing kicks and ends with a flying straight kick. Level 1: 5 hits Level 2: 6 hits Level 3: 7 hits, final kick is a flaming kick. The advantage of this SC is that it has excellent recovery. The disadvantage is that it has less initial reach than the Tiger Genocide. In the corner, you can follow-up the Tiger Raid SC with a Tiger Blow for 12-14 hits. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, S. ROUNDHOUSE S. JAB, S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. or C. STRONG, TIGER BLOW J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, LOW TIGER SHOT J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. JAB, S. STRONG, TIGER CRUSH J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, TIGER GENOCIDE Basically, Sagat has lost most or all of his corner-trap abilities. You have to play him very carefully, without relying on the Tiger Blow. Use a standing RH or Tiger Crush instead of the Tiger Blow unless you are SURE that you can get a deep, close-in, clean hit with the Tiger Blow. ------------ 3.4) CHUN-LI ------------ "I don't have time for amateurs!" -Chun Li, SFA Chun Li is on a mission for the government to arrest M. Bison for drug trafficking. She also has personal motives behind her search for the crime lord. (By the way, Chun means "spring" and Li means "beautiful.") Starting Pose: Chun Li lifts her heel behind her leg and checks to see that her shoe fits. Winning Pose #1: Chun Li jumps up and down with excitement, laughs, then lifts her hand and says "Yatta!" Winning Pose #2: Chun Li looks at her fallen opponent, then crosses her arms in front of herself and bows to the players. Winning Pose #3: Chun Li throws three kicks in place, then retracts her kicking foot, knee still up, and stays in a one- foot fighting pose. Looks very sharp. Winning Pose #4: When Chun Li wins a perfect round, she smiles at her opponent, hand up by her cheek, and says "Gomen Ne!" , identical to her taunt. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Chun Li throws a crouching forward kick. Because this AC hits so low, you have to time it perfectly if you want to hit jumpers with it. It takes some practice, but it's not too hard. *Taunt* Chun Li puts her hand up by her cheek and says "Gomen Ne!" in a cutesy voice that makes it sound as if she's talking to a child. This is the only taunt in the game that hits your opponent. It even takes off block-damage! Use this as an ultimate humiliation finish. *Stomp* In air, | + FORWARD O This move now knocks opponents down. Plus, you can chain up to three stomps in a row. *Knee Flip* \ + kick O Try using this as a short leap over projectiles. *Split Kick* --O \ | / O-- + kick O O O Chun Li does an upside-down split (like half of a SBK from SF2), then flips with her leg crashing down on her opponent. This is an overhead hit. Goes through fireballs if timed perfectly (which is tricky, especially for slow projectiles). Because this move has excellent recovery, use it to move-in on your opponent and try to confuse them. Buffer it in with Chun's crouching and standing FORWARD kicks to make your opponent change their block often. Be careful about doing this against characters with DP-type moves, however, as you can be DP'd during the flip animation right before you hit your opponent. The SHORT Split Kick is a bit faster than the other 2 versions, so use that version when you are very close-in. Use the others for longer-range attacks. If you connect with the kick, you unfortunately cannot combo any move afterwords. However, because of the good recovery of this move, Chun can pretty much start kicking again without her opponent being able to retaliate. Mix-in crouching FORWARDs, consecutive Split Kicks, fakes, and throws to keep your opponent really confused. As a side note, the Split Kick can go through SC projectiles. I've caught MANY a Ryu my surprise by walking right up to the SC projectile, Split Kicking right through it, and smacking the dumbfounded Ryu in the face. Not something you can pull-off repeatedly, but it's pretty fun to watch. :) *Lightning Kick* Tap kick repeatedy The Lightning Kick doesn't do very much block-damage now, but it is still useful in combos. The RH version hits 4-5 times, but is nearly impossible to get started on the fly. *Kikouken* Charge O-- --O + punch Chun Li's projectile. It now has an unlimited range. Plus, Chun Li no longer stays in that degrading stance from SSF2T. There is now a substantial delay in the opening frames of the Kikoken animation. Not only does this make it harder to catch opponents by surprise, it is a huge flag, allowing most opponents to jump the projectile and nail Chun easily. Use this move CAREFULLY. *Rising Spin Kick* Charge | O + kick O | Hits 1, 2, or 3 times, depending on button used. This move has great air priority and is almost never air-blocked. It moves at about a 75 degree angle, so you might miss opponents who are directly overhead. This move goes very well with combos, if you can pull it off. *Super Combo #1* Thousand Burst Kick Charge O-- --O O-- --O + kick Almost identical to the SSF2T version. Chun Li rushes in with a series of kicks on the ground and end with a Lightning Kick. Level 1: 5 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 7 hits. This SC goes through fireball at all Levels, but the positioning for going through a projectile with the Level 1 TBK is very precise. You must be RIGHT up next to the projectile to go through it, and you may not be able to go through some JAB projectiles. The Level 2 and 3 TBK's have much more horizontal range and superior fireball invulnerability. This SC can be linked with other SC's in the corner, as described later on. Unfortunately, Chun seems to have a problem with slides being able to knock her out of the TBK. Be careful when using it against Rose, Guy, and Sodom. *Super Combo #2* Spinning Shadow Kick Charge / \ / O + kick O O O | Chun does a hyped-up version of her Rising Spin Kick. Used in the same manner as the normal RSK. Level 1: 5 hits Level 2: 6 hits Level 3: 7 hits *Super Combo #3* Power Storm | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Chun Li summons a massive burst of energy in front of her that does excellent damage to jumpers. Level 1: 5 hits. Level 2: 7 hits. Level 3: 10 hits. This move has great anti-air priority and does excellent damage for a Level 1 SC. Use it as an instantaneous anti-air defense. Be very careful about using it on the ground since Chun's feet are not invulnerable to sweeps. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, S. FIERCE S. JAB, C. or S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, RISING SPIN KICK This is probably the best jump-in combo Chun-Li has. It does good damage, and it knocks her opponent down, giving her the positional advantage. Of course, this is also a very tough combo to pull off, so practice. (Corner) THOUSAND BURST KICK, POWER STORM, SPINNING SHADOW KICK Although I have only gotten the first 2 hits of this combo, people on the Net have vouched for its complete existence. To get the Power Storm, you have to start the 2 X QCF motion during the TBK and end it _just_ as you come out of the TBK. J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. or C. JAB, S. or C. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. JAB, S. STRONG, S. FIERCE J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. or C. JAB, S. or C. STRONG, KIKOKEN or TBK What Chun-Li has lost in ground kick priority and power she makes up for with air priority. Her jumping kicks have priority against almost any move short of a Dragon Punch. Use this along with FORWARD kicks and Split Kicks to push your opponent back and corner them. Chun Li has exceptionally good throw priority and range. USE THIS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE! Forget what your opponents might think about "cheap" Chun-Li. Chun's throws and ground speed are a major advantage. Make sure you use them; and, if your opponents start getting mad and try to tick you, it's as easy as pie to counter- throw. ------------ 3.5) CHARLIE ------------ "Be all you can be, scumbag!" -Charlie, SFA Charlie is on a mission for the military to bring down the notorious drug lord, M. Bison. (In Japan, Charlie is known as Nash. Perhaps his full name is Charlie Nash.) Starting Pose: Charlie takes off his glasses. Winning Pose #1: Charlie writes his opponent's name on a list of victims. Winning Pose #2: Charlie turns his back to the screen. He swats the tip of his bangs as he waves his hand and says "Too easy!" Winning Pose #3: Charlie tugs at his jacket and says "Hmph!" *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Charlie does a spinning backfist. This AC is fairly slow. Don't expect it to hit jumpers all the time. Instead, use it to gain position on your opponent. Its good range helps Charlie nail anyone trying to corner him or throw a fireball nearby. *Taunt* Identical to winning pose #1. Note that he writes on his list of victims BEFORE he wins the match. ;) *Jumping Back Kick* {Jumping Sobat (Jumping Sole Butt?)} O-- or --O, + FORWARD Charlie takes a small leap forward and kicks in the air. This is an overhead hit. It appears that Capcom improved the recovery of this move a bit. It is an overhead hit with good range, so use it occasionally to catch your opponent off-guard. You can keep a backwards charge while performing this move, so try ambushing your opponent by using a Crossfire Blitz SC after landing. *Stepping Side Kick* O-- or --O, + ROUNDHOUSE Charlie skips forward and thrusts a side kick to the mid-section. This move has good horizontal range, and you can keep a charge while doing it. Very good for pushing opponents back. *Sonic Boom* Charge O-- --O + punch This is a bit higher than Guile's SB, so Guy, Rose, and Sodom can slide underneath all but the jab SB. Remember that Ryu and Ken can still HK over it. If you are having trouble with opponents sliding underneath the Boom, try using the JAB version to catch them as they slide. *Flash Kick* {Somersault Shell} Charge | O + kick O | The ROUNDHOUSE version can hit twice. However, this move can now be air-blocked If your opponent air-blocks your FK, you will be _wide_ open for a counterattack. However, there are two remedies to this serious drawback: - Use the SHORT FK. Charlie will be able to recover better from a SHORT FK than from a FORWARD or RH one. (In other words, don't be tempted to use a RH FK just because it hits twice.) - Throw the FK late. I noticed that if I throw a late FK, people never seem to be able to air-block it. I've also noticed that if I jump in against a computer Charlie, he always throws a late FK that I can never defend against. *Super Combo #1* Sonic Break Charge O-- --O O-- --O + punch for EACH projectile released Charlie lets out multiple Sonic Booms. The timing is so that you can let them out one right after the other or wait up to 3/4 of a second before releasing the next Boom. Level 1: 2 projectiles. Level 2: 3 projectiles. Level 3: 4 projectiles. This SC is not particularly useful. You can try and catch fireballers close-in with it, but it does a really small amount of damage, even at Level 3 (which translates to a waste of your Super Meter). In fact, you could probably get the same amount of damage against a close-in fireballer just by AC'ing, and that doesn't even need a charge. I usually use the Sonic Break to get block-damage in the corner when my opponent is nearly dead. Keep in mind that the Sonic Break projectiles _can_ be air-blocked. *Super Combo #2* Somersault Justice Charge / \ / O + kick O O O | Charlie does multiple Flash Kicks in a row. This CANNOT be air- blocked, unlike his normal Flash Kick. Level 1: Two FK's, 5 hits. Level 2: Two FK's, 7 hits. Level 3: Three FK's, 9 hits. This is a really useful SC, especially in the corner. It cannot be air-blocked, so you can catch many jumpers who think they are safe jumping in on Charlie. At Level 3 this SC will suck an opponent in from a phenominal distance. Use this to counter close-in attacks or fireballs. *Super Combo #3* Crossfire Blitz Charge O-- --O O-- --O + kick Charlie rushes forward with multiple kicks and punches. Level 1 does not go through fireballs, but Levels 2 and 3 do. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 5 hits. Level 3: 6 hits. Used mainly as a close-in ground attack. Since Level 1 does not go through projectiles, only use it to counter close-in ground attacks. To counter projectiles use the Sonic Break or an AC instead. *Chains* C. JAB, C. SHORT, S. or C. STRONG, S. FIERCE C. JAB, S. or C. STRONG, S. FIERCE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. STRONG, SONIC BOOM or FLASH KICK These 2 combos are the most-used for Charlie. If you are in the corner, you can insert a C. JAB at the beginning of the ground part of the combo. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. SHORT, C. STRONG, SOMERSAULT JUSTICE Your basic SC combo. Since Charlie has to charge for the SC, it basically has to be comboed with an aerial attack. It's probably the only time you'll ever get to use it. Let's face it, Charlie isn't the nightmare that Guile used to be. Because he has to charge his main weapon, the Sonic Boom, he doesn't play well to the rapid, back-and-forth, high-offense style of SFA. Basically, charging the Boom makes him too predictable, especially with all of the anti-projectile attacks in SFA. Here's what characters can do to Charlie's Sonic Boom attempts: Ryu: If Ryu has a Shinkuu Hadouken charged, forget trying to throw a Boom anywhere near Ryu. Since you have to charge the Boom, it is very predictable when you will be releasing it. Ryu also has the HK to rely on, as that move now goes over the Sonic Boom easily. Ken: He can roll under the Boom, but you will usually recover in time to not get hit. Sagat: He can't do much except jump-in, but he can do so pretty safely because of his long, reaching legs. If Sagat has a SC charged, however, he can nail Charlie on reaction with a Tiger Cannon easily. Chun: She can Split Kick through your Booms. She can TBK right through them in the corner. Chun can also simply jump over them and kick, and there's little you can do to knock her out of these jump attacks. Thus, you can get cornered rather easily when fighting Chun-Li. Birdie: Birdie can Leaping Chain Grab any Sonic Boom easily. Adon: The Jaguar Kick and Jaguar Tooth both work well against a Boom attack. Guy: Guy can slide underneath Booms close-up, or he can Bushin Run with a slide kick underneath them from medium to far range. Sodom: Sodom can slide under Booms easily and recover instantly. Rose: She can slide underneath Booms with great recovery, as well as reflect Booms back in your face. As you can see, most characters have some method of dealing with Charlie's Booms rather well. All I can recommend is try as hard as possible to be unpredictable and attempt to corner your opponent if you can. If your opponent has an anti-fireball SC charged-up, try throwing a Sonic Boom just far enough so that you will recover before getting hit. You can do this to try and trick your opponent into wasting a SC. Finally, if you plan on playing Charlie like you played Guile in SF2, be prepared to lose. While Guile relied on turtle tactics and corner patterns, Charlie has to rely on unpredictability and offensive combos. ----------- 3.6) BIRDIE ----------- "It's good to be back!" -Birdie, SFA Birdie is fighting in the tournament to prove himself worthy of entering Shadaloo. Starting Pose: Birdie yawns. Winning Pose #1: Birdie combs his bullethole mohawk twice. After a while, his hair loses the mohawk shape, and Birdie groans in disappointment. Winning Pose #2: Birdie licks the chains around his arms. If he won the entire match, he utters, "I'm number one!" *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Birdie does a jab Headbutt Rush. This AC has decent range, but it's the slowest AC in the game. Be VERY careful when trying to AC a Super Combo. I've gotten knocked out of the AC animation several times. *Taunt* Birdie licks the chains around his arms. Tasty! *Overhead Axe Kick* S. ROUNDHOUSE Birdie lifts his leg to a height no higher than his chest. He then brings his heel down in an overhead hit. Very slow and poor range, but at least you know now that Birdie has an overhead hit. *Headbutt Rush* {Bull Head} Charge O-- --O + punch Birdie rushes forward with a Headbutt. Distance is determined by the button used. Using a long-range Headbutt Rush on a close opponent will cause a move stun, allowing the opponent to counter the move. Remember that you have to use the proper range Headbutt, or you will get a stun delay afterwords. Use this move to keep your opponent from getting anywhere close to you. The JAB version is *very* quick and good for this. There is a small area between the ranges of the JAB and STRONG Headbutts where your opponent can "safely" stand. A JAB Headbutt will miss them, and a STRONG Headbutt will produce a move stun. Be aware of this critical area and keep your opponent out of it. All of the Headbutts have EXCELLENT anti-air priority. When you are charging the Turn-Around Headbutt with the STRONG and FIERCE buttons, you can use the JAB Headbutt Rush as a good anti-air alternative to the standing FIERCE. *Turn-Around Headbutt* {Bull Horn} Hold any 2 punch or 2 kick buttons and release Similar to Balrog's Turn-Around Punch, Birdie is nearly invulnerable as he turns back before thrusting forward. As in SSF2T and Balrog's TAP, you can increase the damage and range of Birdie's TAH by holding down the buttons longer. Notice that you can also charge up two TAH's at once. Thus, I like to start matches by charging up two TAH's. As soon as the announcer says "Fight!", I release one and still have the other charging. To take advantage of Birdie's initial invulnerability, try and fight close-in and release the TAH right when you opponent attacks. Your opponent's attack will sail right through Birdie's feet, and you will then nail your opponent. Your main objective with this move is to hit your opponent deep. Don't just settle for blocking damage, go for the hit! Once you connect you can combo-in a Chain Grab for serious damage. You should try this every time you get a successful hit with the TAH. Since you have to hit kinda deep to combo-in the Chain Grab, you should use either the STRONG and FIERCE buttons or the JAB and STRONG buttons to charge the TAH with. The latter is more uncomfortable for right-handed players, but it keeps your FIERCE button free for anti-air defense. If you use the 2 punch buttons for convenience, you can use a standing ROUNDHOUSE or a JAB Headbutt Rush as substitute anti-air attacks. *Chain Grab* {Murderer Chain} / | \ --O O + punch O O O / Birdie wraps his chains around his opponent and slams them into the ground twice. (Apparently, Birdie says "Go ... to heaven" while doing the Chain Grab.) This move does excellent damage. Your main strategy should revolve around getting opportunities to use this attack. You need to be UTTERLY, TOTALLY CHEAP with this move. That means getting jump-ins and ticking like _mad_ with this move. If you have your opponent in the corner, you will be able to get another jump-in after each successful Chain grab. You have to be a total, rampaging nightmare with this move. Because there are ways of escaping Chain Grab ticks, you need to vary how you tick with each jump-in. Since each tick requires different timing to counter, you can keep your opponent totally confused and petrified, not knowing how you will attack each time. There 3 main jump-in ticks you can use: 1) J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. SHORT, CHAIN GRAB This is the one I use most often. Properly timed, it is hard to counter. 2) J. ROUNDHOUSE, CHAIN GRAB If your opponent starts countering the first tick, use the Chain Grab early by skipping the S. SHORT. This usually throws off your opponent's timing really well. 3) FAKE J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. JAB, C. SHORT, CHAIN GRAB Actually, you can do all sorts of variations on this tick. The fake normally confuses people to no end, and you usually are safe doing it since opponents usually are petrified to even move against a jumping-in Birdie. *Super Combo #1* Leaping Chain Grab {Bull Revenger} | \ --O | \ --O + button O O O O Birdie leaps *very* quickly into the air and performs a Chain Grab as he lands. The distance Birdie leaps is determined by the button pressed, JAB being the shortest and ROUNDHOUSE being the farthest. Level 1: Birdie does one slam with the Chain Grab. Level 2: Birdie does 2 slams with the Chain Grab. Level 3: Birdie does 2 slams and a Headbutt Rush. This is the ultimate anti-fireball move. Use it as such. Squash any fireball attempt with this SC. If your opponent dares throw a SC projectile, simply buffer the motions for the SC during your opponent's SC animation. You will be able to perform your SC before your opponent's SC projectile even has a chance to start flying. The button you use determines the distance Birdie leaps. The Leap is kind of self-guiding (especially for the long-range leaps), so you don't have to memorize how far each button takes you. Use the JAB (or STRONG) Leap for extreme close-in attacks, the SHORT Leap for fireballers half-screen's length away and slightly under, and the ROUNDHOUSE Leap for anything half-screen and beyond. This covers 95% of all the times you will need to use the SC. Another tactic is to use a Headbutt Rush or TAH. As you are recovering, if you feel that your opponent will try to fireball or sweep, perform the SC _right_ after you recover. Your opponent's attack will miss and you will grab them while they are in a move stun. This requires you hitting your opponent at exactly the right distance, so be carefull when trying it. You can also try using the JAB Leap against jumpers. Just back- off slightly and Leap. Any jump kicks will pass right through Birdie, and, if timed properly, Birdle will land to catch them just as they land. *Super Combo #2* Mega Headbutt Rush {The Birdie} Charge O-- --O O-- --O + punch Birdie does several Headbutt Rushes in a row. Level 1 does not go through fireballs, but Levels 2 and 3 do. Level 1: 3 Headbutt Rushes. Level 2: 4 Headbutt Rushes. Level 3: Birdie does 3 Headbutts. If all 3 hit, then the opponent is automaticly dizzied, and Birdie takes time out to comb his hair. Birdie finishes with 2 more Headbutt Rushes. When fighting a non-projectile character, this SC is more useful than the Leaping Chain Grab. Use it against characters like Adon, Guy, and Rose since they like to try and poke 'n jab a lot. Note: If you land a Level 3 SC against the computer, the computer may recover from the dizzy before Birdie comes in with the last two hits. *Chains* C. JAB, C. SHORT S. SHORT, S. FIERCE *Combos* C. FIERCE, HEADBUTT RUSH J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. SHORT, S. FIERCE To play Birdie well is to play him cheap. Because of his extremely short and low jump, it is very hard to get clear jump-ins on your opponent. You need to take full advantage of any ticking opportunity you get. The Chain Grab does 25%+ damage, so it's well worth pulling off. Don't be afraid of being called "cheap", since this was the way Birdie was meant to be played. Birdie's anti-air defenses are excellent. The only character who has priority over his C. and S. FIERCE is Chun-Li. Otherwise, nobody can even dream of jumping-in on Birdie. Use this ability along with JAB Headbutt Charges and RH sweeps to push your opponent back into the corner. This is the main setup for repeated and deadly Chain Grab ticks which will win the game for Birdie. --------- 3.7) ADON --------- "I am a Muay Thai master. You are sucking gravel." -Adon, SFA Adon is a former student of Sagat and is set on winning the title of World Warrior for himself. Starting Pose: With his hands on his head, Adon bobs it up and down (stretching his neck?), then extends a fist towards his opponent showing that he's ready to fight. Winning Pose #1: Adon gives his opponent the "thumbs-down" sign. Winning Pose #2: Adon leaps, performs a somersault, then takes off his brass hairloop and holds it up in victory. Winning Pose #3: Adon bobs his head up and down, then kneels and looks towards the sky with his arms outward in triumph. Winning Pose #4: Adon turns his back to the screen, holds his arms out to the side while flexing his muscles. He looks over his shoulder and smiles. Winning Pose #5: (Yes, Adon has FIVE winning poses.) He crosses his arms and laughs. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Adon does a Jaguar Knee. Decent horizontal range and great against jumpers. Although this AC is angled more vertically than horizontally, it instantaneously hits with no lag time whatsoever. *Taunt* Identical to winning pose #1. *Front Kick* {Jutting Kick} \ + FORWARD O Adon crouches and does a vertical front kick with excellent anti-air priority. Use it when you can't use a Jaguar Knee. *Jaguar Kick* O-- | / + kick O O Adon flips in the air and quickly kicks downward, creating an arc of energy. SHORT: Very quick, horizontal, short arc. FORWARD: Forward arc with greater height and distance. Excellent for going over projectiles. ROUNDHOUSE: High arc with little forward movement. Good for close-in attackers. This is Adon's main jabbing weapon. Use a combination of low attacks and SHORT Jaguar Kicks to push your opponent back into the corner. Use the FORWARD version to counter any close-to-mid-range fireball attack. *Jaguar Tooth* | / O-- + kick O O Adon leaps up to the corner of the screen and comes down quickly with a flying side kick. The SHORT version makes Adon kick at a near vertical angle, while the FORWARD and ROUNDHOUSE versions have more horizontal ranges. This move is particularly good against characters without a solid DP move. Use it to react to fireballs if you are far away. You will be able to glide in quickly, knocking your opponent out of most any ground-based attack. You can also try faking with this move. Try throwing a SHORT Jaguar Tooth and make your opponent whiff an anti-air move, then retaliate with a chain combo or SC. *Jaguar Knee* {Rising Jaguar} | \ --O O + kick O O / Like Sagat's Tiger Crush, but more "vertical". Hits twice. You have to be somewhat underneath your opponent not to get knocked out of this move, but it has great priority and damage. *Super Combo #1* Jaguar Assault {Jaguar Varied Assault} | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Adon charges with multiple fist attacks. Goes through fireballs at all Levels. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits, ends with Jaguar Knee. Level 3: 7 hits, ends with Jaguar Knee. This SC has excellent ground speed and range, and it cuts through fireballs with ease. Use it both as an anti-fireball move and while fighting close-in. Be careful when using the Level 2 or 3, since if it is blocked, Adon will not have time to block any counterattack. The Level 1 SC is safer since it doesn't have this weakness. Try this. Throw a Jaguar Kick, then the Jaguar Assault SC. Usually opponents will try and counterattack after you throw a Jaguar Kick, and that's when you catch them with their guard down. *Super Combo #2* Jaguar Revolver | / O-- | / O-- + kick O O O O Adon does multiple Jaguar Kicks in a row. Level 1: Two JK's, 3 hits. Level 2: Two JK's, 4 hits. Level 3: Three JK's, 6 hits. This move is good as both an anti-air defense (at high Levels) and as an anti-fireball move. If your opponent tries a SC projectile, you can buffer the motions for this SC and release it just as your opponent's SC starts. Be careful that you don't start this SC from close range. If you do, you're likely to jump right over your opponent and miss completely. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, S. ROUNDHOUSE S. JAB, S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. JAB, C. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE Adon's standard chain combo. Use it when you jump-in or when you can hit your opponent on the ground. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. JAB, C. STRONG, JAGUAR ASSAULT This is the only SC combo Adon really has, but it is effective and does nice damage at all Levels. Adon is a very simple character to figure out. His strategy revolves around using his S. ROUNDHOUSE and Jaguar Kicks to push his opponent back, countering any jump-in or projectile that his opponent might use. A Jaguar Tooth every now and then can mix things up even more. However, the biggest temptation is to start playing Adon predictably and in patterns. This can easily draw an anti-air move or an Alpha Counter. Adon is particularly sensitive to AC's because of the way he attacks. This also means that Adon isn't effective when played at a slow speed setting. Furthermore, he does not possess any overhead attack, so an opponent who is in the lead can easily turtle up and AC anything that Adon throws. Therefore, the biggest challenge in mastering Adon is working around his weaknesses. This means that fakes are essential. Fake a RH Jaguar Tooth by throwing a SHORT version. Jump and fake a jump-in attack, then either sweep or walk up and throw. Adon also requires situational awareness. For example, you may anticipate when your opponent will throw a projectile (such as after he jumps back). Use a FORWARD Jaguar Kick as he throws the projectile. Or your opponent may try staying on the ground and throwing sweeps or poking kicks. Keep him at bay with the Jaguar Tooth, or just use your own S. ROUNDHOUSE which has excellent range. Nothing beats experience. Adon requires patience and a keen eye for making the most of any opportunity that arises. Adon is not a fancy character with a ton of cool combos or strategy. Instead, solid pressure and smart playing make him an effective character to play. -------- 3.8) GUY -------- Guy fights in the tournament as a test of personal strength and to defeat M. Bison. Starting Pose: Guy jumps in, kicking barrels out of his way. (reminiscent of Final Fight) Winning Pose #1: Guy stands and crosses his arms. Winning Pose #2: Guy turns his back to the screen, gives the Japanese two-fingered gesture, and says "Waruku Omouna." Winning Pose #3: Guy holds up one finger and says "Korezo, Bushinryu!" *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Guy does a crouching FORWARD kick. This AC hits very low, so you need to time it precisely to snag jumpers with it. *Taunt* Similar to winning pose #2, but Guy says nothing. *Overhead Elbow* --O + STRONG Guy yells briefly, then slams his elbow downward. This is an overhead hit. This overhead hit has great range and recovery. Mix it in with lots of sweeps and standing FORWARD kicks. *Elbow Drop* In air, | + STRONG O Guy sails downward with an elbow extended. Follow it up with a chain combo. You can also the Elbow Drop as a sort of neck-kick-type attack, where you drop down to the back of your opponent's neck. *Slide* C. ROUNDHOUSE Guy slides in with lead leg extended. Sometimes it will trip opponents up, other times it will not. It may depend on how far out the slide hit. Although the slide causes miniscule damage, the slide is very effective in harassing and annoying your opponents. Use it often. *Flip Kick* \ + ROUNDHOUSE O Guy steps and kicks, then flips away to safety. Hits up to two times. Although the flip kick is slow, it has good priority against ground opponents. It may have priority against slide kicks or sweeps. *Bushin Run* | \ --O + kick O O Guy starts running toward his opponent very quickly. The button you press determines what move you can end the run with. SHORT: Guy stops without attacking. FORWARD: "Kage Sukui" Guy does a running slide kick. ROUNDHOUSE: "Kubi Kari" Guy does a short jump-kick that is an overhead attack. Hits up to 2 times. To execute the move at the end of the run, simply push any kick button while running. Remeber, the move you end the run with is determined by the first kick button pressed, not the second. If you do not push the second button, Guy will automatically stop once he reaches his opponent. You have to be very careful when using this move. Although it is quick, each character has some type of move that can hit you out of the run if given the chance. You have to use it close-up and unexpectedly. ROUNDHOUSE: This will produce an overhead hitting jump kick. You can use it in combos easily. S. FIERCE, Bushin Run jump kick is a quick combo that will help dizzy an opponent very quickly. It is also part of Guy's corner re-dizzy combo, explained later on. However, the recovery off the RH Bushin Run might not be so good, so be careful. FORWARD: This makes Guy perform a running slide. This slide is excellent for catching your opponent off guard, since he will have to crouch-block on reaction. The slide will also go underneath Charlie's Sonic Boom and Rose's Soul Spark. The recovery is just as slow as the jump kick, but if you position it just right, you can recover before your opponent can hit you. This move can also be used in combos. SHORT: Using the SHORT version will make Guy stop the second time you hit a kick button. Basically, you use this version to either make your opponent whiff a DP-type move or to run up to someone and throw. Of course, if you don't press any kick button after he starts dashing, Guy will automatically stop once he reaches his opponent. That, of course, is asking for trouble. *Bushin Leap* | \ --O + punch O O Guy tucks into a ball and jumps quickly forward. Pressing a punch button anytime during the flight will cause Guy to stop in mid-air and fall down with a dropping elbow attack. If Guy is right above his opponent, pushing punch will cause Guy to pick his opponent up and perform a somersault backbreaker as he lands. The button pushed determines the angle of Guy's jump. If your opponent is performing any kind of special move, your throw priority range will automatically be increased to swoop them out of whatever move they are performing. This includes moves such as Sagat's Tiger Blow, Chun's Rising Spin Kick, and Charlie's Flash Kick. The FIERCE version is the only really useful version as the other two are much too high to be effective. You can use this move to counter any mid-range fireball. Be aware, however, that even the FIERCE version cannot catch opponents throwing projectiles from full distance. Thus, to use this move against projectile throwers, you must walk up and get within mid-range before executing the Leap. Another useful tactic is to tick with the Bushin leap by buffering it into another move. A good example would be C. JAB, C. FORWARD, Bushin Leap. This combo is explained in greater detail below. If you cannot get close enough to air-throw your opponent, you can perform a dropping elbow by hitting punch anytime during your flight. This elbow move has excellent priority, and you can combo other ground moves into it if you connect with it. The elbow drop is an overhead hit. Finally, you can use the Bushin Leap and throw your opponent as he is getting up from the ground. Very effective, but make sure your timing is precise. *Rising Spin Kick* | / O-- + kick O O Guy does a Hurricane Kick that floats up a short 45 degree distance. It has Dragon Punch-like priority. Hits 1, 2, or 3 times, according to the button used. This move has a DP-like priority to it. Use it as such. The SHORT version of the kick hits low to the ground, making it good for countering close-in fireballers and deep jump attacks. The FORWARD and ROUNDHOUSE versions travel higher and hit more times, but they don't hit low to the ground, making them impossible to use in combos or for countering low attackers in the air or on the ground. However, sometimes I like to anticipate when my opponent will jump, then perform a ROUNDHOUSE Rising Spin Kick. It's risky, but it works. *Super Combo #1* Bushin Rage | \ --O | \ --O + kick O O O O Guy runs forward and does multiple kicks. Good range. Goes through fireballs at all Levels. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 7 hits. Be careful, since if your opponent blocks all the hits, you are open to a counterattack. Use it in ambushes after a blocked Bushin move, after an overhead hit, or just before your opponent lands from a missed anti-air move. *Super Combo #2* Bushin Jump | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Guy does a series of jumping punches and kicks. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 5 hits. Level 3: 6 hits. This move is rather unpredictable. It usually requires your opponent to be far in front of you in the air, but it still is pretty hard to time and position correctly. However, the Level 1 SC has good anti-air priorities, so use it if your opponent likes to jump in. Note: I have noticed that when executing the Level 2 or Level 3 SC, if I press punch immediately when the SC begins, I hit a lot more often. Seems like the punches don't start until you hit another punch button. *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG, S. FIERCE, S. ROUNDHOUSE This chain combo has a special name, "Bushin Gokusa Ken" . Perhaps this combo is taken from Final Fight. Make sure that you press the S. ROUNDHOUSE *immediately* after the S. FIERCE, since the timing for that last hit is trickier. Be aware that the S. JAB and the S. FIERCE may miss crouching defenders, thus ruining your chain combo. C. SHORT, S. STRONG, S. ROUNDHOUSE, C. ROUNDHOUSE This chain combo is somewhat "safer" than the one above since this one can hit crouching opponents. Note that the C. ROUNDHOUSE (the slide) will combo after the S. ROUNDHOUSE (the crescent kick) even though it may not seem like it. This combo also tends to dizzy opponents rather easily. C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, C. ROUNDHOUSE Guy's standard 3-hit chain combo. You can even omit the C. ROUNDHOUSE and allow the C. FORWARD sweep to hit twice and knock down the opponent. *Combos* S. FIERCE, BUSHIN RUN w/ ROUNDHOUSE This is a quick, 3-hit combo that is very easy to dizzy with. C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, BUSHIN RUN w/ FORWARD Another very easy-to-do combo, this looks more stylish than Guy's standard 3-hit chain. You can also try the Bushin Run with the RH instead of the FORWARD. S. FORWARD, BUSHIN LEAP The S. FORWARD, blocked or not, will stun your opponent long enough to allow the Bushin Leap to get within throw range. GUY'S RE-DIZZY COMBO: (Corner) J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. JAB, S. STRONG, S. FIERCE, BUSHIN RUN w/ ROUNDHOUSE This combo is insanely hard to pull-off, but it re-dizzys almost every character except Ken and Ryu. Much practice is needed to pull this one off correctly. It may not seem difficult, but you'll see what I mean when you try it. Guy's strength lies in his speed and jabbing moves. Guy also has excellent throw priority. Use all of this to your advantage. Keep constant pressure on your opponent. Use lots of throws and Bushin Leaps. Fake throwing and use his three crouching kick chain combo to nail a counter-throw attempt. Nail your opponent with the overhead elbow as he is getting up (he'll be expecting sweeps), then follow up with a chain. Do not let up for a second. Be a total nightmare and don't allow your opponent to get a move in. Know that his S. FORWARD kick is an excellent poking attack. Use it to set up the occasional Bushin Run jump kick, or better yet, the Bushin Leap. Or just keep your opponent at bay with it, since it does have good range and speed. The biggest fault a Guy player can have is predictability. Guy's moves are good, but you will get plastered if your opponent sees them coming. While this is true for any character, it is especially true for Guy. If your opponent just keeps blocking in the corner, be patient and weed them out. Throw, tick, fake, etc. to keep your opponent moving. They will them open themselves up to your other attacks. You will also have to work around Guy's annoying high jump, since it invites DP's. Stick to the ground and try to keep your opponent pinned down with ground combos and overhead hits. ---------- 3.9) SODOM ---------- "Guess I beat you pretty bad. Nothing personal." -Sodom, SFA Sodom, a former gangster, fights to avenge his defeat to Guy several years previous. Note: The weapons he is carrying are called jitte, not sai. Jitte look similar to sai, but they are blunt and have only one prong sticking out of the side. They are used as bludgeons, much like police batons. They can also be used to catch swords, nunchaku, and other weapons. (Then again, some might think that Sodom is attacking with a pair of tuning forks ...) Starting Pose: Sodom throws off his peasant's hat and cloak. Winning Pose #1: Sodom stands with arms at his side and bows. Winning Pose #2: Sodom extends his arms straight out to the sides and twirls his jitte, then yells. Winning Pose #3: Sodom holds out a fan and either fans paper butterflies above his hand or makes a small water fountain. He says "Appareh!" *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Sodom does a SHORT Jitte Slice. Good range, meaning that Sodom can even AC projectiles and whack his opponent from a medium distance away. However, you might miss if you AC a very high jump kick. *Taunt* Sodom stands up straight with his arms at his sides and bows down in "respect." *Tengu Walk* {A "tengu" is a human-like spirit} O-- / | + kick (like rolling, except with kick button) O O Sodom will land on the ground by planting his jitte into the ground, performing a handstand. Then he'll proceed to "walk" with his jitte, hitting his opponent for up to three hits. This move is a cool and original way to catch your opponent off-guard. However, when Sodom hits the ground, there is a delay before he starts walking, so don't perform the Tengu Walk too many times or your opponent will just anticipate it and sweep. Also, don't use this move against those who like to jump or throw projectiles often. *Slide Kick* C. ROUNDHOUSE Although difficult to time, Sodom's slide CAN go under all projectiles, even Sagat's Low Tiger Shot. Plus, the recovery time is excellent, even though it *seems* that Sodom leaves himself wide open. Slide often. *Jitte Slice* {Jigoku Scrape - Hell Scrape} --O | \ + punch O O Sodom races forward with his jitte outstretched. Good range, speed, and recovery. Can hit up to 2 times. JAB: Side hook slice. STRONG: Uppercut slice. Good priority against jumpers. FIERCE: Arcing slice. This has the greatest range. *Power Bomb* {Butsumetsu Buster - Butsumetsu is the unluckiest day in the Buddhist calendar.} | \ --O O + punch O O / Sodom takes a small hop forward, jabbing his jitte downward. If they touch his opponent, Sodom carries them high into the air and slams them down on the ground. This move cannot be blocked. *Carpet Bomb* {Daikyou Burning - Daikyou is the worst possible luck in Buddhism.} | \ --O O + kick O O / Sodom runs forward with his jitte in front of him. If he hits his opponent, he pushes them down and drags them on the ground until they catch on fire. This move *can* be blocked. *Super Combo #1* Mega Jitte Slice {Meido no Miyage - Hades' Gift} | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Sodom does multiple Jitte Slices in a row. Goes through fireballs at Levels 2 and 3. Level 1: 3 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 7 hits, last hit is a jumping attack. *Super Combo #2* Mega Power Bomb 720 degree circle + punch Sodom grabs his opponents with his Jitte and takes them for a ride. Sodom CAN be knocked out of the grabbing animation rather easily. Level 1: 2 Power Bombs. Level 2: 2 massive Power Bombs. Level 3: 2 massive Power Bombs and a Carpet Bomb. This is best used after a jump kick and can be used to catch your opponent while he is expecting to block subsequent ground attacks. Remember that the Level 3 version can take off at least 80%! *Chains* S. JAB, S. FORWARD, S. ROUNDHOUSE S. JAB, S. STRONG, C. ROUNDHOUSE S. SHORT, S. FORWARD, S. ROUNDHOUSE S. SHORT, S. FORWARD, C. ROUNDHOUSE *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. ROUNDHOUSE, CARPET BOMB Basic combo, causes plenty of damage. However, if this is blocked, Sodom is combo-fodder. J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. SHORT, S. FORWARD, S. ROUNDHOUSE, CARPET BOMB 5-hit combo that can typically cause 40% damage. This combo is safer because you can see whether your opponent is blocking the first few hits, thus you can hold back with the Carpet Bomb if needed. However, sometimes the S. ROUNDHOUSE may miss, so watch the ranges. J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. SHORT, S. FORWARD, C. ROUNDHOUSE An alternative to the previous combo, you end with a slide instead of a Carpet Bomb attempt. While executing either combo, you can switch to the other combo depending on whether your opponent is blocking or not. Sodom's strategy revolves both around his grabbing moves and his Jitte Attacks. His crouching FIERCE and STRONG Jitte Slice can take out all jumpers easily. His slide will go underneath fast and medium-speed projectiles, including Sagat's low Tiger Shot. Also, Sodom's jump is quick and has very little hang time, meaning that opponents will have a hard time trying to DP him on reaction. Sodom's Power Bomb has a very short range, and there is a delay as Sodom leaps forward with his Jitte before he actually grabs his victim. On the up side, the move does almost 25% damage to a healthy opponent and can be used in combos effectively. The Carpet Drop, although blockable, can be used in ANY combo Sodom has, regardless of how far away that opponent gets pushed by the normal part of the combo. The Carpet Drop will just suck them in with ease. Sodom's Mega Jitte Slice SC his jumpers particularly well and has excellent recovery afterwords. Although the Mega Power Bomb SC has lousy range, you can always buffer it with a jump kick and catch your opponent while he's still blocking. Sodom can really give opponents a hard time by jumping in with a kick, then alternating between throwing a chain combo and executing a Power Bomb. If the opponent is expecting to block a chain combo, he may be caught by the Power Bomb, whereas if the opponent is trying to jab Sodom out of a Power Bomb attempt, he may get hit by the chain combo. (Remember that the chain combo can include a Carpet Bomb! In effect, you'll be choosing between a Power Bomb and a Carpet Bomb.) Overall, Sodom should be played very offensively. "No mercy" is key. SODOM'S CHEESE KICK: If you throw Sodom's S. ROUNDHOUSE while your opponent is getting up from the ground, your opponent will NOT be able to block it, period. Of course, the timing is crucial, but it is possible to trip your opponent, throw an unblockable S. ROUNDHOUSE as he gets up, interrupt right into a Carpet Bomb, then repeat for a cheap victory. However, the opponent may be able to DP or even throw right through the Cheese Kick. (I've been thrown many times trying to Cheese Kick a computer opponent, but I don't remember any human opponent being able to counter.) ---------- 3.10) ROSE ---------- "Are you finished?" -Rose, SFA Starting Pose: Rose hovers with a Soul Spark at each side, igniting her Soul Power. Winning Pose #1: Rose holds out her shawl and makes a Soul Spark revolve around it. She says, "Soreja Dame" Winning Pose #2: Rose wags her finger at her opponent, shakes her head, and says something in Japanese. Winning Pose #3: Two image clones emanate on either side of Rose. Then Rose wags her finger at her opponent and says "Mada mada ne" *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Rose does a very mini-version of her Soul Throw, throwing her opponent down to the opposite side of her. The opponent is not harmed, but instead is stunned for a fraction of a second. This is a very small window of time to damage your opponent. You can typically get a RH sweep in, but not always. You can also try going for a _very_ quick SC, such as a Level 1 or 2 Aura Soul Spark SC. This is known as the Alpha Counter Super Combo, or ACSC. *Taunt* Similar to winning pose #2, but Rose says "Mada mada ne." *Slide Kick* \ + FORWARD O Rose slides in with a kick. It doesn't knock the opponent down and it doesn't go over projectiles, but nonetheless, it's a great move to harrass opponents with. *Soul Spark* / | \ --O + punch O O O Rose whips out her shawl and launches a projectile. Her opponent can be hit by both the shawl and the Spark. *Soul Reflect* | / O-- + punch O O Rose snaps her shawl in front of her. reflecting all normal projectiles back at her opponent. It will not work against Super Combo projectiles, though. This move can also be used as a normal attack, although rarely should it be used as such. JAB: Absorb projectile into Rose's Super Meter. STRONG: Reflect projectile horizontally. FIERCE: Reflect projectile diagonally upwards, catching opponents who like to jump after throwing a projectile. *Soul Throw* --O | \ + punch O O Rose jumps up diagonally and air-throws her opponent. This move has mediocre priority, but it is useful against jumpers nonetheless. *Super Combo #1* Aura Soul Spark | / O-- | / O-- + punch O O O O Rose shoots a Soul Spark that hits multiple times and goes through projectiles. Loses 1 hit for each projectile it passes through. At higher Levels, Rose does a Soul Reflect and some kicks before throwing the Soul Spark. Level 1: Single Spark, 3 hits. Level 2: Soul Reflect plus Spark, 6 hits. Level 3: Super Soul Reflect plus Spark, 9 hits. Note that the Level 3 SC can reflect even SC projectiles, like Ryu's Shinkuu Hadouken! Thus, if you are close enough and you time things right, you can hit your opponent with his own SC projectile plus _your_ own Soul Spark! *Super Combo #2* Aura Soul Throw | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Rose does some uppercuts which knock her opponent into the air. She then does a Soul Throw, doing *major* damage. Level 1: Rose simply does a more damaging Soul Throw. This Level DOES NOT hit opponents on the ground like Levels 2 and 3 Level 2: Rose throws two uppercuts to knock her opponent into the air, then performs a Soul Throw. Level 3: Rose does 3 uppercuts and performs a Soul Throw. I believe this SC is invulnerable. Thus, if you see your opponent jump towards you, instead of performing the normal Soul Throw, you may want to perform a Level 1 Aura Soul Throw instead for invulnerability and higher damage. Don't worry about using up your Super Meter, since Rose builds up her meter fairly quickly. *Super Combo #3* Soul Illusion | \ --O | \ --O + kick O O O O This causes several "shadows" to follow Rose and mirror her motions. Any hit on her opponent will be multiplied by about 4 as the shadow trails tag their hits on as well. The higher the Level, the longer the shadows remain. Level 1: Images last 5 seconds. Level 2: Images last 6 seconds. Level 3: Images last 9 seconds. After executing the SC, keep your opponent pinned with flying SHORT and FORWARD kicks, as well as slides and non-tripping moves. Her Soul Illusion SC makes Rose's normal attacks gain more priority, so make sure you keep your opponent standing while you punish him with multiple hits. *Chains* C. SHORT, C. FORWARD, C. ROUNDHOUSE This is Rose's *definitive* chain combo. It has excellent priority because each successive kick has a longer range than the previous kick, with the ROUNDHOUSE extending the furthest. Thus, you will almost never fail to hit with this chain. Use it often. Definitely the strangest character of the bunch, Rose is one of the best as well. She has 3 main strengths: her FORWARD slide, her Soul Reflect, and her Super Combos. The FORWARD slide has absolutely phenominal recovery, yet has a huge range of attack as well. Rose can trade equally with fireballers like Ryu using the slide due to how her legs stick out so far. Rose can even nab opponents with Super Combos or a Soul Spark with ease as they try and counter the slide. The only thing you have to be concerned with is not getting predictable with the slide and, as a result, eating a Super Combo or DP move. The Soul Reflect is a good move but can get you into trouble if used too much. You can reflect projectiles back into the face of an opponent, but most opponents will not throw a fireball as you stand there waiting for them to do so. If you mistime the Soul Reflect, the fireball can nail you during the stun afterwards. A good strategy is to use several slides and see if your opponent gets frustrated and tries to fireball his way out of the pattern. Then use the Soul Reflect and continue pushing that opponent back into the corner. Rose's best Super Combo is, by far, her Aura Soul Throw SC. With all of this jabbing and sliding, your opponent is bound to get frustrated and try and jump. If you don't have time, just use Rose's crouching FIERCE to counter. But you should be watching for the jump and plan accordingly. A Level 3 Aura Soul Throw takes off over 50% of the opponent's energy, making it a deadly punishment for one mistimed jump. These 3 tools, along with whatever else you dish out in your style of play, make Rose a very formidable opponent if played carefully and systematicly. The 2 moves you have to be careful with are Rose's Soul Throw and her Soul Spark. The Soul Throw is not invulnerable, so you need to catch your opponent rather early or very, very late in their jump to not get knocked out of it. The Soul Spark makes Rose extend her shawl outward, making her an easy target for jump-in attacks. ----------- 3.11) AKUMA ----------- "Weaklings! Is there no one worth fighting?" -Akuma, SFA Akuma "enters" the tournament for one reason only: to destroy all opponents. (Akuma is known as Gouki in Japan. Gouki means "great demon," while Akuma means "devil.") Starting Pose: Akuma starts with his back to the screen. Then he turns around and assumes his signature stance, shaking with rage. Winning Pose #1: Akuma assumes his pose again, shaking. Winning Pose #2: Akuma turns his back to the screen, and his kanji "Ten" appears on his back. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Akuma does a crouching ROUNDHOUSE kick. Be careful not to AC high jump attacks, since Akuma might miss. *Taunt* Akuma slams his feet on the ground (shaking the screen) and shakes with adrenaline rage for a brief second. *Overhead Knife Hand* --O + STRONG Identical to Ryu's Overhead Punch. This is an overhead hit. Because Akuma has such a dark skin tone and uniform, this overhead hit is very hard to see coming. *Spin Kick* --O + FORWARD Identical to Ryu's Spin Kick. Hits opponents on the way down. Use it to skip over sweeps and slides. Great for keeping your opponent pinned to the ground. *Diving Kick* Jump towards opponent, \ + FORWARD O Identical to his funky aerial kick in X-Men, Akuma dives down at a sharp vertical angle with a flying side kick. Follow it up with a chain combo or a DP. *Fireball* | \ --O + punch O O Standard fireball with *great* recovery time. *Red Fireball* O-- / | \ --O + punch O O O Akuma pauses for a decent delay and then throws a fireball that will set his opponent on fire and knock them down. Hits 1, 2, or 3 times, depending on button used. *Air Fireball* | \ --O + punch (in mid-air) O O Akuma throws a fireball diagonally downward. Notice that the stronger the punch button used, the faster the fireball travels and the more downward angle it gets. *Hurricane Kick* | / O-- + kick O O Goes over fireballs and Booms. Hits up to 3 times. Can juggle opponents hit out of the air. *Dragon Punch* --O | \ + punch O O Similar to Ryu's DP and almost impossible to air-block. Hits 1, 2, or 3 times in the air, depending on the button used. Unlike Ryu, Akuma can juggle opponents with his DP. *Forward Roll* | / O-- + punch O O Akuma takes a small hop forward and then rolls. Akuma is invulnerable to fireballs during the roll but not the hop. The hop he takes before the roll makes Akuma's roll useless because 90% of the time, Akuma will get hit out of the hop. *Air Roll* | \ --O O + punch O O / Akuma does a leap nearly identical to Guy's Bushin Leap (or Cammy's Hooligan Grab from SSF2T). As he is leaping in the air, you may do one of four things: Hyakki Gousai Press punch close to the opponent. Akuma will grab his opponent and perform a somersault shoulder breaker. Hyakki Goushou Press punch when not close to the opponent. Akuma will throw a powerful palm strike. Hyakki Goutsui Press kick close to the opponent. Akuma will grab the opponent and perform an inverted pile driver. Hyakki Gousen Press kick when not close to the opponent. Akuma will throw a drop kick. This move doesn't have that much of a range, plus it's somewhat slow. Although this move may be useful, Akuma players prefer to use his numerous other attacks. If you do want to use this attack, I find that the throw with Punch works best. The other attacks are either too slow, too short a range, or too risky. *Teleport* --O | \ + all 3 punch/kick OR O-- | / + all 3 punch/kick O O O O Akuma warps across the screen, traveling though everything else and appearing at a location determined by the joystick method and buttons used. Kicks teleport you a short distance, punches a long distance. The direction you do the DP motion determines which way you teleport. This move is a great way of getting out of the corner. The teleport is perfect for players who like to fight from a distance and stay out of their opponent's reach. *Super Combo #1* Great Fireball SC | / O-- | / O-- + punch O O O O Akuma crouches down and gathers Chi at both of his fists. He then launches the energy in one big fireball. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 8 hits. Much more powerful than even Ryu's own Shinkuu Hadouken. It should be used in the same manner as Ryu's. *Super Combo #2* Great Dragon Punch SC | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Identical to Ken's Shoryureppa. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 8 hits. *Super Combo #3* Aerial Fireball SC In air, | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Akuma launches an air fireball that acts identical to his ground Shinkuu Hadouken. This SC fireball can be air-blocked. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 8 hits. Generally safer to do than the ground version of the SC, since Akuma is pushed back away to safety. *Super Combo #4* Raging Demon JAB, JAB, Tap --O, SHORT Can only be performed when your Super Meter is at Level 3. Akuma teleports slowly toward his opponent. If he makes contact (this move cannot be blocked) the screen flashes white and Akuma delivers 15 hits to his opponent, causing 50% damage. This SC is devastating against computer opponents and against human novices. Just trip your opponent, then perform the Raging Demon SC, and you should be able to catch your opponent after he gets up. However, Akuma can easily be hit or even thrown out of the Raging Demon SC, so it's tactical value against experienced opponents is close to nil. (The Raging Demon SC is also known as the "Bison Killer" because in SSF2T, if you got to Akuma as a secret boss, this was the move that Akuma used to enter the screen and pummel Bison. Obviously, it doesn't mean that the Raging Demon works any better on Bison in SFA than on any other character.) *Chains* Note that Akuma can execute any chain and combo that Ryu can. However, Akuma has some other combos as well, which are listed below. *Combos* AIR HURRICANE KICK, DRAGON PUNCH The DP should be able to catch an opponent after the HK knocks him out of the air. LATE AIR FIREBALL, ANY GROUND COMBO Jump towards your opponent, throw an air fireball very late, then immediately follow up with a ground combo or SC. With luck, you'll be able to hit your opponent at the same time as the fireball. Akuma is basically a Ryu on steroids with two more useful moves: an air fireball and a teleport. His two other new moves (the roll and leaping moves) are pretty worthless, so don't bother with them. Just play a strong Ryu and incorporate the air fireball and teleport to win. Be careful you don't accidentally do the Red Fireball when trying to do a normal fireball. The motions are *extremely* sensitive, and there is a huge delay on the Red Fireball that will get you killed easily. The one thing that Akuma has against him is a damage handicap. Akuma takes approximately 30% more damage per hit than normal characters do. That means that your opponent needs to land fewer chain combos to defeat you, and Super Combos can kill you at high Levels. I had the CPU Ryu do his Level 3 HK Super Combo against my Akuma and take 80% of my life away, utterly destroying me. -------------- 3.12) M. BISON -------------- "You were almost entertaining." -M. Bison, SFA M. Bison is on a world-wide tour of domination and destruction. He uses the Street Fighter tournament to recruit able fighters for his Shadoloo organization. (Bison is known as Vega in Japan.) Starting Pose: With a grin and arms crossed, Bison slowly hovers down to the ground. Winning Pose #1: Bison stands, crosses his arms, grins, and says, "Huh, nuruiwa!" Winning Pose #2: Like #1, but Bison teleports above the ground and floats. Winning Pose #3: Bison faces the screen and makes a slashing gesture across the throat with his thumb. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + punch O O Bison does a standing STRONG punch. Very instant, rarely misses. *Taunt* Similar to winning pose #1, but Bison says nothing. *Slide* C. ROUNDHOUSE Like before, Bison slides a good distance. Make SURE you can hit your opponent with the slide, for if you miss, you will be wide open for a combo. *Double Knee Press* Charge O-- --O + kick Bison jumps horizontally with his legs outstretched. Hits 2 times. This move has good recovery, so don't be afraid to use it whenever it is charged up. However, an opponent can jab Bison out of it, or even DP it. *Psycho Shot* Charge O-- --O + punch Bison releases a violet energy ball. This projectile requires very little time to charge up. Use it like you would use Charlie's Sonic Boom, i.e. often. You can also try throwing a JAB Psycho Shot, then following it in with a jump kick. *Demon Stomp* {Head Press} Charge | O + kick (then punch) O | Bison flies in the air and quickly stomps on his opponent's head. He then jumps up again and can then be controlled as he comes down. At this point, pressing punch again will cause Bison to follow through with a flying Psycho Fist. Both attacks are overhead hits. Just like before, you can give your opponent a major headache. Be careful, though, since your opponent can either jump kick or DP you before you can land the second hit. *Demon Flight* {Somersault Skull Diver} Charge | O + punch (then punch again) O | Bison fakes a Demon Stomp as he flies over the opponent's head. When you press punch again, Bison flips, then comes down on his opponent with a Psycho Fist. *Teleport* {Vega Warp in Japan; perhaps Bison Warp in America?} --O | \ + all 3 punch/kick OR O-- | / + all 3 punch/kick O O O O Bison teleports, appearing at a location determined by the joystick motion and buttons. Kicks make you teleport a short distance. Punches make you teleport a long distance. The joystick motion determines your teleport direction. This teleport is pretty instant and can either get you out of the corner, or it can reposition you where you can throw a surprise attack on your opponent's unguarded side. Be warned that Bison can get hit out of the teleport quite easily, so pay special attention to where you want to end up. *Super Combo #1* Knee Press Nightmare Charge O-- --O O-- --O + kick Bison performs multiple Knee Presses. Level 2 and 3 can go through projectiles easily; Level 1 also can if you time it right. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 8 hits. *Super Combo #2* Psycho Crusher Charge O-- --O O-- --O + punch Bison does a REALLY, REALLY powerful version of his SF2 Torpedo. Goes through fireballs at all Levels. Level 1: 4 hits. Level 2: 6 hits. Level 3: 8 hits. This move can hit people out of the air with ease, causing massive damage. However, this move isn't invulnerable, so on rare occasions, your opponent could hit you out of the Psycho Crusher. The best time to use Bison's Psycho Crusher is after blocking a DP or other move that allows for counterattacks. You can really punish an opponent who just misanticipated your actions. Since opponent like to jump in on Bison, try to anticipate when your opponent will jump, then release a Psycho Crusher right at the jump. Bison will reach your opponent rather quickly, tagging him and landing all potential hits. *Chains* None known. Bison seems to have no moves that can be used as a chain. *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. ROUNDHOUSE Since the S. ROUNDHOUSE can hit twice, make sure the jump kick hits very deep. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. JAB, C. JAB, PSYCHO SHOT Similar to Charlie's standard combo. Bison has really changed from SSF2T. Not only is he wider and bulkier, but he moves and attacks a lot differently. His Psycho Crusher is now a SC, and the Psycho Shot now becomes his main special move. His attacks come out a lot slower, but he no longer has that annoying hang time in his jump. Since Bison isn't really a reactionary fighter, you'll have to be on the offense to make up for his lack of defensive ability. Throw his Psycho Shot often, and harass your opponent with Knee Presses and Head Stomps. Don't be too afraid to jump in and attack, since Bison has a quicker jump than before. Teleport whenever you get into trouble. Finally, use his Psycho Crusher often, because it's too powerful to be ignored. You may have trouble against an old-school Ryu or Ken because they can easily match you projectile for projectile, plus they can DP you out of the air quickly. You may want to try and slide in when they throw fireballs. You'll trade hits, but it will be your opponent who will end up on the ground. This should give you some initiative. --------- 3.13) DAN --------- "My father could beat you, and he's dead!" -Dan, SFA Dan fight to avenge his father's death at the hands of Sagat and to prove himself the _best_ fighter in the world. (Dan's full name is Hibiki Dan, which is a Japanese pun meaning "small fireball.") Starting Pose: Dan sticks his forearm out at his opponent with a clenched fist. Winning Pose #1: Dan sticks his forearm out at his opponent with a clenched fist. Winning Pose #2: Dan sticks his forearm out at his opponent with a clenched fist. *Alpha Counter* O-- / | + kick O O Dan does a crouching ROUNDHOUSE. Like Akuma's AC, be careful when Alpha Countering a high jump attack, or you may miss. *Taunt* #1 Dan sticks his forearm out at his opponent with a clenched fist. #2 Identical to starting pose. #3 Identical to winning pose #2. *Fireball* | \ --O + punch O O This fireball only goes about an inch (seriously!). You can use it in a combo, or you can use it to negate projectiles thrown at you. I've even been able to hit a few opponents out of the air with Dan's fireball. *Dragon Punch* --O | \ + punch O O Like Ryu's Dragon Punch, but has no invulnerability. Use it as your standard anti-air move. *Gale kick* | / O-- + kick O O Dan flies horizontally forward, performing multiple kicks. Hits 1, 2, or 3 times, depending on the button used. The button also determines the angle of flight. The RH version can really punish an opponent if it hits, but beware, for if it is blocked, it is easily Alpha-Countered. The SHORT version is good for hopping over fireballs, but if you end up too close to your opponent, you may get swept. *Super Combo #1* Super Fireball | \ --O | \ --O + punch O O O O Dan lets a large fireball go that travels various distances, depending on the Level used. Level 1: 3 hits, travels 1 inch. Level 2: 4 hits, travels 1.5 inches. Level 3: 5 hits, travels 2 inches. This SC is used best in combos. It is also effective when your opponent gets close and within range, since opponents rarely think about defense. *Super Combo #2* Double Dragon Punch | \ --O | \ --O + kick O O O O Dan does 2 vertical Dragon Punches that stays in place (except Level 3). Level 1: 2 DP's, 4 hits. Level 2: 2 DP's, 5 hits. Level 3: 3 DP's, 6 hits, last DP moves out horizontally. This is not as good as Ken's, since Dan does not move horizontally, except for his Level 3. Thus, you won't be able to land all the hits unless you have you opponent in the corner (and we all know how OFTEN that happens.) *Super Combo #3* Desperation | / O-- | / O-- + kick O O O O Dan throws a whole bunch of kicks and punches in place. (It resembles Robert Garcia's desparation move from Art of Fighting, but without the forward leap at the beginning.) Note that if the first kick lands, the opponent is pulled towards Dan, allowing the rest of the hits to connect. Level 1: A bunch of front kicks, 4 hits. Level 2: Dan adds a DP at the end, 7 hits. Level 3: Like Level 2, but 12 hits. I consider Dan's Desperation SC to be his one redeeming move. Add this SC to a jump-in combo for some real damage. Use the Level 1 Desperation SC often whenever you are within range, since the Level 2 and Level 3 versions leave Dan wide open if blocked. But if you have charged up your Meter to Level 3 and your opponent just whiffed an anti-air move, wait until just before he lands, then throw the Level 3 SC for over 50% damage! *Chains* S. JAB, S. STRONG C. JAB, C. STRONG C. JAB, C. SHORT *Combos* J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, FIREBALL J. ROUNDHOUSE, S. FIERCE, DRAGON PUNCH Yes, the old standby combos that worked for Ryu and Ken also work for Dan, since the range is so close. J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. FORWARD, RH GALE KICK Not a true combo, but a good way to shave health off your opponent. Be careful, for the Gale Kick invites AC's. If you've played Dan even once or twice, you'll know that he really is meant to be a joke. However, you can use that handicap to your advantage. Since people playing against Dan is bound to be soft on their defense, you can really turn the match into an upset. Against projectile throwers, use Dan's Fireball to block your opponent's projectiles. You can quickly build your Super Meter this way. (Your opponent will, too, but you're more worried about Dan's own offensive abilities, not your opponent's.) Occasionally, you can use the SHORT Gale Kick to hop over a projectile and approach your opponent. Once you reach him, your only hope is to get a sweep in and try and trip him up. Then try a jump-in attack, or stay close and fake, or execute a Level 1 Desperation SC, or whatever. Dan's only effective with jump-in attacks, meaning that a good player who can perform wake-up DP's can kill Dan easily (but then, *anyone* can kill Dan easily). Still, remember that all hope isn't lost, because if you can land a Desperation or a Gale Kick, you have caused a good amount of damage right there. ********************************** 4) Secrets, Storylines, and Extras ********************************** ----------------------------- 4.1) Endings (Spoiler Alert!) ----------------------------- RYU - Fights Sagat Basicly, we see Sagat lying on the ground, beaten and VERY upset. He tells Ryu that he will kill him, but Ryu shrugs Sagat off, complaining that he's too little of a challenge. He tells Sagat as he departs that true warriors fight not with hate but with skill. Note that during the dialogue before the final fight, Sagat is holding a limp and unconscious Dan with one hand. Obviously, Dan didn't quite succeed in his quest for revenge. KEN - Fights Ryu At the beginning of the match, we get some cool dialogue between Ken and Ryu where Ryu puts down Ken as a "trainee" and Ken snidely remarks back that he can and will whoop Ryu's sorry butt in a fight. (Actually, it's more like "Long time, no see. Still training?" "Good enough to defeat you." "We'll see.") After the fight, Ryu congratulates Ken on his new-found strength. Awesome pic of Ken and Ryu clasping hands together. Ryu asks what Ken will do next, and Ken replies that he already has another challenger waiting for him elsewhere. Cut to a scene where Ken is walking away victorioius from this next fight. He is on what will become his SF2 background stage. A young, blond-haired girl names Eliza runs after him and asks him why he fights so fiercely. Ken replies that he must battle one man and make him pay for something. Ken may be referring to Akuma, the man who may have ended up killing Ryu and Ken's teacher in Japan. The woman talking to Ken is obviously the girl who marries Ken at the end of SF2. SAGAT - Fights Ryu SAGAT: "You scarred me and sealed your fate." "Now the scales will be balanced." "You took my honor and now I'll destroy you!" RYU: "You just don't get it, do you?" SAGAT: "Shut up! I won't lose this time!" After winning, Sagat says the memorable quote, "Revenge is a dish best served cold." He then sees that Ryu looks at him with pity. Sagat is empty. Did Ryu actually fight with all his strength, or did he hold back in honor? Before Sagat can consider this further, a hoverjet lands in the background. M. Bison appears, telling Sagat to forget his foolish vendetta which he has already won. Now, if Sagat truly wants to be feared, he must learn "Psycho Power." We get to see 2 early mug shots of Vega and Balrog in the background. CHUN LI - Fights Bison Chun Li tells Bison that he is under arrest for drug trafficking. After she beats him, we get some brief "You're finished, Bison!" dialogue before Bison gets up off the ground and grasps Chun Li's midsection, blasting Psycho Power throughout her body. Cut to a hospital scene where Chun is surrounded by a couple of government agents. The game then tells us Chun Li's true motive, which is to crush M. Bison for murdering her father. CHARLIE - Fights Bison Bison has no clue who Charlie is, but Charlie seems pretty bent on arresting Bison for something. Anyway, after Charlie wins, he calls in the troops with his radio. But what's this?! Bison crawls up behind Charlie, the screen flashes white, and.... NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! The last scene we see is Bison tossing Charlie's dog tags over his shoulder, calling Charlie a fool for thinking he would ever let him live. BIRDIE - Fights Bison Birdie tells Bison that he wants to fight him as a test to enter Shadoloo. After beating Bison, Birdie gets to be Bison's right-hand man. We see Birdie picking up some scrawny guy in a suit in a bar somewhere. We then get this "oh-so-dramatic" text postulating whether or not Birdie will try and kill Bison to oust him and take his place. We never find out, and the ending cuts there. ADON - Fights Sagat Adon was Sagat's teacher, but now he touts to Sagat that he has surpassed his master's skill. Sagat tells him to get a life and prepare to be put back in his miserable place. After winning, Adon is approached by M. Bison. Bison admires Adon's strength and proposes that Adon join Shadoloo (join or die, that is). After a few cynical comments about drugs and Bison, M. Bison becomes enraged and attacks Adon. We last see Adon cheerfully jumping up to meet the challenge. GUY - Fights Bison Guy stands over Bison's fallen body, clenching his fists. He says that he is ready and has reached his goal of ultimate strength. After jumping away, Bison looks up from the ground with a wicked smile on his face and says that Guy will pay dearly for the insult given today. SODOM - Fights Guy Sodom tells Guy how much he hates him. Guy makes a couple of comments dripping with sarcasm, and the fight proceeds. Afterwords, we see Sodom re-assembling the Mad Gears (the gang from Final Fight). He rallies them, saying that this is the beginning of a new dawn for their organization. And, to make them feared throughout the world, he says that the Mad Gears will now be known as ... Sodom then holds a scroll that has four Kanji on it. When pronounced in Japanese, they sound like: Ma DoGi A Thus, the new name, roughly translated, stands for "Cult of Demonic Morals." Of course, if you pronounce the syllables in one breath, you will sound out the name "Mad Gear" in an Asian accent. The CPU then says something akin to, "Gosh, that is a really stupid name!" ROSE - Fights Bison Rose tells Bison that he has abused his power too much and must now pay. Bison obviously knows her and was even expecting her, but he doesn't reveal how they are connected, other than someone sent Rose to deal with Bison. After the match, Rose uses all of her remaining Soul Power to drain Bison dry of energy. This leaves her near-death. Yet, we see Bison on the ground with smoke rising from his heart as Rose hears a heartbeat. The game then asks something like, "What it M. Bison?" referring to the heartbeat. AKUMA - Fights Bison Bison tells Akuma how much he admires his incredible strength. Puzzled, Bison then asks Akuma why he hesitates. We get some blurb about Akuma doubting his strength, and the match proceeds. Afterwords, we see Akuma's portrait with 3 people scrolling by in the background. (I wonder if they are the portraits of Master Gouken and Grandmaster Goutetsu.) The game tells us that, although Akuma has bested the greatest warriors of the world, his victory is empty. Akuma realizes that it is the path, not the goal, that matters. M. BISON - Fights Rose Rose confronts Bison, telling him that he has abused his power for too long. Bison remarks that some "group" sent Rose to defeat him, and then they fight. After the battle, Bison stands over Rose's dead body, commenting that Soul Power is nothing compared to his awesome strength. "Will anyone be able to stop Bison from taking over the world?" is the last thought the game gives you. DAN - Fights Sagat Dan sounds rather upset as he revels in the fact that he has reached Sagat. Sagat appears confused, and Dan explains that his father was killed by Sagat. Sagat recalls this man as being the one who blinded Sagat's one eye. After the fight we see Dan rolling around on the ground, making fists and looking generally happy. He starts gleefully cheering that he has beaten Sagat. M. Bison suddenly teleports onto the screen and offers to make Dan the greatest fighter in the world if he joins Shadoloo. Dan, in his new-found arrogance, tells Bison that he is too late, that he is already the greatest in the world. Bison scowls at him and teleports off the screen. ------------------------- 4.2) Those Little Symbols ------------------------- When you win a round, you are given a marker by your Energy Bar to signify your win. Instead of a generic marker, in SFA you are given a marker that reflects what type of win you got. Here are the symbols you can get: V This stands for a normal move victory. S Special (complex-motion) move victory. S* Super Combo victory. Cheese S Blocked special move victory. Cheese S* Blocked Super Combo victory. Lasso Throw victory. Hourglass Time-out victory. P Perfect (no damage taken) victory. ------------------------ 4.3) Character Histories ------------------------ Almost every character in SFA appears in another Capcom game from the past. RYU (Style: Shotokan Karate) The Ryu in SFA is the main character in the Street Fighter series, and perhaps the most imitated video game character of all time. He has the same boyish look that he had back in the 80's, but he doesn't seem to have the red hair. Ryu won the first Street Fighter tournament and stripped Sagat of his title of World Warrior. Ryu's stage takes place in front of a convenience store in Japan. His background music (or BGM) is a remixed version of his BGM in SF2. KEN (Style: Shotokan Karate) Ken is the other main character of the Street Fighter series. His skill was overshadowed by the victory of his friend and rival, Ryu. Ken looks much younger as well, having a long ponytail tied back with a ribbon and a much more cocky attitude to him than he did in SF2. Ken's stage seems to take place at a park in New Orleans during late afternoon. His BGM is also taken from SF2, but with certain parts of the melody changed. SAGAT (Style: Muay Thai) The strongest fighter in the world, Sagat, was brought down by a "mere boy of a fighter" named Ryu in Street Fighter 1. Sagat's chest was scarred horribly by Ryu's winning Dragon Punch. Now, that scar fuels Sagat's hate each day as he trains for his rematch with Ryu. Sagat's stage is similar to his stage in SF2, with the huge statue in the background. His BGM music is the same as in SF2. CHUN LI (Style: Wushu) This is Chun Li's first appearance in the SF timeline. She is originally from SF2 where she avenges the death of her father. In SFA she is working for some government agency, assigned to arrest Bison for drug trafficking. Her stage is the Great Wall of China, during the evening. Her BGM music is a cool contemporary remix of her BGM in SF2. CHARLIE (Style: Special Forces) Charlie is Guile's friend who is killed by M. Bison between SFA and SF2. This is the first game in which he has physically appeared. Charlie, like Chun Li, is also on a mission to arrest Bison. His stage is like Ken's, except that it takes place during nighttime, and a crowd of people has gathered to watch the match. BIRDIE (Style: Undetermined) This brawler from England was in the original Street Fighter tournament. Back then, his moves consisted of a couple overhead slams and a headbutt. Now, Birdie has been modernized and is ready for serious action. His stage takes place around the Roman Colloseum in Italy. ADON (Style: Muay Thai) Adon is Sagat's student from Thailand, and (I think) the second to last computer opponent in Street Fighter 1. He retains his awesome Jaguar Kick and has a new, formidable arsenal of kicks as well. He also sports an evil-looking grin and a fighter's attitude. His stage is identical to Sagat's, but now with late afternoon lighting. GUY (Style: Bushinryu Ninjutsu) A player character from the smash hit Final Fight, Guy has been given a strange arsenal of moves new to the SF series and retains his rising spin kick from the original game. Some of his normal kicks and punches resemble those from Final Fight, along with the way he walks. Guy's stage is a palette-swap of Ryu's. His BGM is a remix of the 1st stage BGM in Final Fight. SODOM (Style: Undetermined style, perhaps involving weapons) Originally a boss character from Level 2 of Final Fight, Sodom now wields a pair of jitte instead of his katanas and has a host of new rushing and grappling moves. Sodom was defeated in Final Fight, presumably by Guy. Now a gangster without a gang, Sodom becomes a wanderer, hoping to one day head a gang of his own. Sodom's stage is a trainyard somewhere near the west coast of the U.S., perhaps San Francisco. This stage looks almost identical to a certain stage in Street Fighter 1. Sodom's music is a more interesting remix of the 2nd stage BGM in Final Fight. ROSE (Style: Soul Power) Some say that Rose is Anita from Night Warriors, another Capcom fighting game. In that game, Anita appears as a small child with a teady bear. Others are convinced that Rose could not have been Anita. In any case, it seems she has been sent by someone to destroy M. Bison. Her Soul Power and Bison's Psycho Power may have come from the same source, but we can only wonder what that source is. Her scene is identical to that of Birdie's, but lighter. There are a couple of cats walking around in the background. (Can you name two other Capcom characters whose stages have cats walking around in the background besides Birdie?) AKUMA (Style: Shotokan Karate) Akuma is the Japanese word for "devil." In Japan, he is known as Gouki (pronounced goh-ki, not gooky), which means "great demon." Here is his story. (This is the version of the story that I am familiar with. Other versions may differ slightly.) Originally there was a fighter named Goutetsu who mastered a new style of fighting. (It is unknown whether Goutetsu invented the technique or not.) This technique was handed down to two of the grandmaster's pupils, Gouken and Akuma. Gouken subsequently taught it to Ryu, Ken, and to an extent, Dan as well. However, the style was originally meant to kill opponents by concentrating chi power into a murderous blow. Ryu and Ken learned a toned down version of the style with the killing function removed. It is unknown as to who toned down the style, Gouken or Goutetsu. Suffice to say that as time went on, Akuma rediscovered the lethal potential of the fighting technique. But as he did, the dark power he discovered gradually consumed him, transforming him into a murderous demon. He went back and murdered Gouken and Goutetsu in combat, and now roams the world in search of opponents worthy of his skill. Akuma has appeared as a hidden character in both SSF2T and X-Men: COTA. By the way, the symbol that appears on the back of his uniform is the Kanji "Ten", which stands for "Heaven." Someone mentioned that this figuratively translates to "Rest in peace," which makes sense considering Akuma _is_ like an angel of death. Akuma's stage is identical to Chun Li's Great Wall stage, but during early morning. His BGM seems to be a remix of his music in SSF2T that you hear if you were lucky enough to reach him as a secret boss. M. BISON (Style: Psycho Power) We still don't know where Bison comes from exactly. His first appearance is obviously in SF2, but we still have no idea what his origins are or how he came to power. His ending provides little insight on his origins, other than that he is connected to Rose somehow. M. Bison fights in the same place as Sodom, but it's wintertime. His BGM is taken from SF2, but sounds a lot more chaotic. DAN (Style: Shotokan Karate) Dan is the only character who isn't tied to Capcom's past. In fact, he may be parody of Robert Garcia from Art of Fighting. All of his moves are pathetic imitations of Robert's own moves. :) It seems that this Dan character has been in some of Capcom's SF2 artwork before, but never has he appeared or even been mentioned in a Capcom game before this. Dan's stage is identical to Sagat's and Adon's stage at dusk. ------------------------------------ 4.4) Selecting the Hidden Characters ------------------------------------ Capcom continues the newfound tradition of including hidden characters in their games. In SFA, there are three playable secret characters: Akuma, M. Bison, and Dan. Seeing that the SFA Arcade Soundtrack CD has the BGM's for thirteen characters, including the secret ones, it's apparent that there are no more secret characters in SFA. ***TO SELECT AKUMA OR M. BISON**** Get to the Random Select box on your side of the machine. Now, press and hold START. Do the following motions: If you are player ONE: Akuma- down, down, down, left, left, left Bison- down, down, left, left, down, left, left If you are player TWO: Akuma- down, down, down, right, right, right Bison- down, down, right, right, down, right, right After doing the joystick motion, press JAB and FIERCE together. You now have the hidden character you selected! To get the alternate color for the special characters, just use SHORT and ROUNDHOUSE instead. ***TO SELECT DAN*** Press START to initiate a one-player game or continue. HOLD START throughout the entire procedure. Move the cursor to the random select box on your side of the screen. Press the following buttons fairly quickly: For a Pink Dan: JAB, SHORT, FORWARD, ROUNDHOUSE, FIERCE, STRONG For a Green Dan: FIERCE, ROUNDHOUSE, FORWARD, SHORT, JAB, STRONG This code will work in either 1-player or 2-player mode. ------------------------------- 4.5) Code to Fight Akuma or Dan ------------------------------- AKUMA: There are two ways to get to Akuma as a computer-controlled opponent. Quick Way- First insert your money, press Start, and hold it down. Then move to your favorite character and press STRONG + FORWARD buttons at the same time. You will see the message "Here comes a new challenger" as if someone just joined in. Akuma will enter, perform his Raging Demon SC on the opponent you were "supposed" to fight, and then he fights you. Hard Way- Start a one-player game. Your goal is to get to the last fight without losing a round. Remember, winning every match isn't enough, i.e. you must win every match in two rounds without a lost round. Also, try and finish every round with a Super Combo. If you win a total of ten rounds with Super Combo Finishes before you get to the last fight, Akuma will appear in place of the final boss you are supposed to fight. The computer, playing as Akuma, is very tough to beat. Your best bet is to stick to the basics and try nothing fancy. Use only sure-fire techniques, like the fireball trap, or chain sweeps, or even just jumping away all the time and throwing occasional kicks. DAN: Start a one-player game and make sure you don't lose a match. It's OK to lose a round, though. As you win each match, choose the same winning quote (see section 2.15). For example, after every match, hold Down + All Punches before the winning quote appears so that you choose the same quote. After you win your fifth match, you will fight Dan in place of whomever was supposed to be your sixth opponent. After the match against Dan, the game will continue on its normal fashion. It takes more skill to lose against Dan than to beat him. Unlike Akuma, the computer plays Dan pretty pitifully, so you should have no trouble beating him. ----------------------------- 4.6) Ryu & Ken vs. Bison Code ----------------------------- No, this code is no joke. Two players can now play Ryu and Ken as a team against the computer's Bison. Here's how to do it: 1) Insert enough money for two people to start the game 2) Player 1 press the Start button and hold it down 3) Player 2 press the Start button and hold it down 4) Both players press Up, Up on the joysticks 5) Both players release their Start buttons 6) Both players press Up, Up on the joysticks 7) Player 1 press JAB 8) Player 2 press FIERCE I don't think that the two players have to enter the code in exact synchronization (i.e. you don't have to press the buttons at the exact same time, as long as you keep the general order). The Vs. screen will appear saying "Ryu Vs. Ken" and then disappear after a short delay. Then all of a sudden, the computer flashes "Here comes a new challenger" as if someone just joined into the game. Bison hovers down and offers Ryu and Ken to "join him or die." The two reject his offer, and then the fun begins. Here are the things I noticed from the match: - Ryu and Ken's attacks go through each other, i.e. they can't hurt each other. - Ryu and Ken both share the same health bar, so damage to one character is felt by the partner. Thus, when the health bar goes down to zero, both Ryu and Ken are KO'ed. - Your object is to double-side Bison and whale him with a barrage of attacks. There have been reports of 63-hit combos from people who use this tactic. Be aware that Bison will try and teleport away if you double-side him. - Because defense isn't practiced in such a match, be prepared for very quick rounds. Overall, I find the code to be THE BEEF! Of course, on machines that are set at 50 cents to start, the two of you may end up paying a dollar for a match that lasts about 60 seconds total. ------------------------------------------ 4.7) Special Endings and Hidden Characters ------------------------------------------ If you play the computer and do not lose a match, you will get to see the credits for the game scroll by as each character stands in their background while doing their winning pose. At the end of the credits, the Super Combo finishing background (yellow starburst) appears with your character's portrait and the words, "Congratulations! You are XXXXXX master. Your skill has not gone unnoticed." If you complete the game without losing a round, it is unknown what the differences are. Perhaps one of our faithful FAQ readers can tell us. ------------------------------------------------ 4.8) The Future for Capcom's Fighting Game Genre ------------------------------------------------ First of all, there are some rumors floating around as to the possibility of an update to SFA. According to the rumor, it will be named "Street Fighter Legends" and it will include: 1) A seperate stage for each character. For example, Ryu and Guy will no longer share the same stage, but will now have their own stages. 2) Sodom's cheesy Roundhouse and Guy's redizzy combo removed. 3) A few more regular and secret characters. 4) Improved backgrounds and graphics. Of course, this is only a rumor, so don't get your hopes up. Secondly, Capcom is currently releasing a sequel to their popular X- Men fighting game. Called Marvel Super Heroes, it includes Marvel comic characters like Captain America, Spiderman, and the Hulk. The game engine and graphics are very similar to that found in X-Men. Finally, the ultimate question: When is SF3 coming out? After all, there were three-and-a-half years between SF1 (August 1987) and SF2 (February 1991). Now, it's been almost five years since the release of SF2, and people are dying for #3 to be released. Well, if Capcom is working on SF3, they are wisely staying silent on it. They know as well as we do that the SF2 engine has been milked for what it's worth, and that SF3 must totally depart from the norm if it is to be successful. Whether that departure entails a change in the game engine, a change in the graphics scheme, or both, is anyone's guess. ************* 5) Appendices ************* ------------- 5.1) Glossary ------------- aerial attack - Any attack thrown in the air, like a flying kick. block stun - The short time period after a player blocks an attack, during which he cannot (normally) counterattack. buffer - Executing the joystick motions of a special move during a period where buttons don't register, like an animation pause or while your character is getting up from a knockdown. It is timed such that when the pause is over, the player can immediately press the button to complete the special move. (Note that a player can also buffer during the "chi" animation that occurs when his opponent executes a SC.) Bushinryu - A certain form of Ninjutsu. 'Bushin' stands for the Japanese god of war, and 'ryu' in this context means "The way of ..." cancel - When a player throws an attack, normally the player must wait while the first attack completes its animation before he can throw another attack. Cancelling allows the player to throw another attack right after the first one hits, thus "cancelling" the rest of the animation. chain combo - A type of combo that is performed by cancelling a normal ground attack with another normal ground attack. cheap - Ambiguous term that usually denotes a tactic that requires no skill to pull off, yet seems to work more than it should. An example would be ticking. chi - (pronounced 'key') In ancient Chinese medicine and mythology, the chi is the life force that flows through every living being. In SFA, it's the energy that is used in special attack. For example, Ryu and Ken's fireball is an extension of their chi, which is channeled through their hands into a wave that flies toward the opponent. combo - A series of attacks where, if the first one hits, the rest of the attacks also hit. corner trap - Tactic where a player keeps an opponent pinned in the corner by throwing continual attacks, like projectiles or poking attacks. If the opponent tries to jump out of the corner and towards the player, the player will execute an anti-air move and put the opponent back in the corner. Note that a fireball trap could also be a corner trap. fireball trap - Tactic where a Ryu, Ken, Akuma, or Sagat player throws projectiles all the time, causing the opponent to either stand and block the projectiles, or jump in and take a DP or other anti-air move. honor - Ambiguous term that usually implies either pulling off amazing techniques, or following proper "arcade etiquette." See cheap. interrupt - Identical to cancel. janitor - Someone who sweeps a lot. jitte - Metal baton with one prong sticking out from the side. They were widely used by Japanese police in the past. Jitte are especially useful for catching weapons, like swords and nunchaku, and can be used as an excellent defensive extension of the arm. juggling - Hitting an opponent multiple times in the air before he hits the ground. An example would be Guy's Rising Spin Kick or Akuma's DP. jump-in attack - The aerial attack that the player throws as the opponent is getting up from a knockdown. The timing is such that the opponent usually must block as he is getting up or get hit. (Note that in this FAQ, a jump-in attack is a timed aerial attack.) kanji - In Japanese writing, some characters are borrowed from Chinese. These are called kanji. meaty attack - Similar to a jump-in attack, except that the player throws a ground attack instead of an aerial attack. Muay Thai - Very offensive-minded martial art, it stresses developing your knees, shins, and insteps of your feet to deliver powerful kicks over and over again. neck kick - A type of jump-in attack which is positioned to hit the "back of the opponent's neck." Because of its positioning, the opponent must reverse his block direction, i.e. block by holding the joystick TOWARDS the opponent. Ninjutsu - More of a lifestyle than a style of fighting, ninjutsu is the art of stealth and invisibility. Also known as Shinobi. old schoolers - Term given to those who choose Ryu or Ken and play them using the old fireball trap techniques of previous SF2 games. overhead hit - A ground attack that can hit crouching defenders and must be blocked standing up, like Ken's Axe Kick. There is always a slight delay before the overhead attack hits. reversal - In Capcom's terminology, a reversal is a special move performed right after a block stun or right after getting up. Thus, a wake-up Dragon Punch is a type of reversal. Also, blocking a projectile, then immediately throwing one of your own is also considered a 'reversal.' sai - Metal weapon that looks like a jitte, except that it has two prongs sticking out from the sides. The main shaft can either be blunt like a jitte, or point sharp. I believe the sai was especially popular with women who used the weapon to extend their reach. Sheng Long - Chinese for "dragon punch." (It is unknown whether Gouken is "officially" known as Sheng Long in America. Hopefully not.) Shotokan - Type of Japanese empty-handed fighting style. I believe it originates from Okinawa. The Karate Kid movies resemble Shotokan karate. spaz - Opposite of a turtle, this is a player who unleashes an uncontrolled barrage of attacks without letting up. tech - Capcom's term for throw softening. (It seems to me that 'tech' was taken from the term 'tick.') tick - Tactic where a player throws either a jump or ground attack as a set-up, making his opponent block. Then while the opponent is still blocking, the player moves in for a throw. (The term 'tick' comes from sound that the game makes when the opponent blocks the set-up attack. When it was first seen in SF2, the sounds went something like "Tick, HUH! ... Tick, HUH! ...") turtle - A player who is overly defensive and waits for his opponent to come in. Players usually become turtles if they have a substantial lead in a round. wake-up Dragon Punch - DP which is performed as the player is getting up from a knockdown (thus, this is a type of reversal). Ideally, it can hit an opponent who is coming in with a jump-in attack. Wushu - Chinese fighting style, also referred to as Kung Fu (although Kung Fu is more generic.) ---------------------------------- 5.2) Top Eleven Reasons to Use Dan ---------------------------------- 11) Give SNK a frivolous reason to sue Capcom. 10) Listen to Dan's funky background music. 9) Green Dan looks like the Green Power Ranger (but pink Dan is _no_ Pink Power Ranger.) 8) It's like playing tennis with a golf club. 7) You'll never hear, "That's no fair, Dan's too cheap!" 6) Your opponent has a bad joystick, and you want to be fair, so you handicap yourself. 5) Let's see Rose just _try_ and reflect Dan's fireball. 4) "Look! I got to play as Steven Segal!" 3) Hey, even Peter McNeely had the guts to fight Mike Tyson. 2) If you like Stryker from Mortal Kombat III, you'll _love_ Dan! 1) If you can combine less filling with great taste, you can combine anything! (such as SFA and AoF/KoF) --------------------------------------------------- 5.3) Top Ten Meanings for the Kanji on Akuma's Back --------------------------------------------------- 10) Holiday Inn 9) This space for rent 8) Mean people suck 7) "HNRG!" 6) Woodstock '94 5) Misfits Fiend Club 4) Don't worry, be happy. 3) A bad day fighting is better than a good day at work. 2) If you can read this, you're too close! 1) I'M THE ONE WHO KILLED GOUKEN AND HIS TEACHER GOUTETSU, and all I got was this lousy uniform. (imagine how one Kanji can represent all this!) ********************* 6) Credits and Thanks ********************* Dan Wells gives a big "Thank you!" to: Tom Cannon............ for mucho info and the basis for this FAQ. =P (Mr. Cheung)....... for info on the characters during beta testing. Shinkuu Hadouken...... for the Akuma/Bison code. alt.games.sf2......... for all of the discussion about SFA over the past month and plenty of info. I would also like to credit: Rich Joseph........... His X-Men:CotA FAQ had the Japanese names for Akuma's moves. Norimitsu Kaiho....... His mini-FAQ had plenty of info on Akuma. Derek Liu (Lanzer).... The Japanese translation of Sodom's ending, plus other general info. Brian Chan............ General info. Allen J. Klein........ Mucho general info. Kenichiro Tanaka...... PLENTY of help with Japanese translations and the glossary. Patrick Beja.......... WWW site, Japanese translations and other info. (everyone else, too... I hope all of you who gave me SFA tidbits don't many to mention) mind staying anonymous! Have fun...SFA is a GREAT game. Like I said, any comments, suggestions, gripes, etc. can be sent via E-mail to ak10@cornell.edu You can always get the latest revision at the following FTP sites: brawl.mindlink.net /pub/sfa ftp.netcom.com /pub/vi/vidgames/faqs END OF FILE (finally!) -- Sincerely, /| ___________________________________________| | /___________________________________________|8888888888888] | | Allen Kim |/ ak10@cornell.edu "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33