Akuma -- "Evil is what I am, Death is what I bring." (The Akuma FAQ for MSH vs. SF v1.0) This FAQ is not written just for you to learn the moves and combos for Akuma, it is written to describe a playing style for you, my playing style. This FAQ will not only tell you what the moves and combos are, it will also give you pointers on how to use them. This FAQ will not contain all the combos for Akuma but all the combos that I use. With that said here we go... The Key : u - Up d - Down l - Left r - Right f - Forward b - Back uf - Up and forward ub - Up and back df - Down and forward db - Down and back JP - Jab punch SP - Strong punch FP - Fierce punch SK - Short kick FK - Forward kick RK - Roundhouse kick Regular Moves : The moves that you should know but that some FAQ's don't tell you. Akuma's launcher (Uppercut) : d + FP Thrust kick : f + FK Downward punch : f + SP Sweep kick : d + RK Special Moves : The good stuff Dragon Punch : f, d, df + punch This used to be the greatest move in the game along time ago, now if your not Ken it only has a little bit of uses. Most of the time your better off launching them rather than doing this. One use for this is if the opponent gets to close then use the jab Dragon Punch to knock them back. Another use is if the opponent uses a special or super that leaves them open out of the range of your normal moves use the fierce Dragon Punch and light em up, just make sure you don't miss or else you're toast because you're left open for so long while you fall. The final use for this is to use the jab Dragon Punch as a taunt against far away opponents since Akuma's taunt is not that noticeable. Fireball : d, df, f + punch [air] This is an overall good move especially in the air. On the ground it's a normal fireball just watch out for the Super Fireball / Beam that could come your way. This is a good keep away move in the air because it comes down at a 45 degree angle. Just super jump and start launching these. In order for your opponent to super jump to get you they have to go through your line of fireballs which is very hard if you can't really see where your opponent is. Warning : Don't do this against Cyclops though because his beam can go at a 45 degree angle and will eat yours up and toast you. Electrified Hurricane Kick : d, db, b + kick [air] This is a really good move to use a lot. This move is to Akuma what the fireball is to Ryu and the Dragon Punch is to Ken. The short kick version deals more damage but only has a limited range while the roundhouse kick one has more range but deals less damage. I normally use the roundhouse one though. This move will hit ducking opponents. The air version of this hurricane kick will combo off of itself or you can use a ducking forward kick two-in-one into hurricane for more hits. Also, after this move hits and ends you can use the forward kick to knock your opponent back up and two-in-one hurricane to add more hits. Note : This can only be done once on the ground because of the "One off the ground combo" rule that has been added. This move has great priority but watch out, if you miss then the opponent will decimate you on the spot with a throw. You have been warned. Teleport : Half screen forward : f, d, df + 3 punches Full screen forward : f, d, df + 3 kicks Half screen back : b, d, db + 3 punches Full screen back : b, d, db + 3 kicks The teleport is a good move to get out of corners or if you see a super coming because while your teleporting your invincible, the bad news is that there is a delay after the move is complete and the opponent will hit you. The bright side is if you do go through a supermove and land in safety you can really screw them up. That is all this move is good for unless you just want to get cocky with your opponent and randomly teleport half screen and full screen both forward and back. If you do it right your opponent may get mad but it is really hard to do and most opponents pick up on it fast but it's fun to do on occasion. Demon Kick : d, df, f + kick [air only] This is another great move of Akuma's. Akuma flies at the opponent at a 45 degree angle and will hit multiple times. This move is very fast and cancels the fireball so use it to get down. Also you can throw an air fireball at the opponent and if it looks like your going to hit their fireball use this to avoid it. Another use for this is, if you decide to go on the offensive, to jump up and randomly switch between this and his fireball cancel demon kick. This will work for a while and even though it doesn't take off a lot of damage it will give you time to think and slowly chip away damage. Super Moves : The really good stuff.. Triple Dragon Punch : d, df, f + 2 punches Akuma unleashes the massive power of three dragon punches starting with the jab and going all the way to the fierce. The drawback to this move is that only the first dragon is invincible but the good news is that it combos off of medium kick so add this in a combo and have some fun. Don't use this against big characters though because since the opponent is not knocked down they will fall faster and since your vulnerable on your trip down, they will punish you for your lack of respect. Super Fireball : d, db, b + 2 punches This is Akuma's massive fireball beam. It comes out really slow, is really short in duration, and it will only rarely get over 20 hits. This is a super fireball so use it like one, to toast someone while their doing a regular fireball. I would use this in an air combo but since it's a ground only, there's something better for ending air combos... Air to Ground Fireballs : d, df, f + 2 punches [air only] This is Akuma's best super. The delay time on this move has been diminished so much that you can actually use this move now. Use it a lot because if they block it will take off a lot of block damage because each fireball will hit and take a little, and if they don't block, it will juggle them on the ground for nearly 20 hits. Also use this as the ender to an air combo if you're really close to them because it will combo and will normally add another 20 hits to your combo. Watch out though because occasionally only the first few will hit and the opponent will fall to the ground. Remember also that you can use your demon kick to take you back to earth quickly. The Raging Demon : JP, JP, F, SK, FP [Level 3] This is Akuma's defining move. Akuma slides over to his opponent, grabs them, the screen goes white and he nails them for 16 hits. When he reappears he has his back to you and stands over the beaten opponent. This used to be his best move but now it's almost worthless. In X-Men vs. SF a raging demon could be used at level 1 and only used 1 level of power, now it needs level 3 and uses all three. Another change is that you can no longer on the ground the opponent after it, a great loss. Use this move only if you know that it's going to connect (put it in a combo) and if it's going to kill the opponent, otherwise it's not worth doing. Team Play : You have a team mate so help him out... Counter : Dragon Punch It's a Dragon Punch counter so it works but I personally don't use them so I can't tell you how to use except if they throw a fireball or something with a massive delay. Team Attack : Hurricane Kick This is an excellent team attack. This will hit opponents that are jumping in on you. Also if it hits them it will cause a 2 to 3 hit combo so add in a fireball or something and take the total to 3 or 4. Team Super : Delayed Super Fireball Akuma's Super Fireball is delayed slightly as compared to that of other super beamers but this does have an advantage. That advantage is that if Akuma is the one leaping in then his teammate's super will start hitting before Akuma even starts and lengthens the combo. Also if the opponent is blocking then they may let up before Akuma starts his and they'll get hit. General Combos and Combo Strategies : The combos and how they can be used... Here will be listed the combos that I use and how I use them. RK Hurricane, d + FK, RK Hurricane This looks like a simple combo but it is actually a very devastating one to the opponent. It has already been explained under the Hurricane Kick but just in case you missed it... This combo works because of the "One on the ground per combo" rule. It is also possible to start this combo with an air Hurricane Kick and then go directly into another one or use the ducking forward kick and then Hurricane Kick. d + FP (Super Jump), JP, SK, SP, FP This is the basic air combo and works fairly well. There is a better air combo though if you have a super bar of energy though... d + FP (Super Jump), JP, SK, Air to Ground Fireballs Super This is my favorite combo for Akuma because it is the one that no one expects. In X-Men vs. Street Fighter this combo would have been impossible because of the long delay on the Super but now there is barely any delay and I don't think there is any delay when it is put in an air combo. The reason that there is no strong punch listed is because in order for the Super to work Akuma has to be really close or else it will not connect with the opponent. It is possible for the strong punch to be added if you're feeling lucky so try it out and see what you think. Be careful though because on occasion this combo will stop early because the opponent will fall out of the raining fireballs leaving Akuma defenseless. Also remember to use the Demon Kick to send Akuma back to the ground in a hurry. In case your wondering how to get the above combos to work in a game I'll tell you, there are three ways. The first way is to wait until the opponent jumps in on Akuma and nail them with an uppercut but this is the least likely way to get them unless they really don't like to block or you manage to cancel their move. The second way is to include this in a jumping in combo but this one can be countered with an uppercut and then you'll be the victim of an air combo. The third way is to dash in with a strong punch and then chain into the uppercut. This is the most likely way that you'll be able to start the combo until they catch on and start to block. A healthy mix of these three ways will have you air comboing your opponent to death. FK, Triple Dragon Punch This is the way to combo the Triple Dragon Punch Super. You can use the dash in technique listed above to start this combo. It is a really cool looking combo. JP, JP, f, SK, FP (Raging Demon) This is a combo in itself. If the jabs hit then the combo will work and this is the sweetest way to end a match and if they try to block the Raging Demon will hit them anyway and you'll get to see that look of shock on their face that everyone loves to see. Game Play Strategies : How I myself personally plays... I'll normally start the game off by super jumping and then firing tons of fireballs down at the opponent. This is a great way to build up your super meter and once you think you're in line with them do a Demon Kick, hopefully it will surprise them, and then start over again. While I'm doing this I'll normally try to see whether they're going to be an aggressive sort or a passive sort, if their aggressive I'll take more of a defensive and capitalize off of their mistakes and if their passive I'll go on a nice offensive. My favorite offensive is to get them into a corner and then jump and throw an air fireball followed by a Demon Kick. Occasionally while doing this I'll not throw the fireball and go straight to the Demon Kick. Another thing to do is to add in a few ground moves just to let them know that they're not safe. With Akuma you have to be careful and play a keep away game with the opponent because Akuma takes damage worse than he can dish it out. I've seen times when Akuma has been obliterated by some powerful air combos. Another thing to remember with Akuma is that when he is on the sidelines he is your best friend because his team attack, the Hurricane Kick, is a great defensive weapon. If the opponent jumps in on you use this and it will catch them in the air 90% of the time and if they hit him he has served as a blocker for your man and you have the possibility to counter the opponent. You can also use this move if the opponent has gotten in too close because most likely they will try and attack you when you do this and get nailed by the Hurricane Kick. If they just block remember to throw a projectile and they won't be able to do anything to Akuma. Conclusion : That's All Folks That is about all I can say about Akuma, I'll probably add more at a later date when I have learned more, but until then feel free to send me e-mail at nmercy@geocities.com if you have any comments, questions, or additions you would like to see added in a later edition of this FAQ. You can receive the latest copy of this FAQ at http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arena/9561/. Thank you for reading The Akuma FAQ, I've had fun writing it, John Meyer nmercy@geocities.com Moves List : Fireball : d, df, f + punch Hurricane Kick : d, db, b + kick Dragon Punch : f, d, df + punch Teleport Half Screen Forward : f, d, df + 3 punches Full Screen Forward : f, d, df + 3 kicks Half Screen Back : b, d, db + 3 punches Full Screen Back : b, d, db + 3 kicks Demon Kick : d, df, f + kick Super Fireball : d, db, b + 2 punches Air to Ground Fireballs : d, df, f + 2 punches [air only] Triple Dragon Punch : d, df, d + 2 punches Raging Demon : JP, JP, f, SK, FP