Date: Sat, 14 Mar 1998 02:58:59 -0600 (CST) The SAKURA files. Version 0.9 Written by Sylvester Fox All characters mentioned here are (C) Capcom or Marvel or something like that. This FAQ (C) 1998 Sylvester Fox. 1234567890 Monospace Font Tester ---------- For those who care to send the best. Anyway, due to rather odd reasons, I have become a fan of 'Marvel Super Heroes VS Street Fighter', especially Sakura. And after discovering how to access 'Evil Sakura', I've surprised opponents and spectators by pulling both out in a team. Both are quite fun to play, and neither has their own FAQ, so until someone else does a better job, this will have to do. This is broken down into: 1: Choosing Sakuras. How one can select either Sakura from the main menu. 2: Using Sakuras. 'What do little girls do?' 3: Tips and tricks. How to use what you learned to do mean and nasty things to others. 4: Fun facts. Opening and closing animations, endings, whatever else. Section 1: Choosing your Sakura wisely. Selecting normal Sakura is easy. Just move your cursor to the icon with Sakura in it and press a button. Punches give a stock outfit (schoolgirl uniform with dark blue and dark yellow trim), kicks seem to give a more pastel version. To pick Evil Sakura, follow these simple (ha) steps. --Hold Start --Move to The Hulk --Hold right on the lever for at least five seconds --KEEP HOLDING START --Push either jab and fierce punch OR short and roundhouse kick --Have fun Evil Sakura has darker skin tone but the same outfit. I'm not sure how her other outfit looks, since I never look at it. Section 2: Schoolgirls at play, or 'It's my ha-dou-ken and I'll throw it if I want to!' A more move-list section, with explanations of each manoeuvre. No combos, as I never got the hang of them. QCF: Quarter circle forward. QCB: Quarter circle backward. DP: Dragon punch motion. Note: Move names from the FAQ by Charles Washington. NORMAL SAKURA QCF+any punch: Shoryuken (Charging dragon punch) Sakura charges an enemy, preceded by a fireball-blue field. Not blocking results in the victim taking a maximum 7-hit dragon punch. If blocked, Sakura bounces away; if totally missed, she just stops running. The field will absorb most energy projectiles, but *NOT* super fireballs. Trust me, I tried. Ouch. Also, when absorbing weapons, her dash is slowed. This can be done in air or on the ground. QCB+any punch: Hadoken Sakura shoots off a diagonal fireball that looks about as tall as she is. Note that I said diagonal. This makes it rather useless in a fireball war, but can make a nice anti-air weapon when done on the ground, or a strafing weapon when done in the air, since there it goes down. Jab version has about nil range, fierce goes a long ways, strong is somewhere in the middle. QCB+any kick: Senpyuu Kyaku (Hurricane kick) Sakura lifts off in a hurricane kick. Handy when attacked by a non-energy pro- jectile, but not quite good enough to arc over an optic blast (damn his eyes!). Anyway, short is a little hop, roundhouse flies you in an arc across the room, forward is in the middle. Can be done in the air, but I've never found it useful. You might find otherwise, though. QCF+2 or 3 punches: Midare Zakura Similar to the Shoryuken charge, but a) this takes a super move bar, b) there is *NO* field protecting you from nasty weapons (trust me on that too), c) it can not be done in air, d) the dash is about 1/3 the screen, and e) when it hits,the victim eats about 15-17 hits worth of beatdown that ends with a dragon punch. 'Ow-ow-ow-ow-ow-hey, I need those teeth!-ow-ow-I can see my house from here!' QCB+2 or 3 punches: Shinkuu Hadouken Must be on ground. Sakura fires off about 10 long-range fireballs. Useless as a normal super fireball unless an enemy is jumping in or recovering from an attack. Very useful on Apocalypse, though, as his head is right in their flight path and beatdowns don't work too well on him. QCB+2 or 3 kicks: Haru Ichi-Ban Sakura takes off straight up with several hurricane kicks. If they connect (no guarantee), at the top she smacks her victim around somewhat before one last shot sends them straight back down. Nice for those who come at you with dragon punch supers (Ken, Akuma, and Wolverine seem to love eating these). Remember that your legs are not that long, though. Team counter (QC Back to down + fierce + roundhouse): Shoryuken charge. Team attack (Strong punch + forward kick): Hurricane kick, roundhouse version. Team super (Fierce punch + roundhouse kick): Shinkuu Hadouken. EVIL SAKURA QCF+any punch: Hadouken Sakura fires off a horizontal fireball. Personally, I like it better than the diagonal version. When done in the air, this one goes diagonally down too, in case you wish to strafe an enemy. Note that the jab and strong versions on the ground dissipate with distance (about halfway), while fierce goes fully. QCB+any kick: Senpyuu Kyaku This kick works the same as normal Sakura's. DP+any punch: Shoryuken charge Another dashing attack that ends in a dragon punch, except that when done on the ground there is no energy barrier ('Where'd that hadouken come from?') and when missed it still ends in a dragon, which isn't bad to tag someone jumping away, if you know to. When done in the air, it acts as normal Sakura's. Note that if it is blocked, only one tick is taken in damage as she bounces off. DP+all punches or kicks: Teleport I haven't used this much, but it does work. QCF+2 or 3 punches: Shinkyuu Hadouken Unlike normal Sakura's, this one is a horizontal blast as per Ryu's. I don't think this one does that well with blocking damage, though. Still fun to catch someone with though. QCB+2 or 3 punches: Midare Zakura Exactly like normal Sakura's. And not as useful, considering. It might do more damage, though. I'm too busy watching Sakura do her little thing. QCB+2 or 3 kicks: Haru Ichi-Ban Exactly like normal Sakura's. Jab, Jab, F+Short Kick, Fierce Punch: Shun-Goku-Satsu An unblockable super that takes 3 levels of super bar to execute. I've only seen its like once, from Cyber-Akuma. When caught, the screen turns blue-white and several hit-flashes and sounds pop up, as if you were being hit in several different parts of the screen. When the smoke clears, Evil Sakura (I assume) will be standing normally, while the enemy is (understandably) flat on his or her back. Tons of damage. Hard to do, but that might be from the rotten controllers at my arcade. Team counter: Shoryuken charge Team attack: Senpyuu Kyaku Team super: Shinkyuu Hadoken 3: Strategy ('What, I can't just scream and rush them?') There are certain things to take into consideration when using either of the Sakuras, one of which is manoeuvre usage, which is covered already. Another is partner selection, of course. SAKURA A partner I would reccommend is one with a real fireball. Also, if you like executing team supers, perhaps one whose own team attack can take someone out of the air easily, since that's where Sakura's hadoukens are flying. I have found Dhalsim, the Hulk, and Evil Sakura to be fine, with Dhalsim being a good one for the aerial team super, as his Yoga Inferno is directable. Note that only Dhalsim (out of the three listed) uses a fireball as his team attack; Evil Sakura does a hurricane kick, while the Hulk does a one-hit Gamma Charge. Another benefit of Dhalsim (and anyone else whose team super hits up and in front of them) is that they can start their super and have Sakura come in after with her angled attack. Also watch out for a partner whose team super causes an opponent to be carried/hurled away by its force. EVIL SAKURA Usually I just play her with Sakura, and have not experimented with other possible teamings with her. I'd say that typical Ken partners will compliment her nicely. Note my warning on her Shoryuken, though. Remember her team attack is a Hurricane kick. BOSSES, STRATEGIES TO DEFEAT Apocalypse is a lot of fun to beat up with Sakura. My main problem is remembering to pull her out once she's taken enough damage. A simple jump, kick, then Shoryuken lands about 8 hits. Just don't use the Fierce version, too much lag. Note that the charge will go through his 'shotgun' (those shots fanning out), his 'meteor machinegun', and his reflecting lasers. Do *NOT* use this when he is using his eye lasers, unless you want to show off Sakura's masochistic side. Her most useful super is the Shinkyuu Hadouken. Finally, a useful time for it. It flies upward diagonally, so aim for the head and watch out for flying lasers. And don't even think about Midare Zakura or Haru Ichiban. Evil Sakura has a little more difficulty. Her aerial Hadouken goes down, so it won't tag his head as much as Ryu or Dhalsim lobbing a fireball. Her Shinkyuu Hadouken goes forward as well, which will nail his arm. One fun scenario I've used is both Sakuras doing a team super. 'I got the arm! HADOUKEN!' 'I got the head! HADOUKEN!' 'Ouch!' Cyber-Akuma. To best fight him, bring band-aids. Lots of them. And remember to block low once in a while. Whenever I tend to forget, all I am left with doing is yelling 'Ow!' at the top of my lungs and hope he stops hitting me. Anyway, watch out when trying to strafe him, or he will hit you with his arm rocket. Your force shield will not absorb it. You will. If you are lucky enough for him to go into his super Shoryukens, block. When he's done, pick an attack. Haru Ichiban will take him up, Midare Zakura should connect before he lands, either Shinkyuu Hadouken will land, but if you have 2 super bar levels ... 4: Trivia Tidbits (or Everything Else You've Wanted To Know About Sakura but Were Afraid To Ask) Just little items on them, starting with ... PREFIGHT ANIMATION Sakura: Starts with her little friend in the centre of the screen. Sakura then runs in from your opponent's side past her, dropping off her backpack and saying something in Japanese. She stops running (by skidding with arms flailing), then her friend looks at the opponent, gasps, apparently sheds a tear, then rushes off screaming. Evil Sakura: Just uses her teleport. KNOWN (to me) VICTORY STANCES Sakura: -Fist up in air, skirt flapping, screaming -The Sakura Sway (hips waving back and forth, dreamy look in her eyes) -Two kicks, stance and SCREAM! =Same kicks, stance, and scream, but her shoe flies off, bounces on her head and shoulder, then lands on the ground. =Her friend runs back on-screen with the backpack, but trips and slides face- first toward Sakura, who brings her hand to her chest and looks on in shock. Evil Sakura: -Fist up. -Sakura Sway. -Kick and Scream Note: When Sakura and Evil Sakura win with a team super, both use the same victory stance. I guess that Sakura's is picked first, then Evil Sakura copies it. I discovered this when I saw 'Evil Friend' run in with the 'Evil Backpack' and evilly slide face-first at Evil Sakura, in evil shock. OK, I'm done with that ... oh, any stance preceded with '=' are ones you cannot use the start button from to beat your enemy further. You'll just have to sit there and watch him or her (or it, can't forget Shuma-Gorath) bleed. Also, you can never do the late hits when finishing via a team super. TAUNTS: Either: Girlish giggle, point. Note that Evil Sakura uses this to raise her super meter. Guess dating Dan Hibiki turned her to the dark side. I know it'd do it for me. ENDINGS: Sakura: Scene shows boy in foreground (with bandages) and the legs of his mother, who is facing away and doing the dishes. BOY: What's this photo? MOM: Oh, that's just your mother from years ago. Cut to photo showing Sakura standing with fist up (her skirt isn't waving, this is a *STILL* photograph, you sicko) on top of the unconscious Apocalypse and Cyber -Akuma. My thoughts: Wonder who the child's father is? Might explain the bandages. (Mom: 'Sonny, it's time to practice! You want to go a round with me or your father?' Son: 'Not Dad! He keeps hitting me with those Hadoukens!' Ryu: 'Use your own Ki to counter my attack, son.') Hey, she saved the world and beat up two superhuman entities. Might as well give her what she wants. Evil Sakura: This one is very pitiful. Just a shot of her facing away from you with the caption 'Congratulations! You beat the game with a secret character!' or something. 5: End notes (Boring part) THE AUTHOR A relative novice to the game. As you see, no big combos, aerial combos, or whatever. I tend to stay with regular 2D fighting technique (which gets me slightly killed on Tekken 3, my other obsession, but that's another story). If you have any comments, please mail them to 'sfox@wcat.com'. Try to keep them sensible, readable, and pertinent. And if you want to write a better Sakura FAQ, by all means do so. I still need to know more about her myself, but since I've seen few notes on her, I thought I would share mine. CONTRIBUTORS, UNWILLING I borrowed information from C. Washington's FAQ v2.0 regarding Sakura's move names and motions (I had to learn them from somewhere), and from 'OKA's hidden character codesheet for items on Evil Sakura. The data on opening and closing animations, as well as endings, was discovered by myself (Sorry, Mr Washington, but the versions I've seen don't do the endings how you have them. Is your arcade using an import?). LEGAL NOTES This document is copyright (C) 1998 Sylvester Fox. Reproduction is permitted as long as no expense is charged for the data itself. Trademarks in this document may be owned by others, but are used in an educational reference. No money was earned from the writing of this document. Period.