Capcom Vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 NNN NNN AAAAAA KKK KKK OOOOO RRRRRRRRRR UUUU UUUU RRRRRRRRRR UUUU UUUU NNNN NNN AAA AAA KKK KKK OOO OOO RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU NNNNN NNN AAA AAA KKKKKK OOO OOO RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU NNN NN NNN AAAAAAAA KKKKKK OOO OOO RRRRRRRRRR UUUU UUUU RRRRRRRRRR UUUU UUUU NNN NNNNN AAA AAA KKK KKK OOO OOO RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU RRRR RRRR UUUU UUUU NNN NNNN AAA AAA KKK KKK OOO OOO RRRR RRRR UUUUUUUUUUU RRRR RRRR UUUUUUUUUUU NNN NNN AAA AAA KKK KKK OOOOO RRRR RRRR UUUUUUUUU RRRR RRRR UUUUUUUUU @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@ @@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@ @@@ @@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@@ @@@ @@@ @@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ @@@@@@@@@@ @@@@ @@@@ FAQ written by ReCharredSigh e-mail me at peesigh@hotmail.com (and title all your messages as "CVS Nakoruru FAQ comments", else i will ignore them) version 1.1 Whoa, a 198 KB FAQ for Nakoruru? Dang, I sure do ramble for a long time! August 4, 2001 Copyright 2001 ReCharredSigh First of all, lemme sum the legal mumbo jumbo regarding this FAQ in the simplest terms, please don't be like those snobby lawyers that twist every word to their own benefit, it's really degrading of you: =================================================================================== 1. I am not responsible for harm to you due to something in this FAQ, whether it was in the computer sense(i.e. your computer crashed while you tried to save this FAQ) or in the arcade playing sense(lost/won and got beat up due to some technique in this FAQ). 2. This FAQ is free. Plain and simple. You can find it free at the websites I listed. 3. Give me credit if you want to use anything from this FAQ, you don't need to quote me on everything, just give me credit at the beginning/end of your work, and I will have no beefs against you. If you want to post this FAQ on your website, please e-mail me first asking permission, else I will be pissed off. 4. And lastly, if you don't want to obey the above, please just ignore this FAQ, and read some other. 5. What characters SNK has created, is of their entire copyright. And what characters Capcom has created, is of their entire copyright. I have in no effort tried to take one of their works as my own. 6. You can find this FAQ at the following sites: Gamefaqs.com, Fighters.net, http://www.gameadvice.com, http://www.neoseeker.com If you didn't find it there, chances are it isn't in the latest version. =================================================================================== WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIS FAQ 0.CREDITS I.INTRO A.Storyline of Nakoruru B.Why choose Nakoruru C.What's the reasons to read this FAQ II.MOVE COMMANDS A.General Move Commands B.Nakoruru's Normal Attacks C.Nakoruru's Special Attacks D.Nakoruru's Super Combos III.TEAMS How to partner Nakoruru up well IV.COMBOS A.Intro to Nakoruru's Combos B.How To Do Combos C.Essential Combos D.Harder Combos V.STRATS A.General Strategy a.Defense b.Offense c.Capcom or SNK? B.Computer Strategy a.General Patterns b.Geese:SNK Boss c.Balrog/Bison:Capcom Bosses d.Akuma:The ultimate Boss e.SNK Ending f.Capcom Ending g.Akuma Ending C.Arcade Challengers Strategy 1.Benimaru 2.Blanka 3.Cammy 4.Dhalsim 5.King 6.Sakura 7.Vice 8.Yuri 9.Balrog 10.Chun-Li 11.E.Honda 12.Guile 13.Iori 14.Ken 15.Kim 16.Kyo 17.Mai 18.Morrigan 19.Nakoruru 20.Raiden 21.Ryo 22.Ryu 23.Terry 24.Zangief 25.Geese 26.M.Bison 27.Rugal 28.Sagat 29.Yamazaki 30.Vega 31.Akuma 32.Evil Ryu 33.Riot Iori VI.MISC A.DC Color-Edit Costumes B.Quotes and Intros VII.REVISIONS VIII.IN CLOSING *********************************************** | 000 CCC RRRR EEEEE DDDD III TTT SSSS | |0 00 C C R R E D D I T SSS S| |0 0 0 C RRRR EEE D D I T SS | |00 0 C C R R E D D I T S SSS| | 000 o CCC R R EEEEE DDDD III T SSSS | *********************************************** /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Capcom (www.capcom.com) -For making such a fun 2D fighting game. SNK -For creating some of the coolest fighting characters ever to grace a 2D game. Oh, and allowing Capcom to use your characters to create the impossible; a fighting game co-created by 2 different video game companies. Shoryuken.com -For being such a great site for SFers. I owe so much to their forums, or I wouldn't be using Nakoruru in CvS today. Gamefaqs.com -For providing a place to put this FAQ. James Chen(www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/6645) -Providing the awesome combo notation, and the awesome combo movies. He is America's Capcom Combomaster, no doubt about it! I also want to thank him for just being such a great help answering people's questions about CvS at Shoryuken.com. I learned so much about how to use Nakoruru from him, at least the more advanced tactics. Migs Rustia(www.geocities.com/mvcthesite/) -I had to use your JChensor modified combo symbols yet again. JChristopher(sirlordjoseph@icqmail.com) -He didn't directly influence my faq-writing for this faq, but I still had to use my Ryu FAQ format from last time, and that one was pretty similar to his. Vash The Stampede(vashelstampede@aol.com) -Ahh, gotta give him credit. In the cases where I needed to look at move names for reference, his FAQ did a nice job. Silent J(silent_j_@hotmail.com) -Of course, my online capcom game chatting buddy. He did give me hints about how to play offensively with Ryu. Check out his Yamazaki and Vega FAQ. He wasn't a guy who directly influenced my FAQ writing here, but I just wanted to put his name down. psx2000 -This is this guy's Shoryuken.com forum name. I used what he said in a forum about level damage when trying to explain something about Capcom and SNK Grooves. mopreme and Kamui -Dude, these guys created one of the most amazing combo videos for CvS, it looked almost like "vs. style" combos! I put in one of their combos that they performed for Nakoruru. The True Warrior(thetruewarrior2002@yahoo.com or thetruewarrior@hotmail.com) -I had to use this guy's speech FAQ for some of Nakoruru's translations. Siegfried(http://www.tekken.nu/fightermania) -I had to use this guy's website to find out more about Nakoruru. If you have any interest in character backgrounds, his site has got you covered! Neo Rasa -This guy helped provide some info on Nakoruru's background. You can talk to him on Shoryuken.com forums. Mummy-B -This guy helped provide some info on Nakoruru's background. You can talk to him on Shoryuken.com forums. The KiD(Oodzume@hotmail.com) -I had to use some of the combos in this guy's FAQ. yushiro -This is this guy's Shoryuken.com forum name, I put in some Nakoruru combos from his post. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ************************************ | 11 III NN N TTT RRRR OOO | | 1 I NNN N T R R O O | | 1 I N NN N T RRRR O O | | 1 I N NNN T R R O O | | 111o III N NN T R R OOO | ************************************ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ =========== A.Storyline =========== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here is the ever so useless Nakoruru storyline! Sorry, storylovers, I'm not that expert in SNK storylines, and I had to ask a number of people and find a number of websites, and even then, I'm still not sure how to talk about Nakoruru's life. So don't expect anything too long, or intriguing. Nakoruru is an Ainu priestess that came from Hokkaido. The Ainu are aboriginal people that lived in northern Japan. Nakoruru is in love with Galford. She is known as the protector of Nature, and owns a wolf named Shikuruu and a tame falcon/hawk named Mamahaha. In Samurai Showdown, Nakoruru was there alongside with the others to attempt to stop Amakusa from his schemes of world domination. In Samurai Showdown 2, she gives up her life in order to save the world from the evil force. Nakoruru's spirit then leaves her sister Rimururu with the job of protecting nature. Nakoruru's animals aid her in fighting her opponents. She uses a dagger, or a tanto in order to fight her opponents. It is through Nak's extreme purity, that she becomes an immortal force of nature. Which may explain how she managed to come back to battle for more mayhem in the CvS tournament in order to stop M.Bison from his plans of world domination. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ===================== B.Why Choose Nakoruru ===================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ok, there's not much reason to play Nakoruru; you don't have much variety, she's not exactly a main character in Samurai Showdown, and you don't have interesting super combos to work with. However, Nakoruru is the definite #1 character in CvS and can beat anyone out. She has an insanely high damaging combo that requires no super combos, has the best offense in the entire game, can confuse people to no end, does not require a lot of variety in order to win, charges up the Capcom Groove super combo meter insanely fast, and on top of all that, is only a ratio 2 character. But if you want to play her for coolness purposes, you could always do that for the simple reason that she fights with a bird alongside her. Which IMO, is really, really cool. Her biggest weakness would probably be her small size, which makes her reach really short, but it also works in favor of her, making her extremely hard to hit. SPEED-Nakoruru is one of the fastest characters in the game. Everything that she does is really, really fast, her dashes and jumps are both fast, as much as her walking speed, and nearly every attack she does is quite fast in execution and recovery. Her only downside would be her slow roll. POWER-Nakoruru while not able to deal out damage hit per hit like a power character, has incredible combobility, and one of the most powerful and versatile combos in the game, doing 25-30% damage on a ratio 2 character, and requiring no super combos. PRIORITY-Nakoruru also shines here. She has the best normal-attack-anti-air in the entire game, it can even beat out light kick crossups, and her crouching light kick poke is one of the best. Her rushing attacks involving her dagger though aren't the most highly prioritized attacks, so watch out here. VITALITY-In CvS, the person with the longest lifebar isn't necessarily the one who can take the most hits. CvS weighs the number of characters on your team with the damage that each person can take. Using a ratio 4 character means that you can take a beating, but on the other hand he is a 1-man team, which means your opponent only needs to K.O. once to win. Having 4 ratio 1 characters means that while you have combined the longest lifebar in the game, all your characters do jack for damage and get knocked out easily. Nakoruru is a ratio 2 character, which means she gets the best of both worlds. She can take decent damage, and can have up to 2 characters to partner with her. This is also really good cause Nakoruru almost never uses her super meter, and so you can use Capcom Groove to ensure the person who goes next will have a full level 3 bar to work with. OFFENSE-Nakoruru has arguably the best offensive game, period. It is really that hard deciding whether to block high, low, left, right, or tech-hit. She has many flowcharts that she can begin, and all of them are quite hard to decide, as her speed helps add to the confusion. And I must add that I heard it is that hard trying to counter her cross-up game, as you will often miss your anti-air and get comboed. DEFENSE-Nakoruru also has incredible defense. She has one of the best anti-airs in the entire game, and also has one of the best pokes. She also destroys any projectile-lobbing scrub even from full-screen. And her super combo is built to handle projectile-lobbers or jumpers. AIR DOMINANCE-I know, CvS is not a game of air-to-air like MVC2, but in the rare occasion that Nakoruru meets her opponent in the air, her light kick has high priority. Enough said. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ===================================== C.What's the reasons to read this FAQ ===================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why did I bother go to the trouble of writing such a massive FAQ combinining ideas from everyone from GameFAQs.com to Shoryuken.com? To be able to teach or at least aid you, the reader in order to master Nakoruru to a certain degree of kick-@$$ness. Once you are done reading this FAQ, you will; -Know how to pull off all of Nakoruru's moves -Know how to partner her up well -Know how to pull some of the most kick@$$ combos that Nakoruru has(Yes, she does have some!) and if you're a newbie, how to pull off combos at all -Know how you should beat all opponents(emphasize on the "should" part) Note that while Nakoruru is a secret character, I'm not going to delve into how to unlock her, there are many great FAQs out for that purpose, and besides, it's not even that hard(although the time used up to unlock her may seem like hell). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ******************************************* | 222 MM MM OOO V V EEEEE SSSS | | 2 22 M M M O O VV VV E SS S| | 22 M M M O O VV VV EEEEE SS | | 22 M M M O O VVVV E S SS| | 22222o M M M OOO VV EEEEE SSSS | ******************************************* /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ======================= A.General Move Commands ======================= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dash: Tap for, for or Tap back, back Notes: Nakoruru's dash has great speed, and covers a good distance, learn to use it, but don't abuse it. Do not use it like in MVC2, because Nakoruru can't cancel her dash, so if you try this, and the opponent does a Shun Goku Satsu, you're outta luck. Mainly use the backdash to get away, and never use the forward dash unless if you are full screen away. Do note though, that she can use it to cross the opponent up as they are getting up. And hers can be used to jump over ground projectiles! Great for using to cross the screen and get away. Hers is also good for moving in and then throwing. If you are playing the DC version and have unlocked run mode, you can hold the second forward when doing a forward dash to run, and then let the forward go to stop running. My suggestion is that if you are playing the DC version, always use the run feature, not only makes forward movement more controlable, but enables you to create fun pressure games that usually only Guile could do(i.e. Shichikapu Etu Brute then chase after it and attempt a cross-up). You can also cancel the run into a jump, which will always be a super jump. Super Jump: Tap any direction down, then tap any direction up Notes: Another staple general move, learn to use it, if you haven't so far. Useful for elusive purposes, and jumping in. It is not like the mile-high MVC2 super jump, rather, it's a slightly faster, longer/higher jump with trailing shadows. Since Nakoruru's super jump is always so tight in arc like her regular jump, it makes it really easy to land cross-up attacks up close with this. Roll: Press both light attacks when standing/crouching Notes: Nice job, Capcom! Considering that Capcom took out the air block system in this game, you though Guile would then be ranked #1, right? Wrong! The roll corrects that. During this move, Nakoruru tucks into a ball and rolls forward, then stands up. During the beginning of the roll and the end, she can be hit, but can't block, and during the roll itself, she can be thrown, but that's not the important stuff. What's important is that during the roll, she is invincible to ALL physical attack! This is very important to learn, because it will save you from being corner trapped, and set up genuine combo oppurtunities! It will also become important to learn how to counter this, because that will enable Nakoruru to corner the opponent and pressure them into getting hit. Sadly though, Nakoruru has one of the slowest rolls in the entire game. You are just asking to be thrown when you perform this. It should barely be used as Nakoruru, only when really necessary to avoid projectiles from far away. Extra Meter Charge: Hold both heavy attacks when standing/crouching Notes: This only applies if you decided to use SNK groove. When doing this, Nakoruru will do stand erect holding her dagger with both hands while a light-red circle glows around her feet. Her super combo meter will charge up quickly this way. Once the meter maxes it will begin to slowly drain. Nakoruru can do ex-specials and her attacks will be slightly more powerful for as long as the meter is draining. She can also do 1 level 1 super combo while it is draining, but then it will automatically drain whatever meter was left. Nakoruru is considered a standing non-blocker during the charge, but she goes into and out of her "charge stance" quickly. If you do this when her lifebar flashes red, when the meter maxes, you can now do level 3 super combos in place of level 1s. The main advantage of SNK groove is that you get many more level 1 super combos. However, you must have your lifebar really low to do level 3s. To stop charging, simply release the 2 heavy attacks. Delayed Get Up: Hold both punches when knocked down Notes: This makes Nakoruru stay on the ground a little bit longer before getting up. If you do this right, Nakoruru will have trailing shadows as she gets up. This is mainly used to mess up your opponent's okizeme traps(i.e., sweep, Shun Goku Satsu as you get up). Mix up your regular get ups with delayed get ups to really screw em up. Taunt: Press Start (Hold Light Kick, Press Start for the DC) Notes: Nakoruru just leans forward while emitting a bird call with both her hands. You of course, can be hit while the move is going on, and unless if the move actually builds up your meter, I can find no use for this for Nakoruru, except to heckle your opponent. But it does look neat if you do a long powerful combo, then do this right afterward(sorta like the Bruce Lee nosewipe things). Guard Crush: Aggressive attacking on a blocking opponent Less of a move command, and more of a technique. Notice that when you hit a blocking opponent, a light blue circular spark will appear. Keep hitting them with any attack and if he/she keeps blocking, the color of the spark will begin to change to a dull red. At this point, their outline of their lifebar will begin to flash red wildly, and if they continue to block attacks, they will go into a slow, 1 second reel stun by which they can't block. Take advantage of this reel to stuff a combo into super combo into their face. Don't forget that you can tech hit universal throws by performing a throw of your own as you are being grappled. You can't block in the air in this game. You can't avoid OTGs in this game. And believe it or not, there are missed throw animation frames in this game. Another thing; if you perform a special attack or super combo immediately after blocking an attack or getting off the ground(or possibly immediately after being struck), you will flash white. During that flash you are invincible to attacks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =========================== B.Nakoruru's Normal Attacks =========================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note that you are only going to use a few select normal attacks as Nakoruru, not like 90% of everything like Ryu or Ken. She differs from others in that about 10% of her normal attacks are great, and 90%, well, are more for showing off. Because Nakoruru is really short, don't be surprised that some of her attacks have really short range. -----Light Punch----- Standing: Nakoruru pokes forward with her frontal hand. Good priority and speed, decent range(well, compared to more of her other pokes). Don't use it too much, since many people can duck it. Use it as a combo starter on standing opponents, but usually your kicks are better for that. Also use it to play mind games, so that you set up a low kick string. Standing(close): Nakoruru side-uppercut-pokes the opponent. This is just as useful as the regular standing jab, and so, only use it to combo into other good stuff. Crouching: Nakoruru does a ducking poke with her frontal hand. Like the standing jab, only this time it should be used to confuse the opponent into trying to block more often. Like the standing jab too though, your crouching light kick is much better. This is probably her worst poke, because the range is even shorter than her standing jab. Air: Nakoruru does a jumping downward poke with her frontal hand. Again, not very useful, cause it has low range. Your light kick works much better in the air. -----Heavy Punch----- Standing: Nakoruru steps forward with her back foot and does a downward slash with her dagger using her back hand. Very important attack for Nakoruru, cause you will link this off from the crouching light kick, and then cancel this attack into others, so learn to use this. Standing(close): Nakoruru slashes once across the opponent using both hands into the screen, then slashes the other way across the opponent using one hand. Useless, cause you can't combo into other stuff unless if you cancel really, really quickly off of the 1st hit. You won't be using this a lot, but this is really useful for filling your Capcom super meter if you can get it to be blocked, since it fills about 1/9th of the total bar. After the attack, it still leaves you relatively close to continue pressure. Crouching: Nakoruru stands up and does an uppercut with her dagger. This is an insanely high priority anti-air that can beat all jump-ins and cross-up attempts. You will be using it to beat your opponent's jumps, and then, you can follow up with your offense. Roll Slice(hold down/for+Heavy Punch): Nakoruru moves forward while rolling backward holding her dagger out. Weird looking, but kinda cool. You won't be using this at all, but if you are a show-off, it can be comboed into and out of, but it is damn hard. Air: Nakoruru does an airborne uppercut with her dagger. Manual shoryuken with a dagger ;). It is really good for air-to-air encounters, cause it is just like her crouching heavy punch, but other than that, I think you shouldn't use it. It's not that good for a jump-in. Throw: Nakoruru rolls onto the opponent, making them fall, and then stabs them as they are down. It looks cool, does good damage, and good for turtlers and rollers alike, but anytime you go for a throw, the kick throw is better. -----Light Kick----- Standing: Nakoruru does a high light kick. Pretty much like the standing jab, except slightly more range in place for some speed. It can be ducked. Best used for interrupting an opponent if you are fast enough. Standing(close): Nakoruru does a knee into the average person's groin(ugh). It comes out slower than a Light Punch, but can hit low, enabling you more advantage in combo games. It still has good priority, like the Light Punch. But it's still not that useful. Crouching: Nakoruru does a crouching short ranged kick. It also comes out fast, has good priority and speed. This is by far, her best poke. It has the same forward range as her standing jab, only of course being a crouching attack it hits low. You can use this to whiff, or use it to poke the opponent, or use it to start her bread-and-butter combo. It itself also opens up an insanely powerful flowchart for her to use. You will use this move, period. Air: Nakoruru does her crouching light kick, only in the air. Insanely high priority for an air attack, her best jump-in, and also insanely great for cross-up attempts. This is going to be your most used air attack, period. -----Heavy Kick----- Standing: Nakoruru does a side hook kick. Useful for a long counter poke, think of it as your standing Fierce, with less combobility and more range. Range is slightly further compared to her crouching light kick. But it's semi-slow, you won't need to use this attack at all. But it may be able to go over some low kicks, I'm not too sure about this though yet. Standing(close): Nakoruru does a 2-hit somersault kick. I found out it is not as useless as you think. If you get both hits blocked, if you are using Capcom Groove, it fills your meter insanely quickly! How quickly? If you do this 9 times in a row, you will go from an emptiless meter to a full level 3(or 3 times in a row fills 1 level, go figure)! So this is an alterative against your typical turtler, if they keep blocking, your alternative instead of throwing is to just get up close, release the joystick, and do this! This is comparable to the up-close heavy punch, only difference is you end up slightly farther away from your opponent, and while you recover slightly slower, you have better positioning for a cross-up attempt. Crouching: Nakoruru does a 2-legged lunging kick that knocks the opponent down. Not very useful, cause it is comparable to Cammy's sweep, which has semi-slow startup. But if you can combo into it, it is one of your most reliable ways to combo into the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika. But don't use this attack that much. If you are wondering though, this is her farthest reaching normal attack. Air: Nakoruru does a much steeper flying kick than her light kick. It doesn't have as much priority and not as good for cross-ups as the light kick, but it does do more damage, if you want to do that. It may also be better for comboing into the roll slice. Else, stick with the light kick. Throw: Nakoruru knees the opponent, steps on top of their knees, then jumps off, resulting in a 3-hit combo. Does good damage, flashy, can counter rollers and turtlers. But it also fills your Capcom meter quickly, if you do it right, and the way is to get a heavy attack blocked(special and super combos also count, just anything involving the heavy punch or heavy kick button must be blocked first), then the next attack should be this throw and you will gain about 1/6th of your total meter. Whenever you are going for throws, this should be the one you choose over the punch throw, so that just in case if you got a heavy attack blocked beforehand, that you benefit from the free meter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ============================ C.Nakoruru's Special Attacks ============================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nakoruru has a huge variety of special attacks, but you will only be tapping into a few, cause you need to remember that Nakoruru is a narrow-minded character. ****Anna Mutsube**** Motion back, back/down, down+any punch Nakoruru says "Anna Mutsube" and then slides low along the ground with her dagger sticking out so fast that a pink glare appears around her. When she hits the opponent, they fall down. Strength of punch determines speed, damage, and distance of the slide. This is a very important attack for Nakoruru. Basically, you either use this attack in her bread-and-butter combo, or you use it to punish mistakes. It does a good amount of damage on its own, and when you combo into it correctly, the overall damage can be quite astounding. This attack also destroys projectile lobbing scrubs, since Nakoruru can do this and slide right under most stereotypical projectiles that aren't of the SNK style genre. You are most of the time going to use the light version, since done right it is very hard to counter if blocked (sorta like doing Cammy's Cannon Drill at max range), but if you are ever full screen and see a projectile coming towards you, don't be afraid to use the heavy version and get your free damage. And your opponent needs to block this attack low, which is also amazing. Last piece of info is that this attack doesn't seem to have the highest priority since light attacks may be able to easily beat it out. ****Lela Mutsube**** Motion down, down/for, for+any punch Nakoruru says "Rera Mutsube" then jumps at a 45 degree angle forward with a pink glare around her, holding out her dagger, then lands with a somersault flip. Strength of punch determines speed, damage, and distance of the jump. And if you hit the opponent, they get knocked down. This attack is OK to use in combos and does a decent amount of damage, but it is not as good for an anti-air as you think. It can be beaten out with light attacks, and if blocked, Nakoruru spends a long time in the air. It is OK to use this attack to cross the screen, but still, not a very abusable or useful attack for that matter. ****Amube Yatoro**** Motion for, down/for, down, down/back, back+any punch Nakoruru calls out "Mamahaha" and spins and points forward, then her hawk dives downward on fire, and if the hawk touches the opponent, they immediately get burned and fall down. Strength of punch determines how steep the hawk dives. This is in many ways like your standard projectile, except this time the opponent can't jump against you to avoid it and get close. However, since the startup of this attack is quite slow, your only bet in connecting this attack is to combo it. That is, if you can combo off of it, it is so slow, I believe you can't do it. Also keep in mind you can only perform this attack if Mamahaha is right above you. You can possibly use this attack as an anti-air, but it's tough. Damage is ok, about the same as the typical shoto fireball. ****Shichikapu Etu Brute**** Motion back, down/back, down, down/for, for+any kick If Mamahaha isn't directly above Nakoruru she can't perform this special attack. Nakoruru calls out "(I dunno what she says here), Mamahaha" and spins and points forward, and then her hawk dives downward with its claws sticking out. Strength of kick determines what Mamahaha does afterward. If it's the light kick version, Mamahaha will hit the opponent, then fly gently up and then return to Nakoruru. If it's the heavy kick version, once it connects, it will float slightly upward, and then fly downward again, attempting to hit the opponent once more before flying back(although this never counts as a 2-hit combo). This attack may or may not be better than the Amube Yatoro, depending on how you see it. First of all, the light kick version does way less damage than the Amube Yatoro, whereas the overall damage of the heavy kick version is more damage, but it is not guarenteed. In either case, this attack doesn't knock the opponent down. However, Mamahaha flies downward at a shallower angle, which means it may be easier to hit opponents that are horizontally away, although Mamahaha will never reach full screen. It is also possible to combo off of the 2nd hit of the Shichikapu Etu Brute, or use it to set up other attacks, or just for plain confusion. In any case, don't use this attack a lot. In the cases you do what to use it, I suggest just sticking with the heavy kick version and only using it to toy with turtlers or jumpers. ****Mamahaha Grab**** Motion down, down/back, back+any kick Nakoruru jumps straight upward, somersaulting until she grabs onto Mamahaha's claws. If Mamahaha isn't directly above Nakoruru she can't perform this special attack. This is by no doubt Nakoruru's best special. That's mainly cause this opens up a huge flowchart that you can use, and all the possibilities are insanely good. This is why Nakoruru is so good. I've heard of corner traps involving a lot of these things, and just tricking the opponents with their various things that could be done, and when the opponent thinks they've got Nakoruru figured out, she jumps in does her combo, and boom, the opponent is down 70% life. The main reason why this is so good is that Nakoruru hasn't fully committed herself to any attack but still looks like she's doing something. I've covered the followups you can do below. Just remember, you can actually fly on Mamahaha, by using the joystick, but since the bird's speed isn't really that fast, just fly up and either away, or towards the opponent, but the cool thing about this, is even when you do that, anytime you can just go into one of the other "bird followups!" One last tidbit, the reason why this is so good is cause if you see your bread and butter combo being blocked, buffer the S.Fierce into this instead, and that immediately opens up more guessing games! ===============================MAMAHAHA=GRAB=FOLLOWUPS========================== ****Mamahaha Slash**** Tap either punch, or light kick Nakoruru basically does an attack on Mamahaha. If it's the light punch, she will do the 1st hit of her S.Fierce(close). If it's the heavy punch, she'll do the C.Fierce. And if it's the light kick, she'll do her jumping light kick. There's not much use for these attacks on Mamahaha. That's cause they're all kinda slow (cept for the light kick), and it's kinda hard comboing into other stuff, or into each other. Supposedly, if an opponent tried to jump at you while you were on Mamahaha, I guess you could use these to ward them off, but why? Anyways, don't toy with these attacks, unless you feel like experimenting with combos. ****Shichikapu Ai**** Motion down, down/for, for+any punch Nakoruru says "Mamahaha" and drops off the bird, slowly somersaulting to the ground, while Mamahaha dives downward on fire, and if the hawk hits the opponent they get burned and fall to the ground. Strength of punch determines angle that the bird dives downward. Think of this attack as your Amube Yatoro, only much, much faster in startup. In fact, it is so fast, you could combo off of the Mamahaha Slashes if you felt like it(but don't try it)! The damage is pretty good like the Amube Yatoro. Because of the nature of this projectile, your opponents can only try to defeat this attack by rolling, cause if they try to jump, they'll get hit! Plus, if they want to roll, they need to roll before you even start the attack! Even the typical anti-air that more characters have will at best trade hits when they try to beat you out when you attempt to do this! And if it is blocked, no biggie, cause it'll keep the opponents from trying to jump for the moment, and you are still safe. It's good for poking, and trying to make your opponent try to do something. ****Kamui Mutsube**** Motion down, down/back, back+any punch Nakoruru says "Kamui Mutsube" and dives downward off Mamahaha at the opponent with her dagger sticking out and her entire body engulfed in a pink glare. If she hits the opponent they fall down. Strength of punch determines the angle that Nakoruru dives down. This is a very important attack to Nakoruru. First of all, it can be beaten out with standing jabs, which keeps it from being abused, but that's where the Shichikapu Ai comes in handy. First of all, it does good damage. And the speed of Nakoruru diving down is very fast. Why this is so good is this; the light version's recovery is so fast, blocked or missed you almost recover first! That's also another reason to completely use the light version, and almost neglect the heavy version. If your opponent was counting on block-counter strategies against you, this puts that strategy straight to hell, cause often Nakoruru will recover first, the opponents' anti-air will miss, and then she'll combo them. This attack is also particularily insidious because it can be substituted for the Anna Mutsube in the bread-and-butter combo not for damage but confusion purposes. But another thing that makes this attack so good is this; you MUST block high in order to block this attack! It is essentially a VERY, VERY fast overhead attack! That's another reason to buffer this in place of the bread and butter combo against people who don't know about this. And against characters that have a very skinny width, even if you miss against them, you have a very good chance of landing a throw! I'll cover more using this attack later, it really is a wonder move for Nakoruru. ****Mamahaha Release**** Tap heavy kick Nakoruru just lets go of Mamahaha and drops quickly to the ground, somersaulting while falling. You may think, big deal, you only use this if you sense the opponent caught onto your other attacks and need to start over. No, that's not why this move is so good. Have you noticed how close this move-cancel looks compared to the Shichikapu Ai? And how I said the Shichikapu Ai's only way of being countered is to roll right at the start? This is why it's so good! This essentially doubles as a "fake projectile" move. Once you sense the opponent trying to roll past your air projectiles(and it won't be too hard), just drop to the ground instead. You'll have a free shot at landing either the bread-and-butter combo or a throw. And this is also good if you sense the opponent trying to hit you, you can always do this and be immediately back on the ground, ready to block. NICE! ===============================MAMAHAHA=GRAB=FOLLOWUPS========================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ========================= D.Nakoruru's Super Combos ========================= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In reality, Nakoruru has 2 of the most worthless super combos in the entire game. You will not need to use them at all(ok, maybe the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika in some extremely rare cases, but almost never at all), because they simply suck. But it's still to learn about them, to understand why I don't want you to fool around with them at all. ****Shichikapu Kamui Irushika**** Motion (for, down/for, down, down/back, back)twice+any/both punch(es) First of all, I will tell you that in order to perform this attack Mamahaha must be directly above Nakoruru. With that said, Nakoruru pulls her frontal hand above her head, then says "Mamahaha, Chikara O kashte!" points forward and then the hawk with its wings together in front of it then swoops down behind Nakoruru and then rushes forward off the screen with a bird cry and its wings spread, and then returns to Nakoruru. If the opponent touches Mamahaha when it is moving, they will get burnt from purple flames and fall to the ground. Ok, first of all, this attack does do good damage, at level 3, it can do 40% damage on a ratio 2 character. It is one of the few projectile super combos having the luxury of being juggle-comboable. And this attack not only can beat people who attempt to cross-up Nakoruru(since Mamahaha first has to fly down behind Nakoruru) but it can be used to beat projectile-lobbing characters. And Mamahaha moves rather quickly. Now let's look at why this move is simply crap; the startup is just terrible. All projectile super combos have poor priority, but the fact that Nakoruru's only takes that much longer before Mamahaha flies toward the opponent worsens the value of this super combo. That said, this attack isn't completely worthless, but you shouldn't be using this for about 90% of the match. Now, it can be used to hit jumpers and projectile lobbers, but the only reason you'll be using this is in a combo. And while you can combo this attack out of the corner, because Nakoruru already does enough damage without super combos you only want to use this in a corner-specific juggle combo. Even in SNK Groove when you have 33% life left it's still not that abusable, cause Mamahaha needs to return to right above Nakoruru before you can command the hawk to fly at the opponent again. With that said, don't ever try to abuse this attack, or you'll lose. ****Shirikoro Kamui Nomi**** Motion (down, down/for, for)twice+any/both kick(s), press all attack buttons together to cancel Mamahaha flies upward out of the screen, and then Nakoruru stands erect calling to nature, saying "Chikara O onegai!" When this happens, a large collumn of light envelops her and she begins to slowly gain life back. If you don't cancel the super combo, she will gain 25% of her life back. Then she says "Arigato!" Now, stop, stop. I know what you're thinking, "You get life back! And you can cancel it! Why would you think this super combo sucks?" Well, number one, Nakoruru gains life really, really, slowly back. It takes about 10, sometimes it may seem like 15, seconds to fully get that 25% of life back. Why not just K.O. the opponent early in order to do that(amount of time left from the previous round determines how much life you gain before the next round)? But even if you don't care about that, I will tell you this; I've tried this move over and over, even played on a DC with the super level guage set to max, and have come to the conclusion that the entire move is really, really slow. The startup is slow, the actual healing part is slow, and the recovery is slow. Even if you cancel it, you still have to wait about 2-3 full seconds from the time you managed to cancel to when you can actually move. DO NOT USE THIS MOVE. You aren't gaining enough life to warrant 3 levels, you are actually saying to your opponent in a seductive voice, "C'mon, land that Shin Shoryuken combo on me, I know you want to..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ *********************************** |333333 TTT EEE AAA MM MM SSS | | 33 T E A A M M M SS S| | 33 T EEE AAAAA M M M SS | |33 33 T E A A M M M S SS| | 3333 o T EEE A A M M M SSS | *********************************** /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ In reality, Capcom Vs. SNK is not a tag-team game where each person drastically helps aid a team. The only situations I think where this team system of CvS will aid you is if you are in Capcom Groove. And this actually suits Nakoruru pretty well, since she almost never uses her super combos. So, you can choose a character that is highly dependent on super combo meter or has a really good super combo after Nakoruru, and when she dies, they'll be able to start out with some free super combos to use. Of course, this doesn't apply to SNK Groove, since all characters in SNK Groove can easily build up a level 1 super combo right at the start, but in that case it's still good to put Nakoruru first. In the case of SNK Groove, just choose whatever team you like. Nakoruru's partner(ratio 2) or partners(ratio 1) should; -Fight after her, she should always go first -Have a great super combo to use(well, not that necessary, but it helps) Well, that's pretty much it. There's not much restrictions in this rule. The only cons are that Nakoruru won't be able to have any ratio 3(No Geese! WTF!) or ratio 4(No Evil Ryu? WTF!) partners(unless if you decided to play that unbalanced pair match). But that's ok; I dunno why, but Nakoruru is theoretically even stronger than Akuma/Evil Ryu anyhow. Here's Nakoruru's legit partners; Ratio 1 characters: 1.Benimaru For a ratio 1 character, this guy does a lot of damage. Benimaru has one of the best jumps in the game, it is fast, long, and mobile. His Dennei Spark is very fast, but has long recovery. I consider the EX Benimaru better, because he can handle jumpers with his anti-air Raijinkens. EX Benimaru also has unblockable special and super throws. A great character, possibly one of the best. 2.Blanka Kinda fast guy, er, beast. Also has one heck of a taunt. He does a lot of damage for a ratio 1 character. The regular version is way better than the EX version. The EX version lacks anti-air game. You can still be knocked out of the roll with a jab. This guy's really fun to play. 3.Cammy She is the fastest fighter and a great offensive character. Cammy's great against those turtlers, cause she has many moves that dodge projectiles. She basically has an attack for every distance. She's very weak though. Her EX version loses a bunch of good offensive tools for her Reverse Shaft Breaker, so decide whether you want more offense(regular) or more anti-air(EX). But in about 90% of those cases, it's probably better to go with regular Cammy. 4.Dhalsim Need I tell you why? One of the best characters cause he can fill up the screen MVC2 style, without the use of any meter. And if they decide to get close, he can teleport away and start all over. His EX version isn't better cause the regular Dhalsim has an anti-air flame super combo and another one which needs to be blocked low. 5.King Also one of the best characters. She has some great anti-airs, and can fire 2 projectiles without any meter. The EX version's double fireballs are a super combo and can override almost other projectile in the game(since it does at level 3 7 hits, but her better super combo is gone. I believe the regular King is better, being able to fire 2 fireballs without any meter, and having more attacks to use anyhow. But EX-King's Double Strike can sure be fun to use. 6.Sakura Her regular version is far from the shoto style now. Her fireball is now like Dan's. She is now totally offensive, due to her improved combos and lack of range. Haru Ichiban is one of the best super combos in the game, because it has the fastest startup and the fastest recovery, and it also does good damage. EX version plays like Alpha Sakura. I would suggest sticking with the regular Sakura, as she can add damage onto her Shoryuken. But EX Sakura may be better, being able to play more well-rounded. Her taunt can do minor damage, woo hoo! 7.Vice Like Zangief, only faster. She's one heck of a grappler, and can give anyone headaches. The EX version IMO is better, because there's an anti-air Decide, and Vice gains a long reach shoulder ram, which gives her range. The EX version possibly is one of the best characters. 8.Yuri Use her just for her taunt. Sorta like a small Dan, in terms of entertainment. The EX version gets a bunch of new(and real) fireball attacks. EX Yuri is a lot better, cause while the EX has no real anti-air and loses her reliable uppercut super combo, she has actual projectiles, a really good air fireball, and a devastating fireball trap. I also like her fireball super combo, cause it's really fast, but if you like that, Ryo's better. EX Yuri is argued as one of the best characters in the game. Ratio 2 characters: 1.Balrog He's a good offensive character. And can remove half a lifebar without a super combo. The EX version is SSF2T Balrog. It's better to pick the regular Balrog, for anti-air purposes. 2.Chun-Li Fast and dominates the air like heck. One of my fav characters. It's too bad that you can't really combo any of her specials though. She handles turtlers easily. The EX version is like SSF2T Chun-Li with another super combo. Pick the regular Chun-Li, because the Kikoshou is useful in its own way. Her juggle potential in the corner with super combos is just killer. Chun-Li is also argued as one of the best characters. 3.E.Honda He's powerful. Also can grapple opponents. His games involve using his incredibly good roll and his special attacks. The EX version loses anti-air games and throwing games. So pick the regular version. Have fun using this guy, I believe some people have argued that he is one of the best. 4.Guile Nakoruru and Guile in that order are considered by many to be the #1 team in CvS. Guile can put offensive and defensive pressure on like no other. One of the best characters, even argued as the best by some. His super combos are really good too, but what's even better, is that Guile doesn't need 'em to win. Not to mention that he can build up lotsa meter really fast pressuring the opponent. Pick the regular version, since the EX version loses the better super combo. 5.Iori Is really powerful. One heck of a character. One of his super combos is weak, but stuns the opponent and fills up the entire screen so anything combos after. He's got a great anti-air with a ground projectile. A great comboer, and great confuser. The EX Iori is actually a ratio 4 character! Unfortunately that means no Nakoruru-EX Iori team. 6.Ken Extremely fast. He also removes a lot of life by his super combos. One of the best characters. And his super combos are also very combo friendly. The EX version is like SSF2T Ken. Pick the regular version. 7.Kim This guy's just too fun to play. Think of Jackie Chan. One of the best characters. His super combos are just way too good and all his normal attacks have their uses. One of his attacks can even negate projectiles and still cancel into a super combo. His EX version loses the special attack anti-air game for 1 slow super combo, but it can juggle the opponent. If you use special attacks to defend against jump-ins, then the regular Kim's better. But if you are confident hitting airborne opponents with the C.Fierce and like his more ludicrous juggle combos, EX-Kim's better. 8.Kyo Too bad Kyo got totally raped in the transition to a Capcom game. He still has great defense though and his offense is good due to his awesome footsie game, as he has really good pokes. Pick the regular version, cause the EX version loses his better super combo. If you like juggle combos, EX-Kyo's more fun to use though. 9.Mai A fun character to use. She is extremely fast, and has many ways of attacking from full screen. Also has a really good roll. The regular version is better. The EX version though, is more well-rounded and more fun to use, especially in SNK groove, because of her triple fan super combo. Good offensive character. Her level 1 Super Deadly Ninja Bees is the most powerful level 1 super combo in the game. The EX version is considered one of the best characters in the game by some. 10.Morrigan Think of a watered-down shoto with a watered-down Zangief. She still can chain any 6 attacks into a 3 hit combo. Her Darkness Illusion is comboable. But this is definitely one of the most fun characters to use, since she is the only one who can do Vs-series-style chain combos. But she's really weak though, beware of that. 11.Raiden I dunno too much about Raiden. Supposedly he's sorta like Zangief. So then I guess he's strong, and can grapple the opponent. I think the EX version is better since he can actually defend against jump-ins, but I may be wrong, since the Poison Breath can be used to an extent as an anti-air. 12.Ryo Like a watered-down Akuma. He's really good, as he can defend well and go on the offense. The EX version is more for fun because the fireballs all get jacked up and the regular version should be better, due to the air fireball. Also has the largest super projectile in the game. And his super combos aren't too bad either, in fact some of them may be some of the best super combos in the game! 13.Ryu This guy is one of the best characters in the game. I consider him 3rd right behind Nakoruru and Guile. He has basically no weakness, and is quite a well-rounded character. All of his super combos and special attacks are quite useful. Nakoruru and Ryu make the best example of a battery/user type of team, since Nakoruru does well without meter, then when she dies, Ryu can immediately put those 3 levels to work in an insanely damaging Shin Shoryuken combo. EX Ryu is a ratio 4 character, so it's too bad you won't be able to use him on Nakoruru's team. 14.Terry One of my fav SNK characters. He's one of the best characters. Defends against jump-ins and dashers well, his combos are awesome, and he has some of the best dashes and rolls in the game, giving him great mobility in footsie games. The regular version should be better, but since the EX version can do the Power Dunk(his anti-air) without charging, the EX version is better. 15.Zangief Is strong, and can throw the opponent like crazy. Does a lot of damage without any meter. Does even more when you put them into his Final Atomic Buster super combos at level 3. The regular version is much better, since the EX version is SSF2T Zangief. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ****************************************** | 4 CCC OOO MM MM BBB OOO SSS | | 44 C C O O M M M B B O O SS S| |4 4 C O O M M M BBB O O SS | |4444 C C O O M M M B B O O S SS| | 4 o CCC OOO M M M BBB OOO SSS | ****************************************** /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ============================ A.Intro to Nakoruru's combos ============================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nakoruru is a very narrow-minded character. Even when you combo with her, it's still gonna come down to only 1 combo you need to know. But for the sake of entertaining you, I've also placed other combos in there for fun, or to try out if you're bored. All in all, Nakoruru is a character who does a lot of damage whenever she combos the opponent. You will not be disappointed. &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Before you dive into the combos section, if you are a newbie, then read this little tidbit of information to help you pull off combos right. Know how to use all 4 buttons and the joystick well to your advantage. Here is the methods I will suggest you hold the joystick to further enhance your game, in other words, pick one: 1)THUMB AND FINGERTIPS Very much the same as you would hold an eyedropper. It gives somewhat firm control for the diagonal movements. Good response for taps in any direction using thumb or fingertips. Recommended technique. 2)ENGULFING The ball on the stick is completely grasped into a fist. This is not recommended though some have found this technique comfortable for the motions. Usually only mashers will grasp the joystick like this, and by doing so also ruins your ease of tapping the joystick. 3)IN-BETWEEN The stick is in-between the middle finger and the ring finger with palm facing upwards. Great control over up, down, forward and back motions but lends poor control over diagonal taps. But since Capcom games almost never use diagonal taps like Namco, or Sega, I personally prefer this the best. You might have problems with dashing like I do, though. 4)SITUATIONAL Use a combination of the three above techniques to suit your needs. Enough said. As for the buttons, here's how I would cover the buttons: Light Punch:Index finger Light Kick:Index finger/Left side of thumb Heavy Punch:Middle finger Heavy Kick:Middle finger &&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& Here's the legend that I will use in my combos. It's James Chen's combo notation, modified slightly by Migs Rustia to make it easier to read. , is used to indicate normal move chaining --> indicates Special Move cancellation /\ indicates that you cancel the current move with a Super Jump \/ indicates that you land after the last move and continue on the ground S. stands for standing C. stands for crouching DN. stands for holding down on the controller while attacking during a jump UP. stands for holding up on the controller while attacking during a jump T. stands for holding towards on the controller (direction you are facing) J. stands for jumping SJ. stands for Super Jumping D. stands for Dashing before performing the move AD. stands for Air Dashing F. stands for Flying (OTG) means this will hit opponent off the ground (FS) means that the move you just did initiated the Flying Screen AC - Air Combo AC Finisher - A move that will end an air combo by initiating the FS [air] This move can be done on the ground or in the air [air only] This move can be done only while jumping] P any punch can be used Jab the light punch button must be used Fierce the heavy punch button must be used Short the light kick button must be used C.Forward the heavy kick button must be used with the joystick held diagonally down/away Roundhouse the heavy kick button must be used 2P both punch buttons must be used 2K both kick buttons must be pushed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ================== B.How To Do Combos ================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you already know how to combo with Nakoruru, don't read this, this is only meant to help those who can't really do combos, and lists how to do combos, but not any specific combos. Keep this in mind; there are basically 3 types of combos in CvS; Chains, Cancelling, and Juggle. Ok, here's a really short low-down of each; Chain Combos: Linking your normal attacks to each other. You can usually link 2-3 of these attacks into one combo. Of course, the "weaker-to-stronger" rule still applies. To do these simple combos, just tap a normal attack, then wait til the animation ends, and tap another attack. Keep in mind what attacks of Nakoruru start up slow, and thus don't try tagging these on in later hits. Cancelling: Linking a normal attack into a special/super combo. Perhaps the most essential type of combo you need to know. Basically, tap a normal attack. Immediately after tapping the attack, begin doing the motions for the special/ super combo, and of course, finish them. The ultimate goal for Nakoruru players in terms of comboing is getting the Anna Mutsube to combo by this type of combo. Juggle Combos: Ok, CvS's juggle combo system is really complex. But it can be simplified to this: an attack will only juggle, or hit the opponent out of the air if 1)it has "juggle potential" and 2)the number of "juggle potential" hits still exceed the number of times the opponent has already been hit in the air. Ok. If you still don't get that, read JChensor's great FAQ explaining this at Shoryuken.com. With juggle combos, you must have a good idea of how soon to pull off the move in order to get it to juggle. I'm really sorry if I couldn't really help you by the above directions. Comboing in CvS is really simplistic. Just spend a few minutes and you'll get how to do it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ================== C.Essential Combos ================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The combos listed here are the ones you must learn. All of them the most well rounded combos. They are not the most damaging, or the longest combos, but they are for the most part, very applicable when in serious play. In short, they're what I consider as "retaliation combos," combos that can be pulled off to punish a recovering opponent. Keep in mind being Nakoruru, you can always start your combos with the 2nd hit of the Shichikapu Etu Brute, but that's mainly for flash. Jump-ins: Of course, you won't always get a chance to pull off a jump-in to lead in your combo. But in the times that you do, here's what's most applicable. J.Short--> This is your jump-in and cross-up attack, period. This attack has high priority and stuns the opponent long enough so that you can land and continue your combo. Crossing up the opponent with this attack is rather easy with Nakoruru, you almost need to be on top of the opponent when you regular jump at them(I think maybe half a dash away would be the ideal range). If you are super jumping, you need to be slightly further. Crossing up can either enable you to add more hits to your combo, confuse the opponent on which way to block, or just make your combos look plain cool. J.Roundhouse--> This is also applicable as a jump-in or cross-up attack because it does more damage than the J.Short and stuns the opponent longer, but it's trickier getting this to cross-up, since you need to hit the opponent very precisely near the top of his head. Practice, practice. Anna Mutsube combos: 1)C.Short,C.Short,C.Short,S.Fierce-->Anna Mutsube ATTENTION! This is the only Nakoruru combo you'll ever need! This combo alone is your Nakoruru bread and butter combo! If your opponent is vulnerable in any sort of fashion, this is the combo you must hit them with! It does an amazing amount of damage for a combo with no super combos; 25-30% on the average ratio 2 character! If you can't do this combo consistently, stop playing as Nakoruru, you'll lose way too quickly. That said, you don't always need to go for 3 short kicks. Scott A., a CvS top ranking player, often goes for 2 slowly paced short kicks, which is what I do too. But in all cases, learn to be able to do this combo after 1, 2, or 3 short kicks. And always use the light version of the Anna Mutsube, so that if blocked, you almost recover at the same time as your opponent. And after you connect this combo, dashing twice forward immediately will cross up the opponent as they get up. Or another light Anna Mutsube followed by a forward dash gets the same results, according to JChensor. 2)C.Jab,C.Short,S.Fierce-->Anna Mutsube Just for variety, if you're in the mood for that, but it's still essentially the same combo. 3)C.Jab,C.Short,C.Short-->Anna Mutsube Again, for variety. Lela Mutsube combos: 1)S.Jab(close),S.Short(close),S.Fierce-->Lela Mutsube Taken off of the KiD's combo FAQ, he adds a cross-up roundhouse kick to the beginning of the combo. 2)C.Short,C.Jab,C.Short-->Lela Mutsube Again, taken off of the KiD's combo FAQ, and he adds a cross-up roundhouse kick to the beginning of the combo. Shichikapu Kamui Irushika combos: 1)C.Short,C.Short,C.Roundhouse-->Shichikapu Kamui Irushika Taken off of the KiD's combo FAQ, and he adds a roundhouse kick jump-in to the beginning of the combo. 2)C.Short,C.Short,C.Short,S.Fierce-->Shichikapu Kamui Irushika I heard yushiro on Shoryuken.com forums say that the standard Nakoruru combo can have the bird super combo substituted for the Anna Mutsube. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =============== D.Harder Combos =============== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Combos that are a little flashier/a lot harder to do are in here. Anyways, take a look if you want combos that are more eye candy than effective. Nakoruru isn't the queen of combos though, so don't expect anything extremely damaging AND extremely flashy that can be applied on a regular basis to your gameplan. Shichikapu Ai combos: 1)Mamahaha Grab,(Mamahaha Slash)Short,(Mamahaha Slash)Fierce-->Shichikapu Ai This combo was taken from yushiro's post. It can only be done near the corner. After the (Mamahaha Slash)Short, move forward a bit before continuing the combo. 2)Mamahaha Grab,(Mamahaha Slash)Short,(Mamahaha Slash)Jab-->Shichikapu Ai This combo was taken from yushiro's post. After the (Mamahaha Slash)Short, move forward a bit before continuing the combo. Kamui Mutsube combos: 1)J.Short\/C.Fierce-->Mamahaha Grab,Kamui Mutsube This one was taken off of JChensor's Hidden Characters combo video. The J.Short must be a cross-up, and you must dive right as soon as possible for the combo to work. 2)Mamahaha Grab,Mamahaha Slash-Short,(Mamahaha Slash)Fierce-->Kamui Mutsube This combo was taken from yushiro's post. It can only be done near the corner. After the (Mamahaha Slash)Short, move forward a bit before continuing the combo. 3)Mamahaha Grab,Mamahaha Slash-Short,(Mamahaha Slash)Jab-->Kamui Mutsube This combo was taken from yushiro's post. After the (Mamahaha Slash)Short, move forward a bit before continuing the combo. Shichikapu Kamui Irushika combos: 1)J.Short\/C.Short,C.Short,C.Short,S.Fierce-->Anna Mutsube,Shichikapu Kamui Irushika This Nakoruru combo was taken off of JChensor's Hidden Characters combo video. Know how I said you would only be using the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika in a combo? This is that combo! This combo does insane damage, especially when you use all the meters; I remembered that it does 11 hits and 70% of damage on a ratio 2 character; ouch! That said, you can only do this combo when the opponent is cornered, but it isn't that big of a deal, since Nakoruru probably will eventually corner her opponents. Anyways, for actually doing the combo, hit the J.Short as early as possible, so that Nakoruru ends up as far as possible before doing the light version of the Anna Mutsube. The millisecond you stop from the slide(you'll slowly slide into the corner wall and stop),do the super combo, or it'll miss. 2)Shichikapu Etu Brute,J.Fierce\/Roll Slice,C.Short,S.Fierce-->Anna Mutsube, Shichikapu Kamui Irushika This combo was taken off of mopreme and Kamui's CvS Hyper combo exhibition. It is insanely cool watching this combo done, and it does a lot of damage. Anyways, this combo can only be done on Zangief(well, at least it works best on him). As for positioning, Nakoruru should be about at a jump's distance away from the Zangief, who is cornered. In order to do it, the Shichikapu Etu Brute must be the heavy kick version, and Nakoruru must begin the jump-in as soon as possible so that her J.Fierce will combo off of the bird's 2nd attack. The Anna Mutsube must be the light version. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ *************************************** |5555 SSS TTT RRR AAA TTT SSS | |5 SS S T R R A A T SS S| |555 SS T RRR AAAAA T SS | | 55 S SS T R R A A T S SS| |555 o SSS T R R A A T SSS | *************************************** /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ================== A.General Strategy ================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are some general thoughts on how to play Nakoruru. If you want some really in-depth flowcharts of how to play Nakoruru, move on to the Defense or Offense sections below. GENERAL TIPS -Don't(on purposely) kill your opponent with block damage. I mean, if you know your special attack that you throw will K.O. the opponent and you know the opponent is going to block and not in any sort of recovery, then don't do it. I hate K.O.s by block damage. You can easily tell if you won by block damage because the opponent will sort of sway back and forth slightly, then collapse on the ground instead of giving a cry of pain and falling to the ground. This tip isn't really one to help you win more, but to gain more respect, winning by block damage makes you look like you are desperate to win. -Nakoruru's natural inclination in comboing is to go as long and lengthy as possible. Actually, your bread-and-butter combo already does that, so anytime you want to combo, stick with that. It is long enough, and the damage done is more than enough. And if you're in the corner, considering adding on that level 3 super combo at the end, but consider it, taking into the fact who's going next on your team or how low the opponent's life is. -Only throw to counter rollers. Throws do solid damage in this game, but winning solely by throws seems low-skill, unless if the opponent was rolling every 2 seconds. Throwing is also legit if the opponent was blocking, though. -Stay offensive. Nakoruru is the absolute best offensive character in this game. Keep in mind offensive doesn't mean blind aggressive attacking, but you should be initiating the flow of the game. -Nakoruru is very narrow-minded and only has a specific move to use for a specific occasion. You want to know where, consult the movelists. And remember that you won't be playing very well-rounded, only concentrate on a few specific areas. -Take a note of what groove your opponent is using(boy, that sounds funny). If they are using Capcom, remember that they can do a super combo at any time, so they will generally not waste their super combo, beware of this. If they are using SNK, expect them to be more defensive, and yes, they will attempt to charge up a lot, so go aggressive on them to ensure they don't ever get the chance to charge. They will become extremely predictable when in Desperation Mode(red lifebar) because you know they will go all out trying to super combo your ass. Whenever your SNK Groove opponent has a meter charged, just run away til it goes away, then resume aggressive attacking. Of course, you can ignore all that red lifebar SNK crud if you just do the bread-and-butter combo ending in the level 3 super combo when they have about 60% life left. ;) -Your style of play should depend on your fighting groove. With that said, I decided to split this general strat section into 2 parts; Capcom and SNK. If you want more elaboration about the 2 grooves, check out the "Capcom or SNK?" section as well. CAPCOM GROOVE -Relax and play pure defense, or pure offense as you see fit. In this mode, Nakoruru naturally gains meter if she gets hit, does a special attack, or connects with a normal attack. You're the one who dictates which way the flow of the fight goes. In fact, go totally offensive. Nakoruru gains meter insanely fast in this groove if you do it right. -Your main super combo should be the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika. But knowing Nakoruru, that's only to combo into it, cause the healing super combo is near worthless. And even then, you shouldn't be looking intently to connect this super combo, cause Nakoruru already does enough damage on her own. Only look to combo into it if you feel you are losing and need a last ditch effort to knock the opponent back a few degrees of life or if you want an early K.O. in the corner. -You don't get free meter like in SNK Groove. So don't be looking intently to connect that Shichikapu Kamui Irushika. And you also want to save that meter for whoever comes next, so that's another reason not to spew all that meter away. -What gains super meter the most are special attacks or normal attacks that hit. Keep this in mind. Actually, you don't even need to keep that in mind, Nakoruru gains meter so quickly, as long as you are touching the opponent, you are good. SNK GROOVE -If you are playing Nakoruru in SNK Groove, you should still play her aggressively. Don't be looking for the oppurtunity to charge, usually you would only play Nakoruru in SNK Groove if someone else on your team was much better suited to play in SNK Groove(like Iori). But even if you want to use that Shichikapu Kamui Irushika repeatedly, it's still better to wait until you get into that red life bar, since defensive playing with Nakoruru is pretty stupid. -Because you will get free level 1 Shichikapu Kamui Irushika super combos once you have about 33% life left, you should use these a lot more liberally to stop crossups. And consider adding them more to your combos when you are in the red life bar zone. -Use the fact that you need to charge your meter in order to use a super combo to lure the opponent. Fact is, the starting and ending animations of the charge are much faster than assumed. The perfect way to disguise your bait into something else. -Charge your meter until it is near MAX. That way, when you actually WANT to use your super combo, you can just TAP the command instead of holding it. Just imagine; your opponent jumps back, you tap both heavy buttons, and pull out the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika and it knocks the opponent out of the air just before they land. -When Nakoruru's meter is maxed, she seems to do more damage per normal attacks. Use that to your advantage. -Your main super combo should still be the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika. In fact, it's even more suicidal trying to attempt the healing super combo in SNK Groove, since you will be down to about less than 33% when you try this, and you have an insanely high chance of losing Nakoruru to just the stupid notion of trying to gain back life. But like I said, if you're trying to charge the meter so you can use the Shichikapu Kamui Irushika when you are still not in the red life bar then you're doing something completely wrong. The Shichikapu Kamui Irushika is definitely not a great super combo, so it shouldn't be used until you can freely chuck it out without charging. And even when you do have the red life bar, this is not as abusable as the other projectile super combos, since Mamahaha needs to return to Nakoruru before she can throw the hawk at the opponent again. You should only be using this to counter crossups, or to combo into it. I don't know how much damage a combo into sweep or S.Fierce into a level 1 Shichikapu Kamui Irushika does too, so the bread-and-butter combo still might do more damage than this super combo in a ground combo. Remember that I will use the same notation as the notation I used in combos. *********** *a.Defense* *********** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ As usual, offensive characters rely on either jumps, or dashes/rolls to get to Nakoruru and kill her. But you're lucky, Nakoruru's defense is really good. You have very few options, but all in all, they are all VERY, VERY good options. Assuming that your opponent is attempting to dash/roll/walk towards you, here's what you can do. 1)--> Mamahaha Grab Do I have to explain this one? This immediately puts you on an offensive position because now the opponent has to guess what you're gonna do next, and it's really a pain in the @$$ trying to. Go to the offensive section to see what you can do now. 2)--> Extra Meter Charge This is for the SNK Groove people. If you don't know what to do, just sit back and charge your meter til it is near full. Use this to bait your opponent into attacking you, while you decide how to defend. 3)--> C.Short The high speed and priority of this attack ensures that you can beat many attacks that come towards you. And again, it not only returns the initiative to you, making you now on the offense, but now you start the flowchart! Again, go to the offensive section to see what you can do. 4)--> Anna Mutsube This is an awesome attack. It straight out beats people who try to projectile lob you to death. And if it connects, you begin your offense. Unless if you are full screen, stick with the light version of the attack, cause if blocked, you have a very good chance of recovering at the same time as the opponent. 5)--> Dash Nakoruru has an excellant dash(not as good as Terry's but still very good). You can just trick the opponent into whiffing an attack by backdashing, then dashing back in and beginning your offense. Note that Nakoruru's dash can also go over SNK-style ground projectiles, so here you have one of your best options against these types of projectiles. 6)--> C.Roundhouse This is your longest most applicable poke(the Roll Slice is longer, but way slower). And because you knocked the opponent down, you can begin your offensive okizeme games! 7)--> S.Short This comes out farther than the C.Short, and seems to come out just as fast. But I don't think you need to use this at all, I'm just putting it in here, in case you want to push the opponent back a little. 8)--> S.Roundhouse This may be able to beat some low kicks, but I'm not too sure, it may even start up faster than your sweep, but if it doesn't, consider it a slower, longer ranged S.Short. 9)--> Amube Yatoro Only to cancel SNK-style ground projectiles. Else, you won't need to use this attack at all, in fact, it might just be better to jump the projectile and start your offense. 10)--> Shichikapu Kamui Irushika Just to include this in here if you are in SNK Groove and in the red life bar and feel like you need to cancel that incoming slow projectile, then use this. 11)--> Lela Mutsube Not to be used that often, since if blocked, you are going to pay for it, but it can be used to counter SNK-style ground projectiles. But I think your followups to the Mamahaha Grab are much better for that. 12)--> Roll Not many cases that you want to roll with Nakoruru considering how slow her roll is. But it's acceptable if you're full screen and think you can avoid that monster-sized fireball without getting hit. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ Jumpers, ah yes. Jumping opponents are rather easy to take care of in CvS. Here's what you can do. 1)--> Mamahaha Grab Do I have to explain this one? This immediately puts you on an offensive position because now the opponent has to guess what you're gonna do next, and it's really a pain in the @$$ trying to. Go to the offensive section to see what you can do now. It's not that applicable against jumpers, but it is applicable, nevertheless. 2)--> Extra Meter Charge This is for the SNK Groove people. If you don't know what to do, just sit back and charge your meter til it is near full. Use this to bait your opponent into attacking you, while you decide how to defend. 3)--> C.Fierce Nakoruru's best anti-air option. Most people say go for the Lela Mutsube, but that attack actually has poor priority. This attack however, timed right, beats out pretty much every jump in attack there is except for the level 3 air super combos, according to JChensor. And right after connecting it, just begin your offense. 4)--> Anna Mutsube Maybe not as applicable in dealing with jumpers, but if you want to use this as maybe to get away from the opponent, that'll do. In this case, use the heavy version, to make sure you make it clear away from the opponent. 5)--> Dash Nakoruru has an excellant dash(not as good as Terry's but still very good). You can just trick the opponent into whiffing an attack by backdashing, then dashing back in and beginning your offense. If you predict the jump early, you can even dash under them and throw, but that takes a lot of skill. 6)--> Amube Yatoro Because the bird comes diagonally down like an air projectile, your opponents simply can't try to jump over it. Very useful, but only if you predict the opponent's jump right at the start. And since it knocks the opponent down, you can begin your offense. 7)--> Shichikapu Kamui Irushika If your opponent tries to cross you up, this super combo very well suits that purpose of countering them and putting you back on offense. 8)--> Lela Mutsube Not to be used that often, since it has poor priority, but yes, if you want, you can use this. 9)--> Roll Not many cases that you want to roll with Nakoruru considering how slow her roll is. But it's acceptable if your opponent doesn't know how to land and hit you right as you come out of the roll. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ The one last thing to cover in defense is getting up from a knockdown with the opponent right above you. 1)--> Delayed Get Up If your opponent was aiming to set a trap for you, like Raging Demon you as you get up, jack up their timing with this, but mix this up with your regular get ups, else he'll catch onto your pattern. 2)--> Throw Waking characters have waking priority, so this will give you a good oppurtunity to throw, but don't do it too often, or your opponent will tech hit everytime you get up. 3)--> C.Short Of course, this attack is high in priority, so why not use it? Good to just throw out as you get up if your opponent doesn't know what to expect from you. 4)--> Anna Mutsube If your opponent likes trying to hit you with a "Meaty" projectile as you get up (meaty, meaning it will definitely touch you blocking or not) then this works, but I suggest only using the light version. 5)--> Mamahaha Grab Do I need to explain this one again? Instantly puts you on offense, dictating the pace of the match again. 6)--> Dash Depending on what you want to do, you can either backdash to try to avoid attacks, or dash to either avoid SNK-style ground projectiles or begin your offense. 7)--> Shichikapu Kamui Irushika Just to beat out those people who try to cross you up right on wake up. 8)--> C.Fierce Again, for beating out those jumpers on wake up. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ *********** *b.Offense* *********** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ What can I say? Nakoruru has the best offense in the game. Therefore, confusing the opponent should play a major part of using Nakoruru. Her basic offense consists of using the Mamahaha Grab a lot, and when the opponent tries to find ways around it, they will leave themselves open to the bread-and-butter combo, some random Anna Mutsubes, or the ocassional kick throw. Remember that while I don't list combos here, you know what connects into what in my combos section, so obviously, you wouldn't need help on that, would you? Also learn when you should dash and when you should walk. Nakoruru has a really good dash, so you should use it a lot, but at the same time, don't overabuse it, cause your opponent can hit you out of the dash. Walk about 60% of the time, dash for about 40%. You have a couple of ways of getting in close: 1)--> Anna Mutsube If you are about half a screen away, just do this. It's safe if the light version is blocked. And you can easily use it to counter projectile throwers and begin your offense. 2)--> Shichikapu Etu Brute Only use the roundhouse version. Basically, while the hawk is coming back for the 2nd hit, move in. But of course, you shouldn't be using this too much up close, or you'll get hit, only good for helping set up a distraction to move in. 3)--> J.Short High priority, fast speed, and great for crossups. And since Nakoruru's jump is so fast, you'll get close and initiate the offense in no time. 4)--> Kamui Mutsube Done off of the Mamahaha Grab, as long as your opponent doesn't counter you, but blocks or gets hit by it, you're good. Also a good option to use against SNK-style projectiles. 5)--> Dash Like I said, Nakoruru's dash is not only fast, but can avoid SNK-style projectiles. Once you get in, you have to start confusing them. Here's what you do. Make sure to read all of these, then just flow em all together using each move when it is best suited. 1)--> C.Short This attack is good for whiffing, or stuffing the opponent's attacks. It is also very good for countering roll attacks. This attack is so important, it sets up one of the most painful flowcharts of Nakoruru. Basically, once you touch the opponent, you have a couple of options; if the opponent get hit, fine, do the bread-and-butter combo. Then follow up on your okizeme. If they don't, that's fine too, do the bread-and-butter combo, but substitute the Mamahaha Grab for the Anna Mutsube. This ensures that your offense is still continuing. Or C.Short, walk up and throw! Possibilities are just endless. And if you ever do the bread and butter combo and the opponent ends up in the corner, you again have a huge variety of mind games including dashes, Mamahaha Grabs, and stuff from the hawk itself. And when the opponent finds ways around your Mamahaha Grabs, they will be open to your bread-and-butter combo. 2)--> Mamahaha Grab What can I say? This move is awesome. You can just throw this right out of nowhere up close, or buffer it from the bread-and-butter combo, substituting the Anna Mutsube for it. Sometimes, if you want to do that, you can even omit some of the C.Shorts to ensure that you are closer to the opponent than usual. 2.1)--> Kamui Mutsube Basically, this is your overhead, but much faster. Against slow opponents, you can just do the Mamahaha Grab outta nowhere and immediately go for the heavy Kamui Mutsube. The only conventional way that this attack will be beat is if the opponent S.Jabs you. Anyways, this attack is a wonder attack. If your opponent ever blocks the bread-and-butter combo, buffer into the Mamahaha Grab and dive right away. Use the heavy version if you're definitely sure that they will continue blocking low and you used 2-3 short kicks. The light version, while it recovers faster, doesn't always hit. However, here, even if they know how to block this attack, lies another alternative, to against a cringing opponent, keep doing the bread-and-butter combo with only 1 short kick, with the Mamahaha Grab in place of the Anna Mutsube and immediately do a light Kamui Mutsube. Repeat this process over and over. It does wonders considering how many times you are touching the opponent. And against people who don't know how to counter it or are stuck in brain freeze, this little sequence is very, very deadly. Also, against characters that have a normal body width or thinner, you can do the bread and butter combo(3 shorts and all), and substitute the light Kamui Mutsube for the Anna Mutsube. You'll completely whiff, and then you can immediately throw the opponent, or begin your offense anew. Another thing, is if ever beat your jumpers with your C.Fierce, walk right up to where they will land, and then jump on the bird and immediately dive, chances are they are too scared of you hitting them with the combo to block high. And if they do block high, well, heh. Amazing move. Not to mention you can still do this even if you decide to move around on Mamahaha a while first. 2.2)--> Shichikapu Ai Essentially, this is your projectile/unhittable poke. If you are right on top of the opponent, do a light version, if not, do the heavy version. Anyways this too is a wonder move, not as much as the Kamui Mutsube, but still an amazing move. Against people who just block your bread-and-butter combo, buffer right into the grab and then do this attack right away, and most people will block it out of fear which helps make sure that you end the combo in a threatening position no matter what. The reason is this is essentially an air projectile. Because of the dynamics of the attack, the opponent can't jump against you, they'll just get hit. And some anti-airs(which would be the only way to attack Nakoruru outside of rolling) against this attack only trade hits. So, they can only block, get hit, or try to roll. If they block this attack, that's no big deal, this attack is really good for poking and provoking attacks. Not to mention you are back on the ground, so your offense begins anew! If they get hit, that's even better cause now you can set up your okizeme games. Rolling would therefore be the only way to counter this attack. But in order to do that, they need to roll right as you let Mamahaha fly. And keep in mind you can still do this attack even if you move around on Mamahaha first. 2.3)--> Mamahaha Release This again, is awesome. Anytime the opponent thinks Mamahaha is gonna dive at them, they will roll. And this counters all roll attempts by placing you on the ground before them, ready to "bread-and-butter combo" them. But even then, it's still a good move, cause as long as you are animating, you are good. Because it just looks too similar to the Shichikapu Ai. Once you do this, you are back on the ground, ready to do your offense. And again, you can do this even if you've flown around on Mamahaha for a while. Or try this; jump on Mamahaha, jump off(your opponent is sensing you attacking with the overhead), jump back on and dive! Your opponent will probably think just as you jump off that you are going to low kick into the combo, so just immediately jump back on and dive! Toy around with this move, against really defensive people, you can have insanely big confusing games just using this, the dive, and the crouching short. Or add the cross-up J.Short to the picture. Just too many possibilities! 2.4)--> Mamahaha Fly Go in against the people who think you are going to cancel your flight, or up and out against the rest. And the beauty of this is while the flight is rather slow, you can still cancel, drop Mamahaha, or dive any time. Flying just gets them even more paranoid about you, and even more jumpy. 3)--> Anna Mutsube Once your opponent tries to find ways around your Mamahaha Grab games, they will be open to your light Anna Mutsube if it is done randomly. At the right distance, it is a low attack that is great for surprise attacks and almost impossible to counter. 3)--> J.Short High priority. If you are extremely up close and the opponent is so into the ground game, use this, if they don't have an anti-air, chances are you'll win. What's even better, if you are up close when you do this, there is a very high chance you will cross the opponent up when you do! Then if they get hit, combo, and if they don't, then your offense just began again! Read the offensive wake-up section below to get an idea how to use this. 4)--> Throw Either your opponent will 1:turtle like a b***h or 2:roll attempting to avoid your Shichikapu Ai, in either case, this is the prime time to use this. And always for the kick throw, cause maybe you just got your heavy attacks blocked, so that means you will gain about 1/6th of your total meter. Also a great followup to your dash. 5)--> S.Roundhouse(close) or S.Fierce(close) I've said it before, an alternative to throwing, esp. if you've got a near emptiless meter, as if it is blocked, you gain a lot of meter! Note that to gain a lot of meter, you NEED to have it blocked, not hit, else you only gain a pathetic amount. And note that after getting the attack blocked, you are in a good position to attempt a cross-up. @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ The one last thing to cover in offense is what to do if your opponent is getting up from a knock down. Japanese call this "okizeme," and it is a quite important issue in your game, as mastery will keep opponents on the ground forever. 1)--> Dash If you landed your bread-and-butter combo, then just dash forward twice, or do another light Anna Mutsube and then dash forward. Either way, you will go right through the opponent as they get up. Then just do the bread-and-butter combo again using only 1 short kick. If they block it, don't do the Anna Mutsube. You can also backdash after positioning yourself right on top of your opponent so that if they tried an anti-air as wake-up, that it will miss. 2)--> C.Short If you touch them at all, your offense begins anew. Go to the offensive section and see what you can do. 3)--> J.Short One of the best oppurtunities to cross the opponent up comes right after knocking them down. Get yourself up close and proceed to jump over them and attempt a combo, and of course, if they block it, your offense STILL begins anew! 4)--> Mamahaha Grab It helps make sure that even on okizeme you are dangerous. Again, too many possibilities to count. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ****************** *c.Capcom or SNK?* ****************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ There is often a common question for CvSers to ask, and that is, which fighting groove best suits the character I am using? Let's start by looking at how each groove works. Capcom Groove -Builds by performing attacks, blocking attacks, or getting hit -Builds meter at a moderate pace -Intensity and quantity of super combo dependent on amount of meter built -Intensity of super combo controllable by number or strength of buttons used -Meter drains only when super combo is executed -Meter will carry over to the next person. This means a character who doesn't need to use super combos such as Nakoruru can go before a character who needs super combos a lot in battle and build up large amounts of meter before dying, enabling the next in line to start off with a level 3 super combo. SNK Groove -Builds by performing attacks, blocking attacks, getting hit, or the Extra Meter Charge command -Meter speed building dependent on which method. Insanely high charging speed when using the Extra Meter Charge, moderate speed when blocking attacks or getting hit, and slow speed when performing attacks. -Intensity of super combo dependent on amount of life remaining. If the character has 33% life left(it will look more like 25%), their lifebar will flash red. In this stage, a charged super combo will be a level 3. In all other cases, the super combo will be a level 1 intensity. -Quantity of super combo also dependent on life remaining. If the character has 33% life left, they can execute level 1 super combos nonstop without charging. If they have more life, they need to charge in order to perform a super combo at all. -Meter slowly drains after being charged full. Once it is empty, it will need to be recharged in order to do a super combo(unless down to less than 33% life). Using a super combo while it is still draining will completely drain the bar. -Meter doesn't carry over to the next person. It wouldn't matter anyways, because level 3s can only be done when near death and charged, and level 1s charge up pretty quickly. Now looking at each groove, you can tell right away, that Capcom Groove is best suited for characters that need to stay in the opponent's face and not let up(i.e. Guile), whereas SNK Groove is best suited for characters that need to stay as far away as possible(i.e. EX Sagat) or have excellant level 1 super combos. SNK Groove is poorly suited for characters that are highly dependent on super combos that can only be executed as level 3 intensity. Capcom Groove is poorly suited for super combo abusing, because it does take an extremely long time to build up the meter to level 3. Capcom Groove is more team-oriented, because it does take an extremely long time to build up the meter, so it's better to have a battery/user type of team, whereas this doesn't really matter to SNK Groove. My opinion is while Nakoruru can excel at both grooves, she does do better in Capcom Groove. The main reason ties down to Nakoruru barely needing to use super combos at all. So then, you're probably wondering, why Capcom over SNK, especially if Nakoruru doesn't need to use super combos at all? Well, lets look at it this way; no matter what your team is, Nakoruru will and should always have another teammate going after her. Here is where Nakoruru helps the other character(s). Because she barely uses her super combos at all, and because Nakoruru is characterized by her repeated attacks on the opponent, she gains meter insanely quickly, but never puts it to use. Now if you were using SNK Groove, your next teammate would only be able to start out with a level 1 super combo. But in Capcom Groove, when Nakoruru dies, all those unused meters carry right over to the next character. This makes people who use meter heavily extremely well suited as teammates for Nakoruru. And even if you do want to use some meter for Nakoruru, she still only uses it at level 3 in the corner. If you were in SNK Groove, you'd probably have to die halfway, then charge up your meter, and then pressure your opponent into the corner. That's probably not going to happen. Another problem with SNK Groove is that its main advantage doesn't come into play until the character has 33% life left. SNK players also tend to concentrate too much on charging the meter and wasting the super combos, which leads to a good offensive player owning them. Part of what makes Capcom Groove better, despite the potentially less usage of super combos is that sometimes the "threat of a super combo is as useful as the super combo itself." Less usage= more cautious usage=more unpredictability. And Capcom Groove's style reflects Nakoruru's, since she is totally offensive, or at least constantly touching the opponent, which gains meter really quickly. Now this is not to say that SNK Groove sucks. But if you want to use it, for Nakoruru resist the temptation to charge at all. Because Nakoruru is a pure-bred offensive character that doesn't require usage of super combos at all, you should just play normally until you reach that 33% life mark. Then whenever you combo, substitute the level 1 super combo in place of the Anna Mutsube. And when the opponent tries to cross you up, use the level 1 super combo to beat them out. But even in this groove, don't use the healing super combo at all. SNK Groove enables Nakoruru to use her super combos more, but in this case you should be hitting it more, but not going for quality(level 3) if you know what I mean. But above all, remember not to get "super-happy," this is the main reason why SNK players lose a lot. Your opponent will attempt to toy with you the notion that "I've got to fire off the super combo before the meter runs out" mentality, and thus make you lose. If you can learn to get over this, and not get all jumpy when you can use a super combo(unless if you are at 33% life) then SNK Groove may suit your Nakoruru better. SNK Groove may also be better if your teammates thrive much better on that type of play(Iori and EX Mai come to mind). Here's something to note: the amount of damage you inflict is due to your ability to perform super combos; Capcom Groove: No super combo potential: regular damage(100%) Level 1: 106% damage Level 2: 112% damage Level 3: 118% damage Note: performing a level 1 super combo when 3 levels are stored will do 12% more damage than a level 1 super combo in SNK Groove(level 1 super combo done at level 2), and likewise, performing a level 1 super combo when 2 levels are stored will do 6% more damage than a level 1 super combo in SNK Groove. SNK Groove: No super combo potential: regular damage(100%) Level 1: 120% damage Less than 33% life: 105% damage Level 3: 120% damage Note: level 3 super combos in SNK Groove are 5% more powerful than a level 3 super combo in Capcom Groove(level 3 super combo done when less than 33% life) and likewise, level 1 super combos when less than 33% life do 5% more damage than a level 1 Capcom Groove super combo. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =================== B.Computer Strategy =================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As it turns out, the computer plays like crud, just like it always does. I dunno how many sets of characters you must play against until you face a boss. If you want to face Morrigan or Nakoruru as a mid boss, then you must K.O. 5 fighters you meet with super combos before the 4th battle set. You must also gain up to 65,000 Groove Points before the 4th battle set. Depending on what groove you chose, if you did it right, you should get challenged before you say your winning quote like someone just put in 2 quarters and pressed start. ******************** *a.General Patterns* ******************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Basically, the computer ATTEMPTS to play the characters like they should be played. I said that because in general, the computer will play the fighters like the style they should be used. In other words, the computer will play Ryu by occasionally sitting back, then occasionally jumping in to do a combo. Whereas CPU Ken is played rather aggressively repeatedly doing dragon punches to get in. There are of course, some exceptions, the CPU Zangief doesn't do jack and justs sits there waiting to be comboed. Basically, the computer will usually resort to a very specific pattern with each different type of opponent, it's not too hard to learn them. If they play in SNK Groove, expect them to sometimes go haywire firing off super combos one after the other when in the red lifebar. Only thing I don't like about the Groove System is that you get more points for counterattacking than landing a good combo. Or basically, doing a good combo earns you nearly 0 points it seems. Considering how sorry the cpu opponent is, you should learn to improve your game through it. 3 ways to beat the cpu opponent: Easy, scrub way: Get on the other side of the screen(about 3/4 of the full screen length) and just throw your Amube Yatoros and Shichikapu Etu Brutes. That's it. The computer is very stupid and thus tries to counterattack(?) your fireballs with jabs it seems. This is very stupid, cause the Groove Point system makes you look like a pro, when all you did was skill-less throwing. Don't do this, unless if you want to fight Akuma at the end and can't consistently gain points. Intermediate way: Practice your combos and your special attacks, as well as your super combos. Hone each down to perfection. Master the art of Nakoruru's defense and offense, especially all those various flowcharts of hers. Probably what I would do, but there is a downside: the cpu a lot of times just sits there without blocking. You won't gain a lot of groove points this way, but this is best for learning. Expert way: Ok, not really expert, but it's still the most challenging. Master the act of counterattacking. Basically, just sit there and wait for the cpu to make a move. Learn to counter your opponent's attacks with the right poke and follow up. Master the art of sitting still and letting the opponent do a projectile, only to get it counterattacked by an Anna Mutsube. Learn when to pull off the level 1 super combos. And of course, perfect your Finest K.O. against the cpu. The easiest way is to make sure you K.O. the opponent by counterattacking them with your Anna Mutsube when they are performing a super combo. In reality, the computer is not a hard match. Just use it to warm up, or to perfect your combos, and your counterattacking. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ****************** *b.Geese:SNK Boss* ****************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Should you most of the game use Capcom characters(like Ryu), then your boss will be Geese. (Should you have Bison as your main character(only in Pair Match Mode) with Nakoruru, or Terry as your main character, you will have different quotes from Geese.) Scene starts with the camera going through many japanese doors. At the end, you see Nakoruru and Geese. She does her usual intro, but Geese is kneeling on the ground, and says, "You cannot escape for long death." Then he stands up and talks. Geese: You are either very lucky or very strong to have come this far. Geese: Well you better hope you are strong, because your luck just ran out. Geese: Now let only the strong survive! Geese's patterns are quite simple. If he jumps back, he's going to do a Shinpuuken. If he rolls forward, he will attempt a throw. If he jumps in, he will attempt a jump-in combo. If you miss your attacks, he will do a short combo ending in a sweep. If he justs sits back, he's waiting to use his reversals. And if he can, he will counter jump-ins with a Raising Storm as well as missed attacks. If Geese does a standing roundhouse, he will always follow it up with a sweep. And if you knock him down and stand right next to him, expect a throw. You can either attempt to beat him by sitting back and waiting until he attempts to jump/roll towards you. If he rolls, throw him out of his roll or combo him. If he jumps, do a C.Fierce. If he does a S.Roundhouse(either the 2-hit version or the advancing version) expect a sweep, so you could hit him out of the sweep. If you wish to go offensive, occasionally jump-in, but don't hit. The cpu Geese will immediately go for the high reversal, so combo away. Occasionally, just walk up to Geese, but don't attack. He'll attempt a reversal, so counter with your combo again or throw. Do this until you pin him into a corner, and then sometimes he'll attempt a Shinpuuken, so do your C.Fierce. Also, you can put yourself on offense and simply react to how he tries to beat you by your Mamahaha Grabs. If you manage to beat him, you face him again. Geese: You went too far this time! Geese: I underestimated you, but you're dead meat this time! Basically do the same thing as above. But when he gets to about 50% health, try to combo into the super combo. Or, you can just try to beat out his ground projectiles using it. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ****************************** *c.Balrog/Bison:Capcom Bosses* ****************************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Should you most of the game use SNK characters(like Nakoruru), then your bosses will be Balrog, then Bison. (Should you have Geese as your main character(only in Pair Match Mode) with Nakoruru, or Chun-Li as your main character, you will have different quotes from Bison.) The stage starts out with the camera training on the Shadowloo computer, then it zooms back to view Nakoruru and Balrog. Both of them do their respective intros. Bison: Welcome to Shadowloo headquarters. I'm glad you could make it here. Bison: Now you will be allowed to experiance my psycho power. Bison: Let's begin with a light warm-up, shall we? Balrog is pretty predictable. He tends to go offensive, doing 1 charging punch, and then immediately following it up with another that hits at another level. Occasionally he will defend jump-ins with his Buffalo Headbutt. The easiest way to beat Balrog is just go offensive repeatedly doing jump-in combos. Or, you can afford to sit back and counter his dashes with Anna Mutsubes and some Mamahaha Grabs into Shichikapu Ais. Beat him, and the stage will change. This time the computer in the center of the room will be gone, and the room will occasionally flicker with Psycho Power. Bison will stand with his cape on, saying some stuff in japanese(I think he's saying "I will cut your throat" according to the True Warrior's FAQ) then flings it off. Bison: Hmmm, this looks interesting. Bison: It appears that Balrog is not worthy. Bison: You will soon feel the wrath of my Psycho Power! Bison's natural inclination is to attack offensively. Bison tends to either do his dive attacks or get up close and do 2-3 light attacks into the Psycho Impact or the Knee Press Nightmare. If you stand still too long, he rolls forward and attempts to throw you. Easiest way to defeat this opponent is to utilize the C.Fierce. Hit Bison out of his dive attacks with them. He will also be bait as he does his Psycho Impact or the Knee Press Nightmare for throws(sometimes, that is). Don't sit too still though. Occasionally jump in with your J.Short or lure him to move with a Shichikapu Etu Brute. And of course use your Mamahaha Grabs, they are quite useful. Of course, once you get his life down to 50%, start looking for the oppurtunity to combo into your level 3 super combo, and end the match. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ *************************** *d.Akuma:The ultimate Boss* *************************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ If you managed to earn 85,000 Groove Points before you got to Bison(Akuma will not appear on Geese's stage, although Capcom or SNK fighters can fight against Akuma on the Shadowloo stage), you will fight Akuma. The stage is set in Shadowloo like before(sometimes you will fight Akuma in a jungle). Except you notice as Bison uncrosses his arms and prepares to fight you, Akuma drops down from above and does his fist strike (that split apart Ayer's Rock) on Bison, cutting him in two, with a nice slice effect. Bison then sways back and forth and collapses to the floor, while Akuma mutters "Shoosh(pathetic)" doing a horse stance. Akuma: I want to know... Akuma: Whether you are a worthy match for me. Akuma: You must prove yourself at the risk of your life and soul! Akuma is the only boss who actually, to say the least is more challenging. If he is far away, expect him to either throw his gou-hado, shunkunetsu gou-hado, or his air gou-hado. He never rolls, and instead uses his teleport like mad. If you jump on him, he will do a gou-shoryu, and if up close, he will interrupt your attacks with a tatsumaki zankuu kyaku and follow up with a gou-shoryu. Occasionally he jumps and uses air gou-hado while jumping in. Should you turtle too much, he will walk up and throw, and he does this a lot. He may attempt the raging demon if you are not moving around, so remember that. Keep moving. Remember that whenever he does a fireball, that's a prime oppurtunity to hit him with your Anna Mutsube. Don't give him an oppurtunity to throw you by poking when he gets close(of course, if you connect, combo) or doing the Mamahaha Grabs into the various followups. Attempt cross-ups into combos. Don't try to show off with combos into your super combos, because if you're in Capcom Groove, you'll barely be able to build up to level 3 before you K.O. Akuma, unless if your other fighters went first and you dicked around. And in SNK Groove, I doubt you would have got enough time to charge. Besides, didn't you notice you only have to fight Akuma once? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ************** *e.SNK Ending* ************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Note: I can't guarentee this is the exact wording that the ending is. But here it is. Geese: What? You are weak and stupid. (Geese is down on one knee, wincing and clutching his stomach) Geese: You best me, but you won't finish me off? Geese: This is the code of the street fighters? How touching. (Zooms to shot of Geese's eye) Geese: But... (Wood splinters, with Geese raising both his hands) Geese: Hah hah hah! Geese: I will never accept that! (Picture of Geese outside his building with wood splinters) Geese: The next time we meet, I will! Geese: Hahahahahha... (Geese free-falls down the building backward) (Far shot of building exploding in the middle) (Scene changes to a japanese woman news reporter with a News Combo 7 logo) Woman: This is News Combo 7. (Picture of Capcom Vs. SNK logo) Woman: The Capcom Vs. SNK: Millenium Fight 2000 took place in the central dome today. (Picture of Joe and Dan holding up hands in victory in a ring) Woman: The winners of the tournament are the team of Mr. Joe Hagashi and Mr. Dan Hibiki. (Pictures of Joe and Dan smiling(Dan is crying, heh heh)) Woman: Their faces brimming with smiles, they are already thinking of plans for their next victory. (Picture of the building, with camera shaking) Woman: And now, we go live to an explosion. Woman: Geese Tower located at XX in OO exploded today. Luckily no one was in the building at the time and there are no casualities so far. (Picture of Geese Howard) Woman: The owner of the building, Geese Howard, has been missing since the explosion. Woman: New weather forecast... (Fades to white) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ***************** *f.Capcom Ending* ***************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Note: I can't guarentee this is the exact wording that the ending is. But here it is. (Pic of rumbling volcano, pans downward to show Bison with rocks falling) Bison: Hmmm...you are much stronger than I thought. Bison: That is why I'm so interested in street fighters. They have the will and potential to become stronger and more powerful. (Pic of Bison smiling) Bison: That will do for today. Bison: The next time we meet, I will absorb all your potential power into my psycho power! (Lava begins seeping into Shadowloo) Bison: Hahahahahaha.... (The big globe above Bison falls down, and lava gushes into Shadowloo and covers the entire room) (Scene changes to a japanese woman news reporter with a News Combo 7 logo) Woman: This is News Combo 7. (Picture of Capcom Vs. SNK logo) Woman: The Capcom Vs. SNK: Millenium Fight 2000 took place in the central dome today. (Picture of Joe and Dan holding up hands in victory in a ring) Woman: The winners of the tournament are the team of Mr. Joe Hagashi and Mr. Dan Hibiki. (Pictures of Joe and Dan smiling(Dan is crying, heh heh)) Woman: Their faces brimming with smiles, they are already thinking of plans for their next victory. (Picture of the volcano, with camera shaking) Woman: There was an earthquake earlier today. (Picture of map with "hit radius") Woman: The earthquake registered a 6.2 on the scale today and affected various parts of the world. Woman: The earthquake also triggered an ancient volcano, causing it to erupt. Woman: No casualities have been reported so far, and it was reported that no one was near the volcano at the time. Woman: New weather forecast... (Fades to white) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ **************** *g.Akuma Ending* **************** ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Note: I can't guarentee this is the exact wording that the ending is. But here it is. Akuma: Heh heh heh! (Akuma lands on 2 feet) Akuma: At last, I've found the man whom I will land the ultimate fist on. (Camera zooms up close to Akuma's grinning face) Akuma: With all of our strength (Camera zooms into Akuma's bloodshot right eye) Akuma: We can begin the battle for as long as we live. (Fades to red) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ============================= C.Arcade Challengers Strategy ============================= ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This section analyzes how to use Nakoruru against specific characters to defeat them if you are playing against humans. I can't guarentee that everything I say here will ensure you a victory, but it will help. Notice that when I wrote this section, you will notice that the EX character strats are much shorter(except for Evil Ryu and Riot Iori). That's because most EX characters are very similar to their regular versions. In order to get how to beat the EX versions, you probably need to also read how to deal with the regular version. Remember: the way to win with Nakoruru involves toying with the opponent's mind. Remember this too: the amount of time remaining on the timer after a round determines how much life the surviving character gains back; use this knowledge to determine how to fight certain ratio numbered characters. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ratio 1 characters are characters that usually have a very short lifebar. Most |of them don't aim to do the most damage of the game by themselves; they are there |as an annoyance factor. It doesn't matter if they end up losing 90% of their |life, their main objective is to whittle down your Nakoruru so that the next |will kill you. By all means go for the K.O. as soon as possible to ensure that |you gain as much life back before continuing the fight, but remember not to |necessarily do blind attacking, as that always leads to you losing more life than |necessary. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ************ *1.Benimaru* ************ Of all things, let's first start with this guy's ratio. He's a ratio 1 character so that means that he dies quickly. However, he actually can do the damage of a ratio 2 character, so beware. He seems to be rather quick in movement and has good priority in many normals. Expect the Lightning Fist to be used a lot, but remember that it has some delay in startup, especially the fierce version, and that up close, it is possible to duck it, even the super combo version, which means you have a free Anna Mutsube right here. The Shinkuu Katategoma is slow in startup and recovery, but can be cancelled. Expect a lot of Drill Kicks, so keep your C.Fierce or Amube Yatoros ready and be ready to start your flowcharts from there. The Dennei Spark is extremely fast, so it can catch you by surprise, but has an EXTREMELY long recovery if blocked. Nakoruru doesn't have any really fast projectiles like the shotos so I would just take the oppurtunity to remain initiative by a simple dash forward. Lastly, if your opponent keeps trying to execute level 1 Blast Flashes and repeatedly gets hit, he may be trying to use the Benimaru glitch to his advantage. What it does is after he gets hit out of the Blast Flash, Benimaru can now use the Blast Flash in 1 frame. However, in order to reuse the Blast Flash, he needs to whiff a Shinkuu Katategoma or Drill Kick, so be ready with offensive pressure. Benimaru seems to have problems with defense, so stay offensive. Remember; keep Benimaru grounded. Benimaru's main strength comes from his jump, but if you can keep him on the ground, you can put him away for good. Either that or lure him to use his jump by your Mamahaha Grabs, and then get yourself back on the ground and Anna Mutsube him as he's landing. The EX version is much more deadlier. You need to beware that Benimaru can anti-air you out of the sky because he can do upward Lightning Fists or Blast Flashes. So what you can do is toy with that notion with your Mamahaha Grabs, and then drop straight down and combo him(the attacks can't hit standing opponents). Pretty much expect the same as above, only that now Benimaru has special throws, so don't ever get predictable with your ground pokes. Beware of his glitch too. You should play a little more cautious against this Benimaru. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short or Mamahaha Grab. ********** *2.Blanka* ********** He is ratio 1, but does ratio 2 damage. Blanka is in short, underestimated. Many of his attacks have long range and come out quickly, helping him poke. His rolls CAN go through projectiles, but you can toy with that notion to beat him. Do your Mamahaha Grabs and condition him to thinking that your bird projectile is coming right at him; that's when you either dive off(if he was blocking low) or drop down, block the roll and do your Anna Mutsube(or combo depending how close you end up). His Direct Lightning also shares the projectile-invincibility characteristic, so opt for the same strategies. One thing though; save for his Direct Lightning, all of Blanka's rolls don't knock the opponent down if they are grounded; so sometimes if they execute a roll and it doesn't knock you down, punish Blanka. 2 last notes; beware of his Surprise Forward, as it is a faster roll(better to throw than combo in this case), and his 2 lightning attacks are good for jumpers, but bad for projectiles(not to mention low attacks can beat out the regular version). If Blanka hunkers down and proceeds to just charge, it's time you go offensive with cross-ups and confusing tactics to ruin his charge in order to block. If he makes you block a "heavy" attack, beware of a throw, as that follow up ensures Blanka gains a lot of meter. As for his EX version, sorry to say, but it is really pathetic. Ground Shave Rolling is a toned down version of Direct Lightning, but can still go through projectiles, but it has a huge startup delay, so you know what to do. He also loses so many anti-air attacks except for his lightning attack. You can play totally offensive against EX Blanka if you like. ********* *3.Cammy* ********* Cammy deals out insanely tiny damage, and seems to get K.O.ed so easily. But she can be argued as the fastest character in the game. Almost all her attacks are "anti-fireball," as they can counter more projectiles, mainly the Spiral Arrow, Hooligan Combo, and the Spin Drive Smasher. But since you are using air projectiles, she is left at a total disadvantage here. So that destroys about 80% of her offense. And when you condition her to fear your Shichikapu Ais off of the hawk, then you can drop down and combo/throw her, which shouldn't be too hard, cause Cammy's roll is quite slow. 2nd, the Spiral Arrow has a massive recovery, while the Hooligan Combo can be seen easily coming, and while it can be canceled, you can always use your Mamahaha Grabs and various followups to determine how to hit her. Her Spin Drive Smasher at level 3 has a slight invincibility at startup, so beware. Her Cannon Spike is an anti-air, but has huge recovery if blocked. Spinning Knuckle can go through fireballs, but has a huge startup, and you can capitalize on it. Cammy's normals are what makes her extremely dangerous, as they seem to come out faster than anything else in the game, making her an excellant poking character. However, her defense really is crud, so get up in her face and proceed to use confusing techniques to lure her to counter with a Cannon Spike, which will probably be blocked and countered by what else by your combo. I wanna add though; only counter the Spiral Arrow IF she ends up right next to you after it is blocked! Else she can attempt to use her Cannon Spike and it'll beat out most of your followups! But all in all, just use your offense, and you'll come out on top. When you take away Cammy's awesome distancing game with Nakoruru's air projectile and put her various flowcharts to work on Cammy's defense, then she simply rots and dies. EX Cammy is less offensive and more defensive. In place of the Spiral Arrow (a huge minus for Cammy's offense) she gets the Reverse Shaft Breaker, and gets a Cannon Strike, but it has a startup, as she is seen pausing in the air, so it's a good time for your C.Fierce. The Reverse Shaft Breaker is what makes or breaks EX Cammy. You shouldn't jump onto Cammy for this reason, and beware of poking EX Cammy. But if you can use your Mamahaha Grabs to lure her to hit you and then she whiffs, she is dead. However, she still either has long recovery, or long startup, so in this case, proceed to play slightly more defensive, so that Cammy will have to initiate the first attack, not you. *********** *4.Dhalsim* *********** Dhalsim dies quickly, is weak, and on top of that, extremely slow. But you'd be surprised to find that he still possesses one of the highest threats in the game. It is due to his dominance of range. His normal attacks all reach the other side of the screen near instantly, and coupled with his slow Yoga Fire and teleport, he can pin Nakoruru on the other side of the screen and slowly take her life away. Ok, first of all, you must go on the offense fully 100% in order to win here. But never attempt to close the gap with jump-ins too abusively; Dhalsim has the Yoga Vulcan and Yoga Blast to handle that. But if you're ever up close, you can use your Mamahaha Grabs to lure him to hit you out of the air using those, so just drop down and combo him. Anyways, jump past his Yoga Fire(never Anna Mutsube it, you can't slide under it) and aim to slowly advance up to Dhalsim. He'll try to push you back with his limbs, but bam, either he gets his by an Anna Mutsube if he was trying a S.Roundhouse, or it is jumped if he was trying a Fierce attack. Or you can use your Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai to beat out his pokes or Yoga Fire. Then attempt to cross him up as he gets up, he will only be able to defend by teleporting(his B.Fierce attack will be too slow to come out to beat you since you attacked first), by which you anticipate and meet him as he comes out with a combo if you were close enough or your Mamahaha Grab. His only (reliable) way of attacking you up close would reside in throwing or his Yoga Stream; all other attacks come out too slow to be useful. Make sure to not get caught in his Yoga Noogie throw, as it can build up large amounts of meter due to the glitch(like Blanka's). His Yoga Stream hits low, so either block low, or counter with an airborne attack. If you're right on top of Dhalsim, expect him to teleport, so of course, anticipate and counter. The tough part of this match is getting in close, but once you do, Dhalsim's dead. EX Dhalsim is much less of a threat. He has no anti-air flames, none at all, and his Yoga Stream has been scraped for Yoga Tempest, so go on offense like Dhalsim with this guy, but ignoring what I said about avoiding to jump in. In fact, go crazy attempting to cross up this guy if you want to have fun, especially if they don't use the B.Fierce attack early to defend against your jump-ins. ******** *5.King* ******** Again, being a ratio 1 character, King is weak and dies fast, but is a really good fighter. First of all, her Double Strike is slow. What does that mean? That means you have a huge oppurtunity to do your Anna Mutsube, but since it covers a great deal of horizontal space, don't attempt a jump-in, especially since Nakoruru has a really short jump. However, against the Venom Strike, you could opt to punish King if she does this attack with a jump-in into a combo, or go into your Mamahaha Grab. Watch out for King's anti-air attacks though, as they are pretty good. And be careful playing footsie with her, as she can use her Tornado Kick to beat it out, but if you trick her into using it when you were blocking it, immediately counter. Surprise Rose is one of the ways to win against her; trick her into using it, then punish her as she's in the air. Illusion Dance comes out slow due to the backwards jump, so learn to use your Mamahaha Grab or jump forward at the very start of it. Silent Flash is the one to beware, but if you block it, it's a free combo. The main way to play against King is to trick her into whiffing, and then combo. Play offensive not to overwhelm King with your pokes, but to lure her to using an attack that misses. Stay on the ground. With EX King, you can forget about her Silent Flash; it's not there. You can also forget about the Double Strike as a normal attack, but remember; now it is a super combo, which while doing OK damage, will override even your level 3 bird super combo, although it is still slow as heck, so use the oppurtunity to jump it into a combo or just slide under it. She now has a Moshu Kyaku, which enables her to move forward quickly and safely, until you realize you can jump it and she'll be vulnerable as heck. She still has great anti-airs, so beware of that. All in all, play just about the same against this King, as she hasn't really any worse. ********** *6.Sakura* ********** Sakura still shares the same characteristics as before; low stamina, low power, high speed. She can no longer play range because her Hadoshou is now like a Dan-type projectile no matter what, so she will attempt to play up in your face. She has a special type of jump in similar to a dive kick, so when you see her pause slightly in the air, just pull out your C.Fierce. She has terrible defense, as her Kououken can't leave the ground high enough, but it is high in juggle possibilities, so beware combos. Her Oukakyaku is rather safe for her to repeatedly throw out against you, but if she adds the 3rd hit, and it's blocked, she is vulnerable, but just remember that the 3rd hit will either come out high or low, depending on how your opponent is trying to confuse you, so just be prepared for that. Her Shinkuu Hadoken is laughable; slow, weak, and shrinks in size and damage as it travels the screen. In some cases, I have been able to get hit by it, and still recover to block the remaining hits, due to the slow speed. The perfect oppurtunity to do a jump-in combo, or your Anna Mutsube. If your opponent really knows how to use it, he would combo into it by the Kououken. But you should beware the Haru Ichiban. While not invincible, it has the fastest startup of any super combo, and the fastest recovery, not to mention it does good damage. But like I said, it's not invincible, so if you can jump it, combo her, or if you want to trade hits, use your Anna Mutsube, or just use your Mamahaha Grab and then drop the hawk on her when she's done! Do watch out for her throws, as like Blanka, she can glitch to gain major meter. Opt to go for a LOT of cross ups because she can't defend against them at all. Beware of her taunt, because it can damage you physically and mentally. ;) EX Sakura is the Alpha Sakura. Because of this, she can play range, and defense. A lot more defensive than the regular Sakura actually. Her Hadoken has a large startup, so just Anna Mutsube it. Her other 2 special attacks leave her vulnerable if detected/blocked. She gains her Midarezakura super combo, but you only need to beware the Haru Ichiban like before, because all other super combos of hers are slow to start/end. You can still play offensive like before, but a little more cautiously in this case. Don't do as much jump in combos against this Sakura. ******** *7.Vice* ******** I'm not gonna outline her weaknesses, you should know that by now based off of the fact that she is a ratio 1. Vice is a grappler, and has tons of grabs that she can do on you. Of course, occasionally, get up close and use your evasive movements to lure her to try to grab you, which of course, leads to a missed throw animation, and then you smack her with something of your choice. If you want to do that, play at a distance where Vice can't do her unblockable throws, or her DaCide to grab you. Or use your Mamahaha Grab, so she can't use her super combos at all, then she'll have to use her anti-air throw, so that's when you use your Shichikapu Ai. If she does do the DaCide, and you already know it was coming, combo away, or immediately do a Mamahaha Grab into the followups. Never try to jump in on her that much, because she can anti-air throw you out of the air. However, if you go for Nakoruru's incredibly good cross-up game, chances are if Vice tries to anti-air throw you, she'll miss completely, and then you can Anna Mutsube her. Her Outrage or Rave Fest has a slight startup, so just throw her out, do your Anna Mutsube, C.Fierce, or combo. And finally, of course, beware the Negative Gain, because she can only connect it by standing right on top of you, which means it will beat out a ton of attacks you have, unless if you are in the air or in your Mamahaha Grab at the moment. Her Withering Force has some startup due to the jump, so just do a Mamahaha Grab and wait til she whiffs before doing your followup. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short. EX-Vice is pretty much the same, except now she can do a shoulder charge from full screen. Beware of this, because it is very fast, but should you see it coming, once again resort the wonderful Anna Mutsube. She doesn't have an anti-air throw, but an anti-air DaCide, but don't worry, if she still misses it, punish her, cause like her anti-air throw, if you are grounded as she attempts it, you can hit her, as she whiffs. But play her the same way. ******** *8.Yuri* ******** She has much to master before she can be like her brother. Anyways, her Tiger Flame Punch is like a Dan's imitation of a fireball, you know what to do. Her Yuri Super Upper is an anti-air uppercut that goes slightly more forward than most anti-airs, but if she still whiffs/gets it blocked, punish away. Her Rai Oh Ken is an overhead, but it is slow, so punish accordingly. Might want to beware the 100 Blows, since Yuri dashes across the screen rather quickly. Her Haoh Sho Koh Ken is what makes her dangerous though; it is a rather large, fast super fireball. Just block it, unless if you think you're already high in a super jump towards her then just combo her out. Her other super combo, the Scalding Steam Blast is rather fast in startup. Might even be slightly invincible on startup. Anyways, best thing to do is block all the hits, then retaliate with your combo. I recommend just staying in Yuri's face playing offensive, or trying the cross-ups, because Yuri has almost no defense. Confuse her to no end and then punish her; a lot of her attacks are either short-ranged or slow. EX-Yuri's Tiger Flame Punches are actual projectiles, which means you actually have to beware of her at a distance. I don't get why a person would use her Saiha, as it is a close-range attack which can't hit jumpers, if I am right. Her Flying Phoenix Kick doesn't really seem to be that dangerous, since the only way to connect it besides combos is by Nakoruru leaving herself wide open. But what makes this Yuri extremely dangerous is her Rai Oh Ken, which is an air fireball. Ever heard of the EX-Yuri trap? It involves a C.Short,C.Roundhouse-->Rai Oh Ken. You can't roll against this trap, and done right, it will build tons of meter. It is also very hard to counter, because you can't attempt a C.Fierce. Best thing to do is do a Delayed-Get-Up, which jacks off her timing, but then afterward, mix up your get-ups, but the best thing to do is do your Anna Mutsube when she's going up and you'll slide right under her or hit her, but you won't touch the projectile! It may also be possible to avoid the projectile by doing a Mamahaha Grab followed by a Shichikapu Ai, which may nullify her projectile. EX-Yuri actually has really bad defense, so attempt a TON of cross-ups, and stay totally offensive, because she can't defend against jumps at all. Otherwise, all her other moves share the same properties as Yuri. If you can keep her from doing her air projectile it removes a lot of her sting, and gives you the favor incredibly, which shouldn't be too hard since Nakoruru has way too many options to use. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ratio 2 characters take an average amount of damage. Here is where the bulk |of your concerns lie, since most of the characters in the game are situated |in here. Don't try to let time run out as much as possible, just play normally, |because since Nakoruru is a ratio 2 character too, that means the momentum of the |fight could go any way, even if Nakoruru is considered better. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** *9.Balrog* ********** This is Balrog, the boxer, so you obviously know what to expect. An extremely mad rushing offensive opponent with almost no defense. Basically, your opponent is going to try all those different types of rushing punches. You can duck the standing ones(esp. the uppercut) to some extent(duck possible=Anna Mutsube possible), but know that Balrog will also mix it up with some of the low rushes( which can be beat or traded with a Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai). Then, the Turn Punch. If Balrog gets around to charging this attack until about 50% of the game time has elapsed before releasing it, he can drain 50% of your life. Luckily, the move still has a slow startup, so you know what to do. His super combos are basically like his rushing punches, except much faster, so beware of going too offensive on Balrog without crossing him up. Go for the crossups! And lastly, do beware his Buffalo Head Butt, because of it, Balrog can defend against jumpers( but not cross-up people) easily. He is still a charge character, so once he attempts a "charging" attack, go for a cross-up, and you will stuff not only his offensive game, but his defensive one as well(because he can't charge fast enough for the headbutt, and he's gonna get crossed up, which ruins his charge for his super combos). Play with his mind using your Mamahaha Grab followups until he thinks he can attack you with his special attacks or super combos and think you won't be jumping over him anytime soon, and then surprise him. EX Balrog is even worse. He's lost all his ability to defend against jump-ins, so if you want, go totally postal attempting cross-ups on him. He is pretty much the same as Balrog which means he is still a great offensive character, except for the defensive problems and the fact that yes, his headbutt throw is back, meaning he can glitch like mad to build his meter(see Blanka). ************ *10.Chun-Li* ************ Well, Chun-Li is fast, high priority, extreme combobility, and air dominance. One thing you will notice though is that she is weak, and needs to be almost on top of Nakoruru in order to win. If she is in the air, expect a lot of head stomps or wall jumps. So keep your C.Fierce handy. If she is on the ground, never turtle. She still has huge throwing range, and many anti-turtle attacks. Now, lets start tackling down her attacks. Her Kikoken is a poor excuse of a projectile; if she throws one from far away, take it as an oppurtunity to start a jump-in combo or Anna Mutsube. Her Spinning Bird Kick has good priority, but has a slow startup, and not only can you duck it, but Chun-Li is vulnerable as she's landing. You can even Anna Mutsube as a counter to this move. Her Lightning Kick isn't as good as you think, as the only safe way to land it is in a combo, otherwise, a nice jump-in combo will counter it. Her Tenshou Kyaku is the main reason you don't jump onto Chun-Li; it has nice priority(but go for the crossup and it's very likely that she'll miss). However, it can't be comboed, and if she misses/gets it blocked, you can easily punish her as she's coming down. Of course, all of her super combos have very high priority the higher the level. They are all very combo-friendly; if they are linked into combos, there's not much you can do, as all of Chun-Li's super combos do high amounts of damage, especially in combos. Both the Kikoshou and the Setretsu Kyaku have fast recoveries; the best way to beat them is to predict them dead on and cross up, otherwise, don't bother. The Hazan Tenshou Kyaku has extremely high anti-air priorities, but again, if you block it, you are free to do whatever you want with Chun-Li, as she spends eternity in the skies. And because it goes at the same angle as the Tenshou Kyaku, your cross up easily gets you safely around this attack. Also, avoid being stuck down into the corner, because then Chun-Li can unleash her massively damaging corner juggle combos. Ruin her ability to use her charging attacks by going for a lot of cross-ups. Actually, Chun-Li has no really good defense against Nakoruru's cross-ups, so go for them a lot. Keep her on the ground, and in a defensive style of play, and you've got the match under your thumb. EX Chun-Li is pretty much the same, but loses her Kikoken, but it's not like she needed that sorry excuse of a fireball. She also loses the super combo version of that move, as well as the normal and super combo versions of her Tenshou Kyaku. In that place, she can now do an air Spinning Bird Kick as an anti-air, but it's still not as good, as while the recovery is not as bad(but still bad), it's the fact that she is extremely easy to anti-air her if you are on the ground. She however, gains a Spinning Hornet Kick super combo, whose properties are most similar to the Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku, so beware of footsie games. And it's impossible to use your cross-ups to beat this attack out. Just block it. And make sure you never give Chun-Li the chance to use the attack by your cross-ups and make sure you also confuse her to block high and low, since the super combo requires to charge down/back. All in all, she is worse than Chun-Li, but pretty much the same. You can play slightly more offensive against this Chun-Li, because she has less defensive measures to use against you. ************ *11.E.Honda* ************ E.Honda can do a lot of damage very quickly. He has a nice pressure game and can grapple Nakoruru should you hesitate too much. E.Honda, on the other hand, is slow, and his main strength lies in his roll and his special attacks games. He can't play footsie, or more correctly, doesn't depend on it. Not to mention his combos are limited and poor in variety. So expect a lot of rolls to occur. Whenever you see them, just throw him right out of it. His 100 Hands are great for his pressure game, and don't really have any ending delays, so just make sure you never give him the oppurtunity to use them by playing offensively. Lesse, his Sumo Torpedo if you are good at it can be punished with projectiles. His Super Hyakkan Otoshi is invincible to projectiles when E.Honda is rising, and maybe some other attacks, and it is an overhead. As he comes down from it, use your C.Fierce. You don't want to sit still or throwing out rash moves up close against E.Honda, because he has 2 great grabs, one a special attack, the other a level 3 super combo. His Onimusou is the same as his Sumo Torpedo, only it can be invincible at level 3 startup. And if I am right, he can also glitch just like Blanka to build meter. How to deal with him... well, you certainly don't want to be pressured to death by him, so go with playing offensively against him. Also try to cross him up and do add your Mamahaha Grabs and C.Shorts to your repetoire in fighting him in order to destroy his charge. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short. EX-Honda is actually much worse. He's lost so many moves, ruining his ability to handle turtlers. Unless if he's gained something that E.Honda doesn't have, I see that he's actually worse compared to the regular version, so just play this guy the same way. ********** *12.Guile* ********** Guile easily makes for one of CvS' best opponents. His ability to guard crush the opponent is easily the best, and he is nearly unbeatable, having close to no weakness. He is also the only opponent who can seriously give Nakoruru a problem. His sonic boom however is not a threat to you, cause you can just Anna Mutsube under it. However, his sobat can beat out your Anna Mutsube and your C.Short, given that it is an overhead and Ryu's hop kick rolled into one. His flash kick is invincible at startup, and is probably the only anti-air that can beat out your crossup, given that it can hit very far behind Guile. What else...oh yeah, his J.Short has extremely short range, but has so much priority and cross-up power, only super combos(like your bird super combo) will stop it (and maybe your C.Fierce). All his kicks have huge range, which is bad for Nakoruru since she is rather short. His Total Wipeout also starts up and ends quickly, and his Somersault Strike has great juggle potential and can anti-air. Ok, here's how you beat Guile; keep the pressure on, but do it carefully. You should be constantly be playing your offense. The biggest mistake against Guile is to play defensive, especially in the corner, so also, make sure to NEVER get caught in the corner, Guile will just kill you. Instead, you should carefully advance towards Guile, but not slide or jump, as that's what Guile players want you to do in order to counterattack you. Once you can get close enough, then start confusing. His Sonic Boom plays a major role in his attacks, but like said before, the Anna Mutsube beats it out easily. Believe it or not, you can determine how much of a novice your Guile opponent is by how many times they go for a flash kick. If they go for it a lot, then they aren't so good. Lastly, his Total Wipeout has near zero recovery. This means that Guile will pull this out in order to gain momentum back to him. The recovery is in fact so good, if Guile tries a flash kick right after and you try anything but block or do an invincible super combo, you will get flash kicked. But then again, if it's blocked, hit him. Masters won't use the sonic boom as extensively as other attacks to trap you, but novices will always keep charging, and since charging takes about 2 seconds, you have some advantage there. The key to beating Guile is to toy with him the notion that he must flash kick Nakoruru(it will beat out her cross-up game) or try his C.Fierce. Use your Mamahaha Grab! Your J.Short is taken completely out of use against Guile since he can just flash kick it(and your Anna Mutsube if he goes for the sobat a lot), but if you can base your entire game on your Mamahaha Grab and luring Guile to try to flash kick/C.Fierce you, only to hit him with the Shichikapu Ai or drop down and combo, then you've got the match set. And if you can get Guile into a defensive position for fear of your Mamahaha Grabs, then the game is in your favor. Nakoruru is still better than Guile, but you need to use your brain and keep cool, and make sure you are the one initiating the momentum. EX-Guile loses the Total Wipeout and the Sobat, which totally changes his style. He also gains his C.Strong and his upside-down kick. Basically this guy is as dangerous as the regular Guile, it's just that he can't be as abusive. Keep in mind this; he can't do a C.Fierce, Sonic Boom tactic on you if you jump. All in all, just as dangerous as Guile, but slightly worse. Actually, against Nakoruru, he's a lot worse. He can't anti-air you safely, and without a sobat you can just abuse your Anna Mutsube against him a lot more. ********* *13.Iori* ********* Ok, what to cover. This guy is extremely strong, but also very slow, and a very large target. Most SNK ground projectiles are slow, so if you see him chuck a Dark Thrust, dash and go for the combo punishment. Then again, beware of his Fireball, it is a good anti-air, but like all anti-airs, if he screws up, punish him. Maybe you can even cross him up and watch it miss completely. His Deadly Flower's 3rd hit is an overhead, so block high. However, if you block the 1st and 2nd hits, the 3rd hit takes some time to come out, so hit him. If you see him run across the screen, just Anna Mutsube him out of his Dark Crescent Slice). Don't stay too long up close, as he can break your block into a combo. What else; his One-For-The-Road Blast. This super combo covers a large amount of space. However, it is so slow, just back up when you see him try it until it dissapates; you'll be surprised you didn't get hit by it at all. SNK scrubs tend to abuse this move, and then hit you with a Maiden Masher when you're trapped, but it's actually quite a slow move like I said, a more gutsy alternative is to simply get up close whenever he's charging, and proceed to time your roll so it goes through the energy waves, and him. His Maiden Masher is much more effective. At startup, it is invincible to projectiles no matter what level it was activated in(invincibility to other things, on the other hand, depends on the level). So beware of poking too much with your fireballs. On the other hand, the recovery of the attack isn't too good if it's blocked, feel free to counter with your combos. As for his normal attacks, I'd like to caution you that he does have a slow overhead up close, a jumping attack that can cross you up, and an insanely long-ranged sweep. But then again, he is slow. In short, your best bet is to try to get in as close as you can and play the offensive game. Just go for your confusing tactics a lot, and attempt your cross ups. EX Iori is actually Riot Iori; I cover tactics against him in the ratio 4 characters' section below. ******** *14.Ken* ******** What to say? Ken is pretty much the opposite shoto of Ryu. He is fast, slightly weaker, and has a good offense. Do NOT get abusive with the jump-in or your Anna Mutsube; a good Ken player will shoryuken you out of it. Try not to roll or jump unless necessary. But do realize this, because Ken has the most horizontal of all the shoryukens, attempt your crossups. He will often miss. Of course, if you see the hadoken, that's a personal invitation to go for your Anna Mutsube. His hurricane kick is actually a pitfall; it doesn't knock down, and there is that small chance that you can actually hit him before he recovers, even if he combos into it and all the hits get you. So keep tapping crouching light kick even as you are being hit by the attack, cause if it gets through, combo away. His Dragon Punch has a farther arc than Ryu's. However, sometimes if it comboes, the fierce version won't knock Nakoruru down, which is a good oppurtunity to land your combos. His new 2-hit somersault kick is slow, so you can use a Mamahaha Grab against it. Beware of his overhead. His super combos are all fast(except for the Shippu Jinrai Kyaku), but if blocked, all of them can be punished. Do beware of jumping onto Ken if he's got at least a level 1 though; super combo-wise, Ken is most equipped of all the shotos to beat your cross-ups with his Shinryuken, since it goes directly vertical. Other than that, if he combos you, expect an exhibition. But all in all, same idea applies; use your Mamahaha Grab and confusing games, and lure him to try to super combo you or dragon punch you outta it, but then land on the ground and combo him. EX Ken loses 2 of his super combos, and gains a ton of kick special attacks that are slow and in short, not worth trading for the Shinryuken and Shippu Jinrai Kyaku. Some of them are overheads, but so what? Anyways, if you want, you can afford to be a little more offensive on this Ken, but still beware, since he didn't lose the jab shoryuken. But since your cross-up game is so good, chances are he's gonna miss if you do it right, so go for it more! ******** *15.Kim* ******** This guy's pokes are incredible. They are fast, long-ranged, high in priority. With that said, this guy can be played like a turtle, or up in your face. Add the overhead and you have one heck of an opponent. Crescent Moon Slice will be used to get up in your face; even if you block, Kim's still got the initiative(block high it is an overhead). However, in my many games against Kim I have realized that this attack is not as good as Terry's Crack Shoot; it lacks that priority, so if you time your long ranged attacks right, you can beat him outta it. Flying Kick recovers fast and does good block damage, but it does have some startup; if you see it coming, don't hesitate to use the C.Fierce. His Flying Slice is a good anti-air, but like all of them, if blocked, combo away. Plus, it's not good for dealing with Nakoruru's cross-up and your Mamahaha Grab followups can be used to lure him to use it and whiff against you. His Spirit of Conquest Kick shouldn't be a problem; it has slow startup. Just combo him or Mamahaha Grab and then followup. Phoenix Flatterer is incredible; don't be too projectile-happy if he can use it. However, at higher levels, you can block and retaliate. Don't try this at level 1; the recovery is way too fast, but you should be able to either throw him or Anna Mutsube him if you do it right. This works very well, esp. when pitted against those SNK scrubs who abuse this move. His Super Phoenix Kick can beat out your C.Fierce. But if blocked, an Anna Mutsube can be thrown. As for how to play against him, realize that Kim is an up-close type of character. His C.Fierce can be used as an anti-air, but it can't reach you if you cross him up. Either play him extremely up-close and extremely carefully, or farther than his sweep's range. Also beware of mind games in him crossing up and/or cancelling into the Flying Kick or the Super Phoenix Kick. But stay on top of him, confuse him to end with all your various things, and you'll win. EX-Kim doesn't have the Flying Slice or the Super Phoenix Kick, so that ruins part of his offensive and defensive capabilities. He does combo a bit harder, due to his Phoenix Kick Tornado. The thing has a semi slow startup(compared to most super combos anyhow) but has invincibility if timed right, making it great for anti-air purposes. It also enables him to do some pretty flashy combos. Once you see the attack coming out and you're on the ground, just do an Anna Mutsube and you'll slide right under the kick and hit him. However, against this Kim, you can afford to do more crossups(no Flying Slice) or use the C.Fierce whenever he jumps, since he doesn't have the Super Phoenix Kick. ******** *16.Kyo* ******** This guy's been toned down, but is still dangerous. First of all, he has a good anti-air attack that can beat out a ton of pokes, but like all anti-airs, leaves him vulnerable if he misses. Attempt your crossups/Mamahaha Grab games, and he'll miss. His R.E.D. Kick isn't nearly as good as it used to be, if you sense it coming, you can either do your C.Fierce or Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai. The Shichikapu Ai is in fact pretty abusable against Kyo, it will beat out pretty much any attack that he tries against you save roll. And of course, you know how to deal with rollers against your Shichikapu Ai. Pretty much his other special attacks can only be used in combos, else they will be seen coming easily and countered. His Final Showdown has a huge recovery, so throw him out as he recovers. Or try your combo. Serpent Wave has anti-air properties at level 3, but has some startup overall. And lastly, beware of his footsie games. His double-handed hammer in the air can beat out a lot of things, and has an axe kick. His S.Roundhouse, sweep, and 2-hit low kick all have huge range for aiding in his footsie games. In general, stay in close, and keep pressuring him. You'll win out soon. EX-Kyo can't use his ground combo punches. Instead he has a Serpent Wave, but it is like most SNK ground projectiles; slow in startup, and speed. You know what to do. You can even dash right over it. He also has no Final Showdown, so he has no quick-starting super combo. However, his ground combos are much more better because he has the New Wave Smash and the Spinning Kick. Beware of getting caught in Kyo's combos. However, the Spinning Kick leaves Kyo vulnerable if blocked, and the New Wave Smash has a slow startup unless comboed. Anyways, play him the same way as regular Kyo. ******** *17.Mai* ******** Mai is more of an offensive fighter due to her fast dash, roll, and just overall her speed. She is very fast and in addition has that “hynotic bounce in her step,” sorry I just had to say that. :) Her Kacho Sen is a bad projectile because it has a slow recovery; you know what to do. The Ryu En Bu can nullify projectiles, beware of that. It also has a slow recovery, you know what to do. The Flying Squirrel Dance would never be used offensively, it is a slow startup, if you ever see it coming, throw out your C.Fierce. Mai may even try triangle jumping beforehand to get away from you. In that case, use an Anna Mutsube to hit her where she's going. Her Deadly Ninja Bees does good damage, range and even slightly invincible at startup. However, block it, and you can do to Mai whatever you want. The Crimson Firebird Diver isn't as highly prioritized as you think, but is fast, so beware of it, but it does have some startup and recovery. Beware of her Super Deadly Ninja Bees though. At all levels it has no recovery, as long as it is blocked. At level 1 it does the highest damage for that level's worth, like around 1/3 of your life. At level 3, it starts out amazingly fast and has insanely high invincibility. In any level, it is easily comboed. If you can dodge it, do it, and then combo Mai. Mai's footsie game isn't as good as you think, but do beware her C.Jab, C.Roundhouse, and T.Fierce. The T.Fierce can only beat out jump-ins that aren't directly on top of Mai. In short, play offensively against Mai, and go for the crossups. Mai has a weak defense against cross-ups. She also has a fast roll, so be prepared to throw. Watch out for her crossup ability and the ability to make you block the wrong way by doing J.Roundhouse-->Crimson Firebird Diver when crossing you up. But she has no really good way around your Mamahaha Grabs, so abuse it. EX Mai can actually play distance. She has the Sun Fire Samba in place of the Flying Squirrel Dance, which can counter jumpers and rollers, it is like Blanka's Direct Lightning, so just combo her. Note though that it can hit your crossups, since it covers very high above Mai and even a little behind her. To prevent her from being able to use this attack, keep your offensive pressure on with your confusing blocking games so that she'll have to "destroy her charge." Then cross up. In place of her Crimson Firebird Diver, she has the Swan's Fandango, which is an excellant super combo, since it covers a huge amount of space. It does however, have a huge recovery, if you sense it super jump and proceed to combo. Or go for the Mamahaha Grab, fly high, and then do the Shichikapu Ai. It may even be possible to Anna Mutsube under it right at the start, since the very first fan Mai throws is high, but I've never tried before. You should play slightly more defensive, this Mai has more options open to her, but still lacks good defensive measures. ************* *18.Morrigan* ************* Morrigan is NOT really good in this game at all. First of all, she is fast, and combos like heck, but has the main weakness of being that weak. She needs to combo 3 of her normal attacks to do as much damage as one of Nakoruru's Fierces. That said, she is fast. The Soul Fist is large and can be thrown diagonally downward in the air, but has a HUGE startup. Take your oppurtunity to Anna Mutsube under it and combo her when she lands. Soul Fist has good priority, but isn't invincible and has a huge recovery, you know what to do. You again, can attempt cross-ups to get them to miss. When she attempts to poke at you, if you turtle too long, she may take the oppurtunity to land the Vector Drain on you, as it is unblockable, but it has really small range, so don’t ever stay still. Valkarie Turn, while invincible no matter what at startup, has insanely slow startup and needs to get the positioning right in order to hit all the hits and still combo afterward. Just jump up and around, or Mamahaha Grab and followup. Don’t stand still and block it, you will take a lot of guard crush meter. Cardinal Blade is your main super combo to beware; combo-friendly, invincible at higher levels, great anti-air. But it still has a slow recovery and still follows the arc of the original attack. At level 3, Darkness Illusion is the main one to beware; it cancels off of anything Morrigan does, does the most damage, and is invincible during the whole glide. But if you should block it, she bounces right off and is vulnerable to your Anna Mutsube. She also has some good pokes with her Fierces. But I honestly think Morrigan does such little damage, even less than Cammy it seems at some times. Play offensively against Morrigan, and don’t give her the oppurtunity to combo you. If you do this, she’ll panic, get back, and try to Soul Fist you, which obviously is a bad idea, giving you initiative. And yes, toy with her using your Mamahaha Grabs. ************* *19.Nakoruru* ************* Heh, you're facing yourself. Well, you should know how to deal with the #1 ranked character in the game, cause you are reading a FAQ on that character right now! It basically comes down to who can put who on defense, I'll say that though. *********** *20.Raiden* *********** Hah, do you really need strats against this guy? He's powerful, but slow(and corny and downright annoying I might add). Anyways, being a grappler you shouldn't sit still too long, or you'll get nailed by one of his throws. Other than that, most his other attacks should have a slow startup or slow recovery, I'll leave it up to you to figure it out. Just take into consideration how skilled your opponent is and I'll leave it up to you to figure out how to fight him. Do note that he is slightly wider and taller than the average person, so try some extended combos on him if you have the time. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short. I'm not too sure about this last info, but his standing roundhouse may be able to avoid low attacks, so beware of that. EX Raiden pretty much is the same, only this time he has the Crazy Train, which is a better super combo, since it has a good priority. But anyways, if you block it, you can let him eat a combo. ******** *21.Ryo* ******** Sadly, this guy isn't as good as he was in KOF. Sucks, huh? Anyways, he has power. His fireball is rather small, and the air version travels at a steep angle, so it isn't that big of a deal. Not to mention you can Anna Mutsube right under both. His Koho isn't invincible going up, and has a terrible horizontal range and recovery, it also loses to your cross-ups. Do beware of his Zan Retsu Ken, it's a good move with good priority. No need to beware of the Lightning Legs Knockout Kick, since it needs to be charged. Haoh Sho Koh Ken is probably the best fireball in the game though, so don't get too Shichikapu Ai-happy, and beware of jumping from far too much. Ryuko Ranbu is invincible at startup, but if blocked, has a huge recovery. I think the best idea is to keep trying those crossups, and mix in a few Mamahaha Grabs and combos here and there. EX Ryo IMO is NOT as good as the regular Ryo. Sure, he gains the Tenchi Haohken, but that thing has terrible recovery. His fireballs are now pitiful, they don't travel the screen, so that kills his range game. No more lightning punches attacks, instead he has the Kyoku Gen Kick Dance, which is a poor substitute. He does gain an overhead which looks like a jumping chop though. All in all, plays much like the regular Ryo, but worse, play him the same way. ******** *22.Ryu* ******** Ryu is one of the best opponents in the game. He is quite a versatile opponent, and is the most well-balanced. He has basically an attack for every occasion, although he is more defensive than offensive. Ok, all three of his hadokens, blue, red and shinkuu, can all be beaten with your Anna Mutsube. Just don't try jumping them, cause his fireball game is pretty good. His hurricane kick is unlike Ken's, it is actually dangerous if he connects it, cause you can't get hit by it and then combo him or Anna Mutsube. However, if you manage to duck the attack, you're fine to try that. Just beware of this attack in the air, it has high priority. His shoryuken is probably the least horizontal, but it still will not be able to beat out your cross-up, it will still miss. And of course, if you see him whiff or get it blocked, combo. Of course, it being a dragon punch means it will beat out a lot of your pokes and jump-ins so keep in mind that. His Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku makes his footsie game against you a lot better than the other shotos; you try to low kick him here, and you'll lose, every time. Even cross-ups against this attack may not be a good idea, although in that case Ryu won't get the maximum amount of hits from this super combo. However, it's possible to be able to stand/crouch block the hits and retaliate. And oh yes, his Shin Shoryuken, is the main reason why Ryu is so feared/hated in this game. Basically, as long as he's got 3 levels ready to go, the game is never hopeless for him, cause all he needs to do is combo into a light attack and suddenly you're down 60% or more. But it can't hit you if you try to cross him up(I hope I'm right). Even if the 1st power hit hits you out of a cross up, it's possible for you to fall behind him as he flys into the air and whiffs. And of course, you get him to whiff or get the attack blocked, and it's combo time. Also, if you can get him to hit you with it when you're really high, it'll also be a waste. So all in all, stay offensive on him, and use your mind tricks as well as your Mamahaha Grabs and stuff, and you'll win. EX Ryu is actually Evil Ryu, so I cover him later. ********** *23.Terry* ********** This guy is really good. He has one of the best rolls and dashes in the game. Let's start off with his power wave; it's a terrible projectile; slow startup, and if I am right, Nakoruru can dash over it. Or jump over and combo away. Burning Knuckles not only has a slow startup, but a slow recovery and can be ducked. Combo away after ducking it. Crack Shoot though, is an excellant move with great priority. Your only best bet is to try to hit it at the very beginning if you can anticipate it. Else don't bother. If your opponent rolls a lot, then he's attempting to charge up for the Rising Tackle. So either expect a roll and something else, or another roll. If it's a heavy punch Rising Tackle though, punish him. Maybe you should try to throw him out of the roll, but that's only if you can anticipate it right from the start, since it is so fast. Other than that, Terry has one of the best sweeps of the game; beware of screwing up. Finally, his okizeme game against you is evil, beware of that, try a delayed get-up. Both his super combos start up semi slow. Expect a LOT of rolls to occur. To beat Terry, just engage in your Mamahaha Grab games and force him to block various levels. Then cross him up. But don't cross him up when he can do his Rising Tackle, since it goes vertical, there's a better chance that it will hit your cross-up than other anti-airs. And anytime you see him roll and you know it won't go through you, go for the combo. EX Terry is a LOT better than Terry, mainly cause his anti-air doesn't require charging, enabling him to mix it up more. However, his anti-air has a lot more horizontal movement than most, so if you attempt your cross-up, there's a very good chance that he'll whiff and be left open to an Anna Mutsube, or a combo. But even if he does hit you, since you're so up close and behind him, chances are the 2nd hit won't connect. The power wave is even more pitiful for EX Terry. Otherwise, expect the same things; dangerous wake-up game, powerful footsie game. I will say this; if the 1st hit of the Power Dunk is blocked or whiffs, immediately go for your anti-air. You should mix it up more against this Terry, but all in all, like I said, expect the same stuff, only mixed up more. ************ *24.Zangief* ************ Um, if you played SF enough, you should know about this guy; powerful but slow, and has a huge throwing range, besides tonsa damaging throws. So beware. He's obviously gonna try to be offensive on you to land a throw, or trick you to throw out a move, and then throw you through the poke. The way to beat him, is to use your Mamahaha Grabs and get him to become confused whether you are on the ground, in the air with a cross-up, or in a Mamahaha Grab, so that his throws will whiff a lot more often. Anyways, that doesn't mean he's got bad defense either. He can throw jumpers, and/or Lariat them. Now I'm not too sure about his anti-air throw being able to grab you outta your cross-up, but if you have a good success landing cross ups on Zangief, by all means, go for them. You'll also get your breaks when you see him do his Lariats, since they can be hit low. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short. Oh, and lemme remind you to beware of his throw glitch, cause he can go for that too. EX Zangief is even worse than Zangief, except he has no anti-air throw! That doesn't mean you can just jump on him all day, he still can use his Lariats as anti-airs, but that means you can look for the oppurtunity a bit more. Else, play him pretty much the same way as regular Zangief. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ratio 3 characters can take a beating and deal one out. They are pretty tough, |and so this time you must aim to try to weaken them as much as possible. In |here, it is not the character that matters, but the team. Occasionally try to |let as much time pass as possible to ensure that they don't gain as much life |as possible. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** *25.Geese* ********** The master of the reversal. Geese is darn slow, but he is really powerful. Do note that he isn't that good at footsie games, which is where you will dominate against him. I will note that this guy is mainly a defensive player, having 3 varieties of projectiles which either cancel attacks or fireballs. They all kinda startup slow though, so either dash forward/jump the ground ones(you will go right over them) or Anna Mutsube under and combo the air version. Don't attempt to jump onto him if he can use his Raging Storm, you'll lose a ton of life. Plus, it can actually beat out your cross-up, since it hits behind him. But his Deadly Rave has pitiful priority, a good Anna Mutsube will beat it out. Get up in his face and proceed to mix up your attacks like nothing! Sure he can reverse most anything you've got(which means you can't be as predictable against Geese), but he needs to match the hit level for hit level! Get him trying to figure out your low, high, high, low, special, etc pattern. Another thing is to alter your timings on your barrage of attacks! This further leads him to a missed reversal. Projectiles and throws also can't be reversed, so that gives you a good picture of how to beat his reversals. But if he can do a Raging Storm, you might want to beware going too overboard on offense a bit too. Don't worry about his pokes, they don't have as much speed as yours. But all in all, just make sure you are as unpredictable with your barrage of attacks so that he can't reverse them well. EX Geese is like Geese, only a whole lot worse. First of all, he can't throw any air projectiles. He also has no ground projectiles. He also has...NO LOW REVERSAL! Yippee! Get up in his face and just pummel him with low attacks repeatedly! He gains in its place a dashing auto combo, but it's nothing, like a toned down Deadly Rave. All in all, play him like Geese, but put more emphasis on low attacks and rush that bastard down! ************ *26.M.Bison* ************ Bison has finally been beefed up to the way he should be. Note that he still isn't overpowered like the SF2 days, but he is still much better. He has power, good speed, and good movement. Psycho Vanish is an overhead, but can be seen coming. In place of his Psycho Crusher, he has this 2-hit dash. If you can anticipate it coming, then Anna Mutsube him, but if you can just see it in time to block, don't try to counter. If I am right, you can block and counter his Double Knee Press, but I may be wrong. Else, if you doubt that, try to interrupt it at the beginning with a Anna Mutsube. Your main problems though will stem from his Head Press, because it is an overhead. But of course, your Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai done early beats this out easily. Note that if he goes for the followup hit afterward, hit him out with a C.Fierce. And the Somersault Skull Diver isn't any better either, if you see it coming, use the C.Fierce or Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai early. If you ever block the level 1/2 Knee Press Nightmare, try a throw. Against the level 3 version, an Anna Mutsube is better. Heartbreak Despair is just like a Psycho Crusher, so treat it like it. You might want to go cross-up happy against Bison, since he has no effective anti-air to combat your jump-ins. Either do that or lure him to use his diving attacks and then use your C.Fierce. Try cross up attacks, since about 90% of his specials require that back, for motion. And don't forget using the Mamahaha Grabs, they are really good against Bison, since the followup Shichikapu Ai counters his dive attacks and jump-ins, and he has no really good counter to this attack, except roll, which we all know sets up a good combo. EX Bison is probably better. But first of all, he loses the Psycho Vanish, so don't worry too much about overheads. He also has no Psycho Impact. He gains his Psycho Crusher, but the block stun is so short, you can actually block the first hit then just ram fierce punch or roundhouse kick and you'll hit him before he recovers. And his dive attacks are about the same, except he can now control his Devil Reverse's direction! That means you shouldn't be so aggressive on the C.Fierce after he jumps above you, because he can cross you up while you whiff and then he gets a free hit! Make sure that you do some backdashing or do a heavy Anna Mutsube when you see him go for it, so that you can hit him. But all in all, he's just about the same, play him in a similar way, just be more sure of your attacks. BTW, he has no Heartbreak Despair move. ********** *27.Rugal* ********** Rugal is a master of keep away and has power. His Wind Slice is pathetic for a fireball, cause it's slow and can be jumped/dashed over. But his Kaiser Wave, despite its huge startup, covers nearly the entire part of the screen, overrides up to 2-hit projectiles and is a special move, not a super combo! Your best bet is to roll up and attack IF you're in range to do so. Else, you are much better blocking it; jumping is too risky. Mamahaha Grab and fly upward is acceptable though, if you can get enough time to do it. You can probably see the Super Press coming, if far away, an Anna Mutsube works great, if up close, just block and throw or combo. Dark Barrier can reverse projectiles, so don't get too projectile happy. When it does come out though, go for a jump-in combo. And BTW, don't jump in too much, he has an anti-air. Gigantic Pressure is in all senses just like his Super Press, treat it the same way. And Total Annihilation has good priority so don't get too happy poking at Rugal. Ok, how to play against him. Just confuse him with your cross-ups, Mamahaha Grabs, and the like, you'll probably lure him into missing an anti-air or doing the wrong attack, and that's when you combo him. EX Rugal. Um, he shouldn't present you with as much of a problem. Against his Dark Smash, wait until he actually tries to dash at you with his fist, and then Anna Mutsube or C.Fierce(the air version) him. If you try to attack him before, chances are you'll take hits. Rugal Execution has a SLOOOOW startup. Interrupt him first. He also loses both his projectile attacks. All in all, you're playing him pretty much the same way, but you can afford to go more aggressive on throwing projectiles at him, since he now has no multi-hitting fireballs. ********** *28.Sagat* ********** King of keep-away, and insanely powerful. Do I need to explain how the atypical Sagat player will play? He will use his fast and powerful Tiger Shots to keep you at bay, and fake you out into jumping, that's when he Tiger Uppercuts you. But when you get close, both his super combos are invincible at startup. But of course, if you block them, you should be able to punish Sagat. A tough match. Of course, your main job is to get in as close as possible. Roll/super jump the low tiger shot, but Anna Mutsube the high one. Once you get in as close as possible, begin a footsie game. Try cross ups, I think done right they may beat out Sagat's fireball game. And lure him to miss his Tiger Uppercut by doing your Mamahaha Grabs and cross-ups, and mixing it well. You shouldn't have a problem dealing with Sagat, since at close range Nakoruru's attacks come out so fast Sagat usually will lose poking games. Do beware of him using his high-priority super combos to return the initiative to him though, and his long-ranged normal attacks. EX Sagat is even better than Sagat. Now he's got in place of his two super combos 2 Tiger Cannons, high and low respectively! Yikes! Else, play him pretty much the same way as regular Sagat, but go more aggressive when you're close up! ************* *29.Yamazaki* ************* This is a really good character. He has a great distance game. First of all, Hydra's Judgement is slow at startup. His Serpent Slashes will make life hell for you, since they all have different levels, and can be delayed, or cancelled! I think when you see it you should super jump over his head while using the jumping short. If you can predict the attacks dead on, then just do the heavy Anna Mutsube and you'll win. Don't worry about his reversal, it can't catch low attacks, so go crazy on those! Double Return can counter your projectile but you can just roll past it and combo him. Poison Tentacles has a slow startup. Flight of Tempering is a slow overhead leg drop. Super combos though are what make Yamazaki. His Guillotine can catch jumpers, and his Drill being a throw is unblockable and can catch you out of your pokes! But in addition to that, he'll use his standing and crouching roundhouses, both have huge range. Your best bet against Yamazaki is to get in close, and then keep pestering him with low attacks, where your speed should beat him out. And also mix it up with your Mamahaha Grabs and cross-ups. Of course, don't pressure him TOO much on the ground, his Drill can do a lotta damage. Also, try cross ups some, since then he won't be able to throw you. Beware of the jump attack, throw trap, when you see any jump attack and you block it, immediately go for a jumping towards short. EX Yamazaki is much more powerful than regular Yamazaki. First of all, he has no slow overhead, and no Poison Tentacles. In its place he has a special throw, and Sand Scattering, which can link up to other attacks. All in all, play him much the same way as Yamazaki, since he's really identical to him, just beware of the command throws more often. ********* *30.Vega* ********* This guy is fast, powerful, and darned tall. If you can't interrupt Rolling Crystal Flash, just block it. Sky High Claw can be C.Fierce'd, if you know which wall and which level he's flying at you. In fact, just C.Fierce him or do the Mamahaha Grab into Shichikapu Ai if he goes for the wall, but not immediately, wait until he's close enough. Scarlet Terror though is his anti-air. But it will miss most likely if you try a cross-up. And don't forget his backflips, if you can anticipate them, hit em out of them. His dive super combos are nothing to worry, Vega needs to jump onto the opposite wall, by which the super start up is a dead giveaway. Scarlet Mirage should be feared though, since it has good priority. But if blocked, go for the counter. Red Impact can be blocked. All in all, this guy's not going to sit back, he's most likely going to try to confuse you and use his long-ranged attacks to his advantage, so keep him on the ground and on the defense, and you'll win. EX Vega plays pretty much the same, only I think this one's better. Though he has no Scarlet Mirage or Red Impact, his throw super combo doesn't kick in with the startup until he actually grabs you! But all in all, play him pretty much the same way and never block his dives. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Ratio 4 characters can seemingly endure hell, and can end your lifebar in about |10 seconds. They are VERY dangerous, but take into account that they are a 1 |man team, so aim to deal as much damage as possible per team member to ensure |success, and try to run the clock dry too, so that even if they K.O. you, they |will not gain as much life back as needed. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ********** *31.Akuma* ********** Ignoring the fact that this guy is a one man team, Akuma is totally overpowered in this game, almost like Shin Akuma. He has more power than you, and his lifebar takes way longer to whittle down than yours. He also has painfully long juggle combos, and the Shun Goku Satsu has been beefed totally in this game. First of all, his fireball is faster than yours. Although, against Nakoruru, it doesn't matter, cause you can still Anna Mutsube right under it, the red fireball(which should be even easier to do that since it has a semi-slow startup), and the Messatsu Gou Hado as well, just beware of the super combo's damage potential, its ability to override your projectiles(even the super combo version) and its ability to link into other attacks. And his air fireball, has a steep slope and a slow startup, so anytime Akuma next to you just jumps up, go for an Anna Mutsube under it, and then combo. I don't think I need to delve into his hurricane kick; it knocks down like Ryu's, but can be stuck into a juggle combo and link to other stuff. Beware combos and wake-up games, as well as Akuma attempting these as jump-ins. But if you can duck it, you are free to punish Akuma as you wish, probably the Anna Mutsube will be best. Dragon Punch is like the typical shoto DP, but again, can juggle and link! Of course, if you can Mamahaha Grab or cross him up, do it, chances are you're gonna lure him to miss it. The teleport will also give you problems, but if you can anticipate where Akuma's going to teleport, throw an Anna Mutusbe(or Amube Yatoro if you want to be safe) to catch him just as he comes out. Messatsu Gou Shoryu does a ton of damage, has high priority, and can be stuck into juggle combos, but of course, if you block it, Akuma's at your mercy. Or you can cross him up, or Mamahaha Grab to lure him into whiffing it. Tenma Gou Zankyu is very powerful, comes out fast, and can do up to 8 hits. But if you block it, Akuma spends a long time recovering, so an Anna Mutsube should catch him. Shun Goku Satsu...damn, this is no longer that pitifully slow, low priority grab. The gliding speed of Akuma is damn fast, he can cancel any normal ground attack into this move(so beware of just sitting still to block his overhead), it now rapes you of 70% life, and it is invincible at startup(and of course, unblockable)! Therefore, always beware of wake-up games! Also, don't stick out predictable Anna Mutsubes, the Shun Goku Satsu can actually beat you on startup! Try delayed get-ups to throw off the timings to land the move. When that works, you will get up just when Akuma's invincibility ends, so hit him with juggle combo. Also, your Mamahaha Grab will override this attack if you do it early enough so you get into the air before he glides at you. Lastly, he has a dive kick, but it can only be used if Akuma uses it at the tip of his forward jump. And if you sense your opponent tapping buttons really quickly, that's probably the Shun Goku Satsu coming out, so jump away or cross Akuma up. But all in all, use your confusing games, and you'll be surprised that even the immortal Akuma falls to Nakoruru. ************* *32.Evil Ryu* ************* Evil Ryu is Ryu totally pumped up. He has more power, and more lifebar than you. You can just Anna Mutsube under his blue, red, and super fireballs. No biggie there. His hurricane kicks can juggle and link(you can duck it), his dragon punches can juggle and link(which you can lure him to whiff by your Mamahaha Grab and cross-ups), he can teleport, dive kick, and apply pressure with his hop kick. But his air hurricane kick is crap; it doesn't follow the arc of his jump and stays in the air a lot longer. If you ever see him go for it, immediately dash up and combo him as he's landing. Of course, Anna Mutsube/Amube Yatoro him if you know where he's going to teleport. His dive kick can only be used if at the tip of his forward jump. The hop kick is semi slow; you can beat it out with a fast poke. He lost his Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku. This IMO takes away a ton of his potential, so he can't beat out footsie games as easily as Ryu(if we are talking about super meter that's less than level 3, that is). He does however gain the Messatsu Gou Shoryu, which has high priority and juggles/combos incredibly well. Of course, block it or get him to whiff it, and he's at your mercy. Shun Goku Satsu though is incredibly good in this game. It dishes out 70%, the gliding speed is fast, it can cancel any ground-based normal move, and it is invincible near/during the startup. Oh yeah, and being the Shun Goku Satsu it is unblockable. So beware of get-ups, maybe even throw in a delayed get-up here and there to surprise them. And of course, don't get too predictable(especially with Anna Mutsubes and your C.Short), or you'll eat the super combo. And once you sense the opponent tapping the commands, jump away immediately. BTW, another weakness is that Evil Ryu has no Shin Shoryuken, although this isn't so big for Evil Ryu, since he does montrous damage, and a good combo involving a level 2 Messatsu Gou Shoryu takes just as much damage. Tough match. But still, go for your confusing games involving your Mamahaha Grabs and crossups. Just don't ever be predictable. ************** *33.Riot Iori* ************** This guy is actually worse than Iori. First of all, he has no One-For-The-Road -Blast, which most definitely, takes away much of his potential. He also loses his throw which does no damage, but causes the opponent to be left vulnerable to a combo. But that aside, he is still hell. He takes just as much damage as the regular Iori(the regular Iori takes huge damage, but it sucks seeing how Riot Iori doesn't take MORE damage), has a larger lifebar, and...is the fastest character in the game. At times, you'll wonder if his attacks have a recover time at all. But he is large. Anyways, his Dark Thrust is faster in recovery, but jump/dash at your discretion. Fireball of course, blocked or lured to whiff can be punished, but it can beat out a lot of pokes. The 3rd hit of the Deadly Flower is an overhead, but if you block the 1st 2 hits, you can punish him before he does the 3rd. The Dark Crescent Slice can be Anna Mutsube'd. He still has the Maiden Masher, which takes a lot of damage and has high priority/invincibility. But if you manage to block it, he's at your mercy. Firewave is just a series of fireballs thrown together, so that means it has high priority, but, blocked you can do whatever you want. I'm guessing most of the time you play against this Iori he's going to try to be on top of you, using his speed to try to land attacks. This guy loses his space dominance in place for speed. But actually, you still have a better offense, so just rely on your confusing games, and grind his speed to a halt, so he has basically no advantage over you. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ****************************** | 666 MM MM III SSS CCC | |6 M M M I SS S C C| |6666 M M M I SS C | |6 6 M M M I S SS C C| | 666 o M M M III SSS CCC | ****************************** /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ ======================== A.DC Color-Edit Costumes ======================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I created this section solely for DC owners who don't have any creative costumes for Nakoruru, and want to know some that are created and look great. I'm sorry, right now my memory card jacked up erasing my progress of saving every secret in the game, so I have only 1 Nakoruru skin for you, but IMO it is the best one. Ninja Nakoruru 31 20 12 26 15 09 20 08 05 14 08 04 11 04 00 11 11 11 09 09 09 04 04 04 00 00 00 18 12 07 00 00 00 05 04 20 08 05 31 05 05 08 29 28 00 Basically, it's Nakoruru in a dark black robe with a blue bow, shoes, and trim. I basically created this cause the first time I used Nakoruru I couldn't believe how fast she moved. And while I knew she wasn't a ninja, by her quick movements, all those tight somersaults she does while jumping or landing and her run if you've unlocked that, she really looks like she is straight outta some bushido movie or something. If you want, you can even toy around with the blue colors and make them dark grey to really make her look stealthy. Too bad though you can't alter Mamahaha's colors, that would be cool. Mamahaha's colors are the default "natural-looking" brown. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =================== B.Quotes and Intros =================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here are some of Nakoruru's translated quotes: Intros(Mamahaha is resting on Nakoruru's hand, she raises it up, and Mamahaha flies upward to flap above her): -Let's do it, Mamahaha! Winposes: -(Mamahaha flies back down and rests on Nakoruru's hand while she is talking to Mamahaha, then Mamahaha emits a bird call)Thank you, Mamahaha! -(Nakoruru shifts her weight to her back leg, lunging in that direction, while holding her dagger in one hand and sticking out her open palm with the other) This is nature's punishment! If you don't touch the controls for a while, Mamahaha takes a break from flying and gently flaps down to rest on Nakoruru's back hand. Mamahaha will then rest on both talons, gently bobbing up and down. It will do one of the following actions after a while. -Flap wings once -Open one wing(sorta uses it to shelter Nakoruru) and look down at Nakoruru -Emit a bird call while tilting head upward(just like the winpose) Nakoruru has some special intros: vs Benimaru:Benimaru blows a kiss(forming a heart), then straightens his hair and says(translated), "Let's go, baby!" Nakoruru just does her intro. vs Vega:Vega takes off his mask and bows, then puts it back on. Nakoruru just does her intro. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ************************************************************ |777777 RRR EEE V V III SSS III OOO N N SSS | | 77 R R E V V I SS S I O O NN N SS S| | 7 RRR EEE V V I SS I O O N NN SSS | | 7 R R E V V I S SS I O O N N S SS| | 7 o R R EEE V III SSS III OOO N N SSS | ************************************************************ /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Version 0.1 July 14, 2001. Started writing this FAQ. Version 0.2 July 15, 2001. Finished the normal moves. Version 0.3 July 16, 2001. Finished the special attacks. Version 0.4 July 17, 2001. Finished the teaming up Nakoruru part. Version 0.5 July 18, 2001. Finished the combos. Version 0.6 July 19, 2001. Added some more combos. Version 0.7 July 20, 2001. Added the defense and offense sections, the CAP or SNK section, the Computer section, and started the Vs. challengers part up to Dhalsim. Version 0.8 July 21, 2001. Added more Vs. challengers sections up to Iori. Version 0.9 July 22, 2001. Added more Vs. challengers sections up to Ryu. Version 1.0 July 23, 2001. Finished the Vs. challengers, and whatever needed to be finished. Version 1.1 August 4, 2001. Added something about the "white flash" in the general moves. \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ ********************************************************* | 888 III N N CCC L OOO SSS III N N GGG | | 8 8 I NN N C C L O O SS S I NN N G | | 888 I N NN C L O O SS I N NN G GG| | 8 8 I N N C C L O O S SS I N N G G| | 888 o III N N CCC LLL OOO SSS III N N GGG | ********************************************************* /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Is this the last CvS FAQ I'm making? -Possibly. I had only in mind to make 3 definite FAQs for CvS, but that doesn't mean I'm definitely stopping here. I may make one more FAQ but I never said I'm definitely making one more. To those of you who want to e-mail me. -I need feedback, plain and simple! Please do that! Anything's helpful, from criticisms(if you're polite about it) to tips, I'll accept it! And of course, bring on the combos! If you contribute a combo, I'll either put it in the contributed combos section, or if it's really good, I'll put it in the other sections, and give you credit, no matter where I put it! \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/ "My Name Is Kim! My Name Is Kim!" -Nakoruru