Virtua Figher Akira FAQ by Brian I haven't been on this group for a while.. But I went to Korea, and learned quite a lot of new techniques that one can apply against people in VF. Maybe none of these are new to some people. But hopefully this might help some people. I'm just okay VF player. I can finish the game with everyone, but I'm no good at Jeff or Wolf. Knowing how to do the Splash Mountain is the very essential... because they rely on those one hit kill moves. I rather like haunting other people with Akira... heh heh. My best player is Jacky, but I do not play him often for I believe he is too strong by far. Anyway, I'll list the strategies for Akira, as far as I can remember. Well, VF is mostly about spacing, just like any other fighting games. However, VF does not have any enforcing factor of making other people to move like any other non-realistic fighting games... such as fire balls. You can move freely around, and you should use that technique. It is not the best to get close and just banging the buttons. You can simply wait for their opening just away from their attack range, then get close, then attack them. Step back and forth works really good in this game. Some people says that Akira is hard to use. But most of his useful moves are easy to excute. You don't really get to chance to do your backhand upper against a good player. Because good players does not leave opening in any situation. Besides, Akira is incredibly fun to use, because of his flexible game play. His elbow move (f+P) is one of the most effective moves. Akira generally have short recovery time from the basic moves. So mastering basic moves is very important. Special moves are cool, but it is useless sometimes. You have to be rather practical to play Akira. Once you get used to use basic moves... (side kick is very important one), then try to combine some special moves with your basic moves. The most effective sequential moves are.. Side kick + dashing elbow Side kick + pk combo, when they notice above. or for a surprise death, Side kick + Body check. (B,F,F+P+K) Dashing Palm is very useful move too. Takes alot of damage, and easy to use. Crouching punch + Dashing Palm is very effective. or Crouching punch + crouching kick + Dashing Palm Alternating those two moves will confuse your opponent. Or, Dashing Palm + Dashing elbow is quite effective as a surprise attack, but do not rely on it. Whenever one is down, get ready for the ground punch. Do not use the jumping one.. it takes too long, and leaves you too much opening. Plus, it does little damage. Use the ground punch (DF+P) You can do as many times as you want, once you get the timing right. I once tripped one guy off, the finished him with 9-10 ground punches. It is VERY annoying and haunting to your enemy... it is very useful for that matter. You play cool, and your opponent is playing mad... that will result a lot of mistakes in their plays. (in most case...) Another good sequential move.. pk combo then get close and do series of ground punches. Okay. Here is a tip for that ground punches. After doing Ground punch, wait until Akira's had jiggles about one bit. You will see. He will shake his hand about one dot... and that means he is ready for another ground punch. If you follow that rhythm, then you've got no problem. Sometimes who falls down first means who wins the first. It is critically important in this game. Because the one who is standing has the priority of attacking one who is down. When one is down, you can do many things with Akira. 1. Get close and do series of ground punches. If Your opponent stands up, then follow with trip. Your opponents don't have time time to do the round house kick while they are getting hit by many ground punches... Mostly they'll try to stand up, not attacking. Then, just get close while the enemy stands up and trip them. Or do Dashing elbow or palm, body check, anything you want. I recommend the triping, but don't ever stick to just one tactic! They'll notice, and they will block. Try to alternate your tactics. 2. Stand just little bit away from opponent's range while they get up. If they try to hit you while they get up (down round house kick or high round house kick), they'll miss you. Then get close to them and trip them. (Followed by ground punches if they are still alive...) 3. You can psych out your opponents by steping into their range, then step out. It takes little practice to get the timimg right, but it is very effective. However, again, if you keep doing this, they'll notice. Alternating your tacktics flexibly is the most important. When you are down on the ground, then you can do many things... but you getting up fast is the most important thing. I recommend to roll away from your opponent (except Kage... His f,f+D+F+K will hit you badly). 1. roll away from your opponent as far as possible... for that they don't get the chance of attacking you again. 2. If they are doing jumping attacks, then getting up fast is the most important. By tapping one dirrection and Defense button will make you to stand up faster. If they miss their jumping attacks, get close while they try to recover from their jumping attacks, and trip them. 3. If they are near by you standing, try low round house. good people have good reflex so they block. So I recommend doing high roundhouse, then followed by elbow. If they get hit by the elbow, about 60% times they'll get knocked down. 4. If they are sitting right by you, then try low round house. High round house hits sometimes, but it is not consistent. I recommend Low round house, because if they block it, they'll get pushed out of throwing range, at least. But watch out... squating punch will hit you out of the low round house. So the best way I guess is.. just roll away as far as possible from your enemy if they are sitting by you while you are down. Again, alternation is the key. Alternating basic moves are very effective. Such as just one punch, then followed by pk combo, or just plain standing kick. Try to experiment. But you should know which moves can hit in certain positions... like side kick will hit someone who is squating, blocking. Or Dashing elbow will hit one who is blocking sitting down. A good trained Vfers can block many attacks, so you have to outwit them by flexible game play. Try to not to show off. Restrain yourself while you are playing Akira. Showing off may result a defeat. Only time that I recommend to show off your special skills is when you have a complete opening, or when you are playing a biginner who doesn't know how to play the game. Plus... hiding your special moves can be useful tactically... for you can use them as a surprise attack. Akira's ppk combo and pppk combo... I do not recommend them. only usefulness of that is to show off or try to R/O someone if your enemy is placing in the corner. It leaves too much opening. Akira's shoulder throw... I also do not recommend. It takes precise control to excute, and it isn't that great either. Only use to show off. I recommend trip instead. It is easy, and you don't have to rush to them to do the ground punches. Akira's Backhand Upper... I also do not recommend for same reason. But it is the coolest move, I admit.. I love to use this move though. Okay.. If you really want to use this move, wait for the opening from a sucky guy. Or best time to use this is when one is trying to get up. Get close, execute, then follow with Body check. Incredible amount of damage... Or followed by pppk combo to show off. Akira's Double kick. Don't use it until you see the opening. Or if one is try to jump at you (most sucky guys sometimes jump around too.), then nail them with double kick. I rather recommend just one hop kick, instead of Double kick. If you hit, then you don't have to run too far for following gound punches... Again. Alternation of your tactic is the most important. Try out and train your moves while you fight the computer. Pai and jacky are great traing opponents. Well. This is it. I hope this guide might help you out. If you have questions doing moves, then I can personally answer them, but I recommend to read Faq. There are couple moves that I can't get 100% consistency, which is arm throw (useless, though), and Akira's knee. I've seen someone in Korea doing ppp+Knee (like Sarah) combo, too. I haven't read the Faq for a while, and I should read it as well. Try. As long as you have controll on your controller and know what you are doing, you will improve! There are many other ways to play Akira. This particular is my tactic to play. Experiment and Enjoy until VF2 comes out! If you have questions or comments.. please feel free to contact. I like to discuss as long as it is not a stupid flame war... =) Yours, Brian P.S. No one in my town wants to play VF with me. I'm looking for a good place to find good players of VF around midwest. I live in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and I would love to hear and play agains good people in Iowa or Chicago area sometime. In korea... a game of vf is 25 cents, by the way...