Dead or Alive 3 ________________________ Ryu Hayabusa FAQ v1.1 ________________________ Updates: 4/6/04 (Ryu's birthday is soon! Yay!) - Fixed up the countering for Bass's 'charge-at-them-like-the-raging-Daddy-bull-I-am' move. It's actually high on my game. I swore it was middle once upon a time, but... meh. - Added a new Izuna strategy... (came from a button masher! ARGH! My reputation! Don't go!) - Added random facts here and there ^_^ - Added an FAQ section ________________________ Contents: ________________________ 1a: Author's notes 1b: The boring stuff 2a: A bit about Ryu 2b: The basics... for any newbie 2c: Moves list Countering in more detail 2d: The Izuna (yes, it gets its own section! Lucky Izuna!) 2e: Tag team throws 3a: Strategies against the CPU 3b: Miscellaneous 3c: Frequently asked questions 4a: Credits etc. ________________________ 1a: Author's notes ________________________ Sorry, but I'm cutting the fancy stuff, because I am not skilled in the fancy stuff. Besides, you didn't want this FAQ for the fancy stuff, did you? Sorry if you did, but... Anyways, this FAQ is dedicated to the one and only super ninja, Ryu Hayabusa. Why am I writing a Hayabusa FAQ? Let's see. Partially because I really like Ryu Hayabusa as a character. Have for basically two years. Secondly, for a game character he's pretty damn hot. (Yes, I'm a girl... okay, I'll try not to do it again...) And thirdly, if you can master him, he kicks butt. Isn't that reason enough? Not even the toughest of characters stands a chance if you can pull off his punch counters, especially. But... obviously you're at least a little curious if you're reading this FAQ, huh? So let's get into it! ________________________ 1b: The boring stuff ________________________ Okay. Ryu Hayabusa is not mine, as much as I want him to be... Tecmo and Team Ninja claim that, as well as owning Dead or Alive 3 and Ninja Gaiden in the first place. You have to give them credit for making such a good game, even if their main market was obviously guys, it is one of the smoothest (possibly the) available now. I don't mind if you redistribute this FAQ, just leave it intact, okay? Plagiarism is *bad*. Don’t edit it, and you can pass it around as much as you want. And don’t copy. Yup. Other then that... Right, now that we got that out of the way... ________________________ 2a: A bit about Ryu ________________________ Right! (I was so tempted to make a pun out of that, but I decided to spare you) Some info about Ryu Hayabusa. His first claim to fame was in the Ninja Gaiden series which hit the arcades in the 1980’s, and was then released on the NES in 1988. As some of you may know already, Ninja Gaiden has been released on the Xbox. It is now in Australia, so I can rejoice. I'm not sure about New Zealand, but I was told that it came out approximately the same time. Shameless plug: You like action games, buy Ninja Gaiden. Heck, even if you don't, buy it anyway. You will seriously NOT be disappointed. However, quite a few people know Ryu from his little adventures in the Dead or Alive series. Even in the first game, he stood out as a good fighter, (but, oh the pain! Those kicks! Ouch!) and that has only improved coming to DOA3. He has the most versatile and powerful throw in the game, the Izuna Otoshi being used a total of five times. And, uh, he has cool hair. ^_^ ________________________ Ryu Hayabusa Age: 23 Occupation: Owner of curio shop (antique shop in DOA... but whatever pushes your buttons) Birthday: June 15, age 23 (go June!) Height/Weight: 5’10”, 154lbs Body Size: B21”W33”H36” (as if anyone cares... although it changed from DOA to DOA2... guess ‘someone’ cares! Haha!) Blood type: A ________________________ 2b: The Basics ________________________ The automatic defaults for the controller are as follows (in combat): D-pad/analogue stick: Free roaming X button: Free (used mainly for blocking and with directions to counter... more on that later) Y button: Punch B button: Kick A button: Throw White button: The same as pressing Y and B at the same time... P + K Black button: Equivalent of pressing X, Y and K at the same time: F + P + K L: Not used R: F + K (Same as pressing X and B) Man, I’m too used to the Playstation controllers, keep on calling X Square. Anyways. Okay, not that I’m encouraging button-mashing, but if you are a button masher and proud of maintaining your mashing reputation but want to be a ‘skilled button-masher’, simply remember what the block button is and use mostly punch and kick with different directional buttons. Just a tip! But... button mashing is evil, and I don’t recommend it! I know how annoying it is when your opponent button mashes... save a human and don’t button mash. ^_^ However... button mashers probably wouldn’t use Hayabusa anyway. He makes a bad button masher. Look for Jann-Lee, Ein, Hitomi or Hayate if you’re looking for a better button masher. I am NOT promoting button mashing, by the way! *Sigh* Don’t think I am! But hey, if you like button mashing... whatever turns you on. Another useful technique which, if you are a newbie at DOA, you should try and pick up as soon as possible is countering, which will be covered in more detail later. But I cannot express how useful countering is! Really... I know I sound like I’m trying to sell it, but to be successful, especially with Hayabusa; you need to know how to counter. ________________________ 2c: Moves List Okay! The moves list! Note that all these controls are when you are on the left. ________________________ Normal attacks: ________________________ Ren-Jaki-Barai: P, P, P, P Kusen-Zangeki: P, P, left + P, P Ren-Yami-Barai: P, P, left + P, down + punch Mekki-Tatsumaki: P, P, left + punch, K Ren-Kikoku-Shintei: P, P, K, K, K (the CPU often uses this move, especially if you’re temporarily stunned) Jinpu-Ren-Kyaku: P, P, down + kick (gets into handstand... the CPU never gets into a handstand) Hato-Geri: P, K, K (some useless info: direct translation is pigeon shit. Hmm...) Hatotsu-Rensho: Right + P, K, K Raishin-Geki: Right, right + punch Amatsuki: Up + punch (useful for getting the opponent up again after they have hit the wall the first time) Kushin-Geki: Left + P, P (second half of the Kusen-Zangeki) Hayo-Nagi-Geri: Left + P, K (finishes in Hayabusa’s middle kick... not really much use unless you’re trying to stall a counter) Yami-Barai: Left + P, down + P (second half of Ren-Yami-Barai, surprisingly enough) Akki-Barai: Diagonal up left + P, P (second half of Ren-Jaki-Barai) Shinso-Zuki: Diagonal down right + P, P, P (in DOA2 only had the first punch... Tecmo was generous to give him two more, quite a useful move) Chisen-Kyaku: Diagonal down right P, K *hold the diagonal!* (all the ninjas except for Kasumi have a move similar to this... extremely easy to counter though) Garyo-Sen: This one’s a pain to describe! Run your finger from down to up on the d-pad/analogue stick complete with P. Jaki-Barai: K, P (useful for tricking people who think you’re going to pull off a Hazumi-Guruma) Hazumi-Guruma: My friend calls it the ballerina kick. K, K. Second kick is easy to counter, (high) but breaks guard. Nichirin-Kyaku: Diagonal up right + K. (A forward roll that does a bit of damage, but is un-counterable) Hagen-Koryu-Kyaku: Up + K, K (the first of Hayabusa’s ‘ouch’ moves! First half high counter, second middle counter, if you manage to block the first half. However, if you get hit by the first half then you can’t counter the second) Tenrin-Kyaku: An invaluable move. Diagonal up left + K. (Is the only one of the ninjas’ backward kicks done with the same controls that you can counter, but the fastest) Onibishi: While you’re standing, hit K. For example, after you do a forward roll (or Urakaze, if you wanted to get technical) just hit the K button as you’re standing. Looks basically the same as Mai-Kiri) Ura-Chiso-Kyaku: Diagonal down right + K, K (Middle kick, then something that looks to everyone except for me as breakdancing. Another easy move to counter, because down is the only way he can go) Haja-Rensho: For some reason, I call it the football kick. One of those ‘don’t ask’ things. Right + K, K Jisuberi: Right, right + K. A slidey kick that trips the opponent. Chiso-Shoryu-Kyaku: Another handstand ending move. Diagonal down left + K, K. Ends in handstand, un-counterable. Jinpu-Geki: Diagonal down left + K, K. *Hold the diagonal* Ends in handstand at low counter. Handstand will only work if it connects with the opponent, otherwise he’ll do something somewhat resembling a bum-drag. Jinpu-Ren-Geki: Diagonal down left + K, Diagonal down left + K, K. *Hold the second diagonal!* The CPU uses the first two steps of this move, but not the handstand. When one comes, you know the second one’s going to be low, so it’s easy to counter. Handstand will only work if it connects with the opponent, otherwise he’ll do something somewhat resembling a bum-drag. Riei-Shusen-Kyaku: Right, left + K. A neat little heel move where it looks like Hayabusa’s about to attack middle, but actually attacks low for next to no damage. But hey, it’s kind of distracting. Korin-Kyaku: Left + K. An un-counterable handstand which will only work if actually connecting with the opponent. Mai-Kiri: Run your finger from down to up on the d-pad/analogue stick and hit K. Not overly useful if you can’t get it, however. Shoryu-Kyaku: As you’re getting up (see Onibishi for more info) press left + K. An un-counterable handstand. Soku-Rento: A real pain if you’re using analogue (controller setting, not the analogue stick) P + K (white button), P. if you’re using analogue, chances are you’ll often get this move from pressing too hard. Tenma-Meido-Ha: Right + P + K. A high elbow attack which is fairly easy to counter. Gao-Sho: Left + P + K. Very useful, especially as you can hold it for a second to a few seconds, doing more damage. Easy to counter with the CPU, as they hold it for as long as they can (about three seconds) but harder with a human opponent because they can change the timing. Middle counter, breaks guard. One problem I have discovered more recently with this move is that if you judge the distance, as soon as you release the move you are vulnerable to being thrown. Just a word of warning; judge it well! Rekku-Rakushin-Ga: Diagonal down right + P + K, K. Second kick is Hayabusa’s ‘default’ back kick if he’s caught behind. Both middle counter, first half can be used to pull off a better combo, however. Kikoku-Shintei-Kyaku: F + K (R button), K, K or you can just jam the R button three times, but the noise can give you away. Third kick un-counterable, but the first two are high. You get nailed by the first; you’re nailed by all of them. Chisho-Kyaku: Twirly handstand. Left + F + K. Un-counterable, but can be avoided with high counter. Jinpu-Kyaku: Down + F + K. Won’t work if it doesn’t connect. Zamna-Geri: Diagonal down right + F + K. Same kick at the end of Mekki-Tatsumaki. Furetsu: When near a wall, assuming that the wall’s on your left, press left + P + K. Breaks guard, un-counterable (avoided with middle counter) ________________________ In handstand attacks: (easiest way to get into handstand out of battle is down + P + K, in battle, see the attacks above) ________________________ Koten-Seiken-Zuki: P. Wow. But you can continue with regular combos. Koten-Sokuto-Geri: Long name for short move. Down + K. Senjin-Kyaku: K, K. Both parts un-counterable. Tenho-Kyaku: P + K. Also un-counterable. However, does NOT break guard, which can be a bit of an arse as you are vulnerable to being thrown if you use it and your opponent is blocking. Muso-Gari: F + K. Low counter. Quite easy to counter, simply because of the, err... ‘noise’ (sorry, can’t think of a better term!) Ryu makes when he uses it. ________________________ Throws: ________________________ Juji-Garami: F + P. Your default should be the A button, however, so I’ll stick with saying A. The weakest, and escapable, throw. Does 40 points damage on no counter. Kubikiri-Nage: This move was in DOA2, but not executed the same way. In sparring mode, your default position is perfect distance-wise. Up + A. Also known as the guillotine throw in Ninja Gaiden, and does a heck of a lot more damage in there, too. Only does 45 points, no counter. Shiho-Nage: Diagonal down right + A. Fairly hard to recover from (more about that later), switches sides. Minimum 48 damage, depending on the level of counter you get. Yama-Arashi: Translation: Mountain storm. Left + A. Easy to execute and does decent damage. Default 52 damage. Hayabusa-Geri: Ladies and gentlemen, enter the falcon shit! (Yup, direct translation) Right, right + A. Does 50 points damage and if your opponent doesn’t automatically get up, you can jump on them. (Not in sparring, though) Gen-Ei: Right + A. Good if you want to get the back advantage, but be careful! Rakurai-Sho: Actually looks quite painful if you see it in slow-mo. You have to do a diagonal run from down to left and hit A. Default 60 points damage. Izuna-Otoshi: The dreaded Izuna! See the special Izuna section for more information on this one. The throw does 80 damage. ________________________ To foe’s back throws: ________________________ Ura-Nage: A. Easy. But the weakest throw of all three back throws. Kandachi-Otoshi: Easily the coolest looking back throw. Left + A. Who said he was just a pretty face?? Rakuryu-Sho: Right + A. Does the most damage (by three whole points). Nightmare has this move in Soul Calibur 2. How’s that for random info? ________________________ During handstand throws: ________________________ Yeah, Hayabusa’s versatile. Kirimoni-Nage: A. Easy. But handstand throws generally are pretty risky, because it’s easy to get knocked out of it. Does two whole points less then Kabuto-Gari, but easier to recover from. Does 48 damage. Kabuto-Gari: Left + A. Pretty cool looking, but harder to get up from. Kirimoni gives you more distance. Does 50 damage. ________________________ Crouching throws: ________________________ Zanshu-Sen: Down + A. If you’re going to use a down throw, don’t use this one. You’ll be able to get Hane-Karakuri 99% of the time, and it does more damage. Hane-Karakuri: Diagonal down left + A. Besides, it looks cooler, anyway. Does 62 damage. ________________________ Crouching foe back throw: ________________________ Yeah, he only needs one. Takitsubo-Watari: Down + A. Odds are you won’t get to use this one unless you versus Ayane or a very Kubikiri-Nage favouring Hayabusa. Looks pretty cool, though. Does, uh, 57 points damage, if my memory serves me correctly. ________________________ Counters: (Assuming you’re on the left hand side) ________________________ Woo hoo! Counters! (Yay, I hear you say). Right. Countering, as I’ve mentioned, is what separates two players. My advice to people who find countering hard is to go into sparring and practise, practise, practise! High counter (for every character: Diagonal up left + F. Middle counter: Left + F Low counter: Diagonal down left + F. Some characters have more advanced counters that do more damage, but I won’t bother with them because Hayabusa isn’t one of them... sort-of. He’s an oddity. Instead of the usual controls for an advanced counter, he has three of them... yup, you’ve guessed it, all Izuna. So technically, they deserve to give an instant KO (especially if you find the Izuna hard!) but it does 90 points damage on high counter (react literally just before the blow lands) same as the advanced counters. The kicks are the default counters. For the Senko-Izuna, Rekko-Izuna and Yoko-Izuna (High, middle and low counters respectively) check out the Izuna section of this guide. For the other counters, check here. Kage-Toro: Prepare to have your leg muscles ache watching this one! Default high counter controls: Diagonal up left + F. You can definitely sneak in a down punch after this move. Orochi-Gari: The only ninja who doesn’t have a ‘send-‘em-up-into-the-air’ middle counter, is Hayabusa. Left + F. Koken-Giri: Diagonal down left + F. A nice fast counter which you can sneak a punch down in, or a jump if you’re lucky and your opponent’s slow. Gasai: Prepare for the fastest jump punch counter in the game. You pull it off the same way as a middle counter. ________________________ Miscellaneous moves: ________________________ Naraku-Zuki: To downed foe, press the black button (F + P + K) and up at the same time. Takes longer then the punch, however. Toraga-Sodan: ‘The punch’. Down and P when your foe’s on the ground. Tenchi-Gaeshi: A nice way of saying ‘handstand’. Down + P + K (or white button) Urakaze: Cute name, no? Diagonal up right + P. Forward roll, does no damage but can set you up well for other moves. Yay, appeals. Nin: Left, right, left + black button. Zetsu: Right, left, right + black button. Point of these is basically nothing except sounding cool. Rei: Down, down + black button. “Gomen”, in DOA2 his favourite damn phrase. Useless note: You can pull off an Onibishi getting up. Koten: In handstand, hit down to get out. Easy. Beware; you can be caught in a down throw if you use this move to get out of your handstand though. Ko-Ten: Original name. In handstand, press left twice. There’s no way of you being able to be caught in a down throw and it gives you distance between you and your opponent. Asuka-Gaeshi: When next to a wall (assuming left hand side) hit left + P to flip over to your opponent’s back. And it looks cool. ________________________ 2d: The Izuna... the dreaded Izuna ________________________ Firstly… this move is a tough one. No denying it. But if you want to use Hayabusa, you should learn how to use it as he uses it... five times in total. The original throw, three counters, and being ‘sent’ an opponent when the tag team partner doesn’t have a tag team attack with him. Right. The first half is as follows for the throw: Diagonal twirl from left to right. So that’s left, left down, down, right down, right + A. That’s the first part. Second part... Diagonal twirl from down to up. Down, right down, right, right up, up + A. Look in the left hand corner (assuming you’re using the first controller). It says in blue writing combo throw. When that comes up, you have two seconds to input the next lot of the move in. Third part: What makes the Izuna-Otoshi the Izuna-Otoshi. You can go from right to down, but that’s harder. Start from left, and go clockwise to down. So that’d be left, up left, up, up right, right, down right, down + A. All in two seconds. Yup. Fun. It takes a while, but it certainly is possible. It’s a lot harder in the original DOA though. Lucky we’re doing DOA3, huh. Counters are basically the same, but the first step is easier. Instead of the first part of the throw, you just do the normal counter input. The next two steps are the same, however. If you’re practising with the counters, my advice is to start practising on the low punch counter. It’s by far the easiest, as it gives you more air time to input the throw. High punch and the tag team throw is the hardest, because of him vaulting the opponent up, it gives you a lot less time. Or... if you preferred, you could just use analogue (controller setting). Then all you have to do is mash the A button hard, three times. Or the X button, depending on whether you’re countering. A lot easier, huh? A lot less satisfying too. But hey... it gives your thumbs a break. New: A strategy my (button-mashing... guess I can't bag button mashers so much now, huh!) friend found out. Instead of totally breaking your thumbs, simply twirl the analogue stick as fast as you can and mash the A button at the appropriate time (when it says in the top left corner, assuming you start on the left). You will be pleasantly surprised. (Unless you're me, who spent god-knows how long perfecting the Izuna the 'proper' (hahah!) way...) ________________________ 2e: Tag Team Throws ________________________ Back in the good ol’ days of DOA2, Hayabusa was the character with the most tag team attacks. However, on account of new characters popping up and him not having any tag team attacks with any of them; I think Gen-Fu beats him to it. However, he is still one of the most versatile; having tag team throws one way or the other with most of the characters. Let’s see. I have no idea what the actual names of these attacks are, but I’ll list his compatibilities. Kasumi: Both ways. They’re the default pairing. Seeing Ryu do the Oboro is pretty cool. (That’s Kasumi’s way) Hitomi: Nope. That’s for Kasumi. Actually, I think she’s getting gradually more compatible with everyone. Hmm. She gains moves every new game. Perhaps I’m just jealous. Zack: Yes. Actually, in DOA2 they didn’t have one, it was a DOA3 exclusive. Only Zack’s way, though. But it looks pretty cool. Gen-Fu: Both ways. Don’t know why, exactly. Probably because they’re both good at pulling out the clichés. Brad Wong: Nope. Again, for Kasumi to pull off. Tina: Yes, both ways. They’re pretty compatible considering they have nothing in common. Tina’s is especially noteworthy. Bass: Yes, Hayabusa’s way. Hayabusa to Bass. Leon: Yes, Hayabusa to Leon. Bayman: Yes, both ways, however, Bayman to Hayabusa is pulled off differently. From Bayman, press diagonal down right (assuming you’re on the left) twice and A. Or you can just do the Izuna, which actually does ten more points then the tag team throw. Maybe it’s good Hayabusa isn’t so compatible... the Izuna does more then most tag team throws, equals others... Jann-Lee: Sparked from a rivalry sort of thing in DOA2, yes, both ways. Leifang: No, unfortunately. I think they have the potential for a good move together. Christie: No. (Phew... could be kind of scary) Helena: Yes, Helena’s way. That girl isn’t modest... at the end of that move she sure don’t mind flashing her undies. Hayate: Don’t even get me started. No, they don’t. They should, but they don’t. They have a winning pose, but no tag team throws. *Sigh*. Ayane: Yes, both ways. Rather cool. Personally, I prefer using Ayane to Kasumi so she makes a good partner for him. Ein: Yes, both ways. And they have an end pose, too. Woo hoo. Random fact: Most characters have their middle punch counter as the move they use when they have no tag team attack with the partner... Hayabusa uses his high punch counter. Hey! ________________________ 3a: Strategies against the CPU ________________________ In order from the left. ________________________ Kasumi: ________________________ Well, our runaway kunoichi can be a bit of a royal pain in the butt, especially for Hayabusa as she beats him in speed easily. (Yup... that little spark of jealousy is kicking in) However, Hayabusa nails her in both counters and throws. With Kasumi, your best bet is to block most of her faster attacks. She especially seems to like P, P, K, K when you’re already off balance. Counter her punches, and if you can pull off the Izuna you’re in the clear. I’m actually lucky because my non-CPU opponent’s primary character is Kasumi, so I get decent practise. However, she is one of the ones most likely to give Ryu a run for his money, so to speak. Try and get her in the air and juggle her using the diagonal down right + white button (P + K) lift-off, then a Ren-Yami-Barai or a Mekki-Tatsumaki if you have enough time. Tag team wise, Kasumi is an easy opponent. If you can do combos well with both your characters, she’ll be disposed of quite quickly. Another useful thing is the Urakaze. If you time it correctly (but be warned, it isn’t always possible) you will flip over your opponent and be able to attack their back. Mekki-Tatsumaki is great if there is enough time, otherwise the Ren-Kikoku-Shintei is another damaging option. (24 + 37 damage if they all hit) ________________________ Hayabusa: ________________________ Know your own character! If you’re pretty right with being able to pull off all Hayabusa’s moves, then your opponent Hayabusa won’t stand a chance. Seriously, you should be able to counter most; if not all the moves he pulls off. The juggle technique mentioned above is always handy with anybody, however be careful when you punch him. The only time he won’t pull off a flawless Izuna is off the edge of an arena (only single player), and the minimum damage for the Izuna is 60 points, which is the same as most character’s second best throws (except for the throwers, eg: Tina, Bass, Bayman etc.) You shouldn’t have a problem with Hayabusa as the CPU. One move the CPU does favour is the first two punches of the Shinso-Zuki, then the nasty little up + K, K manoeuvre. Chances are if there’s a slight hesitation after the first two punches, counter high. Kasumi and Hayabusa make a powerful pairing. Kasumi starts off with the short and fast attacks, then tags out and lets Hayabusa do some. However, Hayabusa often uses his tag team throw to Kasumi, which does 10 points damage less then the Izuna. Sometimes those 10 points can make a difference! Try and make sure that they don’t get you in a combo. But, if you go as Hayabusa all the time, like me, you won’t get to go against them together, so you won’t need to worry. ________________________ Hitomi: ________________________ Miss Hitomi can be tough if you let her be. Solution: Don’t let her be. The majority of her punches can easily be countered (see how important the Izuna counters are? Failure rate begins at 30 for a slow counter, which is basically nothing.) And thrown back in her face. Her throws are relatively weak, so you shouldn’t face too much trouble there. Her counters are also the weakest in the game, along with a few other characters’. Chances are that her counters won’t take much off your life gauge if you do get countered. As for attacking, juggling is usually the safest way to go. Tenrin-Kyaku always works well against anyone, provided they don’t counter it, of course. Try not to let her knock you down. With some knock-downs, if you press F just before you land, you will get up again instead of falling to the ground. Useful if you always get countered attacking on the way up again. ________________________ Zack: ________________________ Umm. Not going against Zack too much, I can’t say a lot. However, he shouldn’t pose too much of a threat, especially from the CPU. His punches are usually quite predictable, so Izuna is the way to go. Attacking wise, his counters do the same as yours (well, the kick ones, anyway) so be wary of that. Attacks wise, his attacks are fast but also predictable. You shouldn’t have to break too much of a sweat to beat him, but he does have a few un-counterable moves up his sleeve (eg: diagonal up left + K, K) but they shouldn’t cause too much trouble overall. Zack and Hitomi make a decent pair. Because their throws aren’t the greatest (Hitomi especially) they will overuse their tag throw. So if you can get one or other out of the way, it’ll make your life a lot easier. ________________________ Gen-Fu: ________________________ Gen-Fu has an iron fist. Fist = punch. Punch = Izuna. Countering is invaluable... if you haven’t already got that message. Especially against punch-favourers like Gen-Fu. He can be quite tough, what with all those ‘send-you-flying’ punches, but shouldn’t pose too much trouble. The block button comes in handy, as do the other strategies mentioned above. ________________________ Brad Wong: ________________________ Here’s where your strategy goes out the window. Because of the drunken moves (stand up straight, fool!) he can be quite difficult to counter. You might think it’s high, but it fools you. It’s really middle. Blocking comes in real handy and try to stay on the offensive instead of defensive. Throws and the like work well here. When he uses his P, P, P, you can nearly guarantee a high punch is coming once he turns his back. Very rarely does it not happen that way. Also, the majority of his throws aren’t that good, if you’re looking to pick on a weakness. Try and throw him while he’s lying down if the opportunity arises. Brad and Gen-Fu make a decent CPU pairing, but shouldn’t pose much difficulty. However, because their throws are on the weaker side, you’ll see them tag team throw a lot. So it’s best to dispose of one or the other as soon as you can, which greatly reduces their arsenal. ________________________ Tina: ________________________ Tina doesn’t have many great attacks. Sorry any Tina fans out there. Her throws more then compensate, however, so try and stay out of throwing range whenever possible. Chances are you’ll rack up a high counter attack because she’s tried to grab you and you’ve hit her before she could. Most of the moves she uses are middle counter, but not all. However, when in tag team with Bass, they will often use their tag team throw, instead of her more powerful throw combos. Could be good, unless you’re sick of getting bulldozed by the two (like me...) Make sure you escape any throw combos, by hitting A while in a combo throw. However, Hayate’s three part throw and the Izuna (yesss!!!) are not escapable. ________________________ Bass: ________________________ Basically the same strategy as for Tina, but he’s easier because he’s slower. If he does a low stomp, usually means he’ll follow with a middle-something. If he starts off with sort of roaring at you with one arm up, counter high as he charges you, or I think ducking will do the trick too. Blocking won’t work, unfortunately. Shame, that. Each character should have one unblockable move (at least) like in Soul Calibur 2. Oh well... Most of his moves are fairly easy to predict. You really shouldn’t have much trouble disposing of him. He beats you in throws, but you easily beat him in speed, so that shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. One other thing with both Tina and Bass, try and get out of their middle kick counter second part if you get caught in it. Just mash the A button. ________________________ Leon: ________________________ Leon isn’t a tough opponent by himself, especially as you have the advantage of speed and good punch counters. When he does the two punches (right + P, P, I think) chances are he’ll follow with a low kick, so get ready to counter. He’s fairly easy to counter. Just watch out for the throws, especially the let’s-play-throw-torpedo-style! throw. Quite nasty, especially if you’re unfortunate enough to hit the wall in the process. His throw combos are easy to get out of, just hit A. ________________________ Bayman: ________________________ Despite them being almost the same, I find Leon easier to use (but Bayman has two tag team attacks with Hayabusa, so...) Bayman has a certain move he loves to use in various ways, either ending in a high kick or a low-sweep style attack. Pretty hard to counter, surprisingly. Try and remain on the offensive with Bayman. His offensive is quite offensive, and chances are you’ll end up being severely crunched. (Poor Ryu...) So try and counter if you can, but stay mostly on attacking. Juggling works well, and if you’re a skilled juggler (unlike me!) you can use the first part of the Izuna as your launch and juggle from that. Bayman and Leon make a pretty good pair. However, they brush aside their stronger throws for their tag team throw (which only does 70 points damage, but sends me cowering every time they use it on Hayabusa... gets me laughing when it’s used on anyone else, though...) all up, though, the highest combo I’ve seen them pull off is 9 hit, and that was high counter, so you should be fine. ________________________ Jann-Lee: ________________________ Jann-Lee is usually fairly easy to counter, although harder then in DOA2. Back in DOA2, it seemed as though you could just do a high counter and he’d attack into it. Now, a few more of his moves are middles, but still he uses mostly punches, so that shouldn’t be too hard. However, he is one of two characters that has an unblockable move. You can either counter high, or from memory, ducking should work as well. With his K, K, K move, the first kick is the one which you would (hopefully) block, and you can counter the next one. Even if you don’t block it, you can still get an easy high counter, because the move is high and easy to react later. Besides, they get you extra damage, so the later you wait, the better. Just don’t wait too long. Jann-Lee is actually one of the slower fast characters. He isn’t slow in the traditional sense, but what with all his foot-changing after he does a move, it gives you prime time to attack him, or even better, launch him into an Izuna. His moves are powerful, considering he has a whole line-up of those punch-you-square-across-the-arena moves, but they shouldn’t really pose much problem if you can counter. The majority of the moves he uses are high, anyway. ________________________ Leifang: ________________________ Another person where looks can be deceiving. Although her moves seem quite easy to counter, the majority of them aren’t. Make sure you get out of her three part throw combo if she gets you into it, and don’t let her get you with an advanced counter. However, I recommend that you try and stay on the offensive with her. Defence works if you’re an experienced counterer, but if you’re not, you’ll definitely prefer to stay on offence. Just don’t pull off too many moves at the same level (level being high, middle or low) because you’ll get pushed into an advanced counter (except for the middle kick, 90 points on high counter, same as the Izuna counter) Most of the punches she uses are middle, but not all. However, chances are that if you counter middle, you’ll be lucky... unless she moves in and throws you. Jann and Lei make a great tag team pairing, in case you haven’t already noticed. Try and attack Jann-Lee first and get him out of the way, because Leifang usually poses more of a threat. ________________________ Christie: ________________________ Hmm, Christie. She can either be really tough or really easy. Don’t let her stay on the offensive for too long, because chances are you’ll take a decent amount of damage. It’s best to stay offensive yourself, countering her punches as necessary. Her throws are fairly weak, so don’t be afraid to get in close and whack her from there. However, she has a few nasty moves in her arsenal which she might pull out. Again, as with a few of the other faster characters, the block button is your friend. ________________________ Helena: ________________________ Well, she’s the same as Christie in this respect. Either really hard or really easy. Her throws generally are nothing to write about, except for her diagonal run from left to right + A, which she can pull off from her normal stance, Bokuho stance (and perhaps from backward stance, I’ll have to check that). Basically... she likes that throw. Her punches are fast, but you should be able to counter the last parts of them. Even so, it’s safer to remain offensive. Just be careful you don’t get countered, as Helena is one of the better countering characters. Helena and Christie make a strong tag team duo. Because their throws aren’t great generally, the tag team throw will be often seen both ways. Be careful not to get caught in a combo, as these two by themselves are the best at combos (Ayane is good too) and when you put them together, chances are an 11 hit combo won’t be an oddity. ________________________ Hayate: ________________________ Although he is crowned as one of the most button-masher-friendly characters (not exactly a compliment, that...) he isn’t a pushover, especially paired with Ayane. They overuse their tag team throws something chronic. (But then, don’t most of them?) Hayate himself isn’t overly difficult, however, don’t let your guard down. With his three part throw, chances are you’ll only see the first two parts. I think I’ve seen the CPU complete that throw combo very rarely. Normally it would do 80 points damage, same as the Izuna, more if it hits the wall. However, on high counter the damage doesn’t go up a lot, only in the low nineties. The Izuna comes in at 120 on high counter for the throw, 90 for the counters and the same as Hayate’s throw tag team. Stick with the throw if you can. Both Hayate and Kasumi (must be a Mugen-Tenshin Tenjinmon thing) love their P, P, K, K move. You’ll see it a lot. The First kick of Hayate’s is uncounterable, but if you block the first half he’ll probably stop, not doing the second kick (which is counterable, middle) so that’s your chance to go in and Izuna him. Hayate and Hayabusa are supposed to be fairly even in skills, except Hayabusa is a touch faster and Hayate is a touch more powerful. This shouldn’t prove much of a problem, though, especially if you love beating Hayate across the arena (like me.) If he uses his diagonal left up + K move, it does 5 points more then the Tenrin, but isn’t counterable. However, if you avoid it and do a throw, there’s 52-58 points damage for you. Or you could just attack him from the back, if you prefer. The possibilities are endless! ________________________ Ayane: ________________________ Ayane is a strong character, especially against Hayabusa. She has pretty much everything under control except her most powerful throw is weaker and her countering does a bit less damage. She can pull out the combos quicker then you can say ‘Wow, was that me flying across the arena?’ and she has elegance while doing them, too. However, it’s not all bad. Her kicks are extremely powerful (and a decent percentage of them uncounterable) but her punches, although fast, are the things to attack. You have a good punch counter, why not use it? Be wary of Ayane on her back, unless she performs a diagonal left up + K, then you have enough time to grab her almost foolproof, but she can still attack you quite easily while her back is facing you. Your best bet is to P, P, K, K, K her back. Ayane and Hayate make a decent combination. One or other with launch you into the air, then the other one will either pull off a nasty combo (Ayane) or send you flying across the arena (Hayate). They often use their tag team throws, especially from Ayane’s point as her throws by herself are weaker. It’s best to start attacking Hayate first. Generally, he’s the slower one, therefore easier to attack. However, Ayane has her moments, and you should be able to attack her punches fairly well. ________________________ Ein: ________________________ Hayate-who-couldn’t-remember-he-was-Hayate uses pretty much the same strategy as Hitomi, except he’s a bit harder to use and a bit easier to counter. See Hitomi for a more detailed strategy, because I’m not going to type it out again. ________________________ 3b: Miscellaneous ________________________ How to unlock Hayabusa’s C3: Simply win at least 20 matches of survival with Hayate as his partner. Easy. It’s certainly a... new type of outfit, if you haven’t seen it before. Certainly surprised me... I was expecting ninja-cliché, and instead got leather-skanky. Not that I’m complaining, but it was a bit of a surprise. However, any Hayabusa fan who’s been wondering what he looks like with his hair down, your prayers have been answered. Fan-girls, try not to goggle too long (yeah, I know it’s difficult!) Extra note: This only works in the European/Australian/New Zealand version of the game. American and Japanese gamers have to get the booster disc, so I’m told. A few tips when going as Hayabusa: Hayabusa is a strong character if you let him be. He works better by himself then in a tag team (solitary super ninja, maybe?) but works well with someone else too. Juggling is a good way to go, starting with the diagonal down right + white button (P + K) punch, then going from there. And countering... you’ve probably guessed that countering is an important part of being able to use Ryu well. Especially the Izuna counters. Listen to him! I know this sounds kind of an unusual request, but your opponent (assuming they’re another person, not the CPU) can listen too. As you probably know, each character makes different ‘sounds’ (sounds like they’re farting or something, but...) each move they use, Hayabusa being no exception. Listening can be the key to countering, hence victory. And sure, you only play for the fun... but victory is damn sweet. Arenas and Hayabusa: Okay. Two of Hayabusa’s best arenas are the X Octagon and the Lost World. Why, you ask? X Octagon because he can play Superman off the walls, totally bamboozling your opponent. Quite fun, actually, especially if you get a corner of the arena, then you can go back and forth. Woo hoo! Lost World was an arena invented for Hayabusa-fans, I swear. The Izuna is a necessary thing if you want to do well, however. An Izuna off the edge does a heap. The throw does 120, same as high counter normal Izuna. Can do up to 160 off the edge on high counter. The counters. Ah hah. The throw and the low punch counter have to be done with Hayabusa not on the edge to get your opponent off, but the high and middle punch counters have to be done with Hayabusa on the side of the edge to get off. Now, Bass has a move that gets them off with the same damage as the throw. But not one so versatile as the Izuna. With there being four different ways to launch them off, you can’t go wrong. Just be careful not to get knocked over the edge if you’re trying to lure them over. ^_^ ________________________ 3c: Frequently asked questions ________________________ A few questions I’ve been asked recently: (Some are admittedly more important and useful to the game then others) - Who does Hayabusa work best with? This is purely based on your opinion and who you work best with. For me, I interchange between Kasumi, Hayate, Ayane and Leifang as my second character in tag team, but it really depends on what fighting style you prefer and which one is more fluid. - Are you like, obsessed with Hayabusa or something? You’ve ever read any of my fanfics then you should know the answer to that question. If you haven’t, one word sums it up best: YES. Tecmo shouldn’t neglect the guy characters so badly... they’re damn cool, too! Excluding a few... I won’t even start ranting here, because I’ll be going forever. - Do you think Ryu dies in Ninja Gaiden on Xbox? (Blame my friend for this question, she asked it… damn frequently, too, so I’ll answer it for her benefit) In the cut-scene, he looked rather... umm... dead. So I’d say yes. And hell, who wouldn’t be if they got sliced up like that? And besides, he definitely dies if I’m the one playing Ninja Gaiden... haha! - What are Hayabusa’s weaknesses as a DOA character? Fighting wise? Actually, Hayabusa is a pretty well-rounded character. He’s fast, nowhere near the fastest, but certainly not the slowest. His moves are powerful, not as powerful as some, but far more powerful then others (although every character can initiate a KO no problemo). He’s well-rounded, but has a few things that make him stand out from everybody else. His weaknesses lie with fighting against specific characters, as opposed to general weaknesses. - Curio shop? Eh? Curio = curiosity. Although, playing the game in Japanese refers to it as an antique shop, as it does in DOA. So a shop with old, interesting things in it. Like, umm... I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. I was about to say Gen-Fu, but... - Umm, what’s with his quotes? My dog’s backside makes more sense then those! Don’t blame me, blame Tecmo! Generally, the translations for Hayabusa’s quotes are fairly accurate. Unlike Ein’s... (what a feeling = good vibration) Hayabusa’s are somewhat cliché, but still sound cool. And not once does he big-note himself. That’s good. - Please tell me. What is the deal with his hair? Is he trying to look like a girl or just kind of accidentally pulling it off? Firstly, I happen to like his hair a lot! But seriously, in Japanese culture, especially for something like a ninja clan, the longer the hair indicates how wise the person is. Long hair = age (in some cases) = wisdom. So basically, he’s smart. I guess that’s why he keeps it so long, so people think he’s intelligent. Damn, doesn’t work with me... And the vote is still 5-3 for Hayate looking more feminine then Hayabusa. So, there you go, useless random knowledge. ^_^ - Was your first character Hayabusa? Definitely not. My first character (like most people) was Kasumi. Then moved onto Ein shortly after (I noticed the chest, I swear!) and then switched to Hayabusa for reasons I cannot remember no matter how hard I try. And I’ve stayed with him for a long time. Go Ryu! ________________________ 4a: Credits etc. ________________________ Well… credit has to go to Tecmo for making this game in the first place. And for making such a cool, great, cute and wonderful character as Ryu Hayabusa in the first place. Even though it was a mostly guy-orientated game, they threw in some eye candy for the gals. Thanks, Tecmo! Secondly, thanks has to go to a certain person who got me started on playing DOA in the first place. Thanks ^_^ You know who you are, right? Thirdly, thanks go to both Han and Lexy for reading and proof-reading Snob School (a long DOA fanfic). Not quite relevant, but thanks all the same. If you didn’t read it, I wouldn’t have time to write this FAQ, would I? *Grin* Thanks also go to you, for reading this in the first place. Hope it helped! Email me at hoiee_kurmoi@yahoo.com.au with any queries or anything; just don’t send anything stupid, because otherwise it’ll go into my delete folder before you can say ‘anchovies’. (Why anchovies? What's so bad about anchovies?) Now go out, and kick butt with Hayabusa! Yeah! ~ Kurmoi