VIRTUA FIGHTER FAQ v3.2 Table of Contents December 1, 1994 Editor: dug@lugaru.com Original FAQ by rez@cwis.unomaha.edu Copyright c 1994. All rights reserved.Redistribution of this file, in whole or in part, in both electronic and printed form is permitted provided that it is not edited or modified in any form (without prior permission), no fee is charged (other than direct costs), and that proper credit is given. If you redistribute this file on another network, please contact the editor so we can keep track of its distribution. Thanks. VIRTUA FIGHTER FAQV3.2 TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT'S NEW DEFINITIONS INTRODUCTION GETTING STARTED First- How to win the match Second- How to win a set Third- Terminology Fourth- The Buttons Standing Crouching Fifth- Jumping TWO TYPES OF JUMPS JUMPING ATTACKS Sixth- Running and all that jazz Seventh-Crouching, Standing, and Throws Eighth- Replays MOVES STANDARD FOR ALL 8 CHARACTERS As You're getting up Kick 'em while you get up Roll away as you get up Other standard moves MOVES SPECIFIC TO EACH CHARACTER AKIRA JACKY JEFFRY KAGE LAU PAI SARAH WOLF CHARACTER MOVES' RATINGS GENERAL FIGHTING TECHNIQUES 1) A FLURRY OF JABS 2) SHORT JUMPING ATTACKS 3) DISTANCE JUMPING ATTACKS 4) RING OUT 5) WAITING FOR YOUR BREAK 6) KICKING AS YOU STAND UP 7) HIT 'EM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN 8) KICKFLIPPING 9) STAB 'EM IN THE BACK 10) Feints 11) Fake Out for a Boot to the Head CHARACTER PLAYING GUIDE AKIRA- JACKY JEFFRY- KAGE- LAU PAI SARAH- WOLF- SUDDEN DEATH THE COMPUTER GAME ADJUSTMENTS A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR THE RUMOR MILL PUBLIC OPINION Survey #1 (3/25 - 4/1) 46 responses 1. Which Character are you using right now? (first choice) 2. Which Character do you think is the most powerful? 3. On the machine you play most often, how many rounds do you need to win to win? Survey #2 (4/1 - 4/8) 44 responses 1. What is your favorite MOVE in the VF? 2. What is your favorite THROW in the VF? 3. What is your favorite COMBO in the VF? Survey # 3 (4/8 - 4/15/94) 60 responses SURVEY #4 QUESTION (4/5 - 4/13) 84 RESPONSES 1. If there was ONE thing you could add/change on VF, what would it be? SURVEY #5 QUESTION 1. Please rank each character on a scale of ONE to EIGHT in your personal opinion of who is the most powerful (with one being high). PRODUCED BY SPECIAL THANKS GETTING THIS FAQ ALL COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS OR ADDITIONS ----------------------- What's New ----------------------- This section of the FAQ is exactly what its name says. It's a summary of some of the changes to this updated version of the FAQ in a quick reference way so you to know what to look for as you peruse the guide. Changes from 3.1: Names of Fighting Styles added. Playing as Dural. Jeffry's Body Press corrected (Was Back, Back+Punch; Now Back+Punch only) Two player games with the same colored characters. Sarah's Knee & Rising Knee combo added. Additions from 3.0: A strategy section for kicking opponents in the back of the head Short Hopping Jab and Karate Chops for all characters Akira & Pai -- Repeated Ground Punches Kage -- Hopping Jab/Sweep Combo Color coding of Difficulty Settings A rumor has also surfaced about VF2 being field tested in Japan. (Always take rumors with a grain of salt, though....) Additions from 2.7: Jeffry -- Knee/Rushing Uppercuts Combo Changes from 2.7: Headers revised to be (hopefully) more readable Additions from 2.6: Jeffry -- Toe-Kick/Piledriver Combo Lau/Pai -- 3 Punches & Mid kick combo Punching/Throwing combination section Changes from 2.6: Character move ratings has been replaced by a hopefully more readable table rated SOLELY by the power of the move. The rating is an approximate percentage of damage done. The character strategy guide has been edited and altered to reflect new moves and info. The Virtua Fighter complete guide is now the largest FAQ for a single video game on the internet! Congratulations guys on all the moves/strategies/things to talk about we've gotten started for this great game. Enjoy the guide. ----------------------- Definitions ----------------------- vir tu a (ver'chu a), slang for virtual vir tu al (ver'chu al), adj. for all practical purposes, actual, real fighter (fi'ter), n. 1) a person or thing that fights 2) a person who participates in a violent struggle; combat or conflict; battle; contest. vir tu a fight er (ver'chu a fi'ter),n. 1) a person who, for all practical purposes is actually participating in a real battle or contest 2) One of the baddest one on one fighting games to hit the streets whose breathtaking polygon graphics and genuine martial arts moves are sure to captivate players all across the globe. ----------------------- Introduction ----------------------- Different is good. Lately, gamers have been hit pretty hard by a barrage of fighting games ranging from those whose only draw is blood and guts to those who resemble a sick horse that should be humanely shot or at least taken to a hospital for a few years.... With the release of their first ever fighting game, Sega has broken new ground by designing the only current martial arts game whose draw isn't violence or the ever popular 'magic' moves, but whose draw is realism, fluidity of motion, and genuine martial art techniques. The ability to so successfully meet these goals is due to Sega's System 1 polygon graphics engine which is much like the system used in their popular Virtua Racer. This system can handle over 180,000 flat shaded polygons per second, and since the fighters are three-dimensional figures made of polygons instead of just flat images, be prepared to be dazzled by more than just the backgrounds. As for the game itself, Virtua Fighter plays like other recent fighting games in some respects. There are 8 characters to choose from, and the basic object of the game is to, through the use of punches, kicks, throws, grabs, pounces, and a variety of other techniques, drain your opponent's life meter. The problem is that at this point Virtua Fighter already shows its differences from other fighting games because you can also win by knocking your opponent out of the ring. Another difference is that Virtua Fighter has many more special moves than any previous fighting game; there are over 100 secret techniques to discover. Not to mention that it just feels more like a real battle due to the fluid motion and realistic moves. Needless to say, Virtua Fighter is destined to be remembered as both a great one on one martial arts game and a spectacular fighting simulator. If you haven't seen one yet, then go check it out at your local arcade. Otherwise, check out the moves and strategies in this FAQ and then use them to help you master this exciting game before someone else gets ahead of you. ----------------------- Getting Started ----------------------- ----------------------------- FIRST - How to win the match ----------------------------- The winner is the first player to win 3 sets. NOTE: Virtua Fighter can be adjusted so that the winner wins after winning 2, 3, 4, or 5 sets. On 2, the winner must win 2 out of 3 sets. On 3, he must win 3 out of 5, and so on. Factory setting is two sets, but this goes much too fast. Four or five is much too long. Three sets is where the game plays best for the gamer and still earns well for the operator. If your Virtua Fighter is not put on 3 sets, talk to your local arcade manager about having him do so, for it only takes a few seconds to change over. ----------------------------- SECOND- How to win a set ----------------------------- 1) By KO 2) By a 'Ring Out' 3) By a 'Time Out' KO- so thoroughly pulverizing your opponent that you completely drain his life meter. Ring Out- somehow or other knocking your opponent out of the 'ring' that you are fighting in. Time Out- each round lasts only 30 seconds, so if you are ahead, it might be to your advantage to just let the last few seconds tick away, and win by decision. ----------------------------- THIRD- Terminology ----------------------------- Term Meaning As in ---------------------------------- VF Virtua Fighter The game this FAQ is about For Forward Moving the joystick towards your opponent Back Back Moving the joystick away from your opponent Down Down Moving the joystick down Up Up Moving the joystick up Def Defend The button that blocks (more below) Punch Punch The button that punches (more below) Kick Kick The button that Kicks (more below) All Press all 3 buttons Press all 3 buttons Attack A punch or a kick Either one is sufficient + And Down+Kick (tap Down & Kick as one) Punch+Def (press Punch & Def as one) Tap A quick tap Quickly tap the button; do not hold it. Hold A long press Continue holding the button or joystick / Diagonal direction For/Up (a jump forward) Jump A jumping direction Either Up/For, Up or Up/Back [ ] Optional Will work fine w/o [ ] part, but there IS more to the move you can do {D} Can do Defending The move can be done while still holding the defend button {S} Hits standing foe This move will hit someone who is blocking while standing {C} Hits crouching foe This move will hit someone who is blocking while crouching * A new move A move new to this revision ----------------------------- FOURTH- The buttons ----------------------------- WHEN YOU ARE STANDING PUNCH - Steps forward with a punch Repeat for multiple punches KICK - A kick to the head Not too powerful or effective DEFEND- Blocks your opponent's STANDING and JUMPING attacks You take no damage from such attacks. Crouching attacks do damage. You are still pushed backwards Some special moves can be done while defending WHEN YOU ARE CROUCHING: PUNCH - Low punch; Hits standing defenders Stays in one place; quite weak and ineffective KICK - Low kick to the knee; very weak; Hits standing defenders Longer reach than a crouching punch, but slower DEFEND - Defends against all crouching attacks, and ducks under many standing attacks; some standing attacks and most jumping attacks will still hit. All moves that can be done while holding the defend button are marked with a {D}. All moves that will hit a standing defender are marked with an {S}. All moves that will hit a crouching defender are marked with a {C}. ----------------------------- FIFTH- JUMPING ----------------------------- TYPES OF JUMPS 1) Long distance jump Hold jump {D} JUMPING ATTACKS Name Motion ------------------------------------------ Hopping Karate Chop Tap Jump and Punch {D} Hopping Jab Tap Jump, Tap Up+Punch in air {D} Overhead hammer Hold Jump, For+Pun {D} Jumping kick Hold Jump+Kick {D} Hop kick Tap Jump+Kick {D} Drop Kick Forward Hold Jump,For+Kick {D} Drop Kick Behind Hold Jump,Back+Kick {D} Short jumping attacks work OK, but the punches & kicks come out in almost slow motion, and you can easily be knocked down by any attack from your opponent. Short jumping attacks are the only jumping attacks which can hit a crouching opponent. Kage has two types of drop kicks, depending on distance. COLLISION IN MID AIR Will usually just push both players away from each other, & neither one will hit the other. JUMPING WHILE BLOCKING all jumping attacks can be done while holding defense this can be especially helpful when doing an in close distance jumping kick --------------------------------- SIXTH- Running and all that Jazz --------------------------------- Name Motion ------------------------------------------------------- Step Forward Quickly For, Tap For Step Backward Quickly Back, Back Run Forward For, Hold For Turning around Tap or hold towards opponent Turn around punch or kick Attack NOTE: defense doesn't work when you are facing backwards ----------------------------------------- SEVENTH- Crouching, Standing, and Throws ----------------------------------------- NOTE: There is a real difference between "," and "+" in this FAQ. Especially when in conjunction with a downward movement. For example, "D+K" must be done as a tap to the joystick down and simultaneously pressing the K button. On the other hand, a "D, K" could be done by tapping the joystick down and pressing K or also by holding the joystick down and then pressing the K button. This is only most notably important in the snap kicks, backflips, and kickflips which require a tap of the joystick in conjunction with possibly pressing the button. All throws assume that you are standing next to your opponent. Some throws require that you're opponent be crouching. ALL throws can be done to an opponent who is defending SOME throws can be done while you are defending ----------------------------- EIGHTH- Replays ----------------------------- At the end of every set, the computer will replay the last 3 seconds or so of the fight, and then the winner will do his victory pose. This is a really cool feature, but may soon get irritating. Sega, realizing the positive/negative aspects of such a feature, was smart enough to add a way to skip past the replay by simply hitting the START button. This way, you can still watch the replays if you had an especially exciting finish, or you can just hit start and immediately go on to the next set. Finally now, the moves... ----------------------------- MOVES ----------------------------- ----------------------------------- Moves standard for all 8 characters ----------------------------------- MOVES USABLE WHEN GETTING UP Name Motion --------------------------------------------------------- Heel Kick {C} Tap Kick; Head not toward opponent Foot Sweep {S} Hold Down, Tap Kick Rear Kick {C} Tap Kick, must have head towards opponent Jacky and Sarah do a Double Footed kick Roll Back Tap Back Roll to the Side Tap Def repeatedly Side roll & sweep {S} Tap Def, Tap Kick during the roll Kippup Tap Up OTHER STANDARD MOVES Name Motion -------------------------------------------------------- Quick/Light Pounce Tap Up+Tap Punch (foe on ground) Slower, Stronger Pounce Tap Up+Hold Punch (foe on ground) Side Kick (not too close) {C} Down/For, Kick --------------------------------- Moves specific to each character --------------------------------- ----------------------------- AKIRA ----------------------------- Name: Akira Yuki Country:Japan Age:25 Sex:Male Job:Kung-Fu Teacher Blood Type:O Hobby:Kung-Fu Outfit 1 Gray ghi,white headband & borders, red bracers and a 4th degree black belt Outfit 2 White ghi, white headband, gray bracers, and a 4th degree black belt Fighting Style: Hakkyokuken ---------------------------------------------------- AKIRA'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion ---------------------------------------------------- Elbow {C} For+Punch Dashing Elbow {C}{D} For, For+Punch Dashing Palm Down, For+Punch Dashing Body Check Back, For, For+Punch+Kick Punch on the Ground Down/For+Punch Repeated Punches on Ground Down/For+Punch,Down/For,Repeat Jumping Kick [Double] {C}{D} For, For+Kick,[Kick] Knee (?)For,Hold For+Def+Kick,Release Kick/Tap Def Akira's Throws Trip {S}{D} Back+Punch Pull in, throw out {S}{D} Down/Back, For+Punch (don't roll) Backwards uppercut {S}{D} Back, For/Down+Punch+Kick (don't roll) Akira's Combos Punch and Roundhouse Punch,Kick Double Punch Punch,Punch 2 Punches and a Straight Kick For, For+Punch+Kick,Punch, Kick 3 Punches[ and a Spin Kick] For, For+Punch+Kick, Punch, Punch,[Kick] ----------------------------- JACKY ----------------------------- Name:Jacky Bryant Country:America Age:22 Sex:Male Job:Indy car racer Blood Type:A Hobby:Training Outfit 1 Maroon jumpsuit, white taped hands and black belt & fistpads Outfit 2 Gray jumpsuit, white taped hands and gray boots Fighting Style: Jeet Kune Do ---------------------------------------------------- JACKY'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion ---------------------------------------------------------- Elbow {C} For+Punch Backfist [Double] Back,Punch,[Punch] Backfist [Crescent] Back,Punch,[Kick] Backfist [Sweep] {S} Back,Punch,[Down,Kick] Low Backfist [Sweep] {S} Tap Down/Back+Punch,[Down,Kick] Knee {C} For+Kick Crescent Kick Def+Kick Roundhouse & Heel Kick Kick,Kick Punt Kick {C}{D} For, For+Kick Snap Kick {C}{D} Tap Down+Kick Side Kick {S} Down, Def+Kick Backflip {D} Tap Back/Up Kickflip {D} Tap Back/Up+Kick Jacky's Throws Brainbuster {S} Punch+Def Jumping clothesline {S}{D} For, For+Punch Backside Clothesline Punch+Def (from behind) Jacky's Combos Single Punch & Sidekick (close) Punch,Kick Single Punch & Crescent (far) Punch,Kick Single Punch & Sweep {S} Punch, Down+Kick Double Punch & Straight Kick Punch,Punch,Kick Double Punch & Backfist [&Sweep] Punch, Punch, Back+Punch,[Kick] Running Punches (w/uppercut) Punch,[Punch,Punch] Running Punches (w/elbow) [& Heel Kick] {C} Hold For,Punch,Punch,Punch,[Kick] Elbow & Heel Kick {C} For+Punch, Kick ---------------------------------------------------- JEFFRY ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Jeffry McWild Country:Australia Age:36 Sex:Male Job:Fisherman Blood Type:A Hobby:Reggae Music Outfit 1 Gray pants, black belt, sandals, orange bracers, bare-chested Outfit 2 Dark gray pants (ripped), olive tank-top & bracers, bare-footed Fighting Style: Pankration ---------------------------------------------------- JEFFRY'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion Lunging elbow & Hammer {C}{D} For, Back+Punch Dashing low [uppercut] {C}{D} For, For+PUnch,[Punch] Uppercut[s] {C} Down/For,Punch,[Punch] Knee {C} For+Kick Toe Kick [&Hammer] {C}{D} Tap Down+Kick, Punch Jeffry's Throws Fireman's Carry {S} Def+Punch Power Slam {S}{D} For+Punch Body Press {S}{D} Back+Punch Crucifix Piledriver {S} Down/For,Down/For+Punch+Kick Grab face (vs. crouching) {C}{D} Down,Punch Powerbomb (vs. crouching) {C} Down/For+All Knees to the head (vs crouching) {C} Down,For+Kick (don't roll) Backbreaker (from behind) Def+Punch Jeffry's Combos Toe Kick O' Doom (C'fix P.D.) Down+Kick,Down,For/Down,For+ALL Single Punch & Roundhouse Punch,Kick Running Punches (w/uppercut) Punch,Punch,[Punch] Knee & Dashing Uppercuts For+Kick,For,For+Punch,Punch ---------------------------------------------------- KAGE ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Kagemaru Country:Japan Age:21 Sex:Male Job:Ninja Blood Type:B Hobby:Mahjong Outfit 1 Blue suit & mask w/ black highlites, red sash Outfit 2 Black suit & mask w/ gray highlites, gold sash Fighting Style: Jujutsu ---------------------------------------------------- KAGE'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion ----------------------------------------------------- Elbow {C} For+Punch Double Footed Sweep {S}{D} For, For+KIck Flying Kick {S} For, For+All Roll Forwards [Sweep] {S} Back,Down,For,[Kick] (Kick during the roll) Roll Backwards [Sweep] {S} For,Down,Back,[Kick] (Kick during the roll) Heel Kick Down, Def+Kick Hopping Knee Down, For+Kick Backflip {D} Tap Back/Up Forward Kickflip {D} Tap Back/Up+Kick Backward flip with a kick {D} Back, Back+Kick Kage's Throws Hip throw (Flip over shoulder) {S} Punch+Def Ten Foot Toss{S}{D} Back+Punch Pull out feet {S} All Reaping Throw {S}{D} Back, For+Punch Torso take down (from behind) Punch+Def Kage's Combos Ten Foot Toss & Jump Kick Back+Punch, Up/For+Kick Ten Foot Toss & Sweep Back+Punch, Back, For, For+Kick Ten Foot Toss & Heel Kick Back+Punch, Down, Def+Kick Ten Foot Toss & Flying Kick Back+Punch, Back, For,For, All Roundhouse & Sweep Kick, For, For + Kick Heel Kick & Sweep Down, Def+Kick, For, For+Kick Single Punch & Roundhouse [&Sweep] Punch,Kick,[For, For+Kick] Double Punch & Straight Kick [&Sweep] Punch,Punch,Kick [For,For+Kick] Triple Punch & Spin Kick Punch,Punch,Punch,Kick Triple Punch & Kickflip Punch, Punch, Punch,Up/Back+Kick Running Punches Punch,Punch,[Punch] Hopping Jab & Sweep Tap Jump, Tap Up+Punch, For,For+Kick ---------------------------------------------------- LAU ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Lau Chan Country:China Age:53 Sex:Male Job:Cook Blood Type:B Hobby:Chinese Poetry Outfit 1 Blue suit, red vest w/gold & green highlites/trim Outfit 2 Black pants, gold vest & sleeves w/ green trim and red buttons Fighting Style: Koenken ---------------------------------------------------- LAU'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion --------------------------------------------------- Elbow {C} For+Punch Crescent Kick Def+Kick Knife Hand {C} Down/For+Punch Lifting Palm Down/For,Punch Sweep {S} Down, Def+Kick Heel Kick Down, Neutral+Kick Backflip {D} Tap Back/Up Kickflip {D} Tap Back/Up+Kick Lau's Throws Flip across shoulders {S} Def+Punch Piggyback Drop {S}{D} Back+Punch Face Slam {S}{D} Back, For+Punch Lau's Combos Single Punch & Heel Kick Punch, Kick Double Punch & Heel Kick Punch,Punch,Kick Triple Punch & Spinning Crescent Punch,Punch,Punch,Kick Triple Punch & Sweep {S} Punch, Punch, Punch, Down+Kick Triple Punch & Kickflip Punch, Punch, Punch,Up/Back+Kick Triple Punch & Mid-Kick For,Hold For,Punch,Punch,Punch,Kick Running Punches Punch,Punch,[Punch] Knife, Punch & Straight Kick Down/For+Punch, Punch, Kick Knife, 2 Punch & Crescent Kick Down/For+Punch, Punch, Punch,Kick Punch&Kick Mania Punch,Kick,Punch,Punch,Punch,Kick Hop Kick Flurry Tap U/F+Kick,3 or 4 Punches & Kick (Note:3 Punches are more likely to hit than 4) ---------------------------------------------------- PAI ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Pai Country:Hong Kong Age:18 Sex:Female Job:Action Star Blood Type:O Hobby:Dance Outfit 1 Blue suit w/ gold trim, and red sash & ribbons Outfit 2 Pink suit w/ gold trim, gray sash & red ribbons Fighting Style: Enseiken ---------------------------------------------------- PAI'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion -------------------------------------------------- Punch on the ground Down/For+Punch Repeated Ground Punches Down/For+Punch,Down/For,Repeat Crescent Kick Def+Kick Sweep {S} Down, Def+Kick Heel Kick Down, Neutral+Kick Backflip {D} Tap Back/Up Kickflip {D} Tap Back/Up+Kick Pai's Throws Wrist Twist {S} Def+Punch Pushover {S}{D} Back, For+Punch Falling DDT {S}{D} For, Down+Punch Reaping Throw -> Punch {S}{D} For, For+Punch+Kick Grab an attack (vs High punch or kick) Back+Punch Pai's Combos Single Punch & Heel Kick Punch, Kick Double Punch & Straight Kick Punch, Punch, Kick Triple Punch & Sweep {S} Punch,Punch, Punch, Down+Kick Triple Punch & Spinning Crescent Punch, Punch, Punch, Kick Triple Punch & Kickflip Punch, Punch, Punch,Up/Back+Kick Triple Punch & Mid-Kick For,Hold For,Punch,Punch,Punch,Kick Running Punches Punch,Punch,[Punch] ---------------------------------------------------- SARAH ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Sarah Bryant Country:America Age:20 Sex:Female Job:College Student Blood Type:AB Hobby:Skydiving Outfit 1 Black cat-suit Outfit 2 Black bikini top, torn blue-jeans Fighting Style: Jeet Kune Do ---------------------------------------------------- SARAH'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion ------------------------------------------------- Elbow {C} For+Punch Knee {C} For+Kick Lunging Knee {C}{D} For, For+Kick High Snap Kick {C}{D} Tap Down/For+Kick Double [Triple] Kick {C} Hold Down/For, Kick, Kick,[Kick] Crouching Side Kick {S} Down, Def+Kick Backflip {D} Tap Back/Up Kickflip {D} Tap Back/Up+Kick Toe Kick [&Side Kick] {C} {D} Tap Down+Kick,[Kick] Sarah's Throws Suplex {S} Def+Punch Jumping Clothesline {S}{D} For, For+Punch Torso takedown (from behind) Def+Punch Sarah's Combos Kick & Punch Kick, Punch Single Punch & Roundhouse Punch, Kick Singel Punch & Side Kick Punch, Down+Kick Double Punch & Straight Kick Punch, Punch, Kick Double Punch & Low Roundhouse Punch, Punch, Down+Kick Triple Punch & Knee Punch, Punch, Punch, Kick Triple Punch & Kickflip Punch, Punch, Punch,Up/Back+Kick Triple Punch & Hop Kick Punch, Punch, Punch,Up+Kick Running Punches Punch,Punch,[Punch] Elbow & Knee [&Elbow] {C} For+Punch, kick, [For+Punch] Knee & Rising Knee For+Kick, Down/For+Kick ---------------------------------------------------- WOLF ---------------------------------------------------- Name:Wolf Hawkfield Country:Canada Age:27 Sex:Male Job:Wrestler Blood Type:O Hobby:Karoke Outfit 1 Blue shorts w/ red & white trim, matching shoes, and bare chested Outfit 2 Gray shorts w/ white trim, white top w/ gold stripe, gold "Wolf" on shorts and boots Fighting Style: Professional Wrestling ---------------------------------------------------- WOLF'S MOVES ---------------------------------------------------- Name Motion ---------------------------------------------------- Running Clothesline {S}{D} For, For+Punch Dashing Shoulder {D} Back, For+Punch Knee {C} For+Kick Uppercut {C} Down/For,Punch Wolf's Throws Backfall {S} Def+Punch Body slam {S}{D} For+Punch Crucifix Piledriver Down/For,Down/For+Punch+Kick Twirl & hurl (2 1/2 turns) {S}{D} Back, Down, For+Punch Double Arm Suplex (vs crouching) {C} Back/Down+All German Suplex (from behind) Def+Punch Wolf's Combos Single Punch & Roundhouse Punch,Kick Running Punches Punch,Punch,[Punch] Knee & Uppercut For+Kick,Down/For+Punch ------------------------------------ Character Moves' Ratings ------------------------------------ This section rates and lists the best of each character's special moves, throws, and combos. The rating in parentheses is an approximate percentage of the life bar lost from the move. Some of the combinations listed include Pouncing on the downed opponent. If the Pounce is listed, it means that the Pounce is very likely to hit if done quickly. Keep in mind that although the moves below are effective ways of demolishing an opponent, you will need to learn to use the basic punches and kicks as well to become a true champion. The best strategy in any fighting game is, after all, a flexible one. Below the name of the move is how to do it in abbreviated notation. ------------------------------------ Character's Most powerful attacks ------------------------------------ Moves Throw Akira Dashing Body Check(50%) Trip&Punch on Ground (40%) B,F,F+P+K B+P,D/F+P Pai Triple Punch,Crescent&Pounce(55%) Pushover & Pounce(50%) P,P,P,K,U+P B,F+P,U+P Lau Hop Kick Flurry 3 & 2x Pounce(85%) Face Slam & 2x Pounce(70%) Tap U/F+K,P,P,P,K,Hold U+P B,F+P,Hold U+P Wolf Shoulder Ram & Pounce(55%) Twirl&Hurl&Run&Pounce(80%) B,F+P,U+P B,D,F+P,F,Hold F,U+P Jeffry Toe Kick,Piledriver & Butt Bomb(100%!) See left (Toe kick o' doom) Tap D+K,D,D/F,F+ALL,Hold U+P (Automatic kill) Kage Triple Punch & Mid Kick(45%) 10' Toss & Head Dive(45%) P,P,P,K B+P,wait til thump,U+P Sarah Triple Kick & Pounce (55%) Suplex(25%) Hold D/F,K,K,K,U+P P+D Jacky Double Punch, Elbow, Kick&Pounce(55%) Brain Buster(30%) Hold For,P,P,P,K,U+P ------------------------------------ General Fighting Techniques ------------------------------------ This part of the guide will hopefully help you to get a head start on learning some of the basic fighting techniques. It tells how each style works, advantages & disadvantages, and sometimes a way to counter it if someone is using it against you. They are listed in the order of their complexity or importance. Don't use any one of these techniques too much, because a mixed style is the best technique that you can possibly use. First off, though, realize that VF is mainly a GROUND game. In its attempt to be as close to real fighting as possible, Sega chose to make air attacks fairly worthless. Some arts, like Tae Kwon Do, do deal with a certain amount of air attacking, but generally speaking, most martial arts teach solely ground techniques. You'll have a hard time trying to find a tournament with as many people jumping around as you do in any of the SF2 clones. Therefore, expect to keep a lot of your game on the ground, but by all means, don't expect this fact to limit VF's game playing variety or fun in any way. It only makes the game more realistic. Now then, the techniques... ------------------------------------ A FLURRY OF JABS ------------------------------------ By simply tapping the punch button repeatedly, your character, whomever he (or she) may be, will step forward and punch as they go. They will punch 2- 3 times and then pause for a second before they can begin to attack again. Works good... when your enemy has very little life left. When your enemy is close to the edge of the ring (to get a 'ring out') sometimes to start the round out with if they are in the air, you can usually hit them with an attack, and follow that up with two or three punches before they hit the ground Jeffry, Lau, and Wolf can tag on their uppercut/knife hand to make a more deadly combo whenever they catch someone in the air with a punch or a kick if you tag on the kick part of their combos. Works bad... if you use it too much to start the round out too much with it since your opponent can just start his round out with a jumping kick and hit you before you can start punching. ------------------------------------ SHORT JUMPING ATTACKS ------------------------------------ Pretty much worthless against any decent opponent. OK if you can catch them off guard, but they still don't do much damage. The jumping straight up attacks seem to work the best since they let you jump above a sweep or low punch, and then clobber the sucker on the head. Short jumping attacks, though, are the only jumping attacks which are able to hit a crouching opponent. ------------------------------------ DISTANCE JUMPING ATTACKS ------------------------------------ Jumping and kicking immediately works well if they are really close to you. You can catch them off guard if they are closing in with a fury of jabs. This attack also hits a crouching defender. Therefore it is very valuable to people who don't have many other attacks which can hit a crouching opponent. For Pai, in particular, she only has the shuffle side kick and this jumping kick. If they aren't close, then you have three options. Double footed kick: Has deceptive range. Probably the best distance attack. You must hit the kick button before you reach the peak of your jump. You can only be hit out of it if your opponent does a close jumping kick before your kick comes out... and that is a very hard move to time. Pai will do some sort of foot stomp Sarah will do a single legged kick Kage will do a flip, turned into a kick Mid air kick If you hit the kick as you are coming down instead of hitting it early, you'll get a weak sort of kick with no range. Overhead hammer: You need to hit the punch button before you reach the peak of your jump. Better than the mid air kick, but not as good as the double footed kick. Jumping attacks can sometimes connect, but they work best only as a desperation move since you are so vulnerable to being hit. ------------------------------------ RING OUT ------------------------------------ Knocking your opponent out of the ring is a perfectly legitimate way to win a set. The simplest way to accomplish this is, when they are close to the edge, to use a fury of jabs or a sweep since these attacks will push them backwards even if they defend. Note that Kage's flying kick pushes people back very far, and that Wolf's spinning throw can throw the person out of the ring if you are lucky :) for that, try to have your back to the edge since that is the direction that he finally lets them fly. ------------------------------------ WAITING FOR YOUR BREAK ------------------------------------ One of the more successful defenses can be to simply just crouch and sit below your opponents attacks until they pause in their attack. You can then counter with one of the following. A Power Move Like Kage's heel kick, Wolf's Shoulder Ram or Akira's double motion snap kick. A Throw Just perform the motion for the throw you would like to do. Characters are easy targets for throws while they recover from moves such as high kicks and missed pounces and jumps. A Combo Like Jacky's elbow, heel kick combo or Sarah's elbow, knee combo ------------------------------------ KICKING AS YOU STAND UP ------------------------------------ If your opponent knocks you down and then walks up next to you as you lay on the ground, tap kick as you get up and you will immediately do a sweep, a roundhouse, or a double feet first kick to the head region as you stand up, hopefully catching them off guard. Any of these kicks will hit your opponent if he's not defending, but each one also has a priority over certain defend stances as well. A sweep hits a standing person -- Hold Down,Tap Kick A roundhouse hits a crouching or jumping person -- Tap Kick The kick will appear differently depending on where the opponent is in relation to your head on the ground. If the opponent is behind you, the fighter will do a rear kick or double footed up-side down kick similar to the roundhouse. Or, if you don't want to try for a sweep you can roll backwards, and get yourself away from the action by simply tapping Back before you stand up. If you are close to the edge of the ring, or you have some other reason to get to the side of your opponent, hit Defense and you will roll to the side of your attacker. Tap defense quickly to get up faster. This may possibly open you up for a good attack since your opponent will not be facing straight on. You can also do a roll to the side with a sweep by hitting Defend, Kick after you land. You need to wait a second after you hit, or it may not come out right. If you are playing someone who is fairly good, they will not usually stay close to you after they knock you down, so don't expect to get too many kicks in. If you have knocked your opponent down, and are expecting him to try to kick you as he gets up, there are some things you can do to counter his kicks if you can outguess him. If you anticipate... A sweep -- you do a short jump straight up with a punch or kick, and hit him as you jump over his sweep. Beware of a sweep after the opponent rolls to the side.... Elbows also hit. A roundhouse -- you do a sweep A rear kick -- defend, don't try anything ------------------------------------ HIT 'EM WHILE THEY'RE DOWN ------------------------------------ NEARLY every time you knock your opponent down you should try for a stomp... To do a basic stomp, simply tap Up+Punch. To do a slower, but more damaging stomp, tap Up and Hold Punch (NOTE: Akira has only the lighter stomp. Do not hold punch with Akira). The pounces in which you hold Up are all slower, but they do inflict more damage. Make sure you have enough time to land on your opponent if you choose to do a slower stomp. Each character has their stomps described below with holding and tapping punch. Note that Akira can do his Jumping Punch only if he taps up, and that Kage's three pounces vary with distance, not with holding or tapping. Name Tap Up+Punch Hold Up+Punch Akira Jumping Punch -None- Jacky Low Jumping Hammer Higher Jumping Hammer Jeffry Splash Butt Bomb Kage Head Dive(close) same Feet-First (medium) same Knee Dive (far) same Lau Single Stomp Double Stomp Pai Low Knees Higher Knees Sarah Low Jumping Hammer Higher Jumping Hammer Wolf Low Jumping Elbow High Jumping Elbow Akira and Pai can do their normal stomp, and they can also simply bend over and punch their opponent repeatedly on the ground by alternately pressing Down/For +Punch and Down/For. Timing is critical to obtain multiple hits on the ground. ------------------------------------ KICKFLIPPING ------------------------------------ All the characters except for Akira, Jeffry, and Wolf can backflip. Those who can backflip can do a type of attack called kickflipping, which is a high backwards flip in which the legs can hit the opponent and do major damage besides looking just totally cool. To perform a kick flip with these characters, tap Back/Up+Kick. Kage can perform a kickflip as well as a back handspring with double foot kick. Kage, Lau, Pai, and Sarah can do kickflip combos by going P,P,P,B/U+K. Sarah can also do on with only two punches. Some hints for future kickflippers -- Works best to wait for your opponent to walk towards you, totally unaware of the disaster that awaits them, and then kickflip them at the last second it also works well when your opponent is jumping in at you. ------------------------------------ STAB 'EM IN THE BACK ------------------------------------ If your opponent jumps over you, or somehow get turned around, run at them as soon as you can (if you have a known back side throw). As you are still running, execute the move for your throw, and you'll grab them before they even have a chance to turn around :) Note, though, that you can not run at a person and grab them on the front as easily as you can on the back side. This can be a dangerous attack since your opponent can do a turn around attack by simply pressing either punch or kick... but if you're quick enough, you can get to them before they can do a turn around attack. ------------------------------------ Feints ------------------------------------ There are many type of feints in VF. Below are summarized a few that you can use to take your opponent off guard. Pulling back a kick ------------------------------------ To pull back a kick, press the kick button, and then press the DEF button before your kick has been raised above your knee. What you do after that is up to you, but your opponent will probablly block. This will give you an opportunity to strike w/ a {C} or {S} attack depending on how they defend. Don't finish out a double/triple motion move ------------------------------------ That is to say, do only a double kick for Sarah's triple kick, or only do one Backfist for Jacky. If you've been doing a lot of double/triple motion moves in prior rounds, this can be a very effective tactic. As they are defending, expecting the next move, hit them w/ a {C} or {S} again. Do a different combo/double motion move that looks simmilar Switch from using Lau's 3 punch sweep to his crescent to his kickflip. Start doing Sarah's triple kick instead of just a double kick. Do Jacky's double roundhouse. The key is to keep mixing things up, and if a move looks a lot like anothermove that you have, then mix those two up especially. ------------------------------------ Punch and Throw Techniques ------------------------------------ If an opponent tends to try to close distance with you by move forward, try punch and throwing him. Do a single punch, crouching or standing, followed QUICKLY by the motion for the throw you want to do. If the punch connects, there is a good chance they will still be in range for a throw. "Heavy" fighters, such as Jeffry and Wolf, are particularly vulnerable, since the punch will hardly move them at all. The punch is fast enough to interrupt any attack the opponent may be attempting, and the throw if done correctly will come out while they are still reeling from the punch. Even if the opponent blocks, the throw will connect so long as you are close enough. Typical Punch & Throw techniques are Kage's Punch&Toss (P,B+P), Wolf's Punch & Twirl (P,B,D,F+P) and Lau's Punch&Face Slam (P,B,F+P). As a final note, try doing Jeffry's ultimate combo: the Toe Kick&Piledriver combination (D+K,D,F/D,F+ALL). With a follow-up pounce it automatically kills any opponent in three nasty moves. ------------------------------------ Hit 'em in the air ------------------------------------ Sometimes characters play a little hand-ball with their opponents by repeatedly punching, uppercutting and otherwise bouncing them along in the air. Lau is the true master of this technique, able to bounce opponents up to eight times in a single combination of moves. But everyone can do it to some degree. If you manage to catch the opponent in the air, make them pay. Experiment tacking on different moves after your favorite combos. Knees are particularly good at knocking opponents skyward, and their exist many pseudo-combinations involving a knee attack (For+Kick) followed immediately by something else. Jeffry's Knee&Dashing Uppercut combo is a perfect example. (For+Kick,For,For+Punch,Punch). ------------------------------------ Fake Out for a Boot to the Head ------------------------------------ One of the more artistic methods of beating computer opponents is to jump over the computer's head and do a heavy kick to the head. There are two sure-fire methods of doing this attack versus any computer opponent. The first is to jump over the opponent's head. After you land, immediately jump backwards back over the opponent. DO NOT TURN AROUND BEFORE JUMPING. You should be flying backwards through the air. As you pass over the opponent, press For+Kick. You will do a heavy kick into the back of the opponent's head. A second more mystifying method starts by jumping over the opponent's head. After landing, press For and press and hold forward to begin running toward the edge, away from the opponent. The computer will run after you. Just as you are about to run off the edge, jump straight up into the air. The computer will run underneath you, and skid to a halt on the edge. It's momentum will take it underneath and in front of you. Press For+Kick, and you will do a heavy kick to the head before the computer has a chance to recover, kicking it out of the ring!! This will work on every opponent, including Dural. ------------------------------------ CHARACTER PLAYING GUIDE ------------------------------------ Here is a general character playing guide which will help you with some strategies for specific players. Each character's guide is divided into 3 sections: Strengths, Weaknesses and Beating the Computer. ------------------------------------ Jacky -- "Ballet of the Fighter" ------------------------------------ Jacky's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Jacky is a favorite among advanced players because of his wide variety of attacks and combinations. Jacky is perhaps the most flexible of the characters, able to easily attack standing opponents, crouching opponents, jumping opponents, opponents behind him and opponents who just knocked him down. Many of his combinations attack both high AND low, such as his Punch&Foot sweep or his Double Punch, Elbow & Kick. His Punt Kick is deadly versus crouching opponents, and opponents who are not cautious getting off the ground. Finally, his pounce is quick and deadly. Jacky's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ It's tough to find weaknesses in Jacky because of his flexible arsenal of moves. But when compared to the other characters, his weakness is that he is not the "best" in any one thing. He is good all around, but he does not have the best range, best speed, best power, best throws, or best combos. He is good all around, but if your playing style is geared to specializing in a particular type of attack, other characters would be better. For instance, if you love making throws, Jeffry or Wolf are better. If you are good with quick, light attacks, Lau or Pai or Sarah are better. If you play a positional game of hitting and running, Kage is better. Jacky is good at all these things, but he is not a specialist. Beating the computer Jacky: ------------------------------------ It is extrememly difficult to lose to the computer Jacky. In fact, it is SO hard to lose you may want to take the opportunity to practice some difficult throws or moves on him while you have the chance. Show off for the crowd a little, they'll appreciate it. ------------------------------------ Jeffry -- "A Pillar of Strength" ------------------------------------ Jeffry's Stregnths: ------------------------------------ Power and throws are Jeffry's strengths. He and Wolf do the most damage with basic punches and kick, and Jeffry has EIGHT (!!) throws to smash opponents flat on the mat. If an opponent pauses or kicks over Jeffry's head, a good Jeffry player can do a throw & Body Splash pounce for an easy 50% of their life bar. Scariest of all is Jeffry's Toe Kick o' Doom combo, the most powerful combination in the game. This toe kick followed by a LONG range Cruicifix Piledriver and a Butt Bomb will always, ALWAYS, KO the poor opponent in three devastating moves. Jeffry's Backbreaker is also (not surprisingly) greatly feared as one of the most damaging single moves in the game. Finally, Jeffry's Uppercuts and Rushing Uppercuts have deceptively long ranges and can hit crouching opponents or opponents knocked into the air by another attack. Jeffry's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Jeffry is one of the slowest characters. His recovery from missed attacks is relatively slow. Butt Bombs usually miss, although the Body Splash has a good chance of hitting. However, missing either leaves Jeffry prone and possibly vulnerable. Likewise, missing a jumping double kick leaves Jeffry flat on his back. Beating the Computer Jeffry: ------------------------------------ Block his punches, then retaliate with a punch/kick combo or other quick move. Punch & throw techniques work very well against Jeffry, since he is usually charging right into them. ------------------------------------ Sarah -- "Femme Fatale" ------------------------------------ Sarah's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Sarah has the flexible arsenal of Jacky, but is faster and lighter than her brother. Her Light Pounce (Tap Up+Punch) almost always hits if the opponent is knocked down, and her elbow and knee can keep crouching opponents honest. Her back kick and quick attacks keep most opponents on their toes. Sarah's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Sarah's attacks are all somewhat weak, so she must connect more frequently than stronger characters to get the KO. Also, the lack of a foot sweep makes standing opponents more difficult to handle. Beating the computer Sarah: ------------------------------------ Play defensively. Block her punches or knees, then do a quick attack. Punch & kick combos followed by pounces work particularly well. Avoid crouching, since her elbow/kick combo and her rushing knee can hit you easily. ------------------------------------ Kage -- "Death from Above" ------------------------------------ Kage's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Kage has the greatest range and best movement of all the characters. He can roll forward and backwards, doing a foot sweep with either. He can flip backwards quite quickly, and can jump twice the height and distance of all the other characters. His flying kick and Double Footed Sweep have extremely long ranges, and he can do a kickflip backwards or forwards as the situation warrants. He can even pounce on a character from any distance in the ring, and his double-foot heavy jumping kicks roll out safely whether he kicks forward or backward. If he misses a mid-range pounce, he lands on his feet and can immediately do a throw, kickflip or other attack if the opponent is nearby. Given all this, Kageis the best positional character in the game, and is the best at jockying for better spots on the ring to both get Ring Outs and avoid them. Kage's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Kage has trouble against crouching opponents. In addition, his long range attacks (including his pounces) are all slow, and take a long time to recover from if blocked. His head dive is virtually worthless, except after the Ten Foot Toss, and missing a flying kick can put Kage in quite an awkward position. When playing Kage it is crucial to not overly rely on his slower attacks, using his Punch/Kick and Heel Kick/Sweep combos to keep opponents off-balance for the occasional Flying Kick or jumping attack. The element of surprise is essential with Kage. Beating the computer Kage: ------------------------------------ The computer Kage is a sucker for ducking his first kick in a round, and getting thrown with Def+P (or B+P in Akira's case). If you get knocked down, roll backwards. If Kage dives at you (which he often does), do your most powerful single attack that hits CROUCHING opponents. Wolf's Shoulder Ram, Akira's Body Check, Jeffry's Toe Kick/Punch Combo, Lau's Knife hand/Double Punch/Crescent Kick, Pai's Foot Sweep, Jacky's Punt Kick, Sarah's Elbow/Knee Combo, and Kage's Flying Kick are probably the best ways to hit Kage after he misses a head dive. Be careful to block his heel kicks, and block low if he starts to roll or slide toward you. If he misses a foot sweep or flying kick, don't hesitate to make him pay. ------------------------------------ Pai -- "Pulling the Strings" ------------------------------------ Pai's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Pai's greatest strength lies in her speed, and in one move: her Back+Punch throw. This throw stops punching and kicking opponents dead in their tracks, and completely negates much of the value of some special attacks as well, such as Jeffry's Rushing Punches and Uppercuts, Akira's Rushing Palm and Lau's Knife Hand. It can even grab Kage's Flying Kick, believe it or not. This takes away a lot of options for opponents who fight Pai, and force them torely on either crouching attacks, or attacks which are often slower and harder to recover from. Pai's speed allows her to then strike back, and her pounce is almost always a hit. In addition, her foot sweep is useful if used judiciously, and her punch/kick combos are all reasonably powerful. Pai's weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Pai has serious problems dealing with crouching opponents, since none of her "special" attacks hit crouching defenders. Also, although she is fast, her attack power is weak, so she has to connect that much more often to get a KO. Beating the computer Pai: ------------------------------------ Wait for her to come at you with an attack. Block high. If she punches you, duck after the last punch so that she will either kick over you or you will block her low kick. If she does a low kick, just hit her. If she kicks over your head, do a throw. Likewise, if she misses a pounce be sure to throw her. ------------------------------------ Wolf -- "Rage in the Ring" ------------------------------------ Wolf's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Wolf is as powerful as Jeffry with his basic attacks. Although Wolf does not have as many throws as Jeffry, the throws he has are more than adequate to do the job. If used wisely when opponents are vulnerable, his shoulder ram & pounce is devastating. Essentially, Wolf is a powerhouse who can grab or ram opponents for tremendous damage. Wolf's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Wolf's biggest weakness is his speed. His punches and uppercuts are extrememly slow, and his recovery from attacks is snail-paced. His arsenal is not nearly as flexible as other characters, and blocked shoulder rams leave him wide open for retaliation. Wolf is best played with an eye for intimidating opponents into making mistakes, leaving them open for a shoulder ram or throw. Beating the computer Wolf: ------------------------------------ If Wolf starts punching, block it then punch back. Three punches, followed by a crouching punch and low kick, work surprisingly often on him. One tactic that almost always works for a quick hit is to start the round by jumping straight up in the air. Wolf will usually do three punches underneath you while you are in the air. As he does this, hold the joystick back and press kick. You will do a backwards double footed kick into Wolf's spine. ----------------------------------------- Lau -- "Furious Flurry of Fists and Feet" ----------------------------------------- Lau's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Lau has the fastest punches and kicks in the game. His punches and kicks are so fast, in fact, that if a kick knocks an opponent into the air, he can follow it up with two or three more attacks before the opponent lands. This ability to play "handball" with his opponents produces many ring outs, and many KO's. Lau has an eight hit combination, for instance, which does tremendous damage and pushes the opponent ridiculous distances across the ring. His face slam does terrific damage, and his foot sweep and punch/heel kick combo are both difficult attacks to avoid. Lau's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Although Lau can string together his punches and kicks quite quickly, he is slow to recover after any combo or "heavy" move. Also, Lau has to be careful about not getting thrown by opponents who duck underneath his running punches. Beating the computer Lau: ------------------------------------ Beat the computer Lau exactly as you did Pai. Just be forewarned that Lau mixes up his attacks more than Pai, and has much better timing than Pai. Nonetheless, the same defensive strategy suggested for Pai works for Lau. ------------------------------------ Akira -- "Invincible Motions" ------------------------------------ Akira's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Akira has the fastest special attacks in the game. His rushing palm, body check and rushing elbow are all so fast that they can all connect on an opponent who has missed anything other than a punch. These attacks are not only lightning fast, but as powerful as dynamite. The body check can do as much as 85% of the life bar on opponents who are close enough, and the rushing palm can do upwards of 65% of the life bar on occasion. His rushing elbow can hit crouching opponents, as can his Double Kick and Elbow. One VF player put it best when they said that while Jacky instills the fear of the unknown because of his wide variety of attacks, Akira instills the fear of the known, because his opponents know EXACTLY what Akira will do but are almost powerless to prevent it. Akira's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Although Akira's attacks are powerful and blindingly fast, he takes longer to recover from these attacks than almost any other character recovering from a special attack in the game. Any missed special attack leaves Akira wide open for a combo or even a throw on occasion. And to compound this, NONE of his special attacks hit standing defenders. This is a tremendous hinderance, since Akira must resort to low kicks and punches to hit standing opponents. Beating the computer Akira: ------------------------------------ Keep in mind that Akira is vulnerable after any special attack. Keep him at bay with single or double punches, and never crouch. Stand and block all his attacks. If you block an elbow, kick, body check or rushing palm, do your most powerful single move. If Akira knocks you down, roll backwards. If he misses the pounce, quickly run forward (For,Hold For) and throw him. ------------------------------------ Dural -- "Superhuman Cybernetics" ------------------------------------ Dural's Strengths: ------------------------------------ Dural, the final Bonus stage character, has some of the best moves from each of the other eight characters. She has some of Wolf and Jeffry's throws, Kage's flying Kick, Lau's punching ability, Wolf's Clothesline and Akira's Single Kick. Dural is extremely quick, and difficult to throw, and it is almost impossible to pounce on Dural if you knock her down. Her attacks all do significant damage, and she throws opponents with eerie regularity. Dural's Weaknesses: ------------------------------------ Dural is susceptible to Uppercuts, Jumping Punches and Crouching Punches. Her knee pounce (borrowed from Kage) is very slow, and it takes her a long time to stand back up from it. If she tries it and misses, don't waste time; beat her into the ground with the best attack or combination you can master. Beating Dural: ------------------------------------ Play off her weaknesses. Don't try to throw her, and be prepared to miss if you pounce on her once you knock her down. If necessary, you can beat her quite soundly by jumping straight in the air and doing a double-fisted punch (Hold Up,For+Punch). ------------------------------------ Sudden Death ------------------------------------ If the final deciding set is a draw, the next round will be a sudden death match on a ring about 1/16 the size of a normal ring. The winner of that match wins by KO or knocking his opponent out of the tiny ring, and usually one person is knocked out after the first or second hit connects. This was a very brilliant and innovative idea for the extra draw round. It is appropriate that a such an originally styled fighting game like VF would had an equally original draw round. If it is not the last set, a draw will award one win to both players. If there is another draw in sudden death, the computer awards one of the two with a win and therefore the game. ------------------------------------ The Computer ------------------------------------ As you fight the computer you will advance up through the ranks in the following order: Jacky, Jeffry, Sarah, Kage, Pai, Wolf, Lau, Akira, Dural Dural is the final opponent that you will fight, and it is a metallic looking female who has all the moves of every character. You will get ONE chance to beat it, and the round will go to one more set than is normal. So if your machine is set to 2 out of 3, you must defeat Dural 3 out of 4, and so on. The tough part is that you will only get ONE chance to defeat Dural, and if you lose, then it's Game Over for you, buddy. Have someone join in to save you if you're losing. One nice touch is that after the game is over (if your last battle was with Dural), the credits run by and the instant replays of the final rounds that you played against all the computer opponents to get up to the end are replayed. The last one is of Dural KO'ing you, unless you beat Dural :) The one shortcoming is that there appear to be no story-telling endings. After beating it numerous times (even without continuing) it does seem safe to say that Sega did not include a very important psychologically satisfying feature in this game. ------------------------------------ Game Adjustments ------------------------------------ As mentioned at the beginning of this FAQ, VF can be adjusted so that the player must win 2, 3, 4, or 5 sets to win a game. This is done from the inside of the game through the test mode. It can be set one way for player vs. player modes, or differently for player vs. computer. the factory setting is two out of three for both the player vs. player and player vs. computer modes. difficulty can also be set. The different levels effect ring size and the amount of health you start with. Difficulty Ring Width Energy (1P) Time Bar Color ------------------------------------------------------------- Easy 1500 198 158 Red Normal 1400 180 144 Yellow Hard 1300 162 129 Green Hardest 1200 144 115 Blue The Time Bar Color is the color of the thin line beneath your Time in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. Note that the difficulty is self- adjusting, becoming harder or easier as players win or lose. Not too sure what the 1P is meant for, but I would guess that is has something to do with when one player is playing the computer. Normal is the default factory setting. ------------------------------------ A word from our Sponsor ------------------------------------ here's the latest from Sega: They're beginning to plan a large marketing push for VF. This will include promos for tournaments and the like. To do this, they'll be shipping VF T- shirts, posters, banners, keychains, and even fortune cookies (with VF moves in them) to help promote the game. Look for this stuff to start appearing soon. Everything in the demo is possible (ie Sarah's crescent). Every move that the computer does is also possible. There are storylines for each of the characters. How about VF2? "Definitely, but that's privileged information for the time being." Additionally, a rumor surfaced recently about VF2 being field tested in Japan. (Always take such rumors with a grain of salt, however....) ------------------------------------ The Rumor Mill ------------------------------------ This is the place where rumors are old rumors are dispelled and new ones originate. if I'm missing anything, and I'm sure I am (contrary to popular belief I am not perfect), feel free to e-mail me and let me know. THROW REVERSALS- ------------------------------------ still only a rumor. I've never seen these done, but I've heard a lot of people claim to have seen Jacky and Wolf in particular do this. supposedly the attacker begins a throw, but then the defender counters it and sends them on the floor. sort of like Pai's defensive grab. Some people have said they think it is with the kick button and then back or down. Someone saw Wolf grab his opponents kick, and then punch them in the face while holding their leg. Another person saw Pai begin a defensive throw on Jacky, but then Jacky re-reversed it back on Pai. JEFFRY'S LONG DISTANCE HURL ------------------------------------ It has been widely rumored that Jeffry can throw opponents half way across the ring after his Ultimate Press (B,B+P), instead of just dropping them on the ground at his feet. I can verify that this is possible, since I did it myself at least once. In fact, Jeffry threw the hapless Jacky so far away, that my followup pounce didn't reach him!!! Unfortunately, how I did it or if it was a glitch of some sort remains a mystery.... MUTANT COLORS- ------------------------------------ Lately a lot of people have been discussing the suupposed glitch of when the plyer's colors and body parts (arms and legs) are all screwed up and out of order. Game play is still normal. Is there a pattern, or is it random? SECOND COLORS- ------------------------------------ You get them when you play same character/same character matchups, but can you select them purposely? some people have claimed to have gotten them, but no methods are yet confirmed. Someone was playing Akira vs. Akira, and he was the second player. He chose a gray Akira, somehow, and so he and his friend were playing an entire game with 2 gray Akiras... Here's one way to get the second colors (Player 2 only). When you start a new game, have player 1 move his cursor over a character. Now have Player 2 move his cursor over that same character. Have player 2 choose that character. Now the first player can choose whoever he wants, but the second player will have the secondary color. TRICKS - ------------------------------------ You can get the credits of the programmers to come up on the screen by holding down a START button during the demo. When it comes to the standard demo w/ Sarah kicking Kage, the credits will come up. Keep holding the START button to keep the credits coming, or else they will freeze. Also, you can get Kage to _roll_ while the demos are running. Just spin the player one joystick, and he'll roll either backward or forward, it's up to you. On the beginning of the computer intro, you can get Kage to roll off the mat almost before Sarah even tries to kick him. After you finish a game against the computer, thelast round which you lost will then be played during the intro. If you got to Dural, the round where you beat Akira will be shown. What a great way to rub in a loss, especially if the computer had a real good comeback on you :) KAGE'S FACE MASK ------------------------------------ It seems that after about 3,000 plays, the mask on Kage falls off instead of just his headband. You can see his teeth and a scar on his cheek. USING DUPLICATE COLORS ------------------------------------ In order to play with both players having the same colors, have one player select a character. The other player should now highlight, but not select, the character to the LEFT of that character. For example, if you both want to play Pai, then the second person should highlight Akira. (If you both want to play Akira, highlight Jacky). Now press Right+All three buttons simultaneously. When play begins, you will both be using Player 1's colors (eg. both Pai's will have blue uniforms.) PLAYING AS DURAL ------------------------------------ It is possible to play as Dural, although the timing to do so is a bit tricky. First, you must beat the computer Dural and have 2 games worth of credits in the machine ready to go. After beating the game, have one player press start and pick a character. As soon as that character finishes smiling, but before the game actually starts, player 2 should press start to interrupt the process. If your timing is perfect, and the stars are perfectly aligned, and you've been a good boy or girl, player 2 may come in as Dural. Should you be fortunate enough to get to play as Dural, here are Dural's (known) special moves: Wolf's Suplex (Def+Punch), Wolf's Clothesline (For,For+Punch), Jeffry's Body Press Throw (Back+Punch), Kage's Rolling Kick (For,For+All), Kage's Knee Pounce (Up+Punch), Akira's Kick (For,For+Kick), Pai's DDT (For, Down+Punch) Good luck! ------------------------------------ PUBLIC OPINION ------------------------------------ Public opinion isn't always right, but it does help us to get a feel for what the average Joe is getting out of this game. Surveys are helpful to new players and veteran fighters alike, for they help to open our eyes to the world around us. In seeking to have more stuff in this guide that's not just general facts or my own opinion, this chapter has been included to let us all get an idea what the general Virtua Fighter's player is thinking. This is open to any VF player who can get his/her response in to me (not just internet people :) Please continue to respond, and Enjoy! Survey #1 (3/25 - 4/1) 46 responses 1. Which Character are you using right now? (first choice) Akira 6.5% Lau 13.0% Jacky (1) 28.2% Pai (2) 21.7% Jeffry 1.5% Sarah (3) 15.2% Kage 8.7% Wolf 4.3% 2. Which Character do you think is the most powerful? Akira (3) 13.0% Lau 8.7% Jacky (1) 23.9% Pai 10.9% Jeffry 4.3% Sarah (2) 15.2% Kage 0.0% Wolf (3) 13.0% 3. On the machine you play most often, how many rounds do you need to win to win? 2/3 69.6% 3/5 34.8% 4/7 4.3% 5/9 0.0% Survey #2 (4/1 - 4/8) 44 responses 1. What is your favorite MOVE in the VF? 1) A Kick Flip 2) Kage's Flying Kick 3) Pai's Grab_Jacky's Double Roundhouse 2. What is your favorite THROW in the VF? 1st Wolf's Twirl & Hurl 2nd Lau's Face Slam 3rd Jeffry's Backbreaker 3. What is your favorite COMBO in the VF? 1st Pai's Triple Punch & Crescent 2nd A Kickflip Combo 3rd Sarah's Elbow-KneeLau's Knife, 2 Punches, Crescent Survey # 3 (4/8 - 4/15/94) 60 responses 1. In your opinion, who is the WEAKEST character in VF. Character Votes Percent Pai 20.5 34.4% Akira 14.0 23.3 Jeffry 11.5 19.2 Kage 9.0 15.00 Wolf 5.5 9.2 Sarah 4.0 6.7 Lau 1.5 2.5 Jacky 1.5 2.5 Undecided 3.3% Survey #4 Question (4/5 - 4/13) 84 responses 1. If there was ONE thing you could add/change on VF, what would it be? Jumping Speed 47.8% More computer bosses 26.9% Better use of 3D 22.4% The button interface 15.9% Ground Speed 3.0% People also wanted things like: more energy, longer rounds, texture mapping, a cage match w/ no ring outs and storylines. Produced by Doug Rosengard, dug@lugaru.com Original FAQ by Chad E. Reznicek Special Thanks God keeping my head on straight The Family Fun Center in Omaha, NE for Virtua Fighter Sega info & for VF Andrea Sega Dave Sega Andy Eddy vidgames@netcom.com Shorty Family Fun Center Michael Wang mmwang@mv.us.adobe.com Jose Family Fun Center Derrick Family Fun Center Christopher R. Boggs gt93986@acme.gatech.edu Harry Teasley III het3@crash.cts.com Ryan Wolfe wolfe@cps.msu.edu Jeremy Hinton hinton@cs.odu.edu Steve Lamb sandman@netcom.com R. 'Tom' Cruz Sogeuco rc_sogu@paro.concordia.ca Alan Fasick fasick@ucsu.colorado.edu Brian Tao taob@io.org Graham Chubb chubb@ecf.toronto.edu Eric eric@parcplace.com Vax vax@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu Kevin Miller miller@midget.towson, edu. Marie E. Antoon Marie.E.Antoon@Students.Miami.edu Koh Kawabe kawabee@is.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp World Book Dictionary definitions of virtual & fighter Replay Magazine some info on VF Iain Sinclair some info on VF Getting this FAQ Revisions will be released as needed to keep the information in this guide complete and current. this FAQ will be posted as deemed necessary to keep the masses informed. it can also be accessed by anonymous ftp from ftp.netcom.com under pub/vi/vidgames/faqs (special thanks to Andy Eddy of GamePro magazine). All comments, suggestions or additions E-Mail directly to : dug@lugaru.com