Alex FAQ Street Fighter 3: Alex Guide Written by Anthony Festino (fester69@hotmail.com) v2.0 written April 12, 1997 updated April 18, 1997 *** TABLE OF CONTENTS *** 1. FAQ History 2. Alex's Storyline 3. Miscallaneous Info ___I. Opening and Winning Poses ___II. Colors 4. FAQ Legend 5. Moves ___I. Universal Moves ___II. Normal Moves ___III. Special Moves ___IV. Super Arts 6. Combos ___I. Special Move Combos ___II. Super Art Combos 7. Updated: Strategies 8. Ending 9. Credits *** 1. FAQ History *** v1.0 : First version of this FAQ. Contains all moves and some combos. Things to be added: Strategies, more combos, Ending, win quotes. v2.0 : Second version, added Parrying strategies, and Powerbomb/Hyperbomb/Stun Gun Headbutt strategies, corrected some minor errors. This page is now part of the Street Fighter Web Ring. *** 2. Alex's Storyline *** "A retired soldier living in Manhattan with his father's old friend Tom and Tom's daughter Patricia. He has not seen his parents since he moved out as a teenager. Brusque, straightforward in manner, his taciturnity often gets him into trouble, but essentially, he's not the sort of a person that earns lasting hatred. Despite his size, this brawler can move with amazing speed to get in close and pummel the opponent with punches and execute powerful throws." *** 3. Miscallaneous Info *** *** I. Pre and Post Fight Poses *** Opening Pose: Alex pumps his arms and knees up and down while clenching his fists. Winning Pose 1: Removes headband and holds it while standing there and looking cool :) Winning Pose 2: Turns around and raises his hand into the air. Winning Pose 3: Raises his hand to his face than brings it down and holds it slightly out in front of himself. *** II. Colors *** Button Headband Color Overalls / Glove Color Jab Red Green Strong Green Red Fierce Blue Dark Blue Short Red Light Blue Forward Green Yellow Roundhouse Blue White *** 4. FAQ Legend *** F= forward B= back U= up D= down DF= diagonal down forward DB= diagonal down back UF= diagonal up forward UB= diagonal up back QCF= ( D,DF,F ) HCB= ( F,DF,D,DB,B ) DP= ( F,D,DF ) 360= ( any 3/4 of a circle motion, the easiest for me is: ( B,DB,D,DF,F,UF,U )) P= Any Punch Button K= Any Kick Button P\K= Any Punch or Kick Button tap= tap that direction charge= charge that direction for at least 2 seconds *** 5. Moves *** *** I. Universal Moves *** Forward Dash= F,F Backward Dash= B,B Hopping Overhead= D,D+P\K High Jump= tap D,U Long Jump= tap DB,UF or tap DF,UB High Parry= tap F (as attack is about to hit you) Low Parry= tap D (as attack is about to hit you) Quick Get Up= tap D (as soon as you touch the ground when knocked down) [Note: Parrying can also be done in the air, because there is no more air blocking in SF3. In the air using a high parry will block the attack and you will continue to move forward. If you use the low parry in the air, you will bounce in the direction you are facing.] *** II. Normal Moves *** Jab Standing [1 Hit]: Your standard quick, straight jab Crouching [1 Hit]: Quick crouching punch Jumping [1 Hit]: Sticks his palm at a downward angle, stays out a while but extremely weak Strong Standing [1 Hit]: A swinging elbow strike Crouching [1 Hit]: Same as Jab, but slower and more powerful Jumping [1 Hit]: Same as Jab, but retracts quicker and does more damage F+Strong (Standing only) [1 Hit]: An overhead chop, does not hit as an overhead, just gives more range than the standard Strong. Fierce Standing [1 Hit]: A strong downward hooking punch. If it connects against an airborne opponent, it strikes them straight down. Also hits crouching opponents like an overhead. Crouching [2 or 1 Hits, depends on range]: A slow rising shoulder ram. Can be used as an anti air attack, however it has a slow execution time. Jumping [1 Hit]: A downward one handed chop. It has decent range and high priority over other jumping attacks. Short Standing [1 Hit]: A quick kick that strikes at shin level, weak Crouching [1 Hit]: A quick poking kick that has minimal range, weak Jumping [1 Hit]: Sticks out his knee, pretty short range and really has no use Forward Standing [1 Hit]: A forward thrusting kick with excellent range. It has a bit slow execution time, but can be tagged on after most parries of attacks at about sweep range. The close version is a quick knee strike which can easily cancel into a Jab Flash Chop Crouching [1 Hit]: A low kick with decent range, but a slight lag time in execution. Jumping [1 Hit]: A flying drop kick like the Roundhouse. This one stays out longer, but has lower priority and does less damage. Roundhouse Standing [1 Hit]: A lunging boot kick. It has excellent range, but has extremely slow execution time, making it parry bait. Can be used to nail foolish jumpers who land a bit away from you, but you must anticipate. Crouching [1 Hit]: A sweep with great range which comes out really slow Jumping [1 Hit]: A flying drop kick that has good range and has very good priority. Scoop Slam F/B+Strong or F/B+Fierce Alex scoops up the opponent and slams them right back down to the ground. Unblockable and must be used up close. *** III. Special Moves *** Flash Chop= QCF+P Jab= short range, quick execution time Strong= medium range, medium execution time Fierce= long range, slow execution time Alex swings his hand out in front of him in a chopping motion. Jab comes out quickly and is the only version that can be used in combos. The Strong and Fierce versions turn the opponent around when they connect, and allow you to follow up with either a Choke Hold (B+Fierce) or a German Suplex (HCB+P). This is the only special move for Alex to cancel into a Super Art, but only the Strong and Fierce versions. Catch & Slam= DP+K Short= travels short distance up and forward Forward= travels medium distance up and forward Roundhouse= travels long distance up and forward Alex hops into the air and grabs the opponent, then proceeds to drive them into the ground with his knee. If you miss with the Roundhouse or forward versions, you can be punished by any attack. Powerbomb= HCB+P Jab= Quick execution, least damaging Powerbomb Strong= Medium execution, more damaging than Jab Fierce= Slow execution, most damaging Powerbomb Alex grabs the opponent than jumps high and slams the opponent down on their back. This is the most powerful special in Alex's set of moves. It cannot be blocked or parried. The easy execution is due to the extremely short range of this move. If you have the time to, use the Fierce because it does more damage, but in ticking situations, or you need it out quickly, use the Jab version. If you can predict an attack and parry it, you can instantly Powerbomb by just using the forward tap than completing the HCB. German Suplex= HCB+P ( When opponent's back is turned ) All versions are the same Alex grabs the opponent from behind and slams them back onto their backs. You can use this move after connecting with either a Strong or Fierce Flash Chop. Headbutt= B+Fierce Alex throws out his hand and grabs the opponent, proceeding to pull them in and delivers a headbutt. It does good damage, but can be blocked and parried, and if it is, you can get punished big time. This move can also grab jumping opponents out of the air. Choke Hold= B+Fierce ( When opponent's back is turned ) Alex puts the opponent into a headlock and begins to choke them. Jam on the buttons to take off extra damage. You can use this move after connecting with either a Strong or Fierce Flash Chop. Head Stomp= charge D,U+K Short= travels a short distance Forward= travels about 1/4 the screen Roundhouse= travels about 1/2 the screen Alex jumps up and stomps on the opponents head. Can be blocked. It's pretty useless, but when connected looks brutal. Diving Cross Chop= D+Fierce ( While in the Air ) Alex dives out of the air at his opponent with a diving cross handed chop. If you miss, Alex rolls forward on the ground for a second where he is totally vulnerable to an attack. *** IV. Super Arts *** Super Art I. Hyperbomb= 360+P ( Can charge a max of 1 ) All versions are the same Alex grabs the opponent and does 2 consecutive German Suplex's followed by a Powerbomb. This is the most powerful move in the whole game, it does about 50% damage on all the machines I've played on. Connecting this requires some skill because it has prctically no range. Later on I'll add ways to setup your opponent to connect this move. For now, if you're at point blank range, you can cancel a Flash Chop into this, but it does less damage. My personal favorite Super Art:). Super Art II. Boomerang Raid= QCF,QCF+P ( Can charge a Max of 2 ) Jab= Quicker execution but shorter range Strong= Slower than jab, but a little more range Fierce= Slowest execution but longest range Alex does 4 consecutive Flash Chops followed by a German Suplex. It doesn't have that great of a range, but does good damage if it does. The throw at the end can connect even if they block, if you are close enough or push them into a corner. Can cancel a Flash Chop into this Super, but it does less damage. All Hits are not guarunteed all the time. For instance, if the first Flash Chop hits them from far away, they can block the rest, and you are left wide open. Super Art III. Stun Gun Headbutt= QCF,QCF+P ( Can charge a Max of 1 ) Jab= Jumps straight up, lands in same position Strong= Jumps at 60 degree angle, travels about 1/2 screen Fierce= Jumps at a 45 degree angle, travels the entire screen Alex hops in the air, and if he lands right in front of his opponent he grabs them and delivers 3 headbutts which stun the opponent. After this he can followup with any combo or a Powerbomb. The grab and the headbutts count as hits in the combo, so if you do a 3 hit combo after this, it counts as a 7 hit combo. Alex cannot grab the opponent out of the air, and he is totally vulnerable while hopping. *** 6. Combos *** A Note about Alex's comboing ability Alex is one of the few characters in SF3 that doesn't have chains. If you don't know, chains are simple combos by just pressing a few buttons. For example, Dudley has a chain that goes Forward, Roundhouse, Fierce. This does 4 Hits and is as simple as pressing those 3 buttons in order. Due to having no chains, and also being a big and slow guy, Alex doesn't have many combos. Alex relies more on his powerful attacks and range to win, but the few combos he does have help too. *** I. Special Move Combos *** [2 Hits]: Jumping Fierce\Roundhouse, Headbutt ( B+Fierce ) A Simple yet useful combo. Simply press B+Fierce as soon as you land from the air. [2 Hits]: Standing Jab\Strong\Forward, Jab Flash Chop ( QCF+Jab ) Another simple combo. The forward must be his close version (a knee) to cancel. [2 Hits]: Strong\Fierce Flash Chop ( QCF+Strong\Fierce ), German Suplex (HCB+P ) Connecting the Strong or Fierce Flash Chop will turn your opponent around, allowing you to grab them. The Strong version comes a bit quicker, but the opponent recovers quicker. The Fierce comes out slower, but alots you more time to grab 'em. [2 Hits]: Jumping Fierce\Roundhouse, Crouching Roundhouse A classic old school combo. The jumping attack must be pretty deep to compensate for the slow ass sweep's execution time. [3 Hits]: Fierce Flash Chop ( QCF+Fierce ), Strong Flash Chop ( QCF+Strong ), Jab Flash Chop ( QCF+Jab ) Just do one after the other while there back is still turned. [3 Hits]: Jumping Fierce\Roundhouse, Standing Jab\Strong\Forward, Jab Flash Chop ( QCF+ Jab ) A very effective combo to use. To use forward, you must land a deep jumping attack, or you'll get the far version which cannot be canceled. [??? Hits]: Strong\Fierce Flash Chop ( QCF+Strong\Fierce ), Choke Hold ( B+Fierce ) The ??? Hits is because each squeeze with the Choke Hold counts as a hit, and the amount of squeezes varies. If your opponent struggles out quickly, you may only get a few, but if you mash on the buttons, you can get a whole bunch. So far, my max hits with this is 10 Hits. *** II. Super Art Combos *** I. Hyperbomb On it's own, it does 3 Hits and about 50%-60% damage. The only other combo I've done with the Hyperbomb is by cancelling a Fierce or Strong Flash Chop at point blank range, but it does less damage than a Hyperbomb alone. It's not really combo material. II. Boomerang Raid On it's own, it does 5 Hits. This can easily be added into combos though. Again, you can cancel a Flash Chop into this, but it does a lot less damage. [6 Hit]: Jumping Fierce\Roundhouse, Boomerang Raid ( QCF,QCF+P ) This is really simple to do. Buffer the 2 QCF motions in the air so it comes out as soon as you land. [6 Hit]: Standing Jab\Strong\Forward, Boomerang Raid ( QCF,QCF+P ) Be careful not to do a Flash Chop when using either Jab or Strong. I usually do D,DF+Jab\Strong,F,QCF+P so it doesn't accidentally do a Flash Chop. If you can get close enough, the Forward version is a bit easier. Do QCF+Forward,QCF+P, because QCF+Forward is not a special move for Alex. The Forward must be his close version, the knee. [6 Hit]: Any Flash Chop ( QCF+P ), Boomerang Raid ( QCF,QCF+P ) This is a very easy combo to do, but it does less damage than a Boomerang Raid itself. This is pretty useless, because if you have time to land this, you'd be better off just doing a Boomerang Raid only. [7 Hit]: Jumping Fierce\Roundhouse, Jab\Strong\Forward, Boomerang Raid ( QCF,QCF+P ) Same as above, but just add a jumping attack. For Forward, the attack must be really deep to get the knee. III. Stun Gun Headbutt This can't be used in combos at all, but if connected stuns the opponent and gives you a free combo opportunity. This move will do 4 Hits, and this will be added to whatever combo you decide to use while they are stunned. So if you do a simple 3 Hit combo after this, it will really be a 7 Hit combo. Just use any of the Special Move combos listed above. *** 7. Strategies *** ** Parrying Strategies ** The newest addition to the Street Fighter 3 engine is parrying. Parrying is a type of block that when performed allows you to block with zero block stun. What this means, is you can block and retaliate with your own attack while the opponent is still recovering from their move. Parrying is a great tool to use when trying to master Alex, because you can inflict major damage off of your opponent's screw ups or being over aggressive. Here are some good parrying followups and strategies I've figured out from my own experiences. ** Parrying Jump Ins ** Parry into Powerbomb/Hyperbomb The most powerful option for Alex to choose after a successful parry. Depending on where you parry the opponent's attack ( early and high, mid-level, deep ) determine's the button used to Powerbomb. If you parry their attack early and high, using the Fierce Powerbomb should grab them as soon as they land. Likewise, for a mid-level attack, you can use a Strong Powerbomb, and a deep attack a Jab Powerbomb. You could always use the Jab Powerbomb, but since the others do more damage, you should try to use them. Also, this will only work if the opponent is in your grabbing range. If not, you whiff and eat an attack. For the Hyperbomb, since all the versions are the same, you must time it so they are about to land. The beauty of the Hyperbomb versus the Powerbomb, is that it connects instantaneously. This means that if the opponent is anywhere in range, it's safe to say they are about to get pounded. The easiest way to get the Hyperbomb to come out off of a parry is to use the Parry motion as a buffer. In other words, use the F of the parry as the beginning of the Hyperbomb movement. After tapping F, rotate the stick either clockwise to D (F,UF,U,UB,B,DB,D) or counter clockwise to U (F,DF,D,DB,B,UB,U). Use whichever one you want and feel most comfortable doing. Parry Into Catch & Slam This one's a little harder to do, since the opponent must hit early and high, and also almost directly above you or you'll miss the attack. If you do actually get these conditions, use the F tap for the parry as the first motion of the Catch & Slam, than complete the motion from there. You must do it immediately, or you'll whiff. This will do less damage than the Powerbomb or Hyperbomb, but adds variety to your game. (If that's what you want) Parry into Headbutt / Standing Forward Use these for those parries that are out of range of those other attacks. The Headbutt does a bit more damage than the Standing Forward, but the Standing Forward has more range than the Headbutt. ** Parrying Standing/Crouching Attacks ** Parrying standing/crouching attacks gives Alex 2 good options to choose from. For the guarunteed hit from almost any range, go for a Standing Forward. If the opponent is close, you should go for a Powerbomb ( Any Version ) or Hyperbomb. ** Connecting the Powerbomb/Hyperbomb ** The most pwerful move in Alex's repertoire, you should try and use these any chance you get, but don't try it all of the time or be predictable about it. So far, the 2 best ways to connect it are Jump Ins or Dashing in. If you see the opponent just standing there and turtling, dash in and Jab Powerbomb/Hyperbomb them. If they say it's cheap, FUCK EM. If they let you dash in and Powerbomb/Hyperbomb, they deserve it. Today, I won a match by doing this and everytime, the prick called me cheap. Another tactic revolves around players who are parry happy about Jump Ins. If they do tis repeatedly, Jump in but don't attack and Powerbomb/Hyperbomb them. ** Stun Gun Headbutt Strategies ** Alex's second best super IMO, has a lot of uses. It's best used against the CPU, but if used on humans, you can't be predictable about it. The number one use for this is to snag those scrubby shoto-boys from throwing fireballs from across the screen. Using the Fierce version will do the trick. Another way to catch the opponent is after his crouching Fierce. If both the hits connect, you will land before the opponent, and doing the Jab version immediately willplace you right in front of them as soon as they land. They may be able to jump away from it, but you should catch them off guard every once in awhile, and that may be just enough to win. After a Fierce Flash Chop do a Jab Stun Gun Headbutt to grab them while their back is turned. Don't know if it's guarunteed, but like the crouching Fierce, most players fall for it at least once. ** Defeating Gill ** A simple, yet cheezy, way to defeat Gill is to retreat to a corner and just wait for him to do that clothesline move. After this, Powerbomb him and retreat back to the corner. If you have either the Hyperbomb or Boomerang Raid Super Arts charged, use those instead of the Powerbomb. If you beat him and he does the Resurrection Super, walk by him and do a Roundhouse Catch & Slam ( DP+Roundhouse ) as soon as he starts it. *** 8. Ending *** I haven't beat the game yet, because I've only benn playing for about a week, and the machine has been broken for the past 3 days. Hopefully it'll be fixed by tomorrow so I can go play it and beat it. *** 9. Credits *** This is a list of people who have contributed to this FAQ or have allowed me to use information. LordBBH@aol.com: Some normal move information, the correct story on Alex, and some other miscallaneous info from his FAQ. All those on alt.games.sf2 for posting stuff about this great game before I even got to play it.