From: mike@altus.speednet.com.au (m ! k e) Newsgroups: alt.games.sf2 Subject: [SF3] Sean FAQ v2.0 (1/1) Date: 3 May 1997 05:33:08 GMT S T R E E T F I G H T E R III "A Sean Guide" Version 2.0 (03 May 97) Sculpted by Mike Abdow mike@speednet.com.au LEGAL DISCLAIMER No part of this document may be reproduced for sale, profit, or commercial purposes without the express permission of the author. This document may be freely distributed among the video gaming community. Copyright 1997. All rights reserved. VERSION HISTORY Version 2.0 - Added more win quotes. - Added a Stun Meter section. - Modified Ending section. - Added Strategy section and short Vs Guide. Version 1.1 - Modified Standing Fierce section. - Minor correction in the Roll section. - Added FB to Glossary. - Added a win quote. - Minor addition to the Ending section. - Minor grammatical corrections. - Additions to the Combo Chart. - Modifications to Basic Art sections to accomodate a guaranteed Tornado Kick combo. - Minor addition to Sean Tackle section. - Addition to Tornado Kick section (Super Art followups). Version 1.0 - First release. CONTENTS 1.0 ABOUT THIS GUIDE 2.0 CHARACTER INFORMATION 3.0 ART ANALYSIS 3.1 Basic Arts 3.1.1 Jab 3.1.2 Strong 3.1.3 Fierce 3.1.4 Short 3.1.5 Forward 3.1.6 Roundhouse 3.1.7 Hopping Punch 3.2 Special Arts 3.2.1 Sean Tackle 3.2.2 Dragon Smash 3.2.3 Tornado Kick 3.2.4 Ryubi-Kyaku 3.2.5 Roll 3.3 Super Arts 3.3.1 Super I - Hado-Burst 3.3.2 Super II - Shoryu-Cannon 3.3.3 Super III - Hyper-Tornado 4.0 COMBO ARTS 4.1 Definition 4.2 How-To 4.3 Combo Chart 5.0 STRATEGIES 5.1 Positioning 5.2 Parrying 5.3 Rising 5.4 Crossing Up 5.5 Vs Guide 5.5.1 Vs Ryu 5.5.2 Vs Ken 5.5.3 Vs Ibuki 5.5.4 Vs Elena 5.5.5 Vs Sean 5.5.6 Vs Yun/Yang 5.5.7 Vs Oro 5.5.8 Vs Necro 5.5.9 Vs Dudley 5.5.10 Vs Alex 5.5.11 Vs Gill 6.0 MISCELLANEOUS 6.1 Colours 6.2 Winning Quotes 6.3 Shoot! 6.4 Ending 6.5 Stun Meter 7.0 GLOSSARY 8.0 TO DO 9.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1.0 ABOUT THIS GUIDE There are a few reasons why I decided to put this guide together. One reason was that I have a few thoughts and ideas I'd like to put down on paper so to speak, so that information that I usually take for granted is all spelled out for whoever needs it. Another reason is that I'd like to improve all areas of my Sean play, and hopefully improve the play of others, so then this guide could serve as a ground for discussion and at the same time a knowledge bank where useful information may accumulate. Basically.. If it's about Sean, then it's in this guide. This guide is brought to you by the wonders of vi :) A terminal setting of 80 columns with a fixed-width font yields the best results. This guide may be obtained from the following locations: - http://www.gamefaqs.com - http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/1975/ - http://members.tripod.com/~oka2 If this appears elsewhere, please let me know. 2.0 CHARACTER INFORMATION A Brazilian boy from a very average household with uncanny athletic ability. Inspired by Ken at a fighting tournament, he hits the road in pursuit of his idol. Strictly disciplined by his grandfather (of Japanese extraction), Sean is polite and courteous, but with a burning desire to win. Imitating Ken's style, Sean fights very aggressively but without the cutting edge of Ken's attacks. His style therefore leaves him vulnerable to counter strikes even while he is attacking. He one day hopes to develop his own power moves. 3.0 ART ANALYSIS This section is a run down of all of Sean's known moves. All of his attacks may be classified as either a Basic Art, Special Art or Super Art, and are discussed below in the relevant sub-section. 3.1 Basic Arts Basic Arts are characterised by the following: - Only require a press of a button, sometimes with a simple stick motion (forward, back, down, etc.) - May depend on the distance between you and your opponent. - Do not inflict damage when blocked. - Can be Parried. Each Basic Art will be discussed under the different conditions they can be used in, for example, some attacks will behave differently when executed up close to the opponent and shall be expanded upon in a Close Up sub-section. Standard interrupts into Special and Super Arts will also be incorporated where applicable. 3.1.1 Jab Probably his fastest executing and recovering attack. I've seen it snuff a few attacks like Necro's outstretching limbs, and Dudely's rushing Punches. Not a terrific move on its own, mix it up well on a blocking opponent and remember that the push back from the block is minimal. If you want more push back, use a heavier attack. Interrupts All Special Arts. Only the Dragon Smash is guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. In the Air A Jab in the air produces a dropping elbow attack. Like most jumping Jab attacks, it has a long hit detection time, but inflicts small damage. Can be used to snuff other Air attacks, although, not always your best option. 3.1.2 Strong Standing Your run of the mill Strong punch. Hits at shoulder level, with a slightly longer range and execution/recovery of a Jab. Crouching A Crouching Strong has the same animation as a Crouching Jab, but again slower in execution and recovery. You know the deal. Close Up Hits in the mid-drift region. The Close Up Strong may be Chained with a standing Fierce, even on an airbourne opponent. The standing Strong-Fierce is the only know Sean Chain at the time of writing. Now one would deduce that if a Standing Fierce may be interrupted with a Special or Super Art, then a Strong-Fierce may be similarly interupted, producing another Combo possibility for the already deprived Sean. Unfortunately, the rules of logic do not apply here. Nothing else can be added at the end of the Strong-Fierce Chain. (What's the story Capcom?) Interrupts All Special Arts. The Dragon Smash and RH Tornado Kick are guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. 3.1.3 Fierce Standing A fast and heavy hitting punch. Forward range is not that great but compensates with the ability to hit a croucher as well i.e. it won't whiff. Due wide hitting range also allows it to be used as an anti-air attack, especially against jumpers who love to attack _deep_. The standing Fierce can be chained after the close up strong (see the Strong section). Crouching A Crouching fierce produces a standing uppercut. Has a good hitting range, which starts low enough to snuff many low attacks and ends up high enough to hit a jumper. If you crouch under someone's HK, then doing a crouching fierce cancelled into Super I or II will make them think twice before trying it again :) Interrupts All Special Arts. Only the Dragon Smash and RH Tornado Kick are guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. In the Air Power hit! Quite a decent hit detection area too. Nice frontal jump in combo starter. 3.1.4 Short Standing A quick kick hitting just below the opponent's knee. Crouching A low kick. Unlike the fast repeatable crouching Short kicks of Ryu/Ken, but has slightly longer range(?) Interrupts All Special Arts. Only the Dragon Smash is guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. In the Air A flying knee attack. Still to find a good use for this. 3.1.5 Forward Standing A slower but heavier hitting version of the standing Short kick. Has good hit detection range, with the ability to snuff many low attacks from a distance, as well as punishing whiffed low attacks. Crouching Identical to Ryu/Ken's crouching Forward kick. What is unique about this move is that the Roundhouse Tornado Kick _will_ combo afterwards! Of course, if you've barely made contact with the crouching forward, then there's the chance that the RH TK will be blocked. Also, if the crouching forward hits a croucher, then the RH TK will whiff over their head (unlike Ken's f@#$ing HK) :) Interrupts All Special Arts. Dragon Smash and RH Tornado Kick are guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. In the Air Best overall air attack IMHO. When jumping straight up it's a good keep out attack due to it's horizontal range. When jumping in, it'll trade with most attacks if timed right. But probably the most important aspect of the jumping Forward kick is that this is _the_ move to Crossup with. Crossup combos are where Sean gets the chance to do his most damage! See the Combo section for the juice. 3.1.6 Roundhouse Standing Pretty much the same deal as the Standing Fierce. Hits high and heavy, long recovery. Can be used as anti-air, but not recommended since it can be easily Parried and punished. Close Up A knee, probably his best Close Up attack in the game. It's damn fast, damaging, and doesn't produce as much push back as most other attacks when it connects, meaning that a Dragon Smash is almost ALWAYS guaranteed, we're talking a 99.9% success rate :) Crouching A heavy hitting sweep which knocks the opponent down when it connects. If blocked, you can be punished quite easily with another low attack or any rushing-type Super Art! Like other Heavy hitting attacks (not close) use it in a sure-hit situation only if it's your only attack option. Interrupts (Only applies to the Close Up Roundhouse) All Special Arts. The Dragon Smash and RH Tornado Kick are guaranteed if close enough. All Super Arts. In the Air A heavy hitting flying kick. Decent forward range, but my money goes with the jumping forward kick for overall versatility. Probably the move to use (besides jumping Fierce) for a frontal jump in combo. Good for using in a quick take off kick to surprise jumpers. 3.1.7 Hopping Punch Command: d,d + Any Attack Button Hits a crouching opponent. Following up with a Dragon Smash or Super Art will beat any attack they try and retaliate with. Great to use after a jump in attack since most opponents will expect the next attack to be low and thus immediately crouch block. Don't overuse it or you'll weaken it's surprise effect. Better opponents will spot this and block accordingly. Sean's one and only overhead type attack, so respect it, don't abuse it. 3.2 Special Arts Special Arts are characterised by the following: - Usually performed with a joystick motion and button press(es). - Usually inflict more damage than Basic Arts. - Will inflict small damage when blocked (except the Sean Tackle). - Can usually be Parried. - Can usually be performed by interrupting a Basic Art. 3.2.1 Sean Tackle Command: HCF+Punch, holding onto the Punch button will complete the attack, otherwise it will abort. There's no noticeable recovery time associated with an aborted Tackle, so use this to your advantage! The strength of the Punch determines the distance it will travel: Jab - 1/4 screen (approx. a forward dash) Strong - 1/2 screen Fierce - 3/4 screen It will go under Fireballs but must be done early to do so, i.e. Sean must already be out of the start up animation and in the sliding animation. Overall not a great attacking tool, but it's pretty decent for faking. Faking the tackle so it stops outside their attacking range is particularly useful. Be prepared to punish any whiffed move! Faking in for a throw is a nice mix up if you can get close enough. Be wary of the times you do decide to go for the full Tackle. On instinct, most people crouch block, rendering the full Tackle useless and in fact dangerous because of the horrendous recovery time. Use it wisely. The Jab Tackle will combo after a close standing Roundhouse. 3.2.2 Dragon Smash Command: f,d,df+Punch This is definitely, without a doubt, the sweetest move in the game ;) It puts every other DP move to shame, making them look outdated and dull. (OK, enough of the plug.) The priority of this move is not that great, so your timing must be accurate (gasp, a move requiring more skill than simple jerk reaction) if you want to cleanly hit someone out of their air attack. Having said that, some air attacks are a bitch to Dragon Smash (Yun's d/f+Kick in the air comes to mind) so you have to look to other options. Because the first component of the Dragon Smash is a tap forward which also happens to be the motion for a Parry, then you can try Parrying and then executing the Dragon Smash all in one motion. It works, but because of the limited forward range of the Dragon Smash, you'll probably only connect the Dragon Smash if the opponent jumping is close to you (Yun's d/f+Kick in the air comes to mind, again). If you try parrying a long extended limb, chances are the following Dragon Smash will whiff, and the opponent will land safely. The first hit of the Dragon Smash may be interrupted with any Super Art. However, the Hyper-Tornado (Super III) will either whiff or only get a few measly hits. This is due to the fact that the Dragon Smash will lift the opponent into the air (for that 2nd sweet hit) but the Hyper-Tornado (Super III) is primarily a ground based attack. So if you're playing with Super III, then forget about using it to interrupt the Dragon Smash. The Hado-Burst (Super I) and the Shoryu-Cannon (Super II) are most suited here. The Shoryu-Cannon after an interrupted Dragon Smash is truly a sight to behold. :) 3.2.3 Tornado Kick Command: QCB+Kick The strength of the kick button determines the distance it will travel and hence how many times it will hit. Short: 2 hit Forward: 3 hit Roundhouse: 4 hit A cross between Ryu and Ken's Hurricane Kick. It's like Ryu's in that it's purely a high hitter (ie. won't hit a croucher) and it's like Ken's in that it doesn't knock down when hit, so that all hits will connect! Great move to fill the opponent's Stun meter, and if you're playing against the type to go overly defensive when they see their Stun meter on the brink of full, usually by sitting in a crouch block at the end of the Tornado Kick, then I found that a d,d+Punch works well. If you're feeling cocky, and the opponent is somewhat unstable, then follow the d,d+Punch with a Dragon Smash - hopefully they'll be Stunned at this point. Enter your favourite combo here. Sean's Tornado Kick differs from Ryu and Ken's in that it only attacks forward, whereas the latter will attack on both sides of the character. What this means is that those who crouch under Sean's Tornado Kick can safely stand up much sooner thereby allowing them to attack Sean freely. Also, unlike the Ryu/Ken HK, it has a slower start up time, meaning that the combo opportunities are very limited. You can't interrupt any Basic Art with any Tornado Kick for a true combo. You'll only get a true combo if the Basic Art is close up and usually stronger than a Jab or Short. If the Tornado Kick is connecting on an opponent in the corner then you can combo a Super Art! No interrupts required, just buffer the Super Art motion so that it's completed the instant you land from the Tornado Kick. I've actually done: c.Fwd - Rh TK - Hado-Burst and the Combo Meter registered it as a (1+4+1) 6 Hit Combo! 3.2.4 Ryubi-Kyaku aka Butt Check! Command: QCF+Kick The strength of the kick determines the distance it travels. Initially this move seems to be pretty useless. You can't combo with it, there are no known guaranteed followup combo's either, it's easy to counter, Parry and avoid.. technically speaking it's not a great move. But if you're like me and find that playing a "technically" sound strategy can get real boring real fast, then this the move for you! OK, personal biases aside, this move (apart from being ultra stylish) does have a few redeeming qualities. It's a great anti Fireball move, and don't forget, the RH version has some major air time, so be on the lookout for them Fireball happy folk. Use it against those who don't know how to either avoid it, parry it, or counter hit it, i.e. anyone who just sits there and blocks. You'll get free tick damage and retain the attacking initiative. It's also a great bait move. If you notice your opponent likes to block the Butt Check and then try and retaliate with an attack as soon as they come out of block stun, then (depending on your distance) a Dragon Smash hits them sweetly, but even better are the Super Arts. For Super II, the Shoryu-Cannon, you have to wary of the distance between you and the opponent, if too far, do not attempt the Super, chances are you'll miss. However, Super I (Hado-Burst) and III (Hyper-Tornado) are excellent and will connect on any attack! It makes them think twice about attacking you after blocking a Butt Check. A peculiar thing I've found with this is that you can sometimes Crossup with it. I've Crossed up with the RH version against opponents in the corner! Too bad you can't combo after it. 3.2.5 Roll Command: QCB+Punch Similar to Ken's roll of SFA2. Not so easy to trap with since you can't interrupt a crouching roundhouse. Travels under almost anything except attacks which hit low. It will even cross over the opponent if close enough. The strength of the Punch button determines the length of the roll, just like the Sean Tackle. This too can be used as bait. Doing a short roll in front of your opponent so that it just stops outside sweep range will entice most people to attack. In this case, buffer a Super Art as you're coming out of the roll. 3.3 Super Arts Command: QCF,QCF+Punch Each Super Art has it's own advantages and disadvantages. If I were to pick a favourite, it'd have to be Super I, the Hado-Burst, mainly for it's versatility and lower risk factor. 3.3.1 Super I - Hado-Burst Sean unleashes a super fast Fireball toward his opponent. Because of it's great speed it can be used virtually anywhere on the screen. It snuffs other Fireballs totally. Can be used to interrupt a Dragon Smash. Probably the lowest damaging Super Art. 3.3.2 Super II - Shoryu-Cannon One for the button mashers. Sean does a Jab Dragon Punch followed by a Fierce Dragon Punch, rising higher than normal, making contact all the way up. The more times the punch buttons are pressed, the more it hits. Makes a distinct "machine gun" like sound rather than that of a Cannon :-P Not too bad for an anti air attack either. Looks awesome after an interrupted Dragon Smash. Probably the most damaging Super Art. 3.3.3 Super III - Hyper-Tornado Your standard rushing attack Super Art. Most characters have this type of Super Art. Has a very decent and quick forward attack range, giving it the ability to be used as a retaliatory attack. When you block a close Fireball or crouching Roundhouse, if you buffer the Super Art motion so it's executed the very frame you come out of block stun, then the Super Art will connect. It's primarily a ground based Super Art which means it's pathetic against any opponent in the air. Probably the second most damaging Super Art. 4.0 COMBO ARTS 4.1 Definition A Combo is defined, in this guide, as a series of attacks where if the first attack is a successful hit, the following attacks will also successfully hit i.e. they will be unblockable. The way a combo works depends on the flavour of the combo. Chain Combos Chain Combos are basically a series of button presses. The next button press will cancel the recovery of the previous button press producing two successive attacks. If the first hit connects, the following hit will too. Interrupt Combos Also referred to as move cancel combos or buffered combos. These work in a similar way to a Chain combo in that the next attack cancels the recovery of the previous attack. The next attack will appear to "interrupt" the previous attack. Unlike Chain combos, these usually involve interrupting a Basic Art with a Special/Super Art or even a Special Art with a Super Art - thus they requiring more skill than pressing a few buttons in succession. Jump In Combos These are usually in the form of a jumping attack immediately followed by a ground attack. This combo is made possible due to the zero recovery time of a jumping attack. Once you land, you can immediately go into another attack. Mixing up the variety of combo flavours is what Combo Art is all about. 4.2 How-To Chain Combos You're not serious are you? :) Let me insult your intelligence by simply saying that a Chain Combo is performed by pressing one button quickly after the other. Case 1: Standing Strong - Standing Fierce Method (a) Press Strong - Press Fierce This is the only know Chain combo that Sean has. Press the Fierce immediately after pressing Strong, there's no peculiar timing required, so just do it. Unfortunately, nothing may be tagged on the end of this chain. Interrupt Combos These can be performed in a variety of ways. I'll briefly go over the different ways of performing an interrupt combo, find the one that you like best and stick to it. Basic Art - Interrupt - Special Art Case 1: Standing Fierce - Fierce Dragon Smash Method (a) Press Fierce, release Fierce, f-d-df+Fierce Method (b) Press (and hold) Fierce, f-d-df Release Fierce Case 2: Crouching Fierce - Fierce Dragon Smash Method (a) crouch, Press Fierce, f-d-df + Fierce Method (b) f-d-Press Fierce-df-Release Fierce You should be able to see that you can perform the above combos by either doing each move separately, or overlapping certain parts such as button presses and stick motions (for crouches, etc). For the above combo types, I usually stick to Method (a) - doing each part separately. Basic Art - Interrupt - Super Art Case 1: Standing Strong - Any Super Method (a) Press Strong, QCF,QCF+Punch Method (b) QCF + Strong, QCF + Punch Method (c) QCF + Strong (hold), QCF + Strong (release) In this case I go with Method (b), it's much easier to overlap especially since a QCF+Punch is not a Special Art motion for Sean. Masochists can try Method (a) :-P Consider this case.. Case 2: Crouching Forward - Any Super Method (a) crouch, Press Forward, QCF,QCF+Punch Method (b) d-Forward-df-f, QCF+Punch Method (c) d-Forward(hold)-df-f, QCF+Punch Again, psychos don't bother reading ahead, just use Method (a) :) This one is interesting because a QCF+Kick is a Special Art for Sean, thus the first part, if you're not careful, of Method (b) could give you a crouching forward interrupted into butt check: d - Press Forward Kick - df - f If you release the Forward Kick button fast enough, i.e. before the 'f' then you'll get away with it. However, if you release the Forward kick at roughly the same time as you do the 'f' component on the stick, you'll be Butt Checking ;) In cases where you don't want an accidental two-in-one with the same button press/release, hold onto the button until the whole motion is complete, as shown in Method (c). Special Art - Interrupt - Super Art At the time of writing, the only Special Art that Sean may interrupt is his Dragon Smash. Case 1: Dragon Smash - Interrupt - Any Super Art Method (a): f-d-df-Punch-f-d-df-f-Punch Easy eh? Think of it as a Dragon Punch motion where you roll it up to 'f', then another quick Fireball Motion: DP-f-FB. Note: Super Art III, the Hyper Tornado, is more than likely to miss since the Dragon Smash sends the opponent into the air. 4.3 Combo Chart Putting it all together.. +===================================================================+ | Combo Chart | +================+================+================+================+ | 1st Attack | 2nd Attack | 3rd Attack | 4th Attack | +================+================+================+================+ | Any Close | DS | Super I or II | -- | | Attack (except +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | c.Rh) | Any Super Art | -- | -- | +----------------+----------------+----------------+----------------+ | as above | Rh TK | Any Super Art | -- | | except Jab and | | (if opponent | | | Short. | | in corner. See | | | | | TK section) | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+----------------+ | Close s.Rh | Jab Tackle | -- | -- | +----------------+----------------+----------------+----------------+ | s.Str | s.Frc | -- | -- | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | | DS | Super I or II | -- | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | | Any Super Art | -- | -- | +----------------+----------------+----------------+----------------+ | Fwd Crossup | s.Str | s.Frc | -- | | or Any Deep | +----------------+----------------+ | Jumping Attack | | DS | Super I or II | | | +----------------+----------------+ | | | Any Super Art | -- | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | | Any Close | DS | Super I or II | | | Attack (except +----------------+----------------+ | | c.Rh) | Any Super Art | -- | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | | as above | Rh TK | Any Super Art | | | except Jab and | | (if opponent | | | Short. | | in corner. See | | | | | TK section) | | +----------------+----------------+----------------+ | | Close s.Rh | Jab Tackle | -- | +================+================+================+================+ 5.0 STRATEGIES 5.1 Positioning Sean can only hurt his opponent if he's up close. Getting close enough is sometimes a battle in itself, so it's worth knowing that there are different ways of closing the gap. With the introduction of Dashing, the Street Fighter ground game has evolved into something more dynamic. It's useful to be aware of the different dash types for each character, they're not all the same. Once you're familiar with each of the character's dash types then you can anticipate where your opponent _can_ be in a split second, or _won't_ be for that matter. Can your opponent dash beneath your regular jump and hit you from behind before you've even landed? Can your opponent dash away from your jump-in fast enough? Don't expect your opponent to stand still all of the time. Sean has a few interesting ways of getting around besides the dashes. Before I go into those, it's worth mentioning that the forward dash length is much greater than the backward dash length. I think this holds true for most characters. So, besides dashing, Sean can fake a Tackle. The Jab Tackle is particularly useful here as it has a short execution time. Sean can also roll, again, the Jab roll is probably the best used. By that I mean, if you were to use a longer roll or tackle, you're most likely to be within range of your opponent and liable to be quite easily hit. If you judge your distances right, then any fake Tackle or Roll is just as good, I guess it depends on the opponent's reaction time more than anything. The fake Tackle is particularly useful, IMHO, especially when it comes to strategy. By now, all your opponents should be crouch blocking whenever the Tackle comes near them, if they're standing, then Tackle them! (if they immediately attack you successfully _each_ time you attempt a fake tackle, then your either doing it too close to them or you've been overusing it so much that snuffing it is second nature to them). If used in moderation, however, most opponents will be in a crouch block. That's when you whip out the d,d+P overhead! You should be buffering the move during the end of the Tackle so that the overhead is released _immediately_ and if you gauged the distance right, you should connect. Do this a few times and your opponent will not sit and block anymore. If they stand and block the next time (anticipating the overhead) then either Crouching Forward into Rh Tornado Kick, Rh Sweep, or Throw them! If you're within range for the complete Tackle, then mix that in as well, sometimes it will snuff a ground attack that's just initiating (usually due to a late reacting opponent). Using the roll is pretty much the same as the Tackle as far as closing the gap is concerned. Rolls will travel under projectiles. Familiarise yourself with each of Sean's Rolls. The Jab Roll will not cross over the opponent I believe, but the Strong and Fierce will, so you could use some old tricks like c.Short, roll (if the opponent sweeps too late, their back will be exposed while recovering), Super Art. Use the Jab roll to stop just outside sweep range, enticing them to extend a limb, but as you're rolling, buffer in a Super Art (the Hado-Burst and Hyper-Tornado work best) which will hit them cleanly. Might get them to treat your rolls with a little more respect next time. Don't expect these little tricks to work all the time though, and do not over use it or you'll dramatically reduce it's effectiveness. Again, like any little tip or trick, don't overuse it or else you'll reduce it's effectiveness. Works well when they least expect it. Just a final note on positioning. Jumping can also be an effective tool, when used wisely. Alternating between regular jumps and super jumps can also stuff up some people's timing and ground orientation. Smart jumps can have them guessing where you're going to land, and if you have them guessing that, they're also probably guessing which way to block or attack. Jumping may seem like a trivial aspect of the game, but it's more than just pushing up on the joystick, it's worth knowing the ins and outs of your jumps, attack ranges of the opponents and ranges of your own jumping attacks, put it all together and you'll hopefully be landing on your feet more often. Not a bad thing, no? 5.2 Parrying All High and Air Attacks are Parried by tapping Forward. All/most Low/ground attacks are Parried by tapping Down. You can also parry in the air. Parrying multi-hitting attacks is possible with timed and repeated taps. What you do after a successful Parry will depend on what you parried and where you were when you parried it. Sometimes the bounce back effect of the Parry will place you too far away to retaliate. If you've parried a close in attack which has left you relatively close to the opponent, then for damage and stun fill, go for s.Rh-Rh TK. For style, a Dragon Smash should suffice :-) and better still, go for a Super Art (but you must be quick). I usually eye-ball it, I don't react the same way every time because I usually find that the same thing doesn't always work every time, so instead, rely on your knowledge of Sean's moves and the distances between you to decide on the best counter strike. 5.3 Rising Performed by tapping Down as you're being knocked down. Hitting on Down, Down, Down, ... as your character hits the ground usually works fine. Good to surprise an opponent who would have otherwise leisuredly jumped in. They'll suddenly find you're not there anymore, and if you're quick enough, you can greet them with a Super Art (Hado-Burst or Shoryu-Cannon work best for Anti Air). 5.4 Crossing Up I'm amazed at the number of people who still can't recognise and block a Cross Up attack. Mix in Cross Ups with regular jump ins for added fun! Work on your positioning skills are such that you can vary the jump-off point to the pixel so that you'll get a Cross Up or frontal attack, it'll be harder to defend against. Sean can only Cross Up with the Forward kick. 5.5 Vs Guide The following Versus guides may or may not be useful to you. It was compiled mainly from the author's personal challenging experience. For now this is mainly a section on things to look for when playing the said character and the appropriate action Sean should take. It basically boils down to this: Parry any mis-timed jump-ins, or at least try and trade hits. Know which Special and Super Arts can be punished and those that cannot. Recognise any typical bait tactics and know how to avoid them. In general, try and develop your Parrying skills and look for ways to overcome an opponent who is skilled at Parrying. Input from others is always welcomed. 5.5.1 Vs Ryu If you've mistimed a jump in, be prepared to Parry. Most Ryu's will Dragon Punch without fail (heck, they've had 8 years training!) so get good at Parrying a DP, and depending on the distance, strike back accordingly. Crouch under Hurricane Kicks then hit Fierce and interrupt into a Super Art (only Hado Burst or Shoryu-Cannon). Punish blocked Roundhouse sweeps with either a sweep of your own or a Super Art (preferably Hado-Burst or Hyper-Tornado). Punish blocked Fireballs in the same way if close enough. One opponent in the corner usually helps (to minimise separation distance after block). His new stepping sidekick can be easily punished if blocked (?). His Stun-FB Super is easy to Parry and avoid. The Shinku-Hadoken is not so easily punishable if blocked unless close up (?). The Shinku-Shoryuken is highly punishable if blocked. 5.5.2 Vs Ken Pretty much the same as Ryu. Fierce DP is a multi-hit so thus it requires a multi-parry. His Hurricane Kick has a low and wide reaching first hit, really annoying. Watch how he follows up successful Hurrican Kicks, sometimes I've found a Crouching Fierce snuffs a few of his followups, especially when he's close. All his Super Arts are highly punishable if blocked. 5.5.3 Vs Ibuki Sometimes hard to stay close to because of her speed. If you mistime a jump in and anticipate a DP Kick, and you're not confident on your parrying skills, then a well timed Rh or Fwd usually trades well in your favour! Parry all her Knife throws, they're easy. She's vulnerable after a Knife throw, so try and use that period of time to close in and hopefully attack. Close in by either Parrying the Knife and Dashing in, Dash, Tackle or Roll under the Knife, or jump over the Knife. A blocked sliding tackle is punishable by the very least a throw or sweep, but you can do more than that. Her turning blade kicks are not very punishable (at all?) if all are blocked. The only thing I can see that might be guaranteed is a Super Art timed to perfection. Her double-stomping jump attack is usually followed by a Knife Throw or even the Super Knife Throw, so becareful not to rush in. The double-stomp can be Parried, thus allowing you to dash in much earlier to punish her on her way down. The only Super Art of hers which is really punishable when blocked is Super Art III - Hashin-Sho. It's the rushing kick Super. The other's leave her relatively in a safe position. 5.5.4 Vs Elena Parry her Scratch wheel if you've mistimed a jump in or trade hits with a well timed attack. (I can hear Milo grinding his teeth in the background) :-) Parry her cartwheel kicks, they're quite easy, and punish her accordingly. All her Super Arts are punishable if blocked. If she chose the Healing Super, then you'll have to be close enough to start with to hit her, otherwise unleash a Hado Burst from wherever you are onscreen. 5.5.5 Vs Sean His Butt-Check is easily parried and punished. Any Sean player who over uses this move deserves what's coming to him :-) If you decide to block it, be careful what you do next as the Sean player might have a Super Art buffered and if you decided to so much as stick out a crouch Jab, you'll regret it. Classic bait tactic. His Tornado Kick is not impossible to Parry, but it will hurt you if you mis time it. Can be ducked under, crouch fierce into Shoryu-Cannon or Hado-Burst. You might even want to just stand up as soon as it passes overhead and hit Sean in the back. His Dragon Smash doesn't have the best priority, so well timed jump attacks can more than often trade hits, usually coming off better than Sean. Watch for fake Tackles and what the Sean player likes to do afterwards. Any blocked Tackles can be punished. Any rolls within sweep range should be immediately swept, don't hesitate. Blocked Super Arts are punishable, however the Hado-Burst is quite safe if it wasn't performed close up. 5.5.6 Vs Yun/Yang Biggest thing to watch for would be his air dive kick thingy. Don't try and Dragon Smash it unless you anticipate it really early on, otherwise it'll cleanly hit you and if the Yun/Yang player is any good, you can expect the standard chain-special-super combo. Ouch. He can also Cross-up with this move really well, so watch for that. If you're confident, then Parry it and punish accordingly. If you can take his air dive kick out of his gameplay, then I believe you've won half the battle already. IMHO of course. If the Yun/Yang player becomes jump happy and overuses it, anticipate his jumps with early Jumping attacks of your own. All of his Special Arts are punishable if blocked, except for the Palm Press. All of his Super Arts are punishable if blocked, except for the "friends" Super. 5.5.7 Vs Oro Not wise to jump at if he's charged for the Uppercut. That move has such high priority it ain't funny. It's possible to Parry it though, and remember the Fierce version hits multiple times (exact number?), so be fast and alert. His Fireballs aren't much to worry about, avoided easily enough. If blocked close up, Oro may be swept or Supered (not too sure?). Block his weird twisting air attack (the double hitter) and punish him. He usually lands behind you. You can Parry the two hits just as easily. His Supers are probably the safest in the game. By that I mean, if you block them you're not in a position to punish him, you might actually find it the other way around especially with the Green Ball Super. Although it's not that bad to block it, it's better if you avoid it completely. The Punch button Oro uses determines the amplitude of the wave and the distance it travels. The higher the amplitude, the less distance it will travel. So you can either Super Jump over the Green Balls with the small amplitude, timing the jump so you pass over it's lowest point helps, or you can just keep backing away from it until it dies out. If you're stuck in a corner blocking it, watch what Oro does carefully because if he gets in one hit, the Green Balls will also hit you. The Grappling Super can hurt if it connects, if you're quick enough you can punish him during a miss animation. The flying junk Super is the only one I haven't had much experiece against. 5.5.8 Vs Necro Another character who's hard to stay close to. He can turtle with the best of them. His Electricity can be punished in much the same way as Blanka's in past SF versions. The right attack at the right distance should hit it cleanly. Super Arts work well too. The rushing lariat type move can be punished if blocked, especially up close. Careful he doesn't interrupt it into something else though. His Super Arts are all quite different. The body electricity can be punished if blocked, wait until it just ends. The ground shock can be easily avoided and jumped. If you're within attack range, then go for any jump-in combo. The Slam Dance can be tough to avoid if performed smartly, jumping usually works. If you try a regular attack you might get caught instead. 5.5.9 Vs Dudley He can be tough for Sean to handle. He's got a good uppercut and a strong ground game. Positioning is vital if you're to beat him. If Dudley lands one hit he will more than likely chain it, interrupt it, basically, it's gonna hurt no matter what. Parry his Uppercut on mis-timed jump-ins and punish accordingly. His dashing type punches and uppercuts don't leave you with a lot to work with, except for when they completely whiff. If you've blocked them, there's not much you can really do. All Super Arts are easily punishable when blocked. Don't hesitate. 5.5.10 Vs Alex This guy can really hurt. Don't get too jump happy or you'll be eating a lot of DP+Kick Knee grabs. Try not to be predictable when doing Air attacks because Alex is the one character that can hurt you the most after a Parry - can you say Hyper Bomb? Being a big character makes it easier to cross him up. Make it a point to jump in on him at each knockdown because he lacks any decent wake-up type moves. And if you mix cross ups with frontals well, he won't be so inclined to Parrying. Punish any unsuccessful Air dive when he reaches the ground. Go for max damage. The Stun Gun Head Butt Super is one to watch out for. It's particularly useful when used as a wake-up type move and when it connects, it hurts! The total damage inflicted by the Stun Gun Head butt, a Chop, and a Hyper Bomb is insane! The Rushing Chop Super is punishable when blocked and the Hyper Bomb Super is your standard grapple Super, take the usual precautions. 5.5.11 Vs Gill Simple way to win. Firstly, don't get hit because it _really_ hurts. Secondly, continually walk backwards, never crouch, even when you're in the corner, continue walking backwards. Gill should eventually charge at you, at which point you can throw him. Repeat. If you want to be a little different, then, instead of throwing a blocked charge, Combo or Super it instead. Another thing I've found to work against Gill is that as he's getting up from a knockdown, a meaty crouching Forward interrupted to Rh Tornado Kick usually connects without fail. Quicker way of killing him. If you've KO'd him and he has a Super charged, immediately dash right up against him and as soon as he goes into Resurrection, let fly your Tornado Kick. If, like me, you don't really care to finish the game then use Gill as Parry practice. His Fireballs, and Jump in Knee attacks are double hitters, so they require two quick taps. Timing is important. Pretty much a stupid character IMHO, I have yet to _enjoy_ a single round against him, even when I win. :-/ Why is he in this game? 6.0 MISCELLANEOUS 6.1 Colours +============+============+============+============+============+ | Button | Top | Pants | Belt | Gloves | +============+============+============+============+============+ | Jab | Yellow | Yellow | Black | Red | +------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Strong | Blue | Blue | Black | Red | +------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Fierce | White | Blue | Black | Blue | +------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Short | Lime Green | Lime Green | Black | Blue | +------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | Forward | AquaMarine | AquaMarine | Black | Blue | +------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+ | RoundHouse | Red | Blue | Black | Blue | +============+============+============+============+============+ 6.2 Winning Quotes This is a list of Sean's winning quotes. Some of these are really lame, so be warned :) So here they are, in no particular order: "I did it master! I beat my first opponent!" "I like close fights, it makes me stronger" "I must learn more! Where is Ken?" "I've reached my potential!" "Hado Power! I think I've come to understand it" "When it comes to the fighting spirit, I can not lose" "Shoryu-reppa! I'll perfect it next time!" "I'm as quick as wind, fierce as fire, and solid as rock" "Rule #1: Never give up Rule #2: Don't fight me Rule #3: Don't be like Dan" "You lack strength of purpose, don't despise me!" "Don't call me Dan!" :-) Not only are some of these really lame, but contradictory as well. If Sean thinks he's reached his potential, then why the heck does he need to learn more? :) I'm just wondering if these quotes appear randomly or if they're triggered somehow? Watch this space.. 6.3 Shoot! When Sean challengers his opponent they will fight on Sean's stage. At the beginning of each round, Sean jumps and shoots a basketball toward the direction of the opponent. The path of the ball can then be controlled with the Joystick and if you steer it onto your opponent's head, you'll see some dizzy stars! Good for a laugh. I doubt that this has any effect in game at all (but you never know), and it seems as though the initial trajectory of the ball is randomly generated (but I could be wrong). It is not known whether the pressing of any buttons has any effect of the initial trajectory or flight path of the ball. 6.4 Ending Sean meets up with Ken only to be told that his training is not complete until he can beat Ryu. Ken then takes off with Eliza. We are then treated to a few scenes of Sean getting knocked down by Ryu, who's in a Hadoken stance each time. Ryu, puzzled by Sean's relentless attacks, gets a clue and asks him if Ken had put him up to this. Sean comes flying through with the classic Dan flying kick, responding with "SHUT UP AND FIGHT!". Kinda funny I guess. *shrug* 6.5 Stun Meter All characters have a Stun Meter which fills up when a hit is received. When the meter is full, the opponent is "dizzy", vulnerable to any attack for a variable amount of time. Opponents may reduce the "dizzy" time by providing a large amount of input in a short amount of time, usually best done by circling the joystick and pumping all the buttons. Not all Stun meters are the same in length, and hence, some opponents will take longer to dizzy. The Stun meter lengths are as follows: Alex: 112 pixels Dudley/Oro: 100 pixels Others: 80 pixels All characters that fall in the "Others" category will dizzy after receiving the following combo: Jumping Frc/Rh - Close s.Rh - Rh Tornado Kick Probably the only true dizzy combo in the game? There's an interesting change in the Combo Meter. It takes into account when the opponent is dizzy. So if you dizzy an opponent with, say, a 6 hit combo, and then, while they're still dizzy, you land a 12 hit combo, the Combo Meter will register it as one (6+12) 18 hit combo! It makes sense when you think about it. 7.0 GLOSSARY Jab .............. light punch, the weakest punch attack. Strong, Str ...... medium punch, the medium punch attack. Fierce, Frc ...... heavy punch, the strongest punch attack. Short, Sht ....... light kick, the weakest kick attack. Forward, Fwd ..... medium kick, the medium kick attack. Roundhouse, Rh ... heavy kick, the strongest kick attack. FB ............... Fireball, d-df-f + Punch (or QCF + Punch). DP ............... Dragon Punch, f-d-df + Punch. DS ............... Dragon Smash, Sean's DP like move. HK ............... Hurricane Kick, QCB + Kick. TK ............... Tornado Kick, Sean's HK like move. QCF .............. Quarter Circle Forward, rolling the joystick from the down position to the forward position: d-df-f. QCB .............. Quarter Circle Back, rolling the joystick from the down position to the back position: d-db-b. HCF .............. Half Circle Forward, rolling the joystick a half circle from the back position to forward: b-db-d-df-f. HCB .............. Half Circle Back, rolling the joystick a half circle from the forward position to back: f-df-d-db-b. c.XXX ............ crouching, execute XXX while in a crouch position. s.XXX ............ standing, execute XXX while in a standing position. Joystick and Button Layout Character facing Right.. ub u uf \ | / Jab Str Frc b - n - f O O O / | \ O O O db d df Sht Fwd Rh For character facing left, replace the b's with f's and vice versa. 8.0 TO DO Here's a list of things I've yet to do for this guide. Please feel free to contribute in any area. - Add in more winning quotes and find out what, if anything, triggers them. I know there's _one_ more quote I'm missing. I saw it once and it said something along the lines of "I could see all your attacks coming" or something to that effect. - Add Sean's ending dialogue (complete) - Spell check this document :-) 9.0 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS God ... for everything that was, is, and will be Capcom ... for something, I forget :-) alt.games.sf2 & rec.games.video.arcade ... all the people who give to the group The guys at Galaxy World, Sydney Australia ... to all those guys who gave me mercy rounds when I was just starting out with Sean, and then to have their butt kicked in the 3rd :-) Sean Gilley ... additional win quote, Super followup to Rh TK, Tackle Combo, and verification of more Rh TK combos. Thanks man! Lion ... Stun Meter info from Gamest. Christophe Weibel ... additional win quote.