Written by John T. Carr III (c) 1996. The name CRITCOM and
the characters (c) Kronos corp. All opinions expressed
within, unless otherwise stated, are the author's own and do
not necessarily reflect those of Vic Tokai, Kronos Corp, or
the Chosen Ones. Permission is given to reproduce this FAQ
on the net (or one Printed copy for home use) provided that
this header is included. Failure to comply will bring a
Nezom battalion to your doorstep.
***** C O N T E N T S *****
1. Why this FAQ
2. Story
3. Game Mechanics
4. Characters and Moves
5. Weird Stuff and Extras
6. Reviews and Views
***************
1. Why this FAQ
***************
Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there who
*like* this game. And the people who hate it, I've found,
tend to fall into one of two camps: the "It isn't better
than Tekken/Toshinden" crowd and the "What's up with these
moves?!" crowd. This FAQ is for both camps - as well as
for those who like the game.
I'm not saying that CRITICOM is easy. If ever there was a
fighter for which the acronym 'RTFM' fits, it's CRITCOM. The
move patterns don't fit under any of the big 5 entirely. The
results of actions your opponent makes means you *do* have
to think when you play this game. You can't just cheese your
way through it (and incidentally, despite what a certain
popular game magazine says, you can't always lure your
opponent to the edge and watch him/her fall off. Maybe in
Level 1, but not after that).
Doing the research for this was a labor of love. It had to
be, because the Road TO THE RELIC is a bastard and a half.
But, it holds surprises for the inventive. Or did you
*really* think that each character only had no more than
four moves per level?
Immediate thanks for this FAQ go to Jim Kapostas, anime
music video meister extraordinaire, for getting me the game
as a Christmas present, and to Craig A. Jensen of
rec.games.video.sony, whose review in the midst of all the
"THIS GAME SUCKS!!!" posts intrigued me enough about the
game to give it a second look. Comments and criticisms are
welcome, and if it inspires someone else to go at the Chosen
Ones, I'll be happy.
Still looking for:
-----------------
Get-up moves
Secret codes
Verification on SID's groundshaker
********
2. Story
********
"The Nezom and Zerai clans annointed themselves as the
"Chosen Ones" -- a self-proclamation spurred by the
acquisition of an ancient relic which bestowed great powers
upon its possesors, but not the wisdom to wield that power.
Led by their emperor, the Chosen Ones purged all resistance,
annihilating entire races. The planet Hyperia fell into the
War Era.
In the end, the Chosen Ones achieved compliance, if not
obedience. The years of ruthless supremacy took its toll on
the Emperor. In his old age, the dying Emperor passed on the
relic to its new heirs. A new age of peace and prosperity is
about to begin...
... or so it seemed..."
- from the opening
Two flashes of light, and suddenly the relic is gone - its
protectors lying on the floor.
The Chosen Ones, fearful that news should leak of the
events, quickly replaced the relic with a replica and began
taking steps to finding and reacquiring their source of
power. Both Delara Zerai and Sonork Nezom, heirs to the
throne, went on seperate quests: Delara, to regain her
honor, as she was one of the guardians of the relic when it
was stolen; and Sonork to prove his fitness to rule, given
his brother's untimely passing. The Chosen Ones also hired a
soldier-of-fortune, Dayton Trent, to pursue the relic.
However, rumors spread of the existance of the Relic. Rumors
which, in certain ears, inspired thoughts of lost pride,
power unimaginable -- and a chance for revenge.
*****************
3. Game Mechanics
*****************
Each bout is one fall. You win by either knocking your
opponent out, knocking him out of the arena, or having the
most energy left when time runs out. The severity
of this "critical combat" (get it?) is mitigated by your
character's having two life bars. You know you're on your
second life bar when the gold circle by yours disappears.
After you've defeated all your opponents (including a mirror
image of yourself), you face the next higher-level version
of yourself. Triumph, and you get the password for that
version of yourself as well as more moves and better
defensive armor. It is this progressive nature of the
gameplay that makes Criticom unique: your character improves
and learns new things. Lest we forget, so do your opponents.
Take Sonork for example. As combat progresses, he replaces
one arm with a wicked scythe; by Level 3, he is almost
totally cyborged - testimony to his willingness to do
anything to win. And, at the end of your Level 3 battles,
you face the thief who stole the relic - who is none other
than...
Button Configuration
--------------------
(Config. 1 (Default), with character facing right:)
_____ _____
/ \------------/ \ L1: Dodge right
: U : SONY : T : L2: Dodge left
: B F : -- -- : S O : R1: Special (1)
: D :----------: X : R2: Special (2)
\_____/ \_____/ Select:
Start:
U - Up S - Square: Jab (1)\ Menu Select
B - Back X - Cross: Jab (2)\ Menu Select
F - Forward T - Triangle: Kick (1)\Menu Select
D - Down O - Circle: Kick (2)\ Menu Select
Option Screens
--------------
TITLE SCREEN: Select TOURNAMENT, 2-PLAYER, or OPTIONS by
moving the cursor with the direction pad and pressing S, X,
T, O, or START.
CHARACTER SELECT: Pressing the direction pad will circle the
clansmen around, with their data appearing in the window
above their standing form. Pressing S, X, T, or O will
select the character in front. In tournament mode, the
computer will pick your opponent. In 2-player mode, pressing
Start after selecting the characters will start the game.
Pressing select will move you to the Options screen.
Pressing select and start together will reset the game and
move you to the title screen.
OPTIONS SCREEN: Move up and down the various options with
the direction pad. Moving right or left at an option toggles
the various choices:
TIMER: 99 or 00 (infinity)
MUSIC VOLUME: 0-9 (9 is default)
SFX VOLUME: 0-9 (9 is default)
BUTTON CONFIGURATION: P1 AND P2
There are four different configs; I humbly suggest you
stick with Config.1 while learning the game.
LOAD/SAVE: Moves to the LOAD/SAVE screen.
EXIT: Takes you back to either main title or character
select.
LOAD/SAVE SCREEN: This is where you enter in passwords to
fight with your warrior at a higher level (and get more
nifty moves). Conversely, you can load in data saved on your
memory card here or save an existing game as well. If you
try to enter in a password during the course of a game, the
computer will ask you if you wish to quit that particular
game before it does the power-up.
NB: You cannot enter the access code given at the end of
game here. That's for Criticom II, which has been announced
as an upcoming title by Vic Tokai at the 1996 E3.
Basic Moves and Strategy
------------------------
First and foremost, it cannot be stressed enough that
Criticom is a true-space 3D fighting game. What this means
is, if you flub an attack and go sailing past you opponent,
you will not automatically swivel to face him\her. In other
words, *you*have*to*aim*your*attacks*. Nothing is more
frustrating than catching your opponent unawares, knocking
him down, and then flubbing the pounce because you didn't
take into account where he landed when you knocked him down.
By the same token, however, few things are more satisfying
than blasting an obnoxious opponent in the back a few times.
You also have to be a bit more aware of where you are in
relation to the edge of the arena (mostly because it's
circular) than in other polygonal games. Wheras most players
find this frustrating and\or cheesy, I think it mirrors real
life: if you're fighting someone at the edge of a cliff,
you're going to try and knock them off the cliff if they
give you half the chance. A good example of this principle
is in Toshiden with Fo's and Sofia's stages. So, having a
good grasp of the fighting fundamentals - more so than the
combos - is more important in becoming a good player at this
game (which is a radical idea for fighting games these days
:) ). Or, as a friend of mine put it after managing to throw
me off the edge after being beaten down to his final
flashing lifebar (he was S.I.D., I was Exene), "It's a lot
like playing 9-ball. It doesn't matter if you have a run on
1-8 if you make a mistake and your opponent sinks the 9."
1. S + X - Strong Jab
T + O - Strong Kick\ Roundhouse
For most characters a kneeling roundhouse results in a
knockdown if it connects.
2. Charge: Double tap and hold F
Retreat: Double tap and hold B
Retreats can also do damage if, like Delara, your
character backlflips to get out of the way.
3. Use L1 and L2 to roll right and left, respectively. A
good way to avoid projectiles, though it can leave you
open if you do it too much.
4. U - Jump
D - Crouch
Some projectiles can be thrown from the air; others can
be ducked or jumped.
5. Guards: a standing guard will block any standing or air
attacks, while a low guard will block low attacks and
ground projectiles. Learn your oppenent's combos so
you'll know how to block them, as they mix both high and
low attacks. If you take too many hits in succession,
your character will get dizzy. Hit right and left on the
directional pad repeatedly to bring him out of it
quickly.
6. While your character will get up after three seconds
when he falls, tapping the directional buttons will
bring him up faster. Tapping U or D will bring him up
where he fell; tapping B or F will bring him up in that
direction (this can cause damage with Demonica and other
characters.)
When your opponent is down, pressing U and X will make
your character leap in the air and land on your
opponent, usually weapons first. This is true even from
far away, but be warned - the farther the pounce, the
more time your opponent has to recover and dodge out of
the way\ counterattack. Some characters have "down"
attacks - i.e. when knocked down, hitting that sequence
will make them get up quick and fight, often surprising
your opponent.
7. Throws: when close to your opponent tap forward, hold
and press R1 and R2 simultaneously. You can't throw
someone if you're behind them or to the side.
Learn how to throw. Trust me, it's worth it.
8. Chain, but aim: you can chain combos in this game by
entering in the combo for one just as the first is
ending (Delara, Dayton and Exene seem to be able to do
this the easiest.) YOu can also tack on single moves to
the end of combos. Be warned, though: if you lock
yourself into *too* long a combo, or don't aim your
attack by tapping the directional button, you can leave
yourself wide open.
***********************
4. Characters and Moves
***********************
DAYTON TRENT
------------
"Oh yeah!"
Dayton's motto: "If it exists, I'll find it." His fast
wit and a "trust no one" attitude perpetuated this career as
a soldier of fortune/ investigator. The Chosen Ones hired
Dayton to find the Relic. His motive is to retire on the
sale of the Relic to the highest bidder and perhaps take up
fishing.
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Flying Uppercut LVL 1
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Uppercut Combo LVL 1
Hold R2 + S, T Roll Slash + Flying Uppercut
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Triple Slash Combo LVL 1
Hold R2 + S, S Roll Slash + Triple Slash
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Slide LVL 2
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid Lazer LVL 3
| \ -o + R1 Five quick bursts from Lazer
o o
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Rapid Lazer Combo LVL 3
Hold R2 + S, T, T Roll forward, Triple slash,
side roll, Rapid Lazer
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Slide Combo LVL 3
Delara is from the Zerai clan. Zeraians' ideology
rejects technology in all forms. They view that skill and
honor weave the very fabric of a true warrior. While
defending the Relic from the thief, her Nezom counterpart
was killed. Now she seeks vengeance on the one who stole
the Relic and her destiny.
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Flying Uppercut LVL 1
Hold R1 + F Jumping Uppercut
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash LVL 1
Hold R1 + D Roll forward, low slash
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slide Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + D + X Roll Slash + Low K(3)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slice Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + D + S
-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Uppercut Combo LVL 1
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Tri-slice LVL 2
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
-----------------------------------------------------------
Multi-slice combo (UNVERIFIED) LVL 3
Demonica comes from an alternate Dimension and her
desire for the Relic is speculative. Her intentions may be
to bring the Relic into her own realm for some diabolical
purpose. Demonica has an ancient stone similar to the Relic
in her own dimension. She knows that in obtaining a second
stone, her evil will be supreme and darkness will spread to
the ends of the universe.
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Fireball LVL 1
| \ -o + S Shoots fireball
o o
-----------------------------------------------------------
Claw Charge LVL 1
Hold R1 + F Lunges forward, claws extend-
ed; multiple hits.
------------------------------------------------------------
Claw Fireball Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + F + S Claw charge followed by
fireball
-----------------------------------------------------------
Claw Charge Punch Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + F + O
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Fireball LVL 1
| \ -o + S + X Fireball, then sidestep, then
second fireball, then side-
step, then third fireball
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Kick Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + S, S
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Kick Combo (2) LVL 1
Hold R1 + X, X
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Combo LVL 1
Hold R1 + S, X
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Worm Wave LVL 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Claw Charge Worm Wave Combo LVL 2
Hold R1 + F + X
-----------------------------------------------------------
Hurricane Kick Combo LVL 2
Hold R2 + F + X
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Tumble charge LVL 3
Hold R1 + O Forward flip kick, knockdown
if connects.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Upwards Fireball LVL 3
| \ -o + T Wormblast sent skyward; if
o o done while jumping, it be-
comes a tri-directional
blast.
----------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Fireballs LVL 3
| \ -o + R1 Five fireballs in rapid
o o succession.
----------------------------------------------------------
Alternating Fireball LVL 3
| \ -o + R2 Fireball, wormblast, fire-
o o ball, wormblast
----------------------------------------------------------
Flip Kick Bouncing Fireball Combo LVL 3
R1 + D + X Flip kick followed by worm-
blast.
__________________________________________________________
SGT. EXENE DULAIT
-----------------
"Who's your daddy?"
Exene grew up on a planet scarred by constant wars. She
was raised in the military, but after witnessing mass de-
struction of entire cities, she left her planet dismayed by
the senseless loss of lives. In her travels, Exene learned
of an ancient Relic that possessed great mystical powers.
She now seeks the Relic with the hope of using it to stop
the wars on her beloved planet.
Outfits:
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Roundhouse Slap LVL 1
Hold R2 + S + F Roundhouse slap, high round-
house kick to low roundhouse
kick.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash LVL 1
R1 + D (After being knocked down)
roll forward, kneeling rapid
stick
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash Swing Combo LVL 1
R1 + D + S (After being knocked down)
roll forward, kneeling rapid
stick, kneeling strong punch
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Tumble Jab LVL 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash, Backflip Electro Combo LVL 2
R1 + D + T (After being knocked down)
roll forward, low slash,
backflip w/ Electro blast
-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash Slide Combo
R1 + D + X (After being knocked down)
roll forward, low slash,
slide kick
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Taser Rush LVL 3
| \ -o + R1 Multiple Taser blasts
o o
-----------------------------------------------------------
Power Charge Uppercut LVL 3
Hold R1, O, S, T Low electrified charge for-
ward ending in uppercut w/sky
backflip
GORM
----
[Editor's note: Still waiting for Dorlonese/English
dictionary, thus no quote.]
Gorm comes from a dying race called the Dorlons. The
number of Dorlons that still remain are unknown. They are a
peaceful race whose culture was forged by one prophecy. It
is their belief that the ancient Relic was the birth stone of
their race. It was prophesied that some day a champion will
acquire the Relic and return it to its rightful home.
Outfits:
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Low Jab LVL 1
Hold R1 + X
-----------------------------------------------------------
Power Blade LVL 1
Hold R1 + S, X
-----------------------------------------------------------
LVL 1
Hold R1 + O, S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Dual Edge Blow LVL 2
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Body Torpedo LVL 3
Product of a twisted experiment, the Sentient Inte-
rated Droids wander the wilderness with one goal: destroy
all carbon based life forms.
Outfits:
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Missile LVL 1
| \ -o + S
o o
-----------------------------------------------------------
Double Side Kick LVL 1
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Aerial Missile LVL 2
-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Slash Leg Sweep Combo LVL 2
Hold R1 + O, O
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid Fire Missile LVL 3
| \ -o + R1
o o
-----------------------------------------------------------
Air Roll Charge LVL 3
Sonork's brother was destined to become the Emperor.
However his brother was wounded in the attempt to protect
the Relic. Seeing an opportunity to become the leader of
the Chosen Ones, Sonork killed his brother. Despite his
lack of physical strength and combat skill, Sonork proved
that he will go to extreme lengths to wield the ultimate
power.
Outfits:
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Power Slide LVL 1
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Plasma sickle LVL 2
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid fire Sickle LVL 3
Yenji was young when she witnessed the death of her family
during the War Era. She and other survivors hid in caves to
evade capture. Fueled by hate, she trained diligently both
physically and mentally knowing that her time for vengeance
would be at hand. Rumors of the stolen Relic prompted Yenji
to leave her dwelling. If she can find and destroy the
Relic, the reign of the Chosen Ones will be at a complete
end.
Outfits:
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
L E V E L 1 M O V E S
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Claw Charge LVL 1
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
L E V E L 2 M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Giant Shuriken LVL 2
| \ -o + S
o o
NB: Can also be done in air
-----------------------------------------------------------
Multi-cut LVL 2
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
L E V E L 3 M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Ground dash LVL 3
2) Weird Criticom Facts
--------------------
S.I.D. can only be thrown by Yenji, who leaps over him
and knocks him over. No one else's throw works against
him - not even Demonica's!
When S.I.D. wins, be it player or computer, there is no
vocal recognition of that fact (i.e. "Player 1 triumphs."
All demo fights are Exene Vs someone else. If you have
data loaded in from a memory card, the levels of the demo
characters will change accordingly. LVL 3 settings on
both P1 and P2 make for some interesting viewing.
Track #13 is the end theme, true, but the audio during
the end credits is redbooked (i.e., the program does not
read track #13 to play the music). Does this mean that
track #13 is just for show? Or is it similar to track #12
in Battle Arena Toshinden, which is played only when a
certain condition is filled? And, if so, what condition?
Sprite collision detection (that which keeps the polygons
from melding into the same space at the same time) is
turned off at the instant one character's life end. This
makes for some pretty interesting victory poses at
times...
Slip Slidin' Away: When you retreat with Delara, if you
hold D as she backflips, she'll keep sliding backwards in
the crouch position until she eventually slides off the
side...
3) Passwords and Access Codes
--------------------------
Name LVL 2 LVL3 ACCESS
---- ----- ---- ------
DAYTON SIER ETER DIRAT
DELARA PHAN KING DCINO
DEMONICA GONE WORL DANAR
EXENE SPHE WING ESCIN
GORM CHAM MARV GODNE
S.I.D. ODTH BATM SOBRU
SONORK PLAY CHRO SSISE
YENJI SPID STAR YAHAM
4) View the Endings
----------------
To see the ending for your favorite character, enter
the LOAD/SAVE screen and at that character's name enter
TTAM. You'll then see that character's ending movie,
his/her access code, and the end credits.
5) On the Emperor
--------------
Your final opponent is none other than the Emperor
himself. Fearing that his successors did not have the
ruthlessness needed to rule, he stole the Relic and used
its mystic powers to regain his youth and strength. He's
smart, fast, ruthless and has most (if not all) of both
Delara and Sonork's moves. And from all empirical
evidence, he can't be thrown.
Oh, one last thing: your fight with the Emperor is un-
timed. Either he dies or you do.
Good luck; you'll *need* it.
********************
6. Reviews and views
********************
Look for the grabs, secret moves that get added each level,
and codes. :)
Date: 1996/01/20
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Hi, I would like to just make some corrections to your
excellent review of Criticom. Don't want people to
get even more skewed views of what the game is like. :)
PETER BOTT (peter.bott@swcbbs.com) wrote:
[snip]
: *** Sound: 8.0 ***
: i *really* liked the sound fx in this one. it's standard
: kick/punch/hit fx, and the music is decent, but not
groundbreaking.
: what i really liked were the in-game taunts and screams.
each fighter : features his/her unique taunt set. while
you're fighting, your
Thanks. It was initially my idea when I suggested
Criticom didn't do the StreetFigher-ish sound effects that
get real repetitive. At least somebody liked it. :)
: *** Gameplay: 4.0 ***
: grab a thesaurus and look up bad. see all those words?
well that : basically sums up the game engine here. allow
me to explain :)
: each fighter features 4 attack buttons: light punch, hard
punch, light : kick, hard kick. 2 roll buttons, you either
roll to the left or to the : right. 2 special moves
buttons, to do a special move, you hold in one : of the R
buttons and do a simple move with the d-pad, it's too easy.
No, actually there's 3 different attacks per limb. Light,
medium, hard. It's one, the other, and both buttons to do
these different ones. There's also a short-jump attack
besides the normal jump-attack; similiar to Tekken's short
hop attack. Grabs and ground slams are pretty fun too.
There's a large variety of moves too besides hold the button
and d-pad motion. Some are Tekken-ish, some Street-Fighter
II-ish, some WeaponLord-ish, whatnot. Guess it's too many
combat systems combined, huh? :)
: the main problem here is that the standard attack buttons
only do ONE : thing despite whatever way you're holding the
d-pad. the only : variation you'll get on an attack is if
you're holding down, that way : you can do a crouch attack.
becuz of this, the standard attack moves : are very VERY
limited, and this is what in the end, kills the :
possiblity for any sort of combo system.
There's built in pre-programmed combos, besides the ones you
can do yourself since the moves sorta "cache" as you do
them. You just have to find these moves.
: as well. i believe you can be leveled up three times(each
time you : level up, your character's graphics change
slightly), and i'm not sure : so bored after leveling up
one of my characters once, that i couldn't : stand to play
it through again, let alone 2 more times.
Try TTAM. :)
Date: 1995/12/25
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Try FE** somewhere and see what it does. There's still
other hidden codes. Stop and think about it and you won't
spend hours trying out the right combination for the codes.
;)
From jensen@math.cornell.eduTue Mar 26 10:30:06 1996
Date: 25 MAR 1996 16:49:36 GMT
From: "Craig A. Jensen"
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Subject: Re: CFD: Criticom
In article <4j64ai$pnm@larry.rice.edu>, xethair@rice.edu
says...
>
>Hey, I know most people didn't like criticom, but I
remember at least >one >person who said it really was
good, once the characters were all up >levels. Is there
anyone who would give the game a positive review? How
>about a comparison with zero divide?
Ok, I'll bite. It is currently at a friend's house, but I
think I can remember the relevant details.
**Graphics: 8/10. It has extremely good graphics. There's
very little polygonal flickering (much less than Tekken).
(For the Zero Divide comparison, ZD has much less
flickering than either Criticom or Tekken.)
Although each character doesn't have an extremely large
number of polygons, they still look nice. Also, you need
to recall that they have different graphics for each
character.
Arenas are essentially 3D floors with 2D stuff pasted to the
sides/horizons, if I recall. Some of the arenas had
sides/horizons that looked more 3Dish than 2Dish, though,
if I recall correctly.
The characters were colorful and exotic. The backgrounds,
while lacking the clean elegance of TSDs, were creative and
attention-getting. Overall, the game looked very nice.
The graphics had some glitches that were annoying. First
off, when you did a throw you would often partially meld
into the other person while the throw was being performed.
This looked wierd but had no other effects. The other
glitch was that when you died, collision detection for the
characters was turned off. Hence when your character killed
the other character, you would move right through him as he
fell to the ground. This obviously didn't really effect
the game, as it happened after the match was over.
The game had tons of very good FMV. If you are a big fan of
FMV, this could very easily change the graphics score of
8/10 to one of 9/10. There is introductory FMV and closing
FMV for each character. Also, while the final credits are
rolling, there's some very nice sketches that they show.
**Sound: 5/10. They did an average job on this. Sound
effects were sparse and sometimes repetitive. Characters
did sometimes say things. The music is ok, but sometimes a
little too attention getting (i.e., Sonork's "galactic
empire" music.) Overall, they did a standard job on this.
**Difficulty: Easy. I think this is where the game ran into
problems. See my comments under gameplay for more details.
**CD access: Fast and unobtrusive.
**Gameplay: 7/10. This one is really tricky to rate. It
could vary very easily from person to person, and you
should probably look at 7/10 more as an averaging of what
different people would rate it.
The main problem that people have with the game is that it
doesn't really play like a fighting game. Its actual
playing style has more in common with a simple mech game or
shooter or perhaps Double Dragon.
Combos are extremely easy to enter. Most don't involve more
than a few button pushes, and the most difficult joystick
motion in the manual is a QCF one. (A couple of moves not
listed in the manual require HCF motions, but again it's no
big deal.) You *will* get them the first time you try, and
mastering the controls will never be a difficult part of the
game. In other words, entering special moves isn't much
trickier than it would be for Double Dragon or Golden Axe
or some similar game.
Most combos also have a rather quick recovery time. Some
had an effective "warm up time" as they started with weak
moves that were easily cancelled. This could be resolved
by starting the combo a step away from the other guy. What
this ended out meaning is that you didn't want to go head
to head against characters who had combos which started with
high priority moves and had small recovery time, as they
could just do the combo over and over again.
Throws could be performed if you were close to the other
person, even if he was at an angle to you due to rolling.
Then there were projectiles/shots. Almost all of the
characters got significant shots later on in the game. I
mean, *really* significant shots that were very powerful.
Some characters (e.g., Yenji, Demonica) also got shots with
small recovery times. The characters that ended out
shooting characters weren't the ones you expected based on
their level 1 powers.
The shooting characters could spend a lot of time just
firing away. A sample strategy might be: Sit there firing
until they get close to you. Then throw them. With some
characters, it was pretty difficult to go against this.
Once someone was down, you could pounce on them, although
you usually didn't want to. It was usually better to shoot
at them. If you an attack that shot a stream of bolts, you
could just keep firing away so that they'd eat quite a few
when they got up.
Also, many people had shots that would travel on the ground.
If you timed it correctly, you could RO soeone who fell
down. This is because the ground shot would cause them to
"bounce" away from you if you timed it right. That way,
you could fire several times and just bounce them out of
the arena.
*So what am I trying to get to with all of this? My friend
called this "remedial Street Fighter." It is a fun game,
but was not really meant to appeal to die-hard fighting
game fans. The moves are too easy to pull off and it is
too easy to cheese someone. But you do get to advance
through three levels of characted, which was pretty fun.
The Double Dragon analogy also holds here: Easy moves, and
you can progress through levels.
If you have friends who don't really like fighting games,
they will probably like Criticom. It would be a good "beer
and pretzels" game. I am surprised people on the net were
so harsh on it, as I think it was immediately evident that
Criticom wasn't trying to be anything more than it was: An
easy-to-learn game with good graphics and causal gameplay.
**Summary: Criticom is a toned-down fighting game with good
graphics. I will never know for sure, but this is what I
think it's designers intended it to be. It will proably
appeal to people who aren't really into fighting games. If
you are a fan of fighting games and would just relax a
little, you'd probably also like to play it as a "beer and
pretzels" game. If this is how you look at the game, they
did a *very* good job.
****************John T. Carr III**jtc11@columbia.edu*********************
+ o__ @__ + "I am the wind to fill your sail
| _.>/)_ _.>/)_ | I am the cross to take your nail
+ (_) \(_) (_) \(_) + A singer of these ageless times
| <*> | With kitchen prose and gutter rhymes." - J. Tull
*************************Power--Courage--Faith*****************************
