Bushido Blade

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============================================================================
CONTENTS
============================================================================

1. Copyright stuff
2. Introduction - Assorted bits
3. Version History
4. Guide to my mind
5. The Bushido Code of Honour
6. Slash mode - obtaining Katze
7. Ending movies - First
Second
(*) General Strategy
(a) Red Shadow
(b) Tatsumi
(c) Mikado
(d) Black Lotus
(e) Utsusemi
(f) Kannuki
8. Acknowledgement and thanks
9. The rest

============================================================================
COPYRIGHT STUFF
============================================================================

This FAQ is for non-profit purposes only. Permission is NOT granted for
reproduction in any profit-making publication (at least without my prior
consent). Otherwise, do whatever you want with the FAQ, but please give
credit where credit is due. Don't try to rip it off and claim you wrote it
yourself. I will find out, and I don't take kindly to gits.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know the game is (C) 1997
Square Co., Ltd and Lightweight Co., Ltd.

============================================================================
VERSION HISTORY
============================================================================

1 - The first incarnation. Bog standard, in other words.

2 - Fixed line width. Exciting stuff.

3 - Corrected mistakes in Slash mode strategy. Verified conditions for
obtaining second endings.

4 - General tinkering and added a note about the Bushido code.

5 - Added a date of edit, and corrected a couple of mistakes.

6 - Updated with my homepage address change.

============================================================================
INTRODUCTION - ASSORTED BITS
============================================================================

I had a fair bit of trouble (at first) activating Katze and the second
ending movies, and I imagined that other people would too. I decided to
write this FAQ to help those people, giving specific information regarding
these aspects.

I was playing the game on the translated PAL version, so if you find any
version mismatches, I didn't do it.

============================================================================
GUIDE TO MY MIND
============================================================================

This is a list of some of the abbreviations I've used:

f - press forward \
F - hold forward \
b - press backward You get the idea, there's also u, U, d and D
B - hold backward _/
QCF - Quarter Circle Forward - I can't remember anything off-hand that uses
HCF - Half Circle Forward - these, but if I come across something this is
QCB - Quarter Circle Back - what I'll use.
HCB - Half Circle Back /
(H) - The preceding move is in high stance
(M) - Likewise, but in middle
(L) - In low stance
L1 - press the L1 button
L2 - press the L2 button
R1 - press the R1 button
R2 - press the R2 button
S - press the button
T - press the button
O - press the button
X - press the button
+ - press the buttons on either side of the plus sign together

Sorry if I've forgotten something. If you don't have a clue what I'm
going on about later, feel free to e-mail me.

============================================================================
THE BUSHIDO CODE OF HONOUR
============================================================================

A quick history lesson, for anyone who doesn't already know about this.
The Bushido code of honour was conceived in Japan to make honourable
fighters. The Samurai were the most devout followers of the Bushido, and
would take their own life if they broke it.
So why does this matter? Well, this is how it relates to Story mode. If
you break the Bushido code, you will get a screen showing a quote about how
dishonourable you are, and then end up back at the main menu.
An annoying touch (an oversight, perhaps?) was that although the Bushido
is mentioned in the manual, it is hardly explained in detail. I've made a
list of what you can been penalised for in Story mode.

Striking a grounded opponent
Striking an opponent while they are climbing
Striking an opponent in the back (?)
Striking an opponent before they are ready
Using a sub-weapon
Throwing dirt/snow/gravel at your opponent

Note that in easy mode the Bushido will not be as strictly enforced.
Even though it doesn't apply to Bushido Blade, the code also forbids several
more acts.

Surrendering and living (very bad, if your opponent is compassionate
they risk bringing dishonour upon you by not
lopping your head off)
Striking a woman (good thing this isn't in the game, or else Mikado and
Red Shadow would have an unfair advantage)
Drawing your sword and not taking a life (you would have to take the
most readily available life,
namely your own)

NOTE - The truth of this final rule is debatable. Since the Code of
the Bushido was never a rigidly-defined set of rules to begin
with, it seems unlikely that this rule will be satisfactorily
proven or disproven.

This does not sum up the Code in its entirety, but it should give
players the gist of things.

============================================================================
SLASH MODE - OBTAINING KATZE
============================================================================

To get Katze, (the boss with the gun for the uninformed) you need to
complete Slash mode without dying. This may seem a gargantuan task, but with
a little effort you should be able to do this. Below is a guide for doing
this, based on my observations. Note that this is all my opinion, forgive me
if you don't agree with everything I say.

First, some general tips:

- First and foremost, the game must be set on Hard difficulty. Finishing
Slash mode without dying on easy mode will do absolutely nothing. Yep,
nothing. So make sure it's on Hard.

- My personal choice for character is Kannuki. If you use my (somewhat
cheesy) strategy below, speed won't be too important, and you want to be
able to take as many hits as possible. He can also recover the quickest
from blocks, making him the best choice.

- Keep your head while fighting. If you get a fair way through and die,
most people would be rather annoyed. If this happens, don't try to just
whiz through the levels as fast as possible to get back to where you
were. You will make more (probably fatal) mistakes this way. Remember,
discipline.

- There is no such thing as the Bushido code in Slash mode, so feel free
to stab people in the back, etc. In fact, if your opponent falls to the
floor, try to keep them there, doing high attacks from normal stance if
they are on the ground, or low attacks from normal stance if they are
in the process of getting up.

- Don't be fooled by the fact that there are 100 people to kill. Only 19
of these people will be "real" fighters, the remaining 81 will simply
repeat one move (listed below) and may run around a bit. On that
subject, don't let a running opponent get close to you, keep about five
large steps away. This will be explained later.

- Even if you have never used the katana before, it will be a pretty easy
weapon to pick up. You don't need to wield it like a master to beat
Slash mode. The moves I advise practising are listed below.

f, F + O - This will result in a big lunge forwards. This move is
your best friend in Slash mode, since it is fast, has
good range and is pretty much uncounterable. When in
doubt, pull this off.

O, O, F + O - This is a three slash "combo" (although it can hardly
be called a combo) which is best for dealing with
opponents that get too close. If it connects with
anything (except the wall) it's pretty much
uncounterable too.

b, F + X - It's not a katana-unique move, but it's important for
opponents on the floor that are too far away for the
slashes mentioned before. It's basically a big jumping
downward strike. Don't try it against a standing
opponent, it will usually leave you vulnerable.

- Turn continues in the options menu off. It doesn't matter too much, it
just annoyed me to have to have the timer there after dying.

Now, some in-depth info:

Everyone will know this, but Slash mode is divided into ten levels, with
ten opponents on each level. The first 9 opponents on the first 9 levels
will repeat the moves listed below (and may run around a bit) but they
shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Level 1: T - High slash
Level 2: O - Mid slash
Level 3: X - Low slash
Level 4: b, F + T - Bop on the head
Level 5: f, F + O - Lunge
Level 6: f, F + T - Step-in high slash
Level 7: f, F + X - Step-in diagonal slash
Level 8: O, O - Two mid slashes
Level 9: T, O, F + O - Three slashes

The bosses are at the end of the first nine levels, as well as on the tenth
level (which consists entirely of bosses). The main danger here is that
they're unpredictable, so it's impossible to say what they'll do. The
strategy I used was to wait until they were in lunge range, and then repeat
the f, F + O move until they died. It works, even if they roll, but be ready
to block if you mess up the movement. I was killed numerous times because I
did a step forward rather than a lunge. You should be able to beat them all
like this, but as you become more proficient you should tailor the strategy
to suit your style.

As for the other guys, I said they won't pose too much of a threat, but it
still helps to know what they'll do.

Level 1 - These guys just repeatedly do vertical slashes. Stay out of their
range and whack them with a lunge or two when they're recovering.

Level 2 - It's basically the same as level 1, just that the mid slashes are
faster to come out than the high ones. Be slightly more careful
and follow the same pattern and you'll survive with ease.

Level 3 - This, in my opinion, is the easiest level in it. The guys crouch
down and do a low slash, leaving their head wide open. Guess what
you do? Stab them in the eye with a lunge and watch them crumple.

Level 4 - They will do a (fairly fast) wallop on the head. Watch out, since
it comes out quickly and they take a step forward to do it. I may
have just been lucky, but if I missed a block they would usually
hit my sword, allowing a quick O, O, F + O to either end their
lives or take them out to safe range. But as I said, it may have
been me. You can either stay well out of range and lunge or get
in close with the triple slash combo mentioned.

Level 5 - This is a dangerous level, since the opponents will do a lunge at
you. Blocking it is risky, so only try this if you think you're a
bit of a legend. Otherwise, stay WELL out of range and pull off
your own lunges when they finish. A downside of this is that if
you get too far away they will start running around. Try and
judge the distance, but remember that it's better to be too far
away than too close.

Level 6 - The only thing to watch out for is the big step forward at the
start, so compensate for this by getting a touch further away.

Level 7 - It may as well be called "The other level 6", since the move is
the same strategy-wise. Again, watch out for the big step
forward.

Level 8 - The trap here is that if you don't block the first strike (i.e.
it hits your sword) the second one WILL hit you (and often kill
you). Be careful, and always be ready to hit the R2 button to
roll away should they hit your sword. Otherwise, just pull off
lunges at them and you'll be right.

Level 9 - Basically the same as level 8, they just do a different kind of
opening slash and end with an extra one. Follow the same
strategy, just keep your most hyperactive finger on the R2 button
and do lunges frequently. They have a weakness that you should be
aware of. On their third slash, instead of stepping forward like
the other two, they almost step backwards. This means that you
can stand a little bit closer and give you a greater chance of
doing a critical strike.

These tips should help you, but ultimately it is up to you. I can only
show you the way, I can not walk it for you. Just remember to lunge, and if
anyone says it is a cheesy way of winning, point out that it works. Then hit
them in the face.

============================================================================
ENDING MOVIES
============================================================================

As the manual says, each character has two ending movies. People may
want to activate them all for the sake of completeness, so here is something
resembling a guide.

The First movie - Finish the game, no conditions. Stick it on either mode,
die as many times as you like, get hit so much that you
will die if they sneeze on you. It makes no difference.
If you can't get this movie, you suck (and I mean that in
the nicest possible way).

The Second movie - Ok, here's the deal. I have personally verified this, so
if people don't agree with me they are speaking
codswallop. The procedure to get it is under the heading
"The procedure" (funnily enough). I've given a general
strategy, but if you are having trouble beating it with
this, you may want to try the character specific help.

Activating this movie:

Before you start, know that it does not matter whether you are in easy
or hard mode, so put it on easy. This task is difficult enough already.
Make sure continues are also enabled.

The procedure: You need to run to the well (the path will be outlined
later) while fighting your first opponent (it must be the
first, so don't kill them). You don't need to disable their
legs, but if you do it saves you from fighting them in the
next screen. I still advise doing it. Jump in to the well
and you will end up in the Underground grotto. Beat all of
the regular enemies, including Hanzaki. By the way, all this
time your character can not sustain a single scratch. Dirt
is ok, (I think) but if you are hit by even a sub-weapon,
you won't be able to get the movie. If you accomplish all
this, after killing Hanzaki you will see a quick speech from
your character and then end up fighting the final boss at
Yagura point (sans snow). Beat them (it doesn't matter how
often you die here, thankfully) and you will see the second
movie. Remember to follow the Bushido.

<*> The General Strategy
--------------------

NB - This will work for all characters, with a bit of skill. If you can't
complete it with this, try the character specific ones.

After obtaining Katze (assuming you have) you should be moderately
proficient with the katana. The best thing about this weapon, when the
second endings are concerned, is that every character can handle it
similarly, so there is no need to change your strategy for different
characters. Choose the character you want and the katana as their weapon.
At the start of the first fight, run like buggery down the road. By the
way, I'm not sure if the path I take is the quickest, so if anyone has any
suggestions, feel free to tell me. Anyway, when you get to the bridge, jump
off it away from the camera and continue running that way. In the next
screen you should come to a waterfall. Instead of climbing up with the R1
button, attempt to jump up, it is much safer. Continue down the only path
available to you. The next screen is the bamboo thicket. Again, try to jump
up the ledges. Run through the thicket and climb onto the platform at the
end.
When the computer catches up with you and it changes screens, jump up
the ledge and continue to run in the same direction. If you don't know what
I mean, you should end this screen by running through a big gate. You
should arrive at the Cherry Blossom grove, just continue running through,
and you should come to another large gate.
In the next screen (Pine Terrace, according to the map) is a set of
ledges, jump up all three and run through the gate on the top ledge. You
will come to Yagura point, which is very windy. Be extremely careful if you
are one of the lighter characters (Red Shadow, Tatsumi or Mikado) they will
run really slowly, leaving them open to attack if they are being chased by
one of the heavier three. These guys have no trouble powering through the
wind, so be careful. Anyway, run diagonally across the plain, and you should
come to a ledge.
In the next screen, you will probably not have room to jump, so just
climb up and hope. Make sure you are in middle stance, and step (don't run)
towards the well. The computer will (if you are far enough away) run towards
you. Stay still, and be ready to block their attack. If you are on easy
mode, you should have enough time to step forward and press X to do a low
strike, hopefully taking out their legs. If it doesn't, run a distance away
and repeat. If it does, jump down the well.
Your next opponent will be the only other person to be able to use a
sub-weapon on you (except if you are Black Lotus, who fights Tatsumi). Watch
out for it, and remember that you can defend from a sub weapon. If you see
them do a crouch step, be ready in case you need to block. Otherwise, just
repeat the Slash mode strategy of repeatedly lunging and you should be ok.
If you hit a wall, run back to a more open space and continue lunging. You
should be fine, just watch out for the walls, usually if your weapon hits
one you will be left vulnerable.
The fight against Katze is not a difficult one, but if you mess up you
will pay. There are three different strategies I have found, no doubt there
are more but any of these will suit you well enough:

[1] The first is the most risky, but also the quickest. The moment
he's finished flapping his tongue, press L1 + F to run towards
him. Run him through by pressing O and he should be dead. Watch
out though, if you miss he'll probably shoot you. Also, he may
be able to shoot you before you can hit him. As I said, it's
very risky.

[2] When he's done talking, run diagonally towards him (look at my
crappy ASCII diagram if you don't understand) and then circle
around behind him. Run into him from behind and he should lose
his balance, and you should then hit him with a quick move (O is
good if he's close enough). This works best with the heavier
characters, since they have a greater chance of making him
stumble. Be warned, I have been shot while running around him,
so if you're not willing to take the chance, the next strategy
is best for you.
THE ASCII DIAGRAM

Run this way
---
--/
This is you - # # - This is him

[3] Run diagonally away from him at the start (refer to the diagram
but run the opposite way, obviously) and attempt to stay a bit
away from him, but not so far away that you can't clearly see
what he's doing. Run perpendicular to him (i.e. not directly
towards him or away from him, but to the sides) and count the
number of times he shoots. When he shoots ten times, sprint in
and waste him while he's reloading. It is the safest, provided
that you know what perpendicular means.

After beating Katze, you should be at some guy with a double-bladed
staff (his moves are those of the Naginata). He's not all that difficult,
you should just run him through with a lunge as soon as you can. If he
switches to low stance (his staff angled down towards the ground rather
than vertical as in high stance) take the opportunity and stab him, your
lunge will hit him, rather than his weapon as it would if he was in middle
stance. He should be pretty easy, but maybe that's just me because I know
the Naginata. Anyway, sooner or later you'll beat him.
Next up is a girl with a sword like the Rapier (it isn't the Rapier if
you examine it closely) and there are a couple of things to watch out for.
She can attack extremely quickly, so you may find yourself on the receiving
end of a face jab (back to the start for you people). There is one major
weakness that she has. You may know the Rapier move that begins with a high
jab, low jab and then a high jab. If you see her do this move, step back a
fair way and get ready to lunge. It finishes with a big reaching stab and
then a horizontal slash. Try and get her after the stab if you can, but it
is best to observe the move once to know what happens (she'll do it often
enough that you can afford to sit back and watch) just so you don't get
caught out. If you get her once with a lunge and she doesn't die, repeat it.
You should be able to hit her again before she's done recovering.
Next up is Hanzaki. Again, this may just be me, but Hanzaki has never
actually attacked me unless I sat still for about ten seconds. If this
happens to you to, take advantage of it and run him through. Just repeatedly
lunge and you'll be fine. Remember to watch out for the walls, and try not
to hit them with your sword.
If all has gone well so far, you should be fighting the final boss. It
depends on your character who you'll fight, but remember that it doesn't
matter how many times you get hit or die here. Just persevere until you beat
them. Remember to follow the Bushido code, you don't want to be penalised
for that after coming all this way.

Character Specifics
-------------------

N.B. - I have not given anything regarding the fight with Katze in these
sections, just use the one in the general strategy. It works with
any weapon.

Red Shadow
- My weapon of choice for Red Shadow is the long sword, because of the
multitude of unique moves she can perform with it.

- There is still some skill required to win with Red Shadow and the long
sword. I did find it easier this way, but I have been practising. I would
advise you to do the same. In training mode, pick Red Shadow and the long
sword (versus anyone at all, but Mikado with the Naginata would be a good
choice, since I had trouble against the guy with the staff) and get to
know the moves.

- First up is Mikado with the saber. Getting to the well will be no trouble
at all, since she'll get blown around as much as you at Yagura Point.
When trying to cut her legs out, the move I use the most is f, F + X (L).
The timing can be difficult, but with a bit of practice you'll be able to
get them every time with this. If you don't like that, your next best bet
is T, X (H) but it doesn't have the range of the previous move.

- Waiting for you in the Underground Grotto is Utsusemi with the long
sword. He shouldn't be too much trouble, but there are a couple of things
to watch out for. His sub-weapon flies quickly, so sometimes it is
difficult to see (until it's too late). As a safety measure, if you see
him crouch step make it a reflex to run perpendicular (there's that word
again) to him. Some good moves to try are O, O (H), F + O (M) and X, T, T
(L). Just keep your wits and you'll prevail.

- Katze won't be too hard (just follow the general strategy above) but I
had some trouble against the guy in Executioners cove. Try F + O (M) and
then quickly do b, F + T (M). Retreat and repeat and always be ready to
block or backflip. If you find it easier, you could approach with B + O,
O (L) which will leave you in medium stance. Then try T (M) or X (M)
before running and trying again. However you do it, you'll have to get
around the length of his weapon. The girl and Hanzaki can be beaten using
a similar strategy to that used against Utsusemi.

- Her final boss is the samurai guy. He's a pretty cool looking guy, in
full samurai armour and wielding the Nodachi. Just fight him as you would
normally, he shouldn't pose too much of a problem.

Tatsumi
- Before I begin, I should mention that I do not like Tatsumi and as such
do not play as him much. I advise using the general strategy, since it
worked for me. I am still, however, more than a match for all of the
people I've played against as Tatsumi, so these tips are not coming out
of the wrong end.

- Ok, his best two weapons are the sledgehammer and the saber. I would
advise using the saber, for two reasons. One is that I think the sledge
is a horrible weapon, and the other is that you are much less vulnerable
with the saber.

- His first opponent is Black Lotus with the saber. It will be fairly
difficult getting to the well, remember that he runs faster than you, so
be a bit careful. He will possibly catch up to you in the Cherry Blossom
grove, but you can use this simple trick to get away from him. Jump up on
the ledge, and wait until he begins climbing up to follow. Run off as
he's climbing up and stick as close to the ledge as possible. With any
luck he'll run along on top of the ledge for a bit before falling down,
and you should end up with a nice healthy lead. As for Yagura point, be
extremely careful, since Tatsumi gets blown around like a leaf. Run
haphazardly, turning right angles when he closes in on you and slowly
progress to the well. You should survive like this.

- When cutting his legs out, there are three options to try. The first is
f, F + X (H), but this will leave you extremely vulnerable, so in my
opinion it's best not to try it. Another way is f, F + X (L). It still
leaves you vulnerable, but only slightly compared to the first move. It
would be the method I most recommend, but try it out in practice mode
before you attempt to use it on Black Lotus. Your last option is sticking
to regular low strikes from high or medium (but not low) stance. If
you're a good blocker it is the safest by far, but it is also the most
likely to be blocked. Whatever method you use, remember that he has the
saber also, sometimes he can hit you before you can react to block.

- Next up is Kannuki with the Naginata. He's easy with the saber, go into
low stance and keep a distance away from him. When he's recovering from
doing a move, pull off b, F + O. Be careful of his fan, although it isn't
very fast in the air it can still catch you off guard.

- After beating Katze, you'll need to fight the other three. Some moves
that might be effective are T, O (H), b, F + O, O, O, O, O (H), f, F + O
(M) and b, F + O (L). You shouldn't have to much trouble against the two
guys, but be careful against the girl, she's faster than you.

- His final boss is some egomaniacal weirdo with an odd sword. The stance
looks like that of the long sword, but from what I saw his moves resemble
those of the katana. Anyway, he shouldn't be any problem. Just try not to
get crushed by his ego.

Mikado
- There is only one weapon for Mikado: the Naginata. With a little practice
she can dominate any fight with it.

- First up is Kannuki with the long sword. This will be the most difficult
run to the well you will have to do. Kannuki runs a lot faster than you
will, and when you get to Yagura point...well you can guess. Mikado is
the lightest and Kannuki is the heaviest. Run all over the place, making
progress towards the well if he does a crouch step or anything similar.
If he gets too close just run around him in a circle until you think you
can make a break for it. You'll be able to get there eventually, but
don't lose your patience.

- When cutting out his legs, you could try a simple X (H), which is the
safest but the least likely to actually connect. Another move is f, F + T
in medium stance. You may end up smacking them in the face but there is a
good chance that you'll knock their legs out. It's also very fast. If you
want to show off, try b, F + T, X, R1, X (M) which is effective provided
that you jump over your opponent (you'll know what I'm talking about
after trying it). Just be ready to block and you'll get him sooner or
later, the Naginata is a very safe weapon so don't worry along those
lines.

- Next is Red Shadow with the saber. Just hold F and hit O, O, O in middle
stance. It's a ludicrously effective move, since it has no delay at the
start or the end, keeps opponents at bay and is close to uncounterable.
Just watch out for her knives, they're extremely fast.

- After Katze is the weird guy with the staff, who will also be stupidly
easy. Just be careful if he tries to use the same move against you. When
fighting the girl, be a bit more careful, since she can reach up and stab
you in the face over your weapon. A safer move to use is b, F + T, O, X,
O from low stance. It has longer range and hits at different heights,
making it even more difficult to counter. Hanzaki should not pose any
problems, just deal with him in the standard way.

- Her last boss is the samurai guy again. He won't be a problem, just
repeat the move over and over again. Don't worry if he gets a lucky
strike in (which will probably kill you) since you can continue as much
as you want.

Black Lotus
- He is a master with the Rapier, but it can be difficult winning like
this. This is my favourite character/weapon combination, so I didn't have
too much trouble, but always be aware of the limited range and blocking
capability of the Rapier. On the other hand, take advantage of it's speed
as much as possible. Remember to go for the face, it is fairly easy to
hit with the Rapier, and almost always kills them.

- Your first opponent is Mikado with the katana. It's a simple run to the
well, especially at Yagura point.

- When cutting her legs out, you should try f, F + X (L), just be aware of
what it does before trying it. You may just want to try low attacks (high
stance is the best for this), it's not too difficult.

- In the underground grotto is Tatsumi with the Nodachi. He can't use a sub
weapon on you, but the Nodachi is difficult to beat with the rapier. Some
moves you may want to try are T, O (H), f, F + T, O, X, O, O (L), O, O, O
(L) and O, O (H). These moves are all very safe, so there isn't too much
danger after you begin them. If you want to take a chance, try b, F + T
from medium stance. It will usually kill him in one hit, it just leaves
you slightly more vulnerable.

- The rest of the fighters shouldn't be a problem. With Hanzaki and rapier
girl, use T, O (H), it's very effective. With the staff guy, this move
and O, O (H) are your best friends.

- His last boss (I think) is that ego-man again. Just keep on the move and
stab him in the face when you get the chance. When he's dead, make sure
you stab him a few times. Not for any particular reason, I just despise
this guy. I don't know why, it's just a deep-seated loathing.

Utsusemi
- He is actually the one I devised the general strategy with, so I still
think that it is the best way to get his second movie. If you are having
trouble getting it that way, try the Nodachi. It may be a slow weapon,
but it is deadly once you know how to use it. The remainder of these
tips are for the Nodachi.

- Tatsumi with the sledgehammer is your first opponent. Again, this is a
simple run to the well.

- When cutting his legs out, the move I most recommend is f, F + X (L). It
is probably the most effective. T, X (L) may also work, but half the time
you'll kill him instead of knocking his legs out. Low slashes from medium
stance are effective, they are just extremely slow. Use your judgement
when deciding which to use.

- In the grotto is Black Lotus with the rapier. It is a simple fight, keep
doing O, O, F + T (M) and you'll win. Be careful of the sub-weapon, it's
rather fast.

- When fighting the last three, you can use the move used against Black
Lotus, and you may want to know X, T (L) and T, T, F + T (H). If you're
feeling really gutsy, press b, F + T (L), then while he's waving his
sword around, hit T, T, T, T. It is a very fast four-hit move that almost
always kills them. The trouble is that it takes him so long to start. I
found that it was extremely effective against Hanzaki.

- Enter Mr Samurai again. Nodachi vs. Nodachi is always fun, and it doesn't
matter if you die or not. Just slice him up as best you can, and have no
regard for your own safety.

Kannuki
- Kannuki is best with the broadsword or sledgehammer, I would advise
taking the broadsword. Again, this is partly because I hate the sledge,
but it is also because of the excellent moves that the broadsword has.

- Your first opponent is Red Shadow with the Nodachi. The run to the well
is probably the simplest you will have to do.

- When knocking out her legs, you could try b, F + O (L) which is a low
strike after a big step forwards. If you want to be flashy, you could use
O, O, X (M) but there is all likelihood that you'll kill her instead.

- Next up is Mikado with the Naginata. Your best move against her is O, O,
T (M) which will usually kill her. You may also want to try O, O (L), it
is very safe and just as deadly.

- For the guy with the staff, just fight him as you did Mikado. As for the
other two, use those moves as well as T, T (L). When fighting against an
opponent that can't stand, use either X, T, T (L) or T, T, T (H).

- His final boss is Black Lotus, but he is sliced up and is covered with
bandages. He has either the saber or the long sword (I can't remember
which), and he shouldn't be difficult at all. Just follow the procedure
and be relieved that you don't have to beat him flawlessly.

============================================================================
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
============================================================================

Just me so far. If anyone has anything to add, I'm open to suggestions.
If you give me something I use, I'll stick your name here. Feel special.

============================================================================
THE REST
============================================================================

My e-mail address is . But please, no spam. Quite
simply, I just don't care about it and it will be duly ignored.
As for the FAQ, if people want me to I could expand it to a complete
move list (or at least as complete as I can make it). I didn't bother
because I know enough moves for now, but if people want it I've got tons of
spare time. Any future revisions can be found at either of the following
addresses:

http://i.am/ug.the.caveman
http://www.gamefaqs.com