~B
ADON Character Guide version 2.0
Street Fighter zero 2 (SATURN/PLAYSTATION)
By John "CUL" Culbert (tigeraid@geocities.com)
INTRO:
======
Despite some of the annoying changes to Adon from SFA, I still find him a
devastating character if played right--a fireballer's nightmare. :) He's
fairly simplistic, but his moves are quite stylish and he's definetely in the
top teir of SFA2.
Version Updates:
----------------
-Typos corrected, stupid mix-up between S.Forward and S.Short fixed
-Little corrections and additions to the vs. section.
-added info on Jaguar Assault
-changed error with ACs
-added CC stuff
-"edited" sac-throw explanation
*******
LEGEND: BUTTONS
*******
.-------------Jab
D-PAD | .-----------Strong
| | .---------Fierce
U/B U U/F | | |
\|/ | | |
B--o--F | | |
/|\ O O O
D/B D D/F O O O
| | |
| | |
| | |
| | ----------Roundhouse
| ------------Forward
-------------Short
QCT= Quarter Circle Toward (roll the joystick from D to F)
QCB= Quarter Circle Back (roll the joystick from D to B)
HCT= Half Circle Toward (roll the joystick from B to D to F)
HCB= Half Circle Back (roll the joystick from F to D to B)
+ = enter commands simultainiously
N = Neutral (return D-Pad to center)
C. = Crouching
S. = Standing
J. = Jumping
CU.= Cross-up (jump over opponent and hit back of neck with attack)
(Note: the graphical legend applies to default arcade settings; the Saturn or
other platform systems can be set up in many different ways)
Some Short Forms Used in This FAQ:
----------------------------------
SF2= Street Fighter II: the World Warrior (may also refer to it as Classic)
SF2CE= Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (may just be CE)
SF2T= Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting
SSF2= Super Street Fighter II: the New Challengers
SSF2T= Super Street Fighter II Turbo (may refer to it as Super Turbo)
SFA= Street Fighter zero: Warrior's Dreams
SFA2= Street Fighter zero II
L1, L2, L3= zero Meter levels
DP= Dragon Punch- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's, or Akuma's Special move,
or to the similiar joystick/D-Pad motion (F, D, D/F)
HK= Hurricane Kick- can be referring to Ryu's, Ken's or Akuma's Special Move,
or to the similiar motion (QCB+any kick)
FB= Fireball- can be referring to Special Move possessed by many characters,
or to the similiar motion (QCT+any punch)
SC= Super Combo- pertaining to Super Combos from SSF2T or SFA2
CC= Custom Combo- pertaining to Custom Combos from SFA2
FK= Flash Kick- Guile's and Charlie's move, or similiar motion (charge D,
U+any kick)
SB= Sonic Boom- Guile's and Charlie's move, or similiar motion (charge B,
F+any punch)
HHS= Hundred Hands Slap- pertaining to E. Honda's Special Move (tap any punch
repeatedly)
YF= Yoga Flame- pertaining to Dhalsim's Special Move or similiar motion
(HCT+any punch)
SBK= Spinning Bird Kick- pertaining to Chun Li's pattened move (charge D,
U+any kick)
TAP= Turn-Around Punch- pertaining to Balrog's pattened move (charge all 3
punches or kicks, release)
TU= Tiger Uppercut- pertaining to Sagat's pattened move (F, D, D/F+any punch)
TK= Tiger Knee- pertaining to Sagat Pattened move (QCT, U/F+any kick or
F, D, D/F+any kick in SFA2)
SPD= Spinning Pileriver- Zangief's pattened move, or similiar motion (roll
360 degrees)
FAB= Final Atomic Buster- Zangief's SC
A Throw or Grab (including Special Move Throws, eg. Zangief's SPD) must be
done right up close, and is unblockable; they can only be avoided. For grabs,
repeatedly tap the button used and shake the joystick or D-Pad to make the
repeated hits last longer. Do the same thing if you are caught in a grab to
escape early. Adon has two normal Throws.
TAUNTS:
To taunt or tease your opponent with Adon, press the button you designated as
"Chouhatsu" in the controller config screen (I recommend L if you use it at
all, though it's better to have all three punches or kicks on the trigger
buttons). Note that taunts cannot be stopped, and you are totally vulnerable,
so choose where to do it wisely. With the exception of Dan, Taunts can only
be done once per round. IMO this is the only thing that the PS version has
over the Saturn version (i.e. the Select button for the Taunt).
TECH HITS:
In SFA2 the Throw soften was renamed the "tech hit", and it was given a
little more freedom. To perform a tech hit, hold B or F and hit Strong or
Fierce just as the opponent grabs you; in SFA2, you can now escape ALL
regular Throws, including presses and grabs! It is still impossible to tech
hit Special Move Throws (eg. Birdie's Bandit Chain).
BUFFERING:
This is a technique used in 90% of all fighting games out today. To buffer
means to do the motions of one move while the animations of another move
are still being performed. I will use Adon's 3 hit combo as a model:
-S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar
This combo can be done either of two ways for it to count as a true combo:
a) hit Strong, then F, D, D/F+Roundhouse
b) F+Strong, D, D/F+Roundhouse
Both cases have their advantages. A is much easier to time and more
difficult to screw up, but you must have FAST fingers. The second can be
confusing, but EXTREMELY effective if you can get the timing off. Just
remember that the idea is to pull off the Rising Jaguar BEFORE the Strong
Punch is finished its animations ("cancelling" the animation.) In addition,
the second technique will also cause Adon to Throw the opponent if they
block.
Eg. 2- (same button buffering)
-crouching Short buffered into Short Rising Jaguar
a) hold D and hit Short, F, D, D/F+Short
b) F, D+Short, D/F+Short
c) press and HOLD Short, F, D, D/F, release Short
The latter is MUCH easier to time and requires less button presses. But in
that case the D-Pad motions have to be done faster, but it is easy to get
used to. I personally use b.
zero METER:
At the bottom of the screen there is a meter called the zero Meter. This
fills up when a) Adon is hit by the opponent with any attack, or he hits them
with any attack, b) using any Special move or c) hitting any Fierce or
Roundhouse. When the meter begins to flash it's outline, Adon is cabable of a
level 1 Super Combo. If you continue to build his meter to level 2, Adon's
cabable of a level 2 Super Combo. A level 2 Super of Adon's must be done
with TWO buttons (for example, Adon's Jaguar Revolver is done QCT, QCT+any
kick; to perform a level two, do the same motion with TWO kicks). When the
meter fills to level 3, Adon is cabable of his most powerful Super Combos.
These must be done with all THREE buttons. NOTE: I only list the SCs with one
punch or one kick; to perform their level 2 and 3, substitute 2 and 3 punches
or kicks...
zero COUNTERS:
Immediately after blocking an opponent's attack, Adon can immediately
retaliate with an zero Counter. To do this, perform the motion B, D/B, D,
and any punch or kick; a kick will perform a counter for ground attacks, and
punch will counter air attacks (in most cases) Note: you need at LEAST a
level 1 zero Meter to do one.
BLOCKING:
To block an oncoming attack, hold in the opposite direction. To block a low
attack (i.e. the enemy hits low), hold D/B to crouch and block. In addition
to blocking on the ground, it is possible in zero 2 to block attacks in the
air. Attacks that cannot be blocked include most DPs, Super Combos, and
ground-based uppercut/high kick attacks (eg. Ken's standing Strong, or Ryu's
S.Roundhouse).
OVERHEAD STRIKE:
In addition to any jumping attack, there is an attack, introduced in SFA
(actually, back in SSF2T with Ryu's), that can hit ducking, blocking
opponents. Adon's Overhead Strike is explained further on.
SAFETY ROLL:
To avoid a lot of meaty attacks, Capcom added a roll to every fighter's
repitiore. By rolling from B to D in one motion and hitting punch just as you
land from a knockdown, Adon will roll forward along the ground to a standing
position. You will not lessen any damage taken, but you can avoid meaty
attacks in this fashion. Bear in mind that because of this added technique,
meaty attacks are more difficult to cheese with in zero 2; if you are close
enough to an opponent when you knock them down, wait a split second to see if
they'll roll, then start your meaty tactic.
SUPER COMBOS:
Each Super Combo is a powerful attack that can be powered up to three
different levels. You will know a character has executed a Super Combo
because the screen will grow dark for a moment as they gather "chi" (spirit),
and the game will pause for a second.
If you finish your opponent with an SC of Adon's, the screen will flash
brightly.
CUSTOM COMBOS:
Replacing Chain Combos from SFA, Custom combos allow you to chain ALL normal
moves and even SPECIAL MOVES together into combos (it speeds the move up so
their recovery is faster and you can throw another one emmediately). To
perform a CC, you must first fill the zero meter at the bottom of the
screen, then activate the CC with any two punches+any kick. Adon will get
blue shadows behind him. A time meter will appear right above the zero
Meter; depending on how much zero Meter energy you have when you initiate
the CC, the timer will count down for a period of time. Once the CC is
activated, Adon will slide forward and CANNOT be stopped until you attack. If
you activate the CC in the air, they will fall at a normal rate, then start
sliding forward. You CANNOT stop a CC once it is activated, and even if the
opponent switches sides with you (i.e. jumps over you, or teleports), you
will keep going in the same direction. BTW, the CCs I have listed to help out
require a level 3. It is my opinion that this is the only time worth doing
CCs, if at all...
TICKS:
The definition of a tick is basically this; a tick is an attack that, if you
connect with it, you can go into a combo of your choice, and if blocked, you
will recover in time to throw another attack before your opponent can; but,
note that they also recover from their blocking animations at relatively the
same time, so they will also be able to block the follow-up. But, since
Throws are unblockable, you can nail them with a Throw!
This tactic has been refined by many players, and in SF2: the World Warrior,
Guile had the ability to Throw a Jab, and if blocked he could Throw
emmediately (this was remedied in the later version--still possible, though,
but can be avoided quickly) This tactic was used to win a popular SF2
tournament in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and ticks were to forever be
considered extremely cheesy by anyone who loses (in some arcades they have
gone so far as to BAN ticks!). If, however, the people you play against are
okay with ticks, they are great in Adon's up-close game.
For example, if you are up close throw a crouching Jab--if it connects, you
can buffer into a Rising Jaguar or Jaguar Assault, and if blocked,
immediately hold forward and Throw! It is possible to avoid, especially if
they AC, but still quite difficult--works great on human opponents who are
less experienced.
REVERSALS:
When a fighter is knocked down, there is a small window of opportunity for
them to get up faster and attack at the same time (about 1/60 of a second).
If a move is performed during this time, it becomes almost totally
invulnerable unless the opponent is able to connect with a meaty attack first
(see below.) Adon's reversal is only good if the opponent jumps in as you are
getting up--simply throw out a Rising Jaguar just as you get up! You can also
nullify the opponent's attempted FB-as-they-get-up tactic by using your
Jaguar Kick or Jaguar Revolver as the reversal.
MEATY ATTACKS:
A meaty attack allows you to hit an opponent who is recovering from a
knockdown (i.e. getting up) without them connecting with a reversal move (see
above); for example, normally it is possible for Ken and Ryu to do a DP JUST
as they begin to rise, and it can surprise many enemies. But, using a A VERY
WELL-TIMED meaty attack will prevent them from doing that, even more so in
SFA2 with their altered, vulnerable DPs. I'm not sure about the exact timing
of a meaty attack, but I do know it has to be what I refer to as a "constant"
attack, in other words an attack that is thrown without stopping and
withdrawn without stopping; fireballs will not work as meaty attacks because
they flicker in and out as they fly, and the opponent will be able to block
them as they rise. Basically, you have to use good timing for it to connect
just as they get up. If you connect with a meaty attack you can perform
combos you cannot normally perform, because the stun put on the opponent when
hit is longer than normal.
SAC-THROWING:
"Sac-Throwing" (short for sacrifice Throwing) put in loose terms is
countering with Throws. In previous versions, I included blocking and
Throwing, as well as Throwing the enemy from a missed attack in this
section. However, as one of my replies to this FAQ pointed out, a sac-throw
is ONLY considered a true sac-throw when you have been HIT, then throw the
enemy while they are still in their recovery frames. My explanation was a
little clouded, sorry for the mix-up. As far as blocking and Throwing, or
Throwing a missed attack, I suppose these are just "Counter-Throws".
Adon wanted to become the best Muay Thai fighter in the world so he sought to
learn from the best. Under Sagat's tutorage, he quickly adapted to the fast
and wiry fighting style and exceeded everyone but Sagat himself in fighting
power. This placed him 2nd in the tournament to Sagat's champion title. He
battles Ryu and Ken in SF1. After seeing his master actually beaten by Ryu,
Adon loses all respect for Sagat and wanders off in search of opponents.
Eventually, he crosses paths with Sagat again. Adon is sure he can beat his
former master, and challenges Sagat, believing he is now the best.
ENDING:
Adon says that Sagat's style of Muay Thai is old-fashioned and isn't useful
any more. He also says that Sagat isn't as good as before since he could lose
to a mere boy like Ryu. Then, Adon leaves Sagat behind, and says that he
would be killed the next time they fight. Then, Adon arrives at his cabin,
celebrating. Suddenly, a guy comes in and tells him that his next opponent
was killed by someone wearing a black shirt with red hair. Adon says that he
knows him and that he must defeat him to be the real champion.
Background: a river in Thailand, with a beautiful castle on the shore. Lotsa
detail.
Mid-boss: Bison
End-Boss: Sagat
Taunt: Gives 'em the thumbs down
Win Pose #1: He does a back flip and holds his head dress up with a grin
Win Pose #2: Gives 'em the thumbs down
Win Pose #3: He turns his back, flexes with his hands up and grins
Win Pose #4: He kneels and holds his arms high
Win Pose #5: He crosses his arms and snickers
When standing or crouching Adon throws a quick punch--fast with good priority
over standing attacks; when in close and the opponent is fast on the attack,
use lots of these crouching and standing to be safe; if one or two connect,
quickly buffer into a Rising Jaguar or Jaguar Assault for a quick and easy
combo. The Jabs have no range, but can also act quite well as ticks (see
combos).
Short-
The S.Short is a GREAT low-directed shin kick, IDEAL for taking out pesky
low attacks, especially shorts and forwards--also works fairly well on Rose's
and Sodom's slides. Recovery is exceptional, so use it often up close.
The crouching Short may be good for ticks.
Strong-
Both standing is a straight punches, and crouching is a low elbow. Both are
Adon's only easily bufferable attacks--VERY important to doing any combos
with Adon, otherwise they're pretty much useless.
Forward-
The C.Forward is Adon's best crouching attack, great for annoying people from
pretty much anywhere--a lot like Guile's and/or Chun Li's C.Forward from ol'
SF2. It's pretty good for forcing them away during an up close battle,
though I personally prefer a tick. S.Forward is a high knee, and as far as I
can tell, is no big deal.
Fierce-
Rarely use, both versions. The S.Fierce is a straight punch basically, too
high to hit crouching opponents. Also too slow all-around, so forget it.
The C.Fierce isn't really needed either.
Roundhouse-
The S.Roundhouse is your BABY. Treat it like your newborn son--it has GREAT
priority and range, very difficult for anyone to counter unless they're up
close (or have a long-range AC) and takes out a LOT of low attacks,
especially good on Rose's, Sodom's, Rolento's, Dhalsim's, Guy's and even
Bison's slide (gotta bet fast!), as well as Sakura's HK SC! Mix this into
your keep-away game HEAVILY, and never forget it.
The C.Roundhouse is Adon's only knockdown regular attack, and does good
damage. It has less range than the S.Roundhouse, but is probably the easiest
thing to do after ducking a long-range high attack. A lot of standing kicks
can take it out however (like another Adon's S.Roundhouse for example).
Jumping Attacks-
The only jump-in attacks you need to worry about are J.Roundhouse, which is
the best jump-in, even though it goes almost totally horizontal--good for
air-to-air combat; J.Fierce, which has higher priority than J.Roundhouse in
the air, but less range, so stick with it in the close air-to-air combat. The
J.Forward is fast and has good range, both for jumping in and air-to-air.
(Adon exclaims "Jaguar Kick!" and leaps and does a forward flip, slashing
outward with his foot)
The Short version goes a few steps, and is pretty much horizontal; the
Forward Jaguar Kick has the furthest range and goes high enough to pass over
FBs; and the Roundhouse is almost vertical and quite high.
With new motions, Adon's Jaguar Kicks can be his greatest strength and
greatest weakness at the same time. The Short has the best recovery, but does
not go through FBs--good priority on crouching attacks though, so one of his
best tactics is to force the opponent into a crouch with a lot of C.Jabs and
C.Shorts, then buffer into this. It's quite fast, though not fast enough to
usually put in combos. Use it in your up close game mixed in with the Jabs
and Forwards. You can even use it fairly well as a tick!
The Forward version is one of Adon's best moves period. It has great range
and is THE move to use on projectiles from half a screen or closer--it also
has good priority over both jumping and crouching attacks, and it even has
decent recovery to boot! It is pretty much impossible in combos, so use it
either as a deep air counter (i.e. they jump in to land a few steps away), or
to whip through fireballs (EXCEPT SC projectiles and Sagat's High Tiger
Wave).
The Roundhouse version is good for really delayed jumps, or recovering
DP moves; it can be DPed fairly easily and if blocked Adon's in trouble--it
also starts out quite slow, so use it rarely. BTW, this WILL go over Sagat's
High Tiger Wave, and since Sagat's recovery is so bad you don't have to worry
about retaliation.
RISING JAGUAR:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon leaps up into the air exclaiming "Jaguar!" and hits with his knee, then
follows through with the other one)
A 2-hit that goes higher and more vertically than Sagat's. With a new, MUCH
easier DP motion (for most--I had its old motion down pat because I was
already a Sagat player) this is an ideal air counter, though like most DPs it
now as low priority up close and will NO LONGER go through FBs. So, use it
primarily in combos or as an air counter. If blocked or missed there's the
usual big delay.
JAGUAR TOOTH:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon grunts, leaps backward to the top side of screen, then exclaims "Jaguar
Tooth!" and dives down at the opponent FAST with a straight kick)
Another of Adon's many ways of dealing with projectiles (ha, ha, you KNOW
Ryu's dead!), use primarily the Roundhouse on fireballers from around full
screen (from closer the Forward Jaguar Kick or Jaguar Revolver is better).
The Short and Forward versions can work quite nicely as evasion from enemies
jumping from afar--as they begin their jump, pull this off in time so that
you come down with the kick in roughly the same place where you took off and
where they're landing. Try and time it when they land so that they cannot air
block it. Otherwise the Short and Forward versions are pretty useless.
Unlike in SFA, the recovery in the Tooth is not so good; if blocked you can
be thrown or SCed fairly easily, so only use when they throw the projectile.
LOW ELBOW:
^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon lunges forward with an overhead elbow, following through 'till it
almost touches the ground)
This is Adon's new Overhead Strike, and is also the slowest in the game. I
find no use for this, unless the opponent is turtling and has EXTREMELY slow
reflexes.
JACKNIFE KICK:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon brings his foot up to a really painful-looking angle)
His best air counter, get used to using this as it has even better priority
than the Rising Jaguar. It's speed coming out is OK, though its recovery is
slow--try not to throw it out too often when they're on the ground.
KICK-OFF:
^^^^^^^^^
(Adon leaps onto the opponent's shoulders, then kicks off with a yell)
KNEE TOSS:
^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon grabs the opponent, and whips them around on his knee to the ground)
IMO the Knee Toss looks a LOT better, and they both do the same damage.
However, the Knee Toss switches sides with the opponent, so it's good for
getting out of corner traps, and the Kick-off throws them further away.
These are not imperetive to a good Adon strategy, but fun to use, especially
with C.Jabs and Shorts in your up-close game as ticks. Ticking with these
Throws is QUITE important to fighting turtlers. After recieving feedback from
the previous versions of this FAQ, I have recieved some tactics to use on
turtlers, which can sometimes give Adon problems. The specifics are in the
Vs. section. Remember of course that these Throws can be tech-hitted.
zero COUNTERS:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
After some response, I have chosen to re-write this section, so that I can
tell you what I really feel about ACs.
I still believe they're useless, definetely. First of all, since I rarely
use ACs, their description in this FAQ was incorrect; for his Punch AC, Adon
will perform the Lightning Fist that you can get at the end of the Jaguar
Assault, and for the Kick AC, he'll do a Rising Jaguar.
As I said previously, the Kick AC is TOTALLY useless if you have an ounce of
timing (which you should if you play Adon!), because you should be able to
bring out anyone of his high-priority air counters to hit the enemy--using
the AC will waste a level on the zero Meter (which you need for valuable
SCs), and it will not do any extra damage.
The Punch AC, with the correction, is a TAD useful. The only use that it
really has, thanks to contributing readers of this FAQ (see credits), is to
counter some FAST blocked high attacks up close, like ticks. From extreme
close range this will hit multiple times and the damage is quite worth it.
Especially effective against offensive-geared Zangief's and Sodoms.
JAGUAR ASSAULT:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon lunges a few steps while widly swinging his elbows, finishing at L2 and
L3 with a Rising Knee)
One of the things that disappointed me about Adon is the way they changed
this SC--in SFA, it went through projectiles and dashed the full screen! Now
in SFA2, although it still does good damage, it no longer goes through FBs
(except maybe just as they're starting up close) and he now only slides one
or two steps! If it's blocked at L2 or 3 Adon's dead, likewise if missed. In
addition, it can be taken out easily with a low kick, so buffering it in up
close is pretty much useless unless they're JUST starting a high attack.
Stick with this only in combos. One good thing is that most usually put a L1
Assault in combos, and if this is blocked its recovery is GREAT, so only
ACing will get Adon.
NOTE: thanks to readers of this FAQ; TO PERFORM THE LIGHTNING FIST AT THE END
OF THE L3 ASSAULT, tap all three punches. This will give 8 hits and slightly
more damage. Alternately, you can also tap all three kicks and Adon will
perform a 3-hit Rising Jaguar to finish (looks cool!).
JAGUAR REVOLVER:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
(Adon performs a high Jaguar Kick, followed by 1 or 2 more lower ones)
This is THE move for Adon, and the only really important use for the zero
Meter. Not only does it juggle jumping opponents repeatedly, but it QUICKLY
goes through projectiles. Use it WHENEVER they throw a fireball and you're
1/2 screen away or closer. Because the first kick is so high, it is an ideal
air counter, and will juggle 'em for up to 5 hits (at L3) and GOOD damage. If
blocked you're usually safe, except from ACs of course. This is also a great
way to take out crouching kicks, especially slides. Buffer 'em in and watch
'em fall! BTW, don't use this as a FB counter from TOO close, or you can fly
OVER their heads!
Although I still don't REALLY like CC's and use them rarely, I do admit that
they CAN be stylish and fairly damaging (at L3). Thanks to Sean Hoyles' (see
credits) Custom Combo FAQ, I've learned of a few good ways to CC with Adon:
1. standing Short -> Short Rising Jaguar -> standing Forward -> Forward
Jaguar Kick -> Roundhouse Rising Jaguar -> Roundhouse Jaguar Kick
2. D/F+Forward -> Short Rising Jaguar -> Short Rising Jaguar -> Short Rising
Jaguar -> Forward Jaguar Kick -> Roundhouse Rising Jaguar (VS. JUMPING
OPPONENTS)
All of these can do in excess of 50% damage, and look VERY stylish, if you
can pull them off. I still prefer SCs, but if you want style and the enemy
leaves an opening, go for one of these.
2. S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar
Comments: you may think you can use this on standing opponents and you can,
but the best thing about it is that you can VERY carefully time the
Strong to hit them out of the air and juggle with the Knee! Not to
use very often, but quite stylish.
3. S.Strong buffered into Jaguar Revolver
Comments: like #2, this will actually work as an air counter and rack up the
hits! Again, just good for style points, since just the Revolver
itself as an air counter is easier.
4. J.Roundhouse, S.Strong buffered into Roundhouse Rising Jaguar
Comments: this is THE combo for Adon--easy to do and good damage.
5. J.Roundhouse, Roundhouse Rising Jaguar
Comments: easier way to do the combo, good for the beginner.
6. J.Roundhouse, C.Strong buffered into L3 Jaguar Assault
Comments: one of the few good places to use the Jaguar Assault--actually
really easy, you can just jump in with the Roundhouse, then roll
QCT repeatedly while jamming on Strong. Only problem with this is
that you'll only get the L1, but the damage is still quite good.
Ha, ha, putty in Adon's hands. A Ryu who plays like the classic Ryu shouldn't
give you very many problems. He throws FBs a LOT. True, he has good recovery
and speed, but so does the Jaguar Tooth! ANYTIME you see him draw back for
the FB whip out the Jaguar Tooth (unless fairly close, in which case do the
Jaguar Kick or Revolver). Now, the only problem with this is that he has that
FAKE FB--from close, he cannot recover in time even from the Fake version to
be hit with a Jagaur Kick/Revolver, so no problem there. However, a
full-screen Jaguar Tooth is slow enough that he may recover and DP. Actually
this isn't a major problem because either the Ryu player never uses the Fake
very often, or he may attempt a Fierce DP which has little priority over
horizontal attacks any more, and you will at the least trade hits.
Basically, stay on the defensive and wait for him to throw a FB; if he
doesn't, go offensive and pressure him into using one.
VS. KEN:
^^^^^^^^
Ken will be even easier than Ryu IF he plays like Ryu--the big mistake of a
lot of Ken players is trying the complex FB traps with him ala Ryu. They will
fail, because Ken's FB is slower and has slower recovery.
However, if he doesn't play like Ryu, he can give you a hard time. Don't jump
unless the opportunity for a combo presents itself--he has excellent air
defenses. Up close some Ken players make the mistake of using His Roundhouse
and Forward attacks, both of which your S.Short snuffs easily. Whenever you
see a Hadouken coming, pull off the Jaguar Tooth from a distance, and Jaguar
Kick or Revolver from closer. He uses his Roll up close quite well, but it
can usually be taken out with a S.Short or C.Roundhouse.
Once he has his meter charged, Ken becomes much more dangerous with his
ability to buffer his SCs into the opponent's standing and jumping attacks.
Up close, do NOT throw out anything unless you're sure it'll connect (i.e. he
tries for one of his slow kicks), because he can buffer in the Shoryureppa
for major damage.
VS. CHUN LI:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Novice Chun Li players love to jump, and that is their downfall--because of
her high hang-time, it gives you lots of opportunity to set up an air counter
with either the Rising Jaguar or Roundhouse Jaguar Kick. If the opponent is
experienced with Chun, they know it's usually safer to stay grounded. Chun Li
can take you out up close quite easily with her high priority Forward Kicks,
so try and keep your distance, and if she starts to throw a Kikoken, whip
out the appropriate counter. One place where Chun Li lacks effectiveness is
air countering (unless she has a Super Combo charged), so feel free to jump
in with a fair amount of safety, but if she blocks, either get away, or try
for a C.Short tick.
Once she has a level charged, she becomes quite dangerous. STAY ON THE GROUND
or you WILL eat a Kikosho. A lot of Chun Li's tend to go offensive once they
have a level charged, that way they can put it into a combo--ACing is the way
to beat this, especially if you manage to block her Thousand Burst Kick (A
S.Roundhouse works as well, of course, and saves the zero Meter).
VS. ADON:
^^^^^^^^^
The mirror match is a lot of fun to play, and one of the battles where you
can go offensive quite effectively. Adon has no projectiles to go through,
but he can still air counter quite well, so go offensive on the ground with
Short Jaguar Kicks and wait for him to screw up. Ticks galore!
VS. GUY:
^^^^^^^^
Again, a mistake of Guy players is to jump too much--he has high lag in his
jump ala Chun Li, making him an easy target for a Rising Jaguar or Roundhouse
Jaguar Kick. He is the MASTER of the air counter, so jumping in on him is
suicide. Stay on the ground and generally defensive, mixing it up with Short
Jaguar Kicks in case he falls for it. When up close, use the S.Short
primarily, and you should be able to win at that range. If he comes in at you
with one of the Bushin Run techinques, quickly pull off a Forward (or Short)
Jaguar Kick, or even better, a Jaguar Revolver. Quite a difficult match if he
also plays defensive.
VS. DHALSIM:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
KEEP AWAY! KEEP AWAY! That's what you'll be screaming when fighting Dhalsim;
he will peck away at you from across the screen with his Roundhouses and Yoga
Fires, making it very hard for you to get in close. Try VERY hard not to jump
too often, with his various Flames, the Yoga Inferno, and the B+Strong.
WHENEVER you see him rear back for the Fire, pull off a Roundhouse Jaguar
Tooth, or a Forward Jaguar Kick if you manage to get that close. From afar,
all of his attacks have priority over yours, so the main deal is to GET UP
CLOSE! Once there, you can go crazy with just about anything, and he has very
few EFFECTIVE close up moves. A good idea to use lots of ticks and pecking
moves up close, just so he doesn't sweep you off your feet all the time.
VS. GEN:
^^^^^^^^
Gen is also a good anti-FB player, but that's OK, since you have no FBs!
Still, the big mistake a lot of Gen players make is using the wrong style;
you just DON'T use the Crane Style (the one with the Rolling Punch move) up
close, because all moves come out quite slowly; punish these screw-ups with
all you have. Gen is quite weak in the air countering department; the Mantis
Kick has to be timed just right, so the only really good air counter he has
is his C.Roundhouse from Crane Style. If you block any of his moves there's
enough lag to counter easily, but don't be too offensive, especially once he
gets a level or two, 'cause that Omega Dash takes a lot of priority over your
regular moves.
VS. SAKURA:
^^^^^^^^^^^
Like Ken, if played like Ryu she's dead, because her FBs are slower, and also
fizzle out at full screen. Whenever you see one coming, ready the appropriate
counter. Her Shoken is deadly in combos, and can take priority over standing
attacks fairly well, but of course if blocked, she's left open to punishment.
The big thing to worry about first off is her Senpuukyaku, which will take
priority over all of Adon's low attacks; stay standing most of this fight,
and don't jump too often, 'cause her air counters are quite good too. Once
she has a level charged, refrain from getting close and stay defensive,
because she can buffer her Violent Dragon SC into a low attack (ala Ken), and
her Hurricane SC into high attacks--Ouch!
VS. ROLENTO:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rolento and Adon are quite alike, with hit and run techniques and great vs.
FBers. Rolento will keep you at bay with his various back/forward moves (eg.
the Roll back/jumping attack), so don't go too offensive--that's exactly what
he wants. You can still take him in the air with your J.Roundhouse, so don't
worry there, and up close your S.Short and S.Roundhouse (against his slide
from a few steps) usually handles things fairly well.
Just don't jump in on him on the ground too often, because he has that
AWESOME-priority S.Strong, and also the Grenade SC if charged.
VS. ZANGIEF:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
The wrestler's not too difficult, as long as he can't get close. If he blocks
ANY of your Special Moves (and is a pro 'Gief player, like yours truly) he
can buffer an SPD and snatch you, so don't go offensive with your moves; he's
fodder if he jumps, and if he walks forward a lot you can pressure him from
a distance with S.Roundhouse. A lot of novices tend to overuse the Banishing
Punch and his Fierces and Roundhouses--all come out and recover slowly, so
keep this in mind. When you do get up close, PECK, PECK, PECK. Keep the
pressure on him and don't expect to get any hard hits on him, or else you'll
get your head driven into the floor. Ticking with the C.Short and the Jabs is
fairly safe against 'Gief, because I know I MYSELF sure as hell can't buffer
and SPD into a blocked JAB!!
VS. CHARLIE:
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Totally dead. Whenever he throws a Sonic Boom, use the appropriate counter,
including against the Sonic Blade SC. His air countering is exceptional, so
don't hop in their too quickly. Just wait for him to get restless and go
offensive, so you can promptly retaliate. Up close you easily make short work
of him with your S.Short, Jabs and Throws (just be FAST with that S.Short if
he tries the C.Forward, his best-priority move). If he stays totally
defensive up close, again it's the pecking game. Utilize the C.Forward, and
tick a lot to make him think twice about turtling. Just watch out for a
charged Somersault Justice SC!!
VS. BIRDIE:
^^^^^^^^^^^
Can be as dangerous as 'Gief, and watch his defenses. If you jump in, you're
as good as dead. Thankfully his greatest strength, the Leaping Chain Grab SC,
is pretty much useless on Adon as he has no FB, so just make sure you don't
throw anything out of the blue--a good Birdie will buffer it in and hop you
no matter WHERE you are. Stay offensive on the ground, and peck at him with
S.Short and S.Roundhouse. If he jumps, he fodder for Adon. Buffer you're
Jaguar Revolver into his headbutt moves, and at the most you'll trade hits.
VS. ROSE:
^^^^^^^^^
Can be quite a pain. She can go offensive fairly easily, because her moves
have good recovery (escept for the Soul Spark, of course). You can offensive
fairly easily as well, and whenever she does a Soul Spark, retaliate
accordingly. Up close the S.Short will deal with her nicely, especially that
damned Slide (a Short Jaguar Kick or Revolver works here as well). You can
jump in relatively safely, though her S. and C.Fierce works well here; try
and jump in deep with Roundhouse.
VS. SODOM:
^^^^^^^^^^
He's quite powerful, with lots of great defenses. Don't just barrel on in or
he'll nail you with his HIGH PRIORITY Jigoku Scrapes. If you block any of the
Scrapes, the Daikyo Burning, or if you anticipate or avoid his Butsumetsu
Buster, retaliate in the best way possible, as this may be one of your few
chances. If he jumps in, you can still make short work of him with your air
counters. Up close is where you can stick it to him, and your S.Short and
S.Roundhouse deal with his slide nicely. Watch out for his S.Forward tick,
and the second you block the kick, AC (god forbid), or try for a S.Jab to
knock him out of the grab.
VS. SAGAT:
^^^^^^^^^^
If he plays like old Sagat, he's screwed, 'cause you can get through his
Tiger Waves easy as pie. If he remains defensive (and a defensive Sagat will
NEVER let you jump in), he can be some trouble, distancing you with his
Forward kicks and taking you out of the air with his invincible S.Roundhouse.
Try your best to work your way in close from the ground, focusing on your own
S.Roundhouse and Short Jaguar Kick, because you can out-prioritize Sagat up
close fairly easily.
VS. AKUMA:
^^^^^^^^^^
He should fight basically like Ryu, and if they're used to playing Akuma the
old way they will lose--this is because old Akuma played VERY heavily with
his Air FB, but in SFA2, there is a big delay before he throws it, and Adon
can take a BIG advantage over it with a Forward Jaguar Kick (or Roundhouse
from closer) and also the Jaguar Revolver. On the ground he has around the
same priority as you with the C.Forward and other attacks, as well he can go
offensive and screw you up with his Teleports, so stay generally defensive
(unless of course he does lots of fireballing ;) ), and wait for him to make
a mistake. AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, if he knocks you down and he has a L3 meter,
ROLL, ROLL! Or, you will surely eat a Raging Demon if he has good timing. If
the Roll is unsuccessful, pray to whatever god you have and wail on the Jab
button--you may be able to take him out as you rise.
VS. BISON:
^^^^^^^^^^
Bison shouldn't be too difficult, because his best traits are his FB traps
with the Psycho Shot--so, the second he throws one and attempts the jump in,
or teleport, Jaguar Kick over to him, which at the least will avoid both the
FB and Bison as he reappears. He can take you on fairly well in the air with
his kicks, so try to stay on the ground and wait for him to screw up. If he
teleports randomly, you can play it safe and Jaguar Tooth away, or you can
wail on a Jab or Short to hit him as he appears.
VS. DAN:
^^^^^^^^
Come on, it's Dan eh? Fight him a bit like Ken, but if Dan goes offensive,
he's mincemeat, especially if you block the Gale Kick, or his Koryuken
doesn't connect. Just watch for his SCs, although the Shinkuu-Gadouken is
easily snuffed with a late Jaguar Tooth.
Thanks to Capcom for a great game, and thanks to the following FAQ writers:
Dan Wells
Gene Leong
Tyler Oswald
and Sean Hoyles
For their great FAQs.
(And also thanks to those who I lost the names of--I suppose you know who you
are, and if your name isn't here, you can still e-mail me again!)
Also thanks to the guys over at the arcade for getting me started on the game
and convincing me to rent it (After reading the newsgroup's put-downs). Also
a Special Thanks to Jason Jamieson, who proved that Dhalsim's Teleport is a
REAL pain in the arse, and JD Baptie, who convinced me through force that
Ryu's FB traps are still disgustingly effective! ;-)
This and other FAQs can be accessed at my new homepage:
