=XMEN VS STREET FIGHTER'S= ; ; ;. ; ;'''''''''';' ;' '; ; ; ; ;',.., ;'. '; ; ,' ; ' ' ; ; ;,'; ; ,..,' ; ', ; ; ; ;'''' ; ' ' ; ; ,' ; ;,.. ; , ; ; ; '. . ; ' ' ; ; ; ', ; .,' ; ;'.'; ; ' ' ; ',' ; ; ;': '. ; ;... ; ; ; ; ' ' ; ; ; ; ; ; '.:, ;.....', ;,' ; ; ' ' ; ;' '; ; . ;'========================='; ' ' ; ; ; ; ; ; ,' ', ......, ,..........., ;',.., ;'..., ' ' ; ; ; ; ; ; ; .'. ; ; ..,' '.,.. ..,.' ; ,..,' ; ,., ; ' ' ; ; ',' ; ; ; ''' ; '. '. ; ; ; ;,.. ; :.' ; ' ' ; ; ; ; ; ;'; ; '. '. ; ; ; .,' ; ;';', ,....,' ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ,..; ; ; ; ; ;... ; ; ; ; ,' ; ; ; ; ; ;' '; ,:......' ; ; ;.....', ;' '; ,:.......... ; ; '=======' ;========================',;===================================',; ;' '; ; ; Ken Guide Version 1.0 ASCII Artwork X-MEN VS. STREET FIGHTER (ARCADE) By: Trien Ho By: Trien Ho (tho@lynx.neu.edu) 10/6/97 _______________________________________________________________________________ Viewing Adjustments: If this FAQ looks awkward, try the following: Font Style: Change the font style of this FAQ to Courier with a font size of 10 or less. This is the standard typewriter set. Margins: The standard margins for this FAQ should be Left:1", Right:1". If the setting doesn't work, then try adjusting your margins so that the above line all fits across one row. _______________________________________________________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS: - Introduction - Legends - Character Bios - Super Meter - Super Combo - Variable Super - Variable Counter - Variable Attack - Dashing - Jumping - Super Jumping - Throws - Tech Hits - Safety Rolls - Dizzies - Taunts - Combos - Beginner - Intermediate - Expert - Infinite - Conclusion #INTRODUCTION# X-men vs. Street Fighter is Capcom's first attempt at combining characters from two different fighting games into one. Capcom chose characters from their two popular fighting games: X-Men Children of the Atom and Street Fighter Alpha 2 and placed them in a game engine most similar to Marvel Superheroes. The end result is a fighting game with a wild combo system and unique characters from two different worlds. Since the dawning of Street Fighter 2: The World Warriors, Ken has been my character of choice. I enjoyed using him in each new installment even till now, in this day and age where most people detest shotokans. Ken, along with many other Street Fighters, have been evolving and changing their styles of fighting with each new game entry. Perhaps the most significant, dramatic change in Ken's style is his entry into the X-men vs. Street fighter world. Many Street Fighter players have a hard time getting used to the game's loose engine enviroment, this of course, includes Ken players. Ken, along with the other Shotokans, are easy to get into since they've been around the longest time and most players are already familiar with their moves. But because of the loose combo engine, many Ken players give up too early or just don't him effectively. This produces many, many weak Ken players and few and far between expert Kens. Thus the term, "Ken scrubs". The purpose of this guide is to show that Ken is not as weak as many play him to be (Ken is not just for scrubs!). Hopefully this guide will prove insightful, if not useful to you, the reader. Within this guide, I have listed most of Ken's combos and infinites (that I know of and are worth mentioning), including a few not found in James Chen nor John Culbert's FAQ. I understand that this FAQ is written pretty late in the game. But I just felt that Ken deserved a better FAQ. This is my first FAQ contribution. Hopefully this would still be useful when the home versions come out (if not at the arcades). Please email comments, questions at the above address. Since FAQ writers write for free, it would be nice to recieve feedback about their work(s). Note: This guide is written with the intention that you already know the basics of the game and the basic moves of Ken. If you do not, then this FAQ might be a bit too confusing to understand. You may also refer to many other FAQs at: http://www.gamefaqs.com Enough talk, let's begin! "Now you see the difference between us!" - Ken #LEGENDS# Since James Chen's and John Culbert's Combo FAQ are so well written and organized, the legends and formats used in this FAQ Guide will be adopted from them. BUTTON .-------------Jab JOYSTICK | .-----------Strong | | .---------Fierce U/B UP U/F | | | \|/ | | | BCK--o--FWD | | | /|\ O O O D/B DWN D/F O O O | | | | | | | | | | | ----------Roundhouse | ------------Forward -------------Short (AIR) = Done in the Air. OTG = Off the Ground FS = Flying Screen J. = Jumping CU. = Cross-up (jump behind opponent and hit back of neck with attack) SJ. = Super Jumping S. = Standing C. = Crouching XX = Buffer/Cancel into following move -> = Indicates Magic Series cancelling SFA2 = Street Fighter Alpha II Jab = Jab/Weak Punch Short = Short/Weak Kick Strong = Strong/Medium Punch Forward = Forward/Medium Kick Fierce = Fierce/Hard Punch Roundhouse = Roundhouse/Hard Kick Translations: Tatsumakisenpuukyaku = Hurricane Kick Shoryuken = Dragon Punch Shoryureppa = Voilent Dragon Punch Shinryuken = Vaccuum Dragon Punch Hadouken = Fireball Shinkuu Hadouken = Super Fireball #CHARACTER BIOS# -=Super Meter=- Ken's super meter in general does not charge up as fast as other characters. Both his ground and air fireballs are NOT good chargers. His dragon punch charges the most at a time, but it is too dangerous to be used as a good charger. His best charger is to his C.Strong or SJ.Strong. Tapping the Strong button repeatedly will charge Ken up quickly. So basically, when you are in need of a level, super jump away from your opponent and keep tapping the strong button. It is the fastest and safest way to charge up Ken's super meter. (Note that the SJ.Fierce/Roundhouse would work also.) -=Super Combos=- Ken retains the two super combos he had in SFA2, but with added flash and damage. These are: Shoryureppa This is Ken's best super. It is effectively damaging and it's execution is extremely fast, very deadly during close range. Be warned, this super DOES have a dangerous drawback! A missed Shoryureppa can make a difference between life and death. Mastery of this super is a must for Ken users! Shinryuken This is Ken's alternate super. Like the Shoryureppa, it has excellent execution speed. But also like the Shoryureppa, a missed Shinryuken is an invitation to death. Best used as an anti-air move and in combos. -=Variable Supers=- Variable supers, or better known as double teams, are a great way to switch partners. But that only holds true IF you have a good teammate to pair up with! The following lists some of Ken's most effective double team combinations. Note that all of the following are based on Ken starting the combo. Effective Double team partners: Ryu: When double teaming with Ryu, Ken will throw a super fireball with Ryu instead of his usual Shoryureppa. This results in a pretty safe way to switch out. In a way, it gives Ken an extra Shinkuu Hadouken super. But since it can only be done on the ground, it is limited. In general, a decent super combo. Charlie: Ken and Charlie can make a pretty effective combination super. Since Charlie's Somersault Justice supplements Ken's Shoryureppa, this can effectively be used to counter jump-ins. If executed correctly, it can be extremely hard to block. Semi-safe for switching out. Cyclops: Cyclops, the ultimate cheap chump with a larger than life super beam will protect Ken pretty much all the way in a variable super. It also can be pretty hard to block if your opponent is caught in between Ken and Clops during the super combo. Gambit: Variable combos with Gambit can get a bit tricky. It's be pretty effective, (take advantage of Gambit's stick!) but since they both have bad recovery after their supers, things can get ugly. Not very safe for switching. Magneto: This double super isn't incredibly damaging. It is semi-safe, provided Magneto's shock wave covers Ken when he's recovering. This combo is BEST used when the opponent is in the air! Purposely let Ken sneak past the enemy with the Shoryreppa and watch your confused opponent (who'll be having a hard time blocking) get pulverized by Magneto's Follow-up Shock Wave! -=Variable Attack=- Variable Attacks are like alpha counters in SFA and SFA2. The only difference is that your partner does the countering instead of you. Variable Attacks, like Variable supers, can great character switching mechanisms, provided you have a good teamate. Ken's variable attack is his Fierce Shoryuken. Use it to switch Ken in when you block your opponent's Jump-in attempt. -=Dashing=- Even though Ken has the weakest, most unresponsive dash in the game, it is still nevertheless, a very important tactic for Ken. Learn to use Ken's dashing C.Short often, this is a valuable tool in starting combos. Also, Ken's dashing C.Strong has good priority, if your opponent tries to defend against your dash, there's a good chance your C.Strong will hit. For some fancy footwork, you can dash back and forth very quickly by tapping the joystick forward/back twice (to dash forward/back) then immediately push forward/back with three punches (to dash the opposite direction). I haven't found any usefulness with this little tactic except that it looks cool! Try it out and use it to tease and taunt your friends =). -=Jumping=- There's nothing special about Ken's jumping. Just keep this in mind, sometimes, it's better to just jump straight-up instead of jumping in at your opponent. In this game, jump-ins are not always the best air offense tactic. -=Super Jumping=- Ken's super jumping is about as normal as it can get. Just remember to always do a SJ when chucking out air fireballs. This way you have the option either chucking more fireballs or block (Ken can't block after a regular jumping fireball). -=Throws=- Whether you consider it cheap or not, throws are part of Ken's tactics. In fact, he has one of the most damaging throws around. His Knee Bash Throw (throw with a kick button) does massive damage. (remember to shake the control to get more hits!) His Fierce/Strong throw is can be used to start a combo in the corner but since people can safety roll out of the corner 100% of the time, you're better off doing massive amounts of damage with the knee-bash. -=Tech Hits=- Tech hits can be life savers. There are basically two ways to do tech hits. One is by rapidly tapping the Fierce/Roundhouse button while pushing forward on the control or push back on the control and tap all three punch buttons. The second tactic will bring you better results but takes practice in order to get the timing right. The first tactic is pretty easy and works fine, Ken will reverse air grab the guy if he messes up his air grab. Note that some throws are harder to tech hit than others and vice versa. In general, air-throws should be easier to tech hit than ground throws. -=Safety Rolls=- Sometimes after being thrown or tripped, you can safely roll away by doing fireball motions. This can be used to escape corner throw combos and some OTG combos. Learn when to roll and when not to. Over-utilizing this tactic will get you into more trouble than safety. -=Dizzies=- When you land enough hits on your opponent within a certain period or time, there is a chance that he will go dizzy. Unfortunately, I haven't found any dizzying combos with Ken, if he has one. -=Taunts=- Ken taunts by runing his finger through his hair then flips a thumbs up saying "I did it" in Japanese. Taunts are fun for teasing your opponent (that's what they're for right?). Use it when your opponent whiffs a big move or when you land a big combo for the hell of it =). #Combos# This section is broken into four parts. It basically ranges from the easier to the harder, more complex combos. In most of these combos, the way it is started isn't as important as the rest of the combo. For example: J.Roundhouse \/ C.Short -> C.Forward -> C.Roundhouse The J.Roundhouse can be skipped or replaced with a dash-in attack. The J.Roundhouse is just a way to start the combo and can be replaced with any other combo starters. -=Beginner Combos=- 1) J.Roundhouse, C.Roundhouse Comment: Your classic (ho-hum) SF2 combo 2) J.Roundhouse \/ C.Short -> C.Forward -> C.Roundhouse Comment: Your classic SFA chain combo. 3) J.Roundhouse \/ C.Short -> C.Forward -> S.Roundhouse XX hadouken Comment: Most of the time, the fireball at the end of this combo will not connect but is effective at keeping your opponent away and forcing a block damage. A good standard ground chain, also good for style. 4) C.Short -> S.Forward (2 hits) -> S.Roundhouse XX Hadouken Comment: Go for this one if you want to be stylish. The S.Forward will miss completely if the C.Short is blocked, so beware. 5) C.Short -> C.Forward XX Shouryureppa Comment: A beginner chain into super combo. Even experts will use this when in a situation where quick damage is needed. For style points, substitute the C.Forward with S.Forward. 6) C.Fierce XX Shinryuken Comment: This is one of the few ways to combo in the Shinryuken, it's also the easiest. Just don't go wild on the controls when trying to execute the Shinryuken, otherwise you'll whiff. 7) C.Short -> C>Fierce /\ SJ.Jab XX (AIR)R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku Comment: This is the first step into learning air combos. The R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku can be replaced with any regular special moves. Don't get too attached to this combo, Ken can do much more effective and damaging combos than this. -=Intermediate Combos=- 1) C.Short -> C. Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse (FS) Comment: This is Ken's standard magic series air combo. The SJ.Strong can be skipped in this for the sake of simplicity and easyness. (Especially if you are a Ryu player) Mastery of this combo is a must since most expert combos stems from this. LEARN IT! Also, the SJ.Up Roundhouse can be substituted with any special moves. 2) J.Roundhouse \/ C.Short -> C.Fierce XX Shinryuken (FS) Comment: The tricky part of this combo is cancelling the C.Fierce into Shinryuken. Do it too fast or too slow and you'll either super jump or do some ground kick. Learn to combo the C.Fierce into Shinryuken effectively as it can come in real handy one day. 3) Have enemy in corner. R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku, C.Short (OTG) -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse (FS), SJ.Up Roundhouse Comment: Most of the time, the R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku must connect deep for Ken to be able to OTG. Landing the second SJ.Up Roundhouse can be tricky at first, but with pactice, will be second nature. 4) C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Fwd Forward, Strong-Air Throw Comment: This is Ken's basic air throw combo. The timing of the air-throw can be VERY tricky at first, but keep trying. SJ.Up Forward works also (instead of SJ.Fwd Forward), but I've found that the SJ.Fwd Forward is a better setup for air-throwing. Wait a split second before performing the air-throw so that Ken does not continue on with his regular chain. If the air-throw counts as part of the combo, then you've got it right. If your timing was off, your enemy can reverse throw you. Practice this until there's no chance for them to do the reversal! Expert Combos: 1) Have enemy near corner: R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku, C.Short (OTG) -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse, SJ.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse, S.Jab -> C.Strong -> S.Forward (2 Hits) -> S.Fierce -> S.Roundhouse Comment: This is a high hit flashy looking combo for Ken. The R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku must hit deep for the C.Short to OTG. After the second SJ.Up Roundhouse, Ken will land first, immediately jump straight into the J.Jab. After the J.Up Roundhouse, Ken should land before the enemy again, quickly go into the S.Jab to keep him/her from falling to the ground and finish off the combo. Depending on the timing of your S.Jab, your C.Strong may give you trouble, try substituting with S.Short or skip to the S.Forward if things get too complicated. If your opponent is low on life, you may perform a Shoryureppa right after the S.Roundhouse to do a fair amount of block damage for the kill. 2) Have enemy near corner: C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Fwd Forward, Strong Air-Throw, S.Jab -> S.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse, SJ.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse, S.Jab -> C.Strong -> S.Forward (2 Hits) -> S.Fierce -> S.Roundhouse Comment: This is an extended version of the previous combo. A combination of three types of combos: Air-Throw Combo -> Magic-Series Combo -> Ground Chain Combo. The damage count on this combo is about five to six blocks (50 - 60% Damage). 3) Have enemy near corner: C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Fwd Forward, Strong Air-Throw, C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse (FS), SJ.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse, S.Jab, Knee Bash Throw Comment: This is one of Ken's most damaging combo available. You must time the S.Jab at the end of combo so that you hit just around their belt area in order to be able to combo in the Knee Bash at the end. If you are not careful, your opponent can reverse throw you. The damage count on this combo is seven blocks (out of a total of nine), 78% damage! 4) Have enemy near corner: J.Roundhouse XX (AIR)R.Tatsumakisenpuukyaku, C.Short, C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Fwd Forward, Strong Air-Throw, Shinryuken (FS), J.Short -> J.Up Roundhouse, C.Short (OTG) -> S.Forward. Comment: The hardest part of this combo is landing the J.Short -> J.Up Roundhouse. After the Shinryuken, the guy drops REALLY fast. Definitely takes a bit of practice. Infinite Combo: 1) Have enemy near corner: C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab -> SJ.Short -> SJ.Strong -> SJ.Up Forward -> SJ.Up Roundhouse, SJ.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse, J.Jab -> J.Up Forward -> J.Up Roundhouse... This is it, Ken's infinite combo. It actually looks alot easier to do than it actually is. The timing is quite hard, which depends heavily on the weight of your opponents. Keep practicing it on the computer until you get it right. Try not to fall into patterns in timing, it's not like other combos where the timing is pretty straight forward. It also will not work on the heavier, fast dropping characters (ie: Juggernaut. Magneto). Some may believe the following is an infinite: Have enemy near corner: C.Short -> C.Fierce /\ SJ.Jab SJ.Short -> SJ.Fwd Forward, Strong Air Throw, C.Short (OTG) (Repeat) Certainly, it is possible for Ken to keep repeating this combo. But due to the fact that opponents can easily break out of the pattern by reverse throwing, I don't consider this an infinite. # Conclusion # If you are able to perform the above combos for Ken, congratulations, you are an expert Ken! Perhaps the only things left to master are tactics. Tricky tactics are a very important element. Don't ever let yourself be predictable, keep your opponents guessing. I hope this guide has been helpful to you, even though it's written a little late. Lastly, I would like to thank all those who wrote comments and the many great players at "The Gameroom". It helped inspire and fuel this FAQ greatly. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------