Samurai Shodown 64 Hattori Hanzo mini FAQ Version 1.0 by J.C. "Squints" Echartea a.k.a. Nakofan64 Email: squints84@gmail.com http://free.hostdepartment.com/s/squints84 This FAQ will provide information on: - Samurai Shodown 64 Button Setup and Abbreviations - Main storyline of Samurai Shodown 64 - Hanzo's storyline - Basic Moves - Special Moves - Juggles - Ground Combos - Samurai Combo System - Strengths and Weaknesses - VS. Combat Strategy - Fighting Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, and Yuga - Hanzo's Ending - Death Slashes - Hanzo's Quotes - Hanzo's Outfits ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samurai Shodown 64 Button Setup and Abbreviations For those that have never played Samurai Shodown 64, here's the basics on controls and the abbreviations I'm gonna use for the moves. ub u uf \|/ b--(N)--f B C D /|\ A db d df A = light slash C = throw; cancel basic move B = medium slash D = Run/Dodge/Move Around Circle AB = heavy slash CD = Activate/Cancel Samurai Combo System (SCS) ABC = Rage Eruption (when POW at MAX, this can be used once per match) - Rage Gauge will appear and during this time, you will be able to Custom Combo - You will not lose stamina unless in a combo or activating the Fatal Flash - The time counter in the round stops until your Rage Gauge disappears BCD = Fatal Flash (during Rage Eruption) - Be careful not to use this in the middle of a combo. If you do, it will not be very effective d = Down (Crouch) u = Up (Jump) db = Down-Back (Guard low) ub = Up-Back (Jump Back) df = Down-Forward (Crouch) uf = Up-Forward (Jump Forward) b = Back (Walk back,Guard high/mid) N = Neutral position of joystick f = Forward (Walk Forward) (Stand) C,f = grab opponent and push away (opponent will be momentarily stunned) f,f (hold) / f+D (hold) = Run f,f (tap) / f+D (tap) = Quick Dash Forward b,b (tap / b+D (tap) = Quick Dash Back D (tap) = Side-step away from screen D (hold) = Side-walk away from screen d+D (tap) = Side-step towards screen d+D (hold) = Side-walk towards screen QCF = Quarter Circle Forward (d,df,f) QCB = Quarter Circle Back (d,db,b) QCD = Quarter Circle Down (b,db,d) HCF = Half Cirle Forward (b,db,d,df,f) HCB = Half Cirle Back (f,df,d,db,b) DP = Dragon Punch (f,d,df) RDP = Reverse Dragon Punch (b,d,db) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main Storyline of Samurai Shodown 64 Twenty years ago, a man named Yuga took the babies out of a number of pregnant mothers and cast a spell on them, then releasing them back to their mother's bodies. As these babies aged, they grew with intelligence and high abilities, either famous or infamous. The now grown up babies were visited by Yuga, who unsealed the casted spells by showing them an ancient doll show. Those who were unsealed could not take the pressure and either committed suicide or went insane. This was not Yuga's intention, for he seeked a body he created which was strong enough to retain the unsealed spell. By using an innocent baby and two bodies which are strong enough to hold the spell--one man and one woman--Yuga will be able to ressurect the Dark Lord--the prime objective of Yuga. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hanzo's Storyline in Samurai Shodown 64 Hanzo is sent on a mission to assasinate the puppetmaster, Yuga. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic Moves On Ground, Standing: (any of these moves can be cancelled with C BEFORE the animation reaches its halfway point) A = jab B = standing roundhouse kick AB = step in elbow strike BC = unblockable sword stab (knocks down if hits from front) d,N+A = standing low kick d,N+B = standing low sweep (knocks down) f+A = quick downward chop (opponent falls to knee on counter) df+B = mid sword slash f+B = jumping spin kick (knocks down; juggle starter on counter) uf+B = foward flip kick f+AB = side punch (juggle starter) On Ground, Crouching (while holding d,db, or df): (any of these moves can be cancelled with C BEFORE the animation reaches its halfway point) A = low jab B = low sweep AB = sliding low sweep (knocks down) While Jumping: A = quick sword slash (high priority) B = kick (crosses up) AB = strong downward slash (opponent stunned if hits) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Moves Slash: Shiriken: QCF+A (can be done in air as well) Hanzo tosses one of his famed ninja stars. If blocked, opponent loses a little life. This is great for stopping fatal flashes. Shadow Split: f,HCF+(A or B) Hanzo disappears and reappears on the left side (A) or the right side (B) Heaven Dance: HCB+A Hanzo poses, disappears, and reappears above his opponent. He then comes down with a downward slash. If your opponent hits you when you are posing, a wooden log appears and the slash will hit your opponent. Earth Slash: HCB+B Hanzo poses, disappears, and reappears below his opponent. He then comes up with a low slash. If your opponent hits you when you are posing, a wooden log appears and the slash will hit your opponent. Blazing Dragon: QCB+A (hits multiple times when POW at MAX) Hanzo sends a line of fire along the ground that can travel the length of the screen. Explosion Shield: DP+B Hanzo engulfs himself in a wall of fame and reappears a second later. This is one of the best anti-air moves in the game. Bomb Attach: QCB+C Hanzo slides forward and hits his opponent. If the hit connects, he will attach a bomb that will go off after a few seconds. Your opponent will be vulnerable for about a second after it goes off, but if you are too close, you will take damage as well. Disappearing Act: d,d+BC Hanzo disappears and can now move around and attack while invisble. While you are invisible you constantly lose stamina. You can only reappear by taking a hit, or by pressing d,d+BC again. During a Rage Eruption, stamina is infinite. Special POW move: QCF+AB (POW must be at MAX) Hanzo sends out three ninja stars. If they connect, he automatically sends out ten more following by a deep slice. Hanzo then poses and a bomb explodes on your opponent. This is one of the most powerful moves and best looking moves in the game. Bust: Shiriken: QCF+A (can be done in air as well; throws 10 if POW at MAX) Hanzo tosses one of his famed ninja stars. If POW is at MAX, he throws ten at a time. This is great for stopping fatal flashes. Shadow Split: f,HCF+(A or B) Hanzo disappears and reappears on the left side (A) or the right side (B) Mind Game: d,d+A Hanzo disappears then reappears in the same spot a second later. Monkey Dance: RDP+(A, B, C, or D) Hanzo disappears then reappears on one of the four corners of the screen. A will make Hanzo appear on the left side standing B will make Hanzo appear on the right side standing C will make Hanzo jump down from the left side (hold left, down, or up to jump in the other directions) D will make Hanzo jump down from the right side (hold right, down, or up to jump in the other directions) Quick Slide: df,df This move does no damage but allows Hanzo to duck aerial projectiles and get in close to his opponent for a grab. Death Drop: DP+C (must be next to standing opponent; can be broken by opponent with A) This is the classic Hanzo move where he jumps up with his opponent and drives him/her into the ground. If is very difficult to break. Chain starter 1: HCF+C (must be next to standing opponent; can be broken by opponent with B) Hanzo elbows his opponent in the head and breaks his/her elbow. Two possible chain commands follow: (1) Back Breaker: B, C, BC (input during Chain Starter 1; can be broken by opponent with A) Hanzo cracks his opponent's back. One chain command follows: i) Neck Slice: A, C, B, D, BC (input during Back Breaker; unbreakable) Hanzo takes out his sword and slices his opponent's neck. (2) Shoudler Break: A, B, C, D (input during Chain Starter 1; can be broken by opponent with B) Hanzo breaks his opponent's shoulder. One chain command follows: i) Flip throw, neck stomp: AD, BC, ABCD (input during Shoulder Break; unbreakale) Hanzo flips his opponent to the ground and follows with a stomp to the head. Chain Starter 2: HCB+C (must be next to standing opponent; can be broken by opponent with C) Hanzo flip throws his opponent to the ground. Two possible chain commands follow: (1) Neck Break: D, C, B, A (input during Chain Starter 2; can be broken by opponent with C) Hanzo straddles his opponent and breaks his/her neck. One chain command follows: i) Back Break: ABCD, CD, AB (input during Neck Break; unbreakable) Hanzo grabs his opponent with his body and breaks his/her back. (2) Double Break: AB, CD, BC (input during Chain Starter 2; can be broken by opponent with D) Hanzo grabs his opponent's arm and breaks his/her elbow and neck. High Counter: b+BC Hanzo slaps away a high attack does a regular grab. Cancel the grab with Chain Starter 1, Chain Starter 2, or Death Drop. Mid Counter: db+BC Hanzo slaps away a mid attack does a regular grab. Cancel the grab with Chain Starter 1, Chain Starter 2, or Death Drop. Low Counter: d+BC Hanzo slaps away a low attack and immediately flips over his opponent. He kicks his/her knee and breaks the shoulder. One chain command follows: (1) Neck Snap: BC, A, D (input during Low Counter; unbreakable) Hanzo slips his arm back and snaps his opponent's neck. One chain command follows: i) Heart Stab: ABC, B, BCD, C (input during Neck Snap; unbreakable) Hanzo pulls his sword out and stabs his opponent in the heart. One chain command follows: a) Death Drop: A, C, B, D, AB, CD, ABCD (input during Heart Stab; can be broken by opponent with D) Hanzo puts his sword away, jumps up with his opponent, and drives him/her into the ground. Shoulder Break: d+C (must be next to crouching opponent; unbreakable) Hanzo knees his crouching opponent in the face and follows with a shoulder break. One chain command follows: (1) Flip throw, neck stomp: AD, BC, ABCD (input during Shoulder Break; unbreakable) Hanzo flips his opponent to the ground and follows with a stomp to the head. Neck Break (Ground Throw): df+C (must be standing over knocked-down opponent; can be broken by opponent with A) Hanzo grabs his opponent on the ground and breaks his/her neck. One chain command follows: (1) Back Break: ABCD, CD, AB (input during Neck Break; unbreakable) Hanzo grabs his opponent with his body and breaks his/her back. Double Break (Ground Throw): db+C (must be standing over knocked-down opponent; can be broken by opponent with B) Hanzo grabs his opponent's arm and breaks his/her shoulder and neck. Flipping Neck Breaker: uf+C (must be next to standing or crouching opponent; unbreakable) Hanzo does a forward flip, lands on his opponents head, breaks his/her neck and jumps away. Spinning Arm Breaker: f,f+C (must be next to standing opponent; unbreakable) Hanzo does a quick spin and grabs his opponent's arm and breaks the shoulder. This move can also catch an opponent in the air. Follow up with a Ground Throw. Elbow Break: b+C (must be next to standing opponent; can be broken by opponent with D) Hanzo takes down his opponent and breaks his/her elbow. Follow up with a Ground Throw. Suicide Explosion: BC when hit Hanzo takes damage and explodes knocking his opponent back and reappearing on the ground standing. Use this move if you find yourself about to take huge damage either from a juggle or ground combo. This move cannot be done to escape from POW moves and will not work if you do not have enough life to sacrifice. If your opponent is hit by the explosion, he/she loses very little life. Special POW Move: DP+AB (must be next to standing opponent; POW must be at MAX; unbreakable) Hanzo attempts to grab his opponent. If successful, his stabs his opponent twice and cracks his/her ribs. He then takes his opponent into the air and follows with three bones breaks outside of view. He ends the move by slamming his opponent into the grab on his/her neck. This is the most powerful move in the game as well as one of its best looking. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Combos Hanzo is a great balance of speed, agility, and power. His side step is very fast and allows him to punish his opponents who whiff on a big move. Hanzo can rely on various ground attacks which are full of high, mid, and low mix-ups. In addition, Hanzo is one of the better juggling characters in the game. His ground combos and juggling ability make him a great matchup against any character in Samurai Shodown 64. Ground Combos: Slash and Bust: A, A = punch, punch A, A, A = punch, punch, elbow A, A, A, A = punch, punch, elbow, elbow A, A, B = punch, punch, palm attack A, A, C = punch, punch, throw d,N+A, A = standing low kick, low kick d,N+A, A, B = standing low kick, low kick, low sweep (knocks down; follow with standing low kick) d,N+B, B = standing low sweep, overhead kick (knocks down) df+B, d+AB = mid sword slash, low spin slash (knocks down) BC, AB = unblockable sword stab, step in elbow strike If the sword stab connects from the front, your opponent will slowly behind to fall to the ground. Immediately hit AB to catch your opponent as he/she falls to his/her knees. Most of the time, the AB attack causes your opponent to stand back up with Hanzo right next to him/her. From here, the high, mid, low mix-up game begins. f+A, AB = quick downward chop, step in elbow strike This combo only works if the downward chop counter hits. You'll know if it does because your opponent will fall to his/her knee and take a long time to recover. B, QCF+A = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Shiriken Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. The beauty of the combination with the Shiriken is that even if your opponent blocks the kick, they have no time to punish you because the Shiriken flies out so quick. This combo is very effective if Bust Hanzo has his POW at MAX Slash: B, QCB+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Bomb Attach Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. This move is only truly effective if the kick connects. If it is blocked, your opponent can block the Bomb Attach easily leaving you wide open for an attack. B, QCB+A = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Blazing Dragon Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. If the kick is blocked, your opponent must continue blocking to avoid taking big damage from the fire attack. This allows you plenty of time to recover from the Blazing Dragon animation. B, DP+B = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Explosion Shield Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. If the kick is blocked, your opponent will have to block the Explosion as well. Because Hanzo is safe even if he missing with the Explosion Shield, this combo is very effective. B, QCF+AB = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Special POW move (need MAX POW) Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. Your POW must be at MAX for this combo and the kick MUST connect. If the kick is blocked, the only way the POW will connect is if they flinch. If they block the POW as well, you'll be completely wide open for an attack. Bust: B, uf+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Flipping Neck Breaker Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. If the kick is blocked, your opponent can knock you out of the Flipping Neck Breaker if they quickly throw out a jab or quickly side-step it. Either way, you are very vulnerable though most players who don't recognize what is going on will move to late and eat the Neck Breaker anyway. B, df,df, DP+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Quick Slide, Death Drop Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. This one takes a little practice because the slide is very quick. Even if the kick is blocked, the slide into the Death Drop can catch your opponent before they have a chance to do anything since it has a very high priority. The only way your opponent can avoid this is to duck to avoid the throw. B, df,df, HCF+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Quick Slide, Chain Starter 1 Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. This one takes a little practice because the slide is very quick. Even if the kick is blocked, the slide into the Chain Starter can catch your opponent before they have a chance to do anything since it has a very high priority. The only way your opponent can avoid this is to duck to avoid the throw. B, df,df, HCB+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Quick Slide, Chain Starter 2 Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. This one takes a little practice because the slide is very quick. Even if the kick is blocked, the slide into the Chain Starter can catch your opponent before they have a chance to do anything since it has a very high priority. The only way your opponent can avoid this is to duck to avoid the throw. B, df,df, d+C = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Quick Slide, Shoulder Break Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. Use a combination of the previous three combos to set this one up. If you find your opponent is ducking to anticipate the high throw, catch them with the Shoulder Break instead. But make sure they duck first or else your opponent will punish you because of the slow recovery. B, df,df, DP+AB = standing roundhouse kick cancelled into Quick Slide, Special POW move (needs MAX POW) Hanzo's standing roundhouse kick can be cancelled into ANY special move if it connects or is blocked. This one takes a little practice because the slide is very quick. Your POW must be at MAX. Even if the kick is blocked, the slide into the POW move can catch your opponent before they have a chance to do anything since it has a very high priority. The only way your opponent can avoid this is to duck to avoid the throw. Juggles: Slash and Bust: f+AB, A, AB = side punch (juggle starter), jab, step in elbow strike Before you attempt any other juggle, MASTER THIS ONE FIRST. This is a very basic Hanzo juggle that does a decent amount of damage. After the juggle starter, hit A when your opponent falls about even with your head and immediately hit AB. f+AB, A, AB, uf+B = side punch (juggle starter), jab, step in elbow strike, forward flip kick After the juggle starter, hit A when your opponent falls about even with your head and immediately hit AB. Wait a split second after the AB connects then hit uf+B and the flip kick will connect while your opponent is on the ground. Slash: f+AB, A, QCF+AB = side punch (juggle starter), jab, Special POW move (needs MAX POW) POW must be at MAX for this juggle. After the juggle starter, hit A when your opponent falls about even with your head and immediately hit QCF+AB. The three stars that behind the POW will connect and the rest is automatic. Bust: f+AB, A, AB, f+D (hold), df+C = side punch (juggle starter), jab, step in elbow strike, run to opponent, Neck Break After the juggle starter, hit A when your opponent falls about even with your head and immediately hit AB. Immediately run to your opponent and hit df+C just as they hit the ground to begin the Neck Break and follow it up with the chain command. f+AB, A, AB, f+D (hold), db+C = side punch (juggle starter), jab, step in elbow strike, run to opponent, Double Break After the juggle starter, hit A when your opponent falls about even with your head and immediately hit AB. Immediately run to your opponent and hit db+C just as they hit the ground to begin the Double Break. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samurai Combo System (SCS) Here's the basic button press system for the SCS combos. CD, 2, 3, 4, 5, pause, 6, 7, 8, 9, pause, 10, 11, finish |---Group 1---| |--Group 2--| |---Group 3---| ---A, A, A, A--- ---A, A, A--- ---A, A--- | | --A-- | | --A-- | | | | | | | | | | | | CD ---- | --| |-- --| |-- | | | | | | | | | | | | | --B-- | | --B-- | | ---B, B, B, B--- ---B, B, B--- ---B, B--- |-------Group 1---------| P |-----Group 2---| P |---Group 3---| Group 1: CD, A, A, A, A = Combo start slash, jab, jab, jab, mid sword slash or CD, B, B, B, B = Combo start slash, kick, kick, kick, elbow strike Group 2: A, A, A, A = mid kick, punch, elbow, elbow or B, B, B, B = low kick, low kick, low kick, low kick or A, B, B, B = mid kick, low kick, low kick, low kick or B, A, A, A = low kick, punch, elbow, elbow Group 3: A, A, A = mid kick, chop, unblockable sword stab or B, B, B = low kick, kick, Bomb Attach (Slash) or Flipping Neck Breaker (Bust) or A, B, B = mid kick, kick, Bomb Attach (Slash) or Flipping Neck Breaker (Bust) or B, A, A = low kick, chop, unblockable sword stab Notes: SCS Combos cannot be mixed up ABAB, BABA, ABA or something else like that. SCS Combos can be broken at the pauses if your opponent guesses which button (A or B) your are gonna press next correctly by pressing that same button on his/her control pad. If he/she guesses correctly, you'll be momentarily stunned allowing your opponent to nail you. SCS Combos can also be blocked at the pause if your opponent guesses correctly on whether to block high or low. A combo that gets blocked at a pause simply pushes the fighters apart and cancels the SCS. SCS Combos drain your stamina and can only be started when your stamina gauge is a yellow color. If you press CD to activate the combo but miss, you will still be flashing showing you are in SCS mode. Press CD again to cancel the SCS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: Slash and Bust: - Balance of speed, agility, and power - Attacks have decent range - Best juggler in game - Great high, mid, low mix-up game Slash: - Great variety of useful special moves - POW hits opponents in air or on ground - Moderately easy to use - Explosion Shield is best anti-air move in game Bust: - Chain grabs - Special throws have high priority - Most powerful POW in game - Quick Slide avoids air projectiles and allows attack before opponent can recover - Suicide Explosion to avoid huge damage Weaknesses: Slash and Bust: - Slow recovery from strong attacks - Very vulnerable to quicker opponents Slash: - Very slow recovery is POW misses or is blocked at close range - Slow recovery is Bomb Attach misses or is blocked - Heaven Dance and Earth Slash are easily avoidable and easily punishable Bust: - One of more difficult characters to learn - Most special attacks are throws requiring close range - Slow recovery from Shoulder Break grab - POW is a throw - Slow recovery if a counter fails ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VS. Combat Strategy The best way to get better at playing Hanzo, Samurai Shodown 64, or any other fighting game is to play another person. The CPU can only better you so much. After a while, you know what the CPU is gonna do and the challenge simply disappears as beating the game becomes 2nd nature. The human mind is the best way to get better. What another player brings is another challenge besides the CPU. The human mind is often unpredictable. You may fight a player who loves to attack non-stop and tries to devastate you with combos, or you might fight someone who is very defensive. Strategies vary as much as the person you are playing. As you play the game more, you will learn to develop you're own strategy while you are fighting. It may be attacking low all the time or using a lot of projectiles. Eventually though, people pick up on your strategy and only the truly great players are able to expand on their strategy to the point where they can still effectively use it in any situation. Before I go any further, if you plan to learn Bust Hanzo because he has all those "cool grabs" you better learn Slash first. Get used to his movement, basic moves, ground combos, and juggles. Most people who play Bust Hanzo fall into the trap of relying heavily on chain grabs. While much of the Bust movelist is littered with these, if you haven't mastered his movement and basic attacks, you won't get a single grab off. So LEARN SLASH FIRST. Slash Hanzo users should be offensive, but safe, in their strategy. Use his high, mid, low mix-ups and his movement. Use your POW ONLY IF YOU KNOW IT WILL CONNECT. The only way to guarantee this is to hit your opponent with it off a juggle. Bust Hanzo users need to be less offensive in their strategy. The key is to rely on Hanzo's basic movements and mix-ups. The only guaranteed way to get your opponent with a chain grab or POW move, is to use it after hitting a jumping B side kick on a standing opponent. Use the Monkey Dance and Mind Game to perfection. And don't get frustrated with the chain commands. They take a lot of practice. When inputting a chain command, try inputting it in 2 or 3 times at the appropiate point. Don't rely to heavily on counters or else you can become very predictable and you'll be left wide open for attacks. Also, use the Suicide Explosion but don't abuse it or else you'll take more damage than you would if you hadn't used it. And don't get discouraged using him. Bust Hanzo takes a great deal of patience and practice, but once mastered, he becomes very, very powerful. Hanzo's users should also use the wide variety of the moves he offers. If you use the same moves over and over, you can become easily predictable. If you find people beating you because they know what's coming, here's a very helpful tip: Any of Hanzo's On Ground (Standing or Crouching) Basic Moves can be cancelled by pressing C before the animation of the move reaches its halfway point. Use these move cancels to your advantage. When your POW is at MAX, try and find the opening to use your Special POW move. They are very effective and can get you back into a round if you have already taken a lot of damage. Never use your Rage Eruption unless you are about to lose the match. You only get to use it once a match so make sure that Fatal Flash connects. Also, remember that your Rage Eruption will stop the time in the round. So if you are about to lose the match because your opponent has more energy than you and is trying to avoid you because time is running out, hit ABC and get after it. If playing Slash Hanzo, remember that stamina is infinite during a Rage Eruption. So use Disappearing Act (d,d+BC) to keep your opponent guessing as to where you are. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fighting Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, and Yuga Beating Gandara Sometimes I wonder why they put Gandara in the game in the first place. He is this huge purple guy who will challenge you either after you win two rounds in your third match or two rounds in your eighth match. Good news: He's big, slow, cannot block, and he sucks. Bad news: If he connects on an attack, he'll drain a lot of energy. Just AB slash him until you see him rear back to make an attack. When he does, either jump over him or, if using Bust, Monkey Dance behind him and attack. Attacks to look out for: - If Gandara sticks his hand into the ground, get behind him and attack him as much as possible. He will pull out a big rock and throw it. - If Gandara rears back and crosses his arms in front of his mouth, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY!!! If you don't, he'll catch you in his mouth and bite into you, taking off lots of damage. - If Gandara ducks low with his mouth open, jump over him quickly. He will lunge forward low twice and if he connects, he will knock you out of the ring. - If Gandara straightens his body up, sidestep a few times or else he will fall onto you and crush you. - If you hear Gandara scream, GET OUT OF THE WAY!!! This is Gandara's POW move. He will go psycho and jump up and down trying to crush you. This is unblockable so if he connects, you will lose most, if not all, of your life. A word to the wise, assume that all of Gandara's attacks are unblockable and avoid them at all costs. !!!GLITCH ALERT!!! This one is actually quite humorous. You will need Bust Hanzo for this one. Whenever you try to grab Gandara, he will shrug you off. But if you see him crouch down and reach back with his right hand, he's about to punch low. So low counter it and try to complete the entire chain. Gandara will keep making the movement to shrug you off and Hanzo will appear to break the bones of an invisible person. The whole time, Gandara takes damage from the bone breaks. After beating 8 CPU opponents, you will move onto the final bosses. You'll see Hanzo walk out into the open then a flash of light comes and Deku and Dekuina make their way down. A stone then comes up and will carry either an orange or blue sword. If an orange sword comes up, you will fight Deku. If a blue one comes up, you fight Dekuina. Beating Deku Deku fights like a combination of the Bust and Slash Haohmaru characters. He is very quick and very very strong. But he does leave himself wide open and you can beat him if you are quick enough. Deku can take a lot of damage so your best strategy is to try and knock him off the edge. But don't set your sights on that or Deku will beat you easily. Try and slowly work him to the edge. Be aware of his attacks and try landing a juggle to get him over the edge. Attacks to look out for: - When Deku stands back and extends his sword, run in quickly and attack or get the heck out of the way. If you don't he will nail you and his attack cannot be blocked. However, if you are playing Bust, you can high counter this attack - Deku can send out tornadoes very quickly (he can do 2 at a time) so be careful when jumping in. - Deku also has a move where he rears back, slashes down then back up with his sword. Make sure you block both of these attacks. If you do, he will be very vulnerable. Use the BC unblockable or knock him over the edge. - Deku has 2 Special POW attacks. His first one is Haohmaru's. Sidestep then run after him when he lands and hit a juggle or unblockable. His second one is very hard to avoid. Deku flies up into the air and before you realize what's happening, fire spreads around where you are standing. The only way to avoid massive damage is to move back a full screen and block HIGH! The fire is on the ground but if you block low, you'll get hit. Beating Dekuina Dekuina is a little easier to fight. She is a mix of the Bust and Slash Shiki characters. She isn't any quicker than Deku but she's just as strong. At times, she is also more vulnerable than Deku. She also is thrown around easier so it doesn't take much to knock her over the edge. However, she has more unblockable attacks. Attacks to look out for: - Dekuina has Slash Shiki's sword run. She runs in and slash at you when she gets to you. However, unlike Shiki's, Dekuina's is unblockable. When she goes for this attack, send a Shiriken, use the Blazing Dragon if Slash, or Monkey Dance away if Bust. - Like Deku, she can extend her sword. Unlike Deku, she can swing it high or vertical. There's an easy way to tell. If you hear a really eerie sound as she floats up, she's gonna swing high. Don't jump or she'll nail you. Just duck then run after her after she swings. She'll be very vulnerable. If she's gonna swing vertical, she won't fly up as high and you'll hear the same sound you would hear when Deku extends his sword. Run in and attack quickly or sidestep (or sidewalk) to dodge the swing then run after her. - Dekuina also has 2 Special POW moves. The first is the Slash Shiki's where she slashes you up bad. The second one will kill you with one hit. When you see the flash, attack Dekuina quickly before she goes underground. If you miss, jump like crazy. Dekuina plays Jaws with her sword and if she connects just once, you're toast. Beating Yuga After you beat either Deku or Dekuina one round, you will move on to face Yuga. When you first face him, he is floating in a sitting position. His hand slashes can reach up to halfway across the screen. He also has a close Fortune Wheel grab and a fire line that travels along the ground. But, good news...he sucks at this point. Use juggles where possible. If Slash, rely on long range projectiles. If Bust, Monkey Dance into the air behind Yuga and jumping B into a chain grab. Since Yuga has no crouching animation, he's very vulnerable to there. After you beat him when he's sitting down, Yuga will POWer up and be floating in a standing position. And if you thought Amakusa was a cheap boss, you ain't seen nothing yet. Yuga is very cheap but is beatable. Yuga's POW remains at MAX throughout the rest of the match. Even worse, if you should get a Double K.O., Yuga will win the round, but you won't win the match. Use juggles where possible, as before. If playing Slash, juggles are your best chance. If Bust, as before Yuga has no crouching animation. Chain grab him to death but be careful when getting close. Attacks to look out for: - Yuga's hand slashes now can travel anywhere on the screen. - When Yuga rears back with both hands either block or duck to avoid his energy shot. - When Yuga raises his hands, jump immediately after Yuga and attack. Don't run or try and block because Yuga will pull the ground out from underneath you and slam you hard onto the ground. - When you see Yuga turn his body sideways, jump immediately. If you don't Yuga will use his lightning grab to pull you in and throw you down. - When Yuga somewhat crouches down, don't touch him or get near him. He makes the ground around him explode with fire and makes himself firey as well. - When Yuga activates his Rage Eruption, count 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005 and then use a BC unblockable. Yuga cannot be hit for those 5 seconds. - If Yuga makes a break for one of those circles along the edge of the ring, run and attack him immediately. If he gets to the circle, he will heal himself. However, he is very vulnerable while he's healing. Use a BC unblockable. - In the fifth and final round of the match, Yuga will usually start the match off by stopping time and freezing the entire screen. The best thing to do here is block. Because he will wait a bit before he unfreezes the screen and hits you with a hand slash. Yuga only uses this move in the last round. Beat the floating Yuga and you will have beaten the game. Good luck. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hanzo's Ending For those of you who want to know what the ending is because its very unlikely that you'll ever get to play Samurai Shodown 64, here you go. Even Hell's Lord can't live forever. Those who come from Darkness ...One day return to darkness. You'll pay for your heinous sins In the cold, deep bowels of Hades. That is your pathetic destiny. And if that's not acceptable, Burn in the fires of your making. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Death Slashes Of course, who can forget the blood spraying out or the body splitting in half when you kill your opponent. If you didn't have that...it wouldn't be Samurai Shodown. Hanzo has three slashes that will kill your opponent if they are used to kill him in the winning round of the match. I must quickly note that Nakoruru, Rimururu, Shiki, Deku, Dekuina, Yuga, and Gandara cannot be killed. Cut in half: jumping AB slash Stab to the heart: BC unblockable or AB ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hanzo's Quotes After winning a match, sometimes the screen will close in on Nakoruru while fading to a 2D pick on Hanzo where he will say something. Here are his quotes. Slash: Quote 1: "I fight for the Bakufu. Where is your leader, scum?!" Quote 2: "The ninja is always prepared. Unlike you, you silly lightweight!" Bust: Quote 1: "To fulfill my mission, I am ready to give my life!" Quote 2: "Even if I pile up a heap of corpses, I will finish my duty, pal!" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hanzo's Outfits Hanzo has 4 different outfits that he fights in, 2 in Slash, 2 in Bust. Colors are chosen at the Slash/Bust select screen. If you are at the 1st controller, press A to choose the 1st outfit and B for the 2nd outfit. If you are at the 2nd controller, press B to choose the 1st outfit and A for the 2nd outfit. Slash: 1st color: Black outfit with black armor, gold trim and red scarf. 2nd color: White outfit with black armor, gold trim and purple scarf. Bust: 1st color: Green outfit with green armor, gold trim and gold scarf. 2nd color: Maroon outfit with black armor, gold trim and purple scarf. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Samurai Shodown 64 aka Samurai Spirits (c) 1997 by SNK. Hanzo, Amakusa, Yuga, Deku, Dekuina, Gandara, Haohmaru, Shiki, Nakoruru, and Rimururu are all copyrighted names by SNK. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.0 (c) 2005 by Juan Carlos "J.C." Echartea All Rights Reserved. Do not post this FAQ on any website without my expressed written or emailed consent. To ask permission, email me at squints84@gmail.com If you are granted permission, I do ask that you give credit where credit is due. Current sites with permission: http://www.samuraispirits.net Also, feel free to email me if you have any questions about this FAQ or Samurai Shodown 64 whether it be about the game or how to play any of the characters. I can play as any character on the game and am more than willing to help you out. Also, if you hear of any rumors about the game, email me and I will test those rumors and let you know if they are true. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------