Power Stone: Ayame Guide

Power Stone: Ayame Guide
------------------------

8/20/99 Version 1.0 by
Razorclaw X ([email protected])

Introduction
------------

Power Stone is another Capcom fighting game-- but a different kind
of game. Instead of the usual six-button Street Fighter type
layout, you have only three buttons (punch, jump, and kick; but
the Dreamcast version utilizes all the buttons available) and
have free movement in a 3-D environment. Special attacks are not
pulled off with joystick motions, but are granted automatically
after collecting three magic stones during battle. You cannot
block in this game; rather, you must dodge attacks.

Of course, since this IS a fighting game, there are life bars
(in the form of five crystals at the top of the screen) and a
countdown timer. Whoever has the most life left before time runs
out wins. The victor is decided in a best two out of three
battle.

This guide is for those of you who like (or would like) to use
Ayame, the cutesy female character with the throwing darts.
All characters play the same way, but each character has a
distinct advantage or disadvantage that makes them stand out
above the rest. Ayame's key advantage is speed.

Version History
---------------

- 1.0 First Release (8/20/99)

Story
-----

In the 19th Century, a group of people are after an artifact,
the Power Stone, which is supposed to make its owners wishes
come true. All around the world, fighters appear and battle
for this artifact for their own reasons.

The Stones
----------

Sometimes the key to victory lies in three colored stones-- red,
blue, and yellow. You start with one stone, while the opponent
starts with another (usually red and blue, respectively). The
yellow stone appears after a short while. The stones can be
knocked off you or your opponent after certain hits, leaving you
or the opponent free to collect them. Collect all three stones,
and you transform into your 'super mode.' In this 'super mode' you
now have access to special attacks, super armor (you won't get
knocked down most of the time-- only grabs will stop you), and
super attacks-- for a limited time. The super meter decreases
slowly itself over time, a fixed amount when you use a special
attack, or all of it when you use a super. You can also lose energy
whenever you get hit by the opponent.

After that time is up, you or the opponent releases two stones
from his or her body, leaving you/opponent wide-open to attacks for
a short time, and the stones free for the taking. It's your choice
whether or not to go after the stones or get your opponent while
his guard is down.

When a stone has been lying around on the battlefield for a while,
it disappears and reappears somewhere else. Check the minimap
at the bottom of the screen for locations.

Basics
------

* Punch-- punch button
This is your basic punch. Can be comboed up to four hits, but
the damage is recoverable (opponent's energy bar is blue), but
removes an entire energy bar (in most cases). The last hit will
remove a stone from the opponent's possession.

* Kick-- kick button
This is your basic kick. Can be comboed up to four hits, but
the damage is recoverable. The last hit will release a stone
from the opponent's possession.

* Jump-- jump button
This is your basic jump. Ayame jumps high and very quickly.

* Grab-- punch and kick button together (Dreamcast: grab button)
when close
This is your basic grab. Ayame will run between the opponent's
legs and kick him from behind. This removes half of a crystal
bar and is permanent damage.

* Escape-- punch and/or kick plus directional pad when close
Primarily how you may avoid close-quarter attacks. This also
sets you up for your own attack if your opponent isn't expecting
it.

* Roll-- directional pad when knocked down
This allows you to escape attacks that would otherwise hit you
while you are standing.

* Air Jump-- press jump while in the air
Ayame is one of the few (perhaps only?) character in the game
that can double jump. Particularly useful for avoiding attacks.

* Head Stomp-- punch and kick (or grab) button in the air
Ayame jumps straight down on the opponent, stomping on his head.
She will then jump back in the air and perform another stomp.
The second stomp will release a stone. Sometimes the second
stomp will not hit.

* Air Grab-- punch and kick (or grab) button in air when close
Ayame grabs the opponent and kicks him a couple times. This
releases a stone and removes about half a crystal.

* Jump Kick-- kick button while in the air
A simple attack that will always release a stone. The jump kick
travels at a downward angle and is very quick. However, avoid
using this near walls, because if your jump kick connects with
the wall you will bounce off and leave yourself very open.

* Wall Kick-- punch and kick (or grab) button while near the wall
This attack will seek the opponent. Ayame will kick the opponent,
and will release a stone. This is not recommended for when the
opponent is at the opposite end of the screen or is extremely
close to you.

* Post Kick-- punch and kick (or grab) button while near a post
Ayame will swing around the post a couple of times, then launch
a kick in the direction of the opponent. This is not recommended
because you are extremely vulnerable during the swinging.

* High Post Kick-- punch and kick (or grab) button while near a post
and are in the air
Same as wall kick.

* Ceiling grab-- punch and kick (or grab) button near the ceiling
This allows you to grab the ceiling, if possible. Use the
directional control to move around (if possible). For roofs
(such as in Ryoma's stage) moving to the end allows you to
jump on the roof. Pushing kick drops you from the ceiling, while
punch allows you to perform a drill kick (releases a stone).

* Pick up object-- punch and kick (or grab) button while near object
This varies depending on what object you pick up. Push punch
and kick (or grab) button again to drop it.

For throwable objects (crates, bombs, etc.) Ayame's throw is
extremely slow and unreliable.

* Catch object-- punch and kick (or grab) button before object hits
A limited ability that allows you to catch objects thrown at
you; this will not work if the object is pushed or kicked to
you. However, you must time this carefully-- you have to push
the buttons just before the object hits you. This is not
recommended when fighting against good throwers such as Gunrock,
Galuda, Fokker/Falcon, and Valgas.

Weapons/Objects
---------------

These are the various objects and weapons you may pick up in
Power Stone. Weapon items are found in chests; run next to the
chest to open it. When any of these hit it will release a stone.

* Objects: This includes chairs, crates, boxes, pots, drums, and
anything else than can be picked up immediately. All operate
the same. You can push or kick an object by standing next to
them and pushing the punch or kick button. You can pick them
up and throw them as well. As with the throwing, pushing
and kicking objects is quite slow when using Ayame, and will
not likely generate a desirable result.

* Weapons: There are several weapons available in your arsenal.
Pick them up by standing next to them and using the grab button
(or punch and kick buttons together). Use the punch button to
attack.

- Sword: One of the best weapons. A time bar appears over
your head when you pick it up-- this is how long you
have to use the sword. With one slash you can attack
in a 45 degree arc in front of you, but the real
treat comes from a jump attack-- it is similar to a
jump kick but with the sword, and does a lot of
damage. I recommend you pick this up whenever you
powered up with the stones, as this saves you a lot of
energy and you can cause a lot of damage. Sometimes
the jump attack releases two stones.

- Pipe: This is similar to the sword in almost every way. I
haven't found any difference with this and the sword
other than cosmetics.

- Mallet: This weapon can release TWO stones with a hit.
The trick is, however, to HIT with it; there is a
large startup time between when you hit the button and
when you hit. This only works for targets directly in
front of you.

- Flamethrower: Upon picking up this weapon a time bar
appears over your head-- this is how long you can use
it. This sprays fire in front of you (but not upward),
but drastically slows your movement to a crawl.

- Rocket Launcher: A four-bullet weapon, this fires very
slowly and slows Ayame's movement drastically, which
may be quite fatal in her case. Even though the shots
do a lot of damage, it's not worth risking a miss.

- Molotov Cocktail: A thrown weapon that creates a flame
patch wherever it lands. The fire disappears after a
while.

- Pistol: This weapon contains six bullets, which fly
horizontally. This severely reduces Ayame's movement
(anyone's, for that matter), and you shouldn't use this
unless you're sure you're winning or will hit.

- Bomb (small and large): This weapon has a countdown timer.
If it is not used before time runs out, it will
explode by itself and damage anyone caught in the blast.
Blast radius is determined by the size of the bomb.

Special Attacks
---------------

Upon collection of all three stones (red, blue, and yellow) Ayame
will transform into a pink ninja which looks like a cross between
a bunny suit and the pink Power Ranger, with a throwing star on
her back.

Yes, it looks strange (it's the most radical costume change of all
the characters in the game), but what's worse: being the
'gay pink ninja,' or being BEATEN by the 'gay pink ninja?' :P

Replacing the stones in the corner will be an energy bar. This bar
decreases slowly, but energy diminishes quicker if you use your
special attacks. Super attacks will drain the entire bar. Once
the bar is empty, you are vulnerable for a couple of seconds, so
make sure when time runs out the opponent is knocked down, or prepare
for a thrashing.

Also note, while in super mode Ayame can now rip out and swing
posts (instead of swinging around on them), and lift heavier
objects, such as the large table in Wangtang's stage.

* Throwing stars-- punch button
Ayame throws three throwing stars in the opponent's direction.
If it connects, the opponent will be stuck in place for less
than a second. If, during that time the opponent is hit by a
second throwing star, he will be knocked down.

This attack uses up a lot of energy and is very easy to avoid.
Don't use this at long distance (or when the opponent is standing
UNDER you-- yes, it happens) or you'll waste energy. This is
best used in setup for....

* Tornado attack-- kick button
Ayame spins herself and disappears, damaging the opponent if
he is close. This can hit multiple times depending on how close
the opponent is. A very high-priority attack.

This attack uses up very little energy. Use this while the
opponent is getting up for repeated hits.

* Throwing stars super-- punch and jump (or left) button
This uses up the remainder of the energy bar. Ayame spins around
for a second, then throws five or six throwing stars that sweep
across the battlefield and seek the opponent. The stars sweep
for about three times before dissipating. It can be done in the
air as well.

This super can do a lot of potential damage unless your
opponent manages to dodge all the stars (with repeated jumping).
You can be hit out of this if your opponent grabs you during
the spinning animation.

* Rush super-- kick and jump (or right) button
Ayame flies straight toward the opponent. If she hits, Ayame
performs a series of kicks, finishing with a storm of throwing
darts. This super can be done in the air, but does nothing
if Ayame doesn't hit the opponent (and leaves you even more
open than usual).

For a super, this attack does lowsy damage (a full crystal bar
at best), and is very easy to avoid. Generally, you should only
use this when the opponent has only one bar of life left. The
best time to use this is while the opponent is completing a
jump, but the timing is tricky.

VS Computer
-----------

- Fokker/Falcon: He is a fast character and can deal out a decent
amount of damage. Since there are a lot of throw-ables in his
stage he will try to throw them at you. Bottom line: don't try
throwing all that stuff at him, because Fokker throws a lot
faster than Ayame does. There is no real way to get around this.
Since this stage is very open, the throwing star super is not
as effective. As soon as you enter the stage Fokker will run for
the bench first; jump kick him.

If Fokker has collected all the stones, dodge the homing missiles
(easy) and stay a fair distance from him (so he can't use his
fire attack against you). If he charges up for a super, be prepared
for a volley of homing rockets and be at extreme distance for best
chances of avoidance. For the other super, try to stay in the air,
and if you get knocked down, roll to avoid the attacks. Fokker's
super does FOUR charges (common mistake: most people think it's
three), so once the fourth one is done whack him.

- Ayame: This may be your toughest fight because Ayame is... well,
just as fast as Ayame. Since this IS a computer, it takes
complete advantage of Ayame's speed. I have no real recommendations
for this fight but try to keep ahead of her. The throwing star
super is very effective if the computer is standing under the
overhang.

If CPU Ayame is in super mode, avoid the throwing stars by moving.
Just keep clear of her to avoid the tornado attack. When she
uses the throwing stars super, try to jump up and down a few
times to shake off the throwing stars-- this doesn't always work,
but it is possible. Remember, don't think it's over when CPU Ayame
releases her stones, because the throwing stars will come back for
another pass (common mistake). Her other super you can just avoid
easily.

- Wangtang: He is almost as fast as Ayame and does more damage. Make
use of the low ceiling and use air attacks. Sometimes kicking a
chair will do the job. If you knock him over to the upper right
wall's pit area, a series of pots will fall from the ceiling for
additional damage (be sure you're not there when it happens).
This is one of the best stages for Ayame to fight in due to the
low ceilings-- the throwing star super is very hard to avoid
here.

In his super mode you want to stay as far away as possible.
Wangtang throws fireballs in your direction when far, and uses a
tornado kick when close. If you see Wangtang gathering his arms
up, be prepared for a monster fireball. Just move out of the way
to avoid it. The other super is a kick in your general direction,
so just move out of the way.

- Gunrock: Gunrock has the fastest throw in the game, so don't bother
trying to outdo him in this department. Since he is a lot slower
than you, well-placed jump kicks will get you 'stoned' in no time.
Each of his attacks, however, WILL hurt. His jumping is rather
low as well, so you don't have to worry as much about being
jump kicked (but in turn he'd rather slam you instead).

The central blast furnace, the spinning spikes, and the giant
fan all can hurt you (and Gunrock), so be careful.

If he manages to get all the stones, pray to any god you believe
in. Your best bet is to deny him the stones, otherwise, Gunrock
WILL beat you.

- Jack: Jack is another fast character, and there are very few
throw-ables in his stage (which is good for you). Jump kick
him at the start if he's standing next to the crate. Sometimes
he will try to break the glass windows; when he does this nail
him.

When 'stoned' Jack has a spinning saw and a fast cut; jump to
avoid either of these. If Jack twists around for a super,
try to get away from him, as he will do a helicoptor attack.
Otherwise, he will throw a bunch of swords in the air which rain
down on you-- run to avoid these. His third super, a variant
of the sword attack-- Jack throws the swords directly at you
instead from the air.

- Galuda: Like Gunrock, Galuda has very fast throws, and his attacks
are very punishing. However, he is also slow (but not THAT slow).
Use speed to your advantage and pound him when he tries to grab
something. If he's ripping a post out, jump kick or stomp him,
because he won't be able to act until after he swings it around.
The small upper area in this stage can be useful for
setting up head stomp attacks, but don't stay there too long.
This is one of the better stages to use Ayame in due to the
cramped quarters.

If you or Galuda get knocked into the bookcase, move out of the
way before it falls on you. Also, the giant barrels at the upper
right can fall over as well.

His special attacks are a three-shot horizonal arrows (which fly
over Ayame's head most of the time) and an anti-air flying hit.
Galuda's first super is similar to Jack's swords super, but the
second super is a modified air attack. If Galuda catches you in
the air with this, say good-bye to that round.

- Rouge: The only other female in the game is a pyro maniac. Use
the same conventional techniques against her and take advantage
of the three posts in the chamber to clobber her (the tree counts
as a post). Since this field is very big, the throwing star super
is easier to avoid here. Watch out when she gets close to you,
as Rouge likes to throw you a lot.

Rouge has three attacks: a standing flame thrower, a flying
carpet attack, and an air fireball. All but the flame thrower
are easy to avoid, because the flame thrower seeks you. And, of
course, Rouge also has three supers: a giant fireball, a demon
head that spits out fireballs, and a heart dance. When Rouge
has her arms in the air, she is summoning the fireball. If she
is in the air, she is likely using the demon head-- run to
avoid the fireballs. As for the heart dance... just stay away
from the hearts.

- Ryoma: He can do a lot of damage but isn't particularly fast.
There isn't really anything special you can do against him other
than the usual tactics. A funny (but risky) tactic is to climb
on the roof and use the stomp attack after jumping off. Ryoma
likes to use the pole swing attack, so whenever he does this
just jump kick him.

When powered up Ryoma has three attacks: while in the air he can
launch a slow-moving (and thus easily avoidable) lightning ball
that follows you for a short time. Second, he has a fast sword
sweep that requires you to jump to avoid. Third, he slashes with
his sword while calling down lightning-- run to avoid. However,
since each of those slashes use up a lot of energy, Ryoma will
run out of energy fast. If you see him belt his sword for a super,
run, because a series of sparks will fly at you. His other
super: Ryoma flies up in the air while spinning. Just don't stay
close to him.

- Kraken: The cannons can hurt you, and the wheel counts as a wall
for this battle. The anchor swinging in the upper right wall can
hurt you (and Kraken) as well. Stay ahead of Kraken and don't
stay close to him for long-- he likes to air grab (takes off a
whole bar). Jump kick or stomp him when you can do it safely.

Kraken turns into a ghost pirate when 'stoned' (easily my
favorite costume change in the game). Most of the time he will
fire bombs at you (easily avoided), and sometimes may throw his
claw at you (sometimes after this Kraken may go to where the
claw is at instead of retracting it). Because he's so bomb-happy
most of the time Kraken won't use his supers on you, but if he does
just don't stay close to him.

- Valgas: Don't try to attack Valgas when he picks up a throwable,
because you will get hit from him first. After he throws, however,
run in and jump kick. If he picks up a weapon, jump kick or stomp
him (works particularly for the flamethrower and rocket launcher).
For this battle, you may have to collect the stones about THREE
times before you can finish Valgas (and that's just a single round).

If Valgas collects all the stones, be prepared to move-- fast.
He has a beam attack which he uses while on the ground, and throws
three fireballs while in the air (the fireballs arc downward, then
up, so jump over them when they reach their low point). His most
common super attack is a super beam, which is easily avoided if
you haven't been knocked down (if you have, you're a goner).
Attacking Valgas at this point is not recommended; attempting
to grab him will end up in you losing.

- Final Valgas: As soon as the announcer says something, run either
to the left or right, otherwise it's game over. The battlefield
is completely open, and the stones are yours to collect, but
that will likely get you killed. For best results, stand under
his arm, but not too close to his head. When Valgas leans over,
he's fired a bunch of seeker missiles into the air; hopefully,
most will run into Valgas while you're under his arm. Punch and
kick him, and move out of the way for any stray missile shots,
minding not to get close to his head.

If you DO get all the stones, do not bother using the charging
super against him-- I've tried it myself with disastrous
results (even though I knew logically this wouldn't work...).

You have only one round in order to beat Valgas, so good luck.

Tips
----

- Since Ayame's normal attacks do very little damage, you must
rely on other means in order to do some real damage. This
includes stomp attacks and wall kicks. Weapons help Ayame
greatly, particularly the sword, which allows her to maintain
her normal speed. Other weapons, like the flamethrower and
rocket launcher, strip away your speed advantage, so use them
carefully.

- A good combination is getting super mode Ayame a sword. Not
only will you keep your energy longer (and thus keep the stones
away from the opponent), you can deal more damage than any
of Ayame's special attacks can deliver. Most of the time
your opponent will run from you rather than attack you.

- If you find your opponent open to an attack, punish him. Even
if you did miniscule damage, the damage adds up, and for Ayame,
it's a godsend. However, be sure you can do this with little
chance of retaliation, because Ayame is too weak to trade hits.

- During super mode, when you knock down your opponent run up to
him and use the tornado attack. Even when he's rolling. Because,
when he gets up, he WILL get hit. You can keep chasing the
opponent this way until time runs out.

- If possible, before your super energy meter runs out, use a
super attack (usually this will be the throwing stars super).
If anything, this will keep your opponent away from you while
you're releasing the stones, giving you time to recover.

- While in super mode, you can use throwing stars to destroy
thrown objects in order to avoid getting hit.

Miscellaneous Fluff
-------------------

- Alternate Colors: Press kick during character selection. This
only appears to work in VS mode (the pink ninja becomes
orange, btw).

- Opening 1: Ayame is holding an umbrella. She says something in
Japanese, then throws the umbrella away (and where does it go?
The same place Optimus Prime's trailer goes, of course).

- Opening 2: Ayame is crouching down, talking to some birds.
The birds fly away as the battle starts.

- Victory 1: Ayame jumps up in down, then holds up a V-sign.

- Victory 2: Ayame turns her side to the screen and pats her
posterior a couple times (this is an insult, btw).

- Continue: Ayame is standing, hands behind her back, head down,
kicking the dirt with her sandals.

- You can use the buttons to zoom in and out during the victory
scenes.

- When being challenged by another player, he gets to choose the
stage. This may be critical to your success.

Ending
------

Ayame gives the Power Stone to the Emperor, saying how he got
what he wanted, then walks off with her friends.

Bottom Line
-----------

Strengths:

- The fastest character in the game
- Can double jump
- Is short enough to have certain projectiles (Galuda's shots,
etc.) fly over her head (but don't count on it too much); only
Jack's walking motion is shorter (because he crawls).

Weaknesses:

- Each hit deals out very little damage
- Super mode attacks and supers aren't that great
- Her throws are extremely slow

Reasons why you should use Ayame:

- You can run circles around your opponent
- She's a Cute Anime Girl (TM)
- You like the idea of beating someone with a 'gay pink ninja'
- The 'gay pink ninja' is awesome

Interesting Facts
-----------------

- A Power Stone anime series is being made in Japan
- Wangtang fills the stereotypical role of pig-tailed martial artist
- Ayame fills the stereotypical role of cutesy anime girl
- Kraken is the name of a legendary sea monster (usually a squid)
- Galuda is named after the mythological Garuda

Disclaimer
----------

Power Stone and characters belong to Capcom. This FAQ is copyrighted
by the author and may be freely distributed so long as it appears
in its complete, unaltered, and unplagarized form. This FAQ may not
be sold for monetary gain or be republished/reproduced, in part or
in whole, for any reason whatsoever, without the express permission
of the author.

Copyright 1999 Razorclaw X

-- Razorclaw X ([email protected])
http://www.crosswinds.net/~slythe/index.html