STREET FIGHTER III 3rd STRIKE: SEAN FAQ
-= SAL's guide to gettin' jiggy with it =-
STORY:
"Wow, Mel's grown so much hasn't he hon? Look at how small he is in this
picture. This was taken less than a year ago, wasn't it?"
"Oh, that was when you lost that little match with him wasn't it?"
"Ouch, don't remind me! Haha, I should've known better than to let him throw
me his hardest punch when he was just at that height..."
"Hee hee, after always teaching him to be strong I'll never forget the look
on his face when you almost started crying like a baby. Hey, look at this
picture. Isn't he that boy from Brazil you were training? What was his
name..?"
"Hmmm, Sean. And it was more like babysitting if you ask me. What a
nuisance. Remember how he used to follow me around all the time like a lost
puppy?"
"Come to think of it, I'm not sure I would have remembered him at all if we
hadn't decided to look through the album like this. What ever happened to
him anyway?"
"He kept bugging me to train him, and he was always so impatient about it.
The only thing I could think of to get him to leave me alone was to tell him
he needed to spend some time training by himself."
"Hmmm, and he's the impatient one huh?"
"Very funny. The only way I could even get him to go back home was by saying
I'd see how he was doing if he came back in a year."
"Well in that case, you'd better get ready then shouldn't you?"
"Huh?"
"It's been almost a year now since we took those pictures, remember?"
"Oh right, the North American tournament's coming up again soon, and that
was just before the last one. But, come on... there's no way he'd do it. He
had such a short attention span, he probably forgot all about it before he
even got off the plane going back..."
"I'm just kidding dear. I'm sure he's forgotten all about it by now too.
Come on, let's get some sleep... it's getting late."
"Yeah, you're right... I'll be up in a minute."
(Hmmm... that kid was such a pest. He'd never give up once he put his mind
to something. But, he wouldn't really come back would he? I know I said I'd
meet him in a year, but there's no way he'll be waiting there. If it were
Ryu we were talking about then it would be a completely different story... I
mean, if Ryu said he'd do something there was no question about it that it'd
be done. Ryu's always kept his word no matter what, for as long as I've
known him. No matter what... damn... even after all these years you still
have such an effect on me, don't you old buddy? Okay kid, I said I'd be
there so I will, no matter what...)
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NORMAL ATTACKS:
This is only a list of his useful attacks. If it's not listed here, you
probably don't want to be using it for anything.
JAB Punch + SHORT Kick
A normal throw, where Sean shoulder slams his opponent down next to him.
F/B + JAB Punch + SHORT Kick
Another throw, with Sean doing a leg toss which lands the opponent far away.
STRONG Punch (far)
An extremely good keep-away attack. It's speed, range, and priority are all
excellent for a medium-strength normal attack. Use it often to keep enemies
out of your face, intercept jumpers, or just to build up your Super bar.
STRONG Punch (close)
A short jab. Chain a Roundhouse onto it if it connects. Not good for much
else.
D + FORWARD Kick
Great combo setup move, and very quick with good priority. A Short Tornado
Kick can be chained onto it, or a Dragon Smash if in close enough, or any
Super Art.
STRONG Punch + FORWARD Kick
Simple overhead attack. With all the other overheads he's got you don't
really need it much, but you might want to throw it in every once in a while
to keep them on their toes.
FIERCE Punch (far)
You can't combo to or from this move, making it quite limited, but it's
speed and priority aren't too bad. It bears a striking resemblence to
Chun-Li's standing Fierce, but with less range.
FIERCE Punch (close)
Quick uppercut. Not much range, but excellent comboing ability. This can
chain the most moves of any normal attack, and should always be used to
start combos whenever possible.
F + FIERCE Punch
A two hit headbutt that must be blocked high. Can be chained after the close
Fierce, which doesn't combo due to the lag time at the beginning of this
move, but is still a very useful link. It also has enough range to be used
on it's own, and is an excellent way to greet a fallen opponent as they're
getting up.
D + FIERCE Punch
A different uppercut than the standing Fierce. Not as good for combos, but a
far better air defense, especially when the opponent is coming down directly
above you.
FIERCE Punch (while jumping)
Standard aerial punch. The jumping Roundhouse tends to be a better combo
starter, but this usually works better for air-to-air combat.
ROUNDHOUSE Kick (far)
Excellent air defense, especially against opponents landing in front of you
rather than on top of you. Use in conjunction with the crouching Fierce as a
solid anti-air defense.
ROUNDHOUSE Kick (close)
A quick knee that can be comboed from pretty easily. I'd still recommend the
Fierce though, since the F + Fierce can't be linked off of this, and it's
basically identical otherwise.
F + ROUNDHOUSE Kick
An odd hop kick that knocks the opponent back but not down. It's definately
one of the strangest looking moves in his arsenal, which makes it rather
difficult to parry as a result. Not to be overused, but it can be a
relatively safe way to advance forward short distances when trying to get in
close.
D + ROUNDHOUSE Kick
Your standard foot sweep. Only use it if you're out of range with the
crouching Forward, as it can leave you open for a lot of Supers and EX
attacks if blocked in close.
ROUNDHOUSE Kick (while jumping)
Standard aerial kick. Generally his most useful jumping attack, though the
jumping Fierce tends to sometimes fare better in air-to-air fighting, due to
it's higher impact zone. A great combo starter on grounded opponents though,
due to it's longer range horizontally.
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SPECIAL ATTACKS:
SEAN TACKLE - B,DB,D,DF,F + hold Punch
Sean dashes forward a distance, which is determined by the button pressed.
Jab is quite a short distance, while Fierce travels about three-quarters
across the screen. Holding the button will initiate a two-hit grab at the
end of the dash, which must be blocked low. Releasing the Punch button after
initiating the move halts it without attacking at all, but avoids the
opening that comes from a blocked grab. The EX version is faster and results
in a five-hit grab when it successfully connects. Not overly useful in some
situations, but generally a good tool in semi-combos or in conjunction with
the basketball taunt.
RYUBI-KYAKU - D,DF,F + Kick
A flying kick that must be blocked high. Like the Sean Tackle, the button
determines the distance he travels, with the Roundhouse version travelling
about three-quarters of the screen, and Short version going practically
nowhere. Blocking the move does not leave him open for counter attacks, but
it's quite easy to parry if seen coming, so it's best to only use it early
against jumpers or in semi-combos up close, where parrying it becomes much
more difficult. The EX version tracks the opponent and hits twice instead of
once.
DRAGON SMASH - F,D,DF + Punch
A bizarre uppercut that definately qualifies as one of his strangest looking
attacks. Useful in combos, as it can be cancelled both to and from. When
used on it's own, it's slight initial lag time sometimes makes it difficult
to use as an air defense. Good if you have the time to set it up properly,
such as against high-jumpers, but you should never use it as a point-defense
counter attack in the typical Dragon Punch way, since you can be hit out of
it during it's brief initial lag time without cost to the opponent at all.
The EX version hits twice instead of once.
TORNADO KICK - D,DB,B + Kick
A spinning kick resembling the common Cyclone Kick, but acts surprisingly
different. The button used will determine both the number of hits and the
initial startup time. The Short version comes out the fastest, but only hits
twice. This is the only version of the move which can be chained onto a
crouching Forward Kick. The Forward version comes out slower, but hits three
times. This can be chained onto the close standing Fierce or Roundhouse. The
Roundhouse version hits four times, but comes out the slowest, and cannot be
chained off of anything. The EX version combines the speed of the Short with
the four hits of the Roundhouse. With any version, if one hit connects with
an opponent on the ground, the remaining hits will almost always connect as
a combo. The move can leave you open to some attacks if blocked, but not if
it connects, so using it in combos is always safe.
ZENPOU-TENSHIN - D,DB,B + Punch
A ground roll, much like Ken's from the Street Fighter Alpha series. A great
avoidance technique, allowing you to easily escape corner traps in
particular. The button used determines the distance you will roll, with
Fierce going the furthest. Makes you invulnerable to most attacks aside from
those that must be blocked low, such as foot sweeps. Overall it's
surprisingly one of the safest teleportation-type moves in the entire game,
making it a very nice maneuverability option to have available.
BASKETBALL TAUNT - Fierce + Roundhouse
Sean catches a basketball from off-screen, and tosses it towards his
opponent. While the damage inflicted by it is minimal, this is a key move to
set up combos and other attacks. As it is a taunt, it does leave you
slightly open initially, so you have to be careful not to set yourself up
for a beating instead of your opponent. Use it often, but without becoming
overly predictable, and never activate it right up close unless the opponent
is dizzy or lying on the ground. In short, just go for it whenever you're at
a distance from your opponent and think you can get away with it. The
basketball is certainly one of the most useful taunts in the game, and
should be considered a standard addition to Sean's arsenal of special moves.
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SUPER ARTS:
I. HADO-BURST (3 charges maximum) - D,DF,F,D,DF,F + Punch
A very fast projectile which charges up quickly, allowing you to use it
often and provide ample fuel for your EX specials. It hits once, usually
causing around 20% damage. It can be easily chained into combos just as well
as his other Super Arts, and gives him a much needed projectile move that
comes in handy in all kinds of situations. If a projectile is thrown by the
opponent, use this to cancel and pass through it, and hit the opponent
before they recover in time to block. Although it lacks priority against
stronger multi-hit projectiles, it will pass through most standard and even
EX projectiles with ease. Although it's strength as a Super Art is lacking
compared with the likes of Shinkuu-Hadoken type attacks, it makes up for
this in it's tremendous speed, allowing it other uses aside from merely a
brute-force attack. If the opponent leaves themselves open with any attack,
even at the opposite end of the screen, a quick Hado-Burst can effectively
take advantage of the opportunity. Taunting is essentially impossible for
the opponent to do safely as long as you have a Hado-Burst in stock, unless
they've knocked you down first of course. It also makes an excellent counter
to use after blocking various attacks in close. Foot sweeps that recover
slowly, such as the crouching Roundhouse moves of Ryu or Elena for example,
can easily be countered with a Hado-Burst after being blocked up close.
Various other normal attacks performed with Fierce or Roundhouse in
particular are also counterable through a similar process of blocking and
performing the Super before they recover from doing the move. On top of
this, it also is an extremely useful air defense against opponents jumping
in just ahead of you. Simply throw it out as they're coming down, and watch
them helplessly fly away after landing on top of it. Even if the move is
blocked it will only leave you as open for counter attacks when done
extremely close to the opponent, and even then the opening is a short one.
The only thing to really avoid is having an opponent jump over it and take
advantage of the opening it leaves you in when it misses completely. This
move has lost some of it's priority from 2nd Impact, allowing opponents to
occasionally cancel it with a Jab or a throw, but still remains one of the
most useful and versatile Super Arts in the entire game.
II. SHORYU-CANNON (2 charges maximum) - D,DF,F,D,DF,F + Punch repeatedly
A double Dragon Punch type move which scores hits as the button is rapidly
pressed, with a maximum damage of around 30-35%. Easy to put into combos,
but not very useful on it's own. It's initial priority is rather good
against normal attacks, making it a decent reversal, but it leaves you wide
open when blocked, so it shouldn't be used recklessly on it's own. Using it
as a counter after blocking isn't as easy as the other two Super Arts
either, due to it's limited horizontal range during the beginning, and isn't
recommended for this purpose. It's ability as an air counter can be quite
effective, but it tends not to score as many hits as when used on the
ground. Aside from this, it's primary use is often limited only to combos
done extremely close to the opponent. While it can prove to be effective in
these few select situations, it's significantly lacking in versatility
overall, and simply isn't able to do enough damage to make it worth using
extensively.
III. HYPER TORNADO (1 charge maximum) - D,DF,F,D,DF,F + Punch
This one begins with a dash resembling the Sean Tackle, then proceeds to lay
the smack down when that first hit connects, inflicting up to about 35-40%
damage with it's 12 hits in total. The speed of the initial dash is very
fast, making it an excellent move with which to easily exploit any opening
in an opponent's defense. This speed also allows it be be used as an
effective counter after blocking certain attacks in close, just as was
described above for the Hado-Burst. While it's speed and damage make it an
ideal method of punishment in a ground fight, the combo portion can't
connect on a jumping opponent, limiting it's usefulness against frequent
jumpers. It also leaves you open for counter attack briefly when blocked,
making it dangerous to take too many open risks with. Using it in combos is
an easy way to guarantee the hits, but only on opponents that stay grounded
during the combo, which means it won't work to chain it after a Dragon Smash
like the other two will. It can sometimes pay off in the end with it's high
damage if used carefully, but it's generally not worth the long charge up
time it requires.
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COMBO LIST:
Moves are seperated by a dash. Combos ending in a Super Art may of course be
ended without the Super Art as well. As with the other Shotokan characters,
there is a lot of variety you can make out of linking attacks together, such
as linking a special attack off of various normal attacks (standing Fierce,
crouching Fierce, standing Roundhouse, etc.). Rather than try to list every
single combo possibility, which would just be stupid, I've listed the
particular variations I use most often. Feel free to make substitutions as
you see fit.
standing Strong (close) - standing Roundhouse
standing Fierce (close) - Dragon Smash (F,D,DF + Fierce) - Super Art
(D,DF,F,D,DF,F + Punch)
standing Roundhouse (close) - Tornado Kick (D,DB,B + Forward or 2Kick)
crouching Forward - Tornado Kick (D,DB,B + Short or 2Kick)
crouching Forward - Super Art (D,DF,F,D,DF,F + Punch)
See the PRESSURE TACTICS section below for some non-combo linkers.
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GENERAL STRATEGY:
As a big fan of Sean in 2nd Impact, I was baffled at how weak he had seemed
to become in this game. After being changed almost completely, his
incredible abilities had apparently taken a turn for the worse, leaving me
frustratingly trying to work with this strange new incarnation of who used
to be my best character. I soon passed him off as being useless, and focused
my attention to mastering other characters instead. After eventually coming
back to him a few months later though, I began to realize that my mistake
had been in trying to use him in the same way I had before in 2nd Impact. As
I practiced with him anew, I avoided attempting to replicate the old Sean's
tactics, and instead began to see him as the new and completely different
character that he has become. The first and possibly still the most valuable
information I learned about him in 3rd Strike was to forget everything I
knew about the old Sean, and instead treat him as a brand new character, and
unless you do the same, you may never come to realize this new Sean's
potential.
That said, Sean's new strategy involves making more use out of the moves
that were improved, like the Ryubi-Kyaku and Sean Tackle, while laying off a
bit on the ones that have been weakened, such as the Dragon Smash and
Tornado Kick. While in 2nd Impact I wouldn't touch the former two moves,
they have both been improved enough to become useful, where as the latter
simply aren't powerful enough to rely on alone anymore, as you could easily
get away with in 2nd Impact. Overall, his moves have become much more
balanced now, and making use of all of them is an essential part of a good
strategy in 3rd Strike. The only thing worse than trying to use him exactly
as you did in 2nd Impact is trying to use him like any of the other Shotokan
characters in the game, which any avid Sean user should already know is pure
suicide. While Sean lacks many of the qualities that make the other Shotos a
lot safer to use, he has by far the best trapping abilities, high-low mix-up
patterns, and overall confusion factor (not to mention being the most fun to
play, in my opinion). His relatively large arsenal of offensive moves also
allows him to constantly assault an opponent without ever having to fall
into overly predictable patterns. Since this essentially describes the
backbone of any good Sean strategy, the rest of this section will focus on
how to maximize the effectiveness of this oppressive nature of playing.
PRESSURE TACTICS
Sean's true combos are somewhat lacking, but his vast arsenal of high-low
switching patterns and confusing attacks can quickly spell the end for an
unsuspecting opponent facing a Sean gone berserk. The key to the game is
attacking non-stop, mixing up your attack patterns continuously, and
generally making your strategy as confusing and unpredictable as possible.
Getting your opponent trapped in the corner is a huge asset to this, which
can be easily done one of two ways. If your opponent tends to back off more
than advance forward, simply start going on the offensive until they've been
pushed into the corner. If they're an offensive player who likes to do the
advancing on you, then just pull the old switcharoo by retreating into the
corner yourself, then using a ground roll (D,DB,B + Punch) to get to the
other side of them as they try to close in, leaving them trapped in your
place.
Once you've gotten in close (preferably with them cornered), it's time to
really start messing with their mind. Your basic offense isn't going to be
made up of true combos, but rather Sean's vast array of seperate but linking
attacks (aka. "semi-combos"). The first set starts with a crouching Forward
Kick, and leads into two basic alternatives. Remember that mixing them up is
the key. Don't let your opponent know which move you're going to cancel
into, and they'll quickly find themselves flustered by moves that would
normally be easily parried and countered.
crouching Forward - Ryubi-Kyaku (D,DF,F + Short)
- Tornado Kick (D,DB,B + any Kick)
The set above is a great pattern to get used to, because it's so fast and
benefits from the initial range of the crouching Short. The Ryubi-Kyaku is
extremely hard to parry in this situation, especially when you toss in
enough Tornado Kicks to throw their anticipation off, and can get you in
closer for the next set of patterns. If the crouching Forward does connect,
try to go into a Super Art or a Tornado Kick that will connect (Short or
EX). If you end a blocked low Forward with a Tornado Kick, vary the button
used to confuse them, by assigning more or less hits to the move than they
might be expecting.
standing Fierce - F + Fierce
- Sean Tackle (B,DB,D,DF,F + Jab)
- Tornado Kick (D,DB,B + any Kick)
Now this is some great stuff. The combination of being able to chain a F +
Fierce (overhead) or Sean Tackle (low) will always keep them guessing as to
which way to block, and since it's really hard to change your blocking on
the spot with the speed of these moves, guessing is pretty much all they'll
be able to do. Note that while these do link, they can't actually combo off
of a Fierce that connects, so if it does then it's best to just go into a
real combo instead. As with the previous pattern, tossing a nice helping of
varied Tornado Kicks into the mix can really play havoc with their mind.
Just remember that even the best of players can get frustrated, which in
turn leads to recklessness, which in turn leads to you winning the game.
Set, point, and match...
SHOOTIN' THE HOOPS
Sean - useless underdog or cheapness supreme? Master the basketball Taunt
and you'll start considering the latter over the former. Tossing out the
basketball isn't only a relatively safe and effective combo setup, but it's
an essential part of some rather devious traps as well. Keep in mind that
tossing it up close leaves you wide open, and tossing it from the opposite
side of the screen is useless, since you can't get over to them in time to
mix anything up with the impact of the ball. Therefore, the ideal distance
for a basketball toss is about half a screen away from your opponent, or
slightly closer.
After the toss, there's a lot of things you can do. Since the ball's coming
in from above, most people will leave themselves open to low attacks while
they block or parry it standing up. This gives the Sean Tackle a great
opportunity, allowing you to catch people off-guard all the time when
coupled with the ball toss. Use the shortest distance Tackle necessary to
reach the opponent in order to minimize the time they have to react to it,
or use the EX version if you think they'll fall for it anyway. Time it right
after the toss so that you're grabbing them just as the ball hits, or
slightly after. Practice making it into a three hit combo against the
computer to get it down good. Other variations that take advantage of this
low opening include dashing in with a foot sweep or a low Forward into a
combo. Another thing to try once in a while is coming at them with the
Roundhouse Tornado Kick, as people tend to have trouble timing their
parrying for both the ball and the flurry of kicks at the same time.
Basically, you options here are huge, so if they start to catch on to what
you're doing, just try something else. They basically have no choice but to
block or parry the ball, since if they let it hit them you'll get the hits
of whatever other move you're doing as a combo anyway, so feel free to
recklessly rush them without fear of repercussion.
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BONUS BASKETBALL INFO:
Sean will sometimes toss a basketball before a match starts, which will
either fall short or fly too far to hit the opponent. To correct this, hold
forward or back on the joystick to direct the ball's trajectory. If it's
going to land short you should press forward, and if it flies too far you
should press back. If you did it correctly the ball will hit the opponent,
causing dizziness animation momentarily.
To choose a basketball stage level higher than three, hold the following
buttons and joystick direction before the bonus stage begins. I know this
doesn't have anything to do with playing as Sean, but I figured I can
justify throwing it in due to the fact that Sean's always the one tossing
you the balls (even if you're playing as Sean! What the..?)
Level 4 (easy) - down + 3Kick
Level 4 (hard) - up + 3Punch
Level 5 (easy) - down + Jab + Forward + Fierce
Level 5 (hard) - up + Short + Strong + Roundhouse
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That's it... stop using boring old Ryu and Ken and kick it up a notch with
Sean, the Shoto with style! :)
email me at:
[email protected]
be sure to also check out my Twelve guide, available at www.GameFAQs.com
