S H I I I N G O O O F A Q !

S H I I I N G O O O F A Q !

A Guide to Shingo Yabuki, KoF '97

Version 1.0
November 28th, 1997

Written by Matt Hall

NOTE: All information presented in this FAQ is copyright 1997 Matt Hall.
You may use the information provided in this FAQ in any non-profit
publication 'FOR FREE!', but please give credit where credit is due, or
else I'll start bitching at you. SNK, The King of Fighters '97, Shingo
Yabuki, and other related things are all trademarks of their respective
copyrights.

REVISION HISTORY

1.0 (November 28th, 1996) - First publically released version of the
guide. Missing Vs. Character Strategy section.

--- TABLE OF CONTENTS ---

1. Introduction
1.1. Note From the Author
1.2. The Top 10 Reasons to Play Shingo!
1.3. Miscellaneous Info
2. Moves
2.1. Normal Moves
2.2. Special Moves
2.3. Desperation Moves
2.4. Other Moves
2.5. Combos
3. Strategy and Whatnot
3.1. Mode Selection
3.2. Picking Your Team
3.3. Critical Hits
3.4. General Strategy
3.5. Shoulder Charge Cancel
3.6. Vs. Strategy
4. Closing
4.1. Conclusion
4.2. Coming Soon...
4.3. Acknowledgments/Related Info

==1. INTRODUCTION==

1.1. NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

You're reading this because you're either bored, or you have an interest
in learning or improving your game with an awesome skill character in
KoF '97 named Shingo Yabuki. Probably the latter.

I wasn't immediately interested in Shingo when the game came out... hell,
I remember when news broke that a new character in KoF '97 named Shingo
who was "Kyo's student" would be included. The KoF ML started to write
Shingo off as a "joke character" and "the next Sean/Dan"... and I agreed
with them too. When KoF '97 hit my area, I began trying out every
character... after a game or two of Shingo, I was certainly intrigued.
I started playing him more, and really got to appreciate his character
design... he's obviously very serious about the fight, and enthusiastic
to boot... his "Oreno... Kachida!" sample is proof of that. And he's a
MUCH deeper character than he appears.

First of all, I'm going to assume that you are at least somewhat familiar
with KoF '97, or KoF in general. You should be roughly around an
intermediate-level player or better. If you think you're a beginner though,
don't despair! I highly recommend giving EX Andy's Beginner Reference Guide
a thorough reading. If you have read it, and don't think you'll be confused
by any thing put forth in this guide, then keep on reading. If you haven't,
get your ass to:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/4810/BEGIN.TXT

Oh yeah, you want motivation to play Shingo? I give you...

1.2. THE TOP 10 REASONS TO PLAY SHINGO!

10. If you play Kyo, you'll have some idea of how to play Shingo.

9. A 100% combo and a TOD... yet he's not overpowered in the slightest.

8. The secret Orochi version of him is the best character in the game.
(KIDDING!)

7. Pays homage to Saishu Kusanagi in some of his normal attacks.

6. All those crazy Critical Hits!

5. Laugh as Shingo does his "Oreno, Kachida!" win pose after he beats
down Kyo.

4. SDM Shoulder Charge Cancel method. Surprise your enemies!

3. Watch with satisfaction as scrubs try to attack after blocking the
first hit of Burning Shingo!

2. Because autoguard is for sissies.

1. SHIIINGGGOOO KIIICCCCK!

1.3. MISCELLANEOUS INFO

-Catch Copy:

NATIONALITY: Japanese
BIRTH DATE: 4/9/1980
AGE: 17
HEIGHT: 178 cm
WEIGHT: 69 kg
BLOOD TYPE: O
HOBBIES: He's a 'Lizard Man' freak
FAVORITE FOOD: Microwavable dishes
FAVORITE SPORT: Water polo, swimming
MOST VALUABLE: Life, his girlfriend, his student handbook
HATES THE MOST: Milk
FIGHTING STYLE: Kusanagi style anicent martial arts taught directly to
him by Kyo Kusanagi

Notes: He's only 17? Wow, younger than me even. Although he has a
girlfriend, she's never mentioned anywhere inside the game. Hmm.

-Costume Colors

A (Advanced): Blue uniform
D (Advanced): Brown uniform
A (Extra): Blue uniform (skin is slightly different color)
D (Extra): Green uniform

-Fight Introduction

Brings a hand to his chest, closes his eyes, and takes a deep breath/sigh.
He then covers his mouth with his fist, and mutters "Cool ni ikoze, Shingo."
(Translation: "Ok Shingo, be cool!")

-Taunt

Shingo takes out a notebook, and starts scribbling something down in it.
During this he says "Eeto, Aragami wa...?"
(Translation: "How do you do the Aragami...?") (huh?)

-Win Poses

A: Turns toward the camera, says "Oreno!...", then raises his fist in
victory and says "...Kachida!"
(Translation: "This is... my victory!")

B: Turns toward the camera, does a similar pose to the A one, and says
"Yooooooshi!". He then looks up towards the sky with his fist on his chest
(saying "Yarimashita yo, Kusanagi-san!"
(Translation: "Alright! I did it, Mr. Kusanagi!")

C: Falls to his knees, breathing really hard. After a few breaths, he
stops, looks up, then looks down again and says "Kate ta!"
(Translation: "I was able to win!")

-Loss by K.O.

Screams out "KUSANAGI-SAN, GOMEN-NASAAAAAIIII!!!"
(Translation: "Mr. Kusanagi, I'm sorry!!!")

-Loss to Time

Brings his hands to his head in frustration, and looks upward.

==2. MOVES==

2.1. NORMAL MOVES

Far Standing A - A short-ranged jab. Not a terribly effective attack, due to
its limited range. It IS bufferable however, making it okay for offensive
tactics. Nothing will actually combo off of it however, except for an
Uppercut. If you want to play it safe though, it's best to buffer into the
f+B.

Far Standing B - Your typical Standing B poke. It looks just like Kyo's
Standing B, but it seems just a tad slower to me. Priority seems low, and
damage is predictably low as well. It's really not worth using much.

Far Standing C - A downward-angled punch. This is a Shingo original, no
character has had an attack like this. :) You can actually hit some
low pokes with it if you anticipate, but if they're flailing at that
distance they deserve to get hit.

Far Standing D - Trivia Alert! Shingo's Standing D looks exactly like Saishu
Kusanagi's Standing D. This is a pretty good attack to keep in your arsenal
of pokes and whatnot. It does good damage, has ok range, and the priority
is pretty good. It's also decent air-defense, but this is not the attack
that you should be using for that. Standing D is also a great no-brainer
juggle attack after a Counter-hit Shingo Kick, or a Shoulder Charge.

Close Standing A - An elbow attack. Bufferable. Not much to speak of here,
since you have stronger attacks to cancel off of.

Close Standing B - Shin kick, but hits high. Bufferable. See above.

Close Standing C - The "body blow" thing. Dunno how to describe it. I
recommend doing most of your cancelling off of the close Standing D, since
if you're not close enough the laggy far Standing C will come out instead,
and then you might be in trouble. Of course, you might as well go for the
Crouching C instead...

Close Standing D - The... err, crescent kick? I dunno. Bufferable as well,
and a wiser move to use than the Standing C when you're in close. Why?
Well, if you're out of range, you get the far Standing D, which isn't a bad
attack at all. Using Standing D as a "meaty" attack when the opponent gets
up works pretty well too, but beware of the usual getting-up weapons
(command throws, DM's).

Crouching A - A low jab which can unfortunately be blocked high. It's nice
and bufferable however, so make good use of it when you're out of range
to actually connect with either Close Standing C or D, or the Crouching C..

Crouching B - A ground kick that hits low, unbufferable. This can be an
important move when in close, despite the fact that you can't cancel into
a special move. All you have to do is link a Crouching A after the Crouching
B and it will combo. What will connect after that though? Umm... uhh...
maybe an Uppercut, I guess... well, looks like I can use that "Use it for
offensive tactics" line again, wheeee! (er, ignore that)

Crouching C - Your standard crouching uppercut attack. As you might
expect, it's an excellent air-defense attack. Due to its vertical hit frame
though, they've got to be fairly close. If they're farther away, you might
want to try the far Standing D (or perhaps nothing at all). It's also
bufferable, so you can use this to combo into the ShingoFists, or any of
his other comboable special moves. It's preferrable to combo the Shoulder
Charge off a Crouching C rather than a Standing C, since the move requires
two quarter circle toward motions, and you have to start at the Down
position... doing a neutral Standing C, then bringing the joystick to the
Down position and doing the two quarter circles fast enough can be
difficult, especially with '97's move detection.

Crouching D - Sweep attack, but unfortunately it's not all that. It has a bit
of lag before it comes out, which should give most players enough time to
block low in time. But since this is one of the rare moves Shingo has that
hits low, your opponent might be accustomed to blocking high if you use
it very rarely. Oh, it is bufferable, so if they do block you can still
cancel into a ShingoFist or Shingo Kick.

Jumping A - Elbow attack, pretty worthless. (or so it seems)

Jumping B - Knee attack. Probably has good priority, but I don't use this
much either.

Jumping C - Downward punch. Good for landing deep hits, and I think it's
ok as an air-to-air attack as well.

Jumping D - Horizontal kick, better than Jumping C for when you need
distance in your jumping attack.

Standing CD - Shoulder push. Really, really slow to come out. It's really
not worth using unless you want to vary your game a bit. Snicker if it
actually hits your opponent, and fall to the floor laughing if you actually
get a Counter with it... err, after you get the free juggle.

Jumping CD - Downward punch, identical to Saishu Kusanagi's. (who the
hell is Shingo training with anyway? hmm) It's not that slow, but I really
don't find it to be all that useful.

2.2. SPECIAL MOVES

The move names used in this FAQ are sometimes my own, as I find it
easier to nickname some moves by that. Just for clarity's sake though, I
have listed each special and super move's real name.

- A ShingoFist : qcf+A -

Japanese Name: HyakuJuuYon Shiki: AraGami Mikansei
English Name: 114 Style: Wild Bite Unfinished
Quote: "Body ga... amai ze!"
Translation: "Your body is weak!"

This is a very important move of Shingo's. Basically, it looks just like
Kyo's qcf+A... except of course for the fact that there is no autoguard
on it, and no flames. Duh. It's fairly fast though, and is almost always
safe when blocked. Stick it out after a bufferable normal move and don't
fear retribution. It will combo after a hard attack.

- C ShingoFist : qcf+C -

Japanese Name: HyakuJyuuGo Shiki: DokuGami Mikansei
English Name: 115 Style: Poison Bite Unfinished
Quote: "Kurae!"
Translation: "Eat this!"

Another move that looks exactly like Kyo's counterpart, sans flames and
autoguard. Yet it's still damn useful... for one thing, it hits twice.
Once immediately on the windup, and once for the actual attack. It will
hit the opponent quicker then the qcf+A if the first hit connects. The
second hit knocks the opponent down too, which is also great. So what's
bad about this move? Well, it moves Shingo forward quite a bit... and the
small lag it has on it can cause you to get hit (probably command thrown)
if it's blocked. It doesn't happen TOO often though, so this is another
move that's great for poking.

- Uppercut : dp+A/C -

Japanese Name: Hyaku Shiki: OniYaki Mikansei
English Name: 100 Style: Demon Scorcher Unfinished
Quote: "Oriya!"
Translation: ? (it seems like some typical grunt, but I could be wrong)

Hey, whaddya know... yet another move that's exactly like Kyo's... WITHOUT
AUTOGUARD OR FLAMES! Well, not exactly, anyway. Shingo's version of the
Oniyaki always hits once (except on Counter), and always knocks down too.
Surprisingly, the priority of it seems BETTER if you do it early and it
hits the opponent while Shingo is near the maximum height he jumps up to,
rather than doing it late and deep. And the damage is still good too.
Overall though, while you can use it to counter some moves clean, the
invincibility window seems REALLY short. Use Crouching C for air defense
if you must. Oh, the Uppercut is a good juggle in most instances.

- Shingo Kick : hcf+B/D -

Japanese/English Name: Shingo Kick
Quote: "Shiiinggooo Kiiiicckkku!"
Translation: You figure it out

SHIIINGGGOOO KIIICCCKU! Yes, this move IS Shingo :) Consider it a
modified version of Kyo's R.E.D. Kick, without flames or autoguard. Hey
wait, it didn't have either of those in the first place... oops. :)
Anyway, in this move, Shingo flies across the screen horizontally with
a mighty kick. The D version sends him farther than the B one, not
surprisingly. Depending on when the Shingo Kick hits, it will either
knock down or it won't. The later it hits, the less likely the chances
are of it knocking down. Of course, is it a knockdown you'll always
desire when using this move? If it leaves the opponent standing and it
triggers a Critical Hit, you have enough time to link in a normal attack,
and buffer that into whatever you want, even a DM! Cool, huh? If it DOES
knock down though, you have a chance to gain positioning, build up your
super bar... whatever. If it knocks down AND is a Counter hit, then you
have the ability to juggle after it, of course! Unfortunately, it seems
hard to juggle anything if they're not in the corner... but if you play
an aggressive Shingo, you should have no problems pushing them in to
there :) Oh yeah, recovery time when blocked... most of the time,
you'll be able to block any retaliation they try, depending on how "deep"
you hit. If you wind up right next to them, they might go for a throw.
(you can break it if you play Advanced, but otherwise...) Even worse, they
might decide to command throw, and then you're really screwed! So while
it is a fun, effective move, don't abuse it.
Ah yes, I almost forgot... you can use the Shingo Kick to go over things
like Iori's fireball. I think with the right timing it can go over other
projectiles, but timing is crucial.

- Unfinished Twilight Ride : qcb+B/D -

Japanese Name: Hyaku-I Shiki: OboroGuruma Mikansei
English Name: 101 Style: Indistinct Wheel Unfinished
Quote: ?
Translation: ?

This is probably Shingo's worst special move. The B version is one single
jump kick, while the D one is three jump kicks, with Shingo landing after
each one. (yes, the D one will combo for all three hits) Not
surprisingly, this move looks a lot like Kyo '94's Twilight Ride... except
Kyo does all three kicks in the same leap. Show off. :) So what makes
this move so bad? Well, all of the kicks in both versions can be ducked.
Yup. Just sit there crouching and none of the kicks will hit you, and
Shingo's dead when he hits the ground. It can also be somewhat difficult
to combo... the D version will only fully combo if you're in the corner,
if you do it anywhere else, the first hit will connect but the rest will
miss. You can of course combo it with the B version instead, but that's
a combo left strictly for "style points". I've seen one player try to make
a guessing game out of the B and D versions, so that if you try to attack
after the first kick of the D version, you get hit by the second two...
it didn't work that well. Oh yes, the D version can also be used as a
juggle after a Counter Shingo Kick in the corner, or after the Shoulder
Charge DM in the corner, but the timing is insane...
Oops, one more thing to mention. On the final hit of the D version,
Shingo will randomly fall down on his face when landing. So what's so
important about that? THE LAST KICK IS AN OVERHEAD. Too funny... people
will just sit there blocking low, and then somehow get hit by the final
kick... of course, you should never depend on this. The odds of this
happening are like... I dunno, 1 in 10 maybe. I don't think there's a way
to trigger it every time, but if anyone has figured that out, please
let me know. :)

2.3. DESPERATION MOVES

In Kao Megura's KoF '97 FAQ, Burning Shingo is referred to as the
qcf, qcf + A/C DM... and that doesn't seem right to me at all. Seeing how
the qcb, hcf + A/C DM has a quote of "Burn him, Shingo!", it seems right
to consider it that way. But since this is my FAQ, I'll use whatever damn
move names I want. :)

- Burning Shingo : qcb, hcf + A/C -

Japanese/English Name: Burning Shingo (I hope...)
Quote: "Moerou, Shingo!" (the last attack ends with "Oriya!", BTW)
Translation: "Burn him, Shingo!"

This DM can be very useful, but very painful if they block/roll/dodge it.
Shingo rears back and delivers a punch, which is followed by two more
punches, and then the same elbow animation from his C throw for a total
of 4 hits. On the SDM version he does three more punches for a total of
7 hits. This DM is nice and comboable, but even on SDM level it doesn't
seem to do all that much damage. It's easier to combo than his Shoulder
Charge because of the "easier" motion, which sort of balances it out.
Just make sure you combo it for sure, because there is quite a bit of
recovery time after the final hit. There is another plus to this DM, which
is only effective agsint scrubs or people who never play against Shingo.
When they block the first hit, they will immediately try to attack back,
but end up getting hit by the last few hits. Of course, they're not
guaranteed to be hit... if they use a move with autoguard, you'll end up
getting hit. It's worth noting that the C version of this seems to have
limited invincibility. I used this to go cleanly through one of Kensou's
fireballs once, as well as certain other attacks. As you might expect,
the A version comes out slightly faster, although both will combo.

- Shoulder Charge : qcf, qcf + A/C -

Japanese Name: Ge Shiki: Kake HoRin
English Name: Outside Style: Phosphorous Driving Phoenix
Quote: ""Makerarenaindayo!"
Translation: "I will not lose!"

Shingo automatically runs up to his opponent and does an enhanced Standing
CD attack. This DM does about 45% damage regular, and 65% or so on SDM...
which, when comboed, does a LOT of damage. And hey, that's not all! You
also get a free juggle afterwards, although your options are usually
somewhat limited. (check the Combos section for more details on juggle
follow-ups) This makes it the preferrable DM to combo into... although
with '97's screwed control system, it can usually be somewhat difficult.
I recommend doing the first qcf, then HOLDING the joystick in the forward
position for a half second after the second qcf, THEN push the button.
Of course, this requires you to be really fast...
If the Shoulder Charge is blocked, you're usually left somewhat safe and
won't get killed afterwards. Of course, it only takes off one block tick,
so it's not the kind of thing you use on someone with barely any life
left. However...
On SDM level, Shingo can "cancel" his Shoulder Charge into another special
move when blocked! Since the Shoulder Charge drops their guard, they will
be unable to block the next move! This is incredibly useful, but will eat
up at least two bars on Advanced or take a red life bar plus MAX'ed out
bar Extra. With three bars, you can even cancel into the Burning Shingo
SDM for major pain! (it will be DM only on Extra) I'll expand more on this
technique later on.

2.4. OTHER MOVES

C Throw: Shingo knocks the enemy away with an elbow attack. Identical
to Kyo's C throw. It can be recovery rolled out of.

D Throw: Shingo picks up the opponent and slams them in the opposite
direction. Looks like Kyo's throw, except Kyo follows up the slam with
another attack. Don't worry, it still does good damage. It can NOT be
recovery rolled out of.

f+B (command attack): Shingo brings his foot up high, and then brings it
down. Looks identical to Kyo's f+B overhead... except it isn't one. It
can be blocked low. On the plus side though, the second hit is
interruptable, whether it's used on its own or chained into after another
attack. While it's somewhat limited in what you can combo after it with, it
adds some variety to Shingo's game and makes for a great pressure tactic
when chained into after a blocked normal attack. I've had limited success
comboing the first hit of the f+B after a Standing C or something, but the
second hit will never hit, and thus you can't keep the combo going... too
bad. The first hit of the f+B is also practically unbeatable air defense,
although it doesn't do much damage.

2.5. COMBOS

Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, A ShingoFist
Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, C ShingoFist
Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, A/C Uppercut
Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, B Unfinished Twilight Ride
Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, Burning Shingo

These combos speak for themselves. They can be done anywhere on the
screen.

Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, D Unfinished Twilight Ride

Can only be done in the corner.

Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, Shoulder Charge, C ShingoFist

Can be done anywhere on the screen.

Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, Shoulder Charge, Standing D
Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, Shoulder Charge, A/C Uppercut

Can only be done in the corner. (the first one, when done on MAX, takes
off 100% of a full life bar!!!)

Jumping C/D, Standing C/D / Crouching C, Shoudler Charge, D Unfinished
Twilight Ride

Can only be done in the corner, and timing the UTR after the Shoulder
Charge takes incredibly tricky timing. If it connects though, the
opponent will be instantly dizzied!!! Follow with the combo of your
choice!

f+B, A ShingoFist
f+B, C ShingoFist
f+B, C Shoulder Charge, <follow-up juggle>

If your opponent misses an uppercut or a similar move with huge recovery
time, use the f+B instead of a standing ground attack. The timing in
landing both hits perfectly can be somewhat tricky, but you'll get more
damage. For some reason, I've only gotten the C Shoulder Charge to
connect, the A one is blockable. ?

Shingo Kick (Knockdown Counter), Standing D
Shingo Kick (Knockdown Counter), A/C Uppercut
Shingo Kick (Knockdown Counter), D Unfinished Twilight Ride

Only work in the corner. All of these can be done flawlessly off a Jumping
CD Counter as well (the Standing D can not be done off a Ground CD Counter)
Also after a CD Counter you can juggle with a Shingo Kick, but I don't see
a reason too... other than style.

SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), A ShingoFist
SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), C ShingoFist
SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), A/C Uppercut
SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), B/D Shingo Kick
SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), Burning Shingo

Can be done anywhere on the screen.

SDM Shoulder Charge (blocked), D Unfinished Twilight Ride

Guess what? Can only be done in the corner. Wow.

==3. STRATEGY AND WHATNOT==

3.1. MODE SELECTION

Let's face it... your gameplay strategy will vary depending on if you
pick Advanced or Extra. So what mode should you pick for Shingo? Ok, so
you don't pick a mode for a certain character... if you play Extra Mode
exclusively I'll have a hard time talking you into Advanced Mode. I play
nothing but Advanced, and I also feel that Advanced is the best way to
play Shingo.

Why Advanced? Well, as you should know, playing in Advanced raises the
Super bar through offense and defense. Every time you do a special move
the bar goes up, and any attack that hits, whether it's blocked or not,
raises the bar as well. Consider the fact that every special move of
Shingo's moves him forward (even if it's just a tiny bit) as well. This
only reinforces the view that he should be played as an aggressive,
in-your-face character. And since the ShingoFists and Shingo Kick won't
get you killed most of the time, buffering into them off of any blocked
nomral move will just raise your super bar quite a bit. And Advanced
gives you rolling, which only helps in going on the offense.

In comparison, I can't imagine playing Shingo on Extra mode. Extra
involves a lot of sitting back and charging the meter... aka playing
defensive. How do you turtle with Shingo? It's possible, but he just was
not meant to be played this way. Getting a charged up bar and doing more
damage more often is a nice feature, but you should have no problems
building up a bar on Advanced. Also, Extra mode gives you unlimited DM's
on 15% life or less... but is that really crucial in playing Shingo?
The Burning Shingo will get you killed if they block (and doesn't tick
off much life), and the Shoulder Charge isn't too effective outside of
combos. If Shingo can land a blocked SDM Shoulder Charge, the best he
can do is a DM Burning Shingo to cancel into... in Advanced however, he
can land an SDM Burning Shingo instead... but he will need a full 3 stocks
to do this, as opposed to Extra where he can get the DM version every time.
Hmm, this is a tough call. As for dodging, I just can't get accustomed to
it after learning the ins and outs of rolling. Dodging is used for purely
defensive purposes, while Advanced can be used for either offensive or
defensive reasons.

Alright, so I'm biased. :) But I just feel there's no better way to
play Shingo then by playing Advanced. If there are any Extra mode Shingo
players out there who feel they do better that way, let me know!

3.2. CRITICAL HITS

I guess I should explain the whole Critical Hit thing a little bit. There
are only three characters who get Critical Hit messages... Ralf (Ralf
Kick), Leona (Moon Slasher), and Shingo (just about anything).

Critical Hits happen entirely at random. There is no way of knowing or
predicting when a Critical Hit is going to occur. It happens during any
of Shingo's special moves or DM's, or his f+B. When a Critical Hit occurs,
the action pauses for a bit, and hit stun becomes slightly longer.

So when can you fully take advantage of a Critical Hit? As far as I know,
the only move it's possible to combo after when landing a Critical Hit is
the Shingo Kick. And even then, you can't get the Shingo Kick that causes
a knockdown, they must still be standing if you wish to get in any hits
afterward. Critical Hits at any other time aren't good for anything,
other than... well, I guess they don't look all that snazzy. But it does
provide an element of randomness to it all. You never know if you'll get
Critical Hits during a Burning Shingo or Unfinished Twilight Ride.

One more move that I think the Critical Hit MIGHT affect is the Shoulder
Charge. When a Critical Hit of that is landed, I THINK it gives Shingo more
time to juggle... making it easier to juggle with the D Unfinished Twilight
Ride.

Critical Hit <> Counter. You can not juggle after a single Critical Hit,
but you CAN juggle if you get both a Critical Hit and a Counter. Don't go
for that Uppercut or Unfinished Twilight Ride unless you see a red message,
not green, flash on your side of the screen (Although if both occur, then
the message "Counter Critical" will show up in red and green. The only
advantage this incurs is that it gives you more time to plan a juggle.)

3.3. PICKING YOUR TEAM

Since Shingo is a solo entry, he doesn't have his own team. So who are
you going to team up Shingo with? Generally speaking, you're going to
want to team him up with whomever you enjoy playing, if you're playing
Extra mode. If you're playing Advanced, you might want to avoid the
following characters... Chris, Shermie, Yashiro Nanakase, Iori Yagami,
and Ryuji Yamazaki.
The reason for this is simple... you lose all your DM stocks if they should
fight before or after Shingo. You could have built up three stocks with Iori,
but if Shingo follows him, you'll lose them all. (hehe, this is a good
reason not to use Iori!) And we all know that Shingo greatly benefits from
having three stocks! Losing them all is not a good thing.

Also worthy of note (if you don't mind a little less variety) is that having
Kyo and Shingo in the same team can give you a bonus DM stock! It only
works one way though... Kyo must fight BEFORE Shingo. If Shingo fights
after Kyo, then the DM stock count will remain the same. So use Kyo to
build up stocks for Shingo, then unleash the Shoulder Charge Cancel! :)
Unfortunately, Kyo is the only character who gets along really well with
Shingo... oh well.

Just for the record, I'm usually teaming Shingo up with Kyo, Goro, Joe,
Ryo, Ralf, Clark, and Athena. Although I will play just about anyone.

3.4. GENERAL STRATEGY

OFFENSE! OFFENSE! OFFENSE! Shingo is an aggressive character. If
you just love to turtle, you shouldn't be reading this FAQ. You should also
go get some skill while you're at it. ;P (I am kidding! Don't take it
personally) Although at times you'll have to defend against your opponent's
attacks, you should try to constantly keep the pressure on your opponent.
Even when they're forced to block flurries of ShingoFists and Shingo Kicks
and whatnot, you'll be building DM stocks. Once some normal attacks slip
through, you'll be able to combo in a DM.

Since the A and C ShingoFists are almost always safe moves if blocked, you
should always buffer any attack that connects against an opponent even if
it's blocked, just so you can keep the pressure on the opponent and raise
your super bar a little more.

Shingo Kick may leave you vulnerable at times, so avoid overusing it. For one
thing, try to avoid using it against people with long-range command throws...
namely Goro Daimon, Clark, Shermie, Orochi Yashiro, Blue Mary (Mary
Typhoon SDM, in case you don't know). Against anyone else, you never know
what's going to happen. Are they going to try to do a normal throw on you?
Or instead just stick out a sweep or other attack in the hopes of hitting
you? You never really know. Often the only way to find out is to just throw
out a Shingo Kick and see what they do. If they do like to attempt to
counter, try sticking out a Crouching B... it will often beat whatever they
stick out. Link into a Crouching A, then do another Shingo Kick and start
the whole process over.... or just do a Shingo Fist for free super. When the
Shingo Kick hits, pay close attention to your side of the screen... have a
Standing D, Uppercut, or D Unfinished Twilight Ride ready to juggle if it
knocked down and gave you the Counter message, or be ready to do a Crouching
C if you see a green Critical Hit message. What you do after that is up to
you.

One move that's often alright to buffer into is the f+B. If they jump,
there's a good chance the first hit of the f+B will knock them out of the
air... and if they stay on the ground, you will be able to cancel the
second hit (if it connects, it has a tendency of missing at times) into
another ShingoFist or Shingo Kick... super meter FOR FREE!

Both of Shingo's DM's are effective in their own ways... whenever you
connect a Crouching C though, which one are you going to want to combo into?
Burning Shingo does not do all that much damage, but the motion is easier
to get off. Shoulder Charge gives you more damage (including the chance for
a free juggle). Unfortunately, the motion for that, two quarter circles
forward, isn't as easy a motion as it should be... damn '97 move detection.
If you know it's going to connect, go for it... if you're MAXed out, go for
it regardless, if only for the chance to do the Shoulder Charge Cancel (see
below)

Burning Shingo also has another important use... well, the C version any
way. The C version has limited invincibility, which you can use to pass
through certain attacks and land a DM. As I mentioned before, you can use it
to go through Athena and Kensou's projectiles if timed perfectly. That's
much better than merely rolling through! You can also shut down a
drill-happy Benimaru if you use it to go right through the Drill right
before it hits (of course, the closer he is to the ground when it's done,
the better). Any other techniques that it counters really well?

3.5. SHOULDER CHARGE CANCEL

This is an important technique IMO, so listen up. :) As mentioned
earlier, here's how you do it:

1. Build up at least two stocks (although three are preferred) if you're on
Advanced, or have a red life bar and a MAXed out power bar on Extra.
(use the ABC MAX out technique to use a stock if you are playing
Advanced)
2. Do the Shoulder Charge SDM (qcf, qcf + A/C)
3. If it hits, great! You got a hell of a lot of damage, and a free juggle.
4. If it's blocked, the Shoulder Charge will drop the opponent's guard. You
can then interrupt your animation into any special move you like, or even
a Burning Shingo (which can be done every time on Extra, you will need
that third stock if you want to do it on Advanced, at which point it will be
an SDM)
5. If they dodge/roll through it, or hit you out of it... what a waste. :(

Obviously, you want to avoid Part 5. This is mostly what this section is
devoted to... making sure that Shoulder Charge connects.

Not surprisingly, what you most want to do is hit them with the SDM
Shoulder Charge. (you know, as in, not blocking it.) Comboing it give you up
to a 100% combo... that's nothing to sneeze at, huh? The best way to combo
it is after they miss an uppercut-type move, or any other move with huge
recovery... so how do you provoke that? Well... it's difficult, at best.
People will usually start fighting more defensively once they see that you
are MAXed out. One trick I've had with some success is to tick-throw the
opponent (throw a low jab, walk forward and throw). This wakes them up. Then
just get in close again, throw another low A... this time, pause for a
second, and then do a Crouching C. With any luck, they will try to attack
but get countered, and if you're fast you'll be able to buffer it and combo
it. Even if they're not fooled, they block it. And that's still a good
thing!

Now, when the move is blocked, the Shoulder Charge Cancel can occur.

The opponent you're fighting against plays a big part in landing the Shoulder
Charge Cancel. Is it some ordinary turtle scrub you're playing against who
obviously doesn't have much experience against Shingo? Is it a friend of
yours that you play against often? Is it some player you've never seen
before but obviously knows his stuff?

With any scrub, you can usually throw out the Shoulder Charge anywhere
within a half-screen distance or so. They will instinctively go into
blocking, and be all set up for the Cancel. Some may try to counter, and
this means trouble... because the Shoulder Charge is surprisingly
low-priority. Very rarely have I seen it trade hits... it will always get
hit clean out, because of the short delay that occurs before the actual
attack comes out.

It's the more knowledgable players you'll have more trouble with. Once
they see the screen pause, they will instantly know that they've got to
dodge or roll out of the way. It's them that you don't want to throw the
Shoulder Charge out randomly. The key is to keep them in block stun so
that there's no way they can escape the Shoulder Charge and the following
special attack. Since a hard attack keeps an opponent in block stun longer
than a weak attack (duh), the best thing to do is to stick out a hard attack
and then quickly buffer it into the Shoulder Charge, not even making sure if
it hits or not. The exception to this is the Crouching D. If it hits, the
Shoulder Charge will whiff. So don't use this to buffer it unless the timer
on the MAX bar is running out and you want to try to get in the Cancel
before time runs out.

I highly recommend jumping (hopping) in with a Jumping C, doing a Crouching
C (make sure you are close enough!) and then buffer into it. With any luck,
the opponent will be stuck and forced to take the Shoulder Charge... UNLESS
they have a stock/are MAXed, and actually think to MAX roll out of the way.
This can shut you down entirely... but hey, you waste a stock, they waste a
stock. Sound fair?

I've mentioned everything now, except for what to actually cancel the
Shoulder Charge with. That's somewhat important, eh? If you're playing
Extra, the answer is clear... perform a Burning Shingo to get a DM's worth
of damage.... FOR FREE! If you're playing Advanced though, you'll have
to make a decision (unless you still have one stock left, meaning you
started out with three)

The A ShingoFist is more or less a bad idea. You can get more damage
with the C ShingoFist. The same applies for the A/C Uppercut, it's just
not as much damage as what you could be doing. Do the C ShingoFist if
you are not in the corner.

If you ARE in the corner, do a D Unfinished Twilight Ride. Damage and style!

Whether or not you're in the corner, you can take a risk and try a Shingo
Kick. Although I never try it, from what I understand the B one does not
knock down... so you have a chance at getting a Critical Hit, and then you
can tack on a Crouching C into C ShingoFist. A bit of a gamble, but a very
rewarding outcome... I need to look into this.

Anyway, whether or not you're in the corner and you DO have that one stock
left, go ahead and cancel into Burning Shingo. Sit back and watch as Shingo
nails all seven hits. Sure it took all three stocks to land one SDM, but
wasn't it worth it?

Gee, it seemed like a somewhat minor technique, but the Shoulder Charge
Cancel should be a part in your gameplan. Just don't live and die by it, the
last thing you want to be is a predictable fighter. You won't be getting two
or three stocks for Shingo every match. Maybe if you decide not to use any
DM's for your other fighters, but don't sacrifice a golden opportunity to
nail them with a DM just so you can save all your stocks for the Shoulder
Charge Cancel. Shingo is not a one-trick pony.

3.6. VS. CHARACTER STRATEGY

Hmm. Maybe in a future update.

==4. CLOSING==

4.1. CONCLUSION

Play aggressive, play Advanced, PLAY SHINGO!!!

If you have anything to offer at all that relates to Shingo and would help
out this guide, don't hesitate to e-mail me. Just send all mail to:
[email protected]

You can always find the newest version of this FAQ on my meager FTP site at:
ftp://users.aol.com/kensou/

(which also has the Ultimate KoF '97 Combo FAQ, among others! Cheap plug,
I know...)

4.2. COMING SOON...

Future updates of this FAQ may and should include:

More translations
Better move names (maybe)
More strategy
Vs. Character strategy
A more polished feel :)

4.3. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS / RELATED INFO

Many many thanks to the following...

Kao Megura ([email protected]) for move name translations and other info
taken from his FAQ, which you can find at:
http://www.fortunecity.com/bally/orange/25

Chikaku Jennifer Ishikawa ([email protected]) for Shingo's Catch Copy, and
various other translations. Check her page out at:
http://members.aol.com/iorin/chika/index.html

EX Andy ([email protected]) for helping me (and other FAQ authors)
save space by writing the superb KoF Beginner's Reference Guide, what all
KoF'ers should know. Check that and his great Kim Kaphwan guide (not to
mention all the KoF '97 guides you could ever need) at:
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Alley/4810/

Tony Wedd ([email protected]) for his awesome Leona guide, which
unknowingly inspired me and other FAQ authors... read it at:
http://www.adelaide.net.au/~miku/leona.txt

m00nrun ([email protected]) for discovering the deadly Shoulder
Charge Cancel. View the online form of the Ultimate KoF '97 Combo FAQ at:
http://home.pacific.net.sg/~moonrun/index.html

The King of Fighters Mailing List ([email protected]) for without which
I never would have had the motivation to write this.

Powerplay, for being the best place in Austin to play KoF '97. Special
thanks to those turtle scrubs who pick Ryo or Robert on Extra mode, go
into the corner, and start throwing Haohshokohkens on low life. Without
them I wouldn't have gotten as many chances to try out the Shoulder Charge
into D Unfinished Twilight Ride juggle :) (I love rolling!!)

SNK for making one of the most kickass fighters I've ever played, and for
also giving us one of the most kickass characters (yes, I'm talking about
Shingo! Duh) too. Consider this a warning though... SNK, if you even
THINK about taking him out of '98, I'm bombing your headquarters.

And thanks to YOU, whoever you are, for actually reading this FAQ to the
very end (unless you skipped, cheater!), thus making all the trouble
worthwhile. :)

Til next time...

-Matt