Windjammers (Flying Power Disc)
Neo Geo FAQ

..also for:
Nintendo Virtual Console (discontinued)
PlayStation 4/PlayStation Vita

Version 1.2

Sports
1-2 players
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Copyright 2003/2016 by June Kim/BakaOrochi
All Rights Reserved.
Unauthorized reproduction of this FAQ in any shape or form is prohibited.

Come on, it's not like it's HARD to e-mail me if you want to use any part
of this FAQ, is it?

If you want to use ANYTHING, even codes or whatnot from this, CONTACT ME
FIRST.  This is my work, and not one bit of this is to be reproduced in any
way, shape, or form.  Copyright laws protect this FAQ.  This is
purely my own work, any other similarities to other FAQs are purely
coincidental.

I do respect all other copyrights and if I have inadvertently infringed on
any, please contact me immediately so that I may remedy the problem.
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FAQ History:

1.0
11/24/03
-First release

1.1
11/20/2016
-Updates/revisions to controls, content, etc.
-I lifted some of the proper names off Wikipedia, so apologies for whomever
wrote that, I don't have access to the AES manual.

1.2
12/4/2016
-Fixed some spacing issues to fit on mobile devices (well, iPhone anyway). Oops.
-Revised some wording, play mechanics, added other random information.
-Updated information about other releases including PS4/Vita (based on the
PSX reveal event).
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Contents:

1. What's the point of this FAQ?
2. What the heck is "Windjammers?"
3. How to play
    3a. Control
    3b. Bonus Rounds
4. The players
5. Frequently asked questions...well maybe not that frequent.
6. Arcade (MVS) and Home (AES) settings
7. Can you give me some tips/secrets?
8. The arenas
9. Quotes
10. Closing notes/Thanks/Contact Information

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1. What's the point of this FAQ?
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Why not?

I made this FAQ in 2003 as an exercise in writing, but also I didn't know
anyone
actually cared about this game.  Over a decade later, turns out a  good amount
of
people do so I think it's time I updated this now that I've  actually had
access to
understand the nuances of the game better.

It seems to surge a little in popularity when it briefly appeared in Nintendo
Wii's Virtual
Console before Data East went bankrupt (RIP) and disappeared from the Nintendo
Store.

Recently it's been announced to be released on Sony's PlayStation store for PS4
and Vita
along with leaderboards and online play.  However being as it may, those
features may
not be available permanently.  I will update this FAQ if there's any new
developments
(probably not...it's Windjammers).
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2. What the heck is "Windjammers?"
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Tennis and Pong (or air hockey), with a frisbee.  That's the basic premise for
what
Windjammers is.

What makes this game appealing is it's ability to be a pick-up-and-play with
it's relatively
simple game mechanics, but increasingly fast paced action but simple premise.

While it is indeed technically a sports game, it can easily appeal to fans of
the fighting
game genre as well due to it's speed, strategy, and one-on-one play style.
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3. How to play
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The objective of the game is to score as many points on your opponent either
before the
timer runs out (time limit is dependant on game settings), or the first person
to score
12 points wins.

You can score in a few ways:
1-Whip the disc into your opponent's goal.  Depending on which arena you're in,
the score
areas will be different.  Yellow area scores 3 points (and is usually the
largest area),
red scores 5. See "The Arenas" section for more details.
2-If you or your opponent drops the disc (if it's lobbed up in the air and not
caught, or
not catching a blocked disc), then it's 2 points for the opponent.
3-PUSH your opponent into the goal!  This depends how strong your throw is and
how
close your opponent is to their own goal.

Note that if someone is holding the disc and the time runs out, the disc will
be considered
dead and either fall out of their hands or be thrown into the crowd if the set
is won.
If the disc leaves the player's hand and then the whistle is blown indicating
time is up,
the disc is still considered live and the set will end as soon as either the
disc is
caught by the opponent or a goal is scored, so make sure you don't let the disc
past you
until the referee calls the set.


Games are structured similarly like Tennis or Volleyball.
Each ROUND is divided into SETS.  Each set goes up to 12 points and a person
must
win 2 sets to win the ROUND and thus advance to the next opponent.  The third
set is
called the FINAL SET.

The EXCEPTION to the 12 point rule is if both players' scores are within a
margin
of 3 points.  For example, if you have 13 points, but your opponent has 11, then
the game will keep going until you can score with a lead of over 2 points.  You
opponent
CAN CATCH UP (i.e. you=13, opponent=11, opponent can score a 3 point goal, and
both
players will keep going until one person can lead with over 2 points).  In
this, the
game is similar to volleyball.

A TIE will only occur if both players have identical scores and time runs out.
BOTH players will win a SET if this happens.  If another tie occurs and both
players
have won a SET (on the FINAL SET), SUDDEN DEATH will take place, in which the
first
person to score wins the ROUND.

However, if both players tie and one players has already won a SET, the person
that already
as a SET point won will also win the ROUND, thus the game will not continue to
a FINAL nor
SUDDEN DEATH match.

If there is still no winner after SUDDEN DEATH, the game is declared a draw,
and both
players lose.



    3a. Control

This is the most crucial part of the game.
You must learn all the conditions and how to control the disc if you want to be
a
decent player (and at worst, beat the computer).

Your player will move differently depending on whether or not he/she is on the
defensive or offensive.

Note that C and D buttons do nothing throughout the entire game.


Joystick/D-Pad:
Controls your player.

DEFENSE (if you don't have the disc):
A=Block
Direction + A = Slide (you will automatically catch the disc if you intercept
it)
B=Not used.
-To catch a thrown disc, simply walk/slide into it's trajectory as it flies
towards
you.  You MUST be facing any direction except towards the goal; if the disc
flies at
you and you're facing the opposite direction, your character gets knocked down
and
stunned for a few seconds, putting yourself at a big disadvantage.

OFFENSE (if you have the disc):
A=Throw
Direction + A = Controlled Throw
B=Lob

You CANNOT walk around while the disc is in your possession! Once you catch the
disc,
you have to throw it from whatever position you are on your court.

POWERED-UP (If disc is in the air, and your character starts to pose and glow):
A=Throw special technique
B=Throw a rolling lob (aka wheel spin shoot or power toss up)
A + direction = If pressed quickly after catching a special technique, you can
reflect
the opponent's own special technique right back at them.  This can be reflected
back
and forth indefinitely and make for some very intense games.


DETAILS:

Block:
When you're on the defense, blocking is absolutely necessary to throw special
throws.  When you see a disc coming at you, hit A as it hits you, and the disc
will
be deflected high in the air.  When this happens, you'll see a crosshair on
your court.
Walk to it, and your character will automatically start posing.  Hit A, and
your character
will start powering up.  Remember though, blocking only puts your guard up for
a full
second, then your character drops his/her arms.  If you hit A too early, you
will drop your
guard automatically, and you'll end up catching the disc instead of
blocking/deflecting it.
Also, if the disc is RIGHT next to you, and you hit A JUST as it hits you, the
disc will
fly up either above you or closer to you.  The earlier you hit A, the farther
away the
disc will fly away from you, thus giving you a harder time to charge.

Throw:
If you hold onto a disc longer, your throw speed will be slower!
As soon as you receive the disc, hit A quickly to throw the fastest possible
throw you can.
Sometimes you will throw a SUPER FAST throw if you can time the catch and throw
well
enough (you will know if you do this, as your character will say something, and
the
disc will have a trail as it zooms off).  You can also do these if you catch a
lobbed
(or blocked) throw.

Signature Throws:
You must be standing inside the crosshair and your character MUST be posing to
power-up
for one of these.  ANY time a disc is tossed up in the air, whether by a lob, a
block,
or if the disc hits on of the net barriers, you can power-up by hitting A a
couple times.
Everyone has a signature move that can be activated when you've powered up.  See
the Players section for more detail on their signature moves.
The same principle for throwing applies for signature throws: The longer you
hold it, the
SLOWER your throw will be, even if it's powered up!  Usually not an ideal
strategy for
beginners.

Lobs:
These will toss the disc high in the air, and you control where it lands.  This
is not
suggested for beginner as if your opponent can place themselves where the disc
will land
early enough, it'll give them a free charge-up.
However, just like tennis, you can use lobs to toss the disc at the opposite
end of the
court, which can throw them off (especially against a slower opponent) and get
a free
2-pointer.
Remember, you can also control where your lob lands by using the joystick
before hitting B.

Special lobs:
When you're powered up, this is another great way to change it up.  Instead of
hitting A to throw your signature move, hit B, and it will do a FAST rolling
technique
which will launch the disc in the air, land in front of your opponent's goal,
and roll
right in!  This is great against opponents that love to play serve-and-volley
style and
stay right in front of the net constantly.

Controlled Throws:
When you hit A, you will throw the disc back in a straight line.  If you throw
it while
holding a direction, you will throw it in an angle at that direction.  If you
ROLL your
controller forward, you can put a spin on it!  Think of it similar to doing a
HCF+A
motion with a fighting game.  Start from back (or down), roll the joystick,
back, to down,
to forward, and hit A.  You can do this with different directions, so
experiment!  Just
remember though, your throws will naturally be slower; you cann throw a REALLY
FAST curve
disc throw.

Ground hoppers:
I STILL do NOT know how this happens, but it seems to occur randomly.  These
can be VERY
difficult to catch, and are powerful (as in, they will push you back if you
catch them).
These will skip along the ground in different patterns, and everyone has this
move.
Additionally these can also be deflected back by your opponent.

Reversals:
If you get time it right, if your opponent throws a signature move at you, you
can COPY it,
and do the SAME move on them right back!  You can do this with ANYTHING thrown
at you, including the ground hopping throws and the powered lobs.  If you hit
A, you will
copy their move.  If you hit B, you will do a power lob instead.  You have to
hit either
button THE SECOND you receive the disc (timing is VERY tight, so you may not be
able to
reverse often).

You CAN do a reversal upon reversal, and the computer will do it too (I've
gotten into a
reversalbattle with the computer a few times, it's quite entertaining as well
as intense).
You also SWITCH UP reversals, i.e., a ground hopping move can be reversed with
a B power
lob, and back and forth.

Warning: A reversal will reverse the move with the fastest speed possible, so
reversals
come out VERY fast right back at you!


Tips for play:
-Just because you can throw fast doesn't mean you need to.  Furthermore, it
doesn't always
benefit throwing a disc in an angle to bounce off walls.
-Sometimes a straight shot or a slower curved shot are just as effective.
-Other ways to play is similar to playing at the net for tennis (like
serve-and-volley
style) to apply pressure and give a great sense of quicker and unpredictable
play, as well
as less likely to smack your disc into a net barrier. Just like Tennis however,
this can work
against you easily if you're playing experienced players and remember that the
opponent can
still lob it behind you.
-If you've gotten the hang of controling disc direction and can place yourself
in favorable
enough position on the court, use the barriers to your advantage; if you hit
them straight,
it'll pop the disc up, but if your disc hits the side, it'll bounce right off.
Most specials
benefit GREATLY from this as it completely throws off the trajectory of your
shot and can
throw your opponent off balance.
-Special techniques, while are great, should not be heavily relied on. Get used
to being able
to throw good shots before completely relying on techniques.  Remember that
every player REALLY
telegraphs their special techniques while charging so it's pretty obvious what
you're about
to do; curved, angled, or straight shots are far less predictable.



    3b. Bonus Rounds

After 2 Rounds, you will be given a Bonus Round.
You cannot lose this either way, nor can you avoid them, so you might as well
play them.
You only gain points for winning/losing, nothing more.

The first one is "DOG DISTANCE."
As soon as you receive the disc, hit A right away (this does a fast throw,
which will give
you the most distance).  You then control the dog.  Jump over or avoid
obstacles, as otherwise
your dog will be slowed down, and will have difficulty catching up to the disc.
When the disc
starts falling low enough, hit A to jump and catch the disc before it falls on
the ground.

FYI- Each country/player has a different dog color.  Their hankey around their
neck goes with
their owner's corresponding uniform color.
USA-Grey
UK/S. Korea-White
Germany-Black
Japan-Brown
Italy-Dark brown
Spain-Grey


The second one is "FLYING DISC BOWLING."
This is about as basic as it gets.  Hit A to throw the disc at the pins.  The
objective?  Like
bowling, get strikes by knocking down the pins in one throw.  If there are some
leftover, knock
down the remaining ones for a spare.  If either you knock all pins down within
two tries, or
you leave some over after two tries, the pins will reset.  After 10 frames (10
pin resets), the
round will end. You control the disc like you do in the court.  Your best bet
is to throw the
disc as fast as you can straight ahead.  You can also throw curves too, and
make the disc go
slower, just like while you're in an actual match.
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4. Players
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Japan
Name: Hiromi Mita
Height: 170cm
Weight: 55kg
Age: 22
Throwing Speed: F (average: 82.44 km/h)
Curve power: A
Running speed: A
Sliding power: F
Dexterity: B
Difficulty: Beginner
Signature move: "Lightning Wave" or "Fire Snake"
She will throw the disc in a flame wave, which will snake up and down the court.

Notes: I personally do not recommend Hiromi for beginners as she moves VERY
quickly as well as
her sliding moves very quickly.  This makes it very easy to overshoot where
you're trying to
catch the disc and higher chance of completely missing your target.  Because
she moves so fast,
you may also end up facing the wrong way while attempting to catch the disc and
end up on the
floor.  However if you're able to use her well, she can cross the court to
catch discs much
easier than most of the other players, so she can also be a fantastic defensive
player.


South Korea (European version only)
Name: Beeho Yoo
UK (England) (Japan and US versions)
Name: Steve Miller
***Note that UK/KOR is the exact same guy, just different voice samples
Height: 180cm
Weight: 73kg
Age: 20
Throwing Speed: E (average: 86.96 km/h)
Curve power: B
Running speed: B
Sliding power: E
Dexterity: A
Difficulty: Beginner
Signature move: "Sideburner"
Depending which direction you hold, up or down, he'll throw the frisbee to the
side walls, which will accelerate and gain speed as it covers more ground,
towards the goal.

Notes: Steve/Beeho is very nimble and a great recommendation for beginners. His
biggest
downside is that his special move is VERY predictable as you just need to know
if it'll be
going down the top or the bottom side of the screen.  However don't let that
fool you; It
still has enough power to push you right into the goal if you're too close to
the goal while
catching it.


Spain
Name: Jordi Costa
Height: 198cm
Weight: 105kg
Age: 24
Throwing Speed: D (average: 94.76 km/h)
Curve power: C
Running speed: D
Sliding power: B
Dexterity: D
Difficulty: Intermediate
Signature move: "Rocket Diagonal"
This move will do small zigzags across the court which will increase in range
as it zigzags further.

Note: Between Jordi and Loris, I prefer Loris.  They both move similarly as
fast but Jordi's
power is not as great as Italy's, plus his special really is nothing special in
my opinion as
it's relatively predictable to receive.  He does move faster than Loris, so you
can decide
if you prefer Jordi's edge in speed over power.


Italy
Name: Loris Biaggi
Height: 204cm
Weight: 110kg
Age: 23
Throwing Speed: C (average: 98.99 km/h)
Curve power: D
Running speed: C
Sliding power: C
Dexterity: C
Difficulty: Intermediate
Signature move: "Thunder Loop"
When tossed, the disc will travel in big circles and do loops until it hits
the goal.  If it hits the wall, it will bounce violently against the walls,
pushing you
back as you catch it; avoid being near the goal if this happens.

Notes: Loris is my recommendation for a beginner character as his special is
tricky to catch
as well as his speed and throwing power are all average-to-slightly above in my
opinion. You
generally don't need to worry about sliding to far to catch/block a receiving
disc and he
doesn't bend as easily against powerhouses Germany and USA as opposed to UK or
Japan.


USA
Name: Gary Scott
Height: 191cm
Weight: 125kg
Age: 23
Throwing Speed: A (average: 104.64 km/h)
Curve power: F
Running speed: E
Sliding power: D
Dexterity: E
Difficulty: Expert
Signature move: "Missle Throw"
He will whip the disc at the walls, which will bounce up and down VERY fast and
VERY strong.

Notes: Gary is very fun to use once you get a good handle on playing the game.
He doesn't
lumber as slow as Germany and his throws are not a laughing matter.  If you
catch his special
which moves VERY fast and dynamic across the screen, it pushes you back a good
amount, thus
making it easier  to score a goal this way. Only complaint is that he the most
obnoxious
sounding on the court.


Germany
Name: Klaus Wessel
Height: 194cm
Weight: 122kg
Age: 24
Throwing Speed: B (average: 101.27 km/h)
Curve power: E
Running speed: F
Sliding power: A
Dexterity: F
Difficulty: Expert
Signature move: "Blitzkreig"
This will go up, forward, down, forward, up, forward, down, forward, and so
forth.
It's a bit slow, but STRONG, and can be tricky, so be careful.  Don't take this
one too
lightly.

Notes: Klaus is really slow.  I mean REALLY slow.  Even his slides are pretty
slow but can
cover some ground better than simply walking.  This guy is definitely someone
you want to
use if you're really handy with all the controls and familiar with the game
because you're
going to be mostly trying to anticipate shots.  But he gets a HUGE payoff: he
throws hard
and quick.  While he'll have probably the hardest time against Japan, since she
can
catch-and-throw very quickly, he can also throw hard shots that push her back a
good amount.

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5. Frequently asked questions...well maybe not that frequent.
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Q. Is there a difference between South Korea and England?
A. No, there isn't even a palette swap.  Steve Miller and BeeHo Yoo are exactly
the same.  The names are just changed for the different regions as is the
voices (why this is, I don't know why, since only England is changed for the
European version, Italy, Germany, and Spain are remained untouched).

Q. Does the difficulty/usage level (Beginner/Expert) matter?
A. IMHO, no.  The computer can use the Beginner level characters and their
specials
just as efficiently as an Expert character.  If you're not good at the game yet,
I would suggest using an Intermediate character, as they're the most balance, so
you can get a feel of whether or not you prefer more power over speed.  Once
you get
a feel for the game, then I would suggest trying out the slow characters (since
they
are VERY sluggish, but their sig moves are effective).

Q. Are there any secret characters/arenas?
A. Not that I know of.
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6. Arcade (MVS) and Home (AES) settings
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There really isn't much to worry about in terms of options.

These are the only things that will affect the game play.

LEVEL:
1-8, 1 is the easiest, 4 is standard MVS settings.
The harder the game, the more the computer will be resiliant against you.

SET TIME:
1-99, default is 30
This will determine the SET time. I reccomend changing this to allow for more
time
during sets.

CONTINUE:
On or Off, default is ON
Do you want to let your customers (or yourself) continue if you lose a Round?
If no, then game will be over as soon as you lose.  If you want to beat the
game, you'll have to do it in one shot!
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7. Can you give me some tips/secrets?
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At this time, I don't know of any.

You can already play "mirror matches" by default and there's no hidden
characters, bosses,
nor endings.  It's about as straightforward of a game as you can get.

Best tip I can give you though:
If you have access to the dip switches, I highly suggest setting the Soft Dip
settings
for the timer to "99 sec." I prefer using 60 seconds as it's not too long but
not short
enough to feel like you barely had time to play.
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8. The arenas
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As you play the computer, you'll play these courts in corresponding order.
Though it
seems "random," it's not.  When you play a 2 player game, you have your choice
of
courts.
The color set up is from top-to-bottom of the screen.

Beach
Yellow-Red-Yellow
All scoring areas are even.
No barriers
(Country=USA)

Lawn
Yellow-Red-Yellow
Red area is about 25% of the goal.
No Barriers.
(Country=Italy?)

Tiled
Red-Yellow-Red
Red are about 20% of the goal.
No barriers.
(Country=UK)

Concrete
Red-Yellow-Red
Red are about 10% of the goal, very small.
Two yellow barriers, placed somewhat close to the walls.
(Country=Germany)

Clay
Yellow-Red-Yellow
Red is about 30% of the goal.
Two green barriers close to the middle.
(Country=Spain)

Stadium
Yellow-Red-Yellow
Initially, the Red area is VERY small, however every two yellow goals
scored and every red goal scored enlarges the size of the unscored goal's
red goal area!  Thus, this makes it easier for the losing side to score 5
points on their opponent. Once a goal is scored on an enlarged side, the
size will go back to normal size.  The red goal size DOES NOT decrease after
each set.
While this seems bizarre and unfair at first, it actually is great for handicaps
and allowing for the opponent to stage a comeback against better players.
No barriers.
(Country=Japan?)

*Note: FINAL ROUND is ALWAYS at the Stadium*

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9. Quotes
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I've eliminated this section of the FAQ: the great part about this game
is that everyone speaks bits of the country they're supposedly from.
The bad part is that I don't know Italian or German.

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10. Closing notes/Thanks/Contact Information
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Thanks to...
Data East for this wonderfully short and fun game.
..and may you rest in peace.

Copyrights...(every game I mentioned thus far, just to be safe)
Windjammers is trademark/copyright of Data East/Sega.
Neo-Geo is trademark/copyright of SNK and Playmore.


~~~

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or anything =E
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