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The Samurai Shodown Nakoruru Strategy Guide
Version 2.0
12/22/93
~SINCE 1788~
Primary info provided by:
Wing H Yi
[email protected]
Sean Michael Goller
[email protected]
Eiji Ohmori
[email protected]
Vince Koh Kia Keng
[email protected]
Additional info was gleaned from the September & November 1993 issues of
"Gamest", a Japanese arcade gaming magazine, from the SS FAQ & from the
rec.games.video.arcade newsgroup. For more info, get your hands on the
SS FAQ.
This guide is still a bit incomplete & needs some holes filled. If you
have any info you'd like to add, email it to the first address above
(yiwi3673@...).
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DIRECTORY:
* Info on Nakoruru
* Moves
* General Tips
* Combos and Techniques
* Tips vs. ...
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INFORMATION ON NAKORURU
The following is a portion from an article posted to r.g.v.a by Eiji Ohmori:
This profile is quoted from _Samurai Spirits Zoukan_, the special
issue of monthly _Gamest_.
Name: Nakoruru
School: Shikanna Kamui sword-dance school
Weapon Name: Chichiushi
Birthday: October 11, 1771
Age: 17
Birthplace: Ainumoshiri Kamuikotan
Blood Type: AB
Height: 5 shaku and 1 sun (~ 5.1 feet)
Weight: (She won't tell)
3-sizes: B 73, W 50, H 82 (cm)
Hobby: Listening to voice of nature
Families: Sanouku (grand-father)
Monashiri (grand-father)
Mamahaha (hawk)
Precious Thing: Chichiushi (a memento of her father, Ainu fighter)
Favorite: Forests and animals in Kamuikotan
Unfavorite: Bad people who pollute nature
Complex: secret
What she thinks about the way of the sword:
"I want not to injure others, but I think it is necessary to protect
nature."
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Nako is the fastest character in the game. However, the reach
of her slashes is the shortest. This means to win with her you must somehow
get close to your opponent. IMHO, I think she has some of the best looking
moves (special & regular) in the game. All others suck. (just kidding :)
She is an Ainu from Hokkaido & accompanied by a hawk named Mamahaha.
When Nako wins a match she says "Daishizen no shioki yo!", which means
"Mother Nature's Punishment!"
Also note that on the screen where they usually carry your opponent's corpse
away there is a slight difference between the red Nako(chosen with A button)
& the purple one(chosen with D). The red one smiles with her mouth
closed & the purple one with hers open.
If you finish a match without a sword for Nako, she has a different
victory pose. If you somehow let Nako's sword get broken, she'll end up on
the ground shaking her head with her hand over her mouth for a couple of
seconds (kawaii kedo, nasakenai zo).
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BASIC MOVES
Some of the important basic moves:
(cr = crouch)
B Fast slash. Has very good (for Nako) range
cr-AB Roll forward
cr-D Medium sweep, has longer range than a cr-C sweep
cr-CD Double leg kick, knocks them off their feet, better range than cr-D
(when near opponent)
-O + B Throw
-O + AB Trip & Stab, if weaponless then grab & slap & pound with both fists
(press button to slap faster). Try this, it's fun !
-O + D Climb on & kick
Special moves:
(facing right)
Annu Mutsube (with weapon)
O- / | + A,B or AB. A goes a short distance, AB goes far.
O O These all stay on the ground.
Lela Mutsube (with weapon)
| \ -O + A stays on ground
O O B rises a little
AB rises a lot
Amube Yatoro Sends Mama to attack
-O \ | / O- + A,B or AB. With A Mama goes short, AB he goes long.
O O O
Grab on to Mama
| / O- + C You need to do this before doing one of the next 2 moves.
O O You can fly around a while before you automatically drop
off. Warning: you can be hit while holding on.
Also use this to call Mama back when you lose your sword.
Yatoro Pokku Spin off Mama
/ or | or \ + any button(s). The joystick position determines which
O O O direction you go.
You can do an Annu or Lela immediately after you land.
Kamui Mutsube Dive into opponent with your sword
Joystick neutral + any button(s). The CPU automatically aims you (up to a
certain extent).
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General Tips
When getting near your opponent, be aware of your own hitting range
as well as theirs. When you get into their hitting zone you have to be ready
to block as you get closer. Use B slashes when near. Blocked AB slashes
spell big trouble because you then stand there paralyzed for a long time.
Jumping AB slash is probably Nako's strongest move. Use when possible.
This could be the most important thing to remember when playing vs humans:
Remember what opponents' AB slashes look like. Everyone has a long recovery
time after they AB, so take advantage by doing an AB-Annu Mutsube
immediately. This will work if they missed or even if you blocked.
If you are next to them however, do the B slash combo. (see combo section)
cr-D sweeps are extremely useful. They have decent range & can stop
opponents attempting to AB you as it hits them when they're barely halfway
thru their motion. Use often.
Defend air attacks by most chars by walking closer & pressing AB. Or try
Annu or Lela as they are about to land.
Doing some special moves where you end up in front of your enemy is
extremely dangerous if blocked, so don't try something like an Annu Mutsube
if your opponent waiting for you. If you must, try an AB-Lela Mutsube where
you might at least flip away after contact.
Certain things thrown at you can be stopped by hitting them, such
as Kyoshiro's fan, Galford's mutt, etc. Don't try this against things like
Haohmaru's whirlwind. Another way to counter projectiles is to do an Annu
Mutsube & go right under & hit the thrower. This works for sure against
Galford's mutt (you won't go under, you'll just hit her) & his plasma blade.
It looks like it would work vs Tam Tam's skull since he throws it high.
It may work vs Hanzo's shuriken & Kyoshiro's fan. (By the great Buddha,
this needs to be studied...)
Also, it *is* possible to hit someone with a Kamui even when
they're blocking. If you can judge the angle so that the back edge of
the arrow tags them in the back of the head, you've got 'em (of course,
getting to a point to be able to do that in the 2-3 seconds you have on
the hawk is difficult...)
You may sometimes want to grab onto Mama & just wait to see if your opponent
moves or jumps toward you then do a Kamui.
As your opponent gets up, you may sometimes want to use Amube Yatoro.
Use Mama's attack as a defensive measure...after jumping in and
attacking, jump back and as you land send Mama off. Usually manages to
keep people away from you for a few seconds or toasts those foolish
enough to come after you. Also use against an opponent jumping up & down.
If you are swordless, it is possible to catch your opponents' sword as
he tries to slash you & throw them.
If your opponent has only a sliver of power left, finish them off with
a Kamui Mutsube, which drains power even if blocked. Annu & Lela Mutsube
also drain power, but less I think.
Against people who wait, well, all rules of etiquette go out the window(if
you actually had any). You have to use what you can, like throwing, when you
have a chance. To get close, try some of these:
-Jump in with D kicks.
-Walk up to them, but do a D sweep occasionally when in range.
-Run up to them, but jump so that you can land near them & hope that
they tried to hit you when you were still on the ground.
-If near the edge of the screen, jump back, bounce off the side & land next
to them. This can surprise them, especially in a stage where there are
things obscuring the top, like in Kyoshiro's stage.
-Grab onto Mama & use Amube Pokku. This has less recovery time than Kamui
Mutsube so you can try a Lela Mutsube or a throw after you land.
-Jump in without attacking, then throw, grab etc.
vs CPU
If something works once, it may be a good idea not to do it again until
you've mixed in some other techniques. For example, vs some chars, you can
jump so as to land very close behind them then throw them. If you try this
again immediately after, you'll probably be the one thrown. There are times
when the opposite is the case. Once vs Tam Tam, I moved close, did a cr-D,
he blocked then jumped straight up, then I jumped up to cut him. I
repeated this sequence several times. If similar happens to you, try to
keep it going!
SS has a HUGE delay time. You can do the joystick move for a Mutsube and
not press the button up to about a half to a full second later. This
pretty much works for all special moves. Works really well when you want
to jump on Mama at a certain time.
Speaking of which, perfect that. On of her best moves in terms of flash,
style and damage is being able to jump onto Mama when you're being
attacked, then *immediately* jump back off and burn the heck out of
them with a Kamui.
Other basic stuff : air slash *early*.
There's a long delay time between when you press and when the slash gets
to a point to do damage. If you have problems, stick with kicks in the
air, with which you have a better chance of connecting.
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Combos & Techniques:
Simplest combo: Jump-AB, standing AB.
It is possible to buffer an Annu or Lela Mutsube into a standing
or crouching B slash. Simply press B then immediately perform the
Annu or Lela move.
3* Jumping attack, any B slash + AB Annu (or Lela if close enough).
2* Same as 3*-combo without the jumping attack.
vs some CPU chars, the 3*-combo can be useful because they may often
block the 1st 2 hits then suddenly decide they want to attack & get
hit with the Annu.
(From: Sean Goller)
cr-AB, cr-D, walk closer D. (You can try replacing the last D with
some Mutsube)
You may also want to consider replacing the Annu or Lela in the above
combos with an A-Yatoro Mutsube (weird huh?)
(From: Kenichiro Tanaka )
AB slash, Annu Mutsube
(From:
[email protected] (Megaera) )
cr-AB, any grab
AB in air, Annu on ground
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Tips vs.
Vs Kyoshiro
Try to stay on the ground if they're good with the spinning flame
halberd. Use C & D a lot to get in, then throw. Never try to slash him as he
is coming down unless he is very close, as he has a long slash range with his
halberd. His fire-fan can be easily countered by an Annu.
Vs CPU, it is fairly safe to jump in for an attack. The jump behind, throw
move works well if not used too often consecutively. Use Mama liberally
(Amube Yatoro). 3* combo works well.
Vs Galford/Hanzo
They may be about as fast as you, but your Annu Mutsube renders their
teleport tricks virtually useless & can hurt them bad if they try them.
If they teleport overhead of you, simply block, then immediately do
an AB-Annu as they bounce away. This works best if they are near the end
of the screen, otherwise you need to do it immediately after you recover
from your block. If you're feeling frisky, don't block & try
forward AB strike when he's coming down. For their Kagebunshin (the 4
copies), try to get in a position where you can sweep through the most
copies with a B-Lela Mutsube or something. Stay on the ground, because
their ground slash is deadly & they are quick in the air. Vs Galford,
use Annu when he shoots his plasma blade or sends his mutt at you.
But you must do it quickly as soon as you hear him say "Go!" or see him
rearing back to fire otherwise he will have time to block.
Remember to do cr-D sweeps too, which can help you get close. Use Mama when
you aren't too close or when he's getting up. If you're too close, his mutt
mutt may hit you, possibly leading to double KOs.
Vs CPU Hanzo: This guy likes to jump a lot. You can induce him to jump by
repeatedly pressing cr-D. Once in the air, maneuver yourself closer &
AB or B slash him as he lands. You can peck away at his power with this
technique.
If he is near the side of the screen getting up, get next to him
& jump straight up & AB as you come down. The idea is to make him do the
overhead teleport so you can block it & AB Annu/Lela him. Repeat.
If still jumping a lot, hang onto Mama, burn him with Kamui.
Vs Earthquake
Move around a lot. Don't let him corner you. Hopefully he'll do a lot of
ABs and you can get him during his recovery time. The Kamui & Annu moves
are extremely effective vs his butt bounce & rolling moves. Make liberal
use of Mama. Also try to anticipate when he'll attack when both of you are
on the ground then jump in & hurt him while he's still recovering.
Try this vs CPU: do a Kamui so that you land crouched at his feet &
immediately do a cr-AB. He'll try to hit you, but you're too close & he
misses completely while you slice his fat legs. Important: the initial
Kamui must hit him around his pot belly or higher so that he has to block
it. If you didn't make contact, he'll probably get you.
Don't try this again right away.
Vs Haohmaru
Use aerial Cs and Ds a lot. Ground kicks, stabs, and throws work
well. Use Mama a lot when not too close to him. Be ready to jump in when he
throws a whirlwind. Don't be too afraid of his Kogetsuzan. It doesn't take
away as much power if it hits you while he is in the air.
Vs CPU: You can wait by hopping up to Mama and when he executes the
whirlwind, burn him with a Kamui. Don't send Mama to attack if he is close
or he will run up & kick you.
Vs. Gen-An:
If he does his little spin thing, block, and then on his downward
spiral, mutsube into him (GROUND mutsube, air mutsube is not guaranteed
to hit). Instead of blocking, you can also cr-D or cr-B to stop him, if he
was far enough away. If he seems to be spinning a lot, try to use a Kamui to
stop him. If he jumps towards you, AB. Don't forget to use cr-Ds.
Vs Nakoruru
Play defensively. She's as fast as you, remember. Plan, don't
hack and slash, wait for her to make a mistake, then make her pay.
If she is cr-ABing towards you, do cr-AB yourself. The one who
started that move later won't get hit. You can stop her Kamui by doing
an AB to slash her out of the air.
Vs CPU: If you make feinting moves, she'll eventually try an Annu or a Kamui.
All you need do is block these, then cr-AB. But if she spins off Mama
instead, she'll usually do an Annu or Lela right after, so you have to be
keep blocking then attack.
Vs Charlotte
If Charlotte continually jumps in on you, just push forward and AB
strike. You will hit 90% of the time, and she will quickly learn not to
do it. If she charges, an appropriately timed crouch CD will take her
out. STAY OUT OF THE AIR unless you *know* she can't meet you there. She
will take you down without a problem.
Jump kicks can often counter her jumping AB slashes. Remember to
counterattack with AB-Annu if she tries a power move & misses.
Vs Ukyo
Play defensively. Only jump in if you know you can at least connect,
throw a lot if possible. Ukyo's slashes are kind of slow, so use cr-D a
lot to "cancel" his moves. At a distance, you're toast against Ukyo.
A human Ukyo may do his Tsubamegaeshi (swallow slice) too high.
Take advantage & move in close to attack.
Vs CPU: He likes to do his apple slicer quite frequently (esp. when time
runs out). If so, block and do an Annu just when he finishes "slicing",
not during as you will be hit. He has a recovery time after the apple-
slicer. Also, a Kamui when he is doing his apple-slicer is quite effective.
Vs Tam Tam
Get in. Annu under his skulls. If you can't get close, you're screwed.
Vs the CPU, jump behind him & throw (you MUST land close to him). Also
send Mama to attack as he gets up, since he likes to spit his Ahau
Gaburu at those times. AB if he jumps towards you. Be ready to do a Kamui
or an Annu when he does his spinning moves.
Vs Jubei
Block, stay on the ground. Rush back and forth and look for an
opening to Mutsube. Against his Hasso Happa(fast cutting): if far away
use Annu, otherwise block & wait until you or he is pushed out of range
then Annu. If he shoots his ground thing, try a B or AB (depending on
the range) Lela. Use mama a lot (Amube Yatoro). Vs his charging upward
slash, you could block & hurt him when he comes down.
Vs Wan Fu
Watch out for his big AB. Use cr-D a lot. Take advantage of his slowness.
Hop back (tap twice back) to avoid his thrown sword then cut him when he
comes down. Get ready to get him again when he tries to get his sword back.
Vs CPU:
Once he is quite close to you (not within striking range yet), do an AB
Lela. He will most often block this and you will land on the other
side of him. He will always do his slow "about turn" motion. So when you
recover from the Lela, immediately do an A-Annu (A-button enough,
so you'll have time to back away and possibly do a small damage with the
bird attack as he gets up). Also, you can play defensive-counter attacking
too. Reason is that Wan Fu's slashes are pretty slow and once you block
them, immediately go for the Annu.
Vs Amakusa
Try getting ahead in damage, then make him keep jumping by pressing the
slash buttons. Don't forget to block!
There you have it, now go out & "Daishizen ni kawatte oshioki yo!"
Punish them for Mother Nature!
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