From: [email protected] (Ladi Flyer)
Newsgroups: alt.games.sf2
Subject: SFA2 FAQ 1.0 [1/3]
Date: 1 Mar 1996 11:31:54 -0500

                      **** Street Fighter Alpha 2 ****
                    **** Frequently Asked Questions ****
                               VERSION 1.0

Written by Dan Wells ([email protected])

Please send all corrections, comments, and additions to :

  [email protected]

You can also send stuff to the AOL account if you want, but I would prefer

the Harper account instead.  Harper's free.  :)


===================
TABLE OF CONTENTS
===================

INTRODUCTION

-=Beta Sections=-

TEST LOCATIONS
STORYLINE
THE NEW FIGHTERS
GRAPHICS
ANIMATION
SOUND
SFA2 INFO SITES

-=Gameplay Sections=-

MOVE LEGEND
CHAIN COMBOS
THE SUPER METER
SUPER COMBOS
CUSTOM COMBOS
ALPHA COUNTERS
AIR BLOCKING
PROXIMITY BLOCKING
BLOCK STUN
AUTO BLOCKING
REVERSALS AND MEATY ATTACKS
THROWING, TECH HITS, AND TICKS
GAME SPEED
COLOR SELECTION
TAUNTS

THE WORLD WARRIORS (MOVES LIST)

1) Ryu          6) Akuma       11) Sagat        16) Sakura
2) Charlie      7) Ken         12) M. Bison     17) Rolento
3) Chun Li      8) Sodom       13) Dan          18) Zangief
4) Adon         9) Rose        14) Dhalsim
5) Guy         10) Birdie      15) Gen

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
WISH LIST
CONTRIBUTORS AND THANKS
WHERE TO GET THIS FAQ
QUICKFAQ

==============
INTRODUCTION
==============

Hello again, folks.  Capcom's decided to run with the SFA concept and put
out a sequel.  The beta version has been out for 3 weeks now, and I
decided
to write a FAQ for it.  Right now, it's mainly a compilation of moves and
descriptions for the people who want to see all that's been discussed
about
SFA2 the past few weeks.  Once the game is released, I will update the
storyline and focus more on the final gameplay.

I want to thank all the people who have helped me with this project
directly
and indirectly.

Tom Cannon,
  who was the first to play the game and has supplied lots of info.
Chris Finnie,
  who has had lots of valuable insights and suggestions for SFA2.  He
  was the person responsible for bringing the CC issues to the forefront.
Capcom,
  for all the people who have taken my comments at Enchanted Castle and
  Tom's comments at Golfland.  We all appreciate your involvement greatly

  here on the Net.

Since this FAQ is based on a non-released game, I have included "Beta
Sections" that describe the characters and background graphics.  Once the
game is released, those sections will disappear.

I have not spell-checked this beast, so you will forgive any random errors

that I have not caught.

This thing is like 99% complete.  I don't think I finished the ticking
sections or the Sakura gameplay section.  Some of the move names sound a
bit weird because I don't know the real name and haven't had the time to
look it up.

Also, I am working on an HTML version of this FAQ with some nice graphics
to spruce the FAQ up and make it easier to read and find info.  More in a
few days...


================
TEST LOCATIONS
================

So far, there are only 2 known test locations in the U.S. for SFA2:

1) Golfland Arcade, Sunnyvalle, CA
2) Enchanted Castle, Lombard, IL

If you hear of any other places where SFA2 is testing, please let me know.


===========
STORYLINE
===========

Unofrtunately, there are no introductions, character stories, or endings
in
the game yet <sniff,sniff>.


==================
THE NEW FIGHTERS
==================

All of the old characters return from SFA.  Akuma, Bison, and Dan are all
selectable without codes now.  5 new characters join the fray:

 -Dhalsim from SF2
 -Gen from SF1
   I've heard two stories on Gen.  The first is that he is Chun-Li's old
   sensai.  The second is that he oversaw the training of Akuma, and now
   Akuma is on a quest to kill him to hide the secret of the killing
arts.
   The cool thing about Gen is that he fights with 2 different styles:
   Crane and Mantis Fist.  See his character section for more info.

 -Sakura (new)
   Sakura is a Japanese schoolgirl who is a parody of Ryu.  She has all
of
   Ryu's attacks, but they are completely warped and different.  She is
   NOT a fireball/uppercut clone for the most part.  Sakura has a number
   of comical quotes, winnning poses, and moves.  Expect Sakura to be a
   favorite among gamers, if for no other reason than she is hilarious to
   watch and is totally adorable.
 -Rolento from Final Fight
   Rolento was the grenade boss of Level 4 of Final Fight.  He now fights
   with a lead pipe and has a variety of jumping and off-the-wall
attacks.
 -Zangief from SF2
   Like Sagat, Zangief has been majorly beefed up visually, and he has
all
   of his original moves from ST.  Zangief throws off a cape at the
   beginning of the match, which is from the anime movie.


==========
GRAPHICS
==========

The background graphics in SFA2 have been majorly re-done.  EVERYONE gets
a
brand-new stage.  On top of this, there are no more 4-color colloseum
backgrounds like Rose's old stage.  All backgrounds, without exception,
have lots of color, background animation, and parallax scrolling.  It
really
adds a nice touch to the game.  Here is a description of the backgrounds:

RYU:  A snowy clearing with rolling, snow-covered hills and Ryu's dojo in
the background and a tree up close.  The scene is at night, and it
probably
has the fewest colors of all the backgrounds.  However, there are 4 levels
of
parallax in this stage, which is very nice.

CHARLIE:  Some type of building top in a major city.  A huge military jet
hovers onto the screen and remains in the background for the duration of
the fight.

CHUN-LI:  A major downtown street in China.  Buildings line the
background,
and literally hundreds of people ride on bicycles across the screen in the

background.

ADON:  The shore of a lake.  The forest is up front, and some type of old
palace or castle lies across the lake in the background.  A fisherman
stands
in his boat just off the shore, cheering on the fight.

GUY:  A dirt lot just off a street in the slums.  A varied assortment of
scum and ruffian cheer on the fight.

AKUMA:  A cave with some type of statue faintly visible in a large reclove

in the cavern wall.  The statue stands the height of the screen, and the
figure wears the same large beads that Akuma wears around his neck.

KEN:  A yacht at night, on which a birthday party for Eliza is being
held.  Eliza cheers Ken on in the center, and the crowd of guests watches
the fight in the background.  The party is a costume ball, and many of
Capcom's old characters make an appearance.

SODOM:  A desert lot with a huge, painted freight truck in the background.
Very similar to Big Bear's stage from Fatal Fury Special.

ROSE:  Just off a pier by the riverside.  A beautiful city lies across the
way, and a huge wooden ship slowly sails down the channel as the fight
progresses.  Three or four levels of parallax.

BIRDIE:  A bathroom in England.  Yes, yes, it sounds disgusting, but it's
actually pretty funny.  Sometimes a guy will stand at the urinal, and you
get to see a stream...well, you can picture it yourselves.  Also, the
stall
doors open randomly, sometimes to the embarrasment of some poor
Englishman.
People just arrive and leave normally during the whole fight.  A well-done
and funny scene (IMHO, of course).

SAGAT:  By that same, old statue again.  This time it's back at the head,
and the statue is drawn very nicely (looks much better than it ever did).

The statue is in the distance, and between the fighters and the statue are

2 rows of four stone collumns, one at the left and right side of the
screen.
Envision the collumns placed behind each other, lined up toward the
statue.
Each of the stone collumns moves in parallax, which makes a total of 6
levels of parallax for this stage.

M. BISON:  The wing of one of his airships.  One of the engine fans spins
in
the background, and 2 Shadoloo guards watch over the fight, saluting
whenever Bison passes by.

DAN:  An old-town marketplace with stands of vegetables and townspeople
moving through the background.

DHALSIM:  An elephant field with a wooden fence and several elephants
sleeping and playing in the background.

GEN:  An abandoned intersection in an old town at dusk (the same as in
SF1)
with grey clay buildings.  Puddles of water lie on the ground, and the
water
reflects the fighters' images as they pass over it.  The water will even
ripple if touched, distorting the reflections (nice touch).

SAKURA:  Her back yard.  Her small brother plays Nintendo inside the
house,
and he reacts to his sister winning or losing.

ROLENTO:  A metal lift used for putting up billboards.  The lift rises
during the match, scaling the side of a billboard.

ZANGIEF:  An old Russian boiler room with a video screen in the
center-back
wall that flashes Russian text.  Russian workers cheer on the fight behind
saftey fences.


===========
ANIMATION
===========

The animation has not changed from SFA.  Everyone is still drawn in the
"4-color" style, although with the new backgroungs it does not stand out.
Each character now has at least four different color schemes.


=======
SOUND
=======

Several of the characters have had their voices re-sampled or changed for
variety.  These include Chun, Ken, Adon, Guy, and Dan.  The BGM for all of
the old characters is the same, but some of the instruments for those
tunes have been changed to give a different feel.


================
SFA2 RESOURCES
================

This FAQ will be posted semi-regularly to rec.games.video.arcade and
alt.games.sf2.   To get a copy of this FAQ, please try the following
resources before sending a request via E-mail.

  Brawl Fighting Game Archive, courtesy of Chris Noel and Dave Korsch.
    ftp://brawl.mindlink.net

  Andy Eddy's Video Game Archive, courtesy of Andy Eddy of GamePro
    ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/vi/vidgames/faqs

To find screen shots, reviews, AVI's, and other materials on SFA2, you can
look in several places:

  Capcom's Web Site:  http://www.capcoment.com
     Screen shots and info (soon?)

  Chris Noel's Page of Nothing:  http://www.crl.com
     Screen shots, SFA2 reviews and posts

  Brawl Fighting Game Archive:  ftp://brawl.mindlink.net
     AVI's


=============
MOVE LEGEND
=============

The standard N. American joystick comes arranged like this:

  O O O
   \|/        JAB     STRONG    FIERCE
 O--O--O
   /|\        SHORT   FORWARD   ROUNDHOUSE
  O O O

All button names will be listed in CAPS.  Thus, "forward" refers to a
direction, while "FORWARD" refers to a button.

There are several common abbreviations used in SF jargon and in this FAQ.

DP -Dragon Punch, or the Dragon Punch joystick motion
FB -Fireball, or the Fireball motion
YF -Yoga Flame, or Yoga Flame motion (half circle forward)
AC -Alpha Counter or Alpha Counter motion
SC -Super Combo
CC -Custom Combo
C. -Crouching
S. -Standing
J. -Jumping
RH -ROUNDHOUSE button
PUNCH -Any punch button
KICK  -Any kick button


==============
CHAIN COMBOS
==============

Chain combos have been completely removed from SFA2 with the single
exception of Guy's 4-hitter.  All combos must be done in the classic SF2
style.

To perform Guy's 4-hit chain combo, simply hit the 4 buttons rapidly in
the proper order (see Guy's character section).


=================
THE SUPER METER
=================

Every character has a Super Meter at their bottom edge of the screen.
Doing
certain things will charge the meter, but some actions charge it more
quickly than others.  In order from most to least gain, they are:

 1) Normal and special moves that damage your opponent.
 2) Special moves that do not damage your opponent (i.e. repeated FB's
will
    charge your meter, even if they are blocked).
 3) Normal moves that do not damage your opponent (repeatedly doing a RH
    sweep will very slowly charge your meter).
 4) Blocking.

The Super Meter has 3 levels of Power to it.  If you are playing with
Autoblock, your Super Meter will instead be one long meter with only one
Level of power; the power of that one Level will be the same as normal,
but
it will take longer to charge.

Any charge you have accumulated in your Super Meter will be carried over
to
the next round.


==============
SUPER COMBOS
==============

The whole point of your Super Meter is to use Super Combos.  SC's come in
three Levels, corresponding to the three Level of power in your Super
Meter.
The higher the Level of the SC, the more priority, damage, and hits it
does.

To perform a SC, you just perform the motion (almost always a double FB or
double reverse FB motion) and press the proper PUNCH or KICK button.  If
you press only one button, you will get a Level 1 SC.  Pressing two PUNCH
or
KICK buttons gives you a Level 2 SC.  Pressing all three buttons gives you
a
Level 3 SC.

The Super Combos have varying degrees of invulnerability at different
Levels.  Level 1 Super Combos, in particular, have pretty low priority
when
compared to SFA.  Most Level 1 SC's will not go through projectiles, and
sometimes normal moves even can knock you out of them.  Although Capcom
still needs to adjust the damage for each move, LV1 SC's look like they
will end up doing very little damage.

In light of this, it may be advantageous to save your Super Meter for one
big Level 3 SC.  Not only do most Level 3 SC's go through projectiles and
override normal moves with ease, they do a lot of damage, typically more
than three individual LV1 SC's put together.  What approach you take will
obviously depend on you and your opponent, as well as the characters being
used.

There are 2 kinds of SC's:  those designed to hit airborne opponents and
those designed to hit opponents on the ground.  If you try to use an air
SC
on a standing opponent, you will usually miss completely.  If you use a
ground SC on a jumper, you will probably hit the opponent, but you will
get
a minimum number of hits; in effect, you will have an inefficent SC.

When you perform a Super Combo, the screen will darken and energy will
swirl around your character.  During this time, 2 things will happen.

First, if your opponent is doing anything besides blocking, the animation
of your opponent's character will advance a couple frames.  That means
that
jumpers will continue to fall for a split second, RH sweeps will continue
slightly, fireballs will edge forward, etc.

Second, if your opponent is not blocking when a SC starts, they will not
be able to block during the darkening of the screen  On top of this, they
will not be able to block for a very split second after the SC is
released.
Thus, if your opponent is standing right next to you and is not blocking
when you press the button to start a SC, they will not be able to block
the
SC.  You have to be very close for this "block delay" to harm you, but be
aware of it.

The above block delay can also be applied to jumpers.  If you start a SC
right before an opponent lands from a jump, the jumping animation will
progress so that the opponent is just starting to touch the ground.  In
this
case, the opponent is considered by the CPU to not be blocking.  Thus,
instead of using a DP or something on a jumper, you can force that jumper
to
land and take the full force of a ground-based SC if time it properly.

Finally, it is possible to insert Super Combos into normal combos.  This
is
harder to do than in SFA because of the increased game speed and the lack
of chain combos in SFA2.  To insert a SC into a normal combo, you have to
insert a normal move into the motion for a SC.  The classic example is
Ryu's
Fireball SC combo, which looks like this:

 |   \  , FORWARD, --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
 O    O                  O    O

Notice that the FORWARD kick is inserted as the joystick hits the first
offensive crouch joystick position.  If you were to simply do a C. FORWARD
and then try to do the double FB motion, it would be much harder to do.
The little time you save by blending the FORWARD kick into the SC motion
is
actually very helpful in successfully linking the 2 moves.

The above 2-move combo would normally be used with other attacks.  For
example, Ryu can do J. ROUNDHOUSE, C. STRONG, C. FORWARD, Super Combo.


===============
CUSTOM COMBOS
===============

Custom Combos are a new type of Super Combo in SFA2.  When you perform a
CC, the screen darkens and energy swirls around your character (very
similar
to SC's).  When you start a CC, a Time Meter will appear right above your
Super Meter.  Depending on how much Super Meter energy you have when you
start, the Time Meter counts down for a short period of time.  During this
period any normal or special moves that you perform will rapidly be
executed in sequence.  You can insert any normal or special move you wish,
although you get considerably more damage for using Special Moves, which
obviously take longer to enter into the CC.

Right now, there are several things wrong with the CC system.  Due to the
number of complaints and cheeze that have resulted from CC's, they will
obviously be changed in an update to the SFA2 beta.  Right now, these
problems are:

1) CC's are activated by pressing any 2 PUNCH and 1 KICK buttons.  Instant
  reaction time.
2) CC's are totally invulnerable at the very beginning.  Thus, you can
  instantly react to a foot sweep or a DP (you can perform CC's in the
  air as well) simply by hitting a button.  Then, you can slide through
  the attack and harm your opponent.
3) CC's will go through fireballs at all Levels if done properly.
4) Once you start a CC, your Super Meter will begin to drain.  If you are
  knocked out of the CC before your Super Meter is emptied, you will
  retain whatever energy is left.


================
ALPHA COUNTERS
================

Alpha Coutners are guard reversal moves.  By performing the AC motion,

 O--   /   |  +  PUNCH or KICK
      O    O

your character will automatically come out of a block stun and harm your
opponent.  PUNCH Alpha Counters are usually uppercut moves or high
punches;
PUNCH AC's usually have little or no delay in execution (they come out
instantly).  KICK AC's are sweeping attacks, designed for taking out
opponents who attack from a distance.  KICK AC's usually have a bit of a
lead time on them, and your opponent can sometimes knock you out of these
slower AC's.

You can AC from a crouch if need be.  Simply block the hit and very
quickly
flick the joystick to BACK and then roll to DOWN.

An AC takes 1 Level of your Super Meter to execute.


================
AIR BLOCKING
================

SFA2 characters have the capability to block in the air.  Only jumping
normal attacks and projectiles can be air-blocked 100% of the time.  Most
other moves cannot be air-blocked, including:

 * Ground-based normal and special moves (never air-blocked)
 * Super Combos (almost never air-blocked)
 * Uppercut moves (almost never air-blocked)

If an air-block situation occurrs, both players should be looking for
opportunities to strike their opponent, depending on who lands first and
how far away.


====================
PROXIMITY BLOCKING
====================

SFA2 has what is termed "proximity blocking."  In old SF2 if a projectile
was thrown at you from across the screen, you could not move backwards.
If
you tried to do so, you went right into a block stance.  In SFA2 the game
will not do this.  In order to be forced into a block stance, you must be
close to your opponent's attack.  If a fireball is thrown at you, you will

be able to back up until the fireball gets fairly close.


===============
AUTO BLOCKING
===============

When you choose your character at the Selection Screen, you are given the
option of selecting Manual or Automatic blocking.  When you select Auto-
blocking, the game gives you a certain number of "freebie" blocks.  As
long
as you do not touch a button, the game will automatically block your
opponent's attacks for you.  Once you run out of Autoblocks, you must
defend yourself as normal.

On top of the blocking, Autoblock simplifies the Super Combo system for
you.
Instead of having to perform a complex motion to activate a SC, all you
have
to do is push adjacent PUNCH and KICK buttons.  Each pair of PUNCH-KICK
buttons represents a different SC for each character.  The disadvantage to

this system is that you cannot link Super Combos into normal combos; also,

your Super Meter can only hold one Level while in Autoblock, and it takes
longer to charge than it normally would.


=============================
MEATY ATTACKS AND REVERSALS
=============================

"Meaty Attack" is an old SF2 phrase that describes what happens when you
attack someone getting up off the ground.  In SF2 if you timed an attack,
be it a jump-in or a ground move, so that your opponent absolutely could
not
Dragon Punch (or equivelant) while getting up off the ground, it was
called
a Meaty Attack.

Later in the SF2 series, Reversals were added.  When you get up off the
ground, there is a split-second window during which you can Reversal.
A Reversal can be any attack you want, although an uppercut move is
usually
used.  If timed exactly right, it is impossible to stop a Reversal attack
from being executed as the opponent gets up.  An uppercut Reversal will
beat all jump-ins and Meaty Attacks.

The timing for a Reversal is when your opponent has almost finished their
standing up animation.  The window of opportunity is extremely small,
reportedly 1/60 of a second long.  This may seem extremely small, but it
is
possible to get Reversals down somewhat consistently.  The risk for trying
a
Reversal is very high; if you screw up, chances are high that you will eat
a large combo.  On the other hand, the risk associated with attempting a
meaty attack or jump-in is relatively low (depending on how well your
opponent can Reversal).  If you are hit with a Reversal, you can simply
roll as you hit the ground and get back into position with only a small
loss of life.

Note that it is also possible to Reversal with a Super Combo.  This can be
a definite problem for some characters.  For example ,if Guy tries to
FORWARD kick an opponent as they get up and that opponent Reversals with a

large SC, it can be disaster.  Once again, you need to take into account
how well your opponent can Reversal before you use a bunch of Meaty
Attacks.


================================
THROWING, TECH HITS, AND TICKS
================================

Throwing is exactly the same as it is in SFA.  Executing a throw simply
requires you to be close enough to your opponent to execute the throw, and
that opponent cannot be in a block stun when you attempt the throw.

When you are thrown, you can take half damage from the throw by performing
a Tech Hit.  To do this, you need to wiggle the joystick back and forth
VERY quickly after the throw animation starts.  If successful, the game
will flash "TECH HIT," and you will land on your feet.  Note that if you
Tech Hit a throw, you can be hit by any move on the way down.  Be careful
about Tech Hits while in the corner.  Only normal throws can be softened
this way.  You cannot Tech Hit a special or SC throw.

[ticks...]

============
GAME SPEED
============

So far there are two selectable speeds.  The Normal setting is close to
the
fastest speed in SFA, and the Turbo setting is faster than anything in
SFA.
The preferred speed for most people seems to be Turbo.


=================
COLOR SELECTION
=================

To select from the standard two colors for your character, hit only one
PUNCH or one KICK button.  To select from the 2 alternate colors, press
two PUNCHES or two KICKS.


========
TAUNTS
========

The SFA taunts are back.  By pressing START anytime during the round, your
character will perform a taunt.  During the taunt, your character is
completely vulnerable.  There is no way to end a taunt early; you have to
ride out the animation.  Of course, this is the perfect insult.  I've
literally diven people insane with this. :)

You can taunt only once per round, unless you are playing Dan, who can
taunt
infinitely.  If you do play Dan, I highly recommend you taunt a LOT.
Then,
on the off chance you actually win, your opponent is guaranteed feel like
utter garbage.


=================================
THE WORLD WARRIORS (MOVES LIST)
=================================

For a raw moves listing, see the QuickFaq at the end of this document.
This moves listing assumes you know something about the original SFA.


=====
RYU
=====

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Dragon Punch is no longer invincible
 2) Fake Fireball

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  STRONG

FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  The FIERCE fireball will flash Red for a brief moment at the beginning.

  Any opponent hit with it will be set on fire and will fall down.

FAKE FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  SHORT
  O    O

  This has almost zero recovery, so it obviously is designed to be
jump-in
  bait.  Ryu only says the "Ha-" portion of Hadoken, though, and it
doesn't
  sound like a normal FB.  It probably won't fool opponents at random,
but
  in a tense situation it could prove very useful.

DRAGON PUNCH

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  This is no longer invulnerable.  Actually, it wasn't invulnerable in
  SFA, but now it is _noticibly_ vulnerable.

HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Goes over most projectiles.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SHINKUU HADOKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  A huge Fireball that will sail right through other projectiles.  The
  SC loses one hit for each projectile it must travel through to reach
the
  opponent.  The LV1 of this SC is much weaker than it was in SFA, but
  since damage is still being adjusted, that may change.

SUPER COMBO #2:  VACCUMN HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O          O   O

  Same old SC.  Ryu does a Hurricane Kick in-place.  Still does tons of
  damage at LV3, but it is hard to hit with it since Ryu doesn't move
  forward during the SC.


=========
CHARLIE
=========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Shorter Sonic Boom delay
 2) Somersault Kick is now harder to air-block
 3) Handspring

OVERHEAD

  O--  +  FORWARD

THRUST KICK

  --O  +  ROUNDHOUSE

SONIC BOOM

  Charge O--  --O  +  PUNCH

  This has rediculously short recovery time.  Expect this to be altered
in
  the final release.

SOMERSAULT KICK

            O
  Charge |  |  +  KICK
         O

  I have yet to see the SHORT and FORWARD versions of this move air-
  blocked, but the RH version is _still_ perfectly blockable.  Watch out
  for this.

HANDSPRING

  ALL KICK

  This is like Vega's Handspring, except Charlie hops forward.  You can
  use it to move forward and keep a charge, but it isn't a great idea to
  use this move too much as Charle is pretty vulnerable as he does so.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SONIC BLADE

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  PUNCH,  (PUNCHX2,3,4)

  Still as useless as ever.  Charlie throws from 2-4 Sonic Booms in a
row.
  I think the SB's come out a bit faster than in SFA, but it might just
  be the game speed fooling me.

SUPER COMBO #2:  SOMERSAULT JUSTICE

                       O
  Charge  /  \    /   /   +  KICK
         O    O  O

  Charlie does multiple Somersault Kicks.  This is best used against
  opponents on the ground.

SUPER COMBO #3:  CROSSFIRE BLITZ

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  KICK

  Charlie does several kicks and punches as he moves forward.  Doesn't
  have very good range or speed.


=========
CHUN-LI
=========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) New Kikoken motion
 2) Insanely fast C. FORWARD sweep

KNEE FLIP

  \   +  ROUNDHOUSE
   O

  You can use it to advance over fireballs without having to jump.

KIKOKEN

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  Much quicker than in SFA and a FB motion to boot.  What was Capcom
  thinkin'?

SPINNING KICK

            O
  Charge |  |  +  KICK
         O

SPLIT KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  This has better recovery and invulnerability (?) than in SFA.

LIGHTNING KICK

  HIT KICK REPEATEDLY

SUPER COMBO #1:  THOUSAND BURST KICK

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  KICK

  Chun rushes forward with her classic kicking SC.  You can still juggle
  in the corner after this.

SUPER COMBO #2:  MEGA KIKOKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  A big mass of energy appears over Chun's head.  Used for nailing
  jumpers.

SUPER COMBO #3:  MEGA SPINNING KICK

                       O
  Charge  /  \    /   /   +  KICK
         O    O  O

  One nice, big Spinning Kick.

======
ADON
======

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) New Jaguar Kick motion
 2) Jaguar Kick is more vulnerable
 3) New Jaguar Knee motion
 4) Overhead attack
 5) Shortened range on the Elbow SC

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  STRONG

  This looks pretty weird, and Adon cries out when he does it.  Very
  predictable.

JAGUAR KICK

  |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O

  They took away some of the priority that Adon had with this move in
  exchange for the new motion.  Although this isn't the case with every
  character, I was cleanly knocking Adon out of the JK with Sagat's new
  and improved S. RH kick on reaction.  Other characters have a harder
  time doing this, but expect more trades with the JK overall.  Also,
  the Jaguar Kick can now be done in mid-air, which is interesting.  The
  move is still air-blockable, but it may turn out to be useful somehow.

JAGUAR KNEE

  --O   |   \   +  KICK
        O    O

  New motion makes it easier.  This doesn't have DP-like priority by
  any means, so carefully decide when it's best to use the C. FORWARD
  kick, the Jaguar Knee, or the JK SC.

JAGUAR TOOTH

  --O  \    |    /  O--  +  KICK
        O   O   O

SUPER COMBO #1:  JAGUAR ELBOWS

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  Adon now stands in-place when he does the Elbows.  He doesn't rush
  forward at all.  Sucks.

SUPER COMBO #2:  JAGUAR KICKS THINGIE

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O          O   O

  Still great as an air defense or for whacking fireballers.


=====
GUY
=====

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Guy still has his Chain Combo
 2) Spin Elbow
 3) Less range on the Bushido Leap throw (not the leap itself)

CHAIN COMBO

  JAB-->STRONG-->FIERCE-->ROUNDHOUSE

  Guy's chain is harder to work with.  It doesn't have the "sucking"
power
  it had in SFA.

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  STRONG

SPIN KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Still a great anti-air move.  SHORT version hits low to the ground,
  FORWARD and FIERCE versions will miss ground opponents and hit higher
  up in the air.

SPIN ELBOW

  |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O

  Not terribly useful, and you can get into trouble with doing it too
  close.  Semi-useful in combos.

BUSHIDO RUN

  |   \   --O  +  KICK,  (KICK)
  O    O

  Guy will run across the screen or until he reaches his opponent.  The
  run can be ended in three ways.  The FIRST kick pressed determines how
  the run is ended; the second button actually ends the run.  SHORT will
  make Guy stop without attacking.  FORWARD ends the run in a slide, and
  RH ends it in a jump kick, which is an overhead attack.

BUSHIDO LEAP

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH,  (PUNCH)
  O    O

  Pressing the first PUNCH makes Guy jump forward.  The arc is determined
  by the button pressed.  Pressing PUNCH a second time has one of two
  effects.  If Guy is close enough, he will pick his opponent up and
  body slam them.  The range for this special throw has been reduced from
  SFA.  If Guy is not close enough, the jump will instantly end in a
  Drop Elbow, which has good priority.

SUPER COMBO #1:  BUSHIDO RAMPAGE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Guy does several rushing kicks and punches.  Good speed and range.

SUPER COMBO #2:  ???

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Guy does a series of rising punches and kicks.  Used against jumpers,
  but it has a funky range that sometimes will completely miss your
  opponent.  In general, it is best to be a little bit away from your
  opponent when trying this SC instead of being right next to them.


=======
AKUMA
=======

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) New Red Fireball motion
 2) Decreased range on the Air Fireball
 3) Dragon Punch is no longer invulnerable
 4) Changed motion for the Raging Demon SC

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  STRONG

DIVE KICK

  |  +  FORWARD (IN THE AIR)
  O

FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

RED FIREBALL

  |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O

  The new motion allows Akuma to throw a FB while walking backwards,
  a definite improvement.

AIR FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH (IN THE AIR)
  O    O

  The range on this FB has been *majorly* reduced.  It has maybe half
  the horizontal arc it used to.  If you try to throw a FB while jumping
  backwards, you almost land on your own FB.

DRAGON PUNCH

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  No longer invulnerable.

HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  This juggles the opponent in the air and can sometimes be followed up
  with a DP.

TELEPORT

  --O   |   \   +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O    O

           OR

  O--   |    /  +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O   O

  Akuma's Teleport goes through all attacks cleanly.

BUSHIDO LEAP

  ???

  This is Guy's overhead throw move.  Akuma's version can be ended in
  a couple different ways, I believe, but I do not know how to reliably
  do the move.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SHINKUU HADOKEN

  ???

  Eh, what's the motion for this...I never did learn the true motion
  after it changed from the beta SFA, since I never use him anyway.

SUPER COMBO #2:  SHORYUREPPA

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

SUPER COMBO #3:  (AIR) SHINKUU HADOKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

SUPER COMBO #4:  RAGING DEMON

  ???

  Akuma grabs you and pummels you for 15 hits.  This is a Level-3-only
  Super Combo.  The motion has been changed from SFA.


=====
KEN
=====

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Roll has more vulnerability
 2) Fake Hurricane Kick
 3) Dragon Punch is no longer invulnerable
 4) Ken's has his old Hyper Fighting Fireball, which is kinda neat

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  FORWARD

KRAZY KICK

  --O  +  ROUNDHOUSE

FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  Ken's got the ol' Hyper Fighting FB back, which looks cool.

DRAGON PUNCH

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  No longer invulnerable.

HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Goes over most projectiles.

FAKE HURRICANE KICK

  |   \   --O  +  SHORT  ???
  O    O

  Doesn't seem very useful.  Ken just hops forward, like Ryu's Hop Kick,
  but he doesn't attack.

ROLL

  |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O

  It is harder to roll under projectiles with this because of the new
  vulnerablility at the beginning.  I guess Capcom got freaked out from
  the Roll Trap and decided that it wasn't going to happen again.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SHORYUREPPA

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

SUPER COMBO #2:  SHINRYUKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Slam on ALL KICK to get more hits.


=======
SODOM
=======

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Changed motion for the Jitte Strike
 2) Different priorities for the Jitte Strikes
 3) Slide range reduced and invulnerability removed
 4) C. FIERCE has less priority

JITTE STRIKE

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  The Jitte Strikes, besides having a new motion, now have some different
  priorities.  The JAB version will hit crouchers but won't hit jumpers.
  The STRONG version hits jumpers well but will completely miss
crouchers.
  The FIERCE version is the same.

POWER BOMB

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  PUNCH
       O    O    O

  Unblockable SPD throw.

CARPET DROP

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  KICK
       O    O    O

  This can be used in any combo.  No matter how far your opponent gets
  pushed back by your moves, you can still nab them with this move in a
  combo.  This move is blockable.

SUPER COMBO #1:  MEGA POWER BOMB

                           O   O   O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /    |    \   O--   /   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
       O    O    O                           O    O    O

  Grab 'em and away we go....

SUPER COMBO #2:  MEGA JITTE STRIKE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  This has the annoying tendancy to miss crouchers in the corner.  Still
  a great anti-air move at LV1.


======
ROSE
======

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Slide vulnerability and recovery increased
 2) Soul Charge
 3) More energy gained when Soul Reflect is used
 4) C. FIERCE has less priority

SOUL SPARK

  O--   /   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
       O    O    O

SOUL REFLECT

  |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O

  Rose now gains MAJOR Super Meter energy when she absorbs a FB.  We're
  talking half a Level for each FB!

  Rose reflects projectiles with her scarf.  JAB absorbes projectiles
into
  the Super Meter, STRONG reflects them back horizontally, and FIERCE
  reflects them back diagonally.

SOUL FIST

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

SOUL THRUST

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Has a big recovery for the FORWARD and FIERCE versions, but it can be
  used in jump-in combos (now that Rose doesn't have her infamous chain).

SUPER COMBO #1:  MEGA SOUL FIST

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  At LV1 this Super Combo is still strong.  The LV2 and LV3 versions,
  however, have less priority than before.  Be careful, or you'll waste
  a whole Super Meter on a single trade with a jumper if you don't
  position yourself correctly.

SUPER COMBO #2:  FRIENDS

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Becuase of the long slide delay, there's no more 20+ hits in the corner
  with this SC.

SUPER COMBO #3:  MEGA SOUL SPARK

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O          O   O

  Rose does some nifty things with a scarf.

  JAB:  A slow Super Fireball.
  STRONG:  Some rushing attacks with her scarf.
  FIERCE:  A Soul Reflect followed by a slow Super Fireball.


========
BIRDIE
========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Shorter invulnerability on the Headbutt Charge
 2) Shorter invulnerability on the Turn Around Headbutt
 3) New S. STRONG

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  ROUNDHOUSE

HEADBUTT RUSH

  Charge O--  --O  +  PUNCH

TURN AROUND HEADBUTT

  Charge ANY TWO PUNCH or KICK BUTTONS,  release

  Seems to have less invulnerability than it used to, but it might just
  be the game speed.

CHAIN GRAB

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  PUNCH
       O    O    O

SUPER COMBO #1:  CHAIN MASSACRE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  ANY BUTTON
  O    O        O    O

  Perfect for nailing fireballers, Birdie leaps across the screen and
  does a Chain Grab.  The distance is determined by which button you
  press, JAB being the shortest and RH being the longest.

SUPER COMBO #2:  MEGA HEADBUTT CHARGE

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  KICK

  Birdie does multiple Headbutt Rushes.


=======
SAGAT
=======

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Faster overall
 2) Priority on S. and J. ROUNDHOUSE greatly increased

TIGER SHOT

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  Sagat STILL is very vulnerable during this FB move since he's so dang
  big on the screen.

LOW TIGER SHOT

  |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O

  Can be buffered into a C. SHORT or FORWARD.

TIGER CRUSH

  --O   |   \   +  KICK
        O    O

TIGER BLOW

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  Still pretty hard to hit consistently with all 7 hits, and the damage
  isn't that great either.

SUPER COMBO #1:  TIGER CANNON

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  A nice, big Tiger Shot FB.  Loses one hit for each projectile it goes
  through, and it STILL misses crouchers (grrr...).

SUPER COMBO #2:  TIGER GENOCIDE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Sagat does a Tiger Crush followed by one or more uppercuts.  Good
  range and priority.

SUPER COMBO #3:  TIGER RAID

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O          O   O

  Sagat does a couple of ground kicks, then launches into a lungeing
  horizontal kick.


==========
M. BISON
==========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) Vulnerability of Scissors Kick increased
 2) Only one FB at a time

PSYCHO AURA

  Charge O--  --O  +  PUNCH

  No longer can you throw multiple projectiles on the screen.

SCISSORS KICK

  Charge O--  --O  +  KICK

  There is now a BIG recovery time on the FORWARD and RH versions of this
  move.  DON'T let this move be blocked, or your opponent has all the
  time in the world to decide how he wants to kill you.

HEAD STOMP

            O
  Charge |  |  +  KICK,  (PUNCH)
         O

  Bison stomps on the opponent, then floats back.  Hitting PUNCH after
the
  stomp will make Bison double back and dive downward and attack.

DEVIL'S REVERSE

            O
  Charge |  |  +  PUNCH,  (PUNCH)
         O

  Like the Head Stomp, but Bison fakes the stomp, then can double back
  to dive attack.

TELEPORT

  --O   |   \   +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O    O

           OR

  O--   |    /  +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O   O

SUPER COMBO #1:  PSYCHO CRUSHER

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  PUNCH

  Bison does a MASSIVE Torpedo.  While extremely powerful and damaging,
  it has the drawback of not going through projectiles at ANY Level.

SUPER COMBO #2:  KNEE PRESS NIGHTMARE

  Charge O--  --O  O--  --O  +  KICK

  Bison does multiple Scissors Kicks.  This WILL go through projectiles
  at higher Levels.


=====
DAN
=====

WHAT'S NEW FROM SFA?
 1) He really sucks now
 2) Gale Kick weakened
 3) Jumping attacks weakened
 4) Did I mention he sucks?

FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  A projectile with a 1-inch range.

DRAGON PUNCH

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  Not in the least bit invulnerable.

GALE KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Most opponents can duck this move, but the bigger guys have to block
it.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SHORYUREPPA

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  A pathetic version of Ken's SC.

SUPER COMBO #2:  SHINKUU HADOKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  A really bad SC Fireball.

SUPER COMBO #3:  ULTRA KICK THINGIE

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O          O   O

  Robert Garcia's Desperation move from KoF95, but without the lunge at
  the beginning.  This actually looks and sounds really cool at LV3 if
  you can get it to connect, but it has no range.


=========
DHALSIM
=========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SSF2T?
 1) Slides cannot be used as air defense
 2) S. STRONG is Dhalsim's air defense
 3) New Super Combos

YOGA FIRE

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O

  A Ryu FB it ain't...watch the recovery.  The FB dissipates with
distance.

YOGA FLAME

  O--   /   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
       O    O    O

(UPWARD) YOGA FLAME

  ???

AIR DRILL

  |  +  FIERCE or SHORT or FORWARD or ROUNDHOUSE (IN THE AIR)
  O

  You can use these Drills to go over projectiles quickly and to move in
  for throws.  Unfortunately, they are air-blockable.  The button used
  determines the angle of flight.

TELEPORT

  --O   |   \   +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O    O

           OR

  O--   |    /  +  ALL PUNCH or ALL KICK
        O   O

SUPER COMBO #1:  MEGA YOGA FIREBALL

  ???

  A SC fireball.

SUPER COMBO #2:  MEGA YOGA FLAME

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  This is designed to hit opponents on the ground instead of the air.
  Hitting an airborne opponent with it will do minimal damage, but it
  will cleanly hit a jumper no matter what.  On the ground it does very
  good damage, particularly at LV3.

SUPER COMBO #3:  WEIRDO AIR THROW THINGIE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Dhalsim gently floats up to grab his opponent.  This move has almost
  ZERO priority, so pick and choose your moments carefully.


=====
GEN
=====

-=CRANE STYLE (ALL PUNCH)=-

LEG THRUST

  --O   |   \   +  KICK
        O    O

  A DP move.  Gen kinda "lays" down on the ground and thrusts his leg up
  quickly.  It will miss very close opponents sometimes, so be careful.

RAPID PUNCH

  HIT JAB REPEATEDLY

  Hard to do, just like Chun's Lightning Kicks.  Best used in Custom
  Combos.

SUPER COMBO #1:  LUNGEING THINGIE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  Gen rushes about 3/4 of the way across the screen and strikes his
  opponent as he passes by.  Very fast and goes through projectiles at
  LV2 and LV3.

SUPER COMBO #2:  RAPID PUNCH THINGIE

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O          O   O

  Gen does a bunch of standing rapid punches.  Woo hoo.

-=MANTIS STYLE (ALL KICK)=-

ROLL

  Charge O--  --O  +  PUNCH

  Pretty much like vega's Roll, except it goes under projectiles.

WALL DIVE

            O
  Charge |  |  +  KICK
         O

  You can control his flight by pointing the joystick to different parts
  of the screen.  After he goes to the wall, he can drop to the ground
  without attaking, lunge straight-on, or go to the opposite side and
  come down right on top of his opponent.  Gen automatically attacks
  during this move when he gets close to his opponent.

SUPER COMBO #3:  AIR THROW THINGIE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Gen leaps up and tries to throw his opponent.  Bad priority and weird
  range, like Guy's SC.


========
SAKURA
========

OVERHEAD

  --O  +  FORWARD

  A must-see.

FIREBALL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH,  (PUNCH),  (PUNCH)
  O    O

  This projectile has a very slow delay and recovery, so it cannot be
used
  quite like Ryu's FB.  Instead, Sakura can control the size of the FB
  by tapping PUNCH once or twice after the initial PUNCH.  The
medium-sized
  FB isn't much better than the first, but the biggest FB is just big
  enough to snag many jumpers.  If you do it at the correct distance,
  it is somewhat hard for your opponent to jump kick you out of the
  fireball.  The bigger the FB, the shorter distance the FB travels.

DRAGON PUNCH

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  These are running uppercuts.  In the JAB version, Sakura only takes a
  single step forward before uppercutting; this has semi-decent priority.
  In the STRONG and FIERCE versions Sakura runs forward a bit before
  uppercutting.  The only use for these uppercuts is snagging a missed
  sweep or in a combo.  It is possible to tag a FIERCE DP onto
  a C. FORWARD or even a S. ROUNDHOUSE kick.

HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O

  Sakura's HK has a short range and moves in a an arc.  However, the
  RH version goes over projectiles, and all versions have EXCELLENT
  priority against most moves.  At minimum you will probably trade,
  but you can also cleanly hit many kinds of attacks.  This move is
  excellent for trapping an opponent in the corner since there is
  virtually no recovery time to it.

SUPER COMBO #1:  SHINKUU HADOKEN

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
  O    O        O    O

  A slow SC Fireball.

SUPER COMBO #2:  SHORYUREPPA

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Same as Ken's.

SUPER COMBO #3:  VACCUMN HURRICANE KICK

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  KICK
  O   O          O   O

  Sakura spins repeatedly on the ground and moves forward slowly.
  This is actually better than Ryu's SC since it has a bit more range.


=========
ROLENTO
=========

PIPE TWIRL

  |   \   --O  +  PUNCH,  (PUNCH),  (PUNCH)
  O    O

  This move is best used in combos only.  If it is blocked, do NOT
  finish out the sequence.  If you do, there is a HUGE HUGE recovery
  to this move which will get you killed.  Not that it's totally bad.
  One person I talked to got a 14-hit combo with J. STRONG, C. JAB,
  C.JAB, Pipe Twirl.  Demoralizing at the least.

ROLL ATTACK

  |    /   O--  +  PUNCH, (PUNCH)
  O   O

  This is a weird move.  The first PUNCH makes Rolento quickly roll
  backwards.  If you press PUNCH a second time during the roll, he
  quickly leaps at his opponent with a pipe attack.  It is somewhat
  possible to control the leaps, but I'm not totally sure how yet.

LUNGE ATTACK

  |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O

  This is the leaping pipe attack of the Roll Attack, but without the
  Roll.

KNIFE THROW

  --O   |   \   +  KICK,  (KICK)
        O    O

  First KICK makes Rolento jump straight up, second KICK throws the
knife.

SUPER COMBO #1:  GRENADE AMBUSH

  |    /   O--   |    /   O--  +  PUNCH
  O   O          O   O

  Rolento rolls back and drops 2-4 grenades.  If you land on them or
  don't block, you are juggled by all of the explosions.  A good anti-air
  move.

SUPER COMBO #2

  ???

  I don't even really understand this one...some spark runs across the
  floor.  If you don't block it, you get strung up by some metal bar and
  wire, and Rolento pulls down on you.  I think there's an explosion in
  there somewhere...I donno.  More info later<shrug>.


=========
ZANGIEF
=========

WHAT'S NEW FROM SSF2T?
 1) Lariat has more range and priority, but moves across the screen
slower
 2) All of Z's punches and kicks have much longer range
 3) SPD range and damage reduced
 4) New Green Hand motion
 5) Green Hand knocks down

LARIAT

  ALL PUNCH

  Has a near-DP-like priority.  It will go through projectiles.  Zangief
  can move forward or backward while in the Lariat, but he moves very
  slowly.

SHORT LARIAT

  ALL KICK

  The KICK Lariat lasts shorter than the PUNCH Lariat, meaning that the
  KICK Lariat is the preferred Lariat when knocking someone into the
  corner.  This gives you more time to set up a tick attempt.

GREEN HAND

  --O   |   \   +  PUNCH
        O    O

  This will snuff out projectiles and knock your opponent down if they
  are hit with it.  The button you use determines the distance of the
  move, as well as the speed at which the Green Hand actually comes out.
  Don't use the FIERCE Green Hand on a point-block FB as the delay is
  too long; use the JAB version instead.

SPINNING PILEDRIVER

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  PUNCH
       O    O    O

  Right away Z loses two things.  One, the SPD has much less range than
  in SF2.  Two, the damage isn't too hot either.  However, there is an
  upside.  Zangief now has some killer ticks that are hard to escape.
  Unlike ST where you could DP or throw your way out of just about any
  Zangief tick, Z's ticks in SFA2 are quick, clean, and hard to escape.

GERMAN SUPLEX

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  KICK (CLOSE)
       O    O    O

  An SPD for when you're _really_ close.

BEAR HUG

                           O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /   +  KICK (FAR)
       O    O    O

  Zangief walks (not run), walks forward and tries to grab his opponent
  for a throw.  Unblockable, but slow as molassas.  Only useful against
  opponents on vallium.

SUPER COMBO #1:  FINAL ATOMIC BUSTER

                           O   O   O
  O--   /   |   \   --O   /    |    \   O--   /   |   \   --O  +  PUNCH
       O    O    O                           O    O    O

  Like the normal SPD, the SC SPD has a pathetic range.  It is best used
  in ticks.

SUPER COMBO #2:  AIR THROW THINGIE

  |   \   --O   |   \   --O  +  KICK
  O    O        O    O

  Zangief jumps up and tries to grab his opponent.  Like almost all of
the
  anti-air SC's, this one bites as well.


====================
CHARACTER ANALYSIS
====================

This is just a very preliminary view of all the character right now.  Most
will probably undergo some type of change before the final version is
released, so don't take any of this for gospel.  Also, I'm starting to see
double right now from typing too much, so I'm going to race through this
and do a more thorough job once the final version comes out.  :)

**RYU**
  Ryu seems weaker overall.  Ryu loses vulnerability on the DP, and one
of
  the good local Ryu players mentioned that one of his kicks was
shortened.
  I, not being a Ryu/Ken player at all, am not certain about this.  The
  only thing Ryu really gained was the Fake Fireball, but that may or may
  not be super-effective once people get used to it.  The added game
speed
  may help Ryu as well.  Theoretically, Ryu appears to be a tad weaker.

**CHARLIE**

 I won't make any comment until they fix the stupid recovery of the Sonic
 Boom.

**CHUN-LI**

 Another character that needs major over-hauling.  She's just WAAAY too
 powerful with the ability to buffer her Kikoken into her ultra-fast
 C. FORWARD kick.

**ADON**

 Adon is weaker than before.  The only thing he gained is the new Jaguar
 Kick and Jaguar Knee motion.  However, I'm sure Adon players would
gladly
 give those up to get back the high-priority Jaguar Kick and the Rushing
 SC.

**GUY**

 Guy is Guy.  It's harder to do the Bushido Throw ticks, but that's about
 it.  Everything seems pretty much the same on the surface.  The new Spin
 Elbow is basically a jabbing move.  No more re-dizzy.

**AKUMA**

 Majorly toned down with the air fireball.  Akuma plays a lot like Ryu
 now, but with some added extras.  Fireball traps will not be nearly the
 problem they were in ST and SFA.

**KEN**

 Since Ken/Ryu cannot chain C. SHORTS anymore (when Capcom says no
chains,
 they really mean it!), I presume that the Roll Trap is ineffective.
Ken's
 Roll is way more vulnerable at the beginning, so forget going under
 projectiles on the fly.  The fake HK seems totally useless.  Basically,
 Ken is weaker overall.

**SODOM**
 ANOTHER toned-down character, but this time it's for the better.  The
 slide has been shortened considerably, and it is vulnerable if blocked.

 No more unblockable RH kick while getting up.  The new Jitte Strikes are

 a nice change.  Also, you cannot combo a Jitte Strike into a S. RH kick.

 You must use the FW kick instead.  Basically, you have to use Sodom's
 Jitte Strikes and slide with discession and skill now instead of a blind

 Ryu-killing slide barrage.

**ROSE**
 The spaz-slide is gone.  There is now a definite delay if the slide is
 blocked, meaning Rose gets plastered.  Other than this and a weakened
 C. FIERCE, it's Rose as normal.  The JAB Soul Reflect now gives Rose
 1/2 a Level of Super Energy when she absorbes a projectile.  The new
 Shawl Charge move is pretty much only useful in combos.

**BIRDIE**
 Except for a new S. and C. STRONG, Birdie is identical to his SFA form.

**SAGAT**
 Capcom gave Sagat back his high-priority RH kicks, meaning that you can
 S. RH anyone out of the air with ease, and the J. RH from a distance
 is effective as well.  It is still hard to hit with all 7 hits of the
 Tiger Blow, and the damage is less than desireable.  Sagat has also been

 sped up from SFA.  It's too early to tell whether Sagat will be a major
 contender or not.  He probably won't be a top character, but he doesn't
 suck eggs like he did in SFA.

**M. BISON**
 The only change to Bison is the increased recovery time in the Scissors
 Kicks, which definitely works to his disadvantage.  This makes him
 definitely less powerful than in SFA.  Other than this, no changes.

**DAN**
 Uh, Dan sucks completely now.  They messed with all of his normal
attacks,
 and the Gale Kick is now duckable.  Bleeeecccchhh!!!!!

**DHALSIM**
 Dhalsim looks like he will be a very good character.  He plays similar
to
 ST, except that the RH slide is no longer usable as an air defense.
 Instead, Dhalsim's anti-air attack is the S. STRONG, which can be
followed
 up with a FORWARD slide and a throw.  In fact, all of Dhalsim's
tick-throw
 tricks seem to be in-tact, although you have to deal with the reduced
 throw ranges when attempting them.

**GEN**
 Gen will probably be a good character.  He's got lots of poking/jabbing
 kicks like Vega's claw, and there's no chance in the world of jumping in
 on him.  The one SC that goes through projectiles is a good assett.


**ZANGIEF**
 How do you play Zangief without the long-range SPD?  By ticking like
mad.
 S. SHORT and C. JAB to SPD ticks are awesome.  Once Zangief gets someone
 in the corner, it can be really tough to get out with that massive C. RH
 kick of his and the high priority on his Latiat.  Use the Lariat a lot
to
 build up the Super Meter, and go for SPD SC ticks.  Everytime you knock
 your opponent down with the RH kick or in the corner, you should go for
 the SPD or SPD SC.  A good Reversal player may give give Zangief a
harder
 time, but that just means that Zangief has to mix it up a bit and fake
the
 opponent out.  Once you are touched by a C. JAB or S. SHORT, it's SPD
time.


===========
WISH LIST
===========

#1) NO ALPHA COUNTERS!!!  Make it so they can be disabled through the
START
   button.  This doesn't hurt a soul, and it gives people who do not like
   AC's the option to remove them.

#2) Change CC's.  Make the motion like all of the other SC's, or make CC's
   completely vulnerable.  Preferrably both.

#3) Increase Charlie's SB delay.

#4) Fix Chun-Li.  I like to call her Psycho-chick, since she's now a
   living, no-skill nightmare.  She replaces Rose as the spaz-meister of
   SFA2.

#5) Give Zangief more range on his SPD SC.  Maybe more range on the normal
   SPD as well.

#6) Make it easier to connect with all 7 hits of Sagat's Tiger Blow.

#7) Reduce the recovery on Bison's Scissors Kick.  It's pretty bad now.

#8) Give back the priority on Adon's Jaguar Kicks.

#9) Give back Adon's Rushing SC!!!!!!!!!!


=========================
CONTRIBUTORS AND THANKS
=========================

Several people have contributed to the knowledge of SFA2 and this FAQ.
You people all have my sincere thanks and gratitude.

Tom Cannon
Chris Finnie
Everyone on alt.games.sf2 for their suggestions and discussions
  about the game
Capcom


==========
QUICKFAQ
==========

Yes, it's the QuickFaq.  Short, sweet, and to the point, what better way
to show how cool you are than to have your convenient SFA2 Net FAQ rolled
up
in your back pocket.  Look like a pro, steal the local champ's girl, and
win
the respect and admiration of the whole arcade, all in one swoop.  Comes
with a free sample of jacket fluff.

-=KEY=-

JB=JAB            QCF=QUARTER CIRCLE FORWARD       "." signifies a charge
ST=STRONG         QCB=QUARTER CIRCLE BACK
FR=FIERCE         HCF=HALF CIRCLE FORWARD
SH=SHORT          HCB=HALF CIRCLE BACK
FW=FORWARD         DP=DRAGON PUNCH
RH=ROUNDHOUSE     SPD=SPINNING PILEDRIVER(360)

*****RYU******                          ***CHARLIE****
     OVERHEAD  forward + ST                  OVERHEAD  back + FW
     FIREBALL  QCF + PUNCH                THRUST KICK  forward + RH
FAKE FIREBALL  QCF + SHORT                 SONIC BOOM  .back,forwd +
PUNCH
DRAGON PUNCH  DP + PUNCH                   FLASH KICK  .down,up + KICK
HURRICANE KICK  QCB + KICK                  HANDSPRING  ALL KICK
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2 + PUNCH           SUPER COMBO #1  .bk,fw,bk,fw +
PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #2  QCBX2 + KICK            SUPER COMBO #2  .bkdn,fwdn,bkdn,up
+ K
                                       SUPER COMBO #3  .bk,fw,bk,fw +
KICK

***CHUN-LI****
    KNEE FLIP  downforward + RH        *****ADON*****
      KIKOKEN  .back,forwd + PUNCH           OVERHEAD  fw,ST
SPINNING KICK  .down,up + KICK            JAGUAR KICK  QCF,KICK
   SPLIT KICK  QCB + KICK                 JAGUAR KNEE  DP,KICK
LIGHTNING KICK  KICK repeatedly           JAGUAR TOOTH  HCB,KICK
SUPER COMBO #1  .bk,fw,bk,fw,KICK       SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,PUNCH             SUPER COMBO #2  QCBX2,KICK
SUPER COMBO #3  .bkdn,fwdn,bkdn,up + K

*****GUY******                          ****AKUMA*****
  CHAIN COMBO  JB>ST>FR>RH                   OVERHEAD  fw,ST
     OVERHEAD  fw,ST                        DIVE KICK  dn,FW
    SPIN KICK  QCB,KICK                      FIREBALL  QCF,PUNCH
   SPIN ELBOW  QCB,PUNCH                 RED FIREBALL  QCB,PUNCH
  BUSHIDO RUN  QCF,KICK,KICK             AIR FIREBALL  QCF,PUNCH
 BUSHIDO LEAP  QCF,PUNCH,PUNCH           DRAGON PUNCH  DP,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,KICK              HURRICANE KICK  QCB,KICK
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,PUNCH                   TELEPORT  DP/RDP,ALL
KICK/PUNCH
                                         BUSHIDO LEAP  ???
*****KEN******                          SUPER COMBO #1  ???
     OVERHEAD  fw,FW                   SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,PUNCH
   KRAZY KICK  fw,RH                   SUPER COMBO #3  QCFX2,PUNCH(AIR)
     FIREBALL  QCF,PUNCH               SUPER COMBO #4  ???
 DRAGON PUNCH  DP,PUNCH
HURRICANE KICK  QCB,KICK                ****SODOM*****
FAKE HUR. KICK  QCF,RH ?                  JITTE STRIKE  QCF,PUNCH
         ROLL  QCB,PUNCH                   POWER BOMB  SPD,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH                CARPET DROP  SPD,KICK
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH
                                       SUPER COMBO #2  SPDX2,PUNCH
*****ROSE*****
   SOUL SPARK  HCF,PUNCH               ****BIRDIE****
 SOUL REFLECT  QCB,PUNCH                     OVERHEAD  fw,RH
    SOUL FIST  DP,PUNCH                 HEADBUTT CHRG  .bk,fw,PUNCH
  SOUL THRUST  QCF,KICK                 T.A. HEADBUTT  .ANY 2 BUTTONS
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH                 CHAIN GRAB  SPD,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #3  QCBX2,PUNCH             SUPER COMBO #2
bk,fw,bk,fw,PUNCH

****SAGAT*****                          ***M. BISON***
   TIGER SHOT  QCF,PUNCH                  PSYCHO AURA  .bk,fw,PUNCH
LOW TIGER SHOT  QCF,KICK                 SCISSORS KICK  .bk,fw,KICK
  TIGER CRUSH  DP,KICK                     HEAD STOMP  .dn,up,KICK,PUNCH
   TIGER BLOW  DP,PUNCH                DEVIL'S REVRSE  .dn,up,PUNCH,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH                   TELEPORT  DP/RDP,ALL
KICK/PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #1  .bk,fw,bk,fw,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #3  QCBX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #2  .bk,fw,bk,fw,KICK

*****DAN******                          ***DHALSIM****
     FIREBALL  QCF,PUNCH                    YOGA FIRE  QCF,PUNCH
 DRAGON PUNCH  DP,PUNCH                    YOGA FLAME  HCF,PUNCH
    GALE KICK  QCB,KICK                 UP YOGA FLAME  ???
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH                  AIR DRILL  D(IN AIR) + BUTTON
SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK                    TELEPORT  DP/RDP,ALL
KICK/PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #3  QCBX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH
                                       SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK
*****GEN******                          SUPER COMBO #3  ???
=CRANE STYLE=  ALL PUNCH
   LEG THRUST  DP,KICK                 ****SAKURA****
  RAPID PUNCH  JB REPEATEDLY                 OVERHEAD  fw,FW
SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH                   FIREBALL  QCF,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #2  QCBX2,PUNCH               DRAGON PUNCH  DP,PUNCH
=MANTIS STYLE=  ALL KICK                HURRICANE KICK  QCB,KICK
         ROLL  .bk,fw,PUNCH            SUPER COMBO #1  QCFX2,PUNCH
    WALL DIVE  .dn,up,KICK             SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK
SUPER COMBO #3  QCFX2,KICK              SUPER COMBO #3  QCBX2,KICK

***ROLENTO****                          ***ZANGIEF****
   PIPE TWIRL  (QCF,PUNCH)X3                   LARIAT  ALL PUNCH
  ROLL ATTACK  QCB,PUNCH,PUNCH           SHORT LARIAT  ALL KICK
 LUNGE ATTACK  QCF,KICK                    GREEN HAND  DP,PUNCH
  KNIFE THROW  DP,KICK                  S. PILEDRIVER  SPD,PUNCH
SUPER COMBO #1  QCBX2,PUNCH              GERMAN SUPLEX
SPD,KICK(CLOSE)
SUPER COMBO #2  ???                           BEAR HUG  SPD,KICK(FAR)
                                       SUPER COMBO #1  SPDX2,PUNCH
                                       SUPER COMBO #2  QCFX2,KICK