Disclaimer: I'm assuming you all know the power drill (a play on words right in
the beginning, and it's not even funny!). Because of all the problems in
today's world (I make it sound like it's a big deal), I'm allowing this guide
to be posted only on GameFAQs. If you're interested in using my guide (what?),
you must first contact me (see above) and receive an approval (you must show me
your site or wherever you plan to host the guide). I don't understand why
anyone would want to use this character guide, but you never know, so I'm
throwing it out there just in case. As you might know, taking it without
permission is copyright violation.
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Table of Contents
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*1* .................... Introduction
*2* .................... WTF, who plays this game?
*3* .................... In-game Character Data
*4* .................... Terminology
*5* .................... Raph's Arsenal
*6* .................... Raph 101
*7* .................... Raph's Matchups
*8* .................... Special Thanks
*9* .................... ABA (Answered Before Asked)
*10*.................... Closure
This guide is all about the character Raphael in the fighting game "Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters." The game (which will be shortened
to TF in the guide), was developed and released by Konami in 1993, and plays
very similarly to the fighting game standard: the Street Fighter series. It's
a game that's heavily overlooked because for one, it is old, and two, it's
NINJA TURTLES. The turtles are considered a thing of the past and, for some
reason, kiddy. Mutant turtles that hide in the depths of a big city and train
ninjutsu fighting against an army of other ninja warriors. Am I missing
something? I guess too many people got used to the original animated series,
which had a more bright and happy nature to it compared to the old comics.
But anyway, this guide will detail various data about Raph as well as provide
insight to strategies, matchups, and anything that would help you win with him
This includes what you should do against human opponents that know what they're
doing as well as people that have no clue. If you couldn't tell by now, I'm
not all about fancy ASCII art and all the pretty flare to make the guide look
better cosmetically. I'm about getting down in the dirt and tackling the
actual details and content, so without further ado let's get down to the nitty
gritty!
I do. Isn't that enough? Seriously, this game is pretty much a cult classic
and you won't find many people who play it. Even less people who play it
seriously and actually know stuff about it (you'll mainly find people who think
they know a lot, but really don't). The people who make these guides on
GameFAQs like it enough to make guides (so they obviously play it a lot). Like
aforementioned, this game is unfortunately overlooked by many people because it
is old and it is Ninja Turtles. Combine the fact that it was made by Konami
(not Capcom), and is very similar to SF. Most people are going to view it as a
cheap rip-off by a company that "doesn't have a clue how to make quality
fighting games. These people are full of it, of course, because they never
bothered to explore the game's extremeties and discover if it really is a bad
competitive game or very deep and balanced. But I won't get into all the
details as to why this game is perfectly suitable for tournament play, we need
to focus on Raphael. Just know that there are people who play this game and
you will find them if you look hard enough. But if you like this game and want
to play people in it, the best way to do that is just learn as much as you can
about it and then try to get other people interested (people who normally like
playing 2D fighters competitively will most likely give it a try).
Nickname: Rap (I believe this was supposed to say Raph. Huh?)
Height: 5'08"
Weight: 170 lbs
Eyes: Black
Age: 15
Birthplace: Shelly's Pet City, New Hampshell
Weapons: Sai
Favorite Activities: Solitude, sarcastic joking with friends
Ultimate Goal: He wants to purchase gifts for all of his friends
-On the character select screen, Raph is the second turtle next to Leonardo.
Oddly the 2P cursor highlights Cyber Shredder by default and not Raph.
Winning Quotes
-Train yourself some more and then challenge me again!
-I must be much stronger than I expected!
-You fought well against my sai. You've earned my respect.
This guide is mainly for competitive players, people who actually put much
effort into improving. I myself have been competing (not playing casually)
since the olden days of SF. I go to SRK, the main competitive community for
such games, and so I will be using SRK terminology in this guide. Hopefully if
you're reading this guide and wanting to improve, then you already know all of
this, but just in case I'll spell out the things you'll be seeing in this
guide and what they mean.
Normals: Attacks that require no special motion to be executed.
Specials: These require special inputs. Leo's Shining Cutter is a special.
Supers: Or Ultimate Attack in this game. This is the attack you can do only
when filling your character's U.A. meter completely.
Cancels: Interrupting the ending frames of a move in order to perform another
action right away (such as canceling one move into another to combo).
Links: Attacks that can combo but do not cancel into each other.
Ticks: Doing a move (usually a fast one) that makes your opponent block, then
grabbing immediately after their blockstun is over.
Crossups: Moves that place you on the other side of the opponent and force them
to guess which direction to block.
Hitstun: The time period after getting hit, in which you are unable to act.
Blockstun: The time period after blocking a hit. You are unable to act.
Stun: The time period where you are dizzy and must press buttons rapidly in
order to act faster.
Frames: The individual sprites that, when combined, form a complete animation.
Chip: Using special moves to do smaller amounts of damage against a blocking
opponent.
Empty Jump: Jumping at the opponent and doing no moves. Done as a fake to
trick the opponent into blocking, usually to setup a grab.
Pressure: Playing offensively in a way that limits your opponents options and
forces them into a defensive position.
Turtle: No, this does not mean playing as one of the turtles. Turtling is
a defensive position taken to force the opponent into a trap or stall
out the timer. Usually done with projectiles and long-ranged moves.
Window: Time frame (example: small window of invincibility).
Wakeup: The period of time in which you are getting back on your feet after
being knocked down.
Reversals: Moves done at the very first frame possible after receiving hitstun,
blockstun, or waking up.
Overheads: Moves that hit if the opponent is blocking low.
Broken/Cheap: Something so good it is completely unfair and warrants a ban in
serious matches. Karai and Ratking fit this description.
~Abbreviations~
s.lp - Standing Light Punch
s.hp - Standing Hard Punch
c.lp - Crouching Light Punch
c.hp - Crouching Hard Punch
j.lp - Jumping Light Punch
j.hp - Jumping Hard Punch
AA - Anti-air
xx - Canceled into
QCF - Quarter Circle Forward
QCB - Quarter Circle Back
HCF - Half Circle Forward
HCB - Half Circle Back
DP/SRK - Dragon Punch/Shoryuken (refers to specials that are done by pressing
forward, then QCF + punch or kick.)
u/b - Up and back pressed together.
u/f - Up and forward pressed together.
d/b - Down and back pressed together.
d/f - Down and forward pressed together.
-Kick moves follow the same format, but with a 'k' at the end instead of p.
-Certain moves require a directional input to execute. For example, a b.hp
is when you press hp while holding back. These are still considered
normal moves and not special moves.
These are the bulk of what you'll be seeing in the guide, so make sure you
understand them all. It doesn't take too much effort to learn and memorize.
This is his moves section. We'll take a look at every one of his moves, I'll
explain special properties, and various important information about them.
~Punches~
s.lp - This is a high sai hook with very short range. Compared to other jab
moves, it's pretty slow and not necessary to use at all. Up close it
becomes a high elbow strike. Both versions can be canceled into all of
his specials.
s.hp - An excellent move with good range, priority, and startup speed. When
done from a distance it leaves him safe. From far it's a sai slash, but
up close it turns into a sai uppercut that be canceled into specials (it
does not combo into Jamboree and Power Drill, only Chest Buster). Both
versions serve as nice AAs.
c.lp - A "low" sai thrust (can be blocked high) that starts and ends very fast.
Cancels into all specials, but only combos into Chest Buster. It's
pretty much the same as c.lk, but does not hit low and has less range,
which makes it the inferior choice.
c.hp - Raph's best AA. Great vertical range and priority. Highly unsafe
against a ground opponent (unless you're right next to them) due to lack
of horizontal range. This is the move you want to get good with to
react to jump-ins. It's what will allow you to pave the way for a lot
of Jamborees, since people will be afraid to jump recklessly.
j.lp - A decent aerial strike. The hitbox lasts throughout the entire duration
of the jump, so it may potentially catch people off guard. Low range
and priority makes it risky, though. Pressing down while doing it
changes the move into a jumping body splash, which has more range, lasts
just as long, and can also be used as a crossup.
j.hp - An excellent aerial sai thrust that is fast and has high priority, but
low range. It's his main jump-in move and the first move used in punish
combos after stunning. He retracts the sai fast, so you must be more
careful in your placement.
~Kicks~
s.lk - A basic standing roundhouse kick that starts and ends fast. Pretty good
range. Oddly, it does not cancel into anything, but you CAN link it
into c.lp and c.lk. Up close, it becomes a LOW kick to the shins. The
opponent will get hit if blocked high. The close version also links
into c.lp and c.lk.
s.hk - The standard turtle high roundhouse kick with high priority. You'll
pretty much never want to use this move unless as AA, in which case c.hp
is still better (unless your opponent jumps at a distance c.hp will not
reach due to poor horizontal range). Up close it turns into an outward
double kick that hits high. It has very high priority and low moves
pass right under it! However even though he is technically in the air,
he can still be grabbed out of it before the first kick hits. The far
s.hk can be crouched and Raph will miss entirely, but the close version
still hits a crouching opponent (with the exception of Armaggon).
c.lk - The main combo starter and pressure move of Raph's game. It comes out
fast, ends fast, hits low, and cancels into all specials (only combos
into Chest Buster). Most of the time you'll be punishing mistakes with
three (or four if you're close) c.lk xx Chest Buster (lk or hk version).
c.hk - Typical high priority sweep that knocks down. It does cancel into
specials, but does not combo into them because it knocks down. You must
be thinking that's pretty stupid, but there is a good purpose, but I'll
explain that later in the guide.
j.lk - If you jump straight up, it's a high upward kick with very poor range.
A bad move overall that you never want to use. While jumping backward
or forward, it becomes a knee drop. Another bad move with poor range,
but a slightly better hitbox since it hits lower and can crossup (which
you shouldn't even attempt, because you need perfect positioning; too
much risk for little reward).
j.hk - Raph's other great aerial move apart from j.hp. This does not hit as
high as the j.hp, so use it when you need a lower hitbox. It looks like
it has a lot more range than j.hp, but they are more or less the same.
j.hk, however, can easily crossup and links into ground moves, making
this move your standard crossup tool.
~Specials~
Jamboree - Done by pressing HCF + punch. This is Raph's projectile. He has a
little startup, but NO lag after he throws it. The lp version goes
slow and the hp version goes fast. It's one of the best projectiles
in the game, but should not be abused heavily (not to be confused
with "used a lot") due to the startup. You can throw another one
right after throwing the first one if it hits or collides with
another projectile. It does not go over Chrome Dome's Chrome Spark
or Donatello's Ground Claw. It can go through Cyber Shredder's Aura
Shield if done up close.
Power Drill - A charge move. Done by holding back (or d/b) for about a second
and a half, then pressing forward + punch. This is a very safe
move with high priority and range. You cannot get grabbed out of
this move, but moves with invicibility and projectiles will still
knock you out of it. The lp version is good for maintaining up
close pressure without putting yourself within grab range, and
the hp version crosses up, as well as do good chip damage and can
work as a tick.
Chest Buster - Raph's best special, also a charge move. Done the same way as
Power Drill, but with kick instead. However, if blocked, only
the lk version is safe, and only if done from maximum distance
(be careful, Chrome Dome will always be able to punish you with
his EPD). This move is part of his main punisher, which involves
three or four c.lk xx Chest Buster. The best part about this
move is that it has a small window of invincibility at the very
start, so you are able to counter almost any move with it, use
it as an AA, and even go right through projectiles.
Throws - He has two. Press forward or backward while pressing hp or hk. With
the hp throw, Raph will just simply toss them away (they get knocked
down from this). The hk throw will have Raph suplex them, also
knocking them down. The hk throw is the better of the two, because it
does more damage and it leaves them closer to you, which makes it
easier to crossup and pressure.
Backflips - Done by double tapping back. A somewhat useful technique that
gives Raph complete invincibility until near the end. Every now
and then you can use it to put some space between you and the
opponent, or dodge projectiles if you are in the corner (if you try
it midscreen, you may still manage to block it). I highly advise
against using it too often, because you can be easily grabbed near
the end of it.
~Ultimate Attack~
Raphael's super move is called Atomic Energy, done by pressing hp + hk after
filling his meter completely. It's one of the best supers in the game thanks
to the complete invincibility he has during it, and the amount of screen space
it covers. Raphael shoots fireballs from his sais (he can do that now?) in all
the space in front of him, forcing the opponent to get hit, or block and still
take plenty of chip damage. The opponent CAN avoid the entire thing if they
manage to get close and walk under him as he's rising. Which is why you never
want your opponent to get that close when you're about to use it. Poke them
out of range and then execute it. Strangely, all those fireballs miss if the
opponent is hit with one, but not when they block. One fireball still takes
more damage than a bunch of blocked fireballs, though, but don't let that
prevent you from doing it right away. If they block they still take a lot of
damage, and more often than not that is enough to turn a match around.
This section is all about Raphael's traps, combos, and his main goals when on
the battlefield. This is probably what you came in here looking for. As far
as the combos go, you already know that he can only combo a Chest Buster after
normals, but can still cancel certain normals into any special, if you read the
previous section. So he can't combo much, but the things he can combo are very
effective. However, it's when setting up traps that Raph's dominance really
shines.
~Simple Combos~
-Close s.hp xx Chest Buster
-Close c.hp xx Chest Buster
-c.lp xx Chest Buster
-c.lk xx Chest Buster
-s.lp (close and far) xx Chest Buster
Not much of a selection here, huh? The best stuff if yet to come.
~Punish Combos~
-c.lk x1 or x2 from far, x3 from mid-range, and x4 from very close, xx Chest
Buster. This is Raphael's main punisher, and it's what you'll want to do most
of the time.
-j.hp linked into close s.hp (or c.hp) xx Chest Buster
-j.hk crossup linked into close s.hp (or c.hp) xx Chest Buster
-j.hk crossup or j.hp linked into c.lk x4 xx Chest Buster
The last few are part of a 100% stun and 100% life combo Raph has. Against
most characters, a j.hp/hk, close s.hp/c.hp xx Chest Buster completely stuns
the opponent. However, this only applies to the first time you stun the
opponent in the match. If you stun them once and then try this combo, it will
not stun them (but one more strong hit will stun them afterwards). The only
exceptions to this are Raph and Mikey, who can be stunned twice in a row using
this combo, and then a few more hits for 100% damage on Raph on Mikey. I know,
it sounds broken, but it really isn't. Against a good opponent you'll almost
never pull this combo off unless you predict a projectile and jump over it
early, or you stunned them first (in which case the combo will not stun). Good
stuff for Raph? Definitely. But not broken in the least.
~Traps~
Unlike combos, you can't really have a set pattern with traps that will always
stay the same. There are general things that you'll want to always do, but not
in a set pattern like with combos. So instead of listing traps I'll explain
how you can use certain moves to put the pressure on.
From Close: You basically want to use c.lk and Power Drills to pressure up
close. Use c.lk once, twice, or three times depending on your
distance from the opponent, then use a lp Power Drill. This will
keep you out of their grab range and allow you to block any type of
reversal they attempt. The trick is to not do the Power Drill
after a set number of kicks, but by assessing your distance from
the opponent. A hp Power Drill will allow you to crossup and will
chip the opponent multiple times if blocked. If you do it after
hitting with a far c.lk, you will land right next to the opponent
and can grab them afterwards. This is not a foolproof trap, a fast
reversal and things with invincibility will hit you out of your
Power Drill. When pressuring, make sure not to Power Drill every
time after the c.lk. Sometimes it's good to just sit there and
crouch block to bait a reversal, then punish with a grab or a few
c.lk xx Chest Buster. To an extent, Jamborees after c.lk and c.hk
can serve as some good pressuring. Never use Chest Buster while
they're blocking unless you hit with the very tip using lk. If you
hit someone from close or mid-range with a c.hk, you can cross them
up by canceling into Chest Buster (preferably hk version). This is
useful when you need to get out of the corner and put them in it.
If you hit with c.hk from far, a hp Power Drill is the only way to
cross them. And of course, don't forget to tick throw after a c.lk
or a lp Power Drill.
From Far: Toss Jamborees and use s.hp if they try to jump over them. They'll
get hit back and you can keep tossing Jamborees. You may also be
able to jump forward with a j.hp, but this can be risky. There's not
much to do from far to keep your opponent from getting close to you,
but Raphael can still do it very well by using projectiles and
punishing attempts to jump over them.
Mid-range: Jamborees help, but you can't use them as much. Every now and then
you can toss one, then punish a jump-in attempt with a c.hp. Use
s.hp to poke every now and then, with occasional projectiles. You
mainly want to move back and forth and attacking occasionally, to
provoke mistakes. Walk up close, c.lk, walk back out of range. Be
ready to block attempts at counter pressuring.
To sum it all up, up close is where Raph is a beast, so you want to be there
a lot. However, he is still excellent at turtling, and you still cannot play
recklessly even up close, which means you need to make time for delays and
fakes. Mid-range pressuring is what you want to do to safely get close, and
far pressuring is what you want to do when your life is very low, or if the
opponent is making it difficult for you to get close. Keep in mind that up
close pressuring is best done against characters with no fast/invincible
reversals, such as Wingnut.
Each character plays differently, so of course you're going to look out for
specific things. If you're looking for general strategies, just refer to the
previous section. The traps and combos described make up the bulk of what your
goals should be when using Raph against any character. This section is more
about pointing out the specific things that don't necessarily remain the same
in each matchup.
VS Leo: This can be a very tough matchup for Raph thanks to Leo's far s.hp and
his Shining Cutters. One way to trick Leo into leaving himself open is
by engaging in a projectile war at mid-range. You have to be careful
because he may still slip in a s.hp while you are tossing Jamboree, but
if he doesn't you can jump after using one, because Raph has no lag
after his projectile, but Leo does. This is a nice way of setting up a
100% stun combo, which leads into another devastating combo that can
pretty much guarantee the match. If the Leo is aware of this, he will
not engage in the projectile war and this gives you more freedom to use
more Jamborees and get closer. If this doesn't work, use lk Chest
Busters right before the Shining Cutters hit you, and you'll pass right
through them. Never jump-in unless you do it early while Leo is using
Shining Cutter, otherwise you'll get a Roto Cutter in the face. If he
gains meter, do not let him get far. His Millenium Wave has lengthy
startup, so if you see Leo putting his katanas away, smack him out of
it. You can also jump over him, but chances are Leo will be doing
everything in his power to keep you at a distance. Don't let him.
VS Raph: Obviously this is a pretty even match, but Raph is one of the best
characters, so it's not really going to be easy. You basically want
to stick with the goals indicated in the previous section. If the
opposing Raph is doing the same, then chance are he's using Jamboree
to a great degree. Don't be fooled, this is bait. He's waiting for
you to Chest Buster right through one so he can counter you with his
own Chest Buster, then go in for a crossup. This is exactly what you
should do, so make sure to use projectiles a lot from far. If you
are completely across the screen, you can use a lk Chest Buster to go
through one of his Jamborees, then toss a Jamboree of your own (do not
do this if he used hp Jamboree). You'll be able to throw one first
because one Raph cannot have two of his own Jamborees on the screen at
once. It has to hit, be blocked, or leave the screen before he can
toss another one. But don't abuse that strategy because he can still
hit you because you toss one. Up close pressuring is dangerous
because of the Chest Buster reversals. So your main goal here is to
bait that Chest Buster and counter the hefty lag it has. If he gets
his meter, he's completely invincible and covers plenty of screen
space. You need to get close like with Leo and walk under him. In a
nutshell, this is a battle of attrition.
VS Don: You can do the same projectile trick as you did with Leo, except that
Don's Ground Claw is the fastest projectile in the game, so you have to
be careful that you don't throw a Jamboree when it's already close.
Doing so will result in the Jamboree going right past it, and you
getting hit. His s.hp is fast, has range, and priority, so you don't
want to be getting close to this guy without careful thinking. If you
can manage to catch him in the lag of his Ground Claw, you know what to
do. 100% stun, followed by the same combo for ridiculous damage. He
might not have Chest Buster, but he does have the Headspin, which has
invincibility at the startup, making it an ideal counter move. And
above all else, do NOT let this guy jump-in. c.hp him each and every
time, because if you let him do so he will use j.hp/hk, then bo thrusts
when he lands. The bo thrusts combo and do big damage if they hit, not
to mention a lot of chip damage if you block it. On the bright side,
using Chest Buster to go through Ground Claws is ideal, because Don's
hitbox is extended in front of him as he uses it, increasing the chance
that you'll counter any Ground Claw attempt. During his Fire Dragon he
is invincible, but thankfully if you crouch block you'll avoid most of
the damage.
VS Mikey: Jumping over his Dragon Breath is about as dangerous as jumping over
Raph's Jamboree. Chances are he's charging Rising Thunder in case
you jump. Rising Thunder is high priority and has invincibility at
the start, so don't bother. Instead, you can do the usual Chest
Buster through the projectile from far, being wary of his s.hp (all
turtles have a good s.hp with range, it seems). One thing I need to
stress is to not get caught by his Dynamite Bomber. The hp version
hits all 6 times against all the turtles, and he can combo a lp
Rising Thunder after it for 100% stun. Unlike Raph's 100% stun, this
combo WILL stun a second time if he does it again, which will
guarantee your loss. Because of this, take your time and play a far
game, tossing projectiles and occasionally poking him at mid-range.
Be constantly prepared to react to his Dynamite Bomber and hit him
out of it, or grab when he lands. If you block he can throw in a
s.hp to make sure you don't jump (you can Chest Buster through this).
Make sure not to block it high, because it'll fill up more of Mikey's
meter, as opposed to blocking low which doesn't give him much.
Sometimes he will purposely not hit you and then grab when he lands.
He can also cross you up with it if you're crouching. Try your best
to prevent this, but if it does happen, grab as soon as possible.
Mikey is also invincible during his Dance of Fury. He dashes toward
you when he uses it, so jump over him and land behind him. Wait
until he uses the Rising Thunder at the end and then punish him when
he touches the floor. You can also jump and let him hit you while
you're in the air, and that'll allow you to miss most of the attack
(much like out next contender).
VS Armaggon: This isn't a big deal for Raph. Armaggon can't do much up close
except try to reversal with Jaws Upper, so you definitely want to
pressure up close and bait one of those for an easy punish. Try
not to Chest Buster to counter his Diving Swim, because you will
trade hits. c.hp eats through it just fine without trading. Be
careful when using Chest Busters through his Aqua Cyclone. He
doesn't have a lot of lag after using one and his c.hk has enough
range to counter you. Even if you use one from the very end of
screen, he simply has to use a c.hk. It's tricky using lk Chest
Buster through the projectiles. He can keep tossing Aqua Cyclones
fast, but he's at a disadvantage because he has to charge the
move, while you can throw Jamborees without charging. If you stop
his projectiles with your own, and his Diving Swim with c.hp, he's
not going to be able to do much more to harass you, and that's
when you know you're in full control of the match. If he gets his
meter, he'll cover the entire ground with a wave of water while
doing a Jaws Upper. All you have to do is jump at him as he does
it and get hit by him (not the wave). If you get hit by him you
take minimal damage and get knocked down, which allows you to
avoid the entire thing.
VS Wingnut: This is hands down, one of your toughest matches if you cannot
maintain the flow of pressuring. First off, Wingnut has no
invincible reversal, so your up close traps are going to be working
wonders here. If you can do that and keep him on the defensive,
then you're increasing your chances of winning big time. But if
you cannot, you have to be one step ahead at all times. Wingnut
can pressure really good just like Raph can thanks to his c.lk,
dash punch, s.hp, and worst of all, a little aerial trick he can do
thanks to his hover. Wingnut is capable of hovering backward or
forward any time he is air borne. This means that he has the best
aerial game for any character. Wingnut can jump, hover forward as
soon as he's in the air, and then j.hp you. This comes out very
fast and will overhead you if you do not block high. He will land
very fast directly after this and will be able to combo if he hits,
or pressure with his excellent ground pressure game. On top of all
this he can hover without using a move to trick you, then grab
right when he lands. The strategy here is to never let Wingnut
get close with these moves. Keep him far, and setup a nice Chest
Buster counter. It only takes one Chest Buster to turn the tables,
because that's when you'll be able to cross him up and pressure up
close. Remember, you can counter his pressuring in between hits
thanks to the invincibility of the Chest Buster, but he cannot do
the same for you. And above all else, make sure Wingnut does not
get close when he gets his meter. If he manages to get directly
above you and activate Mad Spectre, you'll eat the full six hits
and lose the match. If you're already pressuring him, keep it up
and make him lose meter. If not, run.
VS CD: When fighting Chrome Dome you'll be harassed by a lot of long-ranged
moves. These include u/f and u/b j.hk, j.hp, c.hk, c.hp, Chrome Spark,
and of course, the EPD (Electric Pile Driver). Jumping at him is also a
trick thanks to his b.hp and u/f and u/b j.hk. They will always hit you
out of your jump-ins, meaning you need to somehow get close. But if you
get close, you stand the chance of getting caught by the EPD, which is
a command grab that has more range than the average grab and does more
damage. So how to fight him? Jamboree once again saves the day, as
you'll be able to toss them at a much faster rate than he can toss
Chrome Sparks. If you play at mid-range, you can also Chest Buster
right through one. Knock him down, then go in for a crossup since he
no good reversals. The only invincible reversal he has is hp Chrome
Spark, and if you cross him up you won't get hit with it and you'll be
able to hit him after landing. Continue this until he manages to block
the crossup correctly, then stay on him with the usual c.lk and Power
Drill pressuring. Do not pressure with Chest Buster! Only use it when
you are far and want to go through a Chrome Spark, or if your c.lk hit
him. Otherwise, if he blocks it he can EPD you in your lag, even if you
used it from maximum distance. His super is pretty bad. Not only does
it have poor range, but he leaves himself completely vulnerable while
falling (you can hit him out of the air). When he gets meter, just keep
him away and don't let him corner you. Walk into his range and back out
to trick him into using it, then just keep back and walk forward after
he rockets into the air.
VS Aska: Another character with an invincible reversal, making up close traps
a little risky. She has no projectile, so the best way to fight her
is to stay very far and throw Jamboree over and over. Basically use
the far and sometimes mid-range strategies outlined in the previous
section. If she somehow manages to get past them, you've got the c.hp
to seal the deal. And she really shouldn't be gaining any meter here,
but if she does manage to pressure you up close with her Kunai Spin
and fast punches, she'll be getting a lot of it. And most of the time
you won't really need to worry about her getting enough meter for her
super, but just in case she gets it, you can easily pass right through
it with Chest Buster, even the lk version.
VS War: This guy is a joke. Raph might as well draw a picture of War on a
piece of toilet paper and wipe himself with it... right in front of
War's face. Just do the same thing against him like against Aska. If
he ever attempts his Jump Head Press, then he's asking for an easy c.hp
up the rear end. On the flipside, don't underestimate how fast and
high priority moves are, especially up close. Beware of his s.hk, when
done from far it must be blocked LOW. If some miracle happens and War
gets full meter, his super is too much of a joke to cause worry anyway.
Just let him have his bouncy fun and punish him when it's over.
VS CS: Cyber Shredder, possibly Raph's toughest opponent. Cyber Shredder has
all the necessary options to put Raph on lockdown. He's got the Aura
Shield, which reflects all projectiles except supers (with the exception
of Leo's Millenium Wave, which can be reflected). The Knee Crush, which
is an upward AA move that, surprisingly, is not invincible, but still
very high priority. And the Aura Crusher, which tracks (the hp version)
and pressures very well. Some characters can crouch under the second
hit and hit him in his lag, but Raph blocks both hits if crouching. It
has invincibility at the start, so if you're looking to interrupt him
you have to wait for a good bit (he's vulnerable right before the
uppercuts). His c.lp is very fast, don't try to interrupt it (unless
he's doing them slowly). But if you block a c.lk or c.hk, you may have
your chance for a Chest Buster reversal. Use Jamborees occasionally,
and don't try to jump-in if he uses Aura Shield. He'll just counter
with Knee Crush or Aura Crusher and get you in a bad spot. Yeah you can
hit him, but chances are he'll hit you without trading. If it weren't
for the Aura Shield, you could toss projectiles from far and keep him
from pressuring you up close, but instead you need to play mid-range/up
close and use a projectile every now and then, baiting him so you can
counter with Chest Buster or ticks. After knocking him down, stay close
but don't be so quick to act, as he can Aura Crusher on wakeup. You're
basically just going to have to out poke him and score a few tick
throws. If he gets meter, you can avoid his Lightning Crusher by
jumping straight up or backwards. Don't let him get close to do it, and
don't try to hit him during it, as he's invincible. What you can do to
punish, though, is jump at him slightly late if he did it while you were
at mid-range, and that'll allow you to catch him afterwards with the
main jump-in combo: j.hp, close s.hp xx Chest Buster.
To be honest, no one really helped me with this guide at all. I learned just
about all the info here, except official game data, by playing the game
extensively and studying all the moves, situations, etc. If in the future
someone helps me out with something (like a certain strategy explained to me
and I decide to update the guide with it), I'll give credit here. But other
than that, I guess I thank Konami for making a quality turtles game, proving
that sometimes companies you'd never expect can make a game of a foreign genre
and do it right the first time.
Yeah I call it that because no one has actually asked me these questions, so
they can't really be frequent. But after reading this guide, one may have
questions in mind, so hopefully I'll provide answers here without having to be
contacted.
Q: So you made a Raphael guide. Will you be making a guide for anyone else?
A: Probably not. Maybe, but probably not.
Q: Do you use any other characters?
A: Yes, almost all of them.
Q: I disagree with some things in your guide. How long have you been playing
this game? I question your credibility.
A: I first played this game when it came out. I played for a long time and
then stopped, but then picked it up again. When it comes to fighters I've
been competing for over a decade, and I love SF style games (although my
main fighter is not a 2D fighter). I think that anyone good at these types
of games will agree with at least most of what I said after some careful
reading. And before questioning my credibility, you should question your
own first.
Q: Can I use this guide elsewhere?
A: Not without my permission. Read the disclaimer at the top.
Q: If I send you some info you don't already have, will you give me credit?
A: If I think it's significant and use it I will give credit in section 8.
Q: Do you play online?
A: No. I have a high speed connection, but I never get a good connection when
playing online games with other people.
Q: Will you ever show videos of yourself playing?
A: For now, no, but it's quite possible I will in the future.
And finally, the end of the Raphael guide for TMNT: TF. I hope that, even if
you know much about Raph, you at least learned some new things. Even if you
don't use Raph, this guide could help you learn how to fight against him. I
have put a lot of effort paying attention to details, trying to get all of this
as accurate as possible. Please do me the favor of pointing out any mistakes
or possible incorrect information, because I actually made this entire guide in
one day and monotony got the best of me. If you can post or contact me, please
give some feedback.
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