Article 17811 of rec.games.video.arcade: Newsgroups: rec.games.video.arcade Path: news.Hawaii.Edu!ames!haven.umd.edu!darwin.sura.net!europa.eng.gtefsd.com!uunet!organpipe.uug.arizona.edu!galileo.physics.arizona.edu!news From: coxb@tethys.mathcs.carleton.edu (Bethany Cox) Subject: Knuckle Heads Moves, Description, & Strategy Guide Message-ID: <1993Sep13.200610.1901@galileo.physics.arizona.edu> Keywords: What is a keyword? Can I hit it on the head? Sender: news@galileo.physics.arizona.edu (C-news) Organization: University of Arizona Physics Department Date: Mon, 13 Sep 1993 20:06:10 GMT Lines: 591 Knuckle Heads Description & Strategy Guide --Knuckle Heads moves are taken with much gratitude from G. K. Everything else is from my observations & experiences when playing the arcade game. Please e-mail corrections to me, so that if there is ANYONE out there who actually PLAYS this game, I can repost a revised description & strategy guide in a month or so. :-) --Knuckle Heads is, of course, an SF II clone with the chief distinguishing feature that up to four players may fight each other at once. While two-player matches are on a two-dimensional plane a la SF II, three- & four-player fights take place in a pseudo-3D setting [as in the WWF Wrestlefest game]. There is a certain amount of flicker & slowdown in four-player brawls, though... on the other hand, two- and three-player matches are as smooth as you could ever ask for in the arcade. Name Country Age Height Weight Claudia Silva Brazil 23 172 cm/5'8" ? Blat Vaike Greece 35 158 cm/5'2" 70kg/159 lb Rob Vincent US 28 181 cm/5'11" 89 kg/185 lb Takeshi Fujioka Japan 25 175 cm/5'9" 75 kg/165 lb Christine Myao China 18 168 cm/5'6" 43 kg/95 lb Gregory Darrell Norway 39 216 cm/8'4" 127 kg/280 lb Golden Doppelganger ??? ?? variable variable The Host ??? 20s average average Blocking is the same as SF II, with the note that you can only block attacks coming from one direction at a time--so that you CAN literally be stabbed in the back, especially in three- or four-player brawls! Throwing is the same as in SF II with one distinction--you must be close to your opponent & hold the joystick towards while tapping the Low Attack button [or maybe either one...] Holding the joystick away from your opponent will not give you the throw, unlike SF II. Also, as in X-men, you can injure other opponents by hurling a thrown body into them. In addition to their normal attacks, special attacks, and throws, all KHers can build up an aura of fire [pink fire for Christine, blue for Takeshi, red for Rob, gold for Claudia, grey for Blat, & green for Gregory] given a couple of seconds & expend the stored energy in an "aura attack" for more damage and greater reach. The aura is built up by pressing and holding down an attack button; the aura attack is executed by taking one's finger off the button or by tapping the other attack button while the first is still held down. Auras can be charged while blocking, and aura attacks can be executed while standing, crouching, or in the air. Aura attacks take off no damage when blocked, though; only special attacks do that. They also take just a *little* bit more time to recover from, but nowhere near as much as, say, a fireball. The six fighters normally dress as listed, with the above characteristic aura colors. Should a character fight himself or herself [as a result of two to four or more humans playing each other, usually] then each one will wear a different color and have a differently colored aura, shadows, etc. If two people play the same character, then the second fighter is colored in purple; if three, the third is in white; and if four, then the fourth is in a weird sort of light-brown negative coloration [not wholly unlike what you see when you try one of those so-called "boss codes" for the SNES SF II.] Key: There are three buttons: High Attack, Low Attack, and Jump. Joystick positions are described as follows: FU= Forward Up, F = Forward, DF = Down Forward, D = Down, DB = Down Back, B = Back, UB = Up Back, U = Up, C = Center --Note: despite the instructions given here, it is quite easy to get "random" KH moves simply by circling the joystick & tapping the buttons. This is a particularly fun approach to take with Claudia Silva :-) Christine Myao The youngest KHer's fighting clothes are the most conservative cut of any female fighter I've seen since Princess Toadstool. She favors a pink silk blouse & full-length lavender silk pants, ruby earrings, and nondescript black shoes. She usually wears her brown hair back in a ponytail [or twin ponytails] & has big, brown eyes. Christine fights on the night- lit streets of Hong Kong, waiting eagerly for her big break into show business [preferably an action movie.] Weapon: a long, thin wooden staff that is more damaging than one might think. She has tremendous reach with it; more than any other KHer. --Note: Christine & Claudia are probably the two easiest characters to play. Christine in particular is designed to take out the computer; one of the most effective strategies to get through the CPU matches quickly is to use her and *exploit her reach*! Simply charge your High Attack and let loose with it when the computer is far away. This must be done repeatedly for one to understand how truly useful it is [especially in endurance matches]. To whoever asked for a video game where "the babe is the most potent character around", *this is it!* [So why aren't you or anyone else on the Internet playing it, hmmm? :-)] Lightning Staff ["Huthuthut! Huthuthut!"]--Christine stands her ground & strikes out so quickly with the staff that its end blurs in a haze of pink fire. Yes, this IS very similar to the special attack of a Certain Famous SF II Queen... --tap the High Attack button repeatedly Charging Attack ["Hai Toh Go!"]--she rushes forward, leaving a blur of pink shadows behind her [similar to Johnny Cage's Shadow Kick] and knocks down anything in her way. This attack can be blocked [or "sidestepped", as it were, in three- or four-player fights]. No one that I've asked knows for sure what "Hai Toh Go!" means, at this time. She has to charge this attack. --Charge B for 2 seconds, then C, F, & tap High or Low Attack. The Spinning Shield ["Hoh Gah Ti Li!"]--she twirls her staff about her head and spins around in place. This move is similar in effect to Zangief's spinning punch. She can be hit out of it, but is immune to fireballs. It's hard to jump in on her, too. I've been told that "Hoh Gah Ti Li!" may mean, "Let's see what you've got!" This move is not charged. --D, C, U, & High or Low Attack The Skating Attack ["Hut!"]--she skates forward and back on one leg, darting close with incredible speed, while her staff traces a fiery figure-eight torus all about her. It's hard to hit her out of this move with ground attacks [although CPU Claudia *will* do it almost every time]. A well-timed aerial attack can knock her out of it much more easily. Blocking & countering is also possible, albeit tricky. --D, DF, F, & Low Attack. Quotes: "Have a nice day?" "Yeah!" --Note: all KH battle quotes are digital-voice only, not written as in SF II, Samurai Showdown, etc. They are therefore rather tricky to hear correctly. Any corrections on the Chinese & Japanese quotes especially are quite welcome! Claudia Silva The other woman on the KH team wears the least of any fighting female I've seen yet. Clad in what looks like an armored bikini of gold [save for the matching, high-heeled golden boots], Claudia apparently seeks use her attractive & shapely body to distract her opponents. Her distinguishing features include her long red hair, green eyes, and panther's tail. Yes, she has a catlike panther's tail, & it twitches constantly. No one knows where she comes from, but whispered rumors link her to the Amazon rainforest... Claudia's chosen battleground is in front of the Christ of the Andes statue [something you will *not* see on the SNES screen, I promise you! :-)] in nighttime Brazil. Weapon: a pair of long, metal claws a la Vega. In fact, her great speed & jumping ability [best of the KH group] & the nature of her special moves are all reminiscent of SF II's masked man. The Rio Grande Roll ["Yo Hey Toh Tai!"]--Claudia somersaults forward, kicking at anything behind, above, or before her, and trailing a flash of yellow fire. This attack is very effective for leaping over low fireballs & nailing the thrower. --D, C, U, & High or Low Attack The Flying Heel Kick ["Yah!"]--she jumps forward, her outermost leg extended in a high kicking attack, and trailing golden fire. --F, D, DF, & High Attack The Cougar Pounce/Crossing scissors ["Yah!"]--she pounces forward on all fours like a jungle cat, with her claws crossed in front of her face. This attack hits twice; once high, once low. --U, FU, F, & Low Attack The Jumping Sobat [sp?] ["Yap!"]--She flips over in the air and lands on her feet, leaving a trail of gold shadows behind her. --F, D, DF, & Low Attack The Colcovard [sp?] Drop ["Yappetataaaaaaaai... HAH!!!"]--she leaps straight up, so high that she cannot be seen [only her black, circular shadow marks her location] and lands on an unsuspecting enemy's head. Hard. Then she bounces off. Claudia doesn't do backbreakers like Vega [in fact, KH has no air throws at all]. It is possible to dodge or block this attack [preferably while charging one's aura], and then strike when she recovers. --D, DF, F, F, FU, U & High or Low Attack Quotes: "Eat my heart!" "Come home, babe." Takeshi Fujioka His battle garb is reminiscent of a fencers'... blue spandex with white armor, or something. He has a white headpiece looks a little like a Tae Kwon Do practice helmet [only it isn't padded]. Takeshi's sharp black eyes miss nothing. He has short, cropped black hair and a determined expression that is only rarely offset by a slight half-smile. Little is known about Takeshi's origins; he does not socialize overmuch with the other KHers. His apparent disdain for material things have led people to wonder just why he has entered a TV game-show contest with a 10 billion dollar grand prize... Takeshi fights on a wooden platform in front of a number of Japanese spectators [some of whom wear business suits; others wear traditional dress]. Weapon: a pair of hand-held scythes connected by a length of chain, like manriki-gusari. Does anyone out there know what they are called in Japanese? The Dou Huretsu Zen/fireball ["Dou! Huretsu Zen"]--Takeshi flings out a low-flying streak of blue energy. The streak is slow-moving, dissolves on its own after it travels half a screen length or so, and will neutralize other fireballs. It takes him a moment to recover from the drain. --D, DF, F, & High or Low Attack The Shou Zen/leaping blade attack ["Shou Zen!"]--He leaps straight up, holding his mini-scythes in either hand, and then falls straight down. It is impossible to hit him with ANY jumping attack when he does this, and it is almost impossible to hit him with a standing attack. Since he is dangerous while falling as well as rising, this attack is nowhere near as easily blocked and countered as, say, Ryu's Dragon Punch. --D, C, U, & High or Low Attack The Flying Attack ["OIYAA!"]--While in the air, he suddenly hurtles towards his enemy in a type of diagonal cannonball. This attack will knock an opponent down, and is very hard to block. On the other hand, it is relatively easy to knock him out of the air if one sees it coming. --While in the air, F & High or Low Attack [uncertain about the execution of this move] Sliding Attack ["OIYAA!"]--he slides forward on the ground, leaving a trail of blue shadows behind him. --D & High or Low Attack [uncertain about the execution of this move] The Kick Attack ["Dou!"]--he kicks forward on one hand, while trailing blue shadows. This attack will hit twice. --U, FU, F, & High Attack Quotes: "Haku Chiu!", which could mean "Applause!". Also something that sounds a little like "Eat this!" Rob Vincent Rob is dressed curiously like M. Bison... red paramilitary uniform, shoulder and shin guards, belt, everything save the hat & cape. His eyes might be soft blue, his hair reddish-brown [it's hard to tell.] He tends to sneer a lot. Rob fights on the California beach, surrounded by a mob of swimsuit-wearing Americans while the "Knuckle Heads" banner flies overhead. Weapon: A pair of nightsticks. Rob's tendency to charge into the fray helps make up for their reduced range. The Blast Wave/fireball ["Blast Force Wave!"]--Rob has two fireball attacks. One produces a small, low-flying flicker of flame similar to Takeshi's fireball. The other produces a huge ball of red force that moves fast and does not dissolve before it reaches the end of the screen. Rob needs a moment to recover after doing either fireball. --Charge B, then C, F & High or Low Attack. [Unsure about how to choose which type of fireball is done]. The Sliding Kick ["Hah!"]--like Takeshi's move. Rob slides forward on the ground, trailing red shadows behind him. This attack is more dangerous than it looks. --D, DF, F & Low Attack The Spiral Cutter ["Spiral Cutter!"]--Rob leaps into the air, spinning around & around while holding the nightsticks outstretched. Very effective against aerial attacks. --D, C, U & High or Low Attack The nightstick uppercut/Tornado Slash ["Hah!"]--Rob jumps straight up, very fast, with one nightstick held above his head. A nasty counter & effective against aerial attacks. --F, DF, D, & High Attack Quotes: "I'm number one." Gregory Darrell This guy IS a Viking. His grey beard and grey eyes make him prematurely aged, but he's in fact very quick & powerful for his size. He wears green slacks, heavy boots, a large plating of chest armor, and a horned helmet. Gregory fights on the gangplanks in front of a dragon- headed boat, upon which stand a great many cheering Vikings. Weapon: A pair of single-edged battle axes The Normal Burst ["Norman Burst!"]--Gregory slams out his axes on either side of him, and pity the poor creature who runs into this attack. --B, C, F, & High or Low Attack The Tidal Wave ["Tidal WAVE!!!"]--Gregory brings his axes down, then up, creating a green surge of energy as deadly as a fireball [at least]. --D, DF, F, & High or Low Attack The Charging Attack/Bastard Head Butt ["RAAH!"]--he runs forward, leaving a trail of green shadows behind him, and crashes horns-first into whatever's in front of him. Gregory also has a standing head butt [done simply by tapping High Attack when close to one's enemy]. --Charge B, then C, F, & High Attack The Super Crush ["RARGH!"]--he jumps in place, jackknifing and whipping out his axes. This move is a deadly counter to aerial attacks. --D, C, U, & High Attack. The Piledriver/Hell Diving Backdrop ["Get over here!"]--while not as elaborate as Zangief's SPD, it's almost as damaging a throw. He seizes the victim in his hands, holding him above the head, bounds high into the air, then crashes down on the ground, nearly breaking the unfortunate's back across his knee. Then he leaps away. --When in throwing distance [which is of a greater range than any other KH throw], F, F, & High or Low Attack Quotes: "I'll KILL YOU!" Blat Vaike This dwarfish, hunched over fighter is more dangerous than he appears. He wears some armor, a plain helmet, and a grey cape. He never speaks, but will laugh in your face. He fights in front of what might be the Parthenon... while numerous toga-clad & wreath-wearing countrymen watch. Rumor has it that Blat is dead broke. Weapon: one HUGE, spiked green hammer. The Mad Hammer ["YAI hah heh ho HAI!"]--Blat dances in place, twirling the hammer every which way above his head. An effective counter to aerial attacks. --B, C, F & High or Low Attack, or tap High Attack repeatedly [unsure about this move's execution] The Anger of the Beast ["Yah-WHEE-hee-yah-WHEE-hee-yah-WHEE- hee!"]--Blat propels his hammer forward and spirals towards his opponent in this rushing attack. It takes a couple of seconds to charge. --Charge B for 2 seconds, then C, F, & High or Low Attack Rolling Madness ["Rawk!"]--All that can be seen of Blat is his cape as he rolls forward on the ground. This attack is more effective than it looks, especially against aerial attacks, but can be blocked & countered. --D, DF, F & Low Attack The Slam Attack/Arscreik [sp?] Hammer--Blat suddenly jumps forward in the air and brings his hammer crashing down on the enemy's head. Very painful. --U, FU, F, & High Attack Quotes: "Hahahahaha!" "Eeaw!" Basic anti-computer strategies: 1) Charge your High Attack aurora & wait for the computer to leap into the air. Execute your aurora-charged attack when it does, thus nailing the computer out of the air. Christine's the easiest one to pull this trick off with, probably followed by Takeshi & Gregory. It's not so hard with Claudia if you're right under your aerial opponent. The computer is less likely to set itself up when it's low on energy, though. 2) Charge your aurora and then jump towards your opponent, still charged & still holding the button down. Release the button in mid-air or when you're pouncing on your opponent to execute a powerful aerial attack, which will really hurt them & possibly even knock them down if they don't block. If they do block, then the attack might possibly be followed up with Christine's Lightning Staff, or some other special attack, or simply with a couple of quick Low Attacks. 3) Remember, the energy meter is deceptive. The more damaged you or your opponent is, the less that successive attacks will injure you [or them]. This is a balancing feature that makes it easier for you [or your opponent(s)] to recover from losing half your energy, and tends to put the outcome of the fight in doubt until someone is stretched out on the ground. Or, to be cliche, "It ain't never over 'till it's over". 4) Note that matchups are not the same as the "best two out of three" format for SF II [although they are quite similar]. You are replenished with two hearts at the beginning of every matchup; when you lose both heats, then the game is over. If time runs out, then the battle goes to the fighter with the most energy; in the case of double knockouts or draws ["No Winner" battles], *both* participants lose a heart. If two or more participants all lose the last of their hearts at the same time, then the game is over for both [or all] of them. 5) VS CPU Claudia: charge your aurora while simultaneously blocking her Colcovard drop, then release your High aurora Attack to nail her as she rebounds 6) VS CPU Christine: Lots of low attacks, especially if you're using Claudia. 7) VS CPU Gregory & Blat: Mix strategies #1 & #2 liberally. 8) VS Takeshi & Rob: rely more upon strategy #1 & be defensive, unless you can tell they're about to throw a fireball; then jump over it & nail 'em, if you can. 9) VS the computer in endurance matches--remember, the two CPU fighters *can* and *will* hurt one another, if you trick them into it. Do NOT get trapped between them; if you do get trapped, then try to escape by throwing one of them, or with a special move that strikes out on both sides, or by "sidestepping" away. Try to trap one of them between yourself in the other, and keep him or her trapped by pounding relentlessly with quick Low Attacks. If you've just thrown one opponent & the other is standing nearby, chances are you can throw him, too, while the moment is yours. Fall back on strategies #1 & #2, & when all else fails, try spinning off a defensive special attack [the computer is not as intelligent in these matches, & tends to just charge into you a lot]. 10) You can tick the computer, sometimes, especially off air attacks. Of course, the computer can also tick you back. Ticking is not usually effective against the golden doppelganger, though. 11) Quick Low Attacks with the correct timing & spacing can often cut through special attacks. Many special attacks [Christine's "Hai Toh Go!" charge, Gregory's "Anger of the Beast", etc.] leave the computer *or* humans vulnerable to being thrown if they are blocked & if the throw is executed at the right time. Golden Doppelganger Also called "Midas Man", the last, CPU opponent is a shape- shifter, but unlike Geegus and Shang Tsung in that its true form has never been seen. Also unlike Geegus and Shang Tsung, it never "morphs" into different forms during the one-on-one battle- -it ALWAYS maintains the shape of whoever is currently dealing with it, and will assume none other until it must fight with a new person. If one wishes to battle the golden doppelganger, one must first take on the other five fighters, then survive three "endurance matches" [two CPU fighters vs. the player] all by oneself. Should a second player join in at any time in this process, then all one's progress is erased and one must once again start over from the beginning. The doppelganger's greatest strength is that it is deadly fast with the attacks and special techniques of whoever it impersonates. It has few patterns once it reaches 1/4 health or so, and although it is easy to weaken, it is very tough to defeat. Quotes: Whatever the character who fights it usually says. Strategies Against: With Christine Myao--learn to anticipate when the doppelganger will suddenly spring its skating attack, leap forward at the right time, and knock it out of the move [preferably with an aerial aura attack]. Also learn to anticipate its charging attack; you can block and then either counter or throw it if your timing is right. Use your special attacks at your own risk [although the Lightning staff can be effective *if* you're careful not to do it too close, or keep doing it for too long]. Watch out for the Spinning Shield when you jump in! This match may be the 2nd easiest to do. With Claudia Silva--charge your aura attack, and then use it in the air when jumping in on her. Be careful not to land too close to her, or she'll throw you. Learn to block & counter her Colcovard drop; this edge may well give you the match. Ideally, block the attack while charging your aura, then let lose with your High aura attack *just* as she bounces off. You will do a somersaulting swoop that takes her out almost every time. This match is by far the easiest of the doppelganger battles. With Takeshi Fujioka--charge your aura attack from the very start of the match, if not before; the doppelganger will leap at you almost every time. Then nail him with your high aura attack. You can repeat this pattern [charging your aura, then slicing the doppelganger out of the air when it jumps at you] up to three times, usually, but when the doppelganger gets low on energy it probably won't set itself up any more. If you're fast with the fireballs, try to block its kicking or sliding attacks and then nail it when its vulnerable. Be careful--when the doppelganger is low on energy, its favorite tactic is to corner you just out of throwing range and stand there, waiting for you to strike it... the moment you do, it will block & then knock you down with an aura attack... then it will wait for you to get up and strike it again, so that the patten can repeat. Sometimes the best tactic to deal with this **** menace is simply to block and wait for it to strike you, then counter. While one does risk getting thrown by means of this strategy, it is still remarkably effective [i.e.: you can actually *win*, dammit] if done carefully enough. With Rob Vincent--be careful when jumping in on the doppelganger; it isn't shy about showing off its Spiral Cutter & Tornado Slash. *But*, if you time them right, aerial aura attacks [especially over its fireballs] can help you a great deal. Watch for it to jump in on you, then be sure to knock it out of the air [ideally with a special attack--don't underestimate the effectiveness of your sliding attack for this purpose]. Large Blast Force Waves from across the screen are also good, and if you can get a fireball trap going, then so much the better. This is probably the 3rd easiest doppelganger match, with the other three all being equally hard. With Gregory Darrell--You can usually strip away over half of its energy by knocking it out of the air with your High aura Attack when it leaps, or jumping and kicking out with your aerial aura attacks. *But*, it will usually take to staying on the ground & countering your aerial strikes when it gets low on energy. At times the only thing that is advisable to do is spin off your standing special attacks [Tidal Wave, Norman Burst, Super Crush] and wait for it to impale itself on them. The Norman Burst in particular is an ideal counter to its Bastard Head Butt. With Blat Vaike--Again, you can usually get it low on energy by countering with high aura attacks when it jumps in on you, but once it's suitably injured, it will take to staying on the ground. Learn to block its Anger of the Beast attack and then hit it or throw it right out of the move. Be careful with aerial or special attacks; when it's low on energy it likes to block them and then counter with its Arscreik Hammer. But one can often get some effective combinations on it, typically an aerial attack followed up by the Mad Hammer or the Rolling Madness. Use the Anger of the Beast at your own risk! The Host The game show host has hair like Guile's and Galford's. He wears a white tuxedo, a pert white bow tie, and shiny black leather shoes. He is never seen without his microphone and his little purple pocket scarf. When hosting the TV show/fighting competition, he is as cheery and expressive as possible, & likes to make big, sweeping gestures with his hands. The Host does not fight in the KH competition; he controls it. He sets up and announces the matches, and all six contestants call him "sir". He is mentioned here not only because of his behind-the-scenes pull upon the KHers, but also because of certain shady rumors about him, and about his REAL job... Quotes: "Welcome!" "Next up... [last name of new opponent]" Bethany Cox --"Is anyone out there doing something like this for Martial Champions?" :-)