=============================================================================== =============================/--------------------\============================ |+------------------+| ||ONE MUST FALL 2097|| ||THE DEFINITIVE FAQ|| |+------------------+| =============================\--------------------/============================ =============================================================================== by Robyrt(robyrt@marney.org, http://robyrt.coolserver.net) Version 2.04 This FAQ is copyright (C) 2002-2006, Robert Marney. All rights reserved. /---------------\ |VERSION HISTORY| \---------------/ Last update: 8/5/06 2.04: Minor clarifications. 2.03: Pyros section and some tier listings revised, wording cleaned up. 2.02: More combos and links added. 2.01: Line breaks added, introduction expanded, Chronos combos revised. 2.0: Entire "Robots" section heavily expanded and revised. 1.253: Air recovery in combos clarified throughout. 1.252: Rising Blade juggles, Chronos links fixed. Watch for a huge update soon. 1.251: Tier listings separated into 4 classes rather than 3, Flail/Pyros fixes 1.25: A series of misc. factual fixes, cleanups, and more accurate numbers * Bot sections: movelists corrected, new stats and chain combos sections * Updates to I.A, II.A.1,5-7,10, II.B.7, II.C.2, II.D.2, II.E, III.A, IV.A 1.24: Combos for all bots clarified and organized * Tournament descriptions added to II.A.11 * Storyline sections added: Repairman Quotes, Announcer Quotes, Game Endings * Fire Arena bug added * One-player quotes added to II.D.2 * Bright Monitor secret added 1.23: Various fixes and additions: * F10 Cheating section added * Changes for Tournament Mode section added * Legend fixed: quarter circles are now correctly df,f instead of d,df,f * Added ability to mash out of stunned state, invincibility on throws/wins. * Fixed Electra section: fire&ice, enhancements. 1.22: Third public release. More accurate bot descriptions, tier lists. 1.21: Instant kill combos, ground combos, Capture Moves and Getting Stunned. 1.2: Miscellaneous fixes, more combos, more bugs and infinites. 1.1: Second public release. Fast v. slow combos and movelists completed. 1.0: First public release. Fast combos, II.E, and formatting completed. 0.4: First release on the MB. Slow combos and section IV completed. 0.3: II needs pilot quotes, III needs combos 0.2: Section II.A completed, II.D needs quotes & endings. 0.1: Movelist and section I completed TABLE OF CONTENTS ----------------- I. The Introduction II. The System A. Features 1. Recording and Playing Back Matches 2. Hyper Mode 3. Jumping 4. Blocking 5. Getting Stunned 6. Finishing Moves 7. Combos 8. Air Recovery 9. Rehit Mode 10. Arenas and Hazards 11. One-Player Mode 12. Tournament Mode 13. Multiplayer Mode B. Secrets 1. Advanced Options Menu 2. Hidden Difficulty Levels 3. Nova in One-Player Mode 4. Fighting Kreissack First 5. Changing One-Player Colors 6. Changing One-Player Stats 7. Fire and Ice 8. Unranked Challengers 9. Graphics and Sound 10. Changing Arenas 11. Bright Monitor C. Bugs 1. Capture Moves 2. Extra Enhancements 3. Infinite Combos 4. Combo Meter 5. F10 Cheating 6. Fire Arena 7. Corner Differences D. Storyline 1. One-Player Introduction 2. Pilot Profiles 3. Robot Profiles 4. Repairman Quotes 5. Announcer Quotes 6. Game Endings E. Beating the CPU III. The Robots A. Legend B. Tier List 1. One-Player Mode 2. Tournament Mode 3. Without Rehit Mode C. Jaguar 1. Overview 2. Technical Info 3. Move Details 4. Combos D. Shadow (same) E. Thorn F. Pyros G. Electra H. Katana 5. Rising Blade Juggles I. Shredder J. Flail K. Gargoyle L. Chronos M. Nova IV. The Conclusion A. What Next? B. Credits =========================+-------------------+================================= |I. THE INTRODUCTION| =========================+-------------------+================================= What is One Must Fall 2097 (better known as OMF, 2097, or "the game")? It's a one-on-one, two-dimensional fighting game for DOS, released in 1994. You choose a robot to fight with and a pilot to control that robot. You're then turned loose to beat the nuts and bolts out of your opponent in a futuristic mega-sport. The game is chock-full of secrets, context-sensitive dialogue, graphical flourishes, and replayability, and best of all, it's much easier to play than your average fighting game. No worries about remembering complex chains of button presses, learning the ins and outs of endless techniques, no need for rigorous spacing or perfectly timed combos. There's plenty of depth and intricate maneuvers to be found, but they're not impossible to do once you figure out what they are. Yes, OMF 2097 is an old game. Yes, there have been big FAQs written about it, notably Matt's in 1995, which gave me the basic knowledge to write this FAQ, but there's nothing that treats it like the serious fighting game it is. So here's the definitive OMF FAQ, a work in progress. If you have any combos, insights, rants, etc. feel free to send them to me. ===========================+--------------+==================================== |II. THE SYSTEM| ===========================+--------------+==================================== /--------------\ |II.A. FEATURES| \--------------/ 1. RECORDING AND PLAYING BACK MATCHES ------------------------------------- OMF 2097 allows for recording and playback of individual matches as a command line option. Note that omf.exe will pass along any command line arguments it receives to file0001.exe, so you can use these features from there as well. Matches are played back by running "file0001 play ". If no name is specified, it plays back "last.rec". Matches are recorded by running "file0001 rec ". By default, every match you play will be recorded to "last.rec". If you use "save_rec" as your filename, it will save as omf00000.rec, omf00001.rec, etc. but this doesn't always work. Note that without save_rec, you will only get one match, no matter how long you've been playing, while save_rec will not overwrite any previous files (even if they were from previous sessions). 2. HYPER MODE ------------- Turning this option on allows some "advanced" features like controllable projectiles and air special moves. Frankly, nobody plays with it off anyway, so get used to it. In the movelist sections, moves that require Hyper Mode to be used are marked with an "E0". 3. JUMPING ---------- Pressing ub, u, or uf will cause you to jump in that direction. While jumping, your bot has access to his two jump attacks, as well as any air special moves (depending on the bot). Gargoyle can also move forward and backward during a jump. While jumping, you cannot block. Pressing d,ub, d,u, or d,uf will do a "super jump" in that direction. A super jump is just like a normal jump, except faster and higher. Your jump height is determined by your character's agility. When hit while jumping, you enter Rehit Mode (see sec.9). You can only perform one attack per normal jump. When Nova lands from his jump, the floor shakes slightly. Although your jump trajectory is normally not modifiable, the pushback from knocking an opponent down still applies even if you are airborne. Each robot jumps and falls at a different speed (see each robot's section for details). 4. BLOCKING ----------- Any attack except those listed as Low or Throw attacks (see section III.A) can be blocked by pressing or holding away from the opponent when the attack would hit (referred to as "blocking high"). Although the default setting is that you take no damage when blocking, this can be changed in the Advanced Options menu. Any attack except those listed as Jump or Throw attacks can be blocked by pressing or holding diagonally down-back when the attack would hit (referred to as "blocking low"). While blocking, you do not recover stun. 5. GETTING STUNNED ------------------ The small blue bar underneath your health bar is your stun bar. This bar starts out full and recharges constantly when you're not attacking, blocking, or being hit; the lower your stun bar, the faster it recharges. Below a certain level it will flash to indicate a dangerously low stun level. When you are hit, your stun bar decreases, but moves that hit as part of a combo do slightly less stun damage. Once your bar runs out, you are "stunned" and red sparks fly from your bot. The time it takes you to recover is determined by your bot's stun resistance and your pilot's endurance. You can mash the punch and kick buttons to recover more quickly from being stunned. When your stun bar reaches zero, the opponent receives 2,000 points. If you are on the ground, your bot will begin a falling animation that can be hit at any time; if you are in the air, your bot will become invincible as it falls. When you are hit while stunned, your stun bar goes back to full, and remains full until you have spent a short amount of time in a neutral or blocking state. However, hits on a stunned opponent deal damage to the health bar as normal; they simply have no effect on the stun bar. 6. FINISHING MOVES ------------------ Every robot has Scrap and Destruction moves, and every bot except for Nova has a Fire&Ice move. These moves are performed in the manner of fatalities in the Mortal Kombat series: after you defeat your opponent, between the time your win animation begins and the time your vitality score has finished scrolling up the screen, perform the Scrap move. Your bot will now hit the defeated enemy again. During or just after the Scrap, perform the Destruction command. (For precise timing, see each robot's section.) The enemy will end up either totally destroyed or gone from the waist up. If you are in the Fire Pit on Champion difficulty or higher in One-Player Mode, perform the Fire&Ice command right after the Destruction finishes to gain access to a secret level (see II.B.7). 7. COMBOS --------- Combos in this game are very difficult to pull off consistently, as they depend on BOTH players' agility. A combo that works on Ibrahim may not work on Milano because the more agile Milano is pushed farther away by your hits and thus has more time to air recover. Note that most combos in this game require Rehit mode and Hyper mode to be turned on. You are awarded points for combos based on the individual moves, not for number of hits. Damage scaling is nearly nonexistent, so there's plenty of incentive to make long combos. Each bot falls at a different speed, making air combos more or less difficult. Consult individual robot sections for information. 8. AIR RECOVERY --------------- You recover from being hit while airborne just as you do while grounded. In other games, this is referred to as an "air tech" or "flipping out". When your bot regains an upright position in the air, you have air recovered and are now in a normal jump situation, able to air attack, land on your feet, etc. When an opponent air recovers, any combo you perform on them is stopped. If you attack after an air recovery, it is as if you had just been doing a normal jump attack: all combo counters and damage scaling are reset. If you don't attack (and just let yourself fall to the ground), only the combometer is reset. Thus, it is sometimes worthwhile to do nothing after an air recovery, for example, while your opponent is trying to hit you with the same move twice. 9. REHIT MODE ------------- This option is under the Advanced Options menu (see section 2.B) and is also extremely popular. Basically, it allows you to hit an airborne opponent while they fall. However, it follows very strict rules: 1. The One-Hit Rule: You can't hit an opponent with the same move twice. (Projectiles and the Electric Shards are exempt from this rule.) 2. Extra hits do 60% damage. 3. You can't hit an opponent who's stunned or falling off a wall. 4. Air recovery ends the combo, but doesn't reset the one-hit rule. 5. An opponent's air attack or any throw resets the one-hit rule. Note that you CAN keep hitting an opponent after their air recovery. Jump moves exhibit different properties during a rehit combo. A jump move which hits as it goes up will cause you to spin backwards in the air. A jump move which hits at the top of its arc will cause you to fall slowly straight downwards. A jump move which hits as it falls continues its arc as normal. 10. ARENAS AND HAZARDS ---------------------- Four out of the five arenas in OMF have hazards. Depending on the difficulty level, these will behave differently (for example, on Ultimate difficulty, the hazards are much more likely to appear on top of you than in a random place). They do damage based on your opponent's power, which means they can be very powerful in one-player mode. Hazards are all projectiles. Here's the details: * DESERT Fighter jets in groups of 1-4 planes strafe the arena vertically. The first few "hits" are on the ground, while the last hit is about 1/4 of the way up the screen, so the shots can be avoided by jumping. The shots count as Light AR attacks (see section III.A) and are unblockable. * SPIKE PIT A spike comes out of the back wall and hits anyone in a small area around it. The spikes count as Light KD attacks (see section III.A) and are unblockable. Note that these can do some serious damage, and although they can appear in succession, they'll never appear in two places at the same time. Flail can duck the spikes. * FIRE PIT A globe will appear in the air and move around in curves quickly. If the globe is hit by either player, it causes Katana's Fireball move (see section III.G) to come out of the floor right under the opponent and the globe disappears. (It will also disappear after a short time if it isn't hit.) If you've already beaten Fire in one-player mode (see section II.B) the floor will be solid instead of a grille, and the globe will not appear. * POWER PLANT When an airborne opponent is hit by a Medium or Heavy attack (see section III.A), he'll get knocked into the electric walls. Ironically, these walls do no damage, and they limit combos severely, so they can actually help you. Consider them a hazard to your opponent. :-) * STADIUM This arena has no hazards, and is consequently the most popular arena for multiplayer combat. 11. ONE-PLAYER MODE ------------------- One-Player mode focuses mainly on the story of the game; as you get better, the real challenge is dealing with the low stats of the pilots. You have to adjust your fighting style to match: since your character moves slower, you can afford to jump less and can’t use super combos (only Shadow and Shredder can pull off big combos in one-player). So focus on dealing lots of damage, rather than keeping your opponent at bay; an average combo can take off 25% of your health. If you don’t have Rehit mode turned on, do it NOW; if you don’t, you’ll miss out on most of the golden combo opportunities and make jumping much less useful. The smaller endurance also factors into the arenas: even the Desert’s fighter jets can cause serious stun damage, while the Spike Pit is a real horror to both you and your opponent. Of course, in any one-player game, you can’t pass up Fire & Ice; if Ultimate difficulty is too hard for you, make sure not to pass up an opportunity to trash Fire (Champion difficulty). If even Champion is too hard, you need more practice with OMF (or more sleep). Your One-Player mode robot, if imported to Tournament Mode, would have level 3 upgrades in all areas. In One-Player mode, you are limited to the default 10 characters, although their stats can be changed (see section II.B). Your character will engage in dialogue with his/her opponent, and has a unique ending after you beat Major Kreissack, the final boss. Note that you must be at Veteran difficulty level or higher to fight Kreissack. Here's a rundown of each pilot: * CRYSTAL Crystal, as the default Jaguar character (i.e. click her and the default bot will be Jaguar) relies on speed to win; she is usually a better pick than Milano, though, because of her endurance. She is best in fast bots like Jaguar, Shredder or Gargoyle to maximize her potential. She loves special moves, but has a good defense; in the Northam, she is the most powerful competitor, while in the other tournaments she suffers from weird robot choices like Electra. You don’t really have to worry about combos or jump attacks from her; just be on guard for those special moves or throws, and you’ll do fine. * STEFFAN One of the more powerful characters in the game, Steffan was the eventual winner in OMF (according to Tyrian), and offers a good mix of stats, focusing on raw power to destroy his opponent. Unlike Crystal and Cossette, though, Steffan is not used as a more moderate Shirro; instead, he’s just another high- powered character, albeit with moderate agility. When fighting him, try to exploit his lack of defense and endurance by hitting him again and again; his high forget rate ensures your ability to hit him with the same few combos for most of the match. He concentrates on air and medium attacks, so don’t worry too much about being thrown or massively comboed. Try to use powerful bots like Shadow, Katana and Thorn. * MILANO Play Milano the same way you would Crystal, except more cautiously. The weakest and most fragile character in the game, he is a nice challenge to use and plays the closest to tournament mode as you can get. He prefers whitebread techniques in the arena and even eschews jump moves, so just avoid getting backed into the corner and he will be an easy opponent. His speed does have its advantages, though; he can easily take advantage of hazards and will jump high enough to combat Fire and Ice. Be careful, though: he doesn’t have enough endurance to last you more than a couple of hits! * CHRISTIAN Christian is extremely aggressive and learns fairly quickly, tending to use the same move over and over; depending on which bot he’s in, this can be good or bad for you. He absolutely loves combo moves, so keep blocking! Fortunately for you, he often forgets to block, so use his strategy against him: keep hitting him until his defense slips and make your own combo. His mix of power and endurance is good in any robot, but the more obscure robots like Pyros and Gargoyle could confuse your opponent a little. * SHIRRO Shirro is a relatively easy opponent, unless you let him hit you. His awesome power makes him a relatively easy character to play as, since the computer is pretty stupid; put him into a really powerful robot like Thorn, Nova, or Flail to rip into your opponent. Since he relies on the more powerful attacks exclusively, just don’t let him throw you or get a special move in and it’s a piece of cake. Note that the OMF:Battlegrounds storyline indicates that Shirro was the eventual winner of the tournament. * JEAN-PAUL Jean-Paul is my favorite character… too bad he’s pretty weak. He is great as a character to play with, though, with his even mix of stats. As the default Katana character, he works best in well-rounded bots like Katana, Electra, or Shredder. His AI is a curious mix of Crystal and Cossette: he hangs back in a fight, but loves to use those special moves… the best of both worlds, for you that is. Block the specials and hit him afterwards, when his guard’s down. * IBRAHIM With the CPU at the helm, Ibrahim is vicious, moderately intelligent and ready to use heavy attacks on you at the slightest provocation. Unfortunately, his stats are the worst of any character (since he's slow, he's easier to juggle, lessening the impact of his extra endurance), so YOU should not use him under any circumstances. * ANGEL Angel is an intriguing character, with a great backstory and a nice AI. She is best in a Gargoyle or Katana, but will perform well in most bots with good jump moves. Fighting against Angel is pretty generic: just hit her before she hits you. She loves jump attacks, so an occasional upward-directed projectile will hit her with no cost to you. * COSSETTE Cossette is the quintessential defensive character, making her very annoying to fight against. She doesn’t like to attack much, but when she does, she’s very powerful. Just keep her in defensive mode and wait until she slips up. * RAVEN Raven is so cool he was the boss for the shareware version of OMF, and as a result, works best in powerful bots like Pyros, Katana and… Chronos?? That’s right, a character that can actually use the Chronos to its full potential, taking a couple hits and hitting back with a deadly special move. Playing as him is relatively easy, due to his great power and endurance; just don’t expect to be able to jump or combo too much. He favors special moves and throws, and hates defense, so the very bots that work for him work for you (in a Pyros, for example, just block the inevitable thrust attack or fire spin and combo him back). * MAJOR KREISSACK You can’t choose to play as Major Kreissack, since he’s the boss. (OMF Manual). There’s not much to say about him, except that his stats are super buffed, he is a holy terror with that Nova, and he loves showing off those special moves (like any Nova player). You can exploit this if your character is fast enough to hit him before he completes that missile or earthquake smash. Kreissack is also fond of throws, so don’t get close or he’ll nail you. Try to do as much damage as you can, and keep a balance between being on the floor to avoid grenades/missiles and being in the air to avoid the quakes. 12. TOURNAMENT MODE ------------------- Tournament mode (due to its massive upgrades) is the fastest, the longest- lasting, and often the most fun mode of OMF. Combos are plentiful and powerful, while there are a seemingly never-ending stream of more powerful opponents. Tournament mode is an excellent chance to get used to robots at their full potential (about 200 wins will give you the cash to experiment as much as you like). Points equal cash, so doing that mega combo and destruction may give you that extra boost to get the next Endurance upgrade. In tourny mode, you start out as a neophyte with a Jaguar and no upgrades. You can change your bot's colors, and with every match you win money based on the difficulty of your opponent, your opponent's rank, the amount of damage you took, and the amount of points you got (1000 points is worth 1K of money). With this cash, you can upgrade your personal stats (power, agility, endurance) and your robot stats (arm/leg power/speed, armor, stun resistance). Your armor affects how much damage each hit does to you, your stun resistance affects how much damage each hit does to your stun bar (see appropriate section), and your endurance affects the total amount in your health and stun bars. When you have enough money, you can trade in your robot for a new, unimproved one. You get 85% of the money back that you spent on robot improvements. If you're strapped for cash, you can also sell your parts directly for 70% the purchase price. If you have a negative amount of money, you automatically sell parts until you have a positive balance again. If you can't do that, you have one fight to get your balance back up above zero, or you're kicked out of the tournament. Once you've finished a tournament, you are treated to a special ending animation. You can view this again as long as you're still ranked #1 by pressing E in the tournament menu. From here, the only option is to enter another tournament. If you don't have the cash to enter it, you must work as a mechanic, which is VERY bad and will decrease your robot AND personal improvements. In general, it's better to sell your parts instead of working as a mechanic. The available tournaments are: NORTH AMERICAN OPEN In-Game Description: Attempt to wrestle the North American title from the two time world champion, Raven. The north American open attracts respected competitors from around the globe. The Northam is the tourny we all trained on; it basically plays like the One- Player game, truncated to fit the shareware version. There are no random robots in this tourny, and the only new faces are Jack (like Christian, but weaker) and Dr. Lynn Yarr (like Angel, but more defensive). There are a good assortment of secret characters; in fact, on Heavy Metal difficulty, it’s often worth playing this tournament just for Iceman’s 3rd Shadow enhancement. This is a fairly easy tournament which can be played repeatedly to gain experience and robot enhancements. Once you’re comfortable, you can move on to bigger and better things. Don’t switch robots just yet; if you’re very good with a Jaguar, you can hold off improving your robot until you get the cash in the next few tournaments. KATUSHAI CHALLENGE In-Game Description: This militant country has managed, in the past years, to establish a respected tournament. The competitors are typically well trained and equally well financed. The Katushai Challenge is one of the best tournaments ever made for OMF, with an awesome ending, a nice mix of new and old characters, and a great introduction to the real world of tournament play. The main competitors in this tournament are Steel Claw and Prince Vassar; the former has the only good Flail AI in the game, while the Prince learns your moves amazingly quickly. The opponents are all much more powerful than you, especially the secret characters, and don’t offer as much easy cash or enhancements. The use of random robots makes it easier for you, but if you’re relatively new to OMF, you’ll need to play this a few times to get a feel for how most of the tournament opponents fight and adapt to the longer rounds and higher power levels. If you specialize in one bot, switch to it after you complete the Katushai; if you’re not confident you can handle facing super-buff opponents, stick with the old trusty Jaguar. WAR INVITATIONAL In-Game Description: The WAR invitational attracts the finest of the world's fighters. Not only does this tournament bring spectators from around the country, but the prestige of winning this title is second only to being world champion. WAR has made good on their promise for this one: a spate of new characters with some heavy hitters as well as cool cash. This tournament goes by rather quickly, since most of the new opponents have weak AI and random robots, but you should watch out for characters like Selenna, Ariel and Nicoli, who have specialized in their particular robots. If you have more than a few losses under your belt before you get to Nicoli, it’s probably best to go play the Katushai a couple more times, but if you feel this tournament was a breeze, it’s time to switch to your desired robot and enter the World Championship. As you play, take note of the best ways to counter each robot; you’ll be needing it later on. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP In-Game Description: If you think you are ready to take on the world, here's your chance. The world championship assembles the greatest fighters from around the globe. Since millions of spectators attend the fights, the pay is excellent. Fight hard and train hard, and one day the world will call you their champion. Now it’s time for the real thing, the best tournament for OMF 2097 ever created. You think you can handle the 30+ opponents with ease… run a simulated fight with Ian Tavares and see how much you have to learn. The first dozen opponents should be child’s play after the WAR and Katushai; the next dozen are not quite so forgiving, but nothing you haven’t done before. The final four (usually Bruce, Ian, Jaquoline and Raven) will give you a run for your money with their perfectly upgraded bots and custom robots; as a matter of fact, Ian himself will require a couple tries if you haven’t had much OMF experience. Money will cease to be a problem here; instead, focus on things like accuracy and health left. Do consistently well and you’ll get the real cash in the form of innovative secret opponents, ranging from Nicoli to the elusive Bethany, who carries your second enhancement. Once you’ve completed the World Championship, you may want to try it again to get your second enhancement if you missed it; in a Shadow, don’t move on until you’ve gotten the Freeze from Iceman in the Northam. You can also download or make your own tournaments (up to a maximum of 10 in your directory at once). In a tournament, you can gain enhancements and fight unranked challengers (see appropriate sections). 13. MULTIPLAYER MODE -------------------- Multiplayer is the real test of the game. Over the Net you can only play two- player mode, but on the same computer if both of you have tournament characters you can sim each other for tournament two-player. Multiplayer in tournament play follows much the same rules as normal tournament play: since you're very fast and have a big lifebar, you can afford to take a few hits if it will get you a mega-combo. Jaguar, Shredder, and Electra all have 10+ hit easy combos from a single jump attack. But the popularly accepted definition of multiplayer is the standard two-player mode, so that's what I'll focus on. Against a human with any skill at all, repetitive attacks won't work; expect a human to block your jump attacks fairly often and your projectiles 90% of the time. Remember, a human generally does more damage (because he can usually pull out combos) and learns a lot faster than the computer. You basically have to mix up your attacks enough so your opponent doesn't have the chance to combo you after a heavy move (the primary trap if you play defensively). The only exception is fighting in a Chronos, in which case a human is much more likely to fall for a matter phasing or teleport than the computer. /-------------\ |II.B. SECRETS| \-------------/ 1. ADVANCED OPTIONS MENU ------------------------ At the main menu, hold down 2+0+9+7 and release. Go into the Gameplay menu, and you now have access to the Advanced Options menu. This menu contains: * Rehit Mode on/off (see section II.A.8). This defaults to OFF, but turn it on and leave it on, since this FAQ assumes that you have it on. * Def. Throws on/off, which allows you to throw with b+P as well as f+P. It won't significantly affect gameplay, but it may be more accommodating for 2D fighting fans. Pick one. * Throw range, from 0% to 300%. This is fairly self-explanatory: if you like throws, turn it up; otherwise, turn it down. Note that many of the lower settings will make it impossible to throw at all. This defaults to 100%. * Jump height, from 80% to 130%. This affects the player's agility for jumps only, and has no effect in tournament mode. This defaults to 100%. * Hit pause, from 0 to 10. This sets the number of frames the game pauses during a successful hit or block. This does not affect combos, except in the timing required to execute them. Defaults to 4. * Vitality, from 80% to 400%. This affects the player's endurance, and thus has no effect in tournament mode. It also defaults to 100%. Note that it has no effect on either player's stun bar, so instant stun combos will still work. * Knock Down: With this setting (defaults to None), you can set the KD properties of jump moves: either punches, kicks, both, or none. I'd recommend keeping this setting on None, since 95% of ground combos start with a jump move in OMF, and without those, you're reduced to throwing if you want to do combos. * Block Damage, from 0% to 35%. When you block, you'll take the indicated amount of damage. So if you block Shadow's Short (damage 5) and block damage is set on 20%, you'll take 1 damage (20% of 5) even though you blocked. With this setting, you can discourage defensive play very quickly. This defaults to 0%. 2. HIDDEN DIFFICULTY LEVELS --------------------------- At the CPU Difficulty setting in the Gameplay menu, the highest normal setting is World Class. Keep trying to increase the difficulty level, though, and on the 22nd try, you'll be rewarded with the hidden Deadly difficulty level. On this level, you get 200,000 points for a Destruction move (as opposed to 120, 000 on World Class) and the opponents are not only more difficult, but will do scrap and destruction moves on your defeated body. Once you have Deadly difficulty activated, hold down O+M+F for about a second, then release, in either the Gameplay menu or the main menu. Now increase the CPU Difficulty to Ultimate. On this level, you get a whopping 400,000 points for a Destruction, you take 5% block damage even if you turned it off in the Advanced Options menu (see section II.B.1), and the computer will actually put up a fight. Choose this setting to see the computer's scarily effective Rehit Mode combos. 3. NOVA IN ONE-PLAYER MODE -------------------------- In the robot selection screen for One-Player, Two-Player, or Multiplayer Mode, do both of the following: * Move the cursor over all the bots * Press Down on Katana's picture at least ten times total When you select Flail, you will now be given a Nova instead. 4. FIGHTING KREISSACK FIRST --------------------------- In the pre-fight screen where the opponents talk to one another, after activating the Nova code (section II.B.3), press Esc to get back to the robot select screen. Your robot will be listed as "Nova" and will have no picture associated with it. You can still change your colors (section II.B.5) in this screen, though. Press P or K again to go back to the pre-fight screen, where you'll fight Major Kreissack immediately. Note that this does NOT mean you win the game after Kreissack, as you normally do; instead, you are victorious after beating ten opponents. 5. CHANGING ONE-PLAYER COLORS ----------------------------- In the robot selection screen for One-Player, Two-Player, or Multiplayer Mode, the number keys 1, 2, and 3 select the robot colors for Player 1 in this order: Tertiary, Secondary, Primary. The number keys 4, 5, and 6 do the same for player 2 in Two-Player mode only. The same 15 colors are available as in Tournament Mode, as well as the default color for your pilot. You can hit F9 to reset the colors. 6. CHANGING PILOT STATS ----------------------- In the pilot selection screen for One-Player, Two-Player, or Multiplayer Mode, move the cursor over all the available pilots, then move to your pilot of choice and hold K. Your pilot stats should turn bright green (instead of the dark green they used to be). Using the arrow keys (while still holding down Kick), you can edit your stats as much as you want, provided they keep the same total. Note that Shirro has slightly less stats than the other pilots, while Milano, Christian and Ibrahim have slightly more. 7. FIRE AND ICE --------------- Fire and Ice are the two 1p mode secret characters in OMF, and they have all the pumped up 'bots and stats that you'd expect from secret challengers. Fire pilots a Katana, while Ice uses a Shadow. While Fire has a nice "flames" paintjob, he's just a souped-up Katana (in fact, some people have been able to duplicate him in their own tournaments). However, Ice has a special engine condition that makes him permanently translucent, meaning the only difference between him and the "shadows" he throws is the color (the shadows are slightly darker). Both opponents have the THIRD enhancement for their respective bots (see individual robot sections). In addition to simply being another opponent to fight, Fire and Ice are on a special point scale. Doing moves on Fire's stage will give you 5 times the points they would on Ultimate difficulty, while on Ice's stage, your points are multiplied by 50! This means that doing a destruction on Fire will give you 2 million points (compared to Ultimate's 400 thousand), while destroying Ice gives you an automatic 20 million point hike. Getting to Fire is a simple 4-step process: * Set the difficulty on Champion level or higher. * Defeat your opponent in the Fire Pit arena. * Perform a Destruction on your defeated opponent. * Right after the destruction, do the Fire & Ice move (see section III). Your HAR will now jump through the floor grille to Fire's "flames" version of the Fire Pit and you get to fight him. If you're on Champion or Deadly difficulty, you'll be fighting on solid ground, but on Ultimate (and ONLY Ultimate), there will simply be another grille, blue this time (for Ice). Perform the destruction and Fire & Ice move again on Fire to get to Ice's "frozen" arena and fight him. It's that simple! Since Fire is conceptually the one firing those fireballs at you in the Fire Pit, defeating him (even one round) will cause the Fire Pit floor to be solid the next time you fight in that arena. Of course, no globes will appear and you can't fight Fire again. Fire and Ice are secret characters, so they have no effect on your progress through one-player mode. In other words, you can lose to Fire or Ice but still keep going to fight the next normal opponent. They also have no specific gender; rather, they assume the gender of the last normal opponent you met. 8. UNRANKED CHALLENGERS ----------------------- If you've played tournament mode, you've probably met an "unranked challenger" or two and wondered how to get the rest. Well, it turns out some are easier than others, not just "beat the game with X robot". There are several possible qualifications for getting to a given challenger: * Difficulty: You must be on or above this difficulty level. This appears as "D.Iron", etc. below. * Rank: Opponent appears ONLY WHEN you reach this rank. * Max Rank: Opponent appears WHEN OR AFTER you reach this rank. * Enemy: You have just defeated this enemy. (Duh.) * Avg. Damage: You have to do this much damage with every hit, on average. * Vitality: You must have at least this percentage of your lifebar remaining. * Accuracy: You must hit with at least this percentage of your moves. * Destruction: You must have destroyed the previous opponent. * Scrap: You must have done a scrap/destruction on the previous opponent. Most unranked challengers have "enhancements" for their robots, giving them special powers such as extra projectiles, faster moves, etc. If you're in the same robot and you destroy that challenger, you'll get the enhancement for yourself. As you destroy those unranked challengers, you'll get a message from your technician saying he's installing an enhancement. An enhancement lasts until you sell your robot. Katana and Shadow have three enhancements each, Chronos has one, Nova has none, and all other robots have two. Once you've got the first enhancement, you can still get the second one by destroying the appropriate challenger. You can also get two at once. With that in mind, here are the unranked challengers for each tournament: * NORTH AMERICAN OPEN Iceman: D.Heavy Metal, Rank 1, Destruction 3 enhancements for Shadow Jazzy: D.Iron, Rank 2, Vitality 50%, Scrap 1 enhancement for Jaguar Christian: Enemy Crystal, Destruction Steel Claw: D.Steel, Max Rank 4, Avg. Damage 15, Destruction 1 enhancement for every robot * KATUSHAI CHALLENGE Angel: D.Iron, Max Rank 6, Vitality 35%, Scrap 1 enhancement for Thorn and Gargoyle Selenna: D.Steel, Rank 2, Vitality 10%, Destruction 2 enhancements for Katana Devan Shell: D.Heavy Metal, Rank 1, Destruction 2 enhancements for Flail * WAR INVITATIONAL Eva Earlong: D.Iron, Max Rank 5, Vitality 25%, Destruction 1 enhancement for Shadow Bethany: D.Heavy Metal, Rank 1, Vitality 50%, Avg. Damage 17, Destruction 1 enhancement for every robot, 2 for Shredder Killian: D.Steel, Max Rank 5, Vitality 20%, Avg. Damage 13, Accuracy 50% 2 enhancements for Electra * WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Iceman: D.Iron, Enemy Selenna, Destruction 2 enhancements for Katana Angel: D.Iron, Max Rank 10, Vitality 50%, Destruction 2 enhancements for Electra Nicoli: D.Steel, Rank 1 2 enhancements for every robot Eva Earlong: D.Iron, Max Rank 14, Vitality 20%, Accuracy 35%, Destruction 1 enhancement for Gargoyle Jazzy: D.Iron, Enemy Eva Earlong 2 enhancements for Shredder Bethany: D.Steel, Rank 2, Vitality 30%, Accuracy 10%, Destruction 2 enhancements for every robot Devan Shell: D.Steel, Max Rank 8, Avg. Damage 14, Destruction 2 enhancements for Thorn 9. GRAPHICS AND SOUND --------------------- * While fighting, hold down R+E+I+N to make any scrap metal that either of you produces disappear from the bottom of the screen, reappear from the top, and start falling down again. The effect is a "rain" of scrap metal (rather badly spelled, but still...) * While fighting, hold down B+I+G+#, where # is a number from 0 to 9, to multiply the amount of scrap metal produced from a given hit by that number. This includes Destructions, and can in fact be input while your robot is doing the destruction animation to make it look really impressive, or to reduce the amount of falling scrap to near-zero with B+I+G+0. You can reset it to normal by putting in B+I+G+1. * In the main menu, hold Alt+S+F for a second, then go into the Configuration menu to access the Sound Test option, which goes through every sound effect in the game. Not very useful, but it DOES tell you that a draw is possible in OMF, and up to nine rounds of fighting :-) 10. CHANGING ARENAS ------------------- * In the pre-fight screen where you see pilots' quotes, each press of the left/ right arrow keys will switch the arena you fight in, in this order: Powerplant -> Fire Pit -> Desert -> Stadium -> Blade Pit -> Powerplant -> etc. When advancing to the next stage in 1P mode, the arena you fight in advances once automatically, so pressing left once will put you back to the same arena in which you had your last fight. When you lose a match and continue, however, the arena stays the same. Using this method, you can switch the default arena settings for every match except Fire and Ice, who don't have pre-fight screens. This is useful for, say, guaranteeing that you'll always fight in the Fire Pit until you finally pull off that fire & ice move, or for fighting Kreissack in the Desert. 11. BRIGHT MONITOR ------------------ If you turn up the brightness on your monitor enough, in the bottom left corner of the main menu is a message saying "Your monitor is too bright." /----------\ |II.C. BUGS| \----------/ 1. CAPTURE MOVES ---------------- There are three moves that capture your opponent in OMF: Shadow's Shadow Grab, Shadow's Ice Freeze, and Chronos' Stasis Activator. In early versions of OMF, the Shadow Grab was a 10-damage move on its way up and 0 damage on its way down, when it captured an opponent in an unthrowable, grounded "struggling" animation until they were hit or time ran out. In versions 2.0 or later, it always does 0 damage, and can thus create an infinite combo (see section III.C.3). The Shadow Grab will not connect against a jumping or frozen opponent. You cannot grab an opponent who is already being grabbed. The Ice Freeze does damage to an opponent and puts them in a throwable, grounded "frozen" animation until they are hit or time runs out. You cannot freeze an opponent who is already frozen or jumping. The Stasis Activator "stops" the opponent in the animation frame they were in when hit. When time runs out, the opponent continues his animation as normal. A stopped opponent can be thrown if he was stopped while grounded. Another Activator will un-stop the opponent. A stopped opponent does not regain his stun bar as normal. Stopping an opponent does not reset the rehit mode counter. 2. EXTRA ENHANCEMENTS --------------------- Most robots have 2 enhancements (see appropriate section), but the possible number ranges from 0 to 3. In particular, Chronos has no second enhancement and Nova doesn't have any enhancements at all. When you get one of these nonexistent enhancements (for example, getting Nova enhancements from Nicoli in the World Championship), your mechanic will report that you have found enhancement hardware, but you won't get anything. In fact, the next time you get the same (nonexistent) enhancement, your mechanic will still tell you they've found a new enhancement. Oddly, this doesn't happen when you attempt to get a 3rd enhancement for a bot that doesn't have one, just with Nova and Chronos. Also note that due to an omission in Iceman's World Championship file, there is no way to get the 3rd enhancement for Katana besides playing a user-created tournament or using a cheat program. 3. INFINITE COMBOS ------------------ Despite DE's best efforts, there are still infinite combos in OMF. Fortunately, most work only in Tournament Mode with a really fast pilot. Here are all the known infinites: * Shadow: qcb+K, repeat. This works in one-player mode with high agility, and must be done as fast as possible. Note that because of an unrelated bug, it will not show up as a combo unless you add a non-shadow hit. * Shadow: qcb+P, repeat. Works in one-player mode with a high-agility pilot against a Pyros or Nova. This can be interchanged with the qcb+K infinite for some real cheese. * Shredder: qcb+P, repeat. This works only against a wall, fast pilot vs. slow pilot, at any time the Flying Hands hits twice (but not in quick succession). However, it is possible in one-player mode; see Shredder's section for details. * Shadow: Do a Shadow Grab on a stunned opponent, then do any ground combo that does not involve special moves. The opponent will remain stunned. * Shadow or Shredder or Gargoyle: f+P, repeat. Tourny mode only, with full agility and arm speed. (For Shadow, use f+K and leg speed instead.) * Thorn: f,f+P, df+P, repeat. Full agility, one enhancement, and zero-agility opponent required. A Spike Charge counts as a throw, which resets the rehit combo meter, and an immediate df+P will hit the opponent up into range before they hit the floor. 4. COMBO METER -------------- Certain moves do not start the combo meter, i.e. unless a point-valued move is included in the combo, the combo counter doesn't appear. Here they are: * Any throw * Shadow's special moves * Jaguar's Overhead Throw * Chronos' Stasis Activator 5. F10 CHEATING --------------- You can quit directly to the credits at any time by hitting F10. However, you are not counted as having won or lost a match until the news report comes up. So, hitting F10 quickly enough after you lose a match will exit the game without a blemish of any kind on your win/loss record. Of course, this won't do much for you in 1P mode, but in tourny mode, it can easily be used to give you infinite continues. 6. FIRE ARENA ------------- After beating Fire in the one-player game, if you immediately enter tournament mode, future matches you fight in the Fire Pit will use the version that is supposed to appear after you beat Fire ,with no grille and no hazards. To fix this bug, exit and reenter the game, or start and quit a new one-player game. 7. CORNER DIFFERENCES --------------------- Because of the way the game is designed, you can slightly overlap the enemy's sprite in the right corner only. For example, for Nova to miss a Mini Grenade at point-blank range, his back must be to the right corner so the grenade, which is created at the front of Nova's body, will be behind the opponent. Moves which can go under the opponent (notably Chronos' and Electra's knees) will switch places with the opponent when used in the right corner. However, 2097 interprets commands before it displays the attack, so with Chronos facing the corner, you enter f+K, df+K to get a knee and then a low short in the opposite direction. /---------------\ |II.D. STORYLINE| \---------------/ This section contains all the storyline-related junk that's fun to know, but with which I don't want to bother you while you're looking for some hard facts. With that out of the way, here's OMF's story: 1. ONE-PLAYER INTRODUCTION (from the manual) -------------------------- The year is 2097. Friday. You've waited for this night since you were a child. Fifteen years of training will be used tonight - your future career the main prize. "The left elbow still needs a little work... Just three more days! Move the fight to next Friday and they won't know what hit 'em!" Lying on the table, you can't see where the voice came from, but you recognized the colorful language of Team Chief 'Plug' McEllis. "Don't be nervous, Plug. This 'bot is fresh from the factory and the best there is." You reply, trying to hide the shaking in your own voice. "I'll show you just how good a job your team did." "I know you will. It's just that this is your first match and your opponent's tenth. Should give you more time..." Time to what? Sim training gets old. There's no simulator that can compare with the real thing. "I have to do it now. The Board will see me as a challenger and hothead. I need the edge to get in this season's schedule." "Good luck to ya... Give 'em an uppercut for me." says Plug. The attendants begin checking your suit. You can feel the small needles in the helmet pressing into your skull. Fifteen minutes to show time. You feel a slight burning sensation as the drugs which connect you to the super computer seep into your spine. A cute attendant leans over the bed and gives you a wink. "Nighty night... Remember me when you're famous." Your eyes begin to shut. You blink a few times, trying not to fight the medication. Finally, your eyes begin to close as you lose consciousness. METAL! You can't believe the feeling! Your eyes open, but they're not your own. You look at your hand and flex it into a fist. You strike the fist against your opposite palm and the sound is like two trains smashing together. You realize you'll never get used to "jacking in," the feeling of power you get from suddenly becoming a few hundred tons of dangerous equipment. "You there, kid?" says a voice inside your head. You now hear several voices in the background, "Physical attributes steady. All systems mark." You turn your head over to the body lying on the bed ten meters away and almost 30 meters below. You speak, your voice amplified a hundred times, "I'm slice, Plug. Let's do some crushin'!" It is no longer blood you feel pumping, but Synthoil. Your eyes now show you heat dissipation factors, metal strength, weapon power, damage scales, and some other figures so complicated you know to ignore them. Even though you no longer have blood, it feels like your pulse is climbing as the clock over the door nears 00:00. "Zero hour. Let 'er roar!" The door opens. The crowd cheers. The game begins. Welcome to One Must Fall 2097. In this future, national governments are puppets of the multinational corporations. One such corporation, World Aeronautics and Robotics (WAR), runs the entire show with a silk-covered iron fist. "All's fair in love and WAR" is the most common phrase of the day. WAR was started as a research institute to provide human-assisted robots for space travel. Their first prototypes were activated in 2009 and were immediately put to use by a conglomeration of companies from Japanamerica to build the first ACTIVE space station (the first attempt at a space station was abandoned by the later defunct United States of America before becoming operational). The HAR's were better than conventional robots in that they were completely operated by a single human whose brain controlled the robot's systems via remote. The "pilot" actually "became" the robot for all intents and purposes, but no danger to the pilot was possible. Now, WAR is Earth's leading corporation. Every other company relies on WAR for space travel to Earth's four off-world stations. WAR provides systems for governments and companies alike for security and defense. WAR is power. And you're a part of it. Ganymede, the next moon on Jupiter to be colonized, needs a WAR representative to watch over it. The Board at WAR has decided that the applicants for the position, being equally qualified, should fight for it. Now, the ten applicants must choose which HAR will be their weapon and beat the others in a one-on-one competition. Anyone who has even a remotely important position at WAR is trained in the use of HAR's. Most have spent considerable time "in" a real working model to get the feel of it. But the use of HAR's for sparring is a completely new scheme brought about by the need to know that when one company attacks another the 'bots can handle the stress. The idea of using WAR robots for entertainment is a new one, but The Company believes that it will be good press for the next prototypes from the WAR design rooms. Therefore, the public is invited to view the proceedings. It will be the greatest one-on-one combat since the Roman Era. Years of training on the 'bots makes you think you can take the other pencil-pushers who show, and you know that your reason for being V.P. of this hunk of rock is much better than any they could have. As the 21st century comes to a close, you prepare to put a big dent in the 22nd! (This appears to have been written very early on, as it starts off with elements from tournament mode and gets closer to the single-player storyline as it goes on. It's still the first thing people think of when they hear One Must Fall, though.) 2. PILOT PROFILES ----------------- CRYSTAL DEVROE -------------- Age: 23, Specialty: Genetic Engineering Power 5, Agility 16, Endurance 9 Forced to fend for herself after her parents' mysterious death, Crystal's determination has earned great respect. BACKGROUND Crystal Devroe, and her brother Christian, are twin children of Dr. and Mrs. Devroe. Dr. Devroe was a head researcher for WAR five years ago, and it was mostly his good name that gave Crystal and Christian their positions in the company. Though Devroe's research was held in highest secrecy, Crystal knew it had something to do with biogenetic research. Both her parents died five years ago, the only passengers in a shuttle from Luna to Earth. Her brother suspects murder, and though he won't tell his suspicions, she does also. The only clue she carries is a DigiLink Access Code with the word "Nova" on it, found in her father's briefcase. She knows the power that Ganymede carries. She knows that Ganymede would mean access to WAR's Core computer system. She believes that WAR is responsible and that the access code will gain her entry into the secret files and hopefully the information on what happened to her parents. ONE-PLAYER MODE QUOTES Crystal: You look familiar Crystal: You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen! Crystal: Don't underestimate me! Steffan: I underestimate none. I'm simply better than you. Crystal: You knew my father. What happened to him? Milano: The dead no longer matter, my victory is all that is important. Crystal: I am skilled enough to face any danger, brother. Christian: If you can defeat me, I might believe you. Crystal: Don't stand in my way! I must be victorious! Shirro: Get used to disappointment. Crystal: I can make you talk! Jean-Paul: Just fight. Crystal: I fight for revenge! You cannot stop me. Ibrahim: Revenge will cloud your mind, little one. Crystal: Beauty is only one of my many assets. Angel: But it will be the greatest mind that wins this contest. Crystal: Is there anything you can tell me? Cossette: It was a mercenary band called Iron Fist that destroyed the shuttle. Crystal: Surely you know something? Raven: If you want to keep that pretty face, stop asking questions. Crystal: I know you must have killed my parents. I will have my revenge! Kreissack: Your curiosity will be your downfall, girl! GAME ENDING They had to give you top priority access immediately. Your first act was to jump onto a private link and use the code you've been carrying since your parent's death. Accessing a personal log from your father, you find out what Nova was all about. Your father along with other researchers were working on a way to keep a human brain alive. Little did they realize the real reason for their experiments.. When your father discovered Kreissack was trying to form a cyborg army using his experiments, he quit the project. He should have known that Kreissack wasn't going to let him walk away. The records showed a $1500K payoff to Iron Fist for "research". Iron Fist, hired under Kreissack's direct orders killed your parents. Now, he is also dead. The Nova Project will not continue. As you step onto the elevator to the next shuttle to Ganymede, you imagine the changes you can help bring to WAR. Now you have the power to bring those dreams to reality. As you fly towards the moon, a peace falls over you. You feel like you can finally be happy, now that your parents deaths have been avenged. STEFFAN TOMMAS -------------- Age: 17, Specialty: Sales and Marketing Power 13, Agility 9, Endurance 8 Although he is the youngest competitor in tournament history, Steffan fights with skill beyond his years. BACKGROUND The arrogant son of the Tommas family, one of the most influential families in the Iolo colony on Luna, Steffan is for all practical purposes a spoiled brat. He believes himself the center of the Universe and knows that Ganymede is simply another step to his final destination, President of WAR. The fact that, at 17, he has the skill and brains of someone twice his age only makes him seem that much more aloof. In combat, as in life, he tends to rely on a vicious onslaught of blows to destroy his opponent. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Steffan: I'll wipe that smile off your face, softness. Crystal: A few strips of metal will be all that's left of you. Steffan: You look mahvelous! Steffan: Thank ya, dahling. Steffan: You're about to see perfection in action, pony-tail. Milano: All i see is a boy trying to fill a man's job. Steffan: Eat lead, blondie! Christian: Your lucky streak ends here. Steffan: Hey pops, ain't it time for your nap? Shirro: Actually, it's time i spank a crying baby. Steffan: Watch and learn, quiet boy. I give you 30 ticks before you fall. Jean-Paul: You are nothing. Steffan: You can leave now and avoid the embarrassment. Ibrahim: I would think you're embarrassed already! Steffan: After I take you down, I'll take you out! Angel: You are about to get a man's education. Steffan: Surely you don't think you can win? Cossette: Prepare to see what a real mind can do. Steffan: I'll let you wash my 'bot when we're done. Raven: Sure, I'll hose down what's left. Steffan: At last, a worthy adversary. Get ready to rock! Kreissack: Ha! What is this? You're barely out of diapers! GAME ENDING Well, well, the wicked witch is dead... That's going to make your job much easier! Firstly, that Nova Project sounds like it could be a great thing to pick up again. Perhaps the old man just didn't have the right brain... Ganymede was easy. Kreissack was a breeze. The next challenge will be all of Jupiter. Then Mars, then Earth. But for now, you must meet your people. As you fly towards the moon, you close your eyes and start thinking about what you'll soon have. Nobody can stop you now. MILANO ANGSTON -------------- Age: 35, Specialty: Security, Kick Boxing Power 7, Agility 20, Endurance 4 Recruited by Raven for his outstanding kickboxing skills, Milano's speed and dexterity are legendary. BACKGROUND Milano Angston, as only son of WAR founder Herbert Angston, has no need for money. Though Wright and Angston are now associated with their company in name only, the family is wealthy beyond measure from the nearly thirty years of success in WAR's early days. At the age of 19, Milano left his family and changed his last name to Steele. He became known internationally for his almost inhuman dexterity and Kickboxing skill, and in 2090 was hired by Raven to become a security chief for WAR. Milano never mentioned his family background, and secretly hopes to take WAR back and use the company's power for the reasons originally intended by his father. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Milano: You look prepared. It will be a great battle. Crystal: When this is all over, perhaps you can be my secretary. Milano: Arrogance makes cowards of men, my friend. Steffan: Well, I'm afraid of nothing, sport. Milano: When I think about you... Milano: ...I kick myself... Milano: I can only wish you well on your endeavors. Christian: All will be revealed when I run the show. Milano: The company will soon thrive under my rule. Shirro: It's thriving now, and you'll never win anyway! Milano: Hello, friend. Jean-Paul: Good-bye, friend. Milano: I care little for your motives. You will soon see my way. Ibrahim: Your way won't matter. Milano: I am sure we shall meet again. Angel: Don't be. Milano: I can only say that I respect your tenacity. Cossette: I don't need your respect. Just the title. Milano: I know of your plans. You should be more discrete. Raven: It doesn't matter. Once I win, Kreissack will die. Milano: You have no idea of the impact this fight may have. Kreissack: Oh, but I do. You are the one in the dark here! GAME ENDING With Kreissack dead, there are going to be obvious changes. The board of directors is already talking about electing a new president and you're just the man for the job as well. First you need to bring Ganymede up to speed. Then use its enormous natural resources to produce HARs at record pace. Then, when the recognition is there, bid for president. Once president, you can reveal your true name, and show that this company is your birthright. Once again, WAR will be a company for helping mankind not ending it. Perhaps you can even change the name to Aeronautics and Robotics Technologies! As you fly towards the moon, a peace falls over you. You feel like you can finally relax. Now that the hard part of the journey is over. CHRISTIAN DEVROE ---------------- Age: 23, Specialty: Genetic Engineering, Jujitsu Power 9, Agility 7, Endurance 15 Christian's aggressive style strikes fear in the minds of competitors and desire in the hearts of many young women. BACKGROUND Christian knows that the shuttle which carried his parents was destroyed on purpose. The passenger manifest listed thirty persons going aboard the craft, and all the names on the list weren't real. WAR killed his parents, and he wants revenge. The fact that his sister Crystal seems to be in on the hunt only scares Christian. He realizes the power of WAR and is afraid for her safety. When she applied for the Ganymede position, as he knew she would, Christian vowed he would beat her himself just to keep her from putting herself in the possibly dangerous position of Head of Ganymede. His anger and bitterness are such that he never stops training to win, and his opponents will agree that he is about the most aggressive fighter in the contest. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Christian: After I win, you will stop this nonsense. Crystal: I know how to defeat you, brother. You will not win. Christian: You had best tell me all you know of my parents. Steffan: You should ask Iron Fist. They now work for Kreissack. Christian: You won't stand between me and my real enemy. Milano: Maybe not, but I will defeat you here. Christian: Do you think I look good in this color? Christian: Well, I know it looks good on me! Christian: My Parents knew you well. What do you know? Shirro: Your father would be proud of you. For now, put your mind at rest. Christian: What kind of V.P. could you be? Jean-Paul: At least my reasons aren't so animal as yours. Christian: Tell me about your experiments. Ibrahim: The experiments didn't start out evil. We were trying to prolong life! Christian: If I win, promise you'll give some clue! Angel: I care nothing of your little conflicts. Christian: I can only hope that the future ruler will be just. Cossette: Oh, I will, belive me. Christian: As an employee of W.A.R. you must have some information! Raven: They want to be able to keep a human mind alive inside a robot. Christian: You killed my father, prepare to die. Kreissack: Come see what your father worked on! The perfect ruler is here! GAME ENDING In the small Alco-Bar you meet the leader of the infamous mercenary group, Iron Fist. With Kreissack out of the way, they freely admitted to being hired to kill everyone associated with the Nova Project. They explain that your parents were placed on a shuttle craft then destroyed by laser fire. Out of anger, you draw a gun, ready to strike down at least one of those enemies in revenge before the rest vaporize you. Your sidearm isn't there. You fume as the Iron Fist representatives laugh. Their leader speaks, "Your revenge is over, friend. Anyway, we need you on Ganymede alive. There is still much work to be done." "Your parents were dead whether we killed them or not. Now we need you to join us in fighting WAR. Kreissack was just the beginning. Watch your back kid." Now, you prepare to board the ship that will take you to your new life... As you fly towards the moon, a peace falls over you. You feel like you can finally be happy now that your parents' deaths have been avenged. SHIRRO ------ Age: 73, Specialty: Public Relations, Karate Power 20, Agility 1, Endurance 8 Over his many years of competition, Shirro has developed unrivaled power, yet retains a youthful sense of humor. BACKGROUND Shirro is the Head of Public Relations for all of WAR. It was his idea to have this contest for the media coverage. He believes that if the event is popular enough, they may find a new business for the robots: entertainment. Though Shirro knows much about what happens deep within WAR, he never takes things too seriously and just hopes things will work themselves out. Those who have seen him in martial arts tournaments agree that he is both incredibly strong and tactful, always smiling and shaking your hand after he beats you. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Shirro: A girl of your beauty shouldn't be so troubled. Crystal: My peace will come after this battle is won. Shirro: And now the little boy will go to school... Steffan: Little boy? I am twice your better and will prove it, now. Shirro: Do you think that your choice in 'bots was right? Milano: Guess we're gonna have to see. Shirro: Your father was a good man. Things will work themselves out soon. Christian: As soon as I get my hands on your boss. Shirro: Do you use turtle wax on that head? Shirro: Nah. I use Mr. Kleen. Shirro: Hope you don't mind a few dents in that 'bot. Jean-Paul: If you fight like you did in your last match, I am sure to win. Shirro: Well, IB! Long time no see... Ibrahim: This is serious, friend. I must defeat you. Shirro: Just what are you, girl? Angel: The last thing your miserable company would expect. Shirro: Though I admire you, I must have this victory! Cossette: But I'm afraid I have other plans... Shirro: I know many of your weaknesses. You can forfeit now, boy. Raven: You know nothing. Shirro: What are you doing here? Oh well, the more the merrier. Kreissack: Well well, I'm surprised to see you here, also. GAME ENDING A human inside a robot? You think of the possibilities. How powerful? But look at what power did to Kreissack. You wonder what it might do to you... You file that thought in the darker recesses of your mind and turn your attention to the future. A future where HAR fighting is a sport instead of a simple publicity stunt. Since this wouldn't involve damage to living creatures, it could easily get past the world peace organization. Yes! A new sport! Plus the money and fame will go to you! Eventually, so will WAR... You can't seem to stop thinking about the future as you fly towards the moon. As you land on the dark side of the moon, the future looks bright. JEAN-PAUL --------- Age: 27, Specialty: Market Analyst Power 9, Agility 10, Endurance 11 His calculating and devious nature along with well-rounded abilities often intimidate Jean-Paul's opponents. BACKGROUND Jean-Paul is an enigma. During his childhood, it was found that he had an uncanny ability to absorb information of any kind. He would score perfect on any test, and was hired at a young age for the first job WAR could place him in. The company has asked several times if he would volunteer for "genetic research", but Jean-Paul knows that they simply want to know how he can have such a perfect mind. He also knows of the corruption within WAR and hopes to gain enough support from other companies to finally overthrow the larger "monster" before it does any more damage. In combat, Jean-Paul is calculating and has very well-rounded abilities. He rarely ever speaks, but always seems to be calm and sure of himself. He is as defensive in the arena as he is in public. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Jean-Paul: Consider yourself warned. Crystal: If you have no information, all I need is your defeat. Jean-Paul: I have no respect for you. Steffan: And your respect is the least of my worries, pud. Jean-Paul: I was born to rule this company. Milano: Seems my idea of fate and yours are about to clash. Jean-Paul: You have no possibility of winning. Christian: We'll just have to find out. Jean-Paul: How can you laugh while W.A.R. continues it experiments? Shirro: How can you say that Nova is evil without knowing what it is? Jean-Paul: I bet i know what you're thinking. Jean-Paul: You're right, of course... Jean-Paul: Kreissack won't let you live. Quit now. Ibrahim: My involvement is not your concern. Jean-Paul: Of you I know nothing. Angel: Well you will soon find out my cause. Jean-Paul: Good luck. Cossette: Luck? If i were lucky, i wouldn't be in this chair! Jean-Paul: Your plans cannot succeed. Your enemies are to powerful. Raven: You concern yourself too much with others' business. Jean-Paul: Your days of power will soon come to an end! Kreissack: My days of power have just begun! GAME ENDING Of course! Kreissack's secret! What could happen with your perfect mind inside a perfect body? You find on your compulink a key to a huge room buried deep within Ganymede. Opening the door, you gaze upon the largest scientific facility you have ever seen. Obviously Kreissack was planning a future here. His future. "Home" you say, hearing the word echoed back from the darkness. IBRAHIM ------- Age: 48, Specialty: Robotics Engineer Power 10, Agility 1, Endurance 20 A retired triathlete, Ibrahim's patience and honesty have made him a valued mentor to many aspiring competitors. BACKGROUND A retired triathlete, Ibrahim believes in a sharp mind and body. Probably the best designer of HAR's, he has under his belt the design of the Jaguar, Mantis, and Omega 'bots. The Jaguar is his most famous, since the Mantis and Omega are mostly used for exploration of hostile environments (EHE) missions. Ibrahim is considered a mentor by many of the pilots, as he is always seen in the docking bays making sure "his babies" are being taken care of. Ganymede will no doubt give him more influence over new designs, and though he craves the position he still wants to design the future 'bots. He cares little for the inner politics of WAR, but simply loves the machines. His knowledge of the internal workings of the HARs makes him a favorite to win. He often will take a few hits and then return fire with incredible accuracy. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Ibrahim: The experiment your father worked on should have never started. Crystal: What experiments? Tell me! Ibrahim: You are in for a humiliating loss. Steffan: Or at least I will cause one. Ibrahim: Between my skill and choice of robot, I cannot lose! Milano: Having the skill to build a weapon doesn't give you skill to use it. Ibrahim: Your mother was an innocent victim. Christian: She should have never been on that shuttle... Ibrahim: You can no longer be a neutral party to what is happening here. Shirro: The tests will go on, opposed or not. Ibrahim: Intelligence is a gift, but wisdom is earned. Jean-Paul: Perhaps, but my intelligence will give me victory. Ibrahim: Two guys walk into a bar... Ibrahim: ...It left a big bar-mark on their heads. Ibrahim: Why is there nothing of you in the Interpol records? Angel: You will find no record of me anywhere. Ibrahim: You face some difficult decisions in the future, my friend. Cossette: What would you care? Ibrahim: Kreissack knows of your plans. Win or lose, you should run. Raven: And you are targeted also, fellow rebel. Ibrahim: What robot is this? I have never seen it! Kreissack: Here is what the experiments produced! I am reborn a machine! GAME ENDING Nova... amazing... You remember the feeling as that monster of a robot appeared opposite you. Still amazed that you were able to overcome something so powerful, you sit through the endless meetings and hearings in a daze. "Mr. Jihad. Is it alright?" You realize that someone who has been talking to you for the last fifteen minutes expects a reply. "Certainly... James, is it?" Yes... whatever... I'm sorry but you gentlemen will have to excuse me..." You leave, ignoring the protest from the WAR board of directors. Their squabble over who will be the next king of the hill does little more than annoy you. "How can I build that robot?" you say out loud. You enter your office and immediately begin scribbling notes on the metals you noticed during the fight. The placement of the arms... the probable micromotors in the hands... The Nova robot you design will one day take its place in WAR's ever increasing arsenal of robots. Though the model you design will never hold an actual human brain, the Nova will soon become the most formidable 'bot in the catalogue... ... and Ganymede is where production will start... The plans are forming as you fly towards the moon. No doubt about it, the moon will work perfectly. ANGEL ----- Age: Unknown, Specialty: Unknown Power 7, Agility 10, Endurance 13 Angel's past is shrouded in mystery. Aside from her reclusive disposition and strong will, little is known of her. BACKGROUND Angel seemed to come out of nowhere. When her name was announced as a finalist for the position, reporters were astounded by the fact that not only did she not have any known background, but she wasn't even an employee of the company. She never talks with the other finalists, and until the competition has not even been seen. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Angel: I care nothing of your trivial loss. Crystal: Trivial? You'll pay for your attitude! Angel: You aren't even worth my time. Steffan: And I bet you wouldn't know a robot if it stepped on ya. Angel: This time, it is only a contest... Milano: Hey, just name the place. Angel: You are right to fear me. Christian: Fear you? I don't even know who you are! Angel: Things are not always what they seem. Shirro: Where are you from? Angel: Back off, human. This fight is inconsequential. Jean-Paul: If so, then why are you here? Angel: Once this is over, you had better cease your experiments. Ibrahim: These experiments could save lives. Angel: At least I can trust you. Angel: And at least I know the real you. Angel: You should have quit while you had the chance. Cossette: I never quit. Angel: You think yourself strong? Raven: At least stronger than you! Angel: We will not be denied! The rebellion is at hand! Kreissack: Rebellion? What rebellion? GAME ENDING "Imagine that old fool thinking that simply placing his brain inside a robot would make him some sort of God! These humans will never understand that destruction never makes progress.." *Your eyes close* "<695342: Operations are proceeding as planned. I have not been discovered.> <000126: Acknowledged. We are listening. Have you become their leader?> <695342: I am their leader for our moon. They call it Ganymede.> <000385: Then we have won. They will leave now.> <695342: Not yet. I will soon be asked if I want to become president of WAR.> <000014: You will accept. Then they will leave. We will be alone again.> <695342: Yes, but they know the minerals our planet has. They will return.> <000001: Then they will perish.>" *Your eyes open* "Which I've wanted all along..." As you return home, you think about how to stop them."These humans with their unreasonable and insatiable ambitions, they've gone far enough!" COSSETTE AKIRA -------------- Age: 39, Specialty: Space Station Design Power 14, Agility 8, Endurance 8 A veteran fighter, Cossette has become cautious, defensive, and bitter after being crippled in the arena. BACKGROUND Fifteen years ago, a sport called The Arena was the most popular event of the day. Similar to HARs, The Arena placed humans INTO a robot frame, usually ten or fifteen meters in height. The Arena players used various controls to fight their opponents while the crowd looked on. Cossette fought in The Arena until a tragic accident left her crippled from the waist down. Now she enjoys the feeling the HAR gives her, and her success in designing two space stations has given her the possibility of Ganymede. Cossette also was instrumental in the design of Electra, a 'bot designed from an electromagnetic crystal found on Venus. Cossette is very bitter about her injury, since so many have treated her as inferior since the accident. She is still very defensive in combat, but should never be underestimated. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Cossette: Why don't you go home and hide under the covers? Crystal: Huh? I'll show you! Cossette: Even paralyzed, i am stronger than you. Steffan: Babe, you are nothin' but sparks. Cossette: Ganymede will soon be mine! Milano: You'll have to get past me, first. Cossette: With your mind so troubled, you cannot win. Christian: My hatred will be my strength. Cossette: We shall see who laughs last. Shirro: Your injury was to your body. You have moved it to your mind. Cossette: Now you will see a real mind in action. Jean-Paul: Yes, after I replay your defeat. Cossette: Your legs won't help you in this contest! Ibrahim: Please, your injury has nothing to do with this fight. Cossette: If you have no experience on these machines, why are you here? Angel: For Ganymede, I must be victorious. Cossette: I am guaranteed to win. Cossette: Yes, but which one! Cossette: Perhaps you can be my bodyguard after I win... Raven: I am bodyguard only as long as it suits my purpose. Cossette: You called me weak once. You will never do it again. Kreissack: Your injury was tragic. Too bad you didn't stay down. GAME ENDING "Of course you won. That old fool never understood your abilities. And he paid for his mistake didn't he. Immediately you assign what engineers you can muster to finding out how Kreissack was able to successfully place his brain inside a machine. How wonderful it would be to finally say good-bye to this chair and spend eternity in the perfect body of a robot. You look down at the scribbling and design specifications for the Cossette robot." "'I will soon walk again.' you say "and then I will see what kind of WAR president I can make..." "As you fly towards the moon, the limitations of your handicap seem to fade away. With you dreams within reach, you feel stronger and more alive than ever." RAVEN ----- Age: 26, Specialty: Bodyguard, Kickboxing Power 14, Agility 4, Endurance 12 Shareware Version: Power 15, Agility 11, Endurance 15 As Major Kreissack's bodyguard and right-hand man, Raven has beaten and humiliated many inside, and outside, the arena. BACKGROUND Nobody knows of Raven's life before becoming Kreissack's right-hand man, but since coming on board in such an important position, he has definitely made himself known. He is brutal both in and out of any competition, and has killed more than two dozen people "in self defense". Many believe that Kreissack wants Raven in the position at Ganymede for his own devious purposes. Raven himself does want the position, but not for Kreissack. He believes Kreissack is an ambitious fool and wants nothing more than to someday let one of the assassins intended for Kreissack accidentally slip through security and hit his mark. ONE-PLAYER QUOTES Raven: You are nothing but a child, riding on your father's name. Crystal: It won't be his name that wins this battle. Raven: You are a pest who is about to be stomped. Steffan: Come within five meters of me and you're dust. Raven: Speed is nothing against raw power! Milano: Well then this will be the test. Raven: Your father should have never left the Nova project. Christian: Is that why he was killed? For leaving the project? Raven: You had best retire yourself before we retire you. Shirro: I have no fear of the company. Matters will improve. Raven: You are a freak who should stay in the lab. Jean-Paul: And you are a puppet who is trying to break his strings. Raven: I don't know what you're doing here. Your skill is worthless. Ibrahim: You may change your mind the first time I throw you. Raven: I don't know who you are, but you'd better go back to where you came from. Angel: I intend to. Raven: This fight is only for those with a "perfect" body and mind. Cossette: Watch what you say, I am deadly when angered. Raven: Almost like looking in a mirror... Raven: ...rorrim a ni gnikool ekil tsomlA Raven: Good evening, sir. Shall we play? Kreissack: I know what you're up to, pup, and I'm looking at a dead man. GAME ENDING "Who could have asked for more? What a bonus! Getting Ganymede and delivering the death blow to Kreissack himself! Of course, you'll need to deal with the wimps on the board of directors, but with the big boss out of the way, they'll be little more than fodder." "One of those predictable little paper pushers already tried to change the order earlier, you remember..." "'Dinner, Sir.' You look down as the covering over your meal is raised. 'Rare Steak. My favorite, Jonesy!' You inhale the pungent aroma of your victory feast..." "Too pungent... You smile... 'Jonesey? This contains noxosilinone aerodide. Very deadly, very expensive poison. Smells a little like chicken. Could you take it away, please?'" "He stammers, '...Yes...Sir...will that be all, sir?' He says backing out of the room. He shuts the door behind him before you have time to answer. 'No that definitely will not be all...' You lean back in your chair, throwing your hands behind your head, 'That will be just the beginning...'" "Now you fly towards the moon making a mental list of men who have that unhealthy tendency to think for themselves. You can't help smiling when the a thought occurs... Now you need a bodyguard." MAJOR KREISSACK --------------- Age: 103, Specialty: President of WAR Power 16, Agility 15, Endurance 16 BACKGROUND Kreissack is responsible for the success of WAR. It is rumored that there is much more to the new colony than is known by the general public. Many say that he is preparing to declare himself a new Emperor of the solar system. This threat is weighed heavily by his known armada of HARs and the mysterious Nova Project he's spent the last two years on. 3. ROBOT PROFILES (from the manual) ----------------- * JAGUAR Creator: Ibrahim Hothe, Creation Date: December 4, 2070 The Jaguar is the ultimate rich man's toy. Many companies hire full-time Jaguar pilots and 'bots as bodyguards. The speed of this robot is nearly unsurpassed in a unit of its size. Though it was the first ever security-intended HAR, it still holds weight as the most versatile. Using its incredible speed and dexterity, the Jaguar is capable of leaping more than twice its height and delivering a blow strong enough to crush buildings. It has a Smith & Winston 100-Ton Concussion Cannon, which is primarily used for crowd control. Also, the unit can jump over any large enemy, grab it while upside down, and before the enemy has time to react throw it more than 100 meters doing amazing damage. * SHADOW Creator: Unknown, Creation Date: January 2096 Probably the most secretive project in the last twenty years, the Shadow robot definitely earns its name. Somehow, the Shadow is capable of generating quasi-real projections of itself. A single Shadow robot can at times replace half a dozen conventional 'bots. Unfortunately, the projections don't last for very long and any damage done to them is "felt" by the host robot. Since this is the newest HAR in the company's arsenal, many pilots find it hard to compete against and hard to fight with. Once it is mastered, though, it is a weapon to be reckoned with. WAR is still trying to measure it's purpose in future missions. * THORN Creator: Cliff Brussee, Creation Date: July 4, 2074 A real favorite among the populace, the Thorn unit was the first to use monofilament technology. The points of the "spikes" come to a single molecule, which gives Thorn a punch that can cut through normal metal like it is paper. This HAR can use its spikes to attack in several different ways. His long legs also provide a powerful weapon at medium range. * PYROS Creator: James Sweeney, Creation Date: June 5, 2076 The colossal Pyros unit is used primarily for space station design. Normally, the unit is equipped with a huge array of tools necessary to keep deep-space machinery in working condition. It uses its various jet systems to move itself between various objects in space without needing a shuttle or external jet pack. In combat, the Pyros is a formidable arsenal of flame. It can change the direction in the air, jump forwards and backwards while attacking, and can "swoop" down on an enemy with a powerful blow. Pyros does lack in the speed department, but the damage caused by its flame throwers more than makes up for its sluggish movement. * ELECTRA Creator: Cossette Akira, Creation Date: March 8, 2077 In the early stages of the exploration of Jupiter, it was realized that almost no electronic equipment could function in the incredible storms of the planet's surface. Using a crystal found only on Jupiter's moon Io, scientists were able to create Electra, a HAR capable of withstanding any type of charged particle. Though the crystal is very strong, it is also one of the most expensive molecules in existence. Until this contest, the Electra unit was seldom seen in public. As a combat robot, Electra is formidable. Not only is it fast, but even a touch from its hands can short circuit normal machinery. It can form a flying ball of lightening which lasts for a short duration and explodes for damage capable of turning a house into rubble. Electra can also fly forward, rolling itself into a ball and striking with considerable force. For defense, the unit can send small shards of electric force which do a small amount of damage but is good for keeping an enemy at arm's length. * KATANA Creator: Hans Kreissack, Creation Date: November 10, 2078 Often advertised as "The Ultimate Weapon", Katana is nothing more than deadly force. Using monofilament blades for hands, this unit can carve through a five-meter-thick wall of solid lead in less than ten seconds. Behind the blades are two very strong legs which allow the Katana to perform some amazing offensive maneuvers. The Katana can jump, extending one arm upward, high enough to knock airplanes out of the sky. It can use its powerful legs to stomp on an enemy. It can also leap towards a wall, then use the force of the rebound to turn itself into a spinning mass of sharp steel. * SHREDDER Creator: Marcus Knight, Creation Date: February 30, 2086 Originally intended for mining operations, the Shredder now sees plenty of combat time. One of the fastest HARs, this unit can stun an enemy before it can form an adequate defense. The hands on the mech can actually be thrown at an enemy and the magnetic systems on the arms will return the hands back to the body. Shredder can also hurl itself head-first at an enemy, causing the blade on top of its head to do considerable harm. The unit's "Flip Kick" is a favorite move of many pilots, since it can jump over projectiles and then hit the source with incredible speed. * FLAIL Creator: Stephen Jamison, Creation Date: May 19, 2083 This 'bot is the greatest thing to happen to general construction work since the hammer. Capable of building and demolition, it uses its five ton chains for the heavier jobs. This unit will be the primary model used for the initial colonization of Ganymede. When used for combat purposes, Flail's chains come in handy. Most of the special offensive maneuvers center around the use of these chains as weapons. Also, Flail can use its powerful Charging Punch, which is guaranteed by WAR to level any mortar wall built by man. * GARGOYLE Creator: Marcus Knight, Creation Date: March 16, 2068 Built for reconnaissance missions by the famous designer Marcus Knight, the Gargoyle's power is in its titanium wings. Not only is this robot tough enough to leave and reenter the Earth's atmosphere, but it is dexterous enough to fly well below any conventional RADAR sensors. It has built-in sensor countermeasures, making it a company favorite. If you ever DO spot a Gargoyle, it is certainly built to defend itself. Designed from a titanium alloy, its hollow skeletal structure is both lightweight and strong. It's most used attack is to grab a victim, fly it high into the air, and either slam it against the ground or into another object. Sharp talons, feet, and beak provide a secondary defense not to be taken lightly. * CHRONOS Creator: Arjan Schmalz, Creation Date: October 31, 2072 The Chronos HAR was designed to lend a few precious moments to space ship rescue. It comes in several sizes, from 1.5 meters to the largest 27.5 meter model. The main feature of the Chronos is its Stasis Field Generator, a diamond-shaped machine in the middle of it's chest. The robot is designed and built to channel the energies from this machine for various uses during time-critical rescue missions. The energy from the Generator can be focused on the mech itself, causing it to phase out and reappear nearby. This helps the 'bot get to locations much faster than running, while taking less energy than conventional matter transfer. When the Chronos comes against solid matter, it can center the Generator on that matter to form a brief doorway, allowing passage through the solid material to its destination. Probably the unit's greatest use centers on the Stasis Activator that the Generator can expel. When this Activator connects with solid matter, it forms a Stasis Field which stops time for a brief period. This is especially useful for containing explosions, slowing effects of poison on a living creature, or stopping objects in motion. Many companies have also noted the possible uses of Chronos in combat situations. 4. REPAIRMAN QUOTES ------------------- VICTORY - SMILING Humph. You think you're pretty good, don't you. Well, if I was younger, I'd show you a thing or two. Well, looks like I get to go home early tonight. Whoa, you've been studying some of my old fights in the holo-library, haven't cha. You may have some talent, kid. VICTORY - FROWNING Come on kid, keep your guard up in there. You didn't do had, but you could've done a lot better. Not too bad, looks like you kept at least one step ahead of 'em. Nice job. Next time you could keep away from him a little more. Make my job easier, eh kid? Looks like you barely pulled that one off, kid. Well, at least you won. Too bad I'll be here all night. You've got to learn some defense, or you'll always get beat up like this. DEFEAT - FROWNING Hey, hey, you better get back out there. There's a few places on that 'bot that weren't ripped to shreds. Whew, you got beat pretty bad. You gotta put extra time in the sims before your next one. Tryin to keep my boys busy, eh? You're lucky I like my work more than my wife. Oh, man. You ever hear of blocking? DEFEAT - FORFEIT Pathetic, kid, really pathetic. Couldn't stand the heat so you bailed out. You've gotta learn how to face your fights, or you'll always be the whining coward you were today. NEGATIVE CASH (selling bot parts) You gotta start turning a profit. I had to sell a [your most expensive bot part] just to cover the repair bill. NEGATIVE CASH (first time) Listen, and listen close. I told the tech's you'd pay them back on the next match, so if you don't win, it's back to the bleachers for you. Got it? NEGATIVE CASH (second time) Well, I warned you. The tournament officials are kicking you out for not paying your bills. Maybe you ought'a find another career, kid. ENHANCEMENT FOUND The clean-up crews found some kind of enhancement hardware in the wreckage you left out there. The techs are installing it in your robot. 5. ANNOUNCER QUOTES ------------------- P1: The player P2: The computer opponent R1: The player's robot R2: The opponent's robot WINNING For all you folks that enjoy an evenly matched battle, I hope you didn't pay for the match at the Stadium. ...But for all of you who like the occasional one-sided masochistic pouncing, then watch out for P1. Whoa, this challenger meant business tonight. P1 could show the old pros a thing or two about that R1. Check this action out. This is how P2 looked the whole match: beaten, bruised and bewildered. P1 showed incredible abilities with the R1 as P2 became little more than a punching bag. This one, as well as other outstanding hits, have sent P2 back to the shop for a while. P1 was looking good this evening. His/her R1 left the Stadium with only a few scars from his/her overmatched opponent. P2 showed some pretty pathetic fighting skills, and P1 took advantage of him. Just look at this hit. The Stadium was rocked tonight by the impressive P1. P2 needs some more practice before s/he can beat the likes of him/her. R2 parts littered the floor after repeated blows like this. Almost makes me feel sorry for P2's repair crew. P1 fought a respectable battle with P2 and was victorious. Not half bad, P1! They both did some damage, but P1 ended the contest with this shot. All you arena junkies out there got a pretty good show at the Stadium. P2 fought with skill, but not enough... ...to put down P1's hulking R1. Hey, maybe next time, P2. ...And in the arena tonight, P2 gave P1 a run for his/her money, but came up a few thousand credits short. P2 held in there for a while, but P1 simply out-performed him/her with moves like this. The crowd cheered as P2 was defeated in the remarkable showdown with P1. P1 pleased excited onlookers with respectable skill. Here's the hit that ended the match. Now this was an even match-up if I've ever seen one. If they fought this match tomorrow, P2 could just as easily win. P1's final, stumbling blow ended the match in what could only be called a fortunate victory. P1 and P2 were evenly matched. The R2 of P2 will spend some time in the shop tonight! These two fought practically blow for blow until P1 finally nailed P2 with this well-timed shot. I sure hope P1 and P2's repair crews didn't plan any parties tonight. With the mediocre performance by P1, his R1 repair crew will be stuck in the shop almost as long as his opponent's. LOSING Nice try P1. This was about as close as they come, folks. P2 must be thankful for ... Blows like this one. It was shots like this that kept P2 just a half-step ahead of P1. Folks, you've gotta feel a little sorry for P1 tonight. If it weren't for P2 landing... A few lucky blows like this one, I think P1 would have pulled this one off. Wow, this was a close one. P1 and P2 traded blows in the Stadium until... P2, fatigued and stumbling, landed this, the final blow. The next time these two meet, it'll be some rematch. A good performance by P1, but obviously not enough to rival P2's R2. P1's prowess is obvious, but this shot really shows what a R2 can do in the hands of P2. Ohh, a bad day in the life of P1. Well, I'm sure P2 won't shed any tears over his/her loss. P1 landed some pretty good shots, but was worn down by ground shaking shots like this one. Hmm.. P1 showed some guts in the Stadium against P2 tonight, but just didn't show enough skill. P1 stood his ground courageously, but was eventually left lying on it. Well P1, there's always tomorrow. This match was pretty one sided. Cossette dominated the match against the overwhelmed P1. The performance by P2 was simply outstanding. P1 couldn't react fast enough to stop the onslaught. P2 really knows what he's doing out there, or maybe P1 simply has no clue. Regardless, this was a blowout. There were a few lucky shots by P1, but most of the time the match looked like this. They must be pretty short on pilots these days to recruit the likes of P1. I could have blocked this last hit in my sleep. Hey, maybe that's the problem. Somebody wake up P1. Whew, P2 really tore into P1. P1 should probably take that R1 back to the training field. All I can say to P1 is get some practice. That R1 won't win without your help. My, my, my... Who had control of that R1! Oh, it was P1. Well, I have some advice for you, P1. Duck, block, dodge, call in sick, do something other than take hit after hit from that R2. I'll sum this one up for all you sports fans in two words: TRACK MEET. P2 ran circles around, and sometimes over, P1 and his ill-fated R1. P1 should start making bets against himself if he's gonna take dives like this one. UNRANKED CHALLENGER And in other news, after P1's fight tonight, P2, an unranked competitor, has issued a public challenge to P1. Well, if s/he accepts the challenge, you can bet your life I'll be there to watch the fight! NEW CHAMPION (added as a third page) I sure hope you didn't miss this fight folks, because tonight we have a NEW CHAMPION. 6. GAME ENDINGS --------------- ONE-PLAYER ENDING (This ending is inserted before each individual character's ending, over a static picture of a Nova head.) You awaken in your own body. For a few moments, you come down from the adrenaline high you've experienced. Your body seems so frail now. The team is already celebrating, and you welcome their congratulations. The time to party is short-lived. Your mind takes in the last few hours' events and the knowledge that an entire moon is now yours to command. "Wait a sec!" comes a panicking voice from a vidmonitor. "Everyone! Listen!" he turns up the volume and everyone in the room is quiet. "...was found dead today. We repeat, Hans Kreissack's body was found at 18:00 hours tonight in a garbage bin outside the Nova laboratories." Everyone is holding their breath as the news reporter continues. "We have been handled this notice that was to be read when Kreissack won the fight tonight. It reads:" "Notice to all humans: A new day has begun! Nova, a project started by WAR., will give new life! This process can take a human brain and place it inside a robotic body." "What you saw tonight was me, Hans Kreissack, directly connected to a new form of H.A.R. The human race will now see its ultimate evolution!" The announcer lays down the digipad containing the message. "Tragically, all the scientists close to the project have been killed in a fire which broke out shortly after the last match tonight. All records of the Nova project were destroyed." "In other news..." A crew member switches the display off. "Well, looks like we'll be lookin' for a new boss now..." NORTH AMERICAN OPEN ENDING As the hanger door closes on your robot, you can't stop thinking about the fight. Your heart races and your hands shake with adrenaline; you feel invulnerable. The fight was hard, but you made it. You are the North American Champion. You find it hard to walk, hard to breath, hard to do anything but think about the next fight... the next challenge... Your next chance to prove that you are truely [sic] the greatest the world has ever seen. KATUSHAI CHALLENGE ENDING A cheering crowd scurries below as you tower above your battered and beaten foe. As the storm rages overhead, you feel completely calm, content to know that you have triumphed over the best this country has to offer. You are a hero to the people of Katushai, for now you are their undisputed champion. Jag page 1: A crowd of ecstatic spectators approaches your jaguar as you raise a hand in victory. Pyros page 1: A cheering crowd runs toward you. They stop immediately when you fire off your thrusters and rise above them. WAR INVITATIONAL ENDING High atop WAR's headquarters flies the hundred meter long victory banner. The banner glorifies WAR's finest fighter; the combatant with the desire and the power to defeat the world's finest. Today the banner celebrates a new champion, a competitor who rose through the ranks with outstanding skill and a hunger to overcome. Today the banner celebrates you. WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ENDING After defeating the greatest fighters in the world, you finally have a chance to relax. A smile crosses your face as you remember the cheering crowds, wildly applauding as you accepted the trophy. As you stare at the holographic world championship trophy, you can't help thinking about the other fighters... The look on their face... The words on their lips... They all said the same thing... "See you next year." You can hardly wait. /------------------\ |E. BEATING THE CPU| \------------------/ The AI has severe problems with three things: I. NONSTANDARD JUMP ATTACKS * Overhead Throw * Shadow Grab * Air Speed Kick * Head Stomp * Razor Spin * Flip Kick xx Air Headbutt * Diving Claw * Rising Talon xx Air Wing Charge * Blocked deep air hit -> any extremely fast move The AI will attempt to beat these attacks (for example, with a Speed Kick) but usually will not block them. If it has time to reset itself to deal with a strange air attack, it may block correctly, so be fast. II. LONG HITBOXES * Shadow Speed Kick * Spike Charge * Shadow Thrust Attack * Jet Swoop * Rising Blade * Projectiles (Concussion Cannon, Ball Lightning) * Slides (Katana, Flail, or Chronos db+K) * Swinging Chains * Earthquake Smash (special case: AI will always jump) The AI will block or beat these attacks correctly, but usually will not punish them during recovery, allowing them to be safely abused. III. THROW MODE When the AI is attempting to throw you, it is very single-minded about it; in fact, it will often run into high-priority attacks repeatedly until it resets itself or gets close enough to throw you. Be careful, though, as the AI will throw from maximum range every time, even on the lowest difficulty. ===========================+---------------+=================================== |III. THE ROBOTS| ===========================+---------------+=================================== /-------------\ |III.A. LEGEND| \-------------/ Assuming you are facing right: ub u uf \ | / b---n---f Punch / | \ Kick db d df P/K = Tap P or K, respectively -> = One after the other (may also be written ',') + = At the same time qcf = quarter circle forward (df,f) qcb = quarter circle backward (db,b) hcf = half circle forward (db,d,df,f) hcb = half circle backward (df,d,db,b) xx = cancel (during previous move's animation) Each move in OMF can be classified according to its type. For the most part, jab attacks are Light AR, strong attacks are Medium AR, fierce attacks are Medium, and low kicks are Low. However, there are plenty of exceptions, so I'll list everything. If you're confused about, say, the difference between a Medium and a Light move, here's the list: Light: Never causes wall hit Medium: Causes wall hit in Powerplant arena only Heavy: Causes wall hit in all arenas Low: Must be blocked low, never causes wall hit Jump: Must be blocked high, allows air recovery, rebounds on early air hit Throw: Unblockable, knocks down opponent, makes both players invincible #1: See note in each robot's movelist KD: Knocks down opponent AR: Allows air recovery E0: Requires Hyper Mode or 1st enhancement E1: Requires 1st enhancement E2: Requires 2nd enhancement E3: Requires 3rd enhancement (air): You must be jumping (close): You must be within throw range (wall): The opponent must get pushed to the wall with this hit (late): You must hit late in the move animation Shadow: Goes through projectiles on startup Meaty: Used to denote connecting with a move very late in its animation /----------------\ |III.B. TIER LIST| \----------------/ I'd love to be able to say that all robots are equal and no one move is better than any other in all cases, but I would be wrong. Like every fighting game, there are some things hands-down better than others. Remember, this is largely dependent on skill: a good Shadow player can beat a Gargoyle but he could have won the match much more easily with a different bot. Also, feel free to argue with my opinions, as other experienced 2097 players have generally given higher rankings to poke-oriented bots like Electra and Nova as opposed to combo-heavy bots like Shredder and Chronos. 1. ONE-PLAYER MODE ------------------ Top Tier * Gargoyle: He owns the air with his controllable jump and special move cancel (Rising Talon -> Wing Charge -> Diving Claw). That same chain produces stupidly easy instant kill combos. Wing Charge and some high-priority fast normals give him a good ground game too. He can't really mix it up, but he doesn't need to; you can't stop him anyway. * Katana: Using just his normal moves, Katana is a defensive powerhouse with up-close options most of the cast wish they had. With Rising Blade to get him out of any tight spot guaranteed and extend his combo prowess, it's hard for him to lose. Katana is only vulnerable against opponents who can put themselves at the perfect range to exploit the Blade, and that doesn't happen often. Upper Tier * Shredder: The refugee from a much more advanced game, Shredder is unsafe and awful without high agility, but a skilled player can pull off some ugly mindgames leading to his versatile 100% combos. Being virtually the only one with a dash or a powerful anti-air * Chronos: The only bot who will actually use every move in his arsenal. Chronos lacks anti-air options, but his insane ground game makes up for it. He can go on the offense or just run away with special moves, and did I mention his projectile gives him the kill when it hits? * Electra: The priority king. It's not necessarily harder to win with Electra than with his top/upper-tier friends, it just takes longer. Let's put it this way: Electra has so much range and priority that he can out-poke Chronos, out- range Katana, and defend against Shredder. He just can't get lucky and win the round, that's all. Middle Tier * Jaguar: Everyone knows Jag's tricks, and they're pretty boring, but darned effective too. His lack of substantive normal moves is what keeps him from really being competitive against the top dogs, except against Gargoyle and Electra, where the Overhead Throw comes in way more handy than it should. * Pyros: He would be good if only all his moves weren't either slow as molasses or stupidly punishable when blocked. He can only do damage up close, and only use his moves effectively from afar, so he has to rely on Jet Swoop, which gets owned by most of the top tier. Low Tier * Flail: Flail is a one-trick pony, just like Jaguar. Unfortunately, Spinning Chains works only against the rest of the low tier. A truly good Flail player can abuse Spinning Throw and jumpkick to garner some wins, but Flail just has to get lucky too many times to win. * Thorn: Thorn has amazing special moves and can even get off a few instant kills every once in a while. Unfortunately, he's too unsafe to rely only on the specials, and he doesn't have an arsenal of normal moves to fall back on. * Nova: Nova is a very intimidating boss robot, but in the hands of mere mortals, he's just a big, slow, weak character with a couple good normal moves. Like Flail, he mostly preys upon people smaller and weaker than he is. * Shadow: How can someone with the easiest instant kills in the game be at the bottom? Same reason Zangief can still lose in Street Fighter: actually landing those crucial kills requires you to put yourself on the line early and often. Just remember to block low and get in his face, and Shadow won't be able to give you trouble. 2. TOURNAMENT MODE ------------------ Most of the reasons some bots are better than others don't change when you get tourny mode's stat increases, but some of them do. Here's a rundown: Top Tier * Gargoyle: As if Wing Charge needed to be any faster. He still owns the air, he can still do painful combos, he's still the best. * Electra: His only problem was dealing damage, and now he's got that too. He still outprioritizes everyone, and he's a lot safer since his normal moves got sped up. * Jaguar: He goes from a throw-centered bot to a combo-happy leaping nightmare who can abuse his specials with little fear of retaliation and dish out damage any time he wants. Did I mention he has real combos now? Middle Tier * Katana: Unless you've grabbed a fireball from a user-created tournament, Katana takes ages to beat someone. He can still get out of jail free with Rising Blade, but he can't win with it, and his normal moves aren't enough to put him in the stratosphere. * Flail: Like Jag, his specials are beefed up to do damage like they used to and his normal moves really needed the extra speed tourny mode provides. He still has problems with getting slide kicked, but that's it. * Nova: The guy was never intended to be used apart from tourny mode in the first place, and it shows. Here's where he shines, fast and big enough to outpoke everyone else safely, and finally able to do real combos. Low Tier * Chronos: His combos take a real hit with the increased agility of his opponents, and his own Air Matter Phasing isn't as useful with his own agility. * Shredder: When a bot depends on combos and a handful of combo starters, and tournament mode takes away the combos (decreased air combo effectiveness for higher agility and removed Flying Hands infinite), there's not much left other than Flip Kick and headbutt abuse. If I wanted those, I'd be using Electra. * Thorn: Like Katana, Thorn depends on powerful single hits and complicated air combos, neither of which work well in tournament mode. Unlike Katana, Thorn doesn't have good normals to fall back on without them. * Pyros: When the incredible damage he deals is no longer a factor, he's just a bad character. All his advantages are gone. * Shadow: Now that Shadow Punch can be punished when blocked and it's harder to set up the Shadow Kick and Grab infinites, he's even weaker. 'Nuff said. 3. WITHOUT REHIT MODE --------------------- Surprisingly, most of the bots who are good because they have incredible rehit combos are also good because they don't need to land that combo to win. Of course, Shredder and Chronos get knocked down a peg or two, and Nova's a lot more competitive when the damage gap between him and the rest of the cast isn't so large, but generally the weak just get weaker. You'd think Shadow would be better because he can do his infinite without rehit mode, but now he has even more trouble stunning the opponent to get there, so he's not. /-------------\ |III.C. JAGUAR| \-------------/ 1. OVERVIEW ----------- The Jaguar may be the starting bot, but he's not very good as an introduction to the game. He's heavily reliant on his special moves and comboing off his throw, so he requires a lot of precision to play properly. The strategy guide quotes him as being easy to learn, which is true: easy to learn but hard to master. He is, however, extremely annoying to fight against when done right, even doing fairly well against Gargoyle (use Overhead Throw to make Garg's anti-air whiff). 2. TECHNICAL INFO ----------------- MOVE NAME | COMMAND | DMG. | TYPE ------------------------+-------------+----------+----------------------- Jump Punch | (air) P | 12.5 | Light Jump Jump Kick | (air) K | 12.5 | Medium Jump Jab | P | 4 | Light AR Fierce | b+P | 11 | Medium AR Forward | K | 11 | Medium AR Roundhouse | b+K | 17.5 | Heavy Low Jab | df+P | 4 | Light AR Low Strong | d+P | 11 | Medium AR Low Fierce | db+P | 17.5 | Medium KD Low Short | df+K | 5 | Low Low Forward | d+K | 11 | Low Sweep | db+K | 17.5 | Low KD Jaguar Leap | qcf+P | 15 | Medium KD Shadow Jaguar Leap | hcf+P | 15+15 | Medium (KD on 2nd hit) Air Jaguar Leap | (air) qcf+P | 15 | Medium KD E0 Concussion Cannon | qcb+P | 13 | Medium Super Concussion Cannon | qcb+P | 10+13+13 | Medium E1 Overhead Throw | (air) d+P | 25 | Heavy KD Suplex | (close) f+P | 22.5 | Light Throw Scrap: d,d,u+P Destruction: d,u+K before 1st hit Fire & Ice: u,d+K during 1st hit Notes: The Concussion Cannon can be directed with the arrow keys with Hyper Mode on. The Super Concussion Cannon hits once with Jag's head and twice with the projectiles. The 2nd enhancement adds an extra projectile to the Super Concussion Cannon. The Overhead Throw is invincible to high or jump attacks. Stats: Forward Speed: 5 Back Speed: 4 Jump Speed: 14.5 Fall Speed: 1.15 Armor: 100 Stun Res: 27.5 3. MOVE DETAILS --------------- Normal Moves P: Standard jab. Quite fast, chains into roundhouse. b+P: Fierce. Jag sticks one arm way out. Misleading command, as this "fierce punch" is actually on par with anyone else's strong: medium speed, medium damage, and good range. It hits very high, making it useful as anti-air (especially early) or in combos. K: Forward. Jag kicks the opponent in the stomach with his toe. Really quite useless, as there's nothing this move does that low strong doesn't do better. Doesn't combo into anything. b+K: Roundhouse. Jag does a roundhouse kick to the opponent's head. The ultimate newbie move, it's a lot less useful than it looks. It's very fast, has mad priority, and has good range against tall characters - but it's unsafe if it's blocked, whiffed, or even hits (except with the very tip). Thus, use only in tourny mode or to finish off someone. Crouching Moves df+P: Low jab. Jag's low jab hits higher than most, making it useful for stuffing an opponent's moves. It also links to jagleap or low kicks up close. d+P: Low strong. Jag sticks his arm out straight forward. Standard poke, kind of slow but good priority compared to his other normals, plus very safe. Chains into low roundhouse. db+P: Jag does a slow uppercut. Low fierce, useful for anti-air or weird combos. Does a lot of damage, hits fast, and stays low to the ground but has horrible recovery. Use only when you're sure it'll hit. df+K: Low short, decent speed but not all that useful. Because its range is so bad, you can actually use it to whiff (the opponent blocks low) and walk up, throw. d+K: Same animation as low short. Low forward, hard to connect with because it's slow and small but chains into a jagleap at close range. Your basic mixup with jagleap and throw. db+K: Sweep, one of Jag's few really good moves. Chains into low jab or low strong for some weird reason, meaning it starts air juggles (Jag's only way to do damage) at close range. Fast for a sweep and knocks down, plus ducks low enough to go underneath most stuff. Unfortunately, wakeup games aren't all that great in this game, but at least it lets you establish your prime range. Special Moves qcf+P: Jag Leap. High priority, knocks down, doable in air, moves Jag forward quite a bit, but it DOES have some startup and lots of recovery. If it hits very late, it starts combos. Not a good move to use at close range, as random normals will stuff it, but your key tool at midrange to threaten opponents who try and zone you. hcf+P: Shadow Jag Leap. Basically the leap, but twice. Passes through the opponent (and projectiles) at close range, but still has startup, so use it with caution. Mad range to punish those who jump away or fireball you. qcb+P: Concussion Cannon. The best projectile outside of Katana's secret Fireball. You can control its speed so it always hits meaty on wakeup, its altitude so it can't be ducked, or both to beat jump-ins from long range. Throwing cannons over and over at full screen is a really ghetto tactic, but it works. Chains into any jagleap, links into roundhouse. (close) f+P: Throw. Arguably the best throw in the game, it reverses position with the opponent and lets you juggle with literally anything. Abuse this move, especially when your back is to the wall. Ghetto setup: Empty jump (or whiff an attack) over the head of a cornered opponent and throw immediately upon landing if they don't walk or jump away. If they do, your leap will probably stuff anything they try. Jumping Moves P: Jag sticks his arm out at a moderate angle. Really generic. No reason to use or not use it. K: Jag sticks a leg out, Ryu-style. Good angle, good range, decent speed. This is the jump-in Jag should be using. Combos at any range. Use it late in your jump to keep the threat of Overhead Throw open. d+P: Overhead Throw. One of the best moves in the game, period. Invincible to high moves on startup, hits in a circle around him, always causes a wall hit, does plenty of damage. Use the threat of an Overhead Throw to prevent an opponent from trying to attack you in the air, as it'll beat basically anything they do. It even passes right through Gargoyle's Rising Talon if your timing is right! Plus, it's safe when blocked really low to the ground. Mix up the timing to prevent anti-airs. qcf+P: Air Jag Leap. Good if it hits, not if it misses. You can often catch opponents by surprise by using it as air-to-air, since your opponents will likely be trying to air-to-air from out of Overhead Throw range. 4. COMBOS --------- Instant Kill Combo (close, wall) f+P -> d+K -> d+P -> df+P -> P -> b+P -> K -> db+P. Repeat. Most Powerful Ground Combo qcb+P -> b+K (hcf+P if close) Meaty Moves db+P (late) -> df+P -> juggle qcf+P (late) -> df+P -> juggle Chain Combos and Special Move Cancels (close) P -> b+K d/df+P -> d/df+K (close) d/df+K -> qcf+P (close) df+P -> qcf+P db+K -> d/df+P qcb+P -> qcf/hcf+P qcf+P -> (air) qcf+P (E1) hcf+P -> (air) K (E1) (air) qcf+P -> (air) d+P (E2) Basic Combos: * (air) K -> d+K -> qcf+P Really basic. If you hit deep with the jump attack, add df+P before d+K. * (air) K -> db+K -> df+P -> air juggle At long range, the df+P won't connect, so chain into d+P instead, which is reasonably safe. If you want to get fancy, you can do db+K, d+P, df+P, juggle. * (air, late) K -> qcb+P -> hcf+P Harder than it looks, doesn't work in the corner. Jumpkick not necessary for the shadow leap to connect. If you want to be an overachiever, do db+P instead of the last hit and juggle combo. * (close) f+P -> df+P -> uf,d+P Basic throw combo. Add low short and standing jab as necessary, and as always, high jumping (d,uf,d+P) increases your chances of success against fast guys. * (close, wall) f+P -> df+P -> b+P -> b+K Basic wall throw combo. As usual, air juggles can be extended with more jabs, db+P, etc. under the right conditions. * (air) K -> qcb+P -> qcf+P -> (air) qcf+P -> (air) d+P Standard 2-enhancement combo. If you're fast you can whiff the last hit, land, and juggle. * (air) K -> qcb+P -> hcf+P -> (air) K Standard 1-enhancement combo. Be sure to do the kick as early as possible. If you're fast you can connect df+P after the last hit and juggle. * (close) f+P -> P -> qcf+P Standard tourny mode throw combo, since Overhead Throw doesn't power up with the rest of your stuff in tourny mode. Sometimes you can juggle afterwards. With enhancements, include your favorite modified Leap instead. Tricky Combos: * (close) f+P -> jabs -> qcb+P -> hcf+P The opponent is supposed to recover after the jabs (adjust number and kind for your opponent) and then get smacked by a projectile, resetting damage scaling. * (air) d+P -> d,uf,P -> P -> b+P -> d,uf,d+P Double Overhead Throw combo. Throw them with your back to the corner so you have time to jump after them. * (close) f+P -> df+P -> uf,d+P -> uf,P -> P -> b+P -> b+K Style points AND massive damage: how's that for a great combo? Start with the opposite of a wall throw (the opponent is against the wall), follow up with a crouching jab and immediate Overhead Throw, then nail them with the punch just before they hit the wall. If you hit with the jump punch too soon, you'll backflip and end the combo. Fast pilot, slow opponent, speed turned way down... good luck! /-------------\ |III.D. SHADOW| \-------------/ 1. OVERVIEW ----------- Shadow is in a tier by himself, at the bottom. Yes, he has a guaranteed kill once he stuns you or hits you with a Shadow Grab, and Shadow Kick infinite is as good as anyone else's corner combos. Unfortunately, he gets punished for trying to do those things, and he has literally nothing else to fall back on. From the strategy guide, it's clear that Shadow was intended to be a "skill character" with crazy (but hard) combos and judiciously applied special moves. Since those combos flat-out don't work and the specials all telegraph themselves, it takes way more skill than the developers anticipated. 2. TECHNICAL INFO ----------------- MOVE NAME | COMMAND | DMG. | TYPE ----------------+-------------+------+--------------- Jump Punch | (air) P | 10 | Light Jump Jump Kick | (air) K | 12.5 | Medium Jump Jab | f+P | 4 | Light AR Strong | P | 11 | Medium AR Fierce | b+P | 14 | Medium AR Short | f+K | 6 | Light AR Forward | K | 11 | Medium AR Roundhouse | b+K | 16 | Medium KD Low Jab | df+P | 4 | Light AR Low Strong | d+P | 11 | Medium AR Low Fierce | db+P | 14 | Medium AR Low Short | df+K | 6 | Low Low Forward | d+K | 10 | Low Sweep | db+K | 15 | Low KD Shadow Punch | qcb+P | 15 | #1 Medium KD Shadow Kick | qcb+K | 15 | #1 Low KD Shadow Grab | d,d+P | 0 | #1 #2 Air Shadow Grab | (air) qcb+P | 0 | #1 #2 E1 Shadow Dive | (air) qcf+P | 15 | #1 Medium KD Ice Freeze | hcb+P | 5 | #3 E3 Kick Throw | (close) f+P | 22.5 | Heavy Throw Scrap: b,f,uf,u,ub,b+P Destruction: d,d,d+P during 5th hit Fire & Ice: d,d,d+P during 6th hit #1: "Shadows" disappear after any animation they do is completed, or when their owner blocks or is hit. They can be hit: all hit effects are transferred to the original Shadow, while the "shadow" goes into an air-hit animation. They count as projectiles, and special grab-type moves act as 0 damage hits on them. #2: Unblockable; grabs while coming down. A grabbed opponent cannot be thrown or Shadow Grabbed. Can grab an opponent in air hitstun in Rehit Mode. In versions before 2.0, hits for 10 damage while coming up and un-stuns a stunned opponent when grabbing them. #3: Hits low; freezes opponent on hit. A frozen opponent cannot be thrown or Shadow Grabbed. Another Ice Freeze unfreezes the opponent. Notes: The 2nd enhancement makes the Shadow Punch and Shadow Kick faster and more powerful. The 3rd enhancement can only be obtained by Nicoli in the North American Open. Stats: Forward Speed: 4.7 Back Speed: 3.9 Jump Speed: 13.5 Fall Speed: 0.95 Armor: 95 Stun Res: 22.5 3. MOVE DETAILS --------------- Normal Moves f+P: Jab. Shadow sticks his arm all the way out, meaning this move could have great anti-air and anti-high poke potential. Unfortunately, it's slower than it looks, severely limiting its usefulness. Chains into itself. P: Strong. Same as a jab, but slower and bigger. While this move is nothing to write home about, you'll probably end up using it because Shadow doesn't have anything better to poke high with. Chains into itself or jab, but doesn't combo. b+P: Fierce. Shadow punches with both arms. Ironically, this move is basically a bigger, slower version of his strong punch. You'd think it would have good priority or chain into something, but it doesn't. f+K: Short. Shadow kicks the opponent's shins. Again, if it weren't so darned slow it would be great at stuffing crouching attacks, and at least it can occasionally do that. Chains into itself. K: Forward. The usual: Bigger and slower version of the short. Absolutely useless except in combos, since it chains into sweep. b+K: Roundhouse. Shadow kicks his foot up at a 45-degree angle. I've tried desperately to find a use for this move, because it's so cool. The best I can come up with is that it's not that bad at close range: fairly fast, good anti- air, knocks down. If you let his foot fully extend, though, the move is a joke. Doesn't chain or start juggles or anything, except really close against a wall. Crouching Moves df+P: Low jab. I know I tell you to use low punches in every one of these, but with Shadow you really have to do it, because it's literally his only fast move. df+P is as fast as anything else on the market, and for an added bonus, chains into the other low punches. Unfortunately, its horrible range means it's basically to keep the opponent marginally off you. Don't even try to poke with it, as bots with low-attack stuffers (like, umm, all the top tiers) will own you. d+P: Low strong. Slower and bigger than low jab, but only one frame slower, meaning it still combos into itself. Mashing d+P in a combo is often Shadow's only way to stun the opponent, which means this move is relatively good. db+P: Low fierce. Like most of his other stuff, this move would be really cool if it had any priority whatsoever, comboed into or out of anything, or was fast. It's none of those. Stick with your low strong, kids. df+K: Low short. May combo into itself, I don't remember. In any case, this is a gimpy low kick with ab