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*  T R I V I A,  T A C T I C S,  &  G E N E R A L   I N F O R M A T I O N  *
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01.  What is the correct pronounciation of "Ryu"?
02.  What are the different types of dizzies?
03.  In a magazine, I saw that you could fight Sheng Long?  Is this true?
04.  I see the word combo (combination) used all the time.  What is it?
05.  What is meant by buffering a move?
06.  Many people talk about "ticking".  What are they talking about?
07.  What is considered "cheap"?
08.  What is the "Touch of Death (TOD)" combo?
09.  Can I prevent the opponent from attacking as they get up?
10.  What is Capcom's address?
11.  What kinds of memorabilia exist?

****************************************************************************

01.  What is the correct pronounciation of "Ryu"?

kt12@andrew.cmu.edu explains:

First of all, "Ryu" is not pronounced "roo" or "rai yoo." If you want
to hear the correct pronounciation, listen closely when Ken or Ryu do
their dragon punches. The second syllable is pronounced the same way
Ryu's name is pronounced. The initial sound is not a "r" or an "l" but
a combination of an "r" and a "y." That's why it's spelled that way. ^_^
 
If you still care enough to pronounce this correctly, the first thing
you need to do is learn how the Japanese "r" is pronounced. The Japanese
"r" is said with a tap, like the English "d" or "t." Try saying "roo."
Think about what you do with your tongue: you curl up the sides and tip
and suspend it in the middle of your mouth. Now try saying "roo" again
with your tongue the same way, except this time, lightly press it
against the roof of your mouth and flick it off as you sound the "r," as
you would when you're making the English "t" sound. Now do the same
thing, except instead of trying to say "roo," say "yoo." This is how
"Ryu" is pronounced
 
This is hard to explain in writing and you really have to hear it to
know what I'm talking about, but this is the best way I can think of to
explain it.

============================================================================

02.  What are the different kinds of dizzies?

cw21219@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu comments:

When a character gets dizzy, either stars or birds appear above his head.  
Generally, the bird dizziness lasts a bit longer than the star dizziness...  
It's a good way to judge whether you have enough time to run in and land a
combo.  Of course I always try to regardless :)

On Super there are four kinds of dizzy animations:

inkblot@leland.stanford.edu informs:

These are grim-reapers, not skulls.  As far as I know, they have nothing to
do with killing your opponent.  The only difference between the symbols
floating above your head is how difficult it is to 'RECOVER' (to coin a CPU
phrase).  Incidentially, here's the list in order of ascending difficulty.
 
Angels - Stars - Birdies - Grim Reapers.

============================================================================

03.  In a magazine, I saw that you could fight Sheng Long.  Is this true?

No, this is pure bull, and the magazine that originally published this
trick did so intentionally, as an April Fool's Joke.  A LOT of people fell
for this one. :)  There are even other magazines that went so far as to
doctor up a picture that made it look like Sheng Long actually existed.

============================================================================

04.  I see the word combo (combination) used all the time.  What is it?

A combination (combo) is a series of moves that, under most conditions, is
un-blockable after the first move connects.  Please note that I said _most_
conditions.  There is always some crack-pot situation where nearly every
combo fails, and lots of 'combos' don't work if your opponent's not in the
corner.  Nevertheless, this is a general (if loose) definition.
The simplest combo is 'jab + jab + jabjabjabjab.'  It fits the definition,
but that is not type of combo that this guide will concern itself with. 
Rather, this guide is concerned with the BIG combos, the combos that involve
special moves and that maximize the penalty for your opponent's mistakes.

Combos almost always follow pattern below...

JUMPING ATTACK + GROUND (standing or crouched) ATTACK + SPECIAL MOVE

The jumping attack + ground attack isn't too impressive, even the computer
can pull them off.  What defines something as a combo is what comes after
the second hit.  So let's go through step by step, and look at the execution
of a combo:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FIRST HIT: Jumping attack
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The way combos work is that you're hitting your opponent with a new blow
before they can recover from the first one.  So, the first thing you want
to make sure of is that your jumping attack hit's your opponent _late_. 
That way, you have time to hit the ground and start your next move before 
they recover from the first blow.  Think of it as aiming for your opponent's
chest or stomach instead of his head.  If the 2nd blow of your combos is
getting blocked, you're probably hitting too high.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECOND AND THIRD HITS: Buffering
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

What happens next in dependent on what type of combo you're doing.  If you
are 2nd hit is a jab or short, you have no problems.  Hit the jab/short, 
then do your special attack (3rd hit) as quickly as you can.  End of combo.

BUT, if you're playing the right character, and you want to do a bit of 
extra damage, you're going to have to buffer the special attack.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

By: T. Cannon           Feel free to repost, so long as this document is not
copyright 1993          altered in any way.  Send comments, suggestions, and
                        corrections to inkblot@leland.stanford.edu

============================================================================

05.  What is meant by buffering a move?

A 'buffered' move is a move executed _while_ the move before it (always a
'normal' hit) is still going on.  When you finish the special technique, the
animation of the normal attack is cut short, and the special attack 
immediately begins.  Because of this, the two blows happen one right after 
the other with very little pause.  This is why combos work.  There are two 
ways to buffer a move. The 'press-press' technique and the 'press-release' 
technique.  I'll use the fierce + fierce dragon punch combo to illustrate 
each technique:

PRESS-PRESS BUFFERING
---------------------

Press-press buffering is identical to executing a jab + special move combo.
It requires two presses of the button(s).  Do execute this type of buffer-
ing, press your 'normal' attack button, then do a special technique _right_ 
after the press.  Pretend like you never hit the first button.  If you're 
fast, you'll get the combo.  An example is:

FIERCE + --O   |   \   + FIERCE
               O    O

Note that the motion of the stick isn't started until after the first button
press. If the first button is pressed after the --O , you'll get a throw
instead of a combo.  Also note that only certain attacks can be used as the
lead in of a buffered attack.  A roundhouse at the front end of this combo
just wouldn't work.  In each character guide, I've noted which moves are
'bufferable' in the COMBINATIONS section.

PRESS-RELEASE BUFFERING
-----------------------

Press fiece and hold it down.  Go ahead.  Got it held?  Good.  Now do the
stick motion for a DP, and RELEASE the button at the end.  If you time it
correctly, you get a DP.  The computer registers every PRESS and RELEASE of
a button as a 'press.'  So, it's possible to do a combo like the one 
mentioned above (the triple DP) with just one press of the fierce button.
Here's how it goes...

--O   |  press fierce  \   release fierce
      O                 O

Note that this gives you a crouched fierce + DP combo, where as we got a
_standing_ fierce + DP combo using the press-press method.  With practice,
you can change that press-release to a 'tap.' When you get this good, you
can do triple DPs with one tap of the button, just like a normal DP (only
the tap is timed differently)  IMHO, this is where the confusion on the
triple DP arises.  People can get 3 hits with one tap, so they assume
that they're doing only one move, when in fact they are executing two.

The only real disadvantage to this is that you can only use it with combos
that require the same button for both attacks.  This method would not work
for a crouched strong + flash-kick combo.

ADVANCED TACTICS
----------------

So what do you do if you want a fierce + jab DP?  You could use the press-
press method, but I think you'll find the press-release to be easier with
practice.  So, an option here is to use a 'hold-press' method.  In this
technique, you press the first button, HOLD it down, then press the second
button.  An example is shown below.

  --O    |  press and hold fierce  \    press jab
         O                          O

Because you never released the fierce button, only one 'press' was 
registered.  If you just tried to press the fierce, the release may trigger
a fierce DP instead of a jab DP.  Even if you prefer the press-press
method, I recommend using this for crouched DP combos.  The press-press 
alternative is....

  /   press fierce  --O  |  \     press jab
 O                       O   O

The hold-press method may sound complex, but if you can press-release, you
can hold-press very easily.  The first button press (the 'hold') is timed
exactly the same way as the 'press' in press-release.  The only difference
is that you hold the button down, and hit another button immediately 
afterwards.  A good way to get the second press is to think of it as
drumming your fingers.  It can be that fast.  Note that the hold-press 
technique can also be used for an easy jab + TU combo.  Also, there's no
reason to use the hold-press method if you're first button press isn't
related to the special technique.  Consider the combo below.

  |   press forward    \        --O  press fierce
  O                     O

This with give you a crouched forward + fireball combo, even if you use the
press-press.  The reason is that there's no way the release of the forward
button can be associated with the joystick motion.  |  \   --O  + forward 
isn't a special move, so the computer ignores       O   O
the release.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

By: T. Cannon           Feel free to repost, so long as this document is not
copyright 1993          altered in any way.  Send comments, suggestions, and
                        corrections to inkblot@leland.stanford.edu

============================================================================

06.  Many people talk about "ticking".  What are they talking about?

inkblot@leland.stanford.edu authenticates:

Back in the early days of Classic, back before combos, back before Guile 
was overpowering, back when even the best couldn't DP consistently (we're 
talking about nearly _right_ after the game was released), there was a 
rather large SF2 tournament in Iceland Bowl, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Guile won the tournament, and here's how:  He'd sit in defensive crouch 
till he could knock you down with a flash-kick.  Once he did, it was jab-
jab throw.  You'd block the jabs, thinking you were safe, but would be 
thrown anyway.  This was the first time anyone had seen anything like this, 
so countering was all but impossible.  So, this Guile player, using only one
technique, breezed through _many_ (over 6) rounds of the tournament and won 
undefeated.

After the Guile's victory, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Because the technique was _literally_ inescapable at the time, the players
decided that it had to be some sort of over-sight on Capcom's part.  They
gave it a name, a tick.  Why tick?  'Cause that's the sound of the repeated
jabs right before you get thrown.  *tick tick HUUURRG!*  Once they'd named
it, it was immediately banned.  The house rules all over the city (not just
this arcade) suddenly became....

I. Tick your opponent and he gets a free hit (throw at first which later
   developed into combo) on you

II. Tick to win a round and you forfiet the next round.

So, the original, formal definition of a 'tick' is throwing someone _right_
after they've blocked one of your attacks.  If you did this to a player in
Albuquerque, NM (even now), he'd be expecting to get a free hit on you.
ANYTHING else you do... fireball traps... sac-throwing... even magic 
throwing (on Classic) is _not_ a tick under the original definition, so in
Albuquerque, it's O.K.

caine@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu interjects:

In a subsequent mail message, I found out that the jumping in attack in
which you make the opponent block then throw is a tick under this defini-
tion.  Just see the preceeding paragraph.  It says "throwing someone _right_
after they've blocked one of your attacks."

============================================================================

07.  What is considered "cheap"?

This is actually a tough one to answer.  Most people say something is
cheap is they can't seem to stop something that kills them.  Of course this
varies from place to place.  You would want to ask many local players what
they think.  Most things considered "cheap" are playing styles.  You might
constantly electrocute your opponent w/ Blanka, but he should have blocked.
Of you may grab the opponent w/ Honda, then pummel them with a HHS.  People
may not like this, and you might be called cheap for doing so.  One last
thing that may be considered cheap is jumping attacks then throwing.  This
is not uncounterable, but it may be difficult to see.  Here are some 
examples of play styles that may be called "cheap":

	Fireball Traps			Cheesing them w/ Bison
        Grabbing then HHS w/ Honda	Electricity then bite w/ Blanka
	Zangief's SPD (not!)		Doing FB-DP all the time
  	Playing keep away		Jumping all the time
	Picking Vega or Bison (!)	Chun Li's flipping neck breaker

	More or less anything that people might find difficult or nearly
	impossible to defeat.  It might be annoying, but cries of cheap
 	might be heard instead.  It might all be related to your skill level
	in the game as well, or how inventive you are.

Most people say that "ticking" is cheap.  (See the question.)  This is so
because it is *easy* to execute and *impossible* to counter.  Now, for some 
master players, this is not so since it is part of how they play against
each other (I play this way).  To the average player though, such things as
jumping a lot, making the opponent block all the time, waiting in the corner
after seriously damaging the opponent, etc. might be considered cheap.  It's 
kind of a broad definition, depending on who you ask.  Just for the record,
I don't think that anything is cheap.  As your skills improve, your defini-
tion of cheap may or may not change.  It depends on how you play, where and 
who you play against.  For all those concerned: this might be an opinion of
what cheap is.  Most importantly, it may be biased by where I play and who
I play against.  Ask who you play!

============================================================================

08.  What is the "Touch of Death (TOD)" combo?

In the original meaning of the word, it is a combo done with Ken that goes
like this:  You get the combo on them once, and they are dizzy, you do the
combo while they are dizzy, and then that is it, they are KO'd.  Its name
came about because after the first "touch" the victim is doomed.  It is a
Pretty effective combo, and you'll see why...  It consists of three attacks,
hitting usually three times, but occasionally four times, and it involves
the three most powerful attacks that Ken possesses.  This is it:

1. Jump towards the opponent, hitting with late roundhouse/fierce attack.

2. As soon as you land, immediately follow-up with a standing fierce.  Do
   this along with pressing towards the opponent at the same instant.  You
   should not throw them; you normally have to take a step to do so.

3. Then buffer a Fierce Dragon Punch into the Fierce.  It may hit once, so
   a Jab or Strong DP may be substituted.  Four hits can connect if Fierce 
   is used vs. the taller opponents and Dhalsim.  If you use a neck kick for
   the flying attack, you should not have problems getting four hits on most
   characters.  And the neck kick version can be used to bewilder the poor
   guy who is on the receiving end of this.  It can be easily countered by
   many characters, but if they fail to block at the right time, they will 
   be at a huge disadvantage afterwards.

   (Note: the standing Fierce needn't be used.  You can easily switch this
   over to a crouching Fierce simply by going towards then down just as you
   are about to land, then quickly hit Fierce, then move to the diagonal and
   hit Fierce for the DP.)

The timing on this move is perhaps a bit confusing.  The hits go like this:
smack-smack-smack--smack (the 4th hit sometimes).  The button presses aren't
too different.  I go like this: press---press-press.  There has to be a 
longer delay cuz you have to hit and then land.  Yes, the rest of the DP 
motion has to be crammed into the small space, but if you have done the DP 
hundreds of times, this shouldn't take long to learn.  If you encounter 
problems, try to first learn a FB combo.  If you can do flying attack into
standing fierce/FB combo, just put a triple-DP combo in instead of the 
press-press FB.  Read the buffering section, and then this will be a bit 
clearer.  You have to see someone's hands perform the motion to really 
understand how it goes.  Anyways, I hope that this is clearer than mud to 
most of you...

Ryu has a Touch of Death similar to Ken's: the first attack is a neck kick,
followed through with a Standing Fierce and Jab Dragon Punch.

Now, with Super SF2 out, there appear to be a number of characters with
combos that are very similar in effect to Ken's Touch of Death.  Some seem
to work only if done at the beginning of the round, when dizzies are easiest.
Others are inconsistant, or leave the opponent with a sliver of health.
The criterion for a TOD combo is that, given the opponent has a full life
bar, the first combo dizzies no less than, say 75% (subject to change)
of the time, and a follow-up combo exists that will KO the opponent.

============================================================================

09.  Can I prevent the opponent from attacking as they are getting up?

Yes, a properly timed attack will prevent the opponent from being able to
launch an attack or even throw as they get up.  If the defender tries to do
anything, even the coveted Dragon Punch, they will get hit by the timed
attack and risk eating a nasty combo.

Needless to say, the timing and spacing to prevent "wake up DPs" and such
is *very* critical.

The timed attack can be a jump in or a ground-based strike.  Projectiles
will not normally work in this situation, since they flicker in and out
of existance rapidly.  This is easily observed with Ken and Ryu's
Fireballs and Dhalsim's Yoga flame.  Likewise, wild short kicking, Honda's
100-hands, and Blanka's electricity are often counterable.

In addition, one can perform ground based combination attacks that that are
not normally true combos.  For example, Fei Long can lash out with a late
hitting ducking fierce, and follow up with another for a sure hit if the
first one lands.  Under normal circumstances, the opponent has finished
reeling by the time the second ducking fierce lashes out, and can block,
but with a timed (late) attack on an opponent that is getting up, the
victim (assuming the blow hits, of course) does not begin reeling until
just before Fei Long's fist retracts.  These types of ground based combos
also work on Dhalsim after a teleport.  These combos tend to have a lot of
dizzying potential as well.  You may see them refered to as "meaty" combos
on the net.

============================================================================

10.  What is Capcom's address?

Capcom
1-4-12 Otedori
Chuo-Ku, Osaka 540

Tel.:(81-6)946-6622
President: Kenzo Tsujimoto.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Capcom USA
3303 Scott Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA  95054

fax:   (408)496-5720
phone: (408)727-0400

============================================================================

11.  What kinds of memorablia exist?

As far as I know, there was an extensive marketing program involving the
characters of the game.  Much of the material has been licensed, but I am
unaware of just how much stuff is actually out there.

Among the things I know to exist are: t-shirts, coins, a movie, action
figures, comic books, plush dolls, posters, and numerable other items such
as keychains, etc.

The figures are made by Hasbro (G.I. Joe).  They bear a striking resemblance
to some of the G.I. Joe figures, and have weapons.  There are playsets 
like a vehicle and a fortress (I think).  Just imagine SF2 characters living
with the Joes.

inkblot, wanderer, and asw @leland.stanford.edu collaborate:

   Written and Directed by:  Steven de Souze ("Die Hard", "Die Hard2",
       "Commando", "Running Man", co-writer of "48 Hours").

   Produced by:  the Edward R. Pressman Film Corp. ("Reveral of
       Fortune", "Wall Street", "Hoffa", "Bad Lieutenant", "Conan
       the Barbarian", "Homicide", "Talk Radio", "Plenty", "Blue
       Steel", "To Sleep With Anger", "True Stroies", "Badlands",
       "Das Boot", "The Phantom of Paradise", and others totaling 35).

   Expected Release:    July, 1994

   Approximate Budget:  $25,000,000

I didn't learn much new information about the movie, I'm afraid. The script
is in its final stages, and there hasn't been any casting yet.  In any
case, they do _not_ plan to cast any known faces (no Arnold as Zangeif,
etc. =).   The film will be executive produced by "Galaxy Films partner
Sasha Harari who, after a successful career in the high technology and
computer industry, moved into the film business and produced Oliver Stone's
'The Doors'."  The Capcom representative was adament that the film was
being directed at an adult audience (they _know_ the kids will go see it,
so why direct it at them?).  Ryu, Ken, Guile and Chun Li will, of course,
be major characters.  Originally, Blanka had been written out of the script
(oh no!), but the Capcom people pushed hard enough and now he's in.  Cammy,
T-Hawk, and possibly Fei Long will be in there, but Dee Jay definitely
won't.

Personal Opinion:  To tell the truth, I'm not sure about this one.  de
Souza has some major action/thriller titles under his belt ("Die Hard",
"Running Man"), and Pressman has a few great titles ("Hoffa" "WallStreet"),
but he's also got at least one lemon ("Blue Steel").  I've never heard of
Harari, so I don't know what to expect there....  I think it's either going
to be very good, or very very bad.  I wouldn't be so worried if the script
was finished and the casting done.  If they started tomorrow, they would
only have about 9 1/2 months till their expected release date. (ponder).

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