MARTIAL CHAMPIONS STRATEGY GUIDE (with movelist & endings ^_^) by Victar, Vctr113062@aol.com. Comments/corrections/ideas etc. welcome! MC gameplay is a lot like SF2, with its variety of attacks, special attacks, combos, and best-two-out-of-three rounds lasting 100 seconds each. MC also has Time Over victories (winner is the one with the most energy left), Time Over draws, and double knockout draws. If after three rounds there is no winner, there is a final round. If there is still no winner after the final round, then both characters lose, and you lose your credit. Each MC battle closes with the winner in the spotlight and taunting the loser, who is roughed up and lying on the ground (unless the outcome was a draw, in which case both fighters lie broken and beaten up). There are no bonus rounds. Working one's way up through the CPU hierarchy is tournament-style, so that you don't have to fight against everyone; about half your opponents are automatically eliminated as you proceed. The CPU MC characters, including the boss Salamander, will jump in every other round just as you've finished with the last guy, and whip out a quick taunt before the match begins. (Unfortunately, this means that every two matches are fought in front of the same background, *sigh*.) Most MC quotes are very generic, sometimes nothing more than "You fight me." You can use the joystick to jump, duck, and block just as in SF2. There are three buttons: Low Attack, Mid-range Attack, and High Attack. The buttons don't seem to to do noticeably different damage; they only affect the type and position of one's attacks. Simple combos are possible, though there's not much room for fancy ones. Nearly all MC special moves involve a joystick motion followed by tapping a single button. (If it seems to you that an awful lot of MC special moves use the Mid button, you're probably imagining it ^_^). All special moves take off a little energy when blocked. General strategy against the MC CPU: if the CPU character is anyone but Salamander, you can usually whittle off their energy by tossing fireballs from a screen length away. It is usually safest to play defensively. Stand or crouch, let them approach, & when they get within striking range, hit 'em with a Low or Mid attack. Learn the range of your standing & crouching High and Mid attacks, and how to use them to knock characters out of the air when they jump toward you. The MC CPU is pretty simple-minded; it quite often will walk into danger, and overall it is usually much easier to beat than the SF2, MK, or Samurai Shodown CPU. But do take care about jumping in; that'll work better in some circumstances than others. Jumping in is most effective if one's opponent is recovering from a fireball or other move. It is possible to lose weapons and pick them up again, or else pick up your enemy's dropped weapons in MC. MC does not have "parrying" like Samurai Shodown. A character will most likely drop a weapon if he/she is hit several times in a row, knocked down, or thrown. To knock down a character, simply hit him/her with a few successful (i.e. unblocked) attacks of any kind in rapid succession. Note that a crouching Low Attack does not usually knock down one's enemy unless it is part of a combo. (BTW, as far as I can tell, MC has no dizzies or stuns.) If a character loses his weapon, he can still do all his special moves just fine. Each character's victory pose is such that the character may well possess any weapon, or no weapon at all, when he/she is the winner. Anyone can pick up any fallen weapon simply by crouching on top of it. Be warned, though: you are vulnerable for the split-second in which you reach for that weapon, and the MC CPU is programed to hurt or throw you as you try if at all possible. It's safest to first concentrate on knocking down the CPU a fair distance away, *then* go for the weapon. If weapon you pick up isn't your character's personal type of weapon, holding it does not seem to give you much of any bonus in the range or damage of your attacks, because your character does not know how to use it. The exception is Goldor, who can handle all weapons just fine. If the CPU drops its personal weapon and you are not Goldor (or you are and you still have your manriki-gusari :), then there is probably a greater advantage in just keeping the CPU away from its weapon than striving to pick it up yourself. You cannot hold more than one weapon at a time. If you are holding a weapon and you crouch over another dropped weapon, you will switch weapons. ^_^ Unlike SF2, all MC throws and holds demand that one hold the joystick *towards* one's enemy, never away, i.e. one cannot throw while blocking. This makes the timing on throwing characters after blocking certain of their special moves, such as Racheal's Shadow Attack or Zen's Spinning Top, fairly difficult but not impossible. It is also more difficult than SF2 to ground-throw a character as he/she falls from a high jump or a special attack; I find that I usually have to tap the button a little bit sooner than I would otherwise, especially when fighting against Salamander. On the other hand, if your enemy is standing close to you as you get up from a knockdown, you are *guaranteed* a throw if you execute one just as you get up. You can be right in the middle of Titi's Hundred Pierce Fury and still toss Titi. If both you and your enemy are standing, however, the throw priority is no longer as simple... Key for joystick movements: D = down, DF = down forward, F = forward, UF = up forward, U = up, UB = up back, B = back, DB = down back, C = center, Charge = hold joystick in the indicated direction for at least 2 seconds. The instructions for nearly all special moves are taken from an updated revision the Martial Champions FAQ/movelist, originally composed by Galen Komatsu (gkomatsu@hawaii.edu). Since I'm more-or-less looking after the MC FAQ/movelist, please e- mail any corrections or updates to me (Vctr113062@aol.com). Of course, to execute all these moves, assume that one's opponent is to one's right. Execute the "mirror image" of these moves if one's opponent is to one's left. Name: Avu. Sex: Male. Nationality: Saudi Arabian. Weapon: scimitar (curved sword) Avu is a stocky, bare-chested, rotund Arab with a blue beard, red slacks, a white turban, and pointed shoes. He's fairly slow, except for his special moves, and he can't jump very high at all. His sword gives him an appreciable reach, provided that he doesn't lose it. His background features fountains and some sort of Arabian palace. When he wins, he faces you and laughs. Arabian Burner: D, DF, F, Mid button. Avu spits out a cloud of scorching fire. Looks suspiciously like Dhalsim's (SF2) Buddha Flame or Kyoshiro's (Samurai Shodown) fire-breathing move. Arabian Drill: Charge B, then C, F, Mid button. Avu shouts something and hurls himself headfirst & twirling towards his opponent. Think Cammy's (SF2) Cannon Drill, save the Arabian Drill does not knock a standing enemy down & there is not a very large "lag time" at the end of this move, whether it is blocked or not. Like Cammy, Avu can be hit out of this move with most fireballs (Goldor's Gol-wave travels underneath the Arabian Drill.) Throw: hold joystick F and hit the Mid button Avu yells something and tosses his opponent over his head, just like Ryu's (SF2) leg throw. He is very slow to recover from throwing an enemy, though, which puts him at a disadvantage, especially against Salamander. If he throws Salamander into the corner, he may not have enough time to get away before Salamander gets up and does the TenGaRenKen on Avu. CPU Avu likes to do his Arabian Drill a lot, followed by a throw if you aren't fast enough to block the Drill and throw him first. Use fireballs to keep him from doing the drill in the first place or else dodge; try to separate him from his sword, you'll sharply decrease his reach if you succeed. Name: Bobby. Sex: Male. Nationality: American. Weapon: none. Bobby is a military man. He's dressed in camoflage green with a green beret and and combat boots. He's missing one eye. He does wear brass knuckles, but since they can't be dropped or picked up by another player, they're pretty much just window dressing. ^_^ Bobby has a fast fireball, decent overall speed, & fairly good air & ground attacks. I suppose he's good enough for the standard fireball traps... His background has some airplanes & military stuff. When he wins, he faces you, raises his index finger & wags it back & forth in a sort of a "tsk tsk", chiding manner. Memorable victory quote: "This is a battlefield and you are now dead." Hell Slugger: D, DF, F, Mid button. Bobby shouts "Insector!" (well, that's what I think he says :) and tosses a rapid glowing sphere in the direction of his opponent. Just your standard fireball. Bloody Screw: D, DB, B, Mid button Bobby shouts "Bloody Screw!" jumps up and slightly forward, spining around and kicking anyone fool enough to have jumped towards him. Think Fei Long's (SSF2) dragon kick without the fire. Throw: hold joystick F and hit the Mid button Bobby silently tosses his opponent, and recovers quickly. Jumping in on CPU Bobby is risky unless he's caught in the act of throwing a fireball; he likes to use a jumping kick or a Bloody Screw to knock you out of the air. Just be patient and let him walk into your attacks, and be prepared to knock him out of the air when he jumps toward you. Name: Chaos. Sex: Female. Nationality: Egyptian. Weapon: none. Chaos wears a tiara, top & skirt, & tied, calf-length white boots. Her hair is black and cut short. She uses lipstick, and has a fondness for jewelry and precious stones. Chaos has fairly good speed overall, but some of her ground attacks are slow, as is her fireball. She will usually lose in fireball wars, except against Goldor. Her special move is an OK air counter or escape. Her background features some ancient temple, & long, thin boats poling across what seems to be the Nile. When she wins, she faces you and rests her fac on her hand in a thoughtful (or teasing? :) manner. Memorable quote: "Your sandstorm is nothing compared to a real sandstorm." Take advantage of CPU Chaos' slow fireball to jump in and combo her when you get the chance. When she springs her Double Cross, be prepared to block or duck it and throw her. Sometimes the move will take you over your head, so be sure to hold the joystick in the correct direction when you go for the throw. Nile Star: D, DF, F, Mid button Chaos jumps off the ground, shouts "Nile Star!" and summons a large, bright blue and moderately slow diamond projectile. Just your standard fireball. Note: since Chaos jumps off the ground when throwing the Nile Star, Goldor's Gol-wave will travel harmlessly beneath her as she does the move. Double Cross: Charge Down, then C, U, Mid button Chaos shouts "Double Cross!", leaps straight up, attacks (if her opponent is nearby), then launches herself (still in the air) at her opponent for a second attack. It is difficult but not impossible to hit her out of this move, or else block it and throw her. Throw: hold joystick F and hit Mid button Chaos yells "Yah!" and picks her enemy up, holds him/her in the air for a second, and then sends him/her flying. She recovers quickly from this throw. Name: Goldor. Sex: Male. Nationality: French. Weapon: manriki-gusari (two heavy cyliners connected by a length of chain) Goldor has green eyes and long blond hair. He wears a sleevelss shirt and slacks, and one of those loincloth-things (such as Sub-Zero of MK has around his waist.) He also has a pet canary. Unfortunately, the canary is nowhere to be seen during his battles. I think he ought to be able to yell "Go!" and have his canary dive-bomb his opponent, but no such luck. ^_^ Goldor's greatest advantage is his INSANELY long reach with his manriki-gusari. He's somewhat slow, but when he can strike you from halfway across the screen, who cares! If you're slow with your fireball, he can either trade damage with his Gol-wave, or hit you with the manriki-gusari from halfway across the screen *before* you finish the projectile! He has a pretty decent range even without the manriki gusari, especially with his air kicks. Goldor is also the only Martial Champion who can pick up other's weapons and exploit them for their full reach advantage (other characters can pick up the weapons, but can't use them to lengthen their reach). Goldor's air throw is nasty, his fireball can trip people up, and his Gol-barrier is a decent defense. Overall, he is probably the strongest MC player character, at least when he is armed. I've beaten the game on one credit with him (and Racheal). I've also driven challengers nuts with him. >;-) A competent & defensive Goldor-player is frustration itself to defeat unless one can separate him from his manriki-gusari, and even then... Goldor's background is a night street with plenty of traffic. When he wins, he holds whatever weapon he might have at the time lengthwise next to his stomach and looks down at it. Gol-wave: Charge Back, then C, F, Low button Goldor yells "Gol-wave!" steps forwad, makes an underhand-pitching motion, and sends a blue streak of fire streaking along the ground towards his enemy. Think Yagyu Jubei's (Samurai Shodown) ground fireball. Since Goldor's fireball is ground-based, it passes underneath all other fireballs instead of neutralizing them. It *must* be either dodged or blocked low; it will hit an attacker who is in a standing block. If it hits, it knocks Goldor's opponent down. Only Chaos' fireball can counter this one without trading damage (since she hovers in the air while she tosses it), and even then only if Chaos is quick. Gol-barrier: Repeatedly tap Mid button Goldor shouts something and whips his arms in a rapid patern, forming a blue pattern of energy in front of his face and torso. He is vulnerable to crouching attacks or fireballs while executing his move. It is a fairly useful defense against air attacks, although Goldor will sometimes end up trading damage with his attacker. Think a Chun Li (SF2) lightning kick with less range & which only strikes medium or high. Throw: hold the joystick F and hit Mid button. If Goldor and his enemy are on the ground, Goldor shouts something, jumps slightly into the air, and slams his opponent down. If Goldor and his enemy are in the air, Goldor will drag his enemy down and rams him/her face first into the ground. As if he didn't have enough advantages already...! If you're looking for a Power Character, guys and gals, look no further. ^_^ CPU Goldor frequently uses Gol-waves; be prepared to block them low, or better yet, jump over them and combo him. Separate him from his manriki-gusari if at all possible; he's significantly less of a threat without it. Hit him out of the air when he jumps toward you. Wait for him to start the Gol-barrier and then get him with a Low attack or a fireball. Name: Hoi. Sex: Male. Nationality: Chinese. Weapon: none. Hoi wears gold Chinese clothing & black slip-on shoes (reminds me of Lau's [VF] outfit), & a cap. He has grey hair & a grey beard, and a slight, mocking smile. He has decent speed, and some good air attacks. His fireball is slow, though. Stalks of bamboo and a panda are in his background. When he wins, he produces a circular flask, holds it above his head, and pours its contents into its mouth while still watching you out of the corner of his eye. MaKuKen (Hurricane Ball): Charge back, then C, F, Mid button Hoi cries "MaKuKen!" and holds out one hand, palm up. A large (bigger than any other fireball by half) sphere of blackness rushes towards his opponent. Unlike any other fireball, it is possible to duck under the MaKuKen & let it pass harmlessly over one's head. If the MaKuKen does connect, it knocks Hoi's opponent down. ShoEnKyaku (Rising Monkey Kick): F, DF, D, High button Hoi stands on his head, shouts "ShoEnKyaku", then launches himself into the air, feet upwards, knocking back anyone foolish enough to jump towards him. Hoi is vulnerable as he falls. Long-range kick: hold joystick B and hit Low Hoi plants both hands on the ground and kicks out with both legs. Think Chun Li's crouching Roundhouse, save that it doesn't knock people down. This attack has a better range than Hoi's ordinary crouching Low attack. This move is not a "special" attack in that it will not take off any energy if blocked. Heel kick: when Hoi is in the air, hold joystick D and hit Low I'm uncertain whether it is necessary to hold the joystick down during this move. Hoi seems to stand & bounce off his opponent's head. This attack can be done more than once while Hoi is in the air. Think Chun Li's heel kick. This attack will take off no energy if blocked. Throw: hold joystick F and tap Mid If Hoi and his opponent are on the ground, Hoi will pick him/her up, shout "Wheeyah!" do a quick jump & sommersault, then hurl him/her to the ground. This throw can also be done when Hoi & his opponent are both in the air. Jumping in on CPU Hoi isn't always very good idea, especially when he's low on energy or just getting up; he likes to spring his Rising Monkey Kick on you. His air attacks, although formidible, can be more easily countered if you jump back and strike. Block his heel kick and then throw him as soon as he touches the ground. Name: Jin. Sex: Male. Nationality: Japanese. Weapon: none. Jin is shirtless, has red slacks, and a blue headband. His hair and eyes are brown. (Alternate color Jin has blond hair and blue eyes...!) He almost always has a very serious expression on his face. Think Ryu's long-lost cousin... ^_^ Jin is fairly fast (except for his crouching Low attack), has decent reach, and does decent damage. His air attacs, especially his Mid and Low air attacks, have a high priority and are somewhat tricky to counter. His background is a training dojo, and when he winds his crosses his fists in front of him, low, and looks at the ground. Ho'o Ken (Phoenix Fire): D, DF, F, Mid button Jin shouts "Ho'o Ken!" and sends a mass of thin, multicolored streaks towards his enemy. Just your standard fireball. TenGaRenKen (High Jumping Punch): F, DF, D, High button Jin shouts "TenGaRenKen!" and jumps into the air, hammering away with both fists. If his opponent is in the air, he/she is knocked back. If his opponent is on the ground within throwing range, Jin takes his antagonist up with him as he jumps, pummeling him/her all the way up before dropping him/her at the peak of the jump. This move may be as unblockable as a throw. Jin is vulnerable as he falls. Throw: hold joystick F and hit Mid button Nothing fancy here; Jin just grabs his opponent, shouts "Yo!", and hurls him/her to the ground. Juse the general strategies against CPU Jin, and don't stand too close to him as he's getting up, or else he'll spring his TenGaRenKen on you (BTW Salamander will do the exact same tactic). Name: Mahambah. Sex: Male. Nationalty: African. Weapon: spear. Mahambah is a thin, dusky black man in a cool, loose-fitting outfit. He is the only barefoot Martial Champion. He has a tendency to make himself as small a target as possible, especially while doing jumping attacks, so that hitting him out of the air is tricky. For example, Goldor's standing High attack will often miss a jumping Mahambah, but Goldor's jumping High or Mid attacks can hit Mahambah out of the air if timed right. Mahambah has a very good reach with his spear, second only to Goldor (and I've driven challengers nuts while playing a defensive Mahambah, too ^_^). His background is dusty and sunny, and people in thick, conical straw costumes (?) move about constantly. When Mahambah wins, he faces you, smiles, raises both arms while grasping his spear or other weapon if he has it, tosses his weapon a little ways in the air, and catches it. Savannah Tornado: F, DF, D, High button. I think that one must do move this while Mahambah is in the air. Mahambah dives towards his enemy covered in a blue streak of energy. It is *very* hard to hit Mamahbah out of this move, almost impossible unless one gets him with a special move (maybe - I'm not sure how well certain special moves counter the Tornado) or jumping High attack just as Mahambah starts it. The Tornado can be blocked with a standing block, but will hit crouching opponents every time. Should there be room, it is possible to dodge this attack by jumping backwards, if one is quick enough. If Mahambah hits his enemy or his enemy blocks, Mahambah rebounds and lands well behind his enemy. If his enemy is in the corner and successfully blocks the Tornado, it *is* possible for Mahambah's enemy to turn around and counterattack as Mahambah lands, or even throw Mahambah. Timing is critical. Panther Claw: Charge D, then move the joystick C, U, Mid button I'm uncertain about the execution of this move; it looks like it ought to be done with the High button instead. Mahambah leaps in the air, twirling around and around. For practical purposes, this move is similar to Jin's TenGaRenKen. Hold: hold the joystick F and hit the Mid button. Mahambah wraps his hands and legs around his enemy and leeches off energy. Mahambah has this move in place of a throw; unfortunately, it is not usually as effective. I think it can be extended if one wiggles the joystick and repeatedly taps Mid. CPU Mahambah is difficult to hit out of the air; either be sure to space your standing High attack just right, use a special move (such as Hoi's Rising Monkey Kick), or else play it safe and jump back while counter-attacking. CPU Mahambah loves to get close and spring his hold on you, so be wary and force him to keep his distance. Deal with his Tornado attack as described earlier. Name: Racheal [sic]. Sex: Female. Nationality: Japanese/American. Weapon: none. Racheal has blond hair pulled back in a ponytail and blue eyes. She has a leather top and leggings; her arms and legs are mostly bare. Her outfit looks a little like a ninja's, though she doesn't wear a mask. She is the highest-jumping and probably the fastest of all the Martial Champions, and her air attacks, especially her High air attack, seem to have a greater priority than most. She has good reach with her punches and kicks, especially her standing Mid attack. Her crouching Low attack is a slide. While her slide doesn't knock her opponent down (in fact, it is possible for her opponent to block it and then quickly throw her), it can carry her underneath certain attacks and some fireballs, such as Titi's Chamelion Attack and Hoi's MaKuKen. Racheal is probably the easiest character to play next to the mighty Goldor himself (Mahambah is also good, but IMHO he suffers from lack of a throw). Racheal's background is, believe it or not, the white house. A number of spectators watch her perform. Good grief, are blood-sport martial arts tournaments legal in Washington DC? I wouldn't know ^_^. When Racheal wins, she faces you, winks, puts one hand on her hip, and lifts the other in a (I think) V for Victory sign. Memorable quote: "Don't look at my body, or you will be a loser." HiTon'noJutsu (Fire Magic): tap Mid repeatedly Racheal stands in place, shouts "Fi-yaaare!" and causes flame to surround her body. Think Blanka's electricity attack. This is an excellent counter against most air attacks (I think Mahambah's Tornado will hit her out of it, though.) Some ground attacks will hit her out of this if done low and far enough away, especially if a weapon is used. She is vulnerable to fireballs. Fight Fire with Fire! ^_^ Shadow Attack: charge B, then move joystick C, F, Mid button Racheal shouts "Shadow Attack!" and charges her enemy shoulder-first, trailing a blue wall of energy. Her recovery time from this attack is minimal. When Racheal charges, both she *and* her trailing blue wall can hit her opponent out of most air attacks. The attack can connect multiple times against an enemy on the ground. She can be hit out of this move with a fireball, provided that the fireball it tossed quickly enough. It is possible to block this attack and then throw Racheal, but one's timing has to be good. Move the joystick forward to throw too soon, and you'll get hit; move it too late, and she'll probably throw you instead. Throw: hold joystick F and hit Mid button Racheal shouts "Yah!" and does a suplex. This throw is very fast. I can't remember whether Racheal has an air throw... Racheal can spring off the corner walls (think Chun Li & Vega); just jump towards the corner, then hold the joystick away from the corner, and Racheal will rebound. Racheal can also do an extra-high jump (tap the joystick up when she is in the air) to get the advantage against other airborne opponents. CPU Racheal is the easiest CPU Martial Champion to beat. Don't bother trying to jump in on her; just let her jump towards you. She will very often jump right into your standing or crouching High attack, or else do an extra-high jump over your head; just turn around, approach her as she lands, and throw her. (Think SF2 Classic/CE CPU Chun Li. :) Name: Titi. Sex: Male. Nationality: Hong Kong/Chinese. Weapon: claws Titi is very strang-looking indeed. His skin is colored metallic gray, and his actions seem oddly mechanical or rigid. He wears a purple outfit and a hat with the Chinese character for "death" written upon it. He has good reach with his claws, and his Low air attack is difficult to counter. Titi's background looks like some odd forge or workshop or something. When Titi wins, he faces you three-quarters and holds out one hand forward with the fingers spread and pointed up, and the other hand backward with the fingers spread and pointed down. Chameleon Attack: D, DF, F, Mid Titi stands in place, shouts "Chameleon Attack!" and spits out an extremely long tongue of fire, which (I think) can hit more than once at close range. This attack can be ducked or blocked, and Titi is vulnerable to fireballs provided that his opponent is far enough away. HyakuRettokken(Hundred Pierce Fury): tap Mid button repeatedly Titi shouts "HyakuRettokken!", leans forward in place and whips his arms in front of him at a blinding rate. This attack has greater range if Titi has his claws, and can hit more than once. It also leaves Titi vulnerable to fireballs. Think SF2 Classic E. Honda's Hundred Hands... Throw: hold joystick F and hit Mid Titi plucks his opponent in one hand and slams him/her back and forth on either side. Repeatedly tap the Mid button while doing this throw to get as many slams in as possible, & then follow the throw up with the Hundred Pierce Fury for good measure. Titi is unique in that in addition to his ground throw, he can stand and grab opponents who are *still in the air*. CPU Titi will often just stand and block a barrage of fireballs for as long as you can keep it up; do so to whittle away at his life. Beware of jumping in on him under ordinary circumstances, especially if he is standing, or he might grab you; but if he's doing his Chamelion Attack, then go for it if you're close & fast enough (or do the Arabian Drill if you're Avu :). Name: Zen. Sex: Male. Nationality: Japanese. Weapon: kabuki fan Zen is a kabuki actor. I don't need to describe him; just think Kyoshiro (Samurai Shodown) without the spear, or better yet, go see some kabuki. ^_^ Zen has tolerable reach with his fan, and poor reach without it. He is the slowest of the Martial Champions, *especially* when he jumps - he seems to "float", like Dhalsim of SF2. His damage power doesn't appear all that exceptional either, and he doesn't even have a throw. IMHO, he's the hardest character to play. (Zen is the only Martial Champion I haven't beaten Salamander with, and not for lack of trying). Zen's background is a kabuki stage, course. I believe I recognized the kanji for "north, south, east, west" written on a sign somewhere. When Zen wins, he grasps the trails of red hair on either side of his face and rolls his head in a circle, whipping the rest of his hair about. Memorable quote: "Did you see my beautiful dancing?" Kumo-no Himo (Spider's Thread): D, DF, F, Mid button Zen shouts "Kumo-no Himo!" and holds out one hand and sends out a fireball that looks exactly like Jin's, except that it seems to be slower. Koma-no Mai (Spinning Top): Charge B, then C, F, Mid button Zen shouts "Koma-no Mai!" and twirls on one foot, rushing towards his enemy. This attack is like Racheal's Shadow Attack in that it can hit more than once, can hit enemies out of the air, and can be blocked & countered with a throw provided that Zen's opponent has precise timing. Zen is also vulnerable to fireballs when he does this. Hold: hold the joystick F and hit the Mid button. Zen strangles his opponent with his long red hair. Think Kyoshiro's hold. Unfortunately, this attack rarely does a decent amount of damage before Zen's enemy breaks free, although shaking the joystick and repeatedly tapping the Mid button seems to help. Exploit CPU Zen's slow speed by being quick to knock him out of the air if he jumps. Deal with his fireballs in the usual manner & his Spinning Top as described above. Name: Salamander. Sex: Male. Nationality: ? Weapon: none. Salamander is the only boss of Martial Champions, and cannot be picked as a player character. He's a big guy (perhaps twice as big as any of the others), with a scar on his face, spiky black hair, red shirt and blue slacks, and a surly attitude. He's faster than Racheal and seems to do more damage per attack than any other MC character. He has no background of his own; you fight him in the same background as you fought your last opponent. When he wins, he looks upwards and yells a wordless cry, raising his fist in the air. Salamander can do anyone's special moves. He tends to especially concentrate upon Goldor's Gol-wave & Hoi's MaKuKen (especially against a defensive player or at the beginning of the round); Racheal's Shadow Attack or Zen's Spinning Top followed up with Titi's Hundred Pierce Fury; Mahambah's Savannah Tornado (especially if a player jumps toward him); and Jin's High Jumping Punch (especially if Salamander's enemy is in throwing range as Salamander gets up after a knockdown.) Play defensively to beat Salamander. In general, don't jump in on him unless he's been knocked down or he'll just hit you out of the air with the Tornado. Just back off, duck his MaKuKen's & jump over his Gol-waves (think dodging CPU Sagat's fireballs ^_^). Let him do Jin's High Jumping Punch as he gets up, then hit or throw him as he falls. If he starts Mahambah's Tornado, either jump back out of the way or, if you're in the corner, block it & turn around and throw him just as he lands. When Salamander rushes towards you with Racheal's Shadow Attack or Zen's Spinning Top, either hit him out of it with a special move or, block it and try to throw him at exactly the right moment. You can sometimes sneak close to him and hit him with a standard attack, or jump over a fireball as he throws it and combo him, but be careful. Don't forget that you have *very high* throw priority when you're getting up. If Salamander knocks you down and is standing near you as you get up - even if he's in the middle of his Spinning Top or other ground special move - just throw him ASAP, and even up the odds. If you can beat Salamander, then each MC character has his or her storybook ending. Most of the endings are pretty generic; just a handful of words and pictures, nothing special. I've seen all ten of them (& earned nine on my own. :). Perhaps the most annoying thing is that none of the endings ever say what the Martial Champions tournament was all about...! As far as I can tell, *all* the characters entered the tournament just because it seemed like a good idea at the time, then go back to living their normal lives when they leave it. And Salamander...? I still don't know much about him. None of the Martial Champions seem to have any particular vendetta against him; heck, for all I know, Salamander's a good guy in disguise. ^_^ My memory is unclear on the details of some of the endings, but here's my best shot: Avu goes home to his palace & his white limosine & his adoring wives. Bobby, um, dang, does he go back to his day job in the military, or home to his wife & family, or both...? Something mundane like that. It wasn't as if Salamander killed Bobby's best friend or anything. ^_^ Chaos adds her Martial Champions trophy to her hoard of gold and jewlery. "I got junk," she says, with the afterthought "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Goldor trains students in martial arts. He also talks to his little canary perched on his finger, asking it what it thinks of his new school (did the canary have a name...?) Hoi is bored that even the mighty Salamander wasn't much of a challenge. "I'm going away," he says. Then he gets on a flying carpet and does exactly that. (I was half-expecting him to invite gods to participate in the tournament, but it doesn't work out that way... ^_^) Jin takes some pride in his success, but thinks that he could have done better and resolves to train harder. The last picture shows him within a waterfall, letting the water splash on his upraised face, and for all I know, he'd probably just practiced fifty TenGaRenKen. Did I mention that this guy could be Ryu's cousin...? ^_^ Mahambah, hm, darn, I think he goes back to his home in Africa... does he have a family there? Something ordinary like that. Racheal is bored after she wins the championship. She's sunbathing in a rather small bikini, musing about what to do next, when ninja appear out of nowhere and start throwing pointed stars at her. "You want revenge for the death of your boss?!?" Racheal snaps. I'm inclined to believe that the boss referred to is not Salamander, because there's no evidence that Racheal killed him; in fact, no one at all seems to die in the MC tournament. Since Racheal's battle garb somewhat resembles that of a ninja without a mask, I think she probably got into, ahem, a "dispute" in Japan & decided to move to the US for her health. But now that she's on the run for her life again, she appears to feel more alive, happy and excited than ever before, so go figure. ^_^ Titi seems regretful that he had to injure people to win the championship. "I hurt a man again," he says. He embarks upon far less violent job of a hedge-trimmer... ^_^ Zen goes back to putting on popular kabuki plays. "Kabuki is the very best!" he says. Corrections or additons to this de facto guide welcome. Please do e-mail me with any details I've missed, especially about character's alternate colors (I can't remember anyone's except Jin's), endings, strategy, quotes, or tactics. Victar