ddddd
dddddddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddd ddd
ddddddddd
dddddd ead
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOO OOO
OOO OOO
OOO OOO
OOO OOO
OOO OOO
OOO OOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO r
AAAAA
AAAAAAA
AAA AAA
AA AA
AA AA
AA AA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AA AA
AA AA
AA AA live 4
(Horrible ASCII art by me. Big appologies to Austin Callison who made me
an awesome ASCII but I for the life of me couldn't get it formatted to fit
this FAQ. I deleted your email from last week but if you email me again we
can talk about getting it reformatted to fit.)
===============================================================================
Dead or Alive 4 FAQ/Help Guide
By Arc Harry ([email protected])
Copyrighted January 3rd 2006 by Cody Moulton
Dead or Alive and all affiliated characters etc. are copyright Tecmo
and Team Ninja.
Version .6
This FAQ may only be reproduced upon express written consent by the author.
Please E-mail me with any questions or if you wish to host this on your site.
It must remain in it's unaltered form and its original condition
===============================================================================
Version History
---------------
Version .6
----------
In-depth usage covered for Spartan
Version .55
-----------
In-depth usage covered for Eliot
Version .5
----------
In-depth usage covered for Ryu Hayabusa
Added info on tech-rolling
Added info on Holds (Not Counter Holds)
Version .31
-----------
Updated the revised tag guide by hitomi ownz me.
Haven't had much time to work on it, but I thought i'd get his revised version
up since it's very well done.
Version .3
----------
Fixed a few spelling mistakes.
Fixed a few mistakes such as how to unlock Tengu and Lei Fang items.
Added tag section
Added tag throws (Courtesy of hitomi ownz me)
Added Kasumi's Obero throw to hard to do moves list.
Added a bit more on the Raijin
Next update I'll start doing in-depth character strategies. I'll probably also
reorganize the tag throw guide to make it a bit easier to read.
Version .2
----------
Second Version has corrected numerous spelling and grammatical errors. Also
added sections on stages and unlockables.
Anyway I hope this helps someone out there, and I'm contantly on the message
boards if anyone needs to ask me anything.
Table of Contents
-----------------
1) Some Helpful Basics
A.) Controls
B.) Setting Your Controls
C.) Button Mashing
D.) Selecting Your Character
2) Some Advanced Basics
A.) What to do and When (And some serious countering help)
B.) Baiting and the Offensive Position
C.) A Few Helpful Hints Againt the Computer and Some New Gameplay Notes
D.) Tech-rolling
E.) Holds (Not Counters)
3) Specific Character Strategies (For and against)
Kasumi
Kokoro
Brad Wong
Bass
Jann Lee
Tina
Bayman
Ayane
Hayabusa
Hitomi
Eliot
Zack
Lei Fang
La Mariposa
Christie
Hayate
Helena
Ein
Gen Fu
Leon
Tengu
Spartan-458
4) Vs. Alpha-152
A.) Understanding how Alpha Works
B.) When and How to Attack
C.) Guidelines to Remember
5) Difficult Throws/Moves
A.) Raijin
B.) Izuna-Otoshi
C.) Obero (Hoshimpo)
6) Tag Mode
A.) Tag Basics & Tips
B.) Tag throw list
7) Stages
Biolab Core
Waterfall Valley
Gambler's Paradise
Experimental Playground
Tritower Heliport
Kyoto in Bloom
Kyoto in Bloom (Night)
Nassau Station
Tatami
Seaside Market
Ninja Hideout
The D.W.A. Coliseum
The Crash Club
Savannah Safari
DOATEC Great Hall
Temple on the Mountain
8) Unlockables
9) FAQ, Contacting Me, and Disclaimers/Legal Junk
==================
1 - Helpful Basics
==================
If you're new to DOA than this is the spot for you, if not then you might want
to skip this part.
A.) Controls
------------
First let's familiarize ourselves with the controls. I will put the
abbreviation for each type of control after it in ( ) so when I talk of moves
later you can refer here to see what they stand for.
-Punch (p)
Your standard attack. If used multiple times or in conjunction with other
buttons will create various types of attacks.
-Kick (k)
Your standard kick attack. If used multiple times or in conjunction with other
buttons will create various types of attacks.
-Free (f)
Your guard button. If held down will block incoming attacks. If tapped in
conjunction with specific directions will perform counter holds.
-Throw (t) (This is also performed by pressing f+p)
Will perform a grapple on the enemy, used mainly for opponents who block or
contantly try to counter.
-Fierce kick/Secondary kick (f+k) (This is also performed by pressing f+k)
Will usually perform a slower more powerful type of kick for your character.
-Fierce punch/Secondary punch (p+k)
Will usually perform a slower more powerful type of punch for your character.
This is also often times used to change character stances.
-Tag (T) (This is also performed by pressing f+p+k)
In tag mode will switch your characters.
-Appeal (A)
Taunts the opponent.
-Directional movement (As denoted below)
Forward (Fwd)
Back (Bk)
Up (Up)
Down (Dwn)
Diagonal Up-Foward (duf)
Diagonal Up-Back (dub)
Diagonal Down-Forward (ddf)
Diagonal Down-Back (ddb)
Quarter-Circle-Forward (qcf)
Quarter-Circle-Back (qcb)
Half-Circle-Forward (hcf)
Half-Circle-Back (hcb)
Full Circle Rotation (fc)
B.) Setting Your Controls
-------------------------
If you've noticed I have not listed the default control settings for this game.
It is very important that you set your own controls that are comfortable and
accessible for you.
You can do this by going to the SETTINGS option on the Main Menu and going to
controls. Here if you do not like any of the default control schemes you can
customize your own personal controls.
A few suggestions I have for people having trouble setting controls.
-Make sure your Free button (block) is easily accessible where you won't have
trouble finding it quickly. I have mine set to the Right Bumper, so that I
always have a finger on it. This is your most important button of all so it's
important you can get to it quickly.
-Your least important buttons are Tag and Appeal, so put them out of the way
because you won't need them as often.
-If you have a button you accidentally hit a lot, such as a trigger or bumper
than it is best to set that button to an extra Free so incase you accidentally
bump it all you do is block and that's a lot less harmful than accidentally
taunting.
C.) Button Mashing
------------------
I want to take a minute here to discuss button mashing and why it is a major
no-no. As much as button mashing may appear to work, if you button mash on
anyone worth their weight they are going to hand you your backside in a paper
bag. The ONLY thing worse than not knowing what your opponent is doing is
not knowing what YOU'RE doing. This game is about having precise control over
your character. That being said do not button mash, and if you have been try
to break the habit. I know it's hard sometimes when you panic or things start
to look grim for your character but calm under pressure will always prevail.
If you don't believe here are a few reasons NOT to button mash.
1) You will accidentally hit more than one button at the same time, thus doing
things you probably don't want to do like taunt or throw.
2) You may accidentally hit your taunt button which is guaranteed pain for you
unless you planned your taunt.
3) If it's a tag match you may accidentally sub your characters in and out
making them take unnecessary damage.
4) The computer will probably have you for breakfast.
D.) Selecting Your Character
----------------------------
If this is your first time playing a DOA game then it's time to make a major
decision; who your first character will be. I want to stress that it is much
better to pick ONE character and become proficient with them until you are
ready to move on.
By doing this you will learn that character better, and you will adapt quicker
to the fighting system and flow of the game. It is advised that you go through
the sparring mode with your preffered character to get a basic grasp of their
moves. (It's ok if you don't remember them, no one remembers all the moves and
you'll learn more with time, not just the first time through practice.)
If you wish to branch off into other characters then that's fine but I strongly
suggest you stick with one to start with.
A few suggestions are-
Ryu Hayabusa- My first character and still my best. He's quick, agile, and has
some very damaging moves. He's a bit harder to use than some of the other
starting characters I'll mention here but if you get him down you're a force
to be reckoned with. Prepare to do some extra practice if you start with him.
Jann Lee- A character with very simple straight-forward moves. Some very
damaging combos and extremely quick to boot make him an excellent starting
point. Veteran players however are very aware of Jann Lee's moves and his
basic attacks will become a lot less effective against them.
Eliot- His moves are basic but switch up often making him difficult to counter
and throw. Very quick and useful for begginers, but may become a bit boring
if you're looking for something a bit flashy.
Characters I DO NOT reccommend for starters-
Bass/Bayman/La Mariposa - These three are rather slow in speed compared to the
other characters and require some handy work of throws and counters to be used
properly. These are good advanced characters for when you feel like a challenge
who can be VERY deadly if used properly.
Christie- She may be quick and seem easy to use, but she will get countered,
a lot. Until you become used to switching up your attacks and not making your
attacks obvious she should be avoided.
Ayane- She has been toned down from previous games quite a bit but still
requires some advanced controlling to use. If you don't understand exactly
what you are doing with her than you're going to end up with your back to your
opponent a lot of the time, and thus opening yourself up to attacks.
That's it for the basics. Time to move onto some advanced basics, that will
actually help you in gameplay.
===================
2 - Advanced Basics
===================
A.) What to do and When (And some serious Countering Help)
----------------------------------------------------------
When it comes down to it this game is basically rock, paper, scissors.
Attacking- Obviously your primary form of dealing damage to the opponent. Try
to mix up your attacks from high, to low, to mid, as to avoid being countered.
Avoid throwing the same move over and over again as it will cause you to get
countered or dodged and that is something you want to avoid. Remember by
pressing down or down-forward during combos will often times switch your
attack to a low one which will often times throw off the enemy. If you hit
someone that is trying to throw you with a physical attack, you will deal
extra damage.
Throwing- Useful for when an enemy is blocking or has made a failed counter
attempt. Some characters have very powerful combo throws so if you get a chance
and know a combo throw it is more beneficial to do one of those than a standard
throw. If you throw someone who is trying to counter they will take extra
damage.
Countering- Probably the most important aspect of the game. This not only will
save you from taking damage and inflict it upon the opponent, it is the ONLY
way to get out of most combos. I stress that you practice this repeatedly until
you can do it at least some of the time. DO NOT counter unless you have a
fairly good idea that you will counter the move, as failed counters cause you
to recieve extra damage or open you up to very damaging critical throws.
**IMPORTANT** - If you have trouble countering keep this in mind. Most combos
start and finish within the mid-or high attack range, so if you are being
combo'd your best bet for catching an attack is to do a high or mid counter.
Also keep in mind this important tid bit. If an attack is a vertical attack,
meaning it would hit you from head to toe if it came straight down is ALWAYS
a mid attack. Also shoulders and heads are considered mid punches, and butts
are mostly considered mid kicks.
Here are the Counter Hold commands.
Diagonal-Up-Back+Free = Will catch all high and super high attacks.
Back+Free = Will catch all mid punches
Forward+Free = Will catch all mid kicks
Diagonal-Down-Back+Free = Will catch all low attacks.
The only way to get better at countering is to practice practice practice.
And contrary to popular belief no it is NOT luck, as I've won entire matches on
solely countering. (Some people are VERY predictable).
**IMPORTANT**
Remember that once an opponent is in the air, or "launched" there is nothing
they can do about you attacking them so don't forget to lay down the extra
punishment. Also try to learn what your characters "launch" moves are, meaning
what moves will send your opponent airborne so you can safely land long
damaging combos.
B.) Baiting and the Offensive Position
--------------------------------------
Now we're going to talk about 2 very important aspects of the game.
1) Offensive Position
We need to make one misconception clear. Having the Offensive position is what
is going to put you on top in a DOA match. Being ON THE OFFENSIVE is not the
same thing as having the offensive position. Meaning just all out attacking
usually isn't the best course of action. You want to be in a position to make
the best move possible and to make good use out of your opponent's mistakes.
So how do we gain the offensive position you ask? By...
2) Baiting
It's like luring a fish using the worm, then snagging it with the hook. A very
useful trick in DOA is to set your opponent up in such a way that you can do
as you please with them, and to do this you must trick them. Here are the 2
best methods of baiting.
-Step quickly toward your opponent, then as soon as they begin their attack
quickly step back. This forces them to be attacking nothing but air, and as
soon as they are done attacking or there is a break between their attacks you
come in full force with a devastating combo. Practice double tapping left and
right so you can jump back and forth quickly, thus allowing you to trick them
into attacking or trying to throw you leaving them wide open to attacks.
-The punch, punch, throw. The average response time of the normal player is
2-3 attacks before they will attempt to counter (remember this is assuming
they counter, not everyone will do this but a lot of the more proficient
players will counter in an attempt to get themselves back into the offensive
position.) Thus the idea is to throw 1-3 quick punches or kicks and then
immediately THROW. This will trick the opponent into trying to counter your
combo that you don't finish, and thus your throw will do extra damage leaving
your opponent in the dirt. Learn the p,p,t , love the p,p,t , live the p,p,t.
C.) A Few Helpful Hints Against the Computer and Some New Gameplay Notes
------------------------------------------------------------------------
VS. Comp
-In the first few matches against the computer focus on combos and powerful
attacks. Do not try to throw or counter because the computer opponents are
"dumb" until about the 4th level or so, and will not block or counter often
enough to make throwing or countering worthwhile. This is a good time to
get in some practice with your characters combos and attacks. Remember to step
and bait, and keep them pinned against the wall if possible.
-In the later stages the computer becomes more "human" like and begins to
counter and throw a lot more. This is where your punch punch throw technique
will come in handy. But don't ONLY do p,p,t remember to mix it up with some
high low combos and some step baiting to keep the computer on it's toes.
-Don't get frustrated if the computer goes into super saiyan counter mode, this
happens and you can beat it by concentrating and setting up a throw. If you
lose don't get frustrated just try again and pretend nothing happened. If you
lose your cool you lose your concentration. You'll start to whip the computer
in no time.
Gameplay Notes
-When getting up off the ground you can do a mid, low, or high sweep by
pressing k / dwn+k / up+k respectively. The computer will usually NEVER counter
a get up kick if it does it is once in a blue moon so ALWAYS kick the computer
if you get the chance too as this will also stun them for when you get up you
can get them into a combo. When playing human opponents most are ready for a
mid or low sweep and will counter you, but not many are prepared for the high
kick as it is new to this game and throws a lot of people off guard.
-The kick ups also apply to the wall now. If you get slumped or pinned against
the wall you can do a sweep kick as described above to get yourself off the
wall. So be weary of people who are doing get up kicks after being knocked
against the wall.
-Fierce kicks will usually bounce opponents more often than other moves. Thus
you can continue comboing someone who has bounced off the ground, or off of a
wall.
D.) Tech-Rolling
----------------
One thing that many people do not remember is that if you are airborne or have
been sent flying, if you tap free+up/down you will roll to the side or hop
straight up instead of staying on the ground. This is often helpful to regain
your offensive position and to avoid going down.
E.) Holds
---------
Characters have certain types of throws that are considered Holds instead of
throws. They still function basically the same as throws but for 2 things.
1) They have a slight hesitation before they are performed. Instead of just
being a quick grab, they will rear back or perform some other action before
they do their lunge.
2) If they hit an attack of the same height they will counter the attack with
the throw. As long as it connects before the damage frame of the attack they
will stop the incoming attack. For example Elliot has a high hold, that will
push the opponent back. If the opponent throws a high kick or punch he will
push it to the side and push the opponent back.
3) If you are thrown normally when performing a hold, you will take excess
damage. For the most part of this guide I will talk of holds as being the same
as throws unless they are part of a specific combo or other strategy. Using
these and when is up to your own discretion.
=================================
3 - Specific Character Strategies
=================================
In this section I will give a detailed explanation on using or fighting against
all 23 characters in this game. Hopefully in time It will be detailed enough
to list specific character vs. character strategies but for now it is going
to give a few simple tips and strategies vs. the computer and other human
players. I'll also note how to unlock certain characters and how many costumes
each character possesses. (Unlocked by completing story mode or Time Attack
mode with desired character on the default settings.)
======
Kasumi
======
-Always Playable
-7 Costumes
Playing As
----------
Kasumi can be a very deadly character if used correctly, as she has many
long combos and moves that will help you dodge and avoid attacks
if used in a timely manner. Her attacks can become hard to stop however so be
careful about starting combos unless they are going to hit.
-Make sure you get used to her combos that end or have some sort of low sweep
or kick in them, so your entire combo doesn't consist mainly of high punches
and kicks.
-After you've got your opponent stunned, either with a powerful move, or a few
successful combo hits a qcf+p will execute a rising punch (Suisei-Chu) that
will launch your opponent into the air. After this you can follow up with an
entire combo of your choice without worry of being countered. Learn this move
well. Another excellent move to take note of is ddf, ddf+p (Mugen-To) as this
has the same properties.
-If you knock an opponent down, use duf+k to perform a flip over them to the
other side. This way if they try to attack you while rising they will miss
and leave themselves wide open and vulnerable. This is an age old Kasumi
trick that every Kasumi player should take note of.
-After performing her low throw (Niji-Shibuki) where she repeatedly kicks you
into the air, if you time it properly you can get them into a combo before they
hit the ground again.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer likes to make a few quick jabs or kicks before starting a combo.
Try to time your attacks to hit in-between the first few and the combo. If
you do find yourself caught in the combo all her combos usually contain a mid
punch of sorts so you can most likely counter it and get out.
-The computer likes to block low attacks that come in the middle of combos so
if you do use a low attack during a combo and the computer blocks it have a
quick follow up attack because the computer likes to take the time right after
its block to attempt to strike.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-NEVER kick when you get up. If a player jumps over you and you miss with your
kick than you're free for a beating. Always get up using block or punch so that
you're ready to stop the incoming attacks.
-If someone uses the teleport counter on you, be prepared to quickly step away
and block. If you do it as soon as you realize they've teleported there is a
good chance you'll get away quick enough to dodge their attack and lay in a
nasty counter-attack.
======
Kokoro
======
-Always Playable
-7 Costumes
Playing As
----------
People tend to want to button mash with Kokoro so just be careful you don't
start pressing buttons in attempts to attack and keep your cool. She can be
an excellent character if mastered and will leave the opponent feeling the
pain of massive combos.
- Holding dwn, f+k, f+k (Bokuchi-Rentai) is an excellent quick double low kick
attack that is good for beginning a combo, or to mix it up between combos.
- duf+k Will do one rising jump kick that will send the enemy airborne if they
are stunned. You can follow up with a long combo without having to worry about
being countered.
-It's a good idea to do a few attacks and then hesitate a moment before doing
anymore. This will give you a chance to make sure the opponent isn't going to
throw a counter. If they DO then you can throw them, and if they don't then
just continue on attacking them. The slight hesitation will throw people off
who are expecting the combo to continue coming.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer isn't all that good with Kokoro considering how deadly she can
actually be. Watch out for the attacks where she does two attack and then
throws, as the computer often times will try to trick you into countering so
it can throw you. Be extra careful when countering her.
-The computer seems to counter highs and lows a lot more than mids with Kokoro
so try to keep your attacks in a mid range for awhile before throwing a high
or low.
-Just don't panic and you should waste Kokoro everytime.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-People tend to button mash with Kokoro so let them and simply step bait them
to deal quite a bit of extra damage.
-People naturally throw mid punches with her.
=========
Brad Wong
=========
-Always Playable
-3 Costumes
Playing As
----------
Everything I've learned about Brad Wong I've learned from my friend who shows
that Brad Wong will leave you dazed, confused, and on the ground if used
correctly.
-Do not button mash and expect to win. With Brad Wong you MUST know what you're
doing. (Even if he may not o.O)
-Learn to lay down. Most of his best moves are used out of his lay down stance.
Not only can this be used to dodge and avoid attacks, but it is an excellent
way to set up another combo after you finish one.
-Many people forget that while Brad Wong is laying down he can throw. Abuse
this throw to mix people up who are expecting you to kick them to get back up.
-It's hard for people to counter Brad Wong because his moves are so confusing.
So keep that in mind that your chances of being countered are less than normal
against human players.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer abuses "Drunk Play Flute" and then low kicks. So if it looks like
he is playing a flute be ready to low counter.
-The computer also likes to do jumping high and mid kicks so be cautious.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Be prepared to low throw. If Brad Wong is laying down then you can perform
a low throw on him. Most people don't realize that laying down acts basically
like crouching.
-He can't block while laying down or on one leg or backwards. So if you have
a chance to hit him, especially while getting up from being knocked down than
do so.
-Remember that just because he's moving doesn't mean he's attacking.
====
Bass
====
-Always Playable
-4 Costumes
Playing As
----------
Bass is a difficult character to use. He requires the use of combo throws and
counters to be used effieciently
-Learn the qcb+t, dwn+t, up+t combo throw. It's simple and pretty effective.
If you can p,p an oppenent, trick them into countering and do this throw it
will destroy them.
-Don't forget that he has air throws that can catch people out of the air.
-A useful move is the ddf, ddf+p. This will launch the opponent and is quick.
- f,f,p+k (Flying Cross Chop) Is a move that will catch a lot of people off
guard as it can be done from a distance
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer performs a LOT of mid kicks and knees with Bass.
-The computer is a counter whore with Bass so be prepared to perform a couple
p,p,t to stop it from constantly countering.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Do your best to stay out of positions you can be thrown by continually
comboing and doing minimal blocking and countering.
-Learn to get out of throws. This will prevent you from being combo thrown.
========
Jann Lee
========
-Always Playable
-4 Costumes
Playing As
----------
Jann Lee. He's simple, powerful, and effective. His punches can be countered
pretty easily and most veteran players know how to handle him with ease but
with some practice he'll win any match in a matter of seconds.
-A very damaging and simple combo is k,k,k,p,p,p,p
-duf+k will launch them if stunned, and follow up with p,p,p,p
-The Dragon Kick (qcf+k or kick while running) does insane dmg at point blank
range.
-Do not Dragon Kick experienced players unless it is very unexpected or it
most likely will be countered or ducked.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer counters high and mid punches with Jann Lee to no end so be
careful with combos unless you've launched him.
-The computer also loves to throw mid punches in succession so be ready to grab
one, and occasionally it follows it's mid punches with a mid kick.
-It likes to do a mid-punch into sweep combo quite often. Just be mindful and
handle however you see fit.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-A lot of players will dragon kick if at a mid-range. Be prepared to either
duck it or high counter and then lay the smack down on Jann Lee.
-Be wary of his low kick throw. It looks like he is going to kick you in the
shin but this is actually a throw. If this happens duck immediately and attack
to avoid being thrown a second consecutive time by the same throw.
====
Tina
====
-Always Playable
-5 Costumes
Playing As
----------
Tina doesn't require as much practice as some of the other grappling characters
but she can lay down just as much pain, and is quicker to boot.
-Learn her qcb+t, bk+t, up+t combo throw It's easy and very damaging.
-Step baiting your opponent is VERY important with Tina as most characters
will overpower her or are quicker than her when up close.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer likes to block a lot with Tina so implement some p,p,t tactics.
-The computer whores ground throws. So make sure if you're knocked down to get
up ASAP.
-It's imperitive you learn to get out of combo throws and counters. Not only
for Tina but for anyone, but especially for computer Tina.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-People do 2-3 mid punches with Tina a lot.
-People like to do her flying head or butt bomb attack at mid range, simply
block and immediately low throw after you've blocked it.
-Just step bait her and you'll be fine.
-Let them come to you, don't let them turtle and wait for you to come attack.
======
Bayman
======
-Always Playable
-3 costumes
Playing As
----------
-Learn at least one combo throw of your choosing.
-Master the roll and leg throw that can be performed while doing it.
-bk+p,k is an excellent quick launch attack. To mix things up you can do a low
sweep and mid knee after the first punch if you don't want to do the second
high kick.
-dwn+f+k is your friend.
-learn the dwn+t, dwn+t, dwn+t for crouching opponents and for people like
Tina, Hayabusa, and Brad Wong who have a lot of forced crouching after moves.
Playing against Computer
------------------------
-The computer likes to low counter and low block a lot with Bayman, sometimes
for no good reason at all but it will screw you up.
-It's better to kick him than punch him, as if he counters a punch (unless you
can get out of it) he's going to combo hold you for hefty damage.
-Take this battle slower than most others, and be more cautious and you should
claim an easy victory.
Playing against Human
---------------------
-Be careful of his Shin Kick that comes in the middle of his combos as it will
knock you off balance and keep you up if you are about to fall. It's very hard
to avoid this or counter it but with practice you should be able too.
-Despite hitting you in the face, most of his attacks are mid.
=====
Ayane
=====
-Always playable
-6 Costumes
Playing as Ayane
----------------
Ah Ayane, perhaps the most widely used DOA character in existance. She has been
toned down a bit from previous games but is still very annoying and deadly.
-bk+p still remains one of her best moves, as it links into many combos. If you
see a stunned opponent this is sure to launch them.
-Learn to use her spin moves, such as double tap ddb to dodge attacks and then
counter with combos of your own.
-You can throw while backwards, and rolling don't forget.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer likes to block a ridiculous amount with Ayane so some serious
mix up combos are the order of the day here.
-Make sure that if she blocks your attacks that you have something quick to
follow up with so you can hit her before she hits you.
-I don't suggest trying to throw Ayane since she is quick enough to start an
attack before your throw connects, so work on comboing her more than throwing.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-If they do the slide between your legs throw you can turn around and block
quick enough to avoid being hurt.
-Just because Ayane's back to you doesn't mean she isn't dangerous, in fact
she's probably more so with her back to you than her front.
-Most of Ayane's launch moves and such people do with mid punches, so keep that
in mind when you prepare to counter.
========
Hayabusa
========
-Always playable
-4 costumes
-Body tight ninja suit from Ninja Gaiden (XBOX)
-Ninja Garb, revealing his face, his hair held back by a band.
-Original Blue ninja outfit from Ninja Gaiden (NES)
-Demon Outfit. Black suit with red lines through it and bone blades on
the arms.
The Ninja Gaiden. Ryu has simple and quick moves to perform, and if you learn
his advanced throw and teleport techniques there isn't much that can stand up
to the "super ninja"
Playing as Hayabusa
-------------------
Primary Notes-
A lot of people have taken to using Ryu Hayabusa as there character, although
very few people actually know HOW to use him at all, and most of the time they
get beat...badly. This saddens me quite a bit as Ryu is my primary character if
I'm ever forced to choose one (I always Random). But seeing as how a good
majority of online players use Ryu many people have learned how to easily beat
him. We're going to step-by-step some techniques that will make sure you come
out victorius with Ryu.
1) First things first. If you're used to Ryu in previous DOA games, he's not
the same. Don't try to use him the same or it's likely bad things will happen.
We need to look at how he's changed, (in my opinion for the worse) and work
with that. If you're new to DOA then we'll start from the beginning.
2) Let's discuss Ryu's alternate stance. We'll refer to it as his "Nin" stance
as this is what he uses his Ninpo (magic) out of, and it's a lot easier than
calling it by it's actual name. A lot of people think this is cheap. It is NOT.
It is dumb. In fact if you are playing as Ryu NEVER use this stance unless you
"set it up" which I'll discuss in Ryu's combo section.
Using the Nin stance is guaranteed to get you hurt. For two reasons. The first
being that sidestepping will dodge EVERYTHING. If you go into the Nin stance
and the other person starts sidestepping than you should just press free and
get out of it because there is no way you will hit them with anything. If you
try they will dodge to the side leaving you wide open. The second reason to not
do this is while you are entering and in the Nin stance you cannot block
counter, attack, or do anything but use the ninpo. So if your opponent is
nearby it's like saying "Hey there Mr. Opponent, please, please hurt me."
3) Regardless of being a "Super Ninja" and what the book says, Ryu is a
finesse character. If you button mash you can do quit a bit of damage. If you
are precise with him and follow a few of my ideas, you can easily tear off
3/4 a characters health in one unblockable combo.
Situational moves-
These are a few ideas of moves to perform when Ryu is in certain situations.
1) Opponent is on the ground. There are two things you can do here (I'm not
including countering as everyone can do that.) If they're going to stay on the
ground for a bit instead of instantly getting up, than use dwn+f+k or dub+k to
deal some extra damage, and force them to get back up for more beating.
If the opponent attacks when rising do one of these two things. Stand at the
edge of their attack range. (You'll learn this through playing, but it would
be where the opponents foot would connect with you if they hit you with their
get up kick). Now as soon as they start to attack use ddb+p+k to pull back a
few inches like Ryu is charging to throw a fireball. Hold it down and charge
this attack until just after their get up attack ends and then release it to
send them flying with some excellent damage. Using this attack will pull you
back a few feet allowing you to dodge their attack. This is also an excellent
move to dodge ANY type of attack with so make good use of it.
The other thing to do if you knock an opponent down and don't have time to
prepare for the above attack then press dub+p,p this will cause him to
backflip and then use a torpedo move. The torpedo move takes preference over
the kick so you will hit them and knock them back. The above attack is much
better but this is a quicker and more evasive method of attack.
If the opponent tech rolls when they hit the ground or simply gets up without
doing anything than pretend they didn't fall down and continue with your normal
fighting strategy. Just be careful to not do one of the above attacks if they
do NOT do a get up move, as they may block or counter the attacks and leave you
vulnerable.
2) You are on the ground face down. If you press p+k he will roll to the side
and torpedo attack. This is excellent as it will throw most people off who
wouldn't be expecting a mid-punch type of attack. Remember this only works
if he is face DOWN.
3) You are on a raised height i.e.-bridge, platform, etc. USE THE IZUNA.
Dropping people from excess heights is very very very damaging. Plus it looks
really cool, and remember half the game is style points :p.
4) Fighting a low attack character. If you are fighting a character that has
an excess of low attacks like Helena or Brad Wong you must be extra careful.
If you aren't familiar enough with everyone's combos to completely block them
then you are in trouble as Ryu seems to have issues fighting low attack
characters. This stems from the fact that a lot of his quicker moves are high
and so he will miss. If you are facing an opponent like this play a bit more
cautious and make sure use more mid-attacks than normal.
Combos-
Ryu has very long damaging combos. Because everyone develops their own strategy
and this FAQ is not going to just list people's combos (they're in-game) I'm
going to give you one of his best most damaging combos as well as how to set
it up and such. Then we're going to discuss "setting up" his Nin stance, so you
can use it and have it work effectively.
1) The combo. This combo consist of 10 (possibly more depending on how you set
it up) hits that after the 3rd (give or take depending on the set-up) is
unblockable. This will also add ground and wall damage, so if there is an
explosive wall or floor in the stage then getting this off once will devastate
an opponent.
-Setting it up. This is the absolute hardest part of the combo is actually
being able to begin it. It requires you to get behind your opponent. This can
be very easily done if you can trick them into countering or blocking. You must
get them into a position where you can perform the throw bck,fwd+t. A lot of
the time I have found a simple punch, punch, throw will work very well here.
So you start by p,p, (Now at this point the throw will only work if
they block or counter, but to get this throw off it takes a bit of buffering.
This means that as soon as you press punch a second time press bck, fwd, this
way as soon as the punch is over you can press throw and it will register as
bck,fwd+t. You do NOT have to wait until that punch is over to start the throw.
If the opponent doesn't counter or block and attacks then you're screwed on
this part and are probably going to get hit.) So once again assuming this works
it will be p,p,bck,fwd+t. Just so we're clean on what should happen, he should
punch twice then do a handstand on top of the opponent and flip behind them.
A final quick note is that you do not have to do the p,p. As long as you can do
this throw bck,fwd+t then you have set up for the combo and are 90% guaranteed
to get it off.
Once you are behind them there are two things that can happen. Either
you will get the combo off or you won't. It IS possible for them to turn and
block, step away quickly, or turn,duck,AND block. It is imperitive you start
this next part as quickly as possible because once you hit them with the first
hit they CANNOT escape this. If they do manage to turn and block Izuna drop
them. If you try the combo once to them and they turn around quick enough, the
next time you get them in this position assume they will block again and
prepare to Izuna drop them as soon as you land on the ground.
If all goes well and you can do this part then you're home free,
assuming you don't mess it up. As soon as you land press p,p,bck+p,k. You will
perform three punches, then a flying flip kick. The flying flip kick will smash
them into the ground and cause ground damage AND make them bounce to your head
height.
As soon as they reach your head press p,p,bck+p,fwd+p. This will do a
four hit punch combo that will send then flying into the wall if there is one
nearby for wall damage. That's it!
To quickly reiterate here is the entire combo, with the set-up included
but if not then regard the first two punches.
p,p,bck,fwd+t,p,p,bck+p,k,p,p,bck+p,fwd+p
This may seem really difficult but with a little sparring practice
it'll become second nature. Just practice each part and link them together and
you're good to go.
2) Setting up for Ryu's Ninpo. As stated before using any type of Ninpo on
someone who knows what they are doing is going to get you your ass handed to
you unless you set it up. The simplest way I've found to set it up is this tiny
combo.
p,p,dwn+k,bck
Doing this will put them in a tiny stun, and put you in the nin stance.
Once in the ninstance you have plenty of options as to what you want to do. If
they block then you can perform the throw and nail them, or if they don't then
you can come out with a quick elbow (p) and perform a combo out of it. Be
warned though that it is possible to be hit while doing this, but if you do it
quickly it will take pretty fast reflexes on your opponents part to hit you. As
to what you actually do at this point is up to you, but it sets you up to
safely perform a Ninpo attack, and gives you the option to do pretty much
anything depending on what your opponent does.
One last thing, I will include a combo here that i've found very
effective, however pulling this off takes a lot of practice as it is pretty
difficult.
p,p,dwn+k,bck,p,up+p,p,p,dwn+k,bck,up+k
This will perform a nifty air juggle combo, and end with this Ninpo
drill kick that will knock them back up off the ground.
Throws-
1) The Izuna Drop. Honestly this is the only throw worth doing. Don't even
bother with his other throws unless you really want too, except for his
bck,fwd+t that gets behind them (talked about above in the combo section).
Just practice the Izuna drop over and over and over and over again.
Look below in "hard to do moves" section for an easy way to perform it. once
you can do this move in your sleep, buffer into out of combos (meaning start
the rotation sequence while you're doing something else like punching) and such
you will be armed with probably Ryu's single most powerful weapon. Do it off
of bridges, into cars, onto beaches, onto someone's grandma, do it everytime
you get a chance to throw.
Once last note. If you can't do this out of counters don't fret too
much. It is hard to be able to do this out of a counter, and if you DO want
to be able to Izuna out of a counter, then master and i mean MASTER the regular
throw first. Then just work on your reflexes and being quick enough to get it
off after countering.
Playing as Hayabusa (Quick)
---------------------------
-Practice the Izuna-Otoshi (There's a help section below if you need it) as
it's not actually that hard and very damaging, especially if you get them
during a counter.
-qcf+p, ddf+p+k, and up+k are all excellent launch moves.
-Master throwing and attacking out of the Nin stance. Be careful about going
into this stance at the wrong time though because you're VERY vulnerable while
in it.
-You can hold how long you stay teleported during the Nin stance by holding
down your punch button during the punch.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-I highly suggest NOT punching the computer unless you are juggling them or are
sure it will hit. Because if Ryu counters you the computer WILL Izuna you
there are no two ways about it. They never fail to finish this counter. Kicks
are the order of the day.
-The computer likes to drill kick out of the Nin stance, so be prepared to mid
kick counter.
-If you see the computer go into the Nin stance try to attack as soon as
possible.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-If you can block the flying triple kick or the flying flip kick you can
immediately low throw him. Same goes for his torpedo moves. Most of his flying
moves will leave him in a forced croutch out of which you can low throw him.
-Like the computer, if you see someone perform the Nin stance and you can get
to them go ahead and kick the crap out of them because there isn't much they
can do.
-Ryu has lots of distance attacks people like to abuse so be prepared to block
or counter them.
======
Hitomi
======
-Always playable
-8 costumes
Playing as Hitomi
-----------------
Hitomi is fairly quick and pretty powerful. She can become a bit choppy though
if you don't know what moves to follow what with. She takes a bit of practice.
To use proficiently.
-Abuse bk,fwd+p. It's quick, powerful, and works.
-bk+f+k is an excellent launch move if they are stunned.
-p,p,fwd+p,fwd+k is a good mid-air combo.
-fwd+k,k,k is a very quick useful combo, and it throws a lot of human players
off because that last kick didn't use to be there.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer doesn't like to finish her combos so be prepared to come out
attacking between her moves.
-The computer loves to mid-kick with Hitomi
-And High counter
-p,p,t works really really well on the computer Hitomi.
-Don't try to counter unless you know you can get something because the
computer is really good at mixing up Hitomi's attacks.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-People love to step bait with Hitomi, so make sure you don't let them.
-Most of her kicks are mid kicks that people use.
-Watch out for people using her low kicks, because a lot of he combos have them
and they're actually pretty easy to counter.
=====
Eliot
=====
-Always playable
-4 costumes
-A Cleric/Monk ensemble similiar to early Gen Fu outfits.
-A hoodie and jeans
-A shiny vest covering a long blue robe with wrist guards
-An outfit that looks like it was designed from Kingdom Hearts
The inheritor of Gen Fu's Iron Fist. If Gen Fu fought like Eliot in his youth
no wonder this style is so legendary. It's very quick, powerful, and hard to
counter.
Playing as Eliot
----------------
Primary Notes-
First off I want to state that it is imperitive that you do not just punch with
Elliot. Much like Christie he has a lot of mid-punches. Repeatedly punching mid
not only increases your chance of getting countered greatly but he also has
a huge frame disadvantage after quite a few of his combos. Meaning if the combo
is successfully blocked you're just a sitting duck.
Elliot does have a lot of long combo strings that mix it up enough so that you
will not get countered, in fact a lot of his high punches look mid which is a
good thing as it will cause your opponent to counter incorrectly. He also has
quite a few good launch moves which I will talk about in the combo section.
Situational Moves-
1) You are knocked down face up. If you press p+k you can jump up with a quick
strike punch. It's not as effective as it should be since it takes awhile to
get up, but it can be confusing nontheless. It should be used at your own
discretion.
2) Your back is to a slope. If you press bck+t while YOUR back is to a slope
you will perform a throw that causes a very hefty amount of damage. Must
better than the other throws you could perform.
Combos-
Combos are one of Elliot's only true strong points. However we must learn to
link some of his combos together instead of using his basic ones as most of
them will send your opponent flying at the end, or cause a guard break which
won't matter because of his vulnerability after most of his combos. We're going
to talk about one of his best combos, then some of his more proficient launch
moves.
1) Here is a very easy way to do one of Elliot's longest, and most powerful
combos. Simply hold ddb,p,p,p,p,p,p. This combo, as simple as it is, mixes
from low to mid to high to low again.
Be warned. At this point after the combo if they've been blocking they can hit
you with an attack after your final low attack. However if they DO do this
then continue to hold ddb and start the combo again. If you're quick or lucky
enough you should be able to start it again before they have a chance to do
anything, and if they've attempted to do something and you can hit them with
the first attack then you should be able to hit them with the other punches.
If however they have not been blocking they will most likely be stunned at this
point, or at the very least vulnerable to an attack that will stun them. This
is an excellent time to use a launch move on them. I suggest you follow up with
the first small combo described in the launch moves below.
2) His launch moves. I'm only going to talk about the three that i've found to
be the most useful.
fwd+k,dwn+k,p . This nifty little mini-combo will stun them, hit them low, then
launch them for a follow up combo. It's hard to get a long combo off in the air
using Eliot but a simple p,p,k type combo should work once you've got them
in the air.
ddf,ddf+p . This attack will stun or launch the opponent. It's pretty quick
if you can get the ddfx2 part off, but I don't suggest using this as after you
perform it you must hesitate for quite a bit before starting another combo or
else you will do the follow up move which will smash them into the ground.
ddf+p+k . This is the move I would suggest performing if the first combo isn't
working for some reason. It's fairly quick and launches them pretty high. Plus
you don't have to worry about accidentally doing a follow up move like in the
attack above.
3) So if we link the first combo, with a launcher and another combo we can come
up with some pretty long combo strings. Let's take a look at this example and
then you can build your own.
hold ddb,p,p,p,p,p,p,fwd+k,dwn+k,p,p,p,dwn+p
If all goes well it should hit the opponent 12 times, the latter part being an
air juggle.
*Note* As with all combos it is possible to stop midway to use a throw or
perform another move. However the first ddb,p,p,p,p,p,p is VERY difficult to
stop once you get it started, so be careful.
Throws-
If you plan on using Elliot, then I suggest you learn the following throws.
fwd+t,t. This tiny throw combo is VERY simple to pull off and does more damage
than all his other throws. This is a good one to pull off mid-combo if the
opponent takes to countering as it will do the extra damage plus whatever you
did of your combo.
qcb+t. This is an EXCELLENT throw to use mid-combo. Why? Although this throw
is actually pretty weak, it leaves the opponent standing which means after
the throw you can just continue your combo without hesitation. In fact you
could drain someone's entire life without knocking them down once if you used
this throw to link shorter combo strings.
bck+t. This throw will flip your opponent to your opposite side. Useful incase
you get pinned to a wall and want to turn the tables, or if you want to flip
someone down a staircase or through an obstacle.
Those are the only 3 throws you should concern yourself with learning. The
others may be pretty, but there isn't much use for them.
Playing as Eliot (Quick)
------------------------
-As with Kokoro a good strategy to use is to hesitate a bit before each move
so you can see if the opponent is going to try and counter or block so you can
throw them instead. You can hesitate quite a bit between different moves with
Eliot so use that to your advantage.
-If you get people against the wall you can take serious advantage of it with
Eliot by continuously pounding them with his hard to counter punches.
-Do your best to flow between high, mid, and low attacks which Eliot can do
with ease.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer likes to do a low ankle kick or shin push to throw you off guard
before starting or finishing a combo.
-It's best to step bait him, or get in an advantageous position because
despite the fact all his attacks look mid they aren't, and Eliot is extremely
difficult to counter.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Just follow the same rules as fighting the computer, he doesn't vary much
between the computer and good players.
====
Zack
====
-Always playable
-4 costumes
Playing as Zack
---------------
He's weird, He's crazy, and compared to previous DOA's he's been vastly
improved. Love Love Beam!
-Mix up his combos, try to avoid the fact that he likes to repeatedly throw
moves at the same height.
-Learn to do his duck and sway moves, because a lot of his ducking gut punches
are VERY useful. He also has some launch moves he can perform after his duck
punches.
-Learn to take advantage of his speed.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer really changes a lot with Zack, so it's hard to give helpful
advice. The computer really likes to finish combo's so if you know what height
the first move is the next few are probably the same height.
-It counters high a lot
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Be careful of people ducking, make your attacks mid so they will hit him in
his duck.
-People usually finish combos unwillingly so take advantage and counter.
========
Lei Fang
========
-Always Playable
-7 Costumes
Playing as Lei Fang
-------------------
A quick deadly combo character, along with some pretty powerful throws make Lei
Fang deadly in the hands of a pro.
-Learn her triple throw. Most people aren't expecting a combo throw from a
fast combo character.
-ddf,ddf,p is a great way to start off any combo.
-p,p,fwd+p,k is a nice way to finish off someone in the air.
-p,k,k,k will mix up a lot of human players, and usually hit
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-Oddly enough the computer ups the counter rate for Lei Fang, and not so much
the combo rate. So this means that you're probably going to have to do quite
a bit of throwing.
-She's very easy to bait into attacking so you can hit her with a move, just
be careful she doesn't use one of her quick moves to hit you before you hit her
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Lei Fang is harder to counter than she looks so try to focus more on blocking
unless you are stuck in a combo.
-People always tend to start with punches more than kicks with Lei Fang. This
stands true for most characters however.
===========
La Mariposa
===========
-Always playable
-5 Costumes
Playing as La Mariposa
----------------------
I don't recommend her for beginners at all. But her weird movements will allow
you to land some nifty hits if you know what you're doing.
-Try to make an opening for throws, usually by p,p,t.
-Learn how to do her low kicks that turn into mid kicks.
-Refrain from doing her repeated low kicks as you'll probably get countered.
-Her up+t is very useful. You can even get Alpha with it if you're lucky
although I wouldn't risk it.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer loves to use her kicks so forget about punch countering and focus
on blocking and countering her kicks.
-It's better to use quick moves on her, don't try to set up for poweful moves
or you'll probably get thrown or kicked.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Watch for low kicks. Nuff said.
========
Christie
========
-Always playable
-4 Costumes
Playing as Christie
-------------------
Christie can be a ***** in a fight if you use her right.
-Her ddb+p,k is not only a very useful move for switching up hits, it also will
launch them.
-Make use of her alternate stance. She can do some damaging and quick lunges
out of it, not to mention dodge to the side and attack.
-Avoid repeatedly punching as you will probably get countered.
-I say again, avoid repeatedly punching as you will probably get countered.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-Actually not much to say here other than the computer loves to do low attacks.
lots and lots of low attacks.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Be ready to mid punch counter, and block those low attacks.
-The trick is to keep on pounding at her, so she doesn't have a chance to start
a combo.
-If you get caught in a long combo don't panic, hers don't do that much damage.
======
Hayate
======
-Always playable
-4 costumes
Playing as Hayate
-----------------
Probably one of, if not THE, best characters in the game.
-Learn to teleport. If you're having trouble doing it after backflipping or
qcf+f just repeatedly tap in the direction of your opponent and you will
teleport. For example if your opponent is on your right and you back flip, as
soon as you backflip just keep tapping right until you teleport. Don't worry
it'll work.
-Use his flying kicks to take down unsuspecting opponents at a distance.
-Don't even try the Raijin throw, it's not worth it.
-You can do massive air juggles and bounce juggles with Hayate, don't forget to
pay attention.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer at times seems too good with Hayate. Avoid being thrown or else
you might be Raijined which is a very bad thing.
-If he's blocking everything you can dish out, don't forget to toss in a throw.
-If he teleports turn and block right away.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Just block a lot, you should stop most of their attacks.
-Hayate has lots of openings after attacks where you can step in and land a hit
or two.
======
Helena
======
-Unlocked by beating Story mode with all default characters.
-5 costumes
Playing as Helena
-----------------
Can you say combo?
-Lots of people know that Helena has a lot of mid punches so don't throw too
many in a row.
-duf+k is an excellent launch move.
-moves that end in her Bakuho are good, because she can pop out of into another
combo quicker than ending on her feet. (Most of the time)
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer kind of sucks with Helena. I've found it does a lot of incorrect
countering which it pays for.
-On the other hand it's very difficult to counter the computer's Helena. The
best strategy is to keep her at bay with hesitant strikes and stop her from
starting her combos.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Watch for mid punches and low kicks.
-You can throw her out of her Bakuho with a low throw.
-Remember when she's in the Bakuho she can't block, so take advantage of it.
===
Ein
===
-Unlocked by beating story mode with Hitomi
-4 costumes
Playing as Ein
--------------
He's virtually the same as before, only now with tiny looking arms.
-Here's a combo. Remember it.
ddf+p,ddf,ddf+k,p,p,fwd+p,fwd+k.
-his fwd+p+k move will stun the opponent. Follow up with the above combo to
obliterate someone.
-ddf,ddf+t against a wall will smash them into it. If it's explosive the dmg
adds up on each hit for extreme damage.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-Funny the computer plays about in the same manner with Ein as it does Hayate.
It blocks to no avail and is an expert at countering.
-Best way to handle computer Ein is to be cautious and hesitate attacks so he
doesn't counter you. Throwing is another good option here.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Watch out for Ein's very quick thrust attacks.
-Again, watch out for Ein' very quick thrust attacks.
======
Gen Fu
======
-Unlocked by beating story mode with Eliot
-4 costumes
Playing as Gen Fu
-----------------
The legendary Iron Fist is back!
-fwd+p,p,p+k is a good combo to get people with while in the air.
-fwd+p+k hits way more people than it should, and does a nice chunk of dmg.
-Be careful as Gen Fu is slower than he appears. Meaning your attacks may look
quick sometimes, but will still be overridden by a quicker characters.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer likes to hesitate it's attacks with Gen Fu a lot, leaving open
some spaces to get attacks in.
-The computer also ducks an incredible amount with Gen Fu. So low throw and
mid attacks should work well against him.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-Watch for multiple mid punches.
-Try to block combo strings until he's done and there is an opening.
====
Leon
====
-Unlocked by beating story mode with Zack
-4 costumes
Playing as Leon
---------------
RAMBO!
-As with other grapplers, learn at least one good combo throw, then practice
doing it and setting it up.
-bk+p,k is a good launcher.
-Leon is quicker than he looks, the opposite of Gen Fu. So don't hesitate to
throw a punch even if you think it might be too slow.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-The computer doesn't throw as much as you'd think it should. So blocking and
countering is still ok.
-Leon likes to kick you up off the ground to continue his combo if you should
go down, so if you go down be prepared for low attacks and try to get up as
quickly as you can, preferably with a kick.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-watch for throws and mid kicks.
-Try to get off the ground ASAP so you don't get thrown while on the ground.
=====
Tengu
=====
-Unlocked by beating Time Attack Mode with all characters.
(Including all 5 other unlockable characters.)
-2 Costumes
Playing as Tengu
----------------
It's all in the nose. He's not cheap LIKE before, he's cheap in a whole new way
-duf+k,dub+k,p is your friend.
-dwn+f+k,f+k,f+k is your best friend who brings you cookies.
-bck+p+k is a great charge move, as it hits at a very long distance.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-Watch for flying throws and low attacks.
-See playing vs. human
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-watch for people who continually backflip and dash at you. If you see someone
backflip immediately mid-punch counter.
-If you see him charge up block until his flying move is done hitting you.
====================
Spartan-458 (Nicole)
====================
-Unlocked by beating story mode with Helena
-7 costumes
-Green Master Chiefesque Suit
-Red Armor
-Blue Armor
-Silver shiny reflective Armor
-Beige Armor
-White Armor
-Black Armor with red secondary
Covenant run for your lives, because Spartan's here to kick some ass.
Playing as Spartan
------------------
Primary Notes-
In all honesty Spartan isn't that great of a character, in fact for the most
part she sucks. However with quite a bit of practice, and some fancy button
pressing you CAN turn Spartan into a force to be reckoned with.
Spartan doesn't have all that many moves to begin with, and with that being
said even fewer of those are actually worth using. Most of her punches are
pretty weak and her damaging moves don't come til the end of combos.
It's kind of odd but Spartan is actually a character to use from a distance.
She has some of the best charge and dash moves in the game so for the most part
we're going to abuse those, combined with powerful throws and counters to give
Spartan an edge.
Oh and for all intensive purposes this is NOT Master Chief, however if you wish
it was (like me) and the voice doesn't bother you then just go ahead and
pretend it is.
Situational Moves-
Opponent is on the ground. Be prepared to midkick counter. If you step forward
and immediately throw after a midkick counter you can perform an air throw that
will cause lots of damage when combined with the counter, more so then any
combo I could find. I say be prepared when opponent is face down people will
often midkick when rising so it's an exceptionally good time to get this throw
off.
In fact as a general rule, always be prepared to midkick counter, step forward,
and immediately throw as doing this after ANY midkick counter will do
sufficient damage. I'm putting this here instead of in the throw section
because it is imperitive you perform the midkick counter or else doing the air
throw isn't worth it damage wise.
Opponent is bouncing. A lot of Spartan's moves cause the
opponent to bounce, this however isn't as good as one would hope since
Spartan's relatively weak moves make bounce comboing basically worthless.
Combos-
Spartan's combos are worthless. Even the one's with multiple punches (5 or so)
are too weak to be effective. I would only use short combos to set up for
throws, tricking people with a p,p,t or something of the like or as added bonus
damage if you manage to bounce an opponent.
Spartan's charge moves however are a very redeeming quality as they are some
of the fastest and most powerful in the game. Take advantage of backing away
and running toward your opponent and unleashing a punch. (p while running).
You can also perform a k while running to change it up incase the opponent is
getting used to your dash punch.
bck+p and bck+k are both good charge moves that will drop you back aways to
avoid attacks, and can then be used to lunge forward and strike with.
Throws-
This is where Spartan will do the most damage and what your goal will be. There
are only 2 throws you need to worry about.
The Sticky Grenade throw. (hcf+p) . This throw not only is Spartan's signature
throw it is EXTREMELY powerful. It's her best move by far, and on a
high counter will do just as much as a triple throw. Combine this with a wall
and it will have hehem "explosive" results. It is worth learning this move so
practice it over and over. The best way to use this throw is to do a p,p,t of
sorts because just doing it normally requires too much hesitation to roll the
stick/pad in a half circle. However if you do a move or two and begin rolling
it while the moves are in motion (buffer it) you can press throw immediately
after you punches and hopefull get them with it. Plus if they counter than
they're really asking for it.
One more thing to take into account. Once you stick them CHASE THEM DOWN, do
not revel in the glory of your stick. If you chase them immediately you can
always hit them with a dwn+f+k to do extra damage AND knock them back up. If
you can keep it going this way along with the stick you can obliterate someone.
Plus it gets you kudos for using the plasma grenade which is always a good
thing. "You stuck Spartan!" "Betrayal!"
The other throw you should be concerned about is the air throw. An opponent
must be launched or bounced pretty high (at least half the screen) to be able
to grab them. As stated above if you successfully midkick counter step forward
and immediately press throw and you will get them with this. Anytime you can
get them with this while they're in the air it's more beneficial than anytype
of combo you can perform.
I want to make one last note that although some of her other throws may look
useful they're not. (Except her hold but that's another story together, and
timing it to get in before the frames of the opponents attack is harder than
to just block.) Especially her qcb+p. It will bounce the opponent really high.
You can then perform a combo or do her air throw after they bounce. However
you might as well do the sticky grenade throw because I have yet to discover
a combo/air throw that does nearly as much damage as the Plasma Grenade.
So remember Plasma Grenade > all other throws.
And no unfotunately Spartan has no noob combo. I guess that's too much to ask
huh?
Playing as Spartan (Quick)
--------------------------
-A lot of her moves bounce people, so always be prepared to follow up with some
punches.
-The sticky grenade throw not only looks really cool, but is pretty powerful.
-She has some of the best dash and charge moves in the game, so abuse them.
Playing vs. Computer
--------------------
-Mid kicks...lots and lots of mid kicks.
-The computer mostly only blocks high with Spartan for some reason, so you can
hit her with lots of low attacks to stun her then pop up for the rest of your
combo.
Playing vs. Human
-----------------
-very easy to block until her combo is done and then attack.
-Her height makes her mid attacks appear high so be careful. You can always go
to sparring if you're confused on a moves height.
=================
4 - Vs. Alpha 152
=================
Ah the infamous boss character of Dead or ALive 4 Alpha-152. Many people are
having serious issues beating this enemy so I'm giving it it's own section with
some strategies designed to improve your gameplay vastly against Alpha. Yes
Alpha does eventually become very easy to beat, and you should be able to get
a perfect with just about every character.
A.) Understanding how Alpha Works
First and foremost you must understand that Alpha does not work at all like
any other character, and yes this is its weakness. Alpha is designed to bait
you into a long combo or throw you from a distance. So the easiest way to beat
Alpha? We're going to prevent it from doing both of these by learning how to
stop it.
B.) When and how to attack
Remember Alpha counters once in a blue moon, which means YES wail away with as
many combos as you want. Keep attacking. In fact, and i'm not joking, pppppp
will work, and one time got me a flawless with Tina. Don't try to be flashy
with your attacks, just keep attacking as quick as you can. If she teleports
turn as fast as you can in her direction and continue attacking.This will
prevent her from throwing you. Once you've gotten the hang of this you can
drain quite a bit of her life.
Now about how to stop her combos. Many people say to not counter her but this
is wrong. She only has about 3 combos she ever does. She has a few other moves
but she RARELY uses them.
1) She will repeatedly thrust punch you. If you get hit by this immediately
begin to mash mid punch counter. You should catch the 2nd or 4th punch this way
and regain your offensive advantage.
2) A tornado like attack of barrage kicks. If she begins to hit you with this
immediately begin to low counter, as 3 of those kicks hit you low and you are
bound to catch one.
3) A few axe like vertical kicks that become a blur of motion. This is the
hardest to counter, but if you continually mid kick counter you should side
step one of the kicks, just be sure to come out with a quick combo or she'll
turn and hit you with the rest.
C.) Guidelines to remember
-Never try to throw Alpha
-If she attacks and misses go for it!
-Do not stand still and block. You're asking for a distance throw.
-Running from a distance and doing a quick thrust (while running) attack is
VERY effective, especially with your slower characters, this is almost a must.
-Do NOT under any circumstances stand near Alpha when she gets up or try to
attack her. She will teleport 100% of the time and most likely make you pay
for it. Back off when you knock her down until she has stood back up then
quickly get back in to fight.
-If you get Alpha near a wall unless she's stunned or in an air juggle back off
and get away from the wall because she will teleport and pound you into the
wall for MASSIVE damage.
==========================
5 - Difficult Moves/Throws
==========================
I've dedicated this section to helping people get the grasp and complete some
of the more difficult moves in the game.
A.) Raijin
This move is performed by Hayate and is a combo throw. It is the most difficult
move in the game to do. Yes it is possible. Yes I have done in battle. No it is
NOT worth it. Spending hours upon hours to master this move is not worth the
time, however if you want the Hayate system voice and the Alpha system voice
you're going to have to do this in Exercise mode so here are the steps to doing
it a little easier.
1) Use the joystick, not the control pad. Do a standard punch, as soon as you
press the punch button start from the joystick down position than rotate it
counter clockwise until it's straight down again and hit throw. This should do
the first part of the throw. Practice until you can get this part everytime.
2) For this part it is easier to switch to the control pad because it's easier
to input single directions. If you choose not to do that or aren't quick enough
than just be careful with the joystick. Memorize the combination and practice
doing it on the ground a few times. Once it's in your head combine it with the
first one. It's best to start as soon as you flip over your opponents head, and
must be done before the "combo throw" dissapears.
3) This is the hardest part of the throw. Use whatever you find the easiest to
input commands in. Don't listen to the combo throw icon as it lies to you
during this part of the throw. You must get this part off between the time he
reaches his opponent in the air, and before he delivers the kick that sends
them downward. It's very hard and must be done quickly. If you do it however
than it should finish the throw.
**Note**
A lot of people are accidentally performing the Kagero-Mawari (qcf+t) instead
of doing the first part of the Raijin. This comes from one of two things.
Either you are not doing a full rotation with the joystick, or you are not
starting and ending straight down. Make sure you start straight down and press
the joystick out hard so that you hit every one of the 8 directions and end up
back at down. If you don't do a full rotation, meaning you start down and press
throw at ddb, instead of straight down again you'll do the Kagero-Mawari. Make
sure you do a full 360 rotation with that joystick!
B.) Izuna-Otoshi
This move is performed by Ryu Hayabusa and is a combo throw. Mastering this
move IS very beneficial as it will cause massive damage if done off heights and
also you can perform it out of counters turning Ryu into a damage dealing
death machine. This move is NOT difficult to do if you know the trick.
1) For the first part of the throw (disregard for the counter) do a half-circle
forward and throw. This honestly is the hardest part of the throw to do is
actually setting it up. A p,p,t technique is very useful to use here and if
they counter the Izuna Drop will do lots of extra damage. Once you've got this
part down and can toss them into the air move onto the next part.
2) Once again the game directions lie. Disregard any directional arrows they
give you. Just begin to swirl the joystick or control pad in the desired
direction (whichever is easiest for you) and press throw when it says combo
throw. You can actually mash throw as well but it won't work ALL the time then.
As long as you are swirling the joystick or control pad and press throw it will
register that the throw has been done. You do not have to change direction or
go in a specific direction, just swirl the stick. That's it.
C.) Obero (Hashinpo)
This move is performed by Kasumi and is a standard throw. Many people are
having issues performing this throw because the command for it is misleading.
Here's the 2 steps to doing it.
1) Press p+k and hold forward. She should do a backhand punch and then stumble
forward. The punch MUST MISS the opponent.
2) Press throw while she's stumbling and she'll do the throw. (Assuming the
first punch missed). That's it.
============
6 - Tag Mode
============
A.) Tag Basics & Tips
---------------------
One of my personal favorite modes, and one of the most challenging and
difficult to master. A tag match between two expert players can be an
absolutely amazing sight to behold. I'm going to list some of the basic tips
and strategies needed to get you a heads up in tag mode.
1) Remember these basics. Know what your tag button is. You wouldn't believe
the amount of matches i've gone into where someone didn't know what their tag
button was. It's crucial you know what this button is! Also remember that
whatever character isn't fighting is slowly regenerating health, so it's
important to keep a character with low health out for awhile to regain some.
2) Know when to tag. As a general rule there are only 3 times you should ever
switch characters, and they are.
A.) If your opponent is on the ground.
B.) If your opponent is far enough away they can't possibly hit you.
C.) If you are tag comboing, or your opponent is stunned.
Never ever ever ever tag if there is no reason too, or if you are being
attacked, or within range of an enemies attack.
3) Tag throw. If you just press standard throw you'll perform a tag throw. They
deal a good amount of damage, look cool, and are unescapable. Be wary though
do not tag throw if the person you are bringing in is low on health or
shouldn't be brought in for some reason or you might get them killed.
4) Tag comboing. The flashiest, most damaging, and hardest part of tag is the
tag combo. Basically this means that the two teamates will jump back and forth
repeatedly taking turns pounding the enemy. There are multiple strategies to
do this but I'll only explain one here to get you started, then most of it is
developing your own combos. I'll use 1 & 2 as sample teammates.
1: Uses a simple stun move to stun opponent - tag
2: Uses a powerful launch move to knock opponent into the air rendering them
helpless - tag
1: Uses a few simple punches and gives 2 time to recover - tag
2: Finishes with the longest most powerful combo they can before opponent hits
the ground, hopefully one that will send them into the wall.
Note that they can be longer or shorter depending on how they keep the opponent
in the air. A few things to take note of. The more powerful a move they use the
longer they must stay out before being tagged back in. So try to use quicker
weaker moves. Don't finish combos until the last one or chances are you won't
be able to keep tagging in and out for more hits. Also note that quicker
characters have longer combos than heavier ones like Bass.
Just to help give you an idea of how damaging this can be, I have a 14 hit
tag combo for my personal tag team (Ryu x Helena) that does 110 damage, and 8
of the hits are air juggles.
B.) Tag Throw List
------------------
A very special thanks goes to hitomi ownz me for compiling this list. I have
not change it in anyway other than to format it here. This is purely a
referance guide for those who are interested.
Now you may simply find your favorite character and see what characters they
have throws with.
* = tag team that has both characters with at least 1 special tag throw
i = tag team with special intro animation
w = tag team with special win animation
Kasumi - Hayabusa* (i/w), Helena*, Hitomi, Ein*, Brad, Bass*, Zack, Ayane*
Hayabusa - Kasumi* (i/w), Ein* (i/w), Gen Fu*, Bass, Leon, Jann Lee*, Tina*,
Bayman*, Ayane*, Hayate* (w)
Helena - Kasumi*, Hayabusa, Gen Fu* (i/w), Lei Fang* (i/w), Christie* (i/w)
Kokoro - Hitomi*, Eliot, Lisa, Ayane, Hayate
Hitomi - Kokoro*, Ein*, Zack* (i/w), Hayate
Ein - Kasumi*, Hayabusa* (i/w), Hitomi*, Bass, Zack, Jann Lee* (w),
Ayane* (i/w)
Brad - Kokoro, Eliot*, Gen Fu* (i/w), Zack
Eliot - Brad*, Gen Fu*, Lei Fang
Gen Fu - Kasumi, Hayabusa*, Helena* (i/w), Brad* (i/w), Eliot*, Zack, Leon*,
Lei Fang, Tina (combo, second command = throw), Bayman*, Ayane
Bass - Kasumi*, Gen Fu, Zack* (#2 f,f+throw), Leon* (i/w), Jann Lee, Tina*
(#2 f,f+throw) (i/w), Lisa*, Bayman* (#2 f,f+throw) (w), Ayane
Zack - Hayabusa, Hitomi* (i/w), Bass*, Leon* (i/w), Lei Fang, Tina* (#2
f+throw) (i/w), Bayman* (i)
Leon - Gen Fu*, Bass* (#2 f+throw) (i/w), Zack* (i/w), Tina*, Bayman*
Jann Lee - Hayabusa*, Ein* (#2 f+throw) (w), Gen Fu, Leon, Lei Fang* (i/w),
Bayman
Lei Fang - Helena* (i/w), Ein, Jann Lee* (#2 f+throw) (i/w), Tina* (w)
Tina - Kasumi, Hayabusa*, Bass* (#2 f+throw; #3 throw behind opponent) (i/w),
Zack* (i/w), Leon*, Lei Fang* (w), Lisa* (#2 f+throw), Bayman*
Lisa - Hitomi, Bass*, Tina*
Bayman - Hayabusa* (df,df+throw), Ein, Gen Fu*, Bass* (#2 f+throw) (w), Zack*
(i), Leon*, Tina*, Christie*
Christie - Helena* (i/w), Hitomi, Brad, Bayman*
Ayane - Kasumi*, Hayabusa*, Ein* (i/w), Jann Lee, Hayate* (i/w)
Hayate - Hayabusa* (w), Brad, Christie, Ayane* (i/w)
==========
7 - Stages
==========
In this section I'm going to detail each stage, a few things to watch out for
and possibly a few tricks and things to note. I'll also add the extra damage
you'll take by hitting the obstacles. Remember knowing your surroundings and
paying attention are half the battle.
A.) Biolab Core
---------------
Alpha's stage. There are no hurdles to jump over or obstacles to avoid in this
stage, but every inch of it is explosive.
Floor- 10 dmg
Wall- 20 dmg
B.) Waterfall Valley
--------------------
An unsturdy bridge over a river. Falling from the bridge will cause you some
hefty damage, and being throw off of it (for example Izuna-Otoshi) will cause
severe damage. The only obstacles is large fallen branch down by the side of
the river.
Fall from Bridge- 40 dmg
C.) Gambler's Paradise
----------------------
A stage very similiar to Las Vegas. There is a railing in the median you can
jump over, as well as take explosive damage from the sign. The biggest threat
to watch out for are the cars. Keep in mind that if a car is headed toward
you it will swerve to the other side. So if you see a car coming at your
opponent be warned it will probably swerve to hit you. You can counter the car
by performing any one of your counter holds the moment before it hits.
Hit by car- 30 dmg
Electric Sign- 20 dmg
D.) Experimental Playground
---------------------------
Jurassic Park! This stage is filled with various dinosaurs. There are numerous
broken trees around this stage in which to hop over. You can also jump over the
dinosaurs. The only hazard that can actually hit you is a pterodactyl that will
swoop at you if you enter the water.
Pterodactyl- 30 dmg
E.) Tritower Heliport (Tag)
---------------------------
The helipad on the tritowers serves as one of the 3 tag stages. There isn't
much of anything to worry about here except the explosive wall.
Wall- 20 dmg
F.) Kyoto in Bloom
------------------
A bridge over a small river surrouned by cherry blossom trees and temples. You
can be knocked off the bridge for slight damage, and the only obstacles are
a fence on each side of the bridge and a few tables here and there on the
far sides.
Fall from bridge- 20 dmg
G.) Kyoto in Bloom (Night)
--------------------------
Same as above, only at night.
H.) Nassau Station
------------------
The Halo themed stage. There are various bombs and boxes to which you can hop
over. The plasma shields are explosive.
Fall from catwalk-20 dmg
Fall from catwalk onto Warthog-40 dmg
Explosive Shield-10 dmg
I.) Tatami
----------
This stage is always available in Sparring and can be used in versus when all
costumes and Alpha's system voice are unlocked. It is an endless length of
Tatami mats. There are no walls or obstacles.
J.) Seaside Market
This stage has so many tables, beach chairs, and things to jump over it's nuts.
You can also crash into crates and fall to the beach.
Crates- 5 dmg
Fall down stairs to beach- 45 dmg
Fall from wall, to overhang, to beach- 70 dmg
K.) Ninja Hideout
-----------------
The Ninja Fortress is composed of quite a few walls that can be knocked down,
a revolving door and a small courtyard you can be knocked down too.
Knocking down a wall- 10 dmg
Revolving Door- 10 dmg
Fall to courtyard- 50 dmg
L.) The D.W.A. Coliseum (Tag)
-----------------------------
The wrestling ring. Only thing to worry about are the explosive walls.
Explosive wall- 20 dmg
M.) The Crash Club (Tag)
------------------------
A dance floor in a bar surrounded by electric walls.
Explosive wall- 20 dmg
N.) Savannah Safari
-------------------
A plains type area with few obstacles. On the top plateau a cheetah will
randomly run by and may hit you. There are also some animals you can jump over.
Cheetah attack- 30 dmg
Fall off cliff to bottom- 47 dmg
O.) DOATEC Great Hall
---------------------
The hallway of the DOATEC tower. It has a few tables that can be jumped over.
Be careful of the stools near the glass window. If you fly over them you will
be knocked out the window as well.
Fall out glass- 30 dmg
Fall down stairs- 48 dmg
P.) Temple on the Mountain
--------------------------
Be careful in this temple level, as it has multiple tiers that are very easy
to be knocked down or off of. When you reach the bottom level you can be
knocked through the wall into the temple itself.
Vases- 20 dmg
Down Stairs- 32-35 dmg
Over Railing to bottom- 50 dmg
Through wall- 40 dmg
Into Gong- 10 dmg
===============
8 - Unlockables
===============
Here's a quick compiled list of the unlockables in the game.
Characters:
-----------
Helena- Beat Story Mode with every character.
Leon- Beat Story Mode with Zach
Gen Fu- Beat Story Mode with Eliot
Ein- Beat Story Mode with Hitomi
Spartan- Beat Story Mode with Helena
Tengu- Beat Time Attack Mode with all characters, including other unlockables.
System Voices:
--------------
Simply finish the desired characters exercise mode in Sparring Mode.
(Accessed by starting Sparring Mode, pressing start and going to Exercise.)
Alpha-152 System Voice:
-----------------------
Complete Exercise mode for all characters (Including unlockables)
Theatre Mode:
-------------
Complete Story Mode once.
Tatami Mat Stage for use in Versus:
-----------------------------------
Unlock the Alpha-152 System Voice and all costumes. (Note that the Tatami Mat
stage is always available for Sparring Mode)
Costumes:
---------
Beat Story Mode or Time Attack mode with the default settings once for each
desired additional costume.
====================================
9 - FAQ's, Contacting Me, Legal Junk
====================================
As I've yet to recieve questions pertaining to this FAQ yet I'll answer some
I'm sure to recieve or have recieved regarding things in the past.
Q: Why should I believe anything you say or listen to your strategies?
A: Well you don't have too at all. I'm just offering advice and some strategies
that have worked for me and I would like to share. Everyone has their own way
of playing and that's what makes DOA exciting. IF I've helped one person
somewhere get better or enjoy DOA more than this was worth it.
Q: Can I play with you online?
A: Well Yes and No. I don't have high-speed internet currently at my house so
I can only play at other people's houses. Next summer however I will be online
probably all the time. If you do see me online ARC HARRY than I'll be glad to
play anyone, I love to play. So let's have a good match if you see me on. I do
not accept random friend request so if you would like to add me email me first
and I'll decide.
Q: Can you give me any more help?
A: If I happen to be online I'll give all the advice I can.
Q: Will this FAQ be updated?
A: 99% chance. Version .1 has the basics. I'll add more in-depth stuff later on
like Frame advantage, and specific character vs. character strategies and
stuff. So unless I die it should get updated eventually.
Q: Do you have a life?
A: No
Q: You suk you nub!!!11! I'l pwnz ju!
A: Thank you, drive thru.
Contacting Me
-------------
[email protected]
If its about this faq make sure your subject is DOA4 FAQ or i'll probably
delete it.
Legal Junk
----------
Disclaimer- I do not own any part of Dead or Alive, the Dead or Alive franchise
or any part of Tecmo or Team Ninja. All Dead or Alive aspects are copyrighted
to Team Ninja.
If this FAQ is used without permission I will take Legal Action. This FAQ is
copyrighted to ARC HARRY. If you wish to use this FAQ on your website you may
email me and I will probably grant you permission.
~FIN~
© Web Media Network Limited, 1999 - 2024 This site is not affiliated in any way with Microsoft, Sony, Sega, Nintendo or any video game publishers.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Service.
Super Cheats is an unofficial resource with submissions provided by members of the public. These are not usually tested by us (because there are so many), so please use them at your own risk.
