.-------------Square- PUNCH (P)
D-PAD | .-----------Triangle- TAUNT
| |
U/B U U/F | |
\|/ | |
B--o--F | |
/|\ O O
D/B D D/F O O
| |
| |
| |
| |
| ------------Circle- SPECIAL (S)
-------------X- KICK (K)
NOTE: These are default PS settings; they can be adjusted in the options, and the L/R triggers can
be set to programmed macros of button combinations (eg. P+K+S, P+K, P+S, etc...)
QCT = Quarter Circle Toward (roll from D to F)
QCB = Quarter Circle Back (roll from D to B)
HCT = Half Circle Toward (roll from B to D to F)
HCB = Half Circle Back (roll from F to D to B)
+ = enter commands simultainiously
XX = Buffer/Cancel into following move
DP = Dragon Punch or similiar joystick motion (F, D, D/F)
HK = Hurricane Kick or similiar joystick motion (QCB)
FB = Fireball
SC = Super Combo
Well, all I can say is that it's a refreshing change from the stagnant fighting games coming from
Capcom as of late. Pocket Fighter, while seemingly silly senseless fun, actually has good,
mostly-balanced gameplay to it. The character designs and animations are hilarious, not to mention
some neat backgrounds, and an innovative new Gem system, allowing you to power you Special Attacks
to different levels. But enough about the game--for more on Pocket Fighter in general, check out my
Fighters Net review at www.fighters.net. I also highly recommend checking out Kao Megura's Pocket
Fighter FAQ for tons of info about the game in general.
This is a Meter located directly under your health meter; and as you perform
moves or hit opponents (performing Special Moves fills it the fastest), it
will fill up. Once it is full, a one will appear beside it. This means you
have one Super Level, allowing you to perform a Super Combo. It can continue
to be filled up to 9 levels.
SUPER COMBO:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
This is a devastating move that can only be performed when at least one level of your Super Meter is
full. Tessa possesses three Super Combos.
GUARD CRUSHES:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Using the Special button, characters can perform three different Guard Crushes. Just hitting S will
get you an overhead Guard Crush to hit crouching opponents. Hitting D+S will get you an upward Guard
Crush, possibly to hit airborne opponents. F+S performs a long-range Guard Crush. All Guard Crushes
tend to come out slow, but they are unblockable, and can also be delayed by holding the S button, to
confuse the opponent's timing. They can also be mixed into Flash Combos (see below).
GRABBING GUARD CRUSHES:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Each character has at least one Grabbing Guard Crush. This is an unblockable move that is
essentially a Throw. However, it has the same Guard Crush delay on it. These can be done both
seperately and in Flash Combos.
GUARD CRUSH COUNTER:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
By pressing B+S, each character can parry and counter a Guard Crush, provided they time it right
(since the opponent can delay the Guard Crush). You are then rewarded with a Treasure box.
FLASH COMBOS:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
One of the truly funny features of Pocket Fighters, Flash Combos (sometimes referred to as "Costume
Combos") all begin with a single standing Punch. From there, you can chain into any combination of
Punches and Kicks. As you perform the attacks, your character will attack with a variety of silly
weapons, or morph into a silly costume to combo the opponent. Frequently, the last hit of the Flash
Combo is delayed, however it can be varied depending on the combination. In addition, each character
can finish a Flash Combo with a Grabbing Guard Crush (see above) or a Guard Crush. The following
combinations are possible:
Just so us veteran's didn't get pissed off, Capcom has kept old school buffering combos. All
characters can combo off of their normal crouching K or crouching P.
FLASH BREAK:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
By hitting P+K+S, you can break the opponent's Flash Combo. The downside is that you lose all of
your SC levels AND all of your Gems. Use this only in emergencies.
THE GEM SYSTEM:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The innovative new gem system takes a little getting used to, but increases the depth of the
gameplay quite a bit. Gems come in three colors: Blue, Red and Yellow. In addition, you can also
pick up multi-colored diamonds. At the bottom of the screen, there are three small meters,
representing three of the character's Special Moves. As a character gains a certain colored gem,
that colored meter will increase. Once it is full, the Special Move represented by that meter will
increase to level 2--this will continue to be increased to level 3 as more gems are gained. Gems can
be gained by hitting the opponent; usually the more spectacular and damaging the move, the more gems
fall from the opponent. You then have a chance to pick up many of those gems. If you hit the
opponent with a Guard Crush move (see above), a treasure chest will pop out containing multiple gems
as well. What's most important is that the opponent will literally LOSE the power of those gems,
meaning their gem meters will decrease, sometimes enough to lose a level on the Special Move.
SUPER JUMPING:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Super Jumps cause you to jump very high into the air; to perform a Super
Jump, quickly tap D before jumping.
THROWS:
>>>>>>>
To perform a Throw in PF, you have to press P+K. Throw range is quite close, and if you miss a
Throw, your character will grab at the air. Each character has at least one normal Throw (P+K), as
well as a Special P+K Throw (usually done with HCB or HCT), and also an Air Throw, done with P+K
close in the air.
TECH HITS:
>>>>>>>>>>
Tech hits allow you to recover from Throws done to you. To tech hit a Throw,
perform the motion P+K just as they Throw; this will lessen the damage to you. This will not work
against Special Throws (eg. Zangief's SPD).
SAFETY ROLL:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Immediately as you are knocked down you can roll left or right by hitting F
or B+P or S.
EASY REVERSAL:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
An aspect of the game I'm not so hot on, you can perform a quick get-up
reversal similar to normal reversals (eg. getting up with Ken's DP) simply
by tapping S as you get up.
POUNCES:
>>>>>>>>
Each character can follow-up a knock-down on the opponent by hitting on the ground, done with U+K.
DASHING:
>>>>>>>>
To perform a dash forward, tap forward twice. To perform a retreating dash,
tap back twice. Each character has two dashing attacks, one with Punch and one with Kick.
TAUNT:
>>>>>>
To taunt or tease your opponent, press the Taunt button (default Triangle on the PS controller).
Note that taunts cannot be stopped, and you will be totally vulnerable, so choose where to do it
wisely.
DIZZYING:
>>>>>>>>>
When a fighter is hit many times in a row with powerful moves in a short
time (it doesn't have to be a combo) they will eventually dizzy; after a
certain point the character will bounce up then stand to be dizzy. At this
point is the opponent's chance to do an attack or combo that the dizzy
character will have no defense against. When you're is dizzy, hit the D-Pad and buttons rapidly to
regain control faster.
-Punch: Tessa thrusts her cat staff forward. Decent range (as with most of her attacks) and speed,
used to start her Flash Combos.
-Crouching Punch: Tessa thrusts her cat staff forward from a crouch. Again, good range and
speed--excellent combo attack, buffers well into the Dragon Snap or Levitation.
-Jumping Punch: Tessa thrusts her cat staff straight forward during a straight jump, or downward
when jumping forward or back. Good jump-in attack with decent priority.
-D/F+Punch: Tessa thrusts upward with the tip of her hat. Has almost no horizontal range, but still
possesses good priority over jump-in moves. A good substitute for the Levitation at lower levels.
-Kick: Tessa kicks forward, rolling her cat out to hit the opponent. Good range with decent
priority against crouching attacks.
-Crouching Kick: Tessa crouches and throws her cat outward by her foot, stretching the cat's feet
out to hit the opponent low. EXCELLENT range and easily comboable into the Levitation or Dragon
Snap.
-Jumping Kick: When jumping straight or backward, Tessa rolls her cat outward and downward
respectively. When jumping forward she will stretch her cat out as in her crouching kick, giving it
GREAT range and also good priority. Excellent long-distance jump-in attack, especially over
projectiles.
-D/F+Kick: An extended version of her crouching kick, except it knocks down.
-Special: Tessa morphs into the dress of a middle-eastern princess and calls forth a genie, which
surges forward and downward. Hold the button to delay the hit--hits crouching opponents well.
-F+Special: Tessa morphs into the dress of a middle-eastern princess and calls forth a genie, which
surges straight forward. Hold the button to delay the hit--EXCELLENT range, good for snagging
missed moves from a distance to gain some gems.
-D+Special: Tessa morphs into the dress of a middle-eastern princess and calls forth a genie, which
surges upward like an uppercut. Hold the button to delay the hit--decent against jumping or super
jumping opponents, provided you start early enough.
Level 1- Tessa extends her arm out, which forms into the shape of a dragon and bites at the
opponent.
Level 2- Dragon gets more range/damage/hits, and looks bigger with more scales.
Level 3- BIG dragon with much more range/hits/damage.
Truly an awesome move, it has decent priority, but its biggest asset is range. From its farther
range, it is very difficult to counter if blocked, allowing a good distancing game... it is also
excellent for countering missed moves from a distance, and can snuff fireballs easily in this
fashion. To top it all off, it comes out fast enough to combo easily off of many attacks, most
notably the crouching punch. A Jumping Punch, Crouching Punch XX L3 Dragon Snap does CONSIDERABLE
damage. Overall an excellent move.
-Levitation-
Level 1- Tessa exclaims "Levitation!" and rises into the air spinning a small blade.
Level 2- slightly more horizontal range, hits twice, more damage.
Level 3- large spinning blade for 3 hits, plenty more damage/priority, and range.
A not so good move that gets much better as the levels rise. The level 1 Levitation is not all that
good in any respect, except to hit really close jump-in attacks. However as the range increases it
becomes an excellent air counter, and can be used as a shoto-type DP up close, having enough
priority to snuff slower sweeps and such. It'd be a good idea to refrain from using the Levitation
at level 1 in combos, it has a tendancy to miss with its poor range.
-Dragon Ball-
Level 1- Tessa turns into a ball and rolls forward for multiple hits
Level 2- bigger ball, more hits and range
Level 3- much bigger ball, many hits
This is, for the most part, pretty useless. On the one hand, it has good range (obviously) and even
better you can juggle off of it with just about anything (see Combos). But it does not come out that
fast (thus it cannot be comboed)--and the worst part, it is probably the LOWEST PRIORITY move in the
game. ANYTHING can knock Tessa out of this move, be it a jab, projectile, sweep, whatever. So either
way, ensure that you only use this when you have a sure opening (like a missed DP).
-Cat Dive-
Tessa dives downward on her cat stick.
Similar in many respects to Akuma's Dive Kick, this allows Tessa to continue into a combo just like
a regular jump-in attack. However Tessa dives quite fast, and can often surprise the opponent from
that Super Jump.
-Super Combo 1: Robot Laser-
Tessa morphs into a lab technician and calls down a big robot to stand beside her--it fires a thick
blue beam from its head to hit the opponent for massive damage.
One of the more dominating moves in the game, it can easily be likened to Iron Man's Proton Cannon.
The only real difference is that the beam is a tad thinner. However, this is still an excellent
attack to counter just about any move except quick pokes up close; it is also a very good projectile
counter. As well, like Shellhead's Infinity Combo, the Robot Laser works well as an air counter,
often catching the opponent right by Tessa's head. The only drawback to this move is that it has a
fairly long recovery time, so it can be countered if blocked resonably close.
-Super Combo 2: Robot Dash-
Tessa morphs into a giant blue robot and glides toward the opponent; if the robot connects, it
performs two quick punches then finishes with a rising uppercut.
Another great move for Tessa. This is totally unblockable and does a LOT of damage. It works
somewhat with ticks, but I'm sure it can be avoided. It can also be "sort of" comboed out of a
crouching punch, but again I'm sure it is avoidable. The initial glide is fairly slow it is easy to
jump out of the way. Altogether it's a good counter to missed attacks up close, or after ticking,
esp. jump-ins. Overall the Robot Laser is a better attack for countering though.
-Super Combo 3; Rising Dragon-
Tessa morphs into a dragon and begins to roll into a fast ball--the ball unravels and the dragon's
head rises upward.
This has next to zip range, however it does good damage and has good priority up close. You can use
it similar to Ken's Shoryureppa to snuff most attacks from close range. It can also work as an air
counter provided the opponent is going to land extremely close. VERY bad recovery plagues this move
however, so beware of when to use it.
All of these combos are pretty basic, with the juggles requiring a bit of timing, obviously. Overall
combo #2 is your most effective, especially at higher levels on the Dragon Snap.
1. Jumping Kick, D/F+Kick
2. Jumping Punch, Crouching Punch XX Dragon Snap
3. Jumping Kick, Crouching Kick XX Levitation
4. C.Punch XX Dragon Laser
5. C.Punch XX Robot Dash (not a real combo, but usually connects)
6. C.Punch XX Rising Dragon (CLOSE)
7. any Level Dragon Ball, Standing Punch juggle
8. any Level Dragon Ball, any level Dragon Snap
9. any Level Dragon Ball, Level 2/3 Levitation
10. Level 3 Dragon Ball, Robot Beam
11. High Cat Roll, any level Dragon Snap (close to corner)
12. High Cat Roll, any level Levitation (in corner)
13. High Cat Roll, Robot Beam
14. Clown Rocket, Levitation
15. Clown Rocket, Dragon Rise
16. Clown Rocket, Robot Beam
NOTES: #11- easier to connect with the Level 3 Dragon Snap... the lower the level for the Dragon
Snap, the closer you need to be in the corner. #14,15- for the Levitation or Dragon Rise to connect,
it must be done so the opponent is as close to the ground as possible--as well, you should have to
move forward a step or two to connect with the Dragon Rise, or especially the Levitation at lower
levels.
FLASH COMBOS:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
P,P,P,P- Cat Staff -> Morph to dark wizard, overhead slash, Uppercut,
Shoulder Slam
P,P,P,K- Cat Staff -> Morph to dark wizard, overhead slash, Uppercut,
Overhead Genie Guard Crush (can be delayed)
P,P,K,K- Cat Staff -> Morph to dark wizard, overhead slash, snake attack,
Overhead Genie Guard Crush (can be delayed)
P,K,K,K- Cat Staff -> Morph to robot, Punch, Punch, Rising Uppercut
P,K,P,P- Cat Staff -> Morph to robot, Punch, Clown Dolphin attack, Clown
Rocket Grab Guard Crush
P,K,P,K- Cat Staff -> Morph to robot, Robot Punch, Clown Dolphin Attack,
Rising Uppercut
P,K,K,P- Cat Staff, Morph to robot, Punch, Punch, Clown Rockect Grab Guard
Crush
P,P,K,P- Cat Staff, Morph to dark wizard, overhead slash, snake attack,
shoulder charge
Tessa's basic strategy revolves around a bit of a poking game. Tessa's greatest asset is her range,
and her ability to do damage from mid-range while avoiding the opponent's attacks. From about
half-screen Tessa is in her prime. Here you should revolve your attack around the Dragon
Snap--provided you are at level 2 or 3. From this range, the Dragon Snap will usually be
uncounterable if blocked, and you can snuff projectiles and slower attacks.
Once you've hit the opponent and knocked them off guard, you should advance and get close for a
combo, or time a Guard Crush to catch them for some gems. Mix up the timing to help make sure they
can't counter. From the air, use the Jumping Kick to snag the opponent from this distance--if it
connects, combo from there. Once you are up close, you have to focus on getting your Flash Combos
in, mixing them up. From the ground, dashing in works quickly to get you up close, but remember that
the dashing attacks don't have very good recovery, so just dash in and go from there.
The Standing Punch will start the Flash Combos and is quite quick. You should also mix in the
Levitation when you're unsure what the opponent will do here--it is also excellent for interrupting
the opponent's Flash Combos, before the last hit. The Rising Dragon will work in this fashion as
well. If the opponent is persistantly blocking your attacks, work them over with quick punches, then
buffer into the Robot Dash, which may connect if they don't expect it.
Also remember from pretty much any range other than RIGHT up close, the Robot Laser will snuff
practically any move you can see starting.
Defense:
Against airborne opponents, either the Levitation (at higher levels), D/F+Punch, or Robot Laser will
suffice. In addition, the Dragon Ball can get you out of a jam pretty quick as well, to avoid
jump-in attacks if the opponent is getting to close to you--this can also allow you to get back into
the proper position from a short distance away. Against dashing opponents, the Robot Laser will stop
them short in their tracks, and as well the Dragon Snap will quickly snuff a dashing attack... The
D/F+Roundhouse can also work in a similar fashion. When the opponent starts mixing in Guard Crushes,
or goes offensive with Flash Combos, keep calm and try to anticipate the Guard Crushes, countering
with your Guard Crush Counter...
First a thanks to fellow author Kao Megura for an excellent Pocket Fighter FAQ. Also thanks to Ryan
Jackson (ryanjackson@usa.net) and Jason Jamieson (cka@fighters.net) for good competition. Watch for
my Pocket Fighter Zangief FAQ coming soon!
----
You can access this FAQ and many others at these pages:
