I’d suggest playing as him for a while, will help you understand his game better and what to expect. There are characters that rarely give me trouble in KOF simply because I myself have used them before extensively. Recently, Marco has been giving me trouble in Garou so I started using him to be better prepared against him.
I don’t play 98 so can’t give any in depth tips but that’s how I’d go about trying to tackle him.
This would probably work well enough in OG98, considering the sheer strength of the top tiers. You will most likely see a lot of Iori’s, Daimon’s, Kyo’s, Chris’s (both kinds), and O. Yashiro’s. Learn how these characters “work”, and try to figure out how your character can counter/fight these guys.
btw, I’m not that good at KOF98, but from what I have played, this seems to be the case. I may be wrong, though, and there might be other characters (Chizuru comes to mind) that are just as popular and strong.
I’m trying to get better at the game, and I’m actually managing to win a few times (Shock! Horror!) against these Brazilian players. I’m not a combo person (I know I should, but consider how many fighters I’m into, how many characters I like, and how many combos I’d have to memorize) so I play the mind game. I have gotten a rude awakening when I took on a pro grappler player and got my ass handed. I thought it was purely due to Goro being a bit overpowered, but it seems that every grappler in 98 can kick incredible amounts of ass. They can jump into their grab, combo into grab, grab you out of AB roll, etc. Not complaining about grapplers in KOF, I’m just noticing this.
I need some tips:
When to AB roll? I know Dandy is covering this in pt 2 of his KOF video, but I need to know now. It seems like half the time it works. I’ve tried to grab during AB and it doesn’t work unless I’m using a character that has a command grab.
Is this a bug, a flaw of the AB roll, or something I’m doing wrong? I was playing as Billy Kane against Goro, attacked, he blocked, I feared a grab was coming, I was right next to him, he didn’t run at me, I AB rolled away, and he did his HCF + D attack and got me just as I was rising out of roll.
When to CD attack? Seriously. I don’t get the purpose of it unless you’re blocking, and use it to counter, or it has character-specific properties.
How do you play Yamazaki aggressively? Especially against a grappler like Mature. With aggressive players, I prefer to do his reversal move (HCF + B or D) and the occasional snake arm and DP move. But with grapplers, the reversal is pretty much useless. Plus Mature’s ranged grab can get me as I do the snake arm.
When to AB roll…that depends…AB roll with meter or without? Tell me more…who are you playing against? What are their patterns? How fast is the roll of the character you are using?
Know that when you roll you can be thrown out of it…
So if you can answer those questions I can continue…
-DG
Better if I show a replay:
This guy was odd, typing in all caps, in an incoherent English, but a good player though.
I AB roll quite a bit, but the timing always gets me. LOL moment is when I’m facing his Mature, he’s got about a quarter health, I’m Yamazaki, and I am desperately jumping/hopping/super jumping like crazy trying to avoid this Mature’s grab moves. Somehow I got 'em, I chalk it up to luck.
Note: I taunt not because I’m being an ass, I just find it amusing, especially when using Joe.
I dont have 2df installed so I cannot watch that.
I watched a few of the first matches, with the other guy using Joe, Shermie etc.
First of, learn some combos, stop being a lazy ass. How hard can it be to remember close B, QCB+B or crouch B, crouch A, QCB+B with Yamazaki? Most characters can combo a jump in into a hard punch or kick, finished with a special or super. Nobody is expecting you to learn the stuff they do in combo video, learn some basic ones and it will make a difference. Whats the point of having your opponent screw up if you can’t punish him?
As for grapplers you should never, ever, stand close to them, especially not on freaking wake up. They will grab you no matter what, unless you jump up at the last second into a combo (basically you bait them to try and grab you). Next, do not role for no reason. He just waited for you to roll or come close and then grabbed you, you basically acted like a sitting duck. And don’t do jump ins unless you plan to combo or do another jump right after. Even if your jump in connects they can grab you if you don’t combo. Don’t know if you noticed or not but he roles a lot as well, he would roll and grab you all the time (since you would throw out C and D for no reason). Yamazaki too has a grab, you should have given him a taste of his own medicine.
Dude, I’m still learning the nuances of the game, chill out.
Do you have access to training mode at all on the console or anything?
Learning this game from you guys is hassle.
Okay not really, but still…
anywayy how do you guys time crossups in this game?
im having a hell of a time cancelling normals with k’.
And what is this alternative guard.
You’re probably doing them too late. Think more ‘on top of their head’ rather than ‘behind their head’. Also remember you can cross up with short hop vs a crouching opponent, so try that too.
On the subject of getting better at KOF…I used to play '98 on Poporu for a brief period, had a lot of fun and got a little better (I played 98 probably longer than any fighting game save SF2, but only at the scrub level) , but I never spent enough time with it to get decent at it. With the 360 port of '98 UM coming up quick and the ease-of-use of 2DF/GGPO, I want to try and build some fundamentals in OG '98 before moving on to '98 UM.
I realize that I won’t really learn much from gloryholing on 2DF/GGPO (with both the lag and possibly the language barrier to boot), and I don’t have any local KOF connections, and so I want to start reconnecting with the SRK KOF crowd for some online sessions. Who should I start talking to in that regard? Are there any IRC channels or anything where you guys typically hang out?
I don’t have any recent replays of myself, but I would characterize myself as medium-low execution skill (read: I can combo into backbreaker with Ralf, lol) with piss-poor fundamentals (can’t reversal roll/alternate guard, I react poorly/seize up on defense, and I have a tendency to space out, which is obviously a problem in every game I play). Mostly I just want some consistent players to throw myself at so that I can learn to react and space properly and not get OCV’ed by anyone with half a brain. I mostly play Ralf/Mai/Clark.
Yeah, I have the Mame version of KOF, so I do have access to a training mode.
I’m practicing at getting better with simple combos. Simple combos are a no brainer when it comes to shoto characters, but I’m still getting the hang of others like Heidern, Kim, and Ralf.
Big question: Is it possible to Super on wake up on 98? I’ve done some experimenting and it seems like you can, but it looks like there’s a small window to knock them out of the super.
There is #srksnk, which is is and always has been on life support. There is also #kof2k2um which RogueYoshi started, bu that’s also pretty much dead, and kind of silly since the SNK community is small anyway, no reason to split it up. idk people just never seem to want to use IRC. I think most just talk on aim and shit and it feels kind of retarded to have to pm USA people specifically just to look for a game. I’ll put #srksnk in my sig, but seeing as how it’s in the topic of the RB thread which was up front for a few days recently and people still don’t come in the channel, I don’t have much hope for it.
Well, I’m always idle on IRC, and up for games often enough. I might be able to hook you up with some players in about the same position as you.
The reversal window in 98 is actually pretty large, it’s just that most supers aren’t invincible, or only partially invincible. For example, Takuma’s qcf,hcb+A is invincible, but it goes away before the hit, so it can trade. The qcf,hcb+C version is slower, but totally invincible. Robert’s and Ryo’s versions are not invincible at all. So it depends on the super specifically. Some good wakeups:
That said, spending a stock to CD counter is usually a way better idea, unless you actually see them whiff something/jump or whatever.
EFnet, use easynews, I think that one is reliable. And there’s no #srk, it’s actually #capcom.
talk to Dark Geese
Chang’s rush super and Athena’s SCB have big enough invincibilities for sf people to comfortably use.
Thanks, but could Yamazaki’s grab super work as well?
Well I’m on there on occasion but for the most part, there are too many foreigners and it seems to be reducing the overall amount of North American players. If you want, we can play, my name is Emil on there as well.
I would say on 2DF that about half the players there are from Brazil, and most of them speak English, so it’s not a big deal. It seems that about half the players on GGPO are from Asia.