FAQ - Guide for Criticom

From: "John T. Carr III" 
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Subject: CRITICOM FAQ v.1.0
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 11:50:13 -0400

CRITICOM FAQ v 1.0

Written by John T. Carr III (c) 1996. The name CRITCOM and 
the characters (c) Kronos corp. All opinions expressed 
within, unless otherwise stated, are the author's own and do 
not necessarily reflect those of Vic Tokai, Kronos Corp, or 
the Chosen Ones. Permission is given to reproduce this FAQ 
on the net (or one Printed copy for home use) provided that 
this header is included. Failure to comply will bring a 
Nezom battalion to your doorstep.

                   *****   C O N T E N T S   *****

1. Why this FAQ
2. Story
3. Game Mechanics
4. Characters and Moves
5. Weird Stuff and Extras
6. Reviews and Views

***************
1. Why this FAQ
***************

Believe it or not, there are a lot of people out there who 
*like* this game.  And the people who hate it, I've found, 
tend to fall into one of two camps: the "It isn't better 
than Tekken/Toshinden" crowd and the "What's up with these 
moves?!" crowd.  This FAQ is for both camps - as well as 
for those who like the game.

I'm not saying that CRITICOM is easy. If ever there was a 
fighter for which the acronym 'RTFM' fits, it's CRITCOM. The 
move patterns don't fit under any of the big 5 entirely. The 
results of actions your opponent makes means you *do* have 
to think when you play this game. You can't just cheese your 
way through it (and incidentally, despite what a certain 
popular game magazine says, you can't always lure your 
opponent to the edge and watch him/her fall off. Maybe in 
Level 1, but not after that).

Doing the research for this was a labor of love. It had to 
be, because the Road TO THE RELIC is a bastard and a half. 
But, it holds surprises for the inventive. Or did you 
*really* think that each character only had no more than 
four moves per level?

Immediate thanks for this FAQ go to Jim Kapostas, anime 
music video meister extraordinaire, for getting me the game 
as a Christmas present, and to Craig A. Jensen of 
rec.games.video.sony, whose review in the midst of all the 
"THIS GAME SUCKS!!!" posts intrigued me enough about the 
game to give it a second look. Comments and criticisms are 
welcome, and if it inspires someone else to go at the Chosen 
Ones, I'll be happy.

Still looking for:
-----------------
Get-up moves
Secret codes
Verification on SID's groundshaker

********
2. Story
********

        "The Nezom and Zerai clans annointed themselves as the 
"Chosen Ones" -- a self-proclamation spurred by the 
acquisition of an ancient relic which bestowed great powers 
upon its possesors, but not the wisdom to wield that power. 
Led by their emperor, the Chosen Ones purged all resistance, 
annihilating entire races. The planet Hyperia fell into the 
War Era.

        In the end, the Chosen Ones achieved compliance, if not 
obedience. The years of ruthless supremacy took its toll on 
the Emperor. In his old age, the dying Emperor passed on the 
relic to its new heirs. A new age of peace and prosperity is 
about to begin...

        ... or so it seemed..."
                                         - from the opening

Two flashes of light, and suddenly the relic is gone - its 
protectors lying on the floor. 

The Chosen Ones, fearful that news should leak of the 
events, quickly replaced the relic with a replica and began 
taking steps to finding and reacquiring their source of 
power. Both Delara Zerai and Sonork Nezom, heirs to the 
throne, went on seperate quests: Delara, to regain her 
honor, as she was one of the guardians of the relic when it 
was stolen; and Sonork to prove his fitness to rule, given 
his brother's untimely passing. The Chosen Ones also hired a 
soldier-of-fortune, Dayton Trent, to pursue the relic.

However, rumors spread of the existance of the Relic. Rumors 
which, in certain ears, inspired thoughts of lost pride, 
power unimaginable -- and a chance for revenge.

*****************
3. Game Mechanics
*****************
Each bout is one fall. You win by either knocking your 
opponent out, knocking him out of the arena, or having the 
most energy left when time runs out. The severity 
of this "critical combat" (get it?) is mitigated by your 
character's having two life bars. You know you're on your 
second life bar when the gold circle by yours disappears.

After you've defeated all your opponents (including a mirror 
image of yourself), you face the next higher-level version 
of yourself. Triumph, and you get the password for that 
version of yourself as well as more moves and better 
defensive armor. It is this progressive nature of the 
gameplay that makes Criticom unique: your character improves 
and learns new things. Lest we forget, so do your opponents. 
Take Sonork for example. As combat progresses, he replaces 
one arm with a wicked scythe; by Level 3, he is almost 
totally cyborged - testimony to his willingness to do 
anything to win.  And, at the end of your Level 3 battles, 
you face the thief who stole the relic - who is none other 
than...

Button Configuration
--------------------
(Config. 1 (Default), with character facing right:)

    _____              _____
   /     \------------/     \         L1: Dodge right
  :   U   :   SONY   :   T   :        L2: Dodge left
  : B   F : --    -- : S   O :        R1: Special (1)
  :   D   :----------:   X   :        R2: Special (2)
   \_____/            \_____/         Select:
                                      Start:

   U - Up              S - Square: Jab (1)\ Menu Select
   B - Back            X - Cross: Jab (2)\ Menu Select
   F - Forward         T - Triangle: Kick (1)\Menu Select
   D - Down            O - Circle: Kick (2)\ Menu Select

Option Screens
--------------
TITLE SCREEN: Select TOURNAMENT, 2-PLAYER, or OPTIONS by 
moving the cursor with the direction pad and pressing S, X, 
T, O, or START.

CHARACTER SELECT: Pressing the direction pad will circle the 
clansmen around, with their data appearing in the window 
above their standing form. Pressing S, X, T, or O will 
select the character in front. In tournament mode, the 
computer will pick your opponent. In 2-player mode, pressing 
Start after selecting the characters will start the game.
Pressing select will move you to the Options screen. 
Pressing select and start together will reset the game and 
move you to the title screen.

OPTIONS SCREEN: Move up and down the various options with 
the direction pad. Moving right or left at an option toggles 
the various choices:

   TIMER: 99 or 00 (infinity)
   MUSIC VOLUME: 0-9 (9 is default)
   SFX VOLUME: 0-9 (9 is default)
   BUTTON CONFIGURATION: P1 AND P2
     There are four different configs; I humbly suggest you
     stick with Config.1 while learning the game.
   LOAD/SAVE: Moves to the LOAD/SAVE screen.
   EXIT: Takes you back to either main title or character
         select.

LOAD/SAVE SCREEN: This is where you enter in passwords to 
fight with your warrior at a higher level (and get more 
nifty moves). Conversely, you can load in data saved on your 
memory card here or save an existing game as well. If you 
try to enter in a password during the course of a game, the 
computer will ask you if you wish to quit that particular 
game before it does the power-up.

NB: You cannot enter the access code given at the end of 
game here. That's for Criticom II, which has been announced
as an upcoming title by Vic Tokai at the 1996 E3.


Basic Moves and Strategy
------------------------
First and foremost, it cannot be stressed enough that 
Criticom is a true-space 3D fighting game. What this means 
is, if you flub an attack and go sailing past you opponent, 
you will not automatically swivel to face him\her. In other 
words, *you*have*to*aim*your*attacks*. Nothing is more 
frustrating than catching your opponent unawares, knocking 
him down, and then flubbing the pounce because you didn't 
take into account where he landed when you knocked him down. 
By the same token, however, few things are more satisfying 
than blasting an obnoxious opponent in the back a few times.

You also have to be a bit more aware of where you are in 
relation to the edge of the arena (mostly because it's 
circular) than in other polygonal games. Wheras most players 
find this frustrating and\or cheesy, I think it mirrors real 
life: if you're fighting someone at the edge of a cliff, 
you're going to try and knock them off the cliff if they 
give you half the chance. A good example of this principle 
is in Toshiden with Fo's and Sofia's stages. So, having a 
good grasp of the fighting fundamentals - more so than the 
combos - is more important in becoming a good player at this 
game (which is a radical idea for fighting games these days 
:) ). Or, as a friend of mine put it after managing to throw 
me off the edge after being beaten down to his final 
flashing lifebar (he was S.I.D., I was Exene), "It's a lot 
like playing 9-ball. It doesn't matter if you have a run on 
1-8 if you make a mistake and your opponent sinks the 9."

1.  S + X - Strong Jab
    T + O - Strong Kick\ Roundhouse

    For most characters a kneeling roundhouse results in a 
    knockdown if it connects.

2.  Charge: Double tap and hold F
    Retreat: Double tap and hold B

    Retreats can also do damage if, like Delara, your 
    character backlflips to get out of the way.

3.  Use L1 and L2 to roll right and left, respectively. A 
    good way to avoid projectiles, though it can leave you 
    open if you do it too much.

4.  U - Jump
    D - Crouch

    Some projectiles can be thrown from the air; others can 
    be ducked or jumped.

5.  Guards: a standing guard will block any standing or air 
    attacks, while a low guard will block low attacks and 
    ground projectiles. Learn your oppenent's combos so 
    you'll know how to block them, as they mix both high and 
    low attacks. If you take too many hits in succession, 
    your character will get dizzy. Hit right and left on the 
    directional pad repeatedly to bring him out of it 
    quickly.

6.  While your character will get up after three seconds 
    when he falls, tapping the directional buttons will 
    bring him up faster. Tapping U or D will bring him up 
    where he fell; tapping B or F will bring him up in that 
    direction (this can cause damage with Demonica and other 
    characters.)

    When your opponent is down, pressing U and X will make 
    your character leap in the air and land on your 
    opponent, usually weapons first.  This is true even from 
    far away, but be warned - the farther the pounce, the 
    more time your opponent has to recover and dodge out of  
    the way\ counterattack.  Some characters have "down" 
    attacks - i.e. when knocked down, hitting that sequence 
    will make them get up quick and fight, often surprising 
    your opponent. 

7.  Throws: when close to your opponent tap forward, hold 
    and press R1 and R2 simultaneously. You can't throw 
    someone if you're behind them or to the side. 

    Learn how to throw. Trust me, it's worth it.

8.  Chain, but aim: you can chain combos in this game by 
    entering in the combo for one just as the first is 
    ending (Delara, Dayton and Exene seem to be able to do 
    this the easiest.)  YOu can also tack on single moves to 
    the end of combos. Be warned, though: if you lock 
    yourself into *too* long a combo, or don't aim your 
    attack by tapping the directional button, you can leave 
    yourself wide open.


***********************
4. Characters and Moves
***********************

DAYTON TRENT
------------
"Oh yeah!"

        Dayton's motto: "If it exists, I'll find it."  His fast 
wit and a "trust no one" attitude perpetuated this career as 
a soldier of fortune/ investigator.  The Chosen Ones hired 
Dayton to find the Relic.  His motive is to retire on the 
sale of the Relic to the highest bidder and perhaps take up 
fishing.


-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Flying Uppercut                                      LVL 1

Hold R2 + F                   Leap upward with screw upper
                              cut.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Slash                                         LVL 1

Hold R1 + F                   Three slashes with knife.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Lazer Blast                                          LVL 1

 |  \  -o + S                 Blast from hand laser.
 o   o 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash                                            LVL 1

Hold R2 + S                   Roll forward + low slash

-----------------------------------------------------------
Punch Kick Slide Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, X                J(1) + K(3) + Slide

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Kick Combo                               LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, O                J(1), J(2), J(3) + K(3)

-----------------------------------------------------------
Strong Punch Kick Combo                               LVL 1

Hold R1 + O, X                P(3) twice + standing round-
                              house

-----------------------------------------------------------
Multi-slash Double Kick Combo                         LVL 1

Hold R1 + F + S               Multi-slash + J(2) + J(3)

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Slide Combo                              LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, X                Kneeling J(1), J(2), J(3) +
                              slide

-----------------------------------------------------------
Double Punch Combo                                    LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, O                P(3) twice + kneeling K(1)

-----------------------------------------------------------
Low Triple Punch Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, S                Kneeling P(1), P(2), P(3)

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Uppercut Combo                             LVL 1

Hold R2 + S, T                Roll Slash + Flying Uppercut

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Triple Slash Combo                         LVL 1

Hold R2 + S, S                Roll Slash + Triple Slash

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Slide                                                 LVL 2

Hold R2 + D                   Slide forward

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Multi-slash Combo                               LVL 2

Hold R2 + D + X               Slide + Triple Slash

-----------------------------------------------------------
Aerial Blast                                          LVL 2

 |  \  -o + T                 Shoot into air
 o   o

NB: Can also be done while jumping; in-air Aerial Blast is
    air-to-ground.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Jumping Lazer                                         LVL 2

Jump, |  \  -o + S            In air, shoot directly in 
      o   o                   front.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Lazer Combo                                     LVL 2

Hold R2 + D + S               Slide, jump back, Lazer blast

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Uppercut Combo                                  LVL 2

Hold R2 + D + T               Slide + Flying Uppercut

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid Lazer                                           LVL 3

 | \  -o + R1                 Five quick bursts from Lazer
 o  o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Rapid Lazer Combo                          LVL 3

Hold R2 + S, T, T             Roll forward, Triple slash,
                              side roll, Rapid Lazer

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Slide Combo                                LVL 3

Hold R2 + S, X                Roll slash + slide

-----------------------------------------------------------
Punch Kick Combo                                      LVL 3

Hold R1 + S, S                2 punches and Kick

___________________________________________________________



DELARA ZERAI
------------
"It's my destiny!"

        Delara is from the Zerai clan. Zeraians' ideology 
rejects technology in all forms.  They view that skill and 
honor weave the very fabric of a true warrior.  While 
defending the Relic from the thief, her Nezom counterpart 
was killed.  Now she seeks vengeance on the one who stole 
the Relic and her destiny.


-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Flying Uppercut                                       LVL 1

Hold R1 + F                   Jumping Uppercut

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash                                            LVL 1

Hold R1 + D                   Roll forward, low slash

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slide Combo                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + D + X               Roll Slash + Low K(3)

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slice Combo                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + D + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Slash Uppercut Combo                             LVL 1

Hold R1 + D + T

-----------------------------------------------------------
3-hit Blade Kick Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R1 + T, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
3-hit Low Swing Combo                                 LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, S

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Tri-slice                                             LVL 2

Hold R1 + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Dragon Wave                                           LVL 2

 | \ -o + S
 o  o

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
-----------------------------------------------------------
Multi-slice combo (UNVERIFIED)                        LVL 3

Hold R1 + S + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
Air-wave Blast                                        LVL 3

 | \  -o + T
 o  o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Ground Wave Blast                                     LVL 3

 | \  -o + X
 o  o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Ground Wave Combo                               LVL 3

Hold R1 + X, X

___________________________________________________________



DEMONICA
--------
"Heeee hee hee hee heee!"

        Demonica comes from an alternate Dimension and her 
desire for the Relic is speculative.  Her intentions may be 
to bring the Relic into her own realm for some diabolical 
purpose.  Demonica has an ancient stone similar to the Relic 
in her own dimension.  She knows that in obtaining a second 
stone, her evil will be supreme and darkness will spread to 
the ends of the universe.


-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
  Fireball                                            LVL 1
   |  \ -o  +  S               Shoots fireball
   o   o
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 Claw Charge                                          LVL 1
 Hold R1 + F                   Lunges forward, claws extend-
                               ed; multiple hits.
------------------------------------------------------------
Claw Fireball Combo                                  LVL 1
Hold R1 + F + S               Claw charge followed by 
                              fireball
-----------------------------------------------------------
Claw Charge Punch Combo                               LVL 1
 Hold R1 + F + O
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Fireball                                      LVL 1
 |  \ -o  +  S  + X           Fireball, then sidestep, then
                              second fireball, then side-
                              step, then third fireball
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Kick Combo                                    LVL 1
Hold R1 + S, S
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Kick Combo (2)                                LVL 1
Hold R1 + X, X
------------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Combo                                   LVL 1
Hold R1 + S, X

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Worm Wave                                             LVL 2

 |  \ -o + O
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Wave                                           LVL 2

  |  \ -o  + T  + O
  o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Hurricane                                             LVL 2

Hold R2 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
Claw Charge Worm Wave Combo                           LVL 2
 Hold R1 + F + X
-----------------------------------------------------------
Hurricane Kick Combo                                  LVL 2
 Hold R2 + F + X

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Tumble charge                                         LVL 3

 Hold R1 + O                   Forward flip kick, knockdown
                               if connects.
-----------------------------------------------------------
 Upwards Fireball                                     LVL 3

  |  \ -o  +  T                Wormblast sent skyward; if
  o   o                        done while jumping, it be-
                               comes a tri-directional 
                               blast.
 ----------------------------------------------------------
 Rapid Fireballs                                      LVL 3
  |  \ -o  +  R1               Five fireballs in rapid
  o   o                        succession.
 ----------------------------------------------------------
 Alternating Fireball                                 LVL 3
  |  \ -o  +  R2               Fireball, wormblast, fire-
  o   o                        ball, wormblast
 ----------------------------------------------------------
 Flip Kick Bouncing Fireball Combo                    LVL 3
 R1 + D + X                    Flip kick followed by worm-
                               blast.
 __________________________________________________________


SGT. EXENE DULAIT
-----------------
"Who's your daddy?"

        Exene grew up on a planet scarred by constant wars. She 
was raised in the military, but after witnessing mass de-
struction of entire cities, she left her planet dismayed by 
the senseless loss of lives.  In her travels, Exene learned 
of an ancient Relic that possessed great mystical powers.  
She now seeks the Relic with the hope of using it to stop 
the wars on her beloved planet.

Outfits:




-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Roundhouse Slap                                       LVL 1

Hold R2 + F                   Spins around, hitting with
                              tonfu.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Stick                                           LVL 1

Hold R1 + F                   Wades forwards, tonfu flying.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tazer Blast                                           LVL 1

| \ -o + S                    Pulse blast 
o  o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roundhouse Blast Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R2 + T + F               Roundhouse w/ Tazer

-----------------------------------------------------------
3-hit Punch Combo                                     LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, S                Standing punch, kneeling
                              mid- punch, kneeling strong
                              punch.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Swing Backflip Combo                                  LVL 1

Hold R1 + F + T               See title.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Stick Backflip Roundhouse Combo                 LVL 1

Hold R1 + F + S               Rapid stick to backflip to
                              standing roundhouse kick.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roundhouse Kick Combo                                 LVL 1

Hold R2 + S + F               Roundhouse slap, high round-
                              house kick to low roundhouse
                              kick.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash                                          LVL 1

R1 + D                        (After being knocked down)
                              roll forward, kneeling rapid
                              stick

-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash Swing Combo                              LVL 1

R1 + D + S                    (After being knocked down)
                              roll forward, kneeling rapid
                              stick, kneeling strong punch

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Tumble Jab                                            LVL 2

Hold R1 + T                   Forward somersault w/ rapid
                              stick

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tumble Low Jab                                        LVL 2

Hold R2 + T                   Forward somersault w/ low
                              slash

-----------------------------------------------------------
Electro Blast                                         LVL 2

| \ -o + R2                   Large blast; longer range
o  o                          than tazer

-----------------------------------------------------------
Kick Slide Combo                                      LVL 2

Hold R1 + S, X                Mid-kick and slide kick

-----------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Stick Slide Combo                               LVL 2

Hold R1 + F + X               Rapid stick plus slide

-----------------------------------------------------------
Swing Backflip Electro Combo                          LVL 2

R1 + F + S                    Low strong punch, backflip,
                              and Electro blast

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide                                                 LVL 2

Hold R1 + X                   Slide forward

-----------------------------------------------------------
Rapid Stick Backflip Tazer Combo                      LVL 2

Hold R1 + F + T               Rapid Stick, retreating back-
                              flip, tazer blast

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roundhouse Tazer Backflip                             LVL 2

Hold R2 + F + T               See title.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash, Backflip Electro Combo                  LVL 2

R1 + D + T                    (After being knocked down)
                              roll forward, low slash, 
                              backflip w/ Electro blast

-----------------------------------------------------------
Get Up Slash Slide Combo

R1 + D + X                    (After being knocked down)
                              roll forward, low slash, 
                              slide kick

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Taser Rush                                            LVL 3

| \ -o + R1                   Multiple Taser blasts
o  o 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Power Charge Uppercut                                 LVL 3

Hold R1, O, S, T              Low electrified charge for-
                              ward ending in uppercut w/sky
                              backflip

___________________________________________________________



GORM
----
[Editor's note: Still waiting for Dorlonese/English 
dictionary, thus no quote.]

        Gorm comes from a dying race called the Dorlons.  The 
number of Dorlons that still remain are unknown.  They are a 
peaceful race whose culture was forged by one prophecy.  It 
is their belief that the ancient Relic was the birth stone of 
their race.  It was prophesied that some day a champion will 
acquire the Relic and return it to its rightful home.

Outfits:




-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Low Jab                                               LVL 1

Hold R1 + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
Power Blade                                           LVL 1

 |  \ -o  +  X
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tri-slice                                             LVL 1

Hold R1 + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
3-hit Slide Kick Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, O

-----------------------------------------------------------
3-hit Punch Kick Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, T

-----------------------------------------------------------
4-hit Blade Combo                                     LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, X
-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + O, S

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Dual Edge Blow                                        LVL 2

 |  \ -o  + S
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Jab                                            LVL 2

Hold R1 + D

-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Multi-Jab                                      LVL 2

Hold R1 + D + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Low Jab Hard Punch Combo                       LVL 2

Hold R1 + D + O

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Low Jab Combo                                  LVL 2

Hold R1 + X, X

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Body Torpedo                                          LVL 3

R1 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 3

Hold R1 + F + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 3

Hold R1 + F + S

___________________________________________________________



S.I.D.
------
[machine roar]

        Product of a twisted experiment, the Sentient Inte-
rated Droids wander the wilderness with one goal: destroy 
all carbon based life forms.

Outfits:




-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Missile                                               LVL 1

 |  \ -o  +  S
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Double Side Kick                                      LVL 1

Hold R2 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
4-hit Jab Combo                                       LVL 1

Hold R1 + T, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
4-hit Jab Kick Combo                                  LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, O

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Aerial Missile                                        LVL 2

 |  \  -o  +  T
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Slash                                          LVL 2

Hold R1 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
Ground Wave                                           LVL 2

 |  \  -o  +  X
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slash Combo                                           LVL 2

Hold R1 + S, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Charge Slash Leg Sweep Combo                          LVL 2

Hold R1 + O, O

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid Fire Missile                                    LVL 3

 |  \  -o  +  R1
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Air Roll Charge                                       LVL 3

Hold R1 + X

___________________________________________________________



SONORK NEZOM
------------
"That didn't hurt!"

        Sonork's brother was destined to become the Emperor.  
However his brother was wounded in the attempt to protect 
the Relic.  Seeing an opportunity to become the leader of 
the Chosen Ones, Sonork killed his brother.  Despite his 
lack of physical strength and combat skill, Sonork proved 
that he will go to extreme lengths to wield the ultimate 
power.

Outfits:




-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Power Slide                                           LVL 1

Hold R2 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roundhouse                                            LVL 1

Hold R1 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
Punch Kick Combo                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Slide Punch Kick Combo                                LVL 1

Hold R2 + F + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roundhouse Uppercut Combo                             LVL 1

Hold R1 + F + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Combo                                    LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, X

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Uppercut Combo                                 LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, X

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Plasma sickle                                         LVL 2

 |  \  -o  +  R2
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Ground Plasma Sickle                                  LVL 2

 |  \  -o  +  X
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
slide slash Kick Combo                                LVL 2

Hold R2 + F + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Kick Combo                                     LVL 2

Hold R1 + O, O

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Rapid fire Sickle                                     LVL 3

 |  \  -o  +  R1
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Aerial Blast                                          LVL 3

 |  \  -o  +  T
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Single shot                                           LVL 3

 |  \  -o  +  S
 o   o

-----------------------------------------------------------
Triple Punch Rapid Fire Combo                         LVL 3

Hold R1 + S, O, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tricky Slide Rapid Fire Combo                         LVL 3

Hold R1 + X, S, T

___________________________________________________________



YENJI
-----
"Hmph!"

Yenji was young when she witnessed the death of her family 
during the War Era.  She and other survivors hid in caves to 
evade capture.  Fueled by hate, she trained diligently both 
physically and mentally knowing that her time for vengeance 
would be at hand. Rumors of the stolen Relic prompted Yenji 
to leave her dwelling.  If she can find and destroy the 
Relic, the reign of the Chosen Ones will be at a complete 
end.

Outfits:




-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
 L E V E L   1   M O V E S   
-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*=-=1=-=*
Claw Charge                                           LVL 1

Hold R1 + F

-----------------------------------------------------------
Lightning Kick                                        LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
Roll Jab                                              LVL 1

Hold R1 + D

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + X

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + O

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + S, X

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, X

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + X, S

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 1

Hold R1 + D + T

-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
 L E V E L   2   M O V E S
-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*=-=2=-=*
Giant Shuriken                                        LVL 2

 |  \  -o  +  S
 o   o

NB: Can also be done in air
-----------------------------------------------------------
Multi-cut                                             LVL 2

Hold R1 + T

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 2

Hold R1 + F + S

-----------------------------------------------------------
                                                      LVL 2

Hold R1 + T, S

-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
 L E V E L   3   M O V E S
-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*=-=3=-=*
Ground dash                                           LVL 3

Hold R1 + S + D

-----------------------------------------------------------
Tri-Shuriken                                          LVL 3

 |  \  -o  +  R1
 o   o

___________________________________________________________

*************************
5. Weird Stuff and Extras
*************************
1) CD Tracks
   ---------
   Track 1: Data Track
   Track 2: Delara's Theme
   Track 3: Gorm's Theme
   Track 4: Yenji's Theme
   Track 5: S.I.D.'s Theme
   Track 6: Dayton's Theme
   Track 7: Demonica's Theme
   Track 8: Sonork's Theme
   Track 9: Exene's Theme
   Track 10: Character Selection Screen
   Track 11: Title Screen
   Track 12: Emperor's Theme
   Track 13: Closing Credits

2) Weird Criticom Facts
   --------------------
   S.I.D. can only be thrown by Yenji, who leaps over him 
   and knocks him over. No one else's throw works against 
   him - not even Demonica's!

   When S.I.D. wins, be it player or computer, there is no
   vocal recognition of that fact (i.e. "Player 1 triumphs."

   All demo fights are Exene Vs someone else. If you have 
   data loaded in from a memory card, the levels of the demo 
   characters will change accordingly. LVL 3 settings on 
   both P1 and P2 make for some interesting viewing.

   Track #13 is the end theme, true, but the audio during 
   the end credits is redbooked (i.e., the program does not 
   read track #13 to play the music). Does this mean that 
   track #13 is just for show? Or is it similar to track #12 
   in Battle Arena Toshinden, which is played only when a 
   certain condition is filled?  And, if so, what condition?

   Sprite collision detection (that which keeps the polygons 
   from melding into the same space at the same time) is 
   turned off at the instant one character's life end. This 
   makes for some pretty interesting victory poses at 
   times...

   Slip Slidin' Away: When you retreat with Delara, if you 
   hold D as she backflips, she'll keep sliding backwards in 
   the crouch position until she eventually slides off the 
   side...

3) Passwords and Access Codes
   --------------------------
   Name          LVL 2          LVL3          ACCESS
   ----          -----          ----          ------
   DAYTON        SIER           ETER          DIRAT
   DELARA        PHAN           KING          DCINO
   DEMONICA      GONE           WORL          DANAR
   EXENE         SPHE           WING          ESCIN
   GORM          CHAM           MARV          GODNE
   S.I.D.        ODTH           BATM          SOBRU
   SONORK        PLAY           CHRO          SSISE
   YENJI         SPID           STAR          YAHAM

4) View the Endings
   ----------------
   To see the ending for your favorite character, enter  
   the LOAD/SAVE screen and at that character's name enter 
   TTAM. You'll then see that character's ending movie, 
   his/her access code, and the end credits.

5) On the Emperor
   --------------
   Your final opponent is none other than the Emperor 
   himself.  Fearing that his successors did not have the 
   ruthlessness needed to rule, he stole the Relic and used 
   its mystic powers to regain his youth and strength.  He's 
   smart, fast, ruthless and has most (if not all) of both 
   Delara and Sonork's moves. And from all empirical 
   evidence, he can't be thrown.

   Oh, one last thing: your fight with the Emperor is un-
   timed. Either he dies or you do.

   Good luck; you'll *need* it.

********************
6. Reviews and views
********************

From:  [email protected] (Orion Pax)
Date:         1995/12/02
Newsgroups:   rec.games.video.sony



Look for the grabs, secret moves that get added each level, 
and codes. :)

Date:         1996/01/20
Newsgroups:   rec.games.video.sony


Hi, I would like to just make some corrections to your 
excellent review of Criticom.  Don't want people to 
get even more skewed views of what the game is like. :)

PETER BOTT ([email protected]) wrote:
[snip]
: ***  Sound:  8.0  ***

: i *really* liked the sound fx in this one.  it's standard  
: kick/punch/hit fx, and the music is decent, but not 
groundbreaking. 

: what i really liked were the in-game taunts and screams.  
each fighter  : features his/her unique taunt set.   while 
you're fighting, your 

Thanks.  It was initially my idea when I suggested 
Criticom didn't do the StreetFigher-ish sound effects that 
get real repetitive.  At least somebody liked it. :) 

: ***  Gameplay:  4.0  ***

: grab a thesaurus and look up bad.  see all those words?  
well that  : basically sums up the game engine here.  allow 
me to explain :)

: each fighter features 4 attack buttons: light punch, hard 
punch, light  : kick, hard kick.  2 roll buttons, you either 
roll to the left or to the  : right.  2 special moves 
buttons, to do a special move, you hold in one  : of the R 
buttons and do a simple move with the d-pad, it's too easy.

No, actually there's 3 different attacks per limb.  Light, 
medium, hard. It's one, the other, and both buttons to do 
these different ones.  There's also a short-jump attack 
besides the normal jump-attack; similiar to Tekken's short 
hop attack.  Grabs and ground slams are pretty fun too. 
There's a large variety of moves too besides hold the button 
and d-pad motion.  Some are Tekken-ish, some Street-Fighter 
II-ish, some WeaponLord-ish, whatnot.  Guess it's too many 
combat systems combined, huh? :)

: the main problem here is that the standard attack buttons 
only do ONE  : thing despite whatever way you're holding the 
d-pad.  the only  : variation you'll get on an attack is if 
you're holding down, that way  : you can do a crouch attack.  
becuz of this, the standard attack moves  : are very VERY 
limited, and this is what in the end, kills the  : 
possiblity for any sort of combo system.

There's built in pre-programmed combos, besides the ones you 
can do yourself since the moves sorta "cache" as you do 
them.  You just have to find these moves.

: as well.  i believe you can be leveled up three times(each 
time you  : level up, your character's graphics change 
slightly), and i'm not sure  : so bored after leveling up 
one of my characters once, that i couldn't  : stand to play 
it through again, let alone 2 more times. 

Try TTAM. :)

Date:         1995/12/25
Newsgroups:   rec.games.video.sony


Try FE** somewhere and see what it does.  There's still 
other hidden codes.  Stop and think about it and you won't 
spend hours trying out the right combination for the codes. 
;)

From [email protected] Mar 26 10:30:06 1996
Date: 25 MAR 1996 16:49:36 GMT 
From: "Craig A. Jensen" 
Newsgroups: rec.games.video.sony
Subject: Re: CFD: Criticom 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] 
says...
>
>Hey, I know most people didn't like criticom, but I 
remember at least  >one  >person who said it really was 
good, once the characters were all up  >levels. Is there 
anyone who would give the game a positive review? How  
>about a comparison with zero divide?

Ok, I'll bite.  It is currently at a friend's house, but I 
think I can  remember the relevant details.

**Graphics: 8/10.  It has extremely good graphics.  There's 
very little  polygonal flickering (much less than Tekken).  
(For the Zero Divide  comparison, ZD has much less 
flickering than either Criticom or Tekken.)

Although each character doesn't have an extremely large 
number of  polygons, they still look nice.  Also, you need 
to recall that they have  different graphics for each 
character.

Arenas are essentially 3D floors with 2D stuff pasted to the  
sides/horizons, if I recall.  Some of the arenas had 
sides/horizons that  looked more 3Dish than 2Dish, though, 
if I recall correctly.

The characters were colorful and exotic.  The backgrounds, 
while lacking  the clean elegance of TSDs, were creative and 
attention-getting.   Overall, the game looked very nice.

The graphics had some glitches that were annoying.  First 
off, when you  did a throw you would often partially meld 
into the other person while  the throw was being performed.  
This looked wierd but had no other  effects.  The other 
glitch was that when you died, collision detection  for the 
characters was turned off.  Hence when your character killed 
the  other character, you would move right through him as he 
fell to the  ground.  This obviously didn't really effect 
the game, as it happened  after the match was over.

The game had tons of very good FMV.  If you are a big fan of 
FMV, this  could very easily change the graphics score of 
8/10 to one of 9/10.   There is introductory FMV and closing 
FMV for each character.  Also,  while the final credits are 
rolling, there's some very nice sketches that  they show.

**Sound: 5/10.  They did an average job on this.  Sound 
effects were  sparse and sometimes repetitive.  Characters 
did sometimes say things.   The music is ok, but sometimes a 
little too attention getting (i.e.,  Sonork's "galactic 
empire" music.)  Overall, they did a standard job on  this.

**Difficulty: Easy.  I think this is where the game ran into 
problems.   See my comments under gameplay for more details.

**CD access: Fast and unobtrusive.

**Gameplay: 7/10.  This one is really tricky to rate.  It 
could vary very  easily from person to person, and you 
should probably look at 7/10 more  as an averaging of what 
different people would rate it.

The main problem that people have with the game is that it 
doesn't really  play like a fighting game.  Its actual 
playing style has more in common  with a simple mech game or 
shooter or perhaps Double Dragon.

Combos are extremely easy to enter.  Most don't involve more 
than a few  button pushes, and the most difficult joystick 
motion in the manual is a  QCF one.  (A couple of moves not 
listed in the manual require HCF  motions, but again it's no 
big deal.)  You *will* get them the first time  you try, and 
mastering the controls will never be a difficult part of the  
game.  In other words, entering special moves isn't much 
trickier than it  would be for Double Dragon or Golden Axe 
or some similar game.

Most combos also have a rather quick recovery time.  Some 
had an  effective "warm up time" as they started with weak 
moves that were easily  cancelled.  This could be resolved 
by starting the combo a step away from  the other guy.  What 
this ended out meaning is that you didn't want to go  head 
to head against characters who had combos which started with 
high  priority moves and had small recovery time, as they 
could just do the  combo over and over again.

Throws could be performed if you were close to the other 
person, even if  he was at an angle to you due to rolling.

Then there were projectiles/shots.  Almost all of the 
characters got  significant shots later on in the game.  I 
mean, *really* significant  shots that were very powerful.  
Some characters (e.g., Yenji, Demonica)  also got shots with 
small recovery times.  The characters that ended out  
shooting characters weren't the ones you expected based on 
their level 1  powers.

The shooting characters could spend a lot of time just 
firing away.  A  sample strategy might be:  Sit there firing 
until they get close to you.  Then throw them.  With some 
characters, it was pretty difficult to go  against this.

Once someone was down, you could pounce on them, although 
you usually  didn't want to.  It was usually better to shoot 
at them.  If you an  attack that shot a stream of bolts, you 
could just keep firing away so  that they'd eat quite a few 
when they got up.

Also, many people had shots that would travel on the ground.  
If you  timed it correctly, you could RO soeone who fell 
down.  This is because  the ground shot would cause them to 
"bounce" away from you if you timed  it right.  That way, 
you could fire several times and just bounce them  out of 
the arena.

 *So what am I trying to get to with all of this?  My friend 
called this  "remedial Street Fighter."  It is a fun game, 
but was not really meant to  appeal to die-hard fighting 
game fans.  The moves are too easy to pull  off and it is 
too easy to cheese someone.  But you do get to advance  
through three levels of characted, which was pretty fun.  
The Double  Dragon analogy also holds here:  Easy moves, and 
you can progress through  levels.

If you have friends who don't really like fighting games, 
they will  probably like Criticom.  It would be a good "beer 
and pretzels" game.  I  am surprised people on the net were 
so harsh on it, as I think it was  immediately evident that 
Criticom wasn't trying to be anything more than  it was:  An 
easy-to-learn game with good graphics and causal gameplay.

**Summary:  Criticom is a toned-down fighting game with good 
graphics.  I  will never know for sure, but this is what I 
think it's designers  intended it to be.  It will proably 
appeal to people who aren't really  into fighting games.  If 
you are a fan of fighting games and would just  relax a 
little, you'd probably also like to play it as a "beer and  
pretzels" game.  If this is how you look at the game, they 
did a *very*  good job.



****************John T. Carr III***********************
+  o__       @__     + "I am the wind to fill your sail
|  _.>/)_    _.>/)_  |  I am the cross to take your nail
+ (_) \(_)  (_) \(_) +  A singer of these ageless times
|        <*>         |  With kitchen prose and gutter rhymes." - J. Tull
*************************Power--Courage--Faith*****************************