Hibiki All-Purpose Super-FAQ - Guide for Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age Of Heroes

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Hibiki All-Purpose Super-FAQ v2.0
============================
For Marvel vs. Capcom 2
============================
By Matt DelGiudice ([email protected])

Issues of Legalness

     This FAQ was created, edited, proofread, maintained, and nurtured by me,
Matt DelGiudice ([email protected]).  It is to be used only for private and
personal purposes.  Under no circumstances is this FAQ to be used for
promotional or profitable purposes, including being used in any way by or
within magazines, strategy guides, newspaper articles, mini-series' on FOX,
etc.  This FAQ may be used on a web site as long as this disclaimer appears in
full, and the content remains UNCHANGED.  Other copyrights and trademarks are
acknowledged.  Don't steal from me.  My FAQ.  In layman's terms: This document
Copyright 2000-2001 Matthew DelGiudice.

     This FAQ is also available on my web site:
     (http://winthawk.sphosting.com/)

     The Street Fighter series and all related characters and indicia are
Copyright Capcom of Japan.  All Marvel characters are Copyright Marvel Company.

*****************
Table of Contents
*****************

- Just who IS this guy in the pink gi?
- FAQ Vocabulary List
- Dan-at-a-glance
- Universal moves and how they apply to Dan
- Saikyo-Ryu basics (Normal moves)
- Advanced Saikyo-Ryu (Special moves)
- REALLY Advanced Saikyo-Ryu (Hyper Combos)
- How to put Spidey and Strider to shame (Combos)
- How to taunt and look good doing it (Strategy)
- Starting your day off right (More Strategy)
- Dan vs. Everyone (Even More Strategy)
- Dealing with Scrubs (Dealing with Scrubs)
- Dat's GOTTA hoit! (Damage Stats)
- What the hell is he SAYING, anyway? (Translations)
- Stuff you probably know but I have to say anyway (Secrets)
- Once upon a time... (True Stories)
- Revisions
- Upcoming events
- Acknowledgements

************************************
Just who IS this guy in the pink gi?
************************************

     Dan Hibiki.  Master of Saikyo-Ryu.  Easy to beat computer opponent who
likes to throw pictures.  A man who can taunt like none other.  The guy most
people try because he wears the same outfit as Ryu, Ken, and Gouki, and never
choose again because he has a small fireball.  Subject of endless ridicule for
wearing a pink gi.  In short, Dan exudes the aura of a sucky character. And
indeed, he is...right?  Kao Megura put it best when, after calling Dan sucky,
said, "Sucky, that is, unless you've mastered him, in which case he's a
pink-clad killing machine!"
I can't help but agree ^_^

     I'm sure this sounds weird to those of you who prefer "good" characters,
like Ryu, Jill Valentine, Iceman, Sentinel, etc.  Who the heck wants to waste
their time with Dan?  I don't know about everyone, but here are my reasons:
Being as weak as he is, it's a real challenge to win against a skilled
opponent.  So at least in my happy little world, any and all victories with Dan
are great testaments to my skill as a player.  By the same token, winning with
Dan commands respect from both your opponent and all those people who like to
crowd around the machine and watch.  But most importantly, Dan is just plain
FUN to play!

     I'm hoping to accomplish one thing and one thing only with this FAQ: To
show all you non-believers that Dan is a serious character with serious
butt-kicking potential, and when used correctly, is just as dangerous and
powerful as any other character.  This is my first ever FAQ effort, so bear
with me.

     Huh?  You wanna know what the heck he's doing amidst all these
battle-scarred warriors and powerful mutants?  Well, let's see.  Dan's story
begins many years ago, when he was but a youth under the tutelage of his
father, martial arts master Go Hibiki.  One day, Go was scheduled to have a
match with the master of Muay Thai kickboxing and current world champion of
Street Fighting, Sagat.  Dan could only look on and fear for his father while
Go and Sagat battled each other with all their might, as Sagat slowly but
surely gained the upper hand.  Go, however, was not about to let Sagat walk
away the victor without paying a price.  In desperation, he put all his
remaining strength into a punch that connected directly with Sagat's right eye,
which instantly ceased to function.  In a furious, half-blind rage, Sagat
brutally beat and murdered Go, leaving his body in an unrecognizable heap on
the ground.  Young Dan snapped, and running on pure emotion he foolishly
attacked Sagat.  The giant kick boxer was still enraged about what had been
done to him, and easily fended off Dan.  As a final act of malice towards the
Hibiki family, he dug his nails into Dan's chest, giving him several scars.

     Dan was taken in by Gouken, a master of Shotokan karate and friend
of his late father.  He attempted to train Dan in the art of Shotokan so that
he might learn discipline and control the anger and hatred he bore within him. 
Though Dan's desire for revenge often interfered with his training, he became
somewhat adept in the style and even managed to learn how to harness his ki. 
Unsatisfied, Dan demanded he be taught more so that he could go after Sagat. 
Worried he might fall prey to the evil within himself like his brother Gouki,
Gouken refused and insisted Dan remain with him so he could learn to dispel his
rage.  Dan flat out refused and left Gouken and his fellow students, Ryu and
Ken, to finish training and learning how to fight on his own.  After many, many
losses, Dan slowly developed his own...unique style of fighting that was
loosely based on what he had learned from his father and Gouken.  He christened
it "Saikyo-Ryuu", or "The Strongest Style."  When he finally began winning
battles here and there, he discovered the joy of ridiculing his fallen
opponents, and developed an arsenal of taunts and insults so large that they
came to rival the number of his actual fighting techniques.  Finally, Dan's
moment of triumph came when he confronted Sagat, and after a long, emotional
battle, emerged victorious and avenged his father's death.

     At least that's what Capcom tells us.  Actually, Dan is intended to be a
living joke, both as a parody of SNK's rip-off Art of Fighting and King of
Fighters games, more specifically, Robert Garcia and Ryo Sakazaki, and of
in-Capcom characters, too.  His shirt-under-the-gi and ponytail are mockeries
of Ryo, his Gadou-Ken is essentially the same fireball as Ryo's Ko-ou-ken when
he has no spirit bar, his Dankukyaku is quite similar to Robert's Hien
Senpuu-kyaku, the "Yoyutchi" win pose was originally Yuri Sakazaki's (Ryo's
sister).  His ending in MSH vs. SF is a DIRECT parody of the ending to AoF (No,
Gouki is not his father).  Hell, even GO gets in on the action; he wears a
Tengu mask like Mr. Karate from AoF, and in Pocket Fighter, he parodies Gouki's
Shun Goku Satsu with his own Jun Koku Satsu! Incidentally, even though Go wears
the Tengu mask, his nose really IS that big.  I guess he just hollows out the
mask's nose.  Anyways, Dan's pink gi is, well, a hybrid of red and white, and
of course, he has the trademark giant black eyebrows despite his brown hair
color.
     Since the advent of the "Vs." games, he's expanded his range of insults;
he shares his tag in/out taunt with Chun-Li (Gomen-ne is also a more female
expression in Japan as well, which just piles up the insulting-ness), the
Premium Sign is obviously in reference to Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat
(ungh), and the absolutely hysterical Otoko-Michi is his OWN parody of Gouki's
Shun Goku Satsu (the motion for it is the same as the SGS, only reversed)!  And
finally, in SNK Vs. Capcom for NGPC, his super taunt mocks some of the SNK side
as well, including Mai and Kyo!
     Dan's effectiveness greatly varies from game to game.  In SFA, he was
decent, with the short-ranged Gadou-Ken and laggy Dankukyaku being his only
real weaknesses.  In SFA2, he took a real nosedive; characters could grouch
under the Dankukyaku, his Gadou-Ken got smaller and lost some range (!), and
his basic moves changed greatly, with his fierce and roundhouse becoming much
slower and harder to use.  In SFA3, he suddenly became a serious competitor,
gaining the ability to do a Dankukyaku in the air (A-ism and Z-ism), higher
than average strength, a much faster standing fierce, and a level 3 super taunt
^_^;  In MSHvsSF, he again dipped, having no chain combos on the ground or
while jumping, an even SMALLER and SHORTER RANGED Gadou-Ken (!!!), a mostly
useless new special move, and what would probably be a level 1.5 Koryurekka. 
The Otoko-Michi, funny as it was, did almost no damage and left Dan with one
pixel of non-recoverable life.  In SNK vs. Capcom, he's a house.  The small
screen makes it easy for him to get in close, he once again has the air
Dankukyaku, his moves have normal speed, and his level 2 supers are SICK. 
Finally, in MvC2, he's slightly below average by most standards; he has only
average power now, below average defense, his supers have low range and most of
them are very slow, but he now has standard chain combos on the ground and
while jumping, still has the air Dankukyaku, and the Otoko-Michi, while it
still leaves Dan near death, is now the strongest super in the game.  Such is
the roller coaster ride that is Dan Hibiki.  One thing that has NEVER changed,
though, is that winning with Dan commands respect from your opponent.  So if
you want to earn the admiration of those total strangers at the arcade, your
friends, that certain special someone who might happen to stroll by the MvC2
machine, turn heads at a tournament, AND have loads of fun while doing it, then
Dan just might be the character for you!  So without further ado, here begins
the FAQ!

*******************
FAQ Vocabulary List
*******************

F - Forward (The direction Dan is facing)
Dan walks towards his opponent.

B - Back (The direction opposite the way Dan is facing)
Dan walks away from his opponent or blocks if being attacked.

U - Up
Dan jumps up.

D - Down
Dan crouches.

UF - Up-Forward
Dan jumps forward.

UB - Up-Back
Dan jumps backward.

DF - Down-Forward
Dan crouches.  No different from pressing down.

DB - Down-Back
Dan crouches or blocks low if being attacked.

LP     LK     Light (jab) Punch       Light (short) Kick
HP     HK     Hard (fierce) Punch     Hard (Roundhouse) Kick
A1     A2     Assist Button 1         Assist Button 2

QCF   QCB     Rotate the joystick/D-Pad D,DF,F or D,DB,B.
PP    KK      Press both punch buttons or both kick buttons.

(air)            Move can be done in the air as well as on the ground.
D.               Dashing
J.               Jumping
SJ.              Super Jumping
C.               Crouching
AC Finisher      Move that ends an air combo.
HC/Super         Hyper Combo/Super move
VC               Variable Combination (Team Super)
DHC              Delayed Hyper Combo
OTG              Off-the-Ground (Hits opponent after a knockdown)
/\               Super jump
(land)           Land from your jump before continuing the combo
XX               Cancel into...
HBK              Hisshou Burai-Ken
DC               Dreamcast
Pixie            A fighter characterized by many fast attacks, the
                 ability to do long, powerful combos (often involving
                 one or more HCs and MANY hits), and usually the
                 ability to do a 6-hit standing chain combo.  Ex:
                 Strider, Cammy, Wolverine, and others of their ilkage.

***************
Dan-at-a-glance
***************

Gadou-ken           QCF + Punch
Koryuken            F,D,DF + Punch
Dankukyaku          QCB + Kick (air)
Premium Sign        QCF + Kick
Zenten Chouhatsu    QCF + Start, or LK + Start on DC
Kouten Chouhatsu    QCB + Start, or LK + Start on DC.
Tachi Chouhatsu     Press Start, or LK + Start on DC.
Jump Chouhatsu      Jump and press Start, or LK + Start on DC.
Saikyou Seoi Nage   When close, press F + HP or B + HP (air)
Punch 'n Launch     When close, press F + HK or B + HK

Shinkuu Gadou-ken   QCF + PP
Koryurekka          QCF + KK
Hisshou Burai-Ken   QCB + KK
Chouhatsu Densetsu  QCF, QCF + Start, or LK + Start on DC.
Otoko-Michi         HP, LK, B, LP, LP (Takes 3 Levels)

Alpha Assist        Normal: HP Gadou-ken
                    Variable Counter: HP Gadou-ken
                    Variable Combination: Shinkuu Gadou-ken

Beta Assist         Normal: HP Koryuken
                    Variable Counter: HP Koryuken
                    Variable Combination: Koryurekka

Gamma Assist        Normal: HK Premium Sign
                    Variable Counter: HK Dankukyaku
                    Variable Combination: Hisshou Burai-Ken


Snapback attack     Standing HK
Launcher            C. HP
Knockdown Attack    C. HK
AC Finishers        HP, HK, LK or HK Dankukyaku, Jumping Chouhatsu,
                    air throw (F or B + HP)

Chain combos:
Ground - Stronger (LP OR LK -> MP OR MK -> HP OR HK)
Jumping - Stronger
Super Jump - Hunter (LP -> LK -> MP -> MK -> HP -> HK)

Outfit Colors

LP - Pink gi & Brown Gloves
FP - Dark Purple gi & Brown Gloves
A1 - Neon Yellow gi & Purple Gloves
LK - Orange gi & Purple Gloves
RK - Minty Green gi & Pink Gloves
A2 - Sky Blue gi & Yellow Gloves

Main Strengths:
- Dan earns TONS of HC energy by taunting
- Has the strongest HC in the game
- Has one of the fastest HCs in the game
- Has great priority and evasive ability in the air with the Dankukyaku
- Can juggle cornered opponents with the Shinkuu Gadou-Ken
- Several high priority basic moves
- Can dash under certain attacks
- High damage aerial rave combos
- Commands respect if you can use him well
- Can combo into 3 of his 5 HCs
- Fun to play
- Easily confuses opponents by hypercancelling out of Premium Signs
- He's DAN!

Main Weaknesses:
- Below average defense
- Slow standing/jumping Fierce & standing Roundhouse
- Assists are all pretty useless
- Short range on specials and HCs
- Lacks speed
- Otoko-Michi takes all but one pixel of life, none of which can be
  recovered
- He's pretty stupid
- Taunts are long and leave him vulnerable
- Most people are too mean to let him finish a Chouhatsu Densetsu
- Slight delay on dashes
- Gets fairly predictable, even if you mix it up a lot
- Low air throw range
- Newbies just don't get him

*****************************************
Universal moves and how they apply to Dan
*****************************************

Super Jumping:  Press KK or D,U quickly, or press U after a launcher.
	
     A super jump is exactly what you're thinking: Performing one causes Dan to
jump about 2 and a half times higher than normal.  Super jumps are good for
getting across the screen relatively quickly, as well as making some distance
between you and your opponent to give yourself some breathing room.  Super
jumping after a launcher can be done simply by pressing up, but since Dan's
launcher also knocks your opponent forward a bit, you have push UF slightly as
well.  Be careful not to roll the joystick/D-Pad forward before you hit up, or
you'll end up canceling your launcher into a Gadou-ken and missing the chance
to do an air combo.

Dashing:  Press PP or quickly tap the direction you want to dash in twice.
	
     For his dash, Dan curls up into a small ball, rolls forward a short
distance, and stands up.  Dashing is useful for leading into a ground combo or
making/reducing distance between you and your opponent.  Dan's dash is a little
slower than most other characters, but it's still quicker than his usual walk. 
Also, since he's rolled up, he can pass under certain attacks.  Pushing UF or
UB during a dash or backstep will cause Dan to do a dashing jump, which has
less height but more speed and distance than a regular one.

Variable Attack (Tag-in): Hit LP and LK to switch in your middle
character, or HP and HK to switch in your bottom character.

     Tag-ins are the simplest way to change characters.  When switched in, Dan
will fly onscreen with a jumping MK and, if he connects, will stun your
opponent and knock him high up into the air, giving you a free chance to combo
him.

Push Blocking / Advancing Guard:  Press PP while blocking an attack.

     Push blocking is a handy tactic, but be careful not to overuse it.  When
you press both punch buttons while blocking an attack, a blue circle of light
flashes over Dan, and his opponent is forced backwards.  During beam supers,
push blocking will prevent Dan from being pushed away, so he will be close
enough to capitalize when the super is finished.
     Be careful not to go too crazy with push blocking, as it leaves you unable
to move for a split second afterwards.  Also, push blocking a multi-hit move
while you're in the air like Abyss's first form's head crush or a cross-up
super like Ryu's Shinkuu Tatsumaki-Senpuu-Kyaku at the wrong time might result
in Dan's getting hit.


Recovery Roll:  As you hit the ground from a knockdown attack, rotate the
joystick/D-Pad B,DB,D + P or K.

     As Dan hits the floor, he'll roll away from his opponent.  While rolling,
you are invincible to any attack, but you can be hit as you come out of it. 
Mastering how to recovery roll is an essential survival technique in Marvel vs.
Capcom 2, as tag-ins now knock your character up into the air to set up combos,
and rolling will be your only defense option as you spiral towards the ground. 
While rolling is usually very safe, there are those times where you may roll
right into the fists of your waiting opponent, such as after being thrown
(especially by Zangief).

Tech Hit:  As you're thrown or grabbed in a hold, press any direction but U +
HP or HK.

     Tech hitting causes Dan to leap away from his opponent before they can
throw him, causing him to take little or no damage, and land on his feet
instead of his back.  This applies to ground and air throws.

Canceling / Hypercancelling:  Do the motion for a special/super move while
performing a normal move / the motion for a Super move while performing a
special move.

     Canceling is a term that most new players are confused by, so I'll attempt
to explain it using our good friend Dan's standing HP, Gadou-Ken combo as an
example.  Normal moves are divided into three basic sections: the start-up part
(the raising of his arm over his head), the hitting part (the bringing down of
his hand onto his opponent's head), and the recovery part (the time it takes
for Dan to get back into his fighting stance).  At ANY point during all of
this, performing the motion for the Gadou-Ken will cause Dan to stop doing
(cancel) the chop and go right into the Gadou-Ken.  By canceling during the
recovery part, both attacks will connect.  By canceling into a special attack
at the end of a combo, you can tack on extra hits and, subsequently, extra
damage.  ALL of every character's normal moves (including Dan) can be cancelled
into special and super moves.
     Hypercanceling applies the exact same principle one step up on the food
chain.  Like normal moves, special moves have the same three parts to them
(except projectiles, which only have start-up and recovery since your character
isn't the one doing the hitting).  Continuing with the above example, let's say
you hit that Gadou-Ken, and your combo counter is already up to 2 hits.  By 
doing the motion for the SHINKUU Gadou-Ken, Dan will break out of his recovery
lag and send the Shinkuu Gadou-Ken right into the face of your opponent, who
will still be in hit stun from the Gadou-Ken.  Unlike normal moves, most
characters can only hypercancel out of certain special moves.


Character Assist:  Press A1 or A2.

     One of Dan's partners will leap onto the screen, perform an attack
determined by their assist type, taunt, and leap away.  If you are hit before
they come out and attack, they will just hop in, taunt, and leave, providing
you with some moral support but not attacking. You can call them in on the
ground or in the air, but you cannot call a character in while blocking,
attacking, or being hit.  So tapping an assist button in the middle of a chain
combo will call them out, and if you're fast enough, you can continue the chain
as they come out and attack, essentially using their assist in a combo.  If
your characters are hit during an assist, they will take damage, but they will
not lose any recoverable life, and leap away at the first available moment. 
Assists are a lot more useful than in MSH vs. SF because your current character
is not lagged at all, so he/she can attack in unison with his/her partner. 
When called upon for an assist, Dan will do his regular standing taunt after
performing his attack.  Character assists are very helpful, but don't use them
for the sake of using them, as the potential for your other characters to get
hurt is quite high.

Snapback:  QCF + A1 or A2.  A snapback takes one level of HC energy.

     After performing the motion for a snapback, the screen will freeze as a
cluster of black and yellow lights emit from Dan.  He'll then perform a
standing HK that, if it connects, will knock your opponent's current character
out of the action and force in their middle or bottom character, depending on
which assist button you hit (A1 forces in your opponent's middle character, A2
forces in the bottom one).  The snapbacked character will be unable to be
tagged in or perform an assist for about ten seconds.  The best use for a
snapback is to force in characters with a lot of recoverable life (such as
those who have just tagged out), so they lose the chance to regain their
energy.

Variable Counter: While blocking, move the joystick/D-Pad B,DB,D + A1 or A2. 
Variable counters take one level of HC energy.

     Performing a variable counter will cause your current character to leap
out and have one of your other characters enter the fray while performing an
attack.  Though they take an entire level of super, they're a very safe way to
switch characters.  The assist type determines you selected determines which
attack they perform.

Delayed Hyper Combo:  While one character is performing a hyper combo, input
the motion for one of your next character's HCs.

     Ahh, DHCs.  These essentially replace the 2 on 1 mode in Marvel vs. Capcom
as the quickest, easiest way to do a lot of damage.  The best way to explain
these is to give an example.  So...
     Let's say I'm using my usual dream team of Guile, Dan, and Gambit. 
They're set up the same way; Guile is fighting now, Dan is in the middle, and
Gambit's on the bottom.  Now, while fighting, I connect with a Sonic Hurricane.
 BEFORE the Hurricane ends, I do a QCB + KK, the motion for Dan's Hisshou
Burai-Ken.  The Sonic Hurricane stops, Dan and Guile switch places, and Dan
smacks the opponent with a Hisshou Burai-Ken.  Now, if I have a THIRD level of
super, I can do QCF + PP for Gambit's Royal Flush before Dan nails the final
hit, to add even
MORE damage.  DHCs can be done up to three times, and each one takes a level of
HC energy.  They're good for safely switching while doing a lot of damage, but
don't forget about damage buffering; the more hits in a combo, the less damage
each successive one will do.  On top of this, DHC's have their own special
damage system; the second and third supers done in a DHC will do 75% of the
damage they would normally do, i.e. the first super will do normal damage, the
second and third ones will do 75% of their norms (so an Otoko-Michi done in the
2nd or 3rd level of a DHC would do 75 points instead of 100).

Instant/Double/Triple Variable Combination:  Hit A1 + A2.

     Depending on how many levels of HC energy you have, one, two, or all three
of your characters will simultaneously perform a super move.  One level causes
your current character to do his or her move, two levels makes the current and
middle character do their respective supers together, etc.
     The assist type you choose determines which HC your characters will
perform.  Dan pretty much has to ALWAYS start a VC because his range is really
bad, and his HC won't hit the opponent at all if another character starts it
(Of course, there are exceptions).  If you only have one level of HC energy,
you'll simply do your predetermined HC by yourself.

"Stuns": Block, Hit, and Spiral
     The various types of stun animations are important factors no matter who
you use.  It goes like this: block stun occurs when Dan is being attacked, but
he is blocking.  While in block stun, you cannot do anything except push block
and Variable Counter.
     Hit stun occurs when you're...hit.  Like, by an attack.  While in hit
stun, you're totally defenseless.  All you can do is hold down block and hope
your opponent leaves you alone or messes up.  The core concept of combos is
based on hitting someone while they're still in hit stun and thus cannot block
the continuous attacks. Different attacks cause varying degrees of hit stun;
normal attacks usually leave you in hit stun for a moment or so (jabs and
shorts), certain normal and special moves will hit you into the air or across
the screen, leaving you in hit stun until you've traveled a certain distance,
when Dan will right himself and land on his feet (ground flying attacks like
Gambit's standing HP or Ryu's Hurricane kick). And some leave you in hit stun
until you reach the ground, leaving you totally vulnerable (moves that set your
character on some form of fire usually do this).
     Spiral-stun is just my word for when you are hit by a tag-in attack, DHC
out of certain throw supers, or are hit by certain special and super moves. 
Dan is sent spiraling way up into the air, upside-down, and is completely and
totally defenseless until he lands.  You can roll when landing from
spiral-stun, which is a good idea since your opponent will be waiting there to
take advantage, and rolling is your only way of defending yourself. 
Spiral-stun is the ultimate combo set up, and while there aren't many moves
that cause it (outside of tag-ins), be aware when you've been spiraled, and get
ready to roll.

********************************
Saikyo-Ryu Basics (Normal Moves)
********************************

Light Punch (Jab):

Standing:  Dan's jab; a quick, low damage palm strike.  It's your standard jab,
except Dan has his fingers opened up a little, so it looks like he's trying to
poke your eyes out.  Good for starting quick ground combos and sets up a LP
Koryuken quite nicely.

Crouching:  Exactly like his standing jab, only it hits low.

Jumping:  Dan throws a punch diagonally downwards.  It's good to use for
starting his air combo, and actually works pretty well as defense while in the
air, because it sticks out for a long time (for a jab, anyway).

Medium Punch (Strong):

Standing:  Being a medium attack, you'll only see this in a combo.  Dan throws
a hook punch aimed for your opponent's stomach.

Crouching:  Pretty much the same as his crouching LP, except he uses his other
arm.  More combo filler.

Jumping:  Exactly like his jumping LP, but delivered with his other arm.  Air
combo filler.

Hard Punch (Fierce):

Standing:  An overhead axe chop.  It's got a pretty slow startup, but it'll
still combo off a MP.  It's useful in that it'll hit any crouching character
(except Kobun), even though it looks like it wouldn't.

Crouching:  Dan's launcher!  It's your basic uppercut.  It has pretty high
priority against jump-ins, but the horizontal range leaves something to be
desired (though that's typical of most launcher attacks).  It knocks your
opponent up into the air, and sends them flying forward a bit as well.

Jumping:  The same as the standing version, including the hefty lag.  To ensure
a hit, you have to hit the button early.  Being a hard punch, it does good
damage, and it actually has very high priority, but the lag makes it really
hard to connect with.  Best used as an AC finisher, but it makes a great
jump-in when timed perfectly.

Light Kick (Short):

Standing:  Dan does a quick knee at your opponent's gut/groin area. While your
standing LP has more speed, this has a larger hitting area and will connect on
some crouching characters.

Crouching:  Dan does simple, quick kick to the feet.  It has great range for a
light attack and can be used to combo into any of his specials if you cancel
quickly enough.  It's also useful for poking your opponent and ticks, too.

Jumping: Dan does a weird jump kick that makes it look like he's trying to push
you away with his foot.  It has decent range and very good for cross-ups, but
low speed.  Use the J.LP for starting jump-ins instead.

Medium Kick (Forward)

Standing:  Dan does a knee attack like his standing LK, but follows through for
a straight-legged kick. Both the knee and the follow-through connect, so you
can combo off either hit.  It's a very useful attack, so work it in whenever
you can.

Crouching:  Crouch combo filler.  Looks exactly like his crouching LK but lasts
longer and knocks the opponent further away.

Jumping:  Air combo filler. Just a quick jump kick that looks exactly like the
second hit of the HK Dankukyaku.

Hard Kick (Roundhouse)

Standing:  A spinning heel kick that doubles as Dan's snapback.  It's fairly
slow to hit, but works pretty well as an anti-air attack.

Crouching:  A foot sweep that knocks the opponent down (this is Dan's only
knockdown).  It's a good follow-up attack for a jump-in combo, and isn't too
risky to use since Dan recovers fairly fast.

Jumping:  Probably Dan's best regular attack, this is an EXTREMELY fast, high
priority jump kick.  Though it only stays out for a moment, it also comes out
very quickly, meaning you can't hit the HK button too early or you'll miss.  It
makes for a good (non-taunting) way to earn HC energy, too.  It's an all-around
useful attack, especially since your opponent will usually get lured into
thinking you won't try anything, and then find themselves eating foot.

***********************************
Advanced Saikyo-Ryu (Special Moves)
***********************************

Gadou-ken: QCF + P (Hypercancelable)

     Pathetic as ever, the Gadou-ken is Dan's tiny fireball.  It flies from his
fingers, moves forward a short distance, and fizzles out.  The strength of the
punch determines how far it goes.
     The lag time is about the same as a normal fireball, but since the
Gadou-ken doesn't travel very far, you have to be careful.  It's good to stick
in at the end of a ground combo, or just give your foe a nice third degree burn
to the face.  It can negate normal projectile attacks, but won't do anything
against beams.  You can use it to hold your own in a fireball war if you have
good timing, but try not to go for too long, because your enemy has nothing to
fear, while you'll get hit the second you lose your rhythm. Therefore, think of
the Gadou-ken not as a projectile, but as an extension of Dan's hand; a
standing HP
or HK with less start-up time and a little more recovery.  As far as fireballs
go, it does above average damage.

Koryuken: F, D, DF + P (Hypercancellable)
	
     Dan's rising uppercut differs from those of the shotokans in two ways: he
holds his arm at a 90 degree angle instead of straight up, and he has almost no
horizontal range whatsoever.  Punch strength determines how high and far Dan
leaps; LP is a small hop, while HP causes him to go about 2/3 the entire
vertical length of the screen, and move forward about one full step.
     Dan will flash white every fourth Koryuken, and will be completely
invincible for the duration of the flash.  The count will only reset if you
switch Dan out, so try and keep track as best you can.  This way, you'll know
when he'll be invincible, and you can use that knowledge to avoid damage in
situations where you normally wouldn't be able to do so.
     The Koryuken has a lot of priority, but the lack of horizontal range means
it will only work when your opponent is right next to/above you, and missing
the HP version leaves you wide open.  The LP version is *GREAT* for countering
cross-up attempts, and makes for a good two in one combo when preceded by a
standing LP.  It also has deceptive range and can send a dashing opponent
flying right back where he came from, flashing or not.  You can even stop
supers like a Hyper Charging star or other rushers, and even seemingly
invincible moves like the Killerbee Assault and Maximum Spider!!  The HP
version is okay for trying to catch airborne opponents off guard, but again,
don't try it too often because of the low range.  It's also good as a follow-up
for his launcher if you aren't good at connecting with air combos yet.  When
used sparingly, it's a very useful maneuver, and it still deals out good
damage.  You can hypercancel out of it, but only before Dan leaves the ground.

Dankukyaku: QCB + K (air)

     Using LK causes Dan to do a short knee hop towards your enemy, using HK
makes him do the knee hop followed by two kicks that look like his jumping MK
and HK, respectively, causing him to glide across the screen.  The air versions
are the same as the ground ones.
     The Dankukyaku always has been and still is Dan's best special move.  It's
not very risky, it hits hard, and there's practically no startup delay.  Plus,
he can now do it in the air, as in Street Fighter Alpha/Zero 3.  There are lots
of practical uses for the Dankukyaku; it's good for putting the pressure on a
cornered opponent, getting across the screen quickly, it's his strongest and
flashiest AC finisher, and the air version is great for both evasion and
defense.  The HK air version isn't a very practical offensive move when used
outside of an air combo, but since Dan glides almost straight across the air,
it's extremely useful for getting behind an attacking opponent (or keeping
yourself in the air to fake them out and cause them to whiff on an anti-air
move).  It also has great defensive potential; if you want to make some
distance, but your opponent tries to come after you, jumping backward and doing
the move causes Dan to kick as he flies backwards.  It also has the odd ability
to hit opponent that gets behind Dan while he's kicking, so someone who tries
to cut an air version off by getting behind you will still get knocked around. 
The
LK air version has a lot of air-to-air priority, so use it to keep a jumping
opponent at bay.  In fact, the knee part of the move seems to have a lot of
priority no matter where you do it; I've stopped everything from Jin's Cyclones
to Sentinel's Hard Drive HC with it.
    Overall, the Dankukyaku is a great move with lots of functions, so use it
well and use it often.  Its only drawback is that most regular and all smaller
sized characters can duck under it.

Premium Sign: QCF + K (Hypercancelable)
	
     Dan whips out a picture of himself giving a thumbs up, autographs it with
the kanji for "Dan", shows it to your opponent while grinning like an idiot,
then throws it.  The LK version makes Dan sign it quickly, and it travels
slowly at a downward angle when thrown.  The HK version causes Dan to take his
sweet time signing the picture, and when thrown, it flies upwards extremely
fast.  The time spent showing the autograph is the same for both versions.
     The Premium sign, at first glance, appears to be a useless, stupid move
designed for a useless, stupid character.  However, it actually comes in handy
in certain situations, because the autograph can hit during the showing AND the
throwing.  While Dan is holding it up, it has unbelievable priority and can
cancel out almost anything it comes in contact with, except for projectiles and
beam supers.  However, it will cancel out any auto-combo supers (i.e. Midare
Zakura, Final Justice etc) and most rushing ones as well (Crawler Assault,
Shoryureppa etc).  It doesn't knock your opponent very far and they usually
recover in time to hit you before you throw it, but oftentimes they'll be
surprised they were hit and block until you recover.  Both hits do very little
damage and any attack can destroy the thrown picture.

Zenten Chouhatsu:  QCF + Start (LK + Start on DC)

     Dan rolls forward, crouches, flexes his arm at a 90 degree angle, and
shakes it as he says, "Namen ja ne zo!"  Fills a little under 25% of one HC
meter level.

Kouten Chouhatsu:  QCB + Start (LK + Start on DC)

     Same as the Zenten Chouhatsu, only Dan rolls backwards and says "Ousha!"

Tachi Chouhatsu:  Start (LK + Start on DC)

     Dan does his arm flexing and shaking while saying, "Ikozura!"  Fills about
one seventh of one HC meter level.

Jumping Chouhatsu:  While in mid-air, hit Start (LK + Start on DC)

     Dan flexes and shakes his arm and shouts, "YAHOOI!"  Even though it only
fills a little of the HC meter, it's easily his most annoying (and fun!) taunt.
 Even though it can't hit, I like to think of it as an "alternative" AC
finisher; you'll usually end up getting punished, but it's a great way to
frustrate an opponent after knocking them around in the air.  Note that you can
taunt at any time until Dan reaches the apex of his jump; you won't taunt if
you hit the button as you're descending.

Saikyou Seoi Nage:  When close, press F + HP or B + HP (air)

     On the ground, Dan grabs your opponent and throws them over his shoulder. 
The air version causes Dan to grab your opponent by the collar and hold onto
them, slamming them face-first into the ground.  Holding B instead of F will
cause Dan to switch sides with his enemy before chucking him.
     In MSH vs. SF, this was the strongest throw in the game.  That may no
longer apply, but it still does decent damage.  Plus, it's possible to use the
air version as an AC finisher...and it looks so damn COOL!

Punch 'n Launch:  When close, press F + HK or B + HK

     Dan grabs his opponent and gives them a quick uppercut that sends them
flying into the air.  It doesn't function as a launcher, since you have to hit
D, U or KK to super jump after performing one.  If you're quick, though, you
can still jump up and perform an air combo or smack them with an air
Dankukyaku.  In the corner, you can follow up with an HP Koryuken as well.  The
damage is equal to his HP throw, but Dan's range seems to be a little better on
the Punch 'n Launch, and since the other player probably won't expect to get
sent flying into the air, there's a good chance they'll mess up a tech hit. 
Again, holding B will make Dan change sides before hitting his enemy.

*****************************************
REALLY Advanced Saikyo-Ryu (Hyper Combos)
*****************************************

Shinkuu Gadou-ken:  QCF + PP (8 Hits)

     Dan focuses his ki and throws a powered up Gadou-ken that travels almost
halfway across the screen before dying out.
     This move has been beefed up a LOT.  First of all, it knocks the opponent
away on the last couple of hits, so they can't just take the damage and then
hit you right back as in MSH vs. SF.  It juggles very easily, and the recovery
time has been greatly reduced (you can throw another one right before the first
one is about to start fading).  It's also "immune" to push blocking, as Dan
will be sent back, but his enemy will simply push right through the Gadou-ken
and take the full block damage.
     One important point to make is that the HC background disappears the
moment Dan sends his super fireball sailing across the screen, meaning you
can't DHC out of it without sacrificing Dan's chance to nail a super (not a
good strategy).
     Shinkuu Gadou-kens are best used right when your opponent is right in your
face, or as a ground combo finisher, as it moves very slowly and won't catch
your opponent if you use it from a distance.  The knocking away property is
very iffy; when used from a distance, it will sometimes hit a character once
and knock them away, or do so after 5 or 6 hits.  Therefore, when you combine
this with the slow speed and bad range, the Shinkuu Gadou-Ken is still best
used right up close.  Of course, the knocking away property doesn't apply in
the corner, since they have nowhere to go (more on that later)...


Koryurekka:  QCF + KK (2 Hits)

     Dan spins around in place, doing a LP Koryuken, then spins around again
and does an HP Koryuken.
     The Koryurekka is going to be your super of choice most of the time.  It
OTGs, does excellent damage, has no startup lag, and hits immediately.  I could
be wrong, but I also believe there's a very small window of invincibility at
the startup!  It also sends your opponent into spiral-stun at the end, making
you totally safe if it hits.  And finally, it's a pretty good DHC super,
especially as the first one since you can nail both hits and then go into
anything (just be fast and don't let the second hit knock them into the air). 
Of course, being one of Dan's moves, it has its weaknesses.  Like all of Dan's
HCs, the low horizontal range requires you to be right in your opponent's face
when you do it, or you may only get one hit and they'll be waiting to make you
pay when you land.  Also, you have to cancel JUST as your opponent hits the
floor in order to OTG for both hits.  Still, these aren't large problems,
especially since you'll get used to the short range and come to know when it'll
hit.  Make frequent use of this super whenever there's an opening in your
opponent's defense, as it's your best chance to hit them.

Hisshou Burai-Ken:  QCB + KK (10 hits)
	
     Dan beats the living crap out of your opponent with a wild series of
punches and kicks, finishing with an HP Koryuken, and shouting his head off the
entire time.  This has always been my favorite move ^_^
     The only way I can describe the HBK is that it's like a half auto-combo
HC.  Dan will perform the entire attack whether he connects or not, but if he
hits the opponent at any point, they'll be sucked into range and the rest of
the moves will hit.  It has a very slight vacuum effect (like Ryu's Shinkuu
Tatsumaki Senpuu-Kyaku) that will drag a nearby opponent into it when it
starts.  If you do this close enough to the corner so that you land right next
to your opponent after the final Koryuken, you can OTG him for more mayhem. 
It's also an excellent super to use in DHCs as a starter, middle, or end, since
Dan holds them still and gives you some time to think about what super to DHC
into next.     Bad points: It has the least range out of all his supers, and
unfortunately cannot be comboed off any normal attacks except a D.LP, MP on the
very large characters (Venom and bigger).  I've assumed he could do it off
anything for so long because I assumed he was exactly like he was in MSH vs SF
(Sorry 'bout that).  It's best used as a mistake punisher, in classic
situations like a whiffed anti-air move or getting behind someone in mid-super.
 And don't forget to shout along with Dan.

Chouhatsu Densetsu:  QCF, QCF + Start, or LK + Start on DC.

     This move embodies everything that Dan stands for: totally humiliating
your opponent while annoying the hell out of them!  It goes like this:  Dan
does a standing taunt, rolls forward and does a crouching taunt, rolls forward
again and does Chun-Li's taunt, rolls forward AGAIN, signs and shows an
autograph (which can't hit), leaps into the air and does his jumping taunt, and
finally lands and does his thumbs up win pose.  So, if you couldn't see the
screen, you'd hear:

"Ikozura!  Doushita doushita!  Gomen ne!  Doongda!  YAHOOI!  Yoyutchi!"

     It's almost impossible to pull this of on an opponent who's seen it
before, or some real jerk that can't be bothered to wait until the end of it to
punish you for it.  Still, it's a great way to get a laugh from the crowd,
waste a level of super, display your contempt for turtlers, or show off right
before you win (or lose).  For the maximum effect, stick it in the middle of a
DHC and taunt away as your opponent reels from your last character's attack, or
DHC into ANOTHER character's move as your opponent comes up to whack you.

Otoko-Michi:  HP, LK, B, LP, LP (Takes 3 Levels)
	
     Dan gets into blocking stance and powers up, then slowly glides forward. 
If he comes in contact with his enemy, he'll grab them, power up some more, and
with a cry of "OYAJI!", he'll explode, sending both he and his enemy flying in
opposite directions.
     Okay, in MSH vs. SF, Dan's parody of the Shun Goku Satsu could be tech-hit
out of, had pitiful range, left Dan with one pixel of life (none of which could
be recovered), and the damage was nowhere NEAR worth three levels of super.  In
MvC2, the Otoko-Michi can STILL be tech-hit out of, STILL has pitiful range,
STILL leaves Dan with one pixel of life (none of which can be recovered), and
is the single strongest super in the game.  That's right.  The STRONGEST super
in the game!  Not only does it knock about 70% of your enemy's life (depending
on the character it's used on), it's easily the most humiliating move there is.
 Due to the huge amount of damage it does, it's now more of a tradeoff move
than a joke, since you're essentially sacrificing Dan to beat one of your foe's
characters.  Still, he can't lose any more life after the first Otoko-Michi, so
you can perform another one later in the match and Dan will be all right.  Read
the strategy section for more notes about what some call the "exploding death
taunt".

***********************************************
How to put Spidey and Strider to shame (combos)
***********************************************

     Dan's comboability has been increased from previous games; he's now able
to perform weak to strong chains on the ground (meaning he can chain up to
three punches or kicks in a row, going from the weakest to strongest), and can
still perform full hunter chain combos during super jumps.  Also, in addition
to canceling normal moves into special moves, everyone in MvC2 can cancel
certain special moves into super moves as well.  What does this mean for Dan? 
Read on!

     To avoid confusion, I'll use MP and MK instead of using LP or LK twice in
a row.  The medium hit will come out automatically when you push the light
button a second time, after connecting with a light attack.  Attacks without a
prefix (like D. or SJ.) are understood to be standing attacks.  Most of these
work better in the corner, and some require you to be there.

     Oh yeah.  Of course, these are only a few of Dan's many possible combos. 
Feel free to add in your own variations; skipping certain hits, using different
jump-ins, and so on.  Keep mixing it up so you don't fall into a pattern.

Easy Combos:
- LK, MK (1 hit), HK Dankukyaku (5 hits)
- LK, MK, Snapback (3-4 hits)
- J.HK, HK Dankukyaku (4 hits)
- (Both characters in air) J.LK, L.MK, LK Dankukyaku (3 hits)
- Connect with any auto-combo HC, DHC Otoko-Michi (Hits will vary,
  Otoko-Michi not counted but still affected by DHC damage buffering)

Intermediate Combos:
- LP, MP or LK, MK XX Shinkuu Gadou-ken (10-11 hits)
- C.HK, Koryurekka (2-3 hits)
- HP, Otoko-Michi (2 hits, Otoko-Michi not counted)
- (Opponent in corner) C.LP, C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, air
  throw (land), C.HP /\ etc... (6+ hits)
- D.J.LP, J.MP (land), D.LP, MK, HK Dankukyaku (8 hits)
- Connect w/tag-in, D.C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SK.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, AC Finisher
  (7/10 hits)
- (Opponent in corner) (D.LP, MP against big characters XX) Hisshou
  Burai-Ken (land), C.HK (OTG) XX Hisshou Burai-Ken XX DHC, or Variable
  Combination (Hits vary)

Difficult Combos:
- (Opponent in corner) J.LP, J.MP (land), D.C.LK XX LP Gadou-Ken XX
  Shinkuu Gadou-ken, then...
a) HK Dankukyaku (15 Hits)
b) D.C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, SJ.HK Dankukyaku (20 Hits)
c) D.C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, SJ.HP, SJ.HK (land), C.LK
   (OTG), follow up (hits vary)
d) LK Premium Sign XX Koryurekka (15 hits)
e) D.LP, MP, HK XX Shinkuu Gadou-Ken, repeat (hits vary depending on
   how many levels of super you have)
f) Otoko-Michi
- (Opponent in corner) Hisshou Burai-Ken, C.HK (OTG) XX...
a) Hisshou Burai-Ken, DHC (21+ hits)
b) Variable Combination (21+ hits)
- (Opponent in corner) C.HP IMMEDIATELY XX Koryurekka (land) Shinkuu
  Gadou-Ken, any follow up attack (9+ hits)
- (Close) LP Koryuken XX Koryurekka, follow up if opponent is in corner
  (3+ hits)
- J.LP, J.MP (land), D.C.LP, C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, HK
  Dankukyaku (11 Hits)

Infinite Combo:
- (Opponent in/near corner) C.HP /\ SJ.LP, SJ,LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK, SJ.HP,
  SJ.HK (land), C.LK, MP, HK, LP, MP, HK, LP, MP, HK etc...

Fake-Outs:
- HK Premium Sign, Koryurekka. (2 hits)
- Chouhatsu Densetsu, DHC into another super (hits vary)
- Hisshou Burai-Ken from across the screen, DHC into an appropriate
  super (hits vary)
- (Opponent has been defeated, next character is coming in from a
   corner) Shinkuu Gadou-Ken, Otoko-Michi.

Combo Notes:

Easy
#1:  Nothing much here.  It's better to cancel the standing MK as soon as you
can in order to ensure the Dankukyaku will hit.  If you're really close, you
can get both hits of the MK, but this is more of a sure thing.

#2:  Because Dan's standing HK is fairly slow to hit, this is a sure fire way
of getting a snapback to connect.  It may be a close call sometimes, but the 2
hits of his MK should give you enough time to cancel.

#3:  Easy, damaging, and safe.  Cancel quickly and make sure to time the HK
right, since it's so fast.  This works wonders against large characters like
Blackheart and the Hulk.

#4:  This is actually a good combo for air-to-air fighting.  Your opponent will
be knocked down, so you'll land before he or she can get back up and do
anything.  The HK Dankukyaku will sometimes miss the last hit, so it isn't as
safe as using the LK version.  Use this to hang in there against characters
that practically live in the air, like Chun-Li and Omega Red.

#3:  Hehe.  No avoiding this one!  Keep this one up your sleeve if Dan's on the
shelf and doesn't have much energy left.

Intermediate
#1:  Simple, effective way to work in the very damaging Shinkuu Gadou-Ken.  You
can use punches or kicks to lead into it; punches are a little faster, but
kicks give you more time to cancel.

#2:  Cancel into the Koryurekka JUST as your opponent hits the floor, and
you'll nail both hits.  You can precede it with a crouching LK or LK, MK if you
want.

#3:  Here we go!  Connect with the standing HP, then hit LK, B, LP, LP.  If
you're fast enough, Dan will cancel into the Otoko-Michi, and grab your
opponent before they can recover from the first hit.  Since the Otoko-Michi
isn't counted in the combo, there's no buffering and you'll get the full damage
out of it.  You need to be fairly close in order to pull this off, but if you
cancel into the move quickly enough, you may be able to hit it from further
away.

#4:  After you land from the air throw, wait a second for Dan's opponent to
come within range of his C.HP, then launch them and repeat.  Your opponent can
block after Dan has smashed him into the ground, but if he tries to
counter-attack, your launcher should beat him out and you can repeat the combo.

#5:  Get used to dashing in with follow-up attacks after jump-ins; they greatly
increase the chances of connecting.

Hard
#1:  These are inspired by a couple movies with Dan in them that I saw at
www.shoryuken.com.  The toughest thing is nailing the timing on the LP
Gadou-ken XX Shinkuu Gadou-ken; you have to cancel quickly enough so that your
opponent is still in hit stun from the Gadou-ken, but not so fast that Dan
doesn't even throw it, and not to slow so that they recover in time to block. 
The window of opportunity is very small, so if you just can't get it to work,
try continuing the ground combo with an MK and using one of your partner's
attacks to knock them off their feet (Gambit's kinetic card assist comes
immediately to mind).  Once they're being juggled by the Shinkuu Gadou-ken,
they're sitting ducks.  Whack 'em!

#2:  This was my trademark in MSH vs. SF; unfortunately, the HBK has more start
up lag, so you can only combo it off a D.LP, MP, and only on big characters :( 
Ways to connect against regular sized and small characters include connecting
with a tag-in and assists.  Anyway, as soon as DAN lands, do the C.HK and
cancel immediately into the second HBK, or do a VC.  This gets really cool when
you have four or five levels of HC energy and do two Hisshou Burai-Kens, then
DHC and let your other characters get in on the action, or even DHC INTO it, do
a second one so it resets the counter, then DHC OUT of the second one!  The
possibilities are endless!

#3:  For this to work, you need to cancel your launcher into the Koryurekka
fast enough so that the first hit gets them before they fly up into the
air...which is REALLY fast.  This causes your enemy to spiral WAY up into the
air, giving Dan plenty of time to land and set up another attack.  If you can
sense when Dan lands and do a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken immediately, they'll be set up
for all that sweet Shinkuu Gadou-ken corner stuff.  Other options are things
like another launcher and air combo (or another Koryurekka if you're quick
about it), an HP Koryuken, and so on.  Again, an assist that takes someone off
their feet can be used as a substitute.  Use your imagination!

#4:  Much like the above one, except you DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE CORNER!  Just
cancel before Dan leaves the ground and BAM!

#5:  This bad boy is Dan's bread and butter (that's a fun phrase, isn't it?)
"jump-in -> launcher -> air combo" combo.  Try and hit the jump-in part as deep
as you can because of the low range on Dan's launcher.  Against smaller
characters, you may have to omit the D.C.LP, but against larger characters, you
can add in a C.MP as well.  Sweet.


The Infinite:
     You need to be close enough to the edge of the stage so that your enemy
and Dan will both land in the corner after the SJ.HK.  Infinite combos are
really infuriating to get caught in, so please, if you're going to use this on
a human opponent that you don't know (cheesing your friends with them is fine),
don't do any more that 3 repetitions.  You'll prove your point and you can't
really be called cheap if you show mercy.  If you want to see a movie, check
out Warganic's World of Infinites at www.geocities.com/warganic.  Damn good
site.

Fake-Outs (These are just a few tricks I like to use on fellow players that
actually work more often than not.  They're pretty risky, but they're a lot of
fun to try, and in times of desperation anything's worth a shot!)

#1:  Use the HK Premium Sign to lure your opponent into coming up to you, then
cancel it into the Koryurekka.  They'll never know what hit 'em.

#2:  The same principle applies here; cancel when they come up to hit you.  If
you want, you can even DHC INTO the Chouhatsu Densetsu, taunt until they
realize what you're doing, and then DHC into the next character's move.  The
only problem is that since this is a DHC, the Chouhatsu Densetsu will only do
75% of it normal damage, so...oh yeah.  Never mind.  ::sweatdrop::

#3:  Again, it looks like you're leaving Dan vulnerable (you can even yell out
an expletive to further develop the illusion that you didn't MEAN to do that
super from far away...heh heh...), and use an appropriate DHC to catch them off
guard.  For example, if you did this to Ryu and he powered up for a Shinkuu
Hadou-Ken, you could DHC into a
Cajun Explosion instead of taking a risk and trying a counter-beam like the
Royal Flush.

#4:  Instant Death.  Needs four levels of super and the new character must be
coming in from the corner.

**********************************************
How to taunt and look good doing it (Strategy)
**********************************************

     *THIS IS THE REAL MEAT OF THE FAQ; I'VE TRIED TO PUT AS MUCH OF MY
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DAN INTO WORDS AS I CAN, AND IT'S ALL IN THIS SECTION.  BIG,
FLASHY COMBOS ARE NOTHING IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE CHARACTER, BECAUSE
IF YOU CAN'T USE THE CHARACTER, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THOSE COMBOS WILL _NEVER_
ARISE.  IF YOU'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT BECOMING A GOOD DAN PLAYER, THIS IS WHAT
YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.*

     First and foremost, never forget that Dan isn't your only character.  If
you're really getting hammered, switch out at the earliest moment.  If doing a
normal tag-in isn't safe, don't forget about Variable counters, or even DHCing.
 They take up valuable levels of super energy, but it's worth it to keep your
characters alive.
     When using Dan, you should always use the Variety Type/Gamma assist (The
Premium Sign).  No, I'm not crazy.  The poor range of the Gadou-ken and
Koryuken is even more apparent when used for an assist, since Dan will jump in
slightly BEHIND your current character (of course, the Premium Sign is every
bit as useless).  The main reason for choosing the Gamma type assist is because
Dan will do a Hisshou Burai-Ken for a VC, which means that connecting will hold
your opponent in place while Dan and his partners simultaneously obliterate
him.  Beam supers seem to fight with Dan for control; they push your opponent
forward, but only slightly, as Dan's hits drag them back in.  Rushing supers,
however, will carry your foe forward, leaving Dan to flail around like an
idiot.  And while it may not be a new feeling for HIM, it makes you look bad. 
Still, while all of Dan's supers are good for starting a VC, the HBK lasts the
longest, and is the only one that keeps your opponent in one spot.  Plus, the
Gamma type assist will make Dan's variable counter an HK Dankukyaku, which is
infinitely more useful than a Gadou-ken or Koryuken (as a counter) because of
its better damage, speed, and range.
     Remember, all of Dan's taunts all give you huge amounts of HC energy
(except the Chouhatsu Densetsu, of course), so smack that taunt button whenever
you have an opening.  Don't get overzealous, as Dan is completely vulnerable
while he is taunting and opponents will catch on quickly.  Taunt when it's
applicable, like after a snapback, a big combo, or if your opponent is hiding
in the corner and turtling.  As long as you're careful, Dan and his two
partners will always have plenty of HC energy.
     All Dan's specials are hypercancellable except for the Dankukyaku and all
taunts.
     Master getting the full hits out of Dan's Aerial Rave (SJ.LP, SJ.LK,
SJ.MP, SJ.MK XX HK Dankukyaku).  It does a lot of damage without requiring a
super move as an AC finisher.
     The "Stronger" combo series is generally interpreted as LP ->
MP -> HP or LK -> MK -> HK.  But everyone (including me) forgets that you can
alter between punches and kicks, as long as you keep increasing the strength,
i.e. LP -> MK -> HP is a feasible combo.  Keep this in mind!
     Keep the pressure on your opponent so you can slowly force them into a
corner, because that's where Dan can really put MAJOR hurt on his enemies
(we're talking the hardcore, 3 supers in one combo deals, not stuff you're able
to do normally).  Once you get them there, use your assists effectively in
conjunction with your own attacks to keep them pinned down (poking with LKs and
pressuring with LK Dankukyakus); the longer that you can keep them trapped, the
more likely it is that you'll open up a hole somewhere in their defense that
you'll be able to rip open into a gaping maw of pain and smashing and hurting.
     Though partner choice should be determined by how well you play other
characters, try to select at least one long ranged assist.  It doesn't
necessarily have to be a beam or projectile, but something that will allow you
to have an attack from across the screen, both as an offensive tactic and to
use as a cover when you're attempting to get in close.  Long range assists will
come in very handy, and many times can turn what would be an extremely
difficult match into an easy win (Rakushou!).  This especially applies when
fighting keep-away characters like Captain Commando and Iron Man.  Use the
characters you're best with, but if one of them has a long-range assist, use
it!
     Speaking of assists, make sure you take note of what assists your
OPPONENT's characters have as well.  Knowing what moves to expect will make it
easier to both avoid damage and dish it out to your opponents supporting
characters.  This especially applies to characters that have very long taunts
(i.e. Cyclops, Ken) or attacks that cause them to be on-screen for a good
length of time (i.e. Hulk, heal types).  Crippling a tagged out character not
only forces your opponent to quit using him, but also presents the opportunity
to snapback the damaged character into the match, causing a considerable loss
of life.
     Even though the insane amount of damage makes it tempting to use, don't
obsess over connecting with the Otoko-Michi.  I know I hype it all over the
place and provide about a dozen different ways to land it, but there are a few
rules of thumb I try to follow.
  1: NEVER, EVER, EVER! try this move if it isn't going to kill the character
you plan to use it on.  I know it'll still hurt them a lot, but never forget
that no matter how much damage you're doing, you're doing even more to Dan. 
Outside of VC's and DHC's, Dan really can't do anything for your team once he's
done the move.  So at least get your money's worth and take one of your foe's
characters down with you.
  2:  Don't waste Dan by doing this if he has more than half his life
(including recoverable energy) remaining.  If he has less than half his life,
you can discard the above rule as the situation merits (i.e. you have one
nearly dead Dan and your opponent has 3 characters in relatively good
health...you at least want it to look like you put up
a fight!).
  3:  Don't get overconfident just because you've hit it a couple of times. 
Being a grab HC, the Otoko-Michi is out-prioritized by every normal, special,
and super move in the game, except for Gouki's Shun Goku Satsu (Tee hee).
  4:  Please don't whiff if you can help it.  The friggin' thing takes THREE
levels of super energy.  It takes about 21 standing taunts to make up for that
much energy.
     Don't think that just because assist characters can recover all the damage
they take that using supers on them is a waste.  If your opponent's assists are
give you a hard time, stock up on HC levels and nail them with 3-level DHCs. 
Eventually, your opponent will stop assisting to avoid losing their
character(s), and you should have a clean fight for a while.  If Dan is your
current character, the Koryurekka should be your super of choice, since it
comes out quickly enough to hit those characters with shorter taunts, and you
can get both hits and still DHC into anything else.  Though it might seem a
less effective use of super energy, doing so really cripples those types whose
entire strategy centers around repeated assisting.  Plus, you can snapback the
hurt character in if you get the chance, which is both humbling and costs them
at least SOME of the life you took off earlier.
     If you've just missed an attack or performed a move you didn't mean to and
your opponent is definitely going to attack, don't forget that the Koryurekka
is probably fast enough to beat whatever they might try.  At the very worst,
you'll miss it and get hit anyway.  But more often, you'll simply trade hits
and endure a lot less pain.
     Don't immediately be intimidated by a 32 hit combo that ends in a super,
or even a special move that hits 7 or 8 times on its own.  Concern yourself
with how much damage it does.  If you can condition yourself not to get freaked
out by big combos that really don't do that much damage, you'll be able to
maintain your focus on the match, and won't immediately try to switch out.
     After defeating one of your opponent's characters, you can get a sizeable
amount of chip damage on the incoming one by rushing over to the corner and
repeatedly firing Shinkuu Gadou-Kens.  They won't be able to do anything as
they're falling in, and you'll recover in time to throw another one before they
can recover.  It's cheap, but it's risk free and a good idea if this is your
opponent's last character and you're not totally sure you'll be able to beat
them.
     You're playing as Dan.  You lose any and all rights to underestimate your
opponent.  Don't get cocky until AFTER you've knocked the snot out of them.
     Remember, the best way to get good with ANY character is to use them
consistently.  After a lot of matches, you'll be able to feel out when to use
which moves, and that's the most important part of doing well with a character:
the ability to feel out their attacks (especially the basic ones) and
instinctively know when to use which ones.
     If you walk by an MvC1 machine and see a strikingly handsome Italian youth
on a long win streak with Shadow Lady and Roll, save your money and just watch.
 You don't stand a chance :)
     Most importantly: Never get discouraged!  Anyone can master any character
with enough practice (Even Dan)!
     If, after all this, you still feel Dan isn't the character for you, that's
OK.  Just remember that you don't always have to play to win.  Often times, I
won't use a single character from my usual team and just have fun with some of
the others.  With 56 characters, you're cheating yourself if you don't at least
TRY more than three of them.  More than anything, Dan is meant to be a *fun*
character, and should be played for that reason.  Even though I've become very
good at using him, playing Dan is something I always enjoy, win or lose.
	
*******************************************
Starting Your Day Off Right (More Strategy)
*******************************************

     So, now that we know the essentials for playing a good Dan, what do we do
FIRST?  There are several options you have at the beginning of a match; most
apply to every character, but there are a few Dan-specific ones worth
mentioning.

a)  Get up close before the fight starts, then a crouching LP.  Fast and
low-hitting, this is your best bet against anyone you think is slower than Dan,
like the larger characters.  If you manage to connect, combo it into a C.HP and
air combo.  If they block, you're already controlling the pace.  This is the
ideal way to start a match, but rapid button tapping doesn't always work.  If
your timing is off, you won't connect and Dan will be punished.  Use only if
you're sure you can nail the jab.

b)  Jump.  This is good for trying to mess up your opponent, especially if they
seem to be looking for that lead-off C.LP.  You can nail them with anything as
you land, or use an HK Dankukyaku to put some distance between you and them,
and prepare for the real fight.

c)  Block.  This is obvious; you're protected against any lead off attacks your
opponent makes and it's easy to do.  If your opponent has a speedy character
like Cammy and cuddles up to you before the match starts, this is your safest
option.  Blocking low is safest, since you won't get hit by a crouching attack,
and any jumping lead-offs should miss.  You can either push block to make some
space, or...

d)  Variable counter.  I've only recently started doing this, and it has yet to
fail me.  Depending on what your moves your partners have for variable
counters, this can ensure you'll get the ever-popular first attack.   If you
want to start with Dan, use someone else and variable counter.  Since we're
using Gamma Dan, you'll get an HK Dankukyaku, which will surprise the hell out
of your opponent, leaving you to take the offensive while she rethinks her game
plan.

e)  Koryurekka.  The most risky and the most rewarding, this should only be
tried if you have perfect timing and execution.  I'd suggest doing it on an
advancing pixie character, or some big lug that's dumb enough to try and hit
you first.

*************************************
Dan vs. Everyone (Even More Strategy)
*************************************

     Just so no one gets confused, these are strategies for facing players who
know what they're doing with these characters.  The same strategies apply to
lesser skilled players, but you'll have more room for error against them.  As
for the computer...You don't want advice for dealing with the computer.  You
don't NEED help with the computer.  I know it, you know it, let's move on.

Amingo - This Mexican jumping bean is, believe it or not, one of the easier
fights for Dan.  Though he's quite strong, his offense isn't so hot, mainly due
to his crappy launchers.  His punch one looks like it has a lot of range, but
it seems like it hits more above his head than in front of him.  His kick
launcher has more range horizontally, but it doesn't even rise above his head. 
Still, watch out for them, as his air combos hurt.  On the ground, he'll
probably try to keep two cactus kids out whenever he can, and a good Amingo
player will only
use the grabbing version, setting up a probable launcher and air combo.  Use
light attacks or assists to knock away his offspring, then knock him around
with a few ground combos.  Counter his jumping HK with your launcher, and take
advantage of his fat frame and the large lag time on his ground HPs to connect
a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken or a Koryurekka.  And most importantly, expect your
opponent to make frequent use of his Life and Defense-Up assists, meaning
you'll have lots of chances to beat on his pointy pectorals, and he won't be
able to retaliate.  Don't pass these opportunities up; hit or throw their
current character away and nail a helpless Amingo with a quick Koryurekka. 
After a couple of times, you can be sure he won't be making an appearance for a
while!

Anakaris - One of the least played characters, and with good reason.  Anakaris
takes damage horribly, moves and jumps very slowly, packs an arsenal of wacky
supers and specials, and can't throw.  What should you do if you encounter
someone using him?  Prepare for the fight of your life.  Anakaris is an
absolute NIGHTMARE in the hands of an expert, and experts are the only people
you'll see using him.  His strange jump and normal attacks are extremely
confusing, mostly because it's difficult to tell exactly where you're supposed
to hit him.  Still, Dan can manage.  Counter any whiffed mummy grabs with a
launcher -> air combo or Hisshou Burai-Ken; you can hit his hands while they
grab the air, and they leave him vulnerable for a good second or so.  Make sure
to watch him carefully if he jumps, because only his upper half can be
attacked, and he can do a tombstone dive in three different directions to keep
you off his back.  He'll probably try to keep you away with Cobra Blows and
Coffin Drops, but he telegraphs them and they're easily blocked.  That's your
cue to move in and start nailing him with air combos and special moves.  A few
solid combos and a super should lay him to rest once and for all.  Be wary of
his launcher and jumping HK; both attacks come from underneath you (like Omega
Red's crouching roundhouse tentacle stab, only it doesn't home in on you). 
Fortunately, they have tons of lag and again, are easily countered.  His
launcher DOES have some unreal priority, though (it can hit Colossus out of a
Power Tackle), so don't try to counter it from the air.  Also, take note that
you can hit him out of his Pharaoh Illusion super with a well-positioned blow
to his super-sized face.  And last but not least: even though it's very easy to
see, don't let him connect his spirit-spitting projectile...it'll turn Dan into
a helpless little tiki doll thing, and all he'll be able to do is fall to his
knees in worship of Anakaris until he's hit!

Blackheart - For a guy who's supposed to be the prince of Hell, Blackheart is
awfully watered down; even more so than in MSHvsSF.  You can't do much except
block the hundreds of little demons you're going to see, so get used to it. 
Don't worry, they're regular moves and don't take off any chip damage.  Mash
the buttons to hasten your escape from the hold of the HK snot goblins and to
shake off the life-draining HP piggy-demons.  These will be Blackheart's main
offense, since he doesn't have much of anything else.  He can use them in
conjunction
with his Dark Thunder to keep you away, or use them to set up a possible
Inferno XX Heart of Darkness combo.  Still, you have plenty of options. 
Blackheart has no air game and his launcher is way to slow to function as a
good anti-air.  If he tries it, just block and nail him as/after you land. 
Make sure to try and roll if he hits an Inferno himself, but if he does it as
an assist, you won't be sent into spiral-stun, so you can attack his partner on
the way down.  Super jumping should be enough to get close to him, just be
ready to defend yourself as you descend.  Try to stay in the air and use your
jump-ins to keep pestering Blackheart.  It's kind of sad, but he's really no
match for Dan.  Keep on him, avoid his demons, and you'll take him down in no
time.

Bulleta/B.B. Hood - Hehe... B.B. Hood rules.  There's nothing quite like the
look on someone's face when the Hyper Apple for You hits them!  Just don't let
it happen to Dan.  Her missiles and mines will send you flying and falling to
the ground, so remember to roll.   Her HP uzi has less range than you think;
the range extends only to the tip of the flashing bullets (this applies to all
versions).  Her mines also have deceptively small range; nothing beyond the
little explosion will hit.  She doesn't have much of an air game to speak of
beyond her Cheer & Fire.  The range on her weak attacks and launcher is
practically nonexistent, so just keep yourself a little out of her reach and
you'll be ok.  Her Cruel Hunting does some serious chip damage, so try and
super jump when you hear her call for her hunter buddies to come out.  If you
aren't able to jump in time, try to return the favor while she's twirling her
uzi at the super's end.  Be especially careful when she goes for a Hyper Apple
for you!  If you're a good distance away, you can counter with a Koryurekka or
a Hisshou Burai-Ken.  I believe it acts as a tripping throw, so when she tries
it up close, instead of blocking it, jumping backwards is the safer option
(make sure to block so her stray bombs don't catch you). She has pretty bad lag
time on all of her basket attacks, but be careful about going after her when
she swings it while dashing backwards, as you may end up getting hit out of
your dash or jump.  Most good B.B. Hood players will focus on ground comboing
into Cruel Hunting, while pestering you with missiles and mines.  Keep a cool
head and ignore all the explosions.  Jump her horizontal Cheer & Fire and run
under the angled version to get in close.  Once you're there, try to get in a
crouching LP or LK and launch (if you're close) or do a C.HK XX Koryurekka (if
you're too far to hit your launcher).  Just be on the lookout for frequent uses
of Cruel Hunting, and time your counters and evasive maneuvers carefully.  When
she's out of super energy, you can pretty much go all out on offense without
fear.

Cable - I LOATHE Cable.  The ultimate keep-away scrub character, Cable and the
ammunition silo in his backpack take a lot of time to defeat, but he can get
predictable.  Expect him to abuse the hell out of his standing HP from across
the screen; one of them connecting means you're in for either a Viper Beam or a
Hyper Viper Beam.  Just keep in mind that the gunshots are normal moves and
don't do any chip damage, so you can block them for a while and think about
your approach.  His viper beam chips pretty well, however, so keep dash jumping
and super jumping to zone in on him, then attack.  Cable really can't do much
once you get in his face besides hitting a Psimitar or Crackdown to knock you
away and let him continue his keep-away game.  Time your jumps to get in close
and hit him with everything you've got.  If you manage to corner him, don't let
the pressure up for anything.  His Time Flip HC doesn't do much damage on its
own, but an experienced Cable player knows what to do while it's going to
maximize the damage.  His Hyper Viper Beam does not affect the area immediately
in front of him, so if you're right in his face and notice you aren't blocking
anything, nail him!  His AIR Hyper Viper Beam comes out immediately, so be on
the lookout if you're far away from the screen, and don't do anything in the
air that will leave you vulnerable.  If your opponent guard crushes you and/or
does a 3x Air Hyper Viper Beam, see the "Dealing with Scrubs" section after
this part.

Cammy White - Gone from a never played waste of a character slot to the most
dangerous combo freak in the game, Cammy is to be feared.  This is what you can
expect from anyone playing Cammy: D.Light attack, HK /\ SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP,
SJ.MK XX LK Cannon Drill XX Killerbee Assault (land), D.C.LK (OTG), HK /\
SJ.LP, SJ.LK, SJ.MP, SJ.MK XX LK Cannon Drill XX Killerbee Assault.  Cammy
players have this combo ingrained in their memory, and can perform it in its
entirety without any effort at all.  They will do almost nothing but attempt to
connect with a light attack, which will lead into the above combo.  Add in a
Gouki-like amount of speed and things don't look good for our self-taught hero.
 But you do have a psychological edge over those who play her, and it has
nothing to do with the game.  Never forget this bit of inside info: Cammy
players don't THINK.  Their sole intent is to land the Cammy Combo.  This is
where you get the chance to mess them up.  For example, a push block will
simply reset their brains to the dash-in phase, so cover yourself with an
assist when they go for it again, and combo off it.   Should they manage to get
the combo going, make sure to roll after the first Killerbee Assault and do a
quick jumping taunt as she dashes in for the second one.  Cammy's defense is on
par with Dan's (i.e. not so hot), so every hit will count.  Her strength is
inferior to yours, so you can afford to get hit by one of those combos. 
However, you should make every effort not to, as getting hit gives them more
confidence and usually ends up making you a little more nervous and wary,
taking away from your offensive game.  This is a big waiting game, as you'll
have to take advantage of those rare holes in her defense: if she tries to
launch you even after you block her lead-off light attack, if she messes up her
air combo and whiffs the Cannon Drill or Maximum Cammy, if they haven't
mastered Cammy and they try one of her Hooligan Combo attacks, and so on. 
Watch her carefully, learn her timing, and use what you know about the person
at the helm to sneak in your hits here and there.  Use each opportunity to its
fullest; letting her get away with a lone LP or LK will cost you dearly in the
match's future.

Captain America - Cap's moves give him a great deal of versatility, making him
difficult to predict in a heated match.  Expect a lot of cartwheel cross-up
attempts, and either throw him as he flips behind you or start blocking the
other way.  His HP has tons of range and priority in all its forms, and there's
not much you can do about it except block and try to counter with an assist. 
Cap's moves tend to leave him vulnerable to low attacks (Charging Star, Final
Justice, post-Cartwheel combo attempts, etc.), so sweep him and Koryurekka, or
LK, MK XX HP Gadou-Ken if your opponent knows how to roll.  The recovery time
on Cap's moves are a little longer than he'd like you to know, so as a general
rule, quick counters will usually connect, opening up combo opportunities.  A
risky but worthy trick is to put a full screen's distance between the two of
you and taunt.  Cap can't do anything from across the screen except an LP
Shield Slash, which will be very weak if done from that far.  Any other attempt
at a counter shouldn't make it across in time (except for extremely fast
projectile or beam assists), and if he attempts a Shield Slash, you can hop
over it and force him back, so that he loses his shield.  Yes, I know he gains
speed and comboability without it, but Dan will stand a much better chance
against Cap if he loses his power and the priority of his HPs.  Therefore,
don't block the Shield Slash if you see it coming; hop over and force Cap away
from it.  Charging Stars are easily snuffed by a C.HK, but the Hyper Charging
Star is a little trickier to counter.  Once you hear the last hit blocked,
attack immediately.  Don't worry if the energy hasn't dissipated, you'll be all
right.  An LP Koryuken, timed perfectly, will also knock him out of it.  If
you've got the balls (or ovaries...), you can really wow the crowd by
countering with a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken, which will slow him way down and keep you
safe, and possibly open the window for a combo, since you'll recover pretty
quickly.  The Stars & Stripes/Hyper Stars & Stripes is your all-purpose
anti-air/rushing super, so block or dodge and counter with whatever you're in
the mood for.  To review: your main focuses are to hit low, hit fast, and keep
him separated from his shield as much as you can.  If you work for it, your
superior thumb will be the one sticking up in victory.

Captain Commando - The name of the game is keep-away, and you suck at it. 
Second only to Cable in long range fighting power, CapCom's huge array of
helpers and special moves will have you struggling to get in on him.  Regular
jumps are easily countered by Genti the mummy, dash-ins can be halted with the
Captain Fire, and super jumping offensives are quickly dispatched by the
Captain Corridor or Captain Sword.  Of these three methods of getting close,
the latter is the safest.  Super jump towards him and watch the arrow
indicating his position, and stay about two body lengths away from it.  He'll
be waiting for you to get closer so he can nail you with a Corridor, but if you
stay just out of range you can whack him as you descend or block it just before
you hit the ground (this leaves him extremely vulnerable to a D.LP, C.HP, air
combo).  You can also dash jump over a Captain Fire, but it's a little harder
to time since it's so quick.  Don't think you're in for a cake walk when you
finally do get in there; Cap'n Commando's not too shabby at in-close fighting,
either.  His launchers are a little slow and lack priority, so if he actually
tries them as anti-air you can beat them out.  His C.HP will stun you for a
LONG time, and it makes an easy set-up for a Captain Storm.  If you're hit by
it, mash the buttons as quickly as you can after the final Corridor; you may
get up faster and avoid his C.LK OTG attempt (see the article on button mashing
to escape
combos at http://www.shoryuken.com).  Try to use moves that will keep you near
him, such as the HBK, air and round combos ending with an HK Dankukyaku, and
your Punch 'n Launch (HK) throw.  Use your assists effectively to stall him
while you get up close, and persist with combos and supers.  If you mess up and
take too much damage, make sure you switch out.  Remember that Dan's not your
only character; don't fight as if he were.

Chun-Li - Poor Chun-Li.  She's lost what was arguably the coolest looking super
in the history of the Vs. games, the bread and butter combo that she's had
since XvSF, her command moves are all screwed up because of the new layout, and
even though it's only slight, her attack and defense ratings are below average.
 She's still a threat to your health, though, and not to be taken lightly by
any means.  Her launcher, though no longer impenetrable, still gives her solid
anti-air defense, and it'll easily beat out (or at best, trade hits) with your
jumping HK.  Her stomp kick is still THE best jumping attack out there; you
can't do much but block it and the probable J.HK and lightning kicks that will
come when you do (push blocking is your friend here, her lightning kicks chip
like crazy).  Your mission is to keep her on the ground, as she's considerably
easier to deal with there.  She no longer has her C.HP XX Senretsu Kyaku combo,
but she can still OTG you with it as well as with her Lightning Kicks.  Like
you, she has to be in close to get the job done, so stay one step ahead of her,
using C.LKs to poke at her, your launcher and LP Koryukens for anti-airs, and
if you're gutsy enough to try and match her while jumping, Dankukyakus for
air-to-air priority.  Beware of her Axe Kick and Flipping Neckbreaker
overheads, you can pretty much have your way with her (heh heh) as long as you
remember to block high.  Finally, don't try ANYTHING if she goes for a
Kikou-Shou and you block or avoid it; she's fully invincible while it's going,
and trying hit her while she recovers is difficult.  With good timing, though,
you can use an assist to stall her long enough for you to dash in.  At worst,
she blocks your attacks.  At best, you nail her with a combo. If all goes well,
you'll be the one saying "Gomen ne!" when it's all over :)

Colossus - The word of the day is...PAIN!  Can you say "PAIN?"  I knew you
could!  And you'll be saying it a whole lot in this fight if you aren't
careful.  His specials do so much damage that he doesn't even NEED supers.  So
how to you beat him?  First and foremost, don't get hit.  By anything.  As long
as you don't get hit, Colossus is simple to defeat.  Like all of the big guys,
he needs to get close to pound you, so keep him at a distance that's
comfortable for you.  Make the first move and use your speed advantage to hit
him before he has a chance to do the same.  Blocked Power Tackles should be
countered with throws or ground combos.  Remember that he doesn't have any
super armor normally, so use light attacks to combo into stuff and whittle away
at his metal self bit by bit.  When he uses his Super Armor HC, he gains all
the benefits of having hyper armor without the problems of not being able to
block.  Just block his attacks and throw him until his armor runs out, then
proceed.  And though we already know not to get hit, take great care to avoid
getting launched, as he can do a simple air combo XX Power Tackle XX Power Dive
and take away two thirds of your life with virtually no effort.

Cyclops - Cyc's still one of the better characters in the game; with all-around
useful assists, a fast beam attack, good fighting skills at any range, and a
super that does some hefty chip damage.  Jump in on him most of the time and
expect a double HK or an HP Optic Blast if you've super jumped.  Keep an eye on
his partners as well and watch for any anti-air assists.  Play him defensively
on the ground, as he can hypercancel into either of his supers off a Gene
Splice or Cyclone Kick.  On their own, however, both of those moves are easily
countered when blocked.  He'll try to use his speed to overwhelm you and cause
your defense to crack, but hold on and wait for your opening, or push block and
jump in if you're getting uncomfortable.  Actually, I find the latter to be
more effective, because it will take your opponent a moment to rethink his
offensive strategy since his character has been pushed across the screen, and
you can take that moment to start an offensive strike of your own.  Beware the
Mega Optic Blast!  As I said, it can be comboed off his two special moves, and
it also OTGs and can be done in the air now, as well.  He DOES telegraph it by
crossing his hands in front of his visor, so if your reaction time is good, you
can super-jump it and whack him from behind.  Even when blocked, it chips off a
fair amount of energy, so avoiding it is your best bet.  The other one, though
aimable, is telegraphed just as badly and doesn't do NEARLY as much damage
(real and block), so don't expect to see it much outside of combos.  Like most
balanced characters, Cyclops can be tough to deal with in the hands of an
experienced player, so there's no quick route to victory.  You simply have to
out-play them.  He DOES, however, have one glaring weakness in that he takes a
LONG time to taunt after doing an assist.  And his assists are pretty good, so
expect to see them a lot (especially the anti-air).  If you can dodge them, you
have a good amount of time to give him the ol' one-two before he escapes.

Dan Hibiki - I LOVE fighting people who play Dan.  No one knows how to use him
correctly.  Most people simply try to wait for the opportunity to launch you
and air combo into the Dankukyaku, pretty much ignoring any sort of ground
game.  Eventually, they'll try to connect an Otoko-Michi.  Such is the
uninformed Dan player.  Use your ground combos to confuse them; they probably
won't expect much out of Dan on the ground and won't be ready to defend against
a ground-based onslaught.  Dan's launcher is high in priority and you'll
probably end up trading hits if you try to counter it.  A jumping HP, timed
just right, will beat his launcher, and from there you can dash in and take it
to him.  The knowledgeable Dan player will always look for an opening to taunt,
so either take the opportunity to taunt as well, or dash and sweep him before
he recovers.  You should have an overall idea of the general weaknesses of
Dan's moves by now, so counter him as you go along.  Beware the Otoko-Michi! 
If he attempts it, jumping away is your best bet (unless he does it from far
away, in which case a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken is the way to go).  If, at any point
you see your opponent do a Super Taunt, check his HC gauge.  If he doesn't have
another level to DHC with, make sure you don't start your attack until he's
doing the jumping part, at least.  Or, if you REALLY want to have fun, do a
Chouhatsu Densetsu of your OWN.  I guarantee he'll let you finish, too.  It's
an unwritten rule among Dan players.

Dhalsim - Not many people take Dhalsim seriously anymore (if they ever did),
but he's a very confusing character to have to deal with if he's used
correctly.  Expect him to use his punches and standing HK to poke the hell out
of you, then teleport away to continue if you get too close.  Minimize
Dhalsim's ability to keep you pinned down with his long pokes by utilizing
long-ranged or steamroller-type assists (like the Juggernaut Punch).  His
stretchy limbs are surprisingly fast, so stay on your toes and time your moves
and assists carefully.  When you're in close, Dhalsim will have a significantly
harder time with Dan, so stay on the offensive once you're in his face. 
Blocked Yoga Fires and Flames should be countered with a D.HK combined with
your best offensive assist to hopefully get a crack at him.  When you see him
power up for a Yoga Inferno, try to super jump and get him from behind (it's ok
if you have to block it, it really doesn't do much chip damage).  However, do
NOT go anywhere near him if he tries a Yoga Strike; it has incredible reach and
will grab you if you're anywhere NEAR him in the air.  Just launch him if he
does it by mistake, or wait until he's descending before you mount an offense. 
As long as you can stay in close, Dhalsim will have to rely mostly on his
assists to fight you off, and you should be countering with your own to keep
the playing field level.  Dhalsim's defense is about the same as Dan's, so a
couple of well-placed supers should be all you need to kill him.  Gadou-Ken or
Shinkuu Gadou-Ken him as he comes out of a teleport, and you have a very good
chance of nailing him while he's totally defenseless.

Doctor Doom - Another living projectile, Doom is a tough customer.  First and
foremost, watch out for his anti-air assist, the Molecular Shield.  If you can,
super jump behind and nail him, as he stays out for quite a while.  If you have
a beam-type assist handy, that will also cancel him out.  When he's actually
in, Doom is mostly on air-offense, with his Photon Beams (they're only one hit,
though) and Photon Shots.  Unless you super jump early enough, you're likely to
get pinned down beneath him, as he covers a lot of range (especially with his
Photon Shots).  Also, his jumping HP can pin you down on the ground very
effectively, but it doesn't chip, so you can wait for the opportunity to jump
out of the trap, or call an assist out to get him.  He's fairly slow up close
(especially his launcher), so attempting to counter his attacks will be
successful more often than not.  His supers can be difficult to deal with,
mostly due to their speed and the large amount of area that they cover.  Doom
is very vulnerable if you hop over an Electric Cage, so dash in and nail him. 
The Rising Flame will knock you far enough away to make countering impossible
(on your own), but its real strength lies in the surprise factor.  Never forget
Doom has this super when you're jumping in!  Finally, the Photon Array covers a
HUGE amount of area, comes out very fast, and really doesn't leave you anywhere
to go.  Try and super jump if he does it on the ground, or stay put if he does
it in the air to minimize chip damage.  Your main offense against Doom is to
stay up-close and keep the pressure up as soon as you get an opportunity. 
Dan's supers will still a dent in his armor, so go after him with everything
the moment he gives you an inch.

Felicia - Having primarily combos as her offense, you can expect Felicia to
dash in early and often, with plenty of assists to set her up.  Use your own
assists to level the playing field and go after her in the melee.  Like any
other character, her dash-ins should be pushed blocked when you need breathing
room, and countered when you feel you'll connect.  Her Delta Kick can be
countered with a launch if you react quickly enough, otherwise call an assist
and run interference while your partner attacks.  She doesn't have much of an
anti-air to speak of except her uppercut, but she needs to do a buzzsaw roll
before she can do it, so jump-ins can be an effective means of getting your
licks in.  Her defense is on par with Dan's, so you know a few rounds of
offense will have her hurting.  Get in air combos or supers when you can;
trying to match her on the ground is difficult and usually deadly.  She has a
lot of evil combos with all three of her supers, but they're difficult to
connect outside of combos, so you can take advantage if she pulls one out of
desperation.  Her basic moves are all average in priority and range, so your
jump ins should be able to out-match her.  I don't see many Felicia players,
but the ones out there are primarily "dash-in-and-combo" types, so deal with
them as you would your Cammys, Spideys, and Wolvies.

Gambit - Roll, roll, ROLL.  I can't stress that enough.  Gambit still has all
his deadly OTG combos available, but he's been weakened a little since you can
now roll after being hit by kinetic cards and his HP throw.  Rolling after
every knockdown should keep you relatively safe.  Gambit's staff gives him a
lot of range and priority, but it's a little slow on the upswing, so you should
be able to block it if you see it coming.  Be very wary of his dash-ins; expect
a lot of crouching shorts as they have very good range and let him combo in his
launcher easily.  Block low when he dashes in and counter with your own
crouching kicks to get back at him.  He'll try to jump in with a J.HP, J.HK
combo, so remember to block both hits, then block low as he lands or counter
with a C.HP if you feel you have enough time.  If you see a Cajun Explosion
coming, super jump towards Gambit immediately, and you may end up passing right
over the blasts from his cards, allowing you a free shot as you descend. 
There's not much you can do about the Royal Flush except roll if he tries to
OTG you with it, and nail him from behind.  Super jump to get close to him,
then nail him with a J.HK as you land and follow up.  Be careful about getting
plucked out of the air by a Trick Card or his staff when it's thrown up during
the Royal Flush; both have puny hitting area, but getting nailed by either
could mean a lot of hurt.  A tough fight that will require a lot of care and
well-timed counters, but you can win if you stay on your toes.

Gouki/Akuma - Gouki's relentless offense can easily overwhelm you if you go in
expecting a fairly slow-paced strategic fight.  The good Gouki player will
constantly be attacking, but it's important to play a smart defensive game and
not just revert to turtling.  One of the most common forms of attack is some
form of a dash-in followed by a Tatsumaki Zankuu-Kyaku.  Be on alert for this
all the time, as he'll undoubtedly cancel said TZK into a Tenma Gou-Zankuu if
he connects.  It may be possible to roll away if he succeeds, though, so keep
trying even though he'll be pelting the snot out of you with his fireballs. 
His air Tatsumaki Zankuu-Kyaku is glitched out and will do INSANE amounts of
damage, so if you see your opponent repeatedly try to do it, refer to the
"Dealing With Scrubs" section that appears after this one.  Tenma Kujin-Kyakus
are difficult to defend against, but a Koryuken should beat it or at least
trade hits.  If his style regresses and he starts trying to keep you away with
air fireballs, use assists and time your dashes to get underneath him before he
lands (remember, after doing something during a regular jump, you can't do
anything else until you hit the ground).  He may occasionally throw in a
teleport to throw you off, but he's vulnerable while coming out of it, so take
advantage.  His Gou Hadou-Kens are equal to Ryu's in everything but size, so
treat them the same way and jump over to nail him.  When super jumping in on
him, keep an ear out for him to shout "MESSATSU!" and block to avoid the
incoming Messatsu Gou-Rassen.  If he just kind of mumbles, "Messatsu..." then
he'll be going for a Messatsu Gou-Hadou and you can whack him as you descend. 
Remember that he has the worst natural defense in the game, so every hit will
count for a lot.  His speed is very intimidating, but selected use of the
Advancing Guard will help keep him off your back, and give you time to learn
how he operates.  Take advantage of every hole in his defense, because there
aren't many, especially when compared to the holes in yours.  Play it safe and
never let him get away with just a simple LP or LK.  Use every opportunity for
offense to its fullest, and he'll go down hard.  Oh yeah, and if he, for some
incomprehensible reason, attempts a Shun Goku Satsu, counter with the
Otoko-Michi!  Your grab has much more range than his does, and the sliding
showdown will end with Dan blowing the demon Shotokan to smithereens :)

Guile - I've used every character in the game many times, and I stand firm in
my belief that Guile is the best of them all.  In the hands of an experienced
player, Guile can beat anyone in any situation, Dan included.  However, that
doesn't mean he's invincible.  Guile can keep you out of range with nothing
more than his crouching kicks, as well as the ol' Sonic Boom / Flash Kick trap.
 If he air combos you, make sure to roll if he ends it with an air backbreaker
or Crossfire Assault; he can OTG after both of them.  Your launcher can beat
out his jumping punches if you're positioned correctly, but expect to trade
hits often.  It seems suicidal, but you should go on the offensive against
Guile.  His moves simply don't have any drawbacks, i.e. he's much to fast for
you to go on the defensive and wait for an opening; it won't come.  Take it to
him with your strongest attacks; jump in with HKs instead of the usual J.LP,
J.MP.  Counter missed Flash Kicks with HP Koryukens and air combos.  If he
throws an LP Sonic Boom and starts advancing, call a partner to take the Boom
out and meet him in the air with your Dankukyaku.  Combo in supers whenever
possible; LP, MP XX Shinkuu Gadou-Ken will come in handy, especially in the
corners.  You need to do as much damage to Guile as quickly as possible,
because he can and WILL combo in his two ground supers off absolutely ANYTHING.
 LP, LK, both hits of the C.HK, you name it.  Make frequent use of your J.HK to
snuff out his offensive attempts before he can get going, and make sure you use
your assists effectively.  You'll be tagging out first unless you've softened
him up already, but don't worry, it's hard for ANY character to keep pace with
a Guile pro.  It's difficult to give any real specific details because Guile
can beat you in so many ways, and an experienced player will use a little bit
of all of them.  And while he is a tough customer, remember his stamina and
strength are only at the normal level, no matter how invincible he seems. 
Don't be afraid to fight back with all your might...it's the only way you'll
prevail.  If you get the chance, go for an Otoko-Michi; if it doesn't kill him,
it'll still devastate his health and the overall effectiveness of your
opponent's team along with it.

Hayato Kanzaki - Hayato is your average character; middle-of-the-road speed,
strength, defense, combos, etc.  His big, obvious advantage comes from his huge
sword, which gives him some crazy range on his attacks.  It's rather difficult
to counterattack his moves, so use your assists to keep him at bay.  This fight
can go either way in the air, so use your J.HK to fend him off.  His dashing
slashes and their HC counterpart (Shiden and Rasetzu Dan, respectively), are
all easily dodged or countered.  Super jump the Engetsu if you have the chance,
otherwise use an assist after you come out of block stun.  Try to stay in the
air if you're hit by the Plasma Field; he gains unlimited HC energy, but he
can't do jack if you take to the skies.  The Black Hayato is comboable, but
it's also blockable, so...block.  Yeah.  Anyways, Hayato's Plasma Combos are
his best feature, since it allows your opponent to deal out a great deal of
damage without a huge amount of effort or coordination.  Block low throughout
each one, as some include both low and high attacks, and blocking low will keep
you safe from both.  The Guren is a little slow to be a reliable anti-air, and
so is his launcher.  Fast jump-ins are a pretty safe bet for getting close, but
be aware that Hayato will try to keep you at a distance HE likes.  Don't let
yourself be deluded that just because you're not being kept away means you'll
get in close.  Always be trying to get right in his face, because all the range
in the world doesn't do you any good when you've got a face full of Gadou-Ken.

Hulk - Brucey boy is probably the toughest of the big guys to deal with
(excluding Sentinel, of course).  You should be able to nail a lead-off LP
against him if he tries to hit you first, and that leads into a C.HP and air
combo.  Short, sweet combos are the best way to beat Hulk with Dan; get in,
attack, back off before he can do anything, and repeat.  His range and power
must be countered by frequent use of assists and well timed offensive maneuvers
in order for Dan to succeed.  As with the other big guys, you should stay on
the defensive until you get a good opportunity to attack, then take advantage
quickly.  Jump frequently against Hulk, and use your J.HK to knock out his
super armor (Remember that your HPs and HKs except your launcher will go
through it), then continue to attack as you land.  Counter blocked Gamma
Charges with Shinkuu Gadou-Kens, and meet him in the air if he tries to jump in
on you.  His HCs are pretty easy to avoid if not comboed into, which he can do
with ease by hypercancelling out of a Gamma Charge or his C.HP.  Since he's
quite large, the J.HK XX HK Dankukyaku will be a good, safe way to inflict
damage.  Watch out if you opponent has chosen his beta assist; it's a Gamma
Charge and it'll eat any projectiles you may have out there.  Koryurekkas will
knock him out of there before your opponent can stop you, and they won't risk
bringing him out for a while, especially if you have some extra levels of HC
energy built up.

Iceman - Iceman, for all his highly touted advantages and cheapness, really
isn't so hot (get it? :P).  Use dashing and super jumps to get around his ice
beams (don't worry if you have to block a couple, they chip, but it's
comparable to getting hit with an MP).  His launcher is pretty crappy and your
J.HK should beat it cleanly.  Follow with a dash in attack and a Koryurekka +
DHCs or a Dankukyaku if you have no super.  Remember, you want to use attacks
that will keep you near him.  If he attempts an Arctic Attack from more than
half a screen away, super jump over it so you land behind him.  Any closer than
that and you'll have to super jump backwards to minimize the block damage. 
Expect to see a lot of him when he's tagged out as well; no one uses Iceman for
the sake of using Iceman.  It's tough, but if you're in the right place at the
right time, you can land in front of him and whack him with something big
before he hops out (A Variable Combination if you have a spare moment,
otherwise Koryurekka and DHC).  Always try to maximize the damage you can deal
to him, as his assists will either end up chipping you to death making you lose
enough of your focus for your opponent to capitalize.

Iron Man - The Unibeam's chipping power rivals that of the Icebeam, but it's
much slower and is easily jumped.  As you descend, you can attempt a J.HK, or
do an HK Dankukyaku to fly behind him and land nearby.  The Repulsor Blast is
slow and easy to counter; you probably won't see it at all, if only as an
assist or a counter to your screw-ups.  Just beware that it can be cancelled
into a Proton Cannon, which is also easy to see coming and block, or counter
with a sweep if you're close when you see it forming (don't jump, though; the
Cannon itself can hit once it's formed and falling onto his shoulders).  All
forms of his HP can eat projectiles, so distracting him with assists while you
move in for the kill will sometimes work.  The jumping version can be aimed in
three directions, so in close air-to-air battles, use you J.HK early to avoid
getting knocked out of the sky.  If he flies, jump and HK or Dankukyaku, or use
an anti-air assist with high vertical range.  His launcher has VERY low
horizontal range, so a well-maneuvered super-jump will get you in close without
much risk.  His knee dive is an excellent jump-in; even though he can't combo
off it, it's got major priority.  An LP or HP Koryuken will, at the very least,
trade hits.  You should keep an eye out for his partners to assist; they're his
best way of comboing in a Proton Cannon.  And that would be bad.

Jill Valentine - Jill can be played one of two ways; an in-your-face fighter
that makes the most of her speed and dexterity to stay in your face and
pressure you into making a mistake, or more of a keep-away type using zombies,
grenades, assists, and rockets to keep you out of range.  Both are pretty
effective when done right, meaning Dan will have his hands full.  Human zombies
can be destroyed with one hit, so use an assist and don't waste your time.  The
dogs and crows are too fast to be countered effectively, so either super jump
or assist them away.  When you've closed in on Jill, keep pressuring her and
don't give her a chance to really get going.  A favorite move of Jill players
is to slide kick you and OTG with a C.LK, so be on the lookout and either hit
her out of the slide, or roll if you're swept.  Her Rocket Launcher super is
pretty easy to counter and her charges and grenades are also simple to avoid. 
As soon as you've blocked the initial hit of the Tyrant super, you're clear to
attack.  If you're careful not to underestimate Jill's speed and don't let her
slew of zombies intimidate you, you should be able to handle her without too
much trouble.  Just be aware that her moves all come out very quickly and
you'll probably trade hits if you try to outmatch her.  As usual, keep an eye
on what assist your opponent is using, and if it's alpha (heal type), don't
miss your chance to nail Jill when she jumps in.  She'll hold the herbs out for
quite a long time, so stall your opponent with an assist and give her a
whuppin'.

Jin Saotome - Jin can be treated like one of the big guys; he packs a lot of
power and his attacks have a lot of priority, but his basic moves are quite
slow to come out.  Beware his C.HK drill XX Saotome Dynamite, and make sure you
continue to block until the Dynamite is no longer a threat.  He can cancel his
Typhoons into Blodia Punches, but they can be seen coming as well.  Basically,
you can get an easy win by playing possum and going on the defense until Jin
makes a move, then blocking and making him pay.  You can pretty much do
whatever combo you're comfortable with after blocking a Typhoon, Drill,
Dynamite, Blodia Punch, and so on.  You may not be able to take advantage after
a blocked Blodia Vulcan, but it's certainly worth the effort, since his
recovery time is quite considerable.  Beware of his J.HP and all forms of his
HK, they will easily out-prioritize your launcher or HK if he times it right. 
Do NOT super jump with reckless abandon; the Saotome Cyclone can and will suck
you in and spit you out.  If Jin is the last surviving character and he goes
into Rage mode, be a little more cautious about going up to him, as he gains
increased attack power and super armor.  Jin shouldn't be too much of a problem
as long as you're constantly watching him and react accordingly when he makes a
move.  His jabs are his only reasonably fast move; everything else should give
you more than enough time to block.  And after you do, you'll have the perfect
opportunity to send he and Blodia to the scrap heap.

Juggernaut - Juggernaut won't be that difficult to deal with if your opponent
is ever brave enough to actually try and fight with him.  Stay poised to go on
the offensive the minute you block anything, because all his moves have enough
recovery for you to capitalize.  Jump over Earthquake Punches and air
Dankukyaku his head; everything else should be blocked and countered with a
Koryurekka or an LP, HP, air combo.  Another way to do a good amount of damage
fairly quickly is to J.HK XX HK Dankukyaku; it should fully connect because of
his large size.  More than likely, though, you'll see a constant barrage of
Juggernaut Punch assists coupled with an attack from your opponent's current
character.  What I usually do is push block to force the current character
back, and counter with a quick-hitting assist if the current character has a
long ranged attack, otherwise I assist AND D.Koryurekka Juggernaut.  He taunts
for a good deal of time after assisting, so you should be able to take
advantage.  Super jumps will be your friend as well, since his big butt covers
the entire lower half of the screen, and his attacks come out FAST.  Characters
with multi-hit variable assists will stall him long enough for you to whack him
around and hopefully keep him out of action for a little while.  As for the
Head Crush, he can combo it off anything, so try your best not to get nailed. 
You can easily block
and counter it with a Koryurekka, but if you're feeling really ballsy, I've
stopped it with a J.LK Dankukyaku...not safe or probably, but you'll get some
crazy style points if you pull it off.

Ken Masters - Ken's speed makes him a formidable opponent, but his suicidal
special moves will give you the windows you need to fight back.  His Hadou-Kens
are slow and easily jumped over or countered by Gadou-Kens, but he recovers a
little faster than Gouki or Ryu, so watch for counters.  Shoryukens and
Tatsumaki Senpuu-Kyakus are pretty easy to block and counter, but beware of low
dash-in attempts to combo them in.  You can try and force him to Shoryuken to
avoid chip damage from your assists, then combo him as he falls down.  Be
extremely careful when fighting up close; the all three of his supers have some
pretty hefty invincibility time when they start up, meaning you can get nailed
even if your hand is right up his nose.  Because of this, you should always
lead off with a light attack, to give yourself the best chance of connecting
and doing as much damage as possible with the succeeding combo.  As with Gouki,
Ken's air Hurricane Kick is glitched and does ridiculous amounts of damage
(something like 1/10 of your life PER KICK...figure you can get at least 4 or 5
kicks if you connect).  If your opponent is repeatedly trying to do this to
you, please refer to the "Dealing With Scrubs" section.  All in all, Ken is
somewhat of an even match for Dan, with his speed and the invincibility of his
supers being his big advantages.  His specials and supers are all easily
countered if blocked or avoided, and you won't have to worry about getting
close, as he's an in-close character as well.  Though you should mainly focus
more on defense and waiting for an opening, take it to him when you can to show
that you're not afraid of him, and to throw your opponent off guard.  This
fight can go either way, but a good Dan player can always beat a good Ken
player.

Kobun/Servbot - Give me a break.  It's KOBUN.  Your opponent has selected him
for fun, or possibly to embarrass you!  The only strategy you need is to HIT
HIM.  Despite his itty-bittyness, the Koryurekka will nail him and take over a
third of his life in the process.  He has only one way of REALLY damaging you,
and that's his gamma-assist super, the Kobun Frenzy.  It's the one that
involves him calling forth a battalion of Kobuns that cover the whole screen
and can chip away a HUGE amount of your life, none of which will be
recoverable.  If your opponent is hoarding supers, be wary.  The Kobun Frenzy
has very little startup delay and he can't be hit out of it, so if you're near
Kobun when it starts, you may not have a lot of time to super jump out of the
way.  If not, don't block.  You'll take less damage if you get hit than if you
let it chip you.  Other than that, the adorable little guy can't do anything. 
Make sure to snag the Life-Up crystals when you finish him.

Magneto - Sick, sick, SICK.  This has the potential to be an almost impossible
battle, not so much because of Dan's weakness as Magneto's strength.  If you
ever end up playing someone who's mastered this guy, you'll soon learn one low
short equals a thanksgiving feast of Magnetic Tempests.  Magneto is all about
huge air combos often ending in either a Tempest, a straight-down ender that
can result in a cross up and repeated combo, or both.  With the right assist,
you might even get stunned as you're landing from one of those, and get set up
again (Thanos's Death Bubble, a throw, or an attack with a lot of hit-stun). 
If you aren't playing someone of QUITE that caliber, you can still be kept away
with his fast standing HP and arsenal of magnetic moves.  You really have to
remain on defense when playing a high-class Mags player; keep him away with the
Advancing Guard and use your assists to keep him off your back long enough for
you to mount an offense.  Be ready to block the right way if you're knocked
straight down after an air combo, as a falling Magneto will be trying to cross
you up with another falling/crouching LK.  Even Juggernaut will eat it if he
gets caught in one of his huge 50+ hit non-infinite combos.  However, the more
common Magneto player is only adept at the air combo XX Hyper Grav XX Magnetic
Tempest, and little else.  For this player, a more offensive game is a better
tactic, as you can use assists to force your opponent into going on the
defensive, and eventually you'll be able to serve up a few supers and air
combos of your own.  If he messes up a Tempest at any point, super jump behind
him and fire off a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken.  Stay a couple of steps away, because his
back is protected by a solid block of the scrap metal he flings at you.  If you
ARE caught by a Hyper Grav or his HP throw at any point, hold back and mash
like crazy.  If you're lucky, you may be able to break out before he can attack
or even get a Tempest off.  His projectiles are fairly fast but only hit once,
meaning an assist can take them out.  In any case, make sure you scope out your
competition before going up against someone using Magneto, and try to use
someone with a long-range assist.  Dan isn't the best character to use against
him, but since pretty much every character can be annihilated if caught in
Magneto's offensive onslaught (not THAT Onslaught!  Sorry, had to say it), you
may as well pick our pink pal and go for the respect factor.  Ikozura!

Marrow - This annoying newcomer might be quick, but she's no big threat.  Her
Bonerangs are easily jumped over or destroyed with an assist, and up close,
they'll pass right though you.  Don't hesitate to counter with a fast attack. 
Her wall dive can also be jumped and J.HKed.  The Towering Spine looks
impressive, but it's just a basic anti-air, that probably won't get used much,
but is easy to defend against.  Her launcher is low in range and priority, so
expect a lot of low dash-ins, push block, and counter as she comes in again. 
Her Stinger Bones (the HC fired from the air) will home in on your current
position, so don't try anything fancy; just a super jump will be sufficient to
minimize block damage.  Her normal moves are all pretty quick, but they lack
range and power, so keep her at a distance you're comfortable with and
counterattack.  Just beware of the usual air combos and landing cross-up
attempts you see from most other characters, and counter her specials and
blocked dashes and launchers with kicks, Koryurekkas, or whatever appropriate
assists you may be have at your disposals.  You can't do much to counter her
Stinger Bones unless you super jump at the right time, but they're easy to
block.  She takes damage quite badly (equivalent to Morrigan), so a few
powerful bursts of offense will take her down.

Mega Man/Rock Man - Don't let him pin you down; don't let him cross you up. 
Expect his Mega Buster to get abused to hell and back again.  Keep calm and
remember it doesn't chip, so wait for your opportunity to jump clear.  If he
keeps it charged for a long tome, don't do anything that will leave you
vulnerable, and roll if he slide kicks you.  Beam assists will put him in his
place, but be on guard for his teammates, too.  He's only average in terms of
everything else; his supers are a little slow to start up, and you can hit him
while Rush and Beat are transforming into their respective vehicles.  Rush is
fully invincible when he's a drill, but if you can super jump over the Beat
Plane, you can kick him out of it.  The Hyper Mega Man should be super jumped
over and countered from behind.  The Rock Ball and Leaf Shield are easy to
avoid, but watch for keep-away games with combinations of Tornado Holds and
Mega Buster shots.  Also, his charged-up Mega Buster assists hit twice, so
countering with a Gadou-Ken or normal fireball assist will be futile.  Avoid
getting trapped in a slew of Mega Buster shots and you should be all right; in
every other respect, he's an average fighter.

Morrigan Aensland - Heh.  Sorry Morrigan players, but this seductive succubus
is little more than Ryu with more speed and less everything else.  Treat her as
such; dash jump over her Soul Fists and smack her with a J.HK, and follow up
with a dash-in combo or even a Koryurekka if you land close enough.  The Soul
Fist moves quite slow, so avoiding them (or even countering with Gadou-Kens)
isn't much of a problem.  If she fires one during a regular jump and you're
within a half-screen's range, leap straight up and go for an HK Dankukyaku, you
should connect with at least one of the kicks.  Don't be intimidated by all the
hits from her Shadow Blade, it's equal to a Shoryuken in terms of damage.  She
can only combo the Silhouette Blade with any regular success, but it does do
decent damage, so be careful.  The Soul Eraser and Darkness Illusion are
primarily mistake punishers, but you'll be in close most of the time, so she
won't get to use them unless you REALLY screw up.  Watch out for the Vector
Drain when fighting up close; it doesn't do that much damage, but you'll end up
across the screen, so remember to recovery roll.  All in all, Morrigan
shouldn't pose too much of a problem for Dan, just be careful not to make any
easily punished mistakes (i.e. whiffing an HP Koryuken or an HK Dankukyaku from
across the screen) and you'll have no trouble keeping your soul right where it
belongs.

Nash/Charlie - Play Nash as you would a slower, less combo-friendly Guile. 
While his moves are every bit as tough and useful as Guile's (except his
launcher, which is better, and C.HK, which is worse), he's significantly slower
than Guile, meaning you'll be able to take advantage of any mistakes.  Missed
or blocked flash kicks should be countered with air combos or assists,
respectively, and super jumping will keep you from being pinned down by Sonic
Booms and Breaks.  If you're swept, roll to avoid being OTGed by the Somersault
(Somafoom) Justice, and taunt while he kicks across the screen like an idiot. 
You should also roll if caught by his HK hold, as you'll be vulnerable while
you fall to the ground.  Expect him to use slow Sonic Booms as cover before he
advances on you, so counter them with an assist and meet him halfway; J.HKs for
air-to-air/ground, and D.C.LK for ground-to ground (make sure the Boom is taken
care of first).  Super jump if you see a Sonic Break coming, their extremely
slow speed should give you enough time, but if you're caught in them, you'll be
stuck until the last set is blocked.  Jumping in should be done with great care
to prevent getting caught by his dominating C.HP, but you can use YOUR C.HP as
well as LP Koryukens to counter his jump-ins.  Don't expect to see much of his
Air Blade outside of air combos, because you should have enough time to block
and counter if he tries it.  As for the Crossfire Blitz, it's a good mistake
punisher and combos off his HP and HK, so be careful about whiffing Koryukens. 
Of course, if he uses it to make you pay for doing that Premium Sign from a
full screen away, hypercancelling into a Koryurekka will give him a nice, rude
awakening.  All in all, Nash's balance makes him a tougher than average
challenger, but you have what you need to make it winnable.

Psylocke - Tough fight.  Psylocke is extremely versatile; she's got all the
speed of a pixie, coupled with excellent range, and a speedy, Gadou-ken
resistant projectile.  PLUS, she's got a fast knockdown special, highly
comboable moves and supers, and a triple jump.  Keep her just out of your range
with pokes and assists, and wait for your opening.  Her strength is a little
below average and her defensive power is equal to yours, so every hit will
count, and you have a slight margin of error.  Psi-Blasts will travel through
certain projectiles (even beams), so don't try Gadou-ken or assist counters
unless you're sure your character's shot will cancel it.  Psi-Blades are
knockdown attacks, so roll to avoid further damage.  Her teleport leaves her
fairly vulnerable, but she can attack coming out of it, so be careful unless
you know which quadrant she's coming from (if you're in the middle, Dan will
turn to face her.  Take a guess and J.HK where you think she'll appear).  Treat
in-close fighting as you would when combating any other pixie character; LP
Koryukens if you have room, otherwise push block and look for an opening.  He
supers are all easily comboed and quite difficult to defend against.  The
Maelstrom has pretty bad range and priority, so avoid it and punish her
accordingly.  If you block a Psi-Thrust, nail her if she doesn't turn away (or
did it as an Instant VC).  Otherwise, use an assist to nail her as she
retreats, or Variable Counter before she escapes.  The Kouchou Gokure is pretty
much impossible to counter whether you block it or not, since the butterflies
are sent out in all directions at its end.  HOWEVER, super jumping as they form
will cause them to disappear as you're landing, giving you the perfect
opportunity to J.HK and follow up with anything.  Fight defensively and don't
make any hasty moves; wait for your openings and act accordingly.  You're
stronger than her and a few well-placed combos will take her out.  Watch her on
assists as well, roll away if the Psi-Blade catches you, and use your own
assists to hit her while she's in.

Rogue - Rogue is definitely a tough cookie.  She's mobile, she's powerful, she
can kiss you and recover her red life; all in all, she's a difficult character
to deal with.  Power Drains are hard to avoid, but Dan will only give Rogue
"Life-Up" when he's smooched.  Not exactly preferable, but at least she stays
as the same old Rogue.  Her diving punches can't be countered effectively when
blocked, so time a jump to either dodge her or J.HK her on the way down. 
Rushing and Rising Punches are countered pretty easily, as is her VC-only Super
Rushing Punches.  Countering the Goodnight, Sugah isn't always a given, but it
can be done.  The Power Drain is difficult to avoid, but like Anakaris' Mirai
Drop, an air Power Drain can't hit you on the ground, and vice versa.  Use this
to your advantage, and remember assisting characters can't be grabbed.  She's
quite vulnerable after a C.MP (the dashing elbow), so fight back accordingly. 
She's a strictly in-close fighter, so expect lots of combo attempts, and
counter with your own.  She has about the same range on her moves as you, so if
you can anticipate her attacks and time your own well, you can beat her without
getting too hurt.  Watch out for her dive kick; try to follow her into the air
when it's safe, but don't get caught by a Power Drain.  Jump up attacking and
you'll be safe.  You can also try and play keep away with assists to take care
of long range fighting, and Koryukens, Gadou-Kens, and throws to send her away.
 While not reliable for the whole fight, doing stuff like that for even a few
seconds at a time is sometimes more than enough to frustrate your opponent into
screwing up.

Roll - As a Dan player, I take comfort in the fact that there's a fighter out
there who is truly more pathetic than Dan in every way possible.  As a Roll
player...I weep.  Though it seems impossible, Roll is even WEAKER than she was
in MvC1!!  Her Hyper Roll super does WAYY less damage, she can't do a Beat
Plane in the air anymore, and now her DEFENSE is as sub par as her offense,
whereas she used to take damage normally even if she didn't deal much out. 
Anyways, a good Roll player can still sneak in damage little by little, and it
will add up.  Be wary once they get a Tornado Hold (any Roll player worth his
salt knows it's her only good item weapon), and be on the lookout for her C.HK
slide XX LP Tornado Hold.  Other than that, go on the offense and use your
superior attack range to keep her from getting close enough to do anything. 
Have no fears about simply jumping over her Roll Buster shots and attacking,
she has a ton of recovery in after each one.  One word of caution, though; her
Rush Drill has been seriously jacked up; it actually does about normal damage
for a super, and since she's invincible throughout it, you'll have to either
hit her as she and Rush get together, or just block and whack her as she
transforms back.  If you simply find yourself unable to deal with having to hit
her cute little face, just remember that Roll is out for blood, and she'll kill
you faster than you can say, "Oyaji!" if you don't take her down.

Ruby Heart - You'd think Capcom would have come up with a better original
character to represent them in their latest and greatest game.  I'm sorry, but
Ruby Heart is LAME, as a character and a fighter.  She's got some long combos
involving her Cheval Seller and Hyper Cheval Seller, but they aren't very
damaging.  Her Fantome ghost will drain your HC energy if it connects, but one
taunt during the lengthy startup delay will make up for whatever it may take
before it even has a chance to hit.  However, only do this if you're a full
screen's distance, otherwise jump in and whack her.  The Mille Fantomes HC,
should it hit you, will probably knock you down, allowing you to get back up
and defend yourself, so don't stop holding backwards.  Her kick launchers are
fairly low in priority, so you can attack with a J.HK in confidence.  Be
careful of her crouching HK; her whip has a lot of range and you may think a
character of her size wouldn't have an attack with its reach.  Don't even worry
about her anchor grabs, they're both telegraphed far in advance.  Even if
you're in the air, you'll land by the time the HP version gets there.  As for
the LP version, it's easily jumped over and countered with a jump-in.  During a
Cheval Seller (Regular OR Hyper), she's completely vulnerable while falling
back down, so get there ahead before she does and be ready to catch her with an
HBK.  If you can anticipate her Supremation move, jump in on her and combo. 
Her ship can be avoided by simply jumping or blocking its blade.  Once it
begins to retreat, you're clear to dash in and whack Ruby Heart with the combo
of your choice.  Pay attention to which assist type your partner is using; if
they selected the Gamma assist where she comes in holding a Power Up orb, make
sure you keep an eye out for her appearance and attack while she's standing
there, just like Amingo and Jill.  She's really isn't too difficult to deal
with, just remember not to underestimate your opponent.  Learn their attack
patterns, stick to your game plan.  Pas de problemme.

Ryu Hoshi - Ryu seems to be a little slower than previous games, but it's so
slight that sometimes I wonder if I'm just timing things badly when I play him.
 Anyways.  As usual, Ryu is quite well balanced in terms of offense, defense,
fighting style, comboability, and so on.  However, the addition of
hypercancelling has given him a bit more versatility, and a few more ways to
combo in supers.  He's a tough fight, but not impossible by any means.  Make
sure to be VERY careful not to get hit by any Hurricane kicks, as he can cancel
them into air Shinkuu Hadou-Kens.  He can also hit them off a standing or
jumping HP, so be aware of this as well.  His Shin Shoryuken is REALLY damaging
if he hits you on the ground, but the multi-hit air version is far weaker. 
Play Ryu like always; dash jump to get close, hit him with a jump in attack and
combo from there.  Make sure you recovery roll to avoid being swept into the
Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu-Kyaku. Should he catch you, push block to escape and
fight back with a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken while he's still spinning.  Be ready to
block low most of the time, as he can quickly launch, combo, and Shinkuu
Hadou-Ken you from a quick C.LK.  Use your C.HP to counter his jump in
attempts, the HBK or your launcher to punish missed Shoryukens and jumping
Hadou-Kens, and use assists effectively to keep him on the defensive.  He
fights just as well up close as he does far away, but if you keep the pressure
up and get in supers and air combos, you'll prevail.

Sabretooth - He's big, he's bad, and he's fast.  Sabretooth has come a long way
since XvsSF: his moves are harder to punish, and he's gained some speed to
boot.  Use his large size against him, by ducking under his jabs and sweeping
him, or starting your jump in attacks little earlier to catch his head.  He
lacks range on his jumping attacks, so you shouldn't have much trouble winning
air battles with your J.HK and Dankukyaku.  Blocked Berserker Claws can still
be punished with a C.HK, Gadou-Ken or Koryuken.  Ditto for the Berserker Claw
X.  Wild Fangs and Weapon X Dashes can be blocked and countered with a launch. 
You can also try to Koryuken him out of these moves, but it's risky and you
have the potential to do more damage with a block-and-counter approach.  You
should have enough time from when he calls Birdie to when she starts firing to
super jump and get behind him, or at least avoid the chip damage.  Sabretooth
is usually played pretty offensively, so be ready for him to go after you often
and don't back down.  Try to force him into the air and knock him back down, or
super jump after him and do a manual air combo.  Dash-ins can be retaliated
against with LP Koryukens or crouching kicks, as you can duck his jabs and
you'll probably trade hits with his low attacks if you kick early enough. 
Remember to push block if you're getting trapped or repeatedly pressured, and
take to the air to give yourself time to regroup, or lure him into an air
battle.  Getting him to take to the air should be your focus, since Dan's air
game is better than his, but be very careful of any anti-air assists he may
have, and if they're giving you trouble, make sure to use your own characters
to even up the playing field when you're on the ground.

Sakura Kasugano - Sakura's small size, speed and versatility make her a very
difficult opponent.  She can duck underneath your Dankukyakus and Gadou-Kens,
meaning you'll have to rely more on comboing them in if you want them to
connect.  Fortunately, her special moves leave her fairly vulnerable,
especially the HP/HK versions.  Block low whenever she's on the ground, as
she'll probably try to dash in, hit a light attack and cancel it into either an
LP Shouoken, (which can then be canceled into an HC), or a Haru Ichiban, which
is also...not...good.  Yeah.  So counter those Shououkens with C.LKs.  block
low most of the time, as it covers your butt for both high and low ground
attacks.  The only exception is her overhead Flower/Panty kick, but it starts
up slowly, so you can switch to a high block if you react fast enough.  Her
Hadou-Ken is the perfect anti-air attack, so you'll have to do most of your
fighting on the ground.  However, if she accidentally does throws it while
you're on the ground or is positioned wrong and misses you while you're
descending, dash in and combo her.  Though it would seem like a good
opportunity, don't try anything while she's firing off her Shinkuu Hadou-Ken. 
The fireballs will cover a good area in front of her, and trying to counter
with a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken from afar will result in the fireballs delaying it
long enough for her to recover.  The Midare Zakura, on the other hand, presents
you with the perfect opportunity to attack.  Don't try anything fancy if she's
up too close; call an assist; block and let your partner stun her, then attack.
 If you end up blocking, she recovers very quickly, so either C.HK immediately
(it's all that will reach), or wait for the next opening.  Counter her
Shunpu-Kyakus with HP Koryukens or your launcher.  If she turns into
Evil/Sunburned Sakura, her Hadou-Kens travel horizontally (meaning she's MUCH
more vulnerable to jump-ins), her Shououkens lose their projectile
invincibility on the ground (Gadou-Kens make good counters for them now), her
panties turn black (evil panties!  Whee!), and she gains the ability to
teleport and do the Shun Goku Satsu.  If she tries a warp, dash and hit her as
she comes out of it.  Jump in more frequently, as she no longer has her
Hadou-Kens to protect her.  Other than that, play her the same as you would
normal Sakura.  And if she attempts a Shun Goku Satsu, counter with the Otoko
Michi!  Dan's range is much better than hers, and you'll win the grab battle. 
It'll be a rare occasion, but if you pull it off, it'll be the second funniest
thing you and your audience will ever see in this game.  The only way it gets
any better is when it's Gouki.

Sentinel - This is the most UNFAIR fight in the game.  The Sentinel has nearly
full-screen reach with nearly ALL of his moves, a one button BEAM that can be
shot high or low, the second highest defense in the game (the highest
naturally, since Rogue and Silver Samurai require augmentations to get their
defenses up), he's in the top tier for attack strength, his super armor
sometimes seems to take three hits to knock out and lasts through hard attacks,
ALL his normal attacks do block damage...Using Dan against him is like fighting
a tank with a toothpick.  The main thing to do while fighting Sentinel is not
to get discouraged.  There's been many a time where I've repeatedly beat the
shinola out of a Sentinel with everything I had, only to find I'd taken off
maybe a third of his life.  As is important to remember when fighting
characters with high defense, you ARE hurting them when you hit them. Not
nearly as much as they may hurt YOU, but you're doing damage.  Now then, beware
of Sentinel's standing HK launcher; the firey smoke emissions can hit you as
well as his foot.  His little baby drone offspring only cover the area in front
of him, so just do a backwards dash and you won't have to worry about them, or
super jump over them and get behind Sentinel, because the drone moves have a
lot of recovery lag.  His supers don't chip very well, and sometimes the Drone
Fleet will knock you down, meaning you can either recovery roll and get behind
him, or stand back up and block the rest of the super.  A missed Plasma Storm
is just asking for a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken (you can get pretty close, the super
doesn't have much range), and even if you get drawn in and block it, you can
Koryurekka while he recovers.  It's tough to get in since he has so much range
on all his attacks, but there are two things you can do: dash in when he does a
normal jump, blocking the probable Rocket Punch when applicable, and launch
him.  Super jumping to get behind him works too, as any missed counter attacks
will have too much recovery to allow him to block your attack.  It's going to
be an uphill climb, and even one slip-up equals massive damage to Dan.  Once
one of you is down to less than half of his life, unleash the Otoko-Michi. If
you have less than half an energy bar, the next combo he lands could be the end
of you.  You may as well take out half of HIS life before that happens.

Shuma-Gorath - Shuma's long tentacles combined with the Chaos Dimension and
Devitalization throw allow him to easily keep you at whatever distance he feels
comfortable.  However, like Dhalsim, his tentacles are still limbs and can be
hit.  If he whiffs on a laggy move like his standing HK, counter with a
Gadou-ken from out of range.  Blocked Mystic Smashes are easily countered with
dashing crouching kicks, and the Mystic Stare can either be easily cancelled
out by a Gadou-ken, or simply jumped over.  Even if you're hit, all it takes is
one hit to get them off you (you can even switch out to avoid the explosion). 
Watch his HC meter carefully; when he gets three levels up, be on alert for the
Chaos Dimension.  He doesn't need to grab you immediately; he can elect to hit
you with a light attack and combo/air combo into it.  At these points, it's
best to play defensive and try to keep him away with C.HPs, LP Koryukens,
Gadou-kens, assists, and so on.  If you're gutsy enough, you can try to dash in
and combo into a snapback after he's initiated the move, effectively wasting
three levels of his HC energy :) Once his time meter is about to run out, it's
business as usual.  Be wary of the Devitalization up close; it doesn't hurt
that much, but it's still easy to be caught off guard by it.  If caught in the
Chaos Dimension, be prepared for a world of hurt.  Not only from the move
itself, but from OTGs afterwards.  According to some research done by the gents
at www.shoryuken.com, it's possible to get yourself up earlier by mashing
buttons from when the move starts until you stand up.  It's worth a shot, as he
can do things like Chaos Dimension, C.LK (OTG) XX Hyper Mystic Smash.  Speaking
of his new super move, your best bet is to super jump over it and nail him from
behind, as he always sends out one last ball of himself (...) at the end of the
move to keep his butt covered.

Silver Samurai - Silver Samurai's sword gives him a long reach, but it's
exactly like a limb in the sense that it can be hit and he'll take the damage. 
Block his Hundred Sword Slap (or whatever it's called) and retaliate with a
quick series of crouching kicks.  Make sure you jump super jump to avoid the
Shuriken and Chou Shuriken; they both chip off about three points of life less
than when they connect.  In all modes, watch for the long reach of his sword
and counter with standing and jumping HKs to counter his hopping stabs.  Also,
you can counter attack his Hundred Sword Slap from just outside its reach with
a Koryuken, or even an HBK if it's initiated right before he stops slashing
(even if you're HIT by his sword and get pushed out of his range!).
     In normal and Lightning Sword mode, be careful not to get OTGed by the
Raimei-Ken.  When blocked on the ground, it will sometimes draw you in right up
to his body, so hit him with a Koryurekka or some other fast attack before he
recovers.  While in Lightning Sword mode, he has very low defense, so hop over
Shurikens and hit him with jump ins and follow up combos, and remember he can
do full chain combos and the Chou Shuriken in the air now.
     In Ice Sword mode, he gains super armor (hyper armor after the third
time), loses a LOT of speed on his moves, and has the highest defense in the
game.  Nevertheless, he's probably easiest to deal with when he's in this mode.
 He telegraphs Shurikens far in advance, so jump over him and hit him with a
VC.  The same applies for his Hundred Sword Slap; he rears up for it before
commencing the attack, and his recovery lag is really bad as well, meaning
you'll have more than enough time to get in there and put a sizeable dent in
his armor.  If you can't super jump to avoid the chip, make sure to block the
Hyouga-Ken LOW; it does a sizeable amount of damage and you'll remain frozen
for a LONG time, meaning he's sure to follow it up with some kind of combo as
well.  Fortunately, the Hyouga-Ken is the only damaging move he has in this
mode; all the others have greatly reduced attack power.
     In Fire Sword mode, his defense gets shot to hell, his attack power and
agility get jacked way up, and all his moves do block damage.  His Shurikens
fly much faster and he can now combo them, his Hundred Sword Slap recovers too
quickly for you to counter if you're hit by it (but the start up lag is even
worse than in Ice Sword mode).  His new super, the Homura-Ken, sends a spiral
of fire directly upwards, but it starts at ground level, so he can OTG you with
it.  Again, hop over Shurikens and use the massive start-up lag on the Hundred
Sword Slap to get behind him.  Don't be rash, though.  His enhanced speed and
attack power will quickly punish you if you aren't careful with your offense.
     On a final note, be EXTREMELY cautious if he uses the same mode three
times in a row.  All the bonuses to his stats will be greatly enhanced, and all
the downsides will vanish (i.e. 3x Lightning or Fire Sword will return his
defense to the normal level).  In these situations, however rare they may be, I
advise going on the defensive and keeping him away with throws and assists
until the timer over his HC gauge runs out and he returns to normal.  Getting
caught by some high-powered assault when he's maxed out any of the element
modes is BAD news.

SonSon - The monkey girl's unorthodox moves and fighting style might leave you
totally confused until you get used to her.  She's got a good arsenal of
combos, but the only really damaging one is a ground combo, launch XX Giant
Staff (dunno the real name), or ground combo, Seiten Rengeki (twirly staff
uppercut) XX Giant Staff.  It'll take off half of your life, so block all the
while in case she misses the timing on the hypercancel.  If she tries the Giant
Staff on the ground and you're within 1/3 a screen of her, dash in and sweep. 
The staff won't fall and she'll be out one level of super.
     Don't let yourself get confused; jump right up and kick her if she air
dashes or takes a stroll around the wall.  When she uses the En'ou, try to
super jump behind her as she transforms, or failing that, simply block the
monkey breath and whack her as she's changing back (leave her alone while she's
transforming into the monkey!  She's invincible and it can hit you, setting up
a monkey breath juggle!).  If she lets up on the breath, super jump so you'll
be even closer when her time runs out.  If you're a little ways away from her,
use a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken as she's transforming.  It will hit her when she
finishes and she won't be able to block it.  Make sure to roll if tripped; LP
monkey kiss XX POW is NOT good for your dignity.  Her cooking pot move is
blockable and has less range than it looks like, but it will suck you out of
the air, so wait until it's definitely missed before you capitalize.  Being
aggressive should get the job done; her comboing ability doesn't make up for
her poor defense.  Go all out from the second she enters the match and you'll
win in no time.

Spider-Man - No contest.  Dan has Spidey in his pocket.  Though most people
fear his speed and longass combos, Spider-Man has jack for both offense and
defense.  His main (and only) form of offense is dashing in and air comboing
you into a web ball/swing.  Continue to hold block if web balled and you'll
block follow up combo attempts.  Counter his jump-ins with your C.HP.  If he
tries to sweep you into the Crawler Assault, roll and taunt mercilessly.  The
Maximum Spider is easy to see coming; when the screen stops scrolling (this is
THE telltale sign, watch for it!), and Spidey flies back to a wall, block and
nail him with a dashing Koryurekka as he comes down, or an HBK if he aims wrong
and you don't even NEED to block it.  A few air combos and HCs are all that you
need to put him out of commission; just don't get too cocky, as his combos will
eventually add up.  If he tries playing keep away with web balls, dashes and
dashing jumps are all you need to get close.  If he tries to hypercancel out of
a Spider Sting, roll and you should be all right.  His only major offensive
move is his C.HK, as blocking it pushes you too far out of range to counter. 
Anticipate it and use assists or well-timed jumps to counter them.  Don't be
intimidated by his speedy dash-ins; push block him, counter with your own light
attacks into launchers and air combo him, and he'll be gone before you know it.
 Like the Wall Crawler himself says, "Do your job!"

Spiral - I have yet to play against a truly good Spiral player.  I DO know that
I thought she was the worst character in the game until I actually tried her
and read up on her abilities, and the general understanding is that she's one
of the best.  Whatever.  You should be able to hit her as she comes out of a
teleport with a J.HK or standing HP, and if she ever tries a six-hand grapple
outside of an air combo, you'll have a full three seconds to nail her while
she's standing there, waving her arms in the air, like she just don't care 
::dodges tomato:: Hey!  Be wary of her assist type; gamma Spiral's hyper
Metamorphosis does INSANE chip damage (about 80% of what it does if it actually
hits).  If she whiffs a attack during a normal jump, you can counter with your
C.HP or a jumping attack of your own, since she has a slow, floating jump.  Her
only real form of offense is her Dancing Swords, which I hear are totally
lethal if done just right.  When she calls them, you should try and use assists
to hit her and knock away the swords.  Tournament class players are fond of a
"Wall of Swords" trap technique which involves Spiral calling swords at the
peak of her jump, throwing three on the way down and three on the way up.  This
is combined with a powerful assist like Doom's Molecular Shield or Sentinel's
Drones.  I've never seen it done myself, so all I can advise is to super jump
the second you see her call her swords or assist, and try to kick her on the
way down.  As for her regular Metamorphosis, use assists and J/C.HKs to stall
her and make her time run out.  There'll be more on her if I ever meet a real
Spiral player.  I guess I should go to a tournament or something.

Storm - AAAH! AAAH! AAAH!  TYPHOOOOOON!  Storm's offensive strategy centers
around the horrible wailing of her voice.  If you can listen to her and not go
mad, then you should be all right.  Her HP has a lot of priority, and she has
sick air throw range.  Make sure you attack well in advance if you're going to
jump in, and you should be ok.  Her TYPHOOOOOON!s have a lot of recovery, so
you shouldn't have much trouble getting in close.  The vertical one in
particular leaves her very vulnerable; it will appear where you were standing
when she initiated the move, so dash/jump after her and it should miss you
entirely.  Once she's within your range, give her an air combo or a Koryurekka
if you have the HC energy.  Corner and pester her with pokes; C.LKs in
particular.  Once you connect with something, lay into her.  Be careful about
super jumping in, as she can throw out a LIGHTNING STOOOORM! from anywhere on
the screen and nail you, so make sure you're blocking the in the correct
direction.  You won't be able to take advantage if she messes up on a super
unless you have an appropriate partner assist, such as someone with a fast
projectile or beam (or Life-Up).  Stay in Storm's face as much as you can and
set the pace for the match; she's quite fast and can air combo you into three
lightning attacks followed by a LIGHTNING STOOOORM! if you aren't careful.  As
long as you're in control of the fight's speed, the forecast will be pink with
a little bit of black in the central region.

Strider Hiryu - Strider is bad news.  He's got speed, range, priority, and
about 50 different special moves to use against you.  He's probably the best of
the combo characters, mainly due to his huge arsenal of setups.  Watch him
carefully when he teleports (especially if he's activated the Oroburous), and
make sure you don't get crossed up, as he can and will attack coming out of it.
 Even if you are, the Oroburous doesn't really add much damage to his combos. 
All he can do is go through the first 4 hits of his ground chain, and the
damage is barely equal to an average super's.  If he does an HP or HK, you
should get knocked away long enough to block the rest of it.  Super jump to get
in close if he tries to keep you away with tigers, birds, Grahms, etc, and also
to avoid chip damage from Legion.  His animals work exactly like Jill's, so try
to avoid them or use assists rather than fight them yourself.  Counter his
ground Ame no Murakamo with whatever you feel like, and don't get caught off
guard if he calls the Strider Ball and keeps it on for a while.  Also, if he
calls the Formation C bird, you should have plenty (PLEN-T) of time to dash in
and get him.  Vagulas can either be Koryukened or simply puch blocked.  Keeping
Strider away and hounding him with assists are the best way to keep him at a
range you like and forcing him to open up.  Strider's launcher is his main form
of anti-air, so assist covered jump-ins are a pretty good bet while he's on the
ground.  In the air, use your J.HK and Dankukyaku to keep pace with him.  Keep
your cool and remember how to deal with combo freak and button tap characters;
push-block, stay at a distance YOU like, make good use of your assists, and
don't take any unnecessary risks.  His damage taking skills are way down there,
so every hit you land will count big.  Nailing him during his beta & gamma
assists is a little tricky, but his alpha assists (LP Ame no Murakamo) are
easily countered.  Whenever you have the chance to lay into him, take
advantage, and he'll be gone before you can say "..."

Hey, wait a sec...

Thanos - The Mad Titan has a fearsome arsenal of powerful supers, but without
them he's rather limited and will have a hard time dealing with you.  His
Jumping HP has incredible range and speed, so don't try to match him in the air
unless you're coming in from above.  His launchers are a little flaky and don't
work well as anti-airs, so jump in a lot and combo him repeatedly.  He's a
pretty big target, so you shouldn't have much trouble connecting.  If you're
launched, be ready to do a mid-air counter, since his launchers don't send you
very high on their own and he may end up missing a hit.  If you're
double-launched (C.MP, C.HP), then it'll be business as usual, so be on the
lookout and don't miss your chance to retaliate.  Be careful when his HC meter
starts filling up, as his supers are ALL easily comboed and do a great deal of
damage.  Gauntlet Power, Reality, and Soul can all be comboed off the second
hit of his standing MP, so watch for dash-ins and counter with LP Koryukens or
crouching kicks.  Gauntlet Space can OTG, so roll if you're footswept.  If he
super jumps, don't go after him.  Use an HP Koryuken if he falls within its
range, otherwise, watch for his diving attack; it can be blocked and countered
with a launcher fairly easily.  The Death Bubbles are pretty slow to come out,
so you have time to hop them.  If you're hit, mash the buttons to break out
quickly.  Thanos will be an average battle for the most part, but stay on
defense when he gets a few levels of HC energy.

Tron Bonne - Tron's a powerful newcomer who's awkward attacks will either kill
you before you figure them out, or constantly leave her wide open to a Saikyou
counterattack.  Her Kobun capture shots are actually invisible projectiles; the
red dots she uses to aim do not hit, but rather the projectile that will come
when they are fully extended and her gun fires will.  Use this knowledge to
jump over to her before you're hit, and retaliate with an attack of your
choosing.  Try to do as much damage in as little time as possible, because Tron
can really dish it out when presented with the opportunity.  If she tries a
Lunch Rush HC outside of a combo, you'll be safe as long as the fire from her
gun doesn't hit you (unlike her Kobun captures, she shoots no projectile). 
They WILL come out in a Variable Combination, though, so don't stop blocking! 
Super jump if she tries a King Kobun and attack from behind, you should be able
to see it coming far enough in advance.  The Bonne Strike allows her to cross
the whole screen very fast, and adds a TON of hits to her combos.  Fortunately,
it only does average damage for a special move, and has enough recovery for you
to block it and counter with just about anything you can think of.  Her normal
attacks are all very weird, and most of them hit at least twice, like her radar
and flame shots.  The range of her fierce attacks is counteracted by the
sizeable recovery time they have, so use an assist or dash in to take advantage
when you can.  Jumping in while covering yourself with an assist is a good
strategy, and will often meet with success since she has no good anti-airs, or
at least some chip damage.  Tron gets points for having a pink mech (dunno what
button), but as long as you're careful and wait for your openings, you
shouldn't have much defeating her.  Then watch her poor Kobun cry his little
eyes out.  Aww.

Vega/M. Bison - Good ol' butt-chin's back with a new super and nothing else. 
Vega's lack of a reliable projectile means he'll be trying to get in your face,
saving you the trouble of closing the distance.  Don't have any reservations
about hitting him if he attempts a Psycho Field; it disappears as soon as he's
hit and it will pass through you until it explodes.  The Psycho Shot is your
basic fireball, but you'll probably never see him use it.  The Psycho Crusher
is Koryuken-able, but it's better to block it and counter with an air combo or
HC.  His head stomp is pretty easy to Koryuken or simply counter with a launch,
and he can only teleport to one of four locations, so take a guess :P  His only
(easily) comboable super is the Psycho Crusher, but be on alert for the
Explosion as well, as it's a pretty good chipper.  The Psycho Field is a great
assist, so if you opponent selected it, get ready to either attack immediately
or high-tail it when you see Vega hop onscreen.  Only hitting HIM will cause it
to dissipate, not your enemy's current character.  No, Vega's mostly a threat
because of his quick moves and good strength.  Take the time to learn how your
opponent fights by observing him or just poking here and there with LKs.  Fight
him smart and don't take his lack of useful specials for granted.  Jump in
often
and out-prioritize his attacks with your J.HK.  Vega may not be the toughest
street fighter anymore (that would be Dan), but he IS strong and he IS fast. 
Don't underestimate your opponent.  Fight smart.

Venom - Expect Venom Fangs and lots of them.  You'll be hard pressed to counter
them with any sort of regularity, since he pushes you away and recovers pretty
quickly.  A well-timed Koryuken or a D.C.LK might work, but most of the time
you'll want to use an assist, since he'll be doing them often and you should be
able to block most of the time.  The only other move that should give you any
trouble is his standing HP, and that can simply be blocked and countered with
an assist, or jumped over.  The Venom Rush's extreme range differences (full
screen or right in front of him) will usually result in him missing and you
making him pay, and the Venom Web is telegraphed by the white flash.  Make sure
to recovery roll if he tries to OTG you into the Death Bite.  Venom lacks a
fast/reliable anti-air, so jump in often and be ready for any anti-air assists
he may throw out.  If you cover yourself with your OWN assists, your jump-in
offenses will usually be successful.  The LK Dankukyaku and J.HK will win out
in air-to-air battles, as well.  If he manages to launch you, try to counter
attack or throw him in the middle of his air combos, since they seem to be a
little harder to time now, and many old Venom players might mess up.  That'll
be your cue to kick 'em in the head.

War Machine - Play him exactly as you would Iron Man.  Just be aware his C.HP
is a multi-hitting beam instead of one crappy missile, he has a low-hitting
Shoulder Cannon, and he has the War Destroyer to counter super jump-ins.  So,
use an assist to cover yourself, and get in there.  Even his "Sunday best"
won't be enough to stop the power of Saikyo-Ryuu!

Wolverine (Adamantium) - Sometimes I feel sorry for Wolverine.  He just can't
be a good, balanced character.  This version is still quite the cheapster, and
hypercancelling now adds even MORE button-masher friendly combos to his already
expansive repertoire.  He's still been toned down, though, so you shouldn't
have too much trouble.  Push block his Berserker Barrages and counter dash-ins
with LP Koryukens or Gadou-Kens.  When he goes into Cheap Mo...err, Berserker
Rage, keep push blocking and combine dashing light attacks with assists to
prevent him from going off on you.  His jabs and shorts are still, for all
intents and purposes, instant attacks, so make sure you hit him first.  You
won't see to many air combos out of this version; mostly ground combos
cancelled into the Berserker Barrage X or Fatal Claw.  He recovers quickly
after the BBX and Weapon X, so you'll be hard pressed to counter them, but a
C.HK is still possible.  The Fatal Claw is a different story, as he'll fall
forwards after it ends, right into your waiting launcher or Hisshou Burai-Ken. 
His Berserker Slash usually seems to either pass right through you or not stun
you at all.  Jump-ins are usually pretty safe, but his HP may trade hits, so
alternate between J.LP, J.MP and J.HK as the situation merits.  It sounds odd
saying this, but Dan shouldn't have too much trouble beating Wolverine.  Still,
he's still extremely fast and an expert will combo you like there's no
tomorrow, so gauge your opponent's skill and fight back accordingly.  If he's
one of those "so-good-it's-like-he's-part-of-the-machine" types, remember to
push block to disrupt his tapping rhythm and counter with light attacks to lead
into combos.  Get your licks in with air combos and a super here or there and
he'll be done before you know it.  As simple as that sounds, you should have
even LESS problems dealing with...

Wolverine (Bonerine) - The lesser of two evils, this Wolverine gets a little
more range on his punches, loses two supers and a special move, has three
totally different and weird assists, and generally sucks and isn't used by
anyone.  Yes, he's fast and masher-friendly, and yes, he has lots of range
coupled with that speed, but you'll rarely see anyone use him.  Still, better
safe than sorry, right?  His added range gives him better ability to combo you
like crazy, and he can do Tornado Claws in the air, most of which will
out-prioritize your Dankukyaku and J.HK.  Stick to short, sweet ground combos
like C.HK XX Koryurekka.  Your attacks will do massive damage, so use the same
basic strategies as you do with regular Wolverine, keeping in mind he has more
reach, less supers, lower defense, and just as much agility and cheapitude as
his adamantium-skeletoned counterpart.

Zangief - The one and only true grappler character of the Vs. series, Russia's
Red Cyclone is easily up there with beamer characters in terms of difficulty
(for Dan).  'Gief has got all his strength back; his Spinning Pile Driver and
FAB are just as strong as they were back in X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, his UAB
is really worth the three levels it takes to use it, his Lariats juggle instead
of knocking you away, and his Iron Body mode gives him an extremely useful
juggling projectile and the ability to waltz right up and lay you out.  Be
careful not to recovery roll after throws; you may end up rolling right into a
FAB!  Duck his Lariats and use your C.HK or Dankukyaku to counter.  Also, keep
an eye out for failed SPDs and Running Bear Grabs started too far away, and use
the opening to get in and clobber him with a Koryurekka.  If he goes Iron Body,
he'll probably try to lumber over to you and throw you around, so be on your
guard.  Remember, you can't hit him out of any moves now!  If he gets too close
for comfort, you can try throwing him, but be careful as his throw moves have
waaaaaaaay more range and priority.  Wait for an opening (his lack of speed
will usually result in one appearing sooner or later), and use short combos
J.HK, LP, MP to do a little damage and run before he can fight back.  If you're
feeling daring, get right in his face and send a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken at him; it
won't knock him away, and that short moment he's stunned for allows you to
recover in time to make an escape.  Remember that he can't block, so make use
of any long-range partner assists you may have to hasten his destruction.

Abyss (Form 1) - Heh.  This is actually kinda fun.  Go right up to him and
repeatedly LP, MP and build up your HC meter.  He telegraphs all his moves FAR
in advance, so you shouldn't have any trouble stopping and blocking at the
right times.  Push block his charge attacks to reduce damage and don't try to
jump over him when he's about to do his Green Rain HC, as you might get crossed
up.  However, you SHOULD super jump over him when you see him charge up for his
big blue Stomach Blast HC, and send one or two Shinkuu Gadou-Kens into his
back.  Keep doing this and he'll be finished without a scratch on your other
two characters and Dan in very good health.

Abyss (Form 2) - Tag out.  You heard me.  This is the only fight in the game
where tagging out is the best possible strategy.  Dan is just...he can't handle
the kind of high damage, hyper-armored projectile character Abyss's second form
is.  If you feel very stupid, stay JUST out of the range of his flamethrower,
then jump behind him and hit him with a J.HK, or Shinkuu Gadou-Ken if he's
doing a laser attack.  Use J.HKs to burst the bubbles he sends out, and use
long-range assists frequently.  Still, trying to fight this form will usually
result in severe injury to Dan with relatively little damage done to Abyss. 
Take my advice and let another character handle this form, and bring Dan back
in for...

Abyss (Form 3) - Relatively the same fight as the first form.  Let him come to
you, and hit him in the face/leg/butt (wherever he pops up) with LP, MP and
send a Shinkuu Gadou-Ken at him when you get the chance.   If you see the orb
hanging there on its own, be sure that a bunch of vertical flames will rise up
from underneath.  If you manage to push block through them and have a clear
shot at the orb, use a couple of HP Koryukens to do some damage, and expect
Abyss to rise at that very spot.  Keep wailing on him and you'll soon be
treated to the game's non-ending!!!  Wheeeee!

Yeah.  Now, get in there and show 'em why they call it "The Strongest Style"!

*******************
Dealing With Scrubs
*******************

     The following are some of the cheapest, most reprehensible actions a
player can take in MvC2.  There's not much you can do about them, but here are
a few situations where saying (or even yelling) "That's so #$^&-ing cheap!" is
warranted.  These are essentially the no-effort infinites or glitches that you
can't be on guard for, since they require little to no setup and do ridiculous
amounts of damage or ruin your chances of winning.

     1) The Ken/Gouki air Hurricane Kick glitch.  As said before, each kick
will take off around 1/10 of your life, and they can easily get in at least 4
kicks per.  It's totally unfair and excusable maybe once in a match, but if
your opponent repeatedly tries to nail you with it, there's no way they DON'T
know about the glitch.  Being such a basic move, there's no real way to prepare
or counter it except to avoid getting launched and calling them cheap loud
enough so your opponent knows you're on to his "strategy".

     2) Repeated use of beam assists (the kind who call him back out the second
he leaves).  Beams don't make good combo setups; they're there for chip damage
and only chip damage.  When you get sick of it, just start yelling along with
their character (ICE BEAM! ICE BEAM! ICE CREAM!); it should annoy them enough
to find a new strategy.

     3) Juggernaut's Power-Up glitch.  There's absolutely nothing you can do
about this except call them a cheap S.O.B. every time Juggernaut does
something, and snapback his big butt out the second he's tagged in.

     4) People who abuse one-button projectiles to the point where you just
want to stop playing out of sheer frustration.  Calm down, point out the other
five buttons, and explain to them the wonders of kicking.

     5) Those master Cable players who will use his J.FP to make you block as
you come in, then fall defenseless, set up for a triple air Hyper Viper Beam. 
Cable, in his infinite cheapness, can link three of those beams in a row simply
by jumping and doing another after the first one ends, and take 100% of your
life in the process.  Try and avoid this by snapbacking Cable out if your
current character is about to die, using variable counters, and avoiding
snapbacks from him.  If he gets you in that stupid glitch of a "combo" (way to
beta test there, Capcom), all I can really say to do is yawn and flip your
opponent off, to show everyone that cheapness doesn't impress you.  People talk
about triple Air Hyper Viper Beams like it's no different than a crouching
forward into a Hadou-Ken, and I don't like it one bit.

     6) Any and all infinite combos: just stand there with your arms folded. 
Don't give your opponent the satisfaction of killing your character AND making
you angry.  I like to say, "Tap tap tap tap..." along with the rhythm of their
infinite, but if anyone has a better way to show your disdain, feel free to
e-mail me.

*************************************
Dat's GOTTA hoit! (Damage Statistics)
*************************************

     To give everyone an idea of what kind of damage Dan can do, I tested all
his normal, special and super moves against Adamantium-less Wolverine (Because
he also has the lowest defense in the game and I LIKE Gouki and Kobun),
Morrigan (She's midway between average and Wolvie), Cyclops (because he takes
normal damage and he's gay and I don't like him), Hulk (because he's up there
but not ridiculously strong), and Silver Samurai in Ice Sword mode because he
takes the least damage in the game.  The idea is to help you gauge what kind of
damage you can do to different characters and, subsequently use that knowledge
to plan what type of strategy and which moves to use.

Attack                 (Wolv)  (Mrgn)   (Cyc)  (Hulk)  (S.S.)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                      |       |       |       |       |       |
LP / Jab              |  5    |  4    |  4    |  3    |  1    |
MP / Strong           |  9    |  8    |  7    |  6    |  3    |
HP / Fierce           |  17   |  15   |  13   |  11   |  6    |
                      |       |       |       |       |       |
LK / Short            |  5    |  4    |  4    |  3    |  1    |
MK / Forward          |  9    |  7    |  7    |  5    |  2    |
HK / Roundhouse       |  17   |  15   |  13   |  11   |  6    |
                      |       |       |       |       |       |
Throws                |  22   |  19   |  16   |  14   |  7    |
Gadou-Ken             |  16   |  14   |  12   |  10   |  5    |
LP Koryuken           |  22   |  19   |  16   |  14   |  7    |
HP Koryuken           |  24   |  21   |  18   |  15   |  8    |
LK Dankukyaku         |  19   |  16   |  14   |  12   |  6    |
HK Dankukyaku         |  20   |  17   |  16   |  13   |  7    |
LK P.Sign (Show/Throw)|  2/11 |  2/9  |  2/8  |  1/7  |  1/2  |
HK P.Sign (Show/Throw)|  2/12 |  2/10 |  2/9  |  1/7  |  1/3  |
                      |       |       |       |       |       |
Shinkuu Gadou-Ken     |  58   |  51   |  43   |  36   |  16   |
Koryurekka            |  54   |  46   |  40   |  34   |  18   |
Hisshou Burai-Ken     |  55   |  47   |  40   |  31   |  15   |
Otoko-Michi           |  137  |  118  |  100  |  87   |  46   |
                      |       |       |       |       |       |

**************************************************
What the hell is he SAYING, anyway? (Translations)
**************************************************

Saikyo-Ryuu:            The Strongest Style
Gadou-ken:              Self-taught fist
Koryuken:               Shiny dragon fist
Dankukyaku:             Sky-cutting kick
Zenten Chouhatsu        Forward rolling taunt
Kouten Chouhatsu        Backward rolling taunt
Tachi Chouhatsu         Standing taunt
Saikyou seoi nage       Strongest style shoulder throw
Shinkuu Gadou-ken       Sky-shaking self-taught fist
Koryurekka              Shiny dragon conflagration
Hisshou Burai-ken       Complete and total victory relying on nobody
                        but myself-fist
Chouhatsu Densetsu      Legendary taunt
Otoko-Michi             Path of man
"Tadaima, sanjo!"       "I'm home/Here I am, ugly!"
"Ikozura!"              "Let's go!"
"Doushita doushita!"    "What's the matter?"
"Namen ja ne zo!"       "Don't lick me! (Slang for, 'Don't think I'm
                        lower than you!')"
"Ousha!"                "All right!"
"YAHOOI!"               "YAHOOI!"
"CHIKSHOUUUUUUUU!"      "DAMN YOUUUUUUUU!"
"OurarararaRARARARA!"   "Come on come on come on COME ON etc..."
"Todome-daiya!"         "This is the finishing blow!"
"Yattaze..."            "I did it..."
"OYAJI!"                "FATHER!"
"Gomen ne!"             "I'm sorry!"
"Rakushou!"             "Easy win!"
"Yoyutchi!"             "Piece of cake!"

**************************************************************
Stuff you probably know but I have to say anyway (Secrets)
**************************************************************

Switch Your Starting Fighter:  When the "Team 1 versus Team 2" screen comes up,
hold A1 to start with your second fighter or A2 to start with your third.

Beat Them Up After the Match:  After winning, press start to get out of your
win pose and continue to punish your defeated enemy.  Make them pay for messing
with Dan!  Fun things to do are pelt them with LK Premium Signs and Chouhatsu
Densetsu if you have a level of HC energy.

Dan's Secret Intro:  Hold LP before the match starts, or LP and whichever
assist button would start the match with Dan if you didn't select him first. 
Dan falls to the ground from offscreen, and his sandals fly into the air and
disappear.  It's always good for surprising your opponent and getting a laugh
before the match begins.  The only difference from his secret into in MSH vs.
SF is that he no longer explodes.  Personally, I think the explosion was
funnier because it was more unexpected and random, but what're you gonna do?

Dan's Secret Premium Sign Finish:  If you manage to kill your final opponent
with a THROWN Premium Sign (whether you're controlling Dan or you call him in
for an assist), you'll get the swirling, multi-colored background that appears
when you win with a HC or VC, and the announcer will say, "Hyper Combo Finish!"
 It won't occur if the showing part kills your foe, so it's a pretty rare
occurrence.  Still, there's nothing funnier than watching the autograph bounce
off your foe and getting the HC win screen ^_^

**********************************
Once upon a time... (True Stories)
**********************************

     My two little brothers and many of my friends are all huge fans of Street
Fighter; some prefer the original, but most of us play the Versus games.  While
I've had lots of great matches, there have been a few truly unforgettable
moments, most of them involving my friend Nick having a run of bad luck in
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter...(These are all 100% TRUE!  Enjoy!)

"Saikyou Mind Games" (MSHvsSF)

     Nick was fairly close to being finished off, and being the jerk I am, I
was hopping around with Dan and toying with him.  The thing is, I hadn't
noticed I had a full 3 levels of HC energy.  And out of NOWHERE, I heard him
shout, "You try to Otoko-Michi me and I'll f***ing kill you!"  He actually
believed I was trying to screw with his head!  I didn't get the Otoko-Michi
off, but I did win.  The most important thing I learned from this match is that
I have successfully conditioned Nick to fear Dan at all times.

"The Little Gadou-Ken that could" (MSHvsSF)

     It had come down to Nick's Ryu and my Dan, with a little under one third
of our respective energy bars remaining.  We were both on the defensive,
waiting for an opening, when I made the first move and went for a Shinkuu
Gadou-Ken.  A SPLIT SECOND later, Nick powered up for a Shinkuu Hadou-Ken.  I
figured I was finished, seeing the huge blue bolt heading through my little
puff of a fireball, but my brave little Gadou-Ken forced its way through the
scary beam super and knocked him out of it!  Since I was too far away, I only
caught him with the tail end of it, and we ended up getting two hits apiece.  I
forget who won that one...but the important part is that I didn't lose at that
moment.

"Shinkuu...   SHINKUU...
 Hadou-Ken!   Gadou-Ken!" (MSHvsSF)

     Again, Nick has Ryu with little energy, I have Dan with little energy (See
the pattern yet?)  Being across the screen, I tried to super jump over to Nick.
 Thinking he'd get a little extra chip damage, he dashed backwards and fired
off a Shinkuu Hadou-ken as I descended, figuring I'd land right in front of
him.  Unfortunately, he misjudged my position, and I landed right BEHIND him. 
So the second he released his Shinkuu Hadou-Ken, Dan reared up and sent a
Shinkuu Gadou-Ken smack-dab into the middle of Ryu's back.  I flexed my arm and
taunted mightily; Nick collapsed into a heap and pounded on a couch cushion
while groaning, "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

"Maximum Spid...nope." (MvsC2)

     My current character was Guile, and I had accidentally called (gamma) Dan
in for an assist when I meant to do a snapback.  My little brother Justin,
seeing the opportunity to put the hurt on Dan and Guile, went for a Maximum
Spider as Dan threw the Premium Sign.  I figured both of my characters were in
for a good amount of pain, but since Dan's gamma assist is an *HK* Premium
Sign, it quickly flew upwards, right at Spider-Man.  Spidey flew off the
wall...AND...bounced harmlessly off the autograph.  We had to pause the game
because we were laughing at him so hard.

"YAHOO!  ::WHAP::" (SFZ3)

     Nick and I were having a pretty good X-Ism Dan vs. Z-Ism Evil Ryu in
Street Fighter Zero 3, but it was pretty clear that I was about to lose the
round.  We both jumped at each other and I, remembering you can't air block
when in X-Ism, figured an air throw would be my best bet.  Since I'm not used
to L and R being throw and taunt instead of PPP and KKK, I held forward and
tried to hit HP.  The problem was that I was using an arcade stick, so my
finger slipped and I hit R by accident.  As Dan shouted, "YAHOO!", I groaned,
figuring I was done for.  Then, I heard someone get hit, and Evil Ryu fell to
the ground as Dan followed, flexing his arm.  A dumbfounded Nick only managed a
completely confused "WHAT?!" before we both broke out laughing.  I had
completely forgotten that X-Ism Dan's taunts could hit!  If only X-Ism didn't
suck in every other possible way...

"Juggernaut's Crushed Head" (MvsC2)

     After witnessing my 12 game winning streak with Juggernaut, Sakura, and
Guile at our local arcade (which closed before I lost, prematurely ending my
domination), Chris decided to give ol' Juggie a try.  As I was coming down from
a jump, he threw out a Head Crush, hoping to catch me off guard.  I, however,
didn't feel like seeing Dan die, so I threw out an LK Dankukyaku, and with a
cry of "DAN!", my mighty pink knee stopped the big galoot right in his tracks.
     For a moment, imagine yourself on a set of train tracks with an Amtrack
freighter barreling towards you at a hundred miles an hour.  Then imagine
yourself leaping into the air and sticking your knee out while yelling, "DAN!",
and stopping the train cold, while putting a nice dent in it.  That's how
surprised we were.

"Dan, use the Premium Sign NOW!"  (MvsC2)

     The good ol' Dream Team of Guile, Gambit, and Dan were rampaging through a
group of insanely good 12 year-olds and random others, and my current
opponent's Strider was getting a royal beatdown from Guile.  As a last,
desperate attempt to save himself, he whipped out the Oroburous and started
flinging rings forth.  Undaunted, Guile called for Dan to attack and ran
interference, blocking the rings and orbs while Dan put the finishing touch on
his autographed photo.  Upon its completion, the Sign flew off, past Guile,
through a barrage of rings, in between two circling orbs, and gave Strider a
most lethal paper cut.  FINISHED!

Guy: That was BULLSH*T!!
Matt: Not according to Dan.


*********
Revisions
*********

Version 1.0 - May 30, 2000: Initial version finished.

Version 1.1 - June 10, 2000: Fixed some bad grammar and typos (the "S" key
thinks it can just stop working whenever it wants).
     Reworded some move descriptions and strategy so they read better.
     Added a new story ^_^
     Added some combo notes and a description for tag-ins.

Version 1.2 - June 13, 2000: Had a chance to play and find out what Dan's
variable counters are.  I figured I might as well send in another quick update.

Version 1.3 - July 8, 2000: Fixed a little dealie about throws, couple more
combos, a little more strategy, and an explanation of canceling and
hypercanceling.  I'm alllllllways thinkin'...

Version 1.6 - December 2000: I got a Dreamcast!  Rest assured that any and all
errors in this FAQ are gone.  This is THE guide for Dan players now.  I also
stopped assuming everything was like it was in MSH vs. SF, and quit talking out
of my butt on a few certain topics.

Version 2.0 - February 2001: 'Bout time, eh?  College is hard.  I did all the
individual character strategies over many months, but this is it.  The FAQ is
done.  Thank you, drive through.

***************
Upcoming Events
***************

Do eventually:
- Unless I figure out how to do the Chouhatsu Shinwa, I've nothing more to say.

****************
Acknowledgements
****************

Jess Ragan: For pulling me out of the "Dan sucks" crowd and into the Saikyou
elite.  I shudder to think who I'd be using today if it hadn't been for you!

Chris Kohler: Thanks a bunch for letting me "research" Dan on your DC (and
being one of the more challenging Dan punching bags in our inner circle ^_^)!

Kao Megura: For writing a killer Dan FAQ for MSH vs. SF (among many others)
that helped inspire this one, as well as providing some move names from his
MvC2 FAQ.

James Chen: He's such a household name now I forgot to include him in the
previous updates.  This is the guy who created the now standard notation for
doing combos and the names for the combo series'.

Nick Civitello: For providing me with so many wonderful Dan stories to tell,
sacrificing his house for game days.

The www.saikyo.com crew: Dave, Marc and all the other Hibiki junkies out there!

Marvel Comics and Capcom: For putting Dan back in MvC2 and beefing him up to
the point where it's impossible to lose!  Well...almost.

Warganic's World of Infinites (www.geocities.com/warganic): This is one of
those sites you've always wanted to see made.  Go there!  You like!

CJayC: Is there anyone who ISN'T grateful for this man?  There's no way to you
for all the work you put into GameFAQs, but...umm...thanks!

And... You:  Thanks for reading!  Why don't you play a higher difficulty
lev...I mean, e-mail me and give me some feedback, combo ideas, ask me any
questions you may have, or tell me about your OWN Dan techniques!  You're also
welcome to just say hi!  Someone, please!  I'm so lonely!