DARAKU TENSHI: THE FALLEN ANGELS FAQ 0.1 (GAMEFAQS EDITION) BY JESS RAGAN WHAT IS THE FALLEN ANGELS? Daruku Tenshi, or The Fallen Angels, as it will be referred to in this FAQ from now on, is the first and perhaps only fighting game designed by Psikyo. The Fallen Angels suggests that the designers of popular shooters like Gunbird had great promise exploring other genres, but strangely, this moody, sepia-toned tournament fighter was never given a sequel or was released on any home systems. The Fallen Angels didn't deserve to be buried like this, however... it's an excellent fighter with a dark beauty you won't find in Capcom's Street Fighter series or most of SNK's many fighting games. THE STORYLINE "The earthquake that struck the city at 7:13AM on February 10, 2000, measured 7 on the Richter scale. The veneer of peace that had been maintained in the city's streets by total information control suddenly vanished, and the computer-controlled concrete jungle stopped functioning." "A major shift in the Earth's crust had severed the city from its surrounding landform, leaving it an island with virtually no outside contact. Money-crazed inhabitants soon lashed out for the city's remaining but useless vestiges of power, preaching salvation while hiding their wicked motives." "Sex, crime, and drugs ruled the streets, as the city began to decay. Ironically, they called the wretched remains of their city "Eden- the last paradise." WHAT'S HERE * Basic moves, applicable to all characters * Descriptions of the game's basic play mechanics * Detailed moves lists for all eight playable characters * Strategies for the use of each character's attacks WHAT'S NOT * All of Yuiran's super moves * Move lists for the bosses, Trigger and Carlos * Cheats to play as either Trigger or Carlos * Win quotes * Specific character information, especially regarding the guard guage * Specific information about the relationship between the power meter and life bar NOTE: You'll find a more detailed version of this FAQ at The Gameroom Blitz (http://grblitz.overclocked.org). Included in the GRB strategy guide are more detailed descriptions and pictures of every character, plus basic strategies for the bosses Trigger and Carlos. BASIC CONTROL SCHEME These are the game's standard moves. Every character possesses these attacks and evasive actions... however, each one differs depending on the character selected. For instance, Yuiran will run toward her opponent when you tap forward twice, but the best you'll get from Taro is an awkward hop. JOYSTICK F: forward. Moves your character forward. DF: down forward. May make your character crawl forward. D: down. Makes your character duck. DB: down back. Makes your character block low attacks. B: back. Moves your character backward and lets them block high or mid range attacks. UB: up back. Makes your character jump backward. U: up. Makes your character jump upward. UF: up forward. Makes your character jump forward. BUTTONS LP: light punch. Delivers a light but fast punch, good for starting combos. HP: hard punch. Delivers a crushing but much slower punch. LK: light kick. Executes a light but fast kick. HK: hard kick. Executes a very powerful yet somewhat slow kick. BASIC TECHNIQUES tap forward twice: dash. The player dashes or runs toward the opponent, depending on the character selected. tap backward twice: retreat. The player quickly steps backward in an attempt to distance his/herself from the opponent. HP or HK (in close): throw. Performs a throw or hold on the opponent. LP+LK: taunt. Taunts an opponent, slightly lowering their power gauge. LP+HP: stance switch. The player shifts his/her feet. This can be followed up with an extra powerful attack forward, LP+HP: dodge. The player slips past attacks and through the opponent if one is close by. HP+HK: charge. The player concentrates, raising his power meter after a brief pause. This makes the player extremely vulnerable to attack, so use it when standing at a safe distance. PLAY MECHANICS The Fallen Angels will be comfortably familiar to anyone who's played The King of Fighters, as it borrows many of its basic gameplay elements. These include: POWER METER Each character has a power meter which fills as attacks are performed or damage is taken. This power meter can also be boosted by holding HP+HK together... the character will stand in place, summoning his/her strength until the meter is full, the buttons are released, or the character is interrupted by an opponent's attack. It's up to the player to use the charge wisely... while it can definitely come in handy, it's not always necessary. Sometimes it's best to be patient and let the meter fill up on its own. Once full, the power meter allows the player to perform a super move. Super moves are generally either autocombos (the player attacks repeatedly with standard kicks and punches) or enhanced versions of special moves. However, the player must act quickly, as the power meter depletes much like it does in the first Darkstalkers and early King of Fighters games. Once a super move has been performed or the power meter runs dry, it must be recharged. However, you may not even need to let the meter charge if your life bar is nearly depleted. Once your character is sufficiently weak, their life bar will flash red as both a warning of their impending demise and a reminder that super moves can be performed at the player's whim. Your power meter can still be charged, and it's possible to perform a super move with both your life bar flashing and your power meter full. Any super move performed during this time will be enhanced, but only slightly... for instance, Cool's Skyward Blitz, which normally consists of three strikes, will add a fourth if you perform it while your life bar is flashing and your power meter has been filled. GUARD GAUGE Players can block incoming attacks, but not forever. Each character has a guard gauge that depletes whenever they block attacks. Otherwise, the gauge will fill to its maximum value of 99. The guard gauge encourages the player to be aggressive, as pounding the opponent with punches and kicks will eventually damage them whether or not these attacks are blocked. Once the gauge is emptied, the opponent will be forced to drop their guard, briefly making them vulnerable. After this happens, the guard gauge will return to its maximum value of 99 and that character can once again block attacks. This system is similar to the one used in Street Fighter Alpha 3, except players aren't punished with a smaller gauge after having their guard broken by a persistent opponent. It returns to its maximum value after the player's guard is dropped. Also, the player recovers quickly from having their guard meter depleted, so it doesn't affect the gameplay as much as it does in Street Fighter Alpha 3. TAUNTS Taunting is performed by pressing LP and LK together at once. The player will taunt, slightly lowering their opponent's power meter. It's not enough to have a strong impact on the gameplay, but on the plus side, the taunt can be interrupted and doesn't leave you as vulnerable as it would in a Capcom fighting game. CHARACTERS TARAO ONIGAWARA flea-bitten martial artist STATS NAME: Tarao Onigawara OCCUPATION: A martial artist AGE: 47 HEIGHT: 135 cm WEIGHT: 106 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 5/27/1984 FROM: Japan STRENGTHS: Straightforward character with fairly easy to use attacks. Reasonably strong. The Touch of Death is very handy as a counter attack, and the Kick Storm does a good deal of damage. WEAKNESSES: Ducking kicks are somewhat odd. It can be difficult to actually reach an enemy with the Touch of Death... the other player can slide right through it if their timing is right. --- SPECIAL MOVES: STOMACH PUNCH: D, DF, F, then punch Tarao delivers a blow to the stomach. Note that HP will make Tarao lunge forward slightly before performing the attack. He'll stand his ground if LP is pressed instead. LEAPING KICK: D, DF, F, then kick Tarao leaps at the opponent foot first in an attack strongly reminescent of Ryo's in The Art of Fighting. The distance of this attack is determined by the strength of the kick used to perform it. COUNTER: D, DB, B, then punch Tarao intercepts an opponent's attack. More research is needed on this and the other counter attacks in The Fallen Angels. SUPER MOVES: TOUCH OF DEATH: D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HP "C'mon, Bart... use the Touch of Death!" After a brief pause, Tarao unleashes a devastating knifehand blow, doing damage to anyone in the immediate vicinity. This death blow seems to do more damage if it's used to counter an opponent's attacks. However, be careful that you're not TOO close to your opponent when you do it, as it may slip past them, doing no harm to them at all. KICK STORM: D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HK Tarao jumps toward his enemy with a kick. If it lands, he'll follow it up with a dozen more damaging attacks. Don't perform this unless you're sure it'll connect with an unblocking opponent... if they do block, you'll be left vulnerable. --- COOL leather clad master of crows STATS NAME: Cool OCCUPATION: unknown AGE: 24 HEIGHT: 172 cm WEIGHT: 60 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 10/31/1984 FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: Could appeal to players who prefer using charge motions for attacks. The Skyward Kick is a fantastic anti-air attack, and its more powerful counterpart the Skyward Blitz does incredible damage if it connects. Punch and kick trajectories are very straightforward. WEAKNESSES: Charge motions force the player to wait to execute attacks. This also makes super moves damned near impossible to perform. Cool only has two special moves, just like his obvious inspiration Guile. SPECIAL ATTACKS CROW'S FEATHER: B...F, then punch Cool casually tosses a feather at his opponent. Its speed is determined by the strength of the punch used to perform it. SKYWARD KICK: D...U, then kick Cool streaks upward with a powerful leaping knee. It's great for intercepting leaping foes and is Cool's most powerful attack. SUPER MOVES SKYWARD BLITZ: DB... DF, DB, UF, then HK Cool lays down the law with three consecutive Skyward Kicks. One of these is enough to send an opponent to the hospital, so you know what'll happen after three of them. However, it's a very difficult attack to perform thanks to the complicated, Guile-esque motion used to activate it. FEATHER DUSTER: B... F, B, F, then HP Cool tosses multiple crow's feathers. I imagine this makes him even more frightening to ravens than the average scarecrow. It's also a bit frustrating for the player, since the attack is difficult to perform thanks to the charge motion used to activate it. HAIJI Raging white haired boxer STATS NAME: Haiji Mibu OCCUPATION: A bouncer AGE: unknown HEIGHT: 179 cm WEIGHT: 67 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 12/11/? FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: Quite nimble despite some ridiculously powerful attacks. Detonation Punch is an extremely useful counter attack, and its more powerful counterpart the Atomic Crush is extremely effective in combos. WEAKNESSES: Awkward punch and kick trajectories. Some moves have long set up and recovery times. Life bar must sink really low before super moves can be performed. SPECIAL ATTACKS GUT BUSTER PUNCH: D, DF, F, then punch Haiji hops toward his enemy and releases a powerful punch to the stomach. This punch drives the enemy back if they block it and pops them into the air if it connects. Nothing too exciting, but it leaves Haiji less vulnerable than the much more powerful Detonation Punch. DETONATION PUNCH: D, DB, B, then punch (hold) Haiji summons his strength for an extremely powerful punch. It's particularly effective as a counter against some attacks... Haiji will absorb the damage from punches and kicks, then immediately return fire with a right cross with enough strength to turn a cement wall into rubble. It's so powerful that Haiji nearly loses his balance while performing it, so be sure the attack connects if you plan to use it... you'll be left vulnerable if the opponent blocks. BOOT TO THE HEAD: D, DF, F, then kick Ed Gruberman beware... Haiji warms up a nasty kick and sends it straight for his opponent's face. He screams "Walk it off!" as it connects with the enemy's cheek, but given its strength and the fact that it literally sends the opponent flying backward, they're not likely to do that. SUPER MOVES ATOMIC CRUSH: D, DF, F, D, DF, F, then HP Haiji performs an especially powerful Detonation Punch that can sap nearly three quarters of the enemy's life bar. The trick to performing it is using it as a counter, or in a combo after landing from a jump kick. POP FLY PUNCH: D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HK Haiji attacks with a stronger version of his Gut Buster Punch. This attack pops the opponent into the air, allowing the player to juggle the foe for more hits. It's more stylish than effective, since you have to use it up close and it doesn't guarantee as much damage as a successful Atomic Crush. --- YUIRAN bone-breaking ninjette STATS NAME: Yuiran OCCUPATION: a bartender AGE: 20 HEIGHT: 167 cm WEIGHT: 57 kg SEX: female BIRTHDATE: 3/3/1984 FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: Yuiran is strong, fast, and agile, and her grapples will appeal to fans of wrestling characters, particularly Blue Mary who seems to have inspired this character. The Drop Kick is fast and packs quite a wallop. WEAKNESSES: Some attacks leave Yuiran vulnerable or force her to be very close to her opponent. Her supers are tough to perform and offer little reward for the effort it takes to perform them. SPECIAL ATTACKS ASSASSIN'S CRAWL: DF Yuiran sneakily inches toward her opponent on her hands and knees. Effective for getting in close while avoiding punches, projectiles, and other attacks aimed for the head and chest. DROP KICK: B...F, kick Yuiran dives at her opponent feet first, delivering a blow that sends them straight to the floor if it connects. This attack does pretty good damage and can relieve the pressure in a situation where the opponent is getting too aggressive. ARM BREAKER GAMBIT: B...F, punch Yuiran takes a risk, running straight at her foe. If she can reach them before she's knocked away with an attack, she drops them to the floor and snaps one of their arms. This is damaging, but as mentioned earlier, risky... better make sure your opponent isn't counting on this one. INTERCEPTION: D, DB, B, punch Yuiran crosses her arms, prepared to intercept her opponent's attack. If successful, Yuiran is unharmed by the enemy and can counter their attack if she acts quickly. ARM BREAKER CATCH: D...U, punch (close) Yuiran grabs her enemy from a stationary position, wrapping her legs around them, dropping them to the floor, and finally breaking an arm. The charge motion is rather unconventional for a grapple, and there's no miss animation, so you won't be given any indication that you've performed the attack unsuccessfully. SUPER MOVES ARM BUSTER: B, DB, D, DF, F, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HP Yuiran jabs forward twice in rapid succession. If the punches connect, she'll drop her opponent to the floor and snap the nearest available arm. It does a little more damage than the other Arm Breaker attacks but isn't much more impressive. I suspect that this is a multi-stage attack. FLIP OUT: DB... DF, DB, UF, then HP Yuiran runs toward her opponent... if she reaches them without getting attacked, she'll flip them behind her back. I suspect that this is a multi-stage attack, because the first blow doesn't do much damage and isn't particularly impressive. --- HARRY NESS Unfortunately named but extremely well armed military officer STATS NAME: Harry Ness OCCUPATION: A captain of the Marine Corps AGE: 34 HEIGHT: 194 cm WEIGHT: 103 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 7/4/1970 FROM: United States of America STRENGTHS: Harry's armed with rockets, which are devastatingly powerful. His selection of throws do a great deal of damage as well. WEAKNESSES: The downside to having your own arsenal of weapons is that you're bound to run out eventually. Also, Harry is (true to the wrestler stereotype) a little large and slow. SPECIAL ATTACKS ROCKET: D, DB, B, punch (hold) Rocket, baby! Harry fires an exploding rocket from the launcher on his wrist. It starts out slowly, then picks up speed as it travels. Once it connects with an enemy, it explodes, causing great damage to the opponent or, if they've blocked the missile, their guard gauge. The attack can be delayed by holding down the punch button, but Harry will release the rocket after six seconds, whether you're ready or not. One final note... this attack uses one rocket from Harry's supply, and if Harry has no rockets, he'll just stand there with his arm outstretched, giving the opponent a chance to strike. WRESTLING HEAT: B, DB, D, DF, F, punch (close) Harry snatches up his opponent, picks them up over his head, then drives them headfirst into the ground. A potent attack that requires close proximity to the enemy. PROPELLER KICK: F, D, DF, kick Harry quickly steps back, then leaps into the air with his massive legs spinning like the propeller of an aircraft. The Propeller Kick hits multiple times... when the attack is complete, your opponent will have suffered a good deal of damage. POINT BLANK: F, D, DF, punch Harry slides forward, hand outstretched. If he manages to catch a fist full of his opponent, he sticks his rocket launching wrist into their gut and unloads two rockets into their belly. If Harry only has one rocket left, he'll fire that, and if he's got none at all, he'll punch the enemy's stomach and toss them away in disgust, muttering "Lucky..." Harry takes two rockets from his available supply if the attack is successful (or less if that's all he has). If not, no rockets are used. SUPER MOVES FINAL OFFENSIVE: D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HK Harry throws a punch. If it connects, he continues to unleash punches and kicks on his foe, then ends the assault by firing EVERY rocket in his supply at his foe while they're gasping for breath. Deadly? Oh yes, very. WRESTLING BLAZE: B, DB, D, DF, F, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HP (close) Harry attempts to grab the opponent. If he succeeds, he really lays into them, driving them into the ground four times and finishing up with a devastating back drop. --- YUIREN very convincingly cross-dressed bar manager and songstress (songster?) STATS NAME: Yuiren OCCUPATION: A manager and a singer AGE: 20 HEIGHT: 170 cm WEIGHT: 61 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 3/3/1984 FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: She's similar to her sister Yuiran, but with a different set of moves that are easier to perform. Several of her moves are quite strong, particularly the supers. WEAKNESSES: Yuiren isn't much of a grappler, and it's tough to hit an opponent with her Bird in Flight attack. SPECIAL ATTACKS DASH PUNCH: D, DF, F, punch Yuiren rushes toward her opponent with an outstretched fist. Should they be so unwise as to accept this gift, the opponent is badly injured and thrown to the ground from the impact of the punch. SKY STRIKE: F, D, DF, kick Yuiren takes to the air with her knee outstretched. This doesn't do as much damage as the Dash Punch but it comes in handy for enemies in mid-air. BIRD IN FLIGHT: D, DB, B, kick Yuiren performs a beautiful aerial flip kick. This attack looks wonderful but can be difficult to use due to its trajectory... often, you'll find yourself flying past your opponent rather than into them. The weak kick shortens the distance of the Bird in Flight... use it if the enemy is nearby. COUNTER: D, DB, B, punch Yuiren crosses her arms in an attempt to defend herself from her enemy. This not only works as a suitable defense for attacks but gives Yuiren the chance to counter. SUPER MOVES SWAN SONG: D, DF, F, D, DF, F, then HP Yuiren dashes toward her opponent... if their defenses are down, she hammers away with punches and kicks, finally ending the assault with a Sky Strike (or several, if she's weak and her power gauge is full). This attack is both deadly and stylish, just like Yuiren herself. HAWK'S PREY: D, DB, B, D, DB, B, then HK Yuiren takes to the air, performing a series of Bird in Flight attacks. These flip kicks have much more generous collision detection than a standard Bird in Flight, and all three attacks in succession do an obscene amount of damage. --- TARO Frankenstein's redneck monster STATS NAME: Taro OCCUPATION: unknown AGE: unknown HEIGHT: 178 cm WEIGHT: 112 kg BIRTHDATE: unknown FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: Strong. Very, very strong. Taro's three stage attack can rack up damage quickly... if the Splashdown hits an unblocking opponent, chances are good that the Uppercutter and Spinning Arrow will as well. WEAKNESSES: Slow. Very slow. Neither the Uppercutter nor the Spinning Arrow can be used on their own... they must be chained from the Splashdown, and it can be tough to time them properly. SPECIAL ATTACKS SPLASHDOWN: D, DF, F, punch Taro leaps into the air with his arms and feet outstretched. He hopes to crush his enemy with his massive stomach... if he's successful, he can chain the Splashdown into an... UPPERCUTTER: D, DF, F, punch (perform at the height of your jump, after the Splashdown) Unsatisfied with a mere belly flop, Taro performs a leaping uppercut to add extra damage to the attack. Oddly, the motion for the Uppercutter must be performed at the height of Taro's Splashdown, but won't actually be executed until Taro lands. From there, Taro can finish up with a... SPINNING ARROW: D, DF, F, punch (perform at the height of your jump, after the Uppercutter) Taro is capable of a third attack, but this can only be performed after the Uppercutter. Taro leaps one more time, spiralling toward the opponent like a heavyset torpedo. LEG DROP: D, DB, B, kick Taro leaps for his opponent, feet first. This is similar to Yuiran's leg drop but carries a lot more weight behind it. FLIP KICK: F, DF, F, kick Taro performs a surprisingly agile somersault kick. Well, maybe not... he does wind up on his back afterwards. In any case, the Flip Kick drains your opponent's energy quickly and can be used to counter mid-air enemies. SUPER MOVES DAMN THE TORPEDOS: D, DF, F, D, DF, F, then HK Taro spirals upward, reaching the top of the screen with an extremely powerful Spinning Arrow. Heaven help anyone who's unfortunate to be in his path. Even if they're not, Taro can still hit them with a Belly Flop, which he performs after reaching the top of the screen with the Spinning Arrow. JUNKYARD SCRAP: D, DB, B, D, DB, B, then HP Taro's itching for a fight... he'll batter the opponent with a series of crushing punches and bone-splitting kicks. This brutal combo ends when Taro drops to the floor on his behind. --- RUCCIO ROCHE tiny assassin STATS NAME: Ruccio Roche OCCUPATION: A killer AGE: 16 HEIGHT: 164 cm WEIGHT: 58 kg SEX: male BIRTHDATE: 4/27/1988 FROM: unknown STRENGTHS: Roche is arguably the best character in the game, next to the typically overpowered bosses, of course. He's fast and his attacks are easily comboed into one another. Those attacks also do a lot of damage despite Roche's size. WEAKNESSES: Some of Roche's attacks are awkward, particularly the Red Snapper and its super charged counterpart, The Assassin. SPECIAL ATTACKS SHOULDER CHECK: D, DB, B, punch (hold) Roche charges up for a shoulder check that the average hockey player would kill to have. It's so strong that it pops the opponent fifteen feet into the air, allowing them to be juggled with subsequent attacks or even worse, Roche's complementary move the Nimble Step. The Shoulder Check can be delayed by holding down the punch button, but it can't be delayed forever... Roche will shoulder check the opponent after three seconds even if the punch button is still down. NIMBLE STEP: F, D, DF, kick Roche leaps into the air, hoping to catch an opponent on the end of his foot. If successful, he drops them to the ground and lands nimbly on their stomachs, probably crushing a few of their vital organs in the process. It's a decent anti-air move on its own, but the Nimble Step really shines when used in combos or after a successful Shoulder Check. A rule of thumb for Roche players... if your enemy's been knocked into their air, ALWAYS use a Nimble Step to bring them back down to terra firma. You're cheating yourself out of extra damage if you don't. RED SNAPPER: D, DB, B, kick, then punch or kick when near the enemy Perhaps one of Roche's most awkward moves. The junior assassin rushes toward his opponent... what he does from there is entirely up to you. Pressing punch will make Roche pounce on his enemy- if it's not blocked, Roche will mount their shoulders and snap their neck. Pressing kick makes Roche dive for his foe's legs... if it's not blocked, Roche will climb on his adversary's back and slit their throat. It's hard for the other player to predict but somewhat difficult to use effectively. VICIOUS CIRCLE: F, D, DF, punch Roche windmills his arms, slashing any enemies unfortunate enough to be close by. This isn't Roche's best move, but it works well in combos and it's fairly unique. SUPER MOVES DEADLY WALTZ: D, DF, F, D, DF, F, then HP Roche backhands the opponent... if that blow connects, he continues to pummel his victim with a variety of spinning strikes. He ends the combo by sending the enemy in mid-air, giving the player a chance to add even more damage to the Deadly Waltz by throwing in a Nimble Step. Combined, the two attacks will drain nearly half of the enemy's life bar. THE ASSASSIN: D, DB, B, DB, D, DF, F, then HK This more damaging version of the Red Snapper has many drawbacks... it's even tougher to catch an opponent with it, and it doesn't offer as many options as the Red Snapper. Roche slides toward his opponent, then pounces, hoping to mount their shoulders and snap their neck, finishing the job he was paid to do. It does hurt, but not as much as a Deadly Waltz paired with a Nimble Step. --- SPECIAL THANKS * Psikyo and The Steel Hearts, for making this game * GameFAQs, for hosting this strategy guide on its site * The guy who wrote a review of The Fallen Angels on GameFAQs... he figured out that the stance shift allows characters to perform an extra powerful kick or punch. I'll get his name when I revise the strategy guide later This FAQ is a trademark of Jess Ragan and JessCREATIONS*, Co. Unauthorized use of this guide is prohibited. The Fallen Angels is a trademark of Psikyo and The Steel Hearts. All rights reserved.