0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters U.S. SNES Version Raphael Guide Copyright 2007 - Lord HDL AIM: Lord HDL =============================================================================== Disclaimer: I'm assuming you all know the power drill (a play on words right in the beginning, and it's not even funny!). Because of all the problems in today's world (I make it sound like it's a big deal), I'm allowing this guide to be posted only on GameFAQs. If you're interested in using my guide (what?), you must first contact me (see above) and receive an approval (you must show me your site or wherever you plan to host the guide). I don't understand why anyone would want to use this character guide, but you never know, so I'm throwing it out there just in case. As you might know, taking it without permission is copyright violation. =============================================================================== Update History 4-13-07: The bulk of the guide was created in this day alone. 4-16-07: Fixed grammatical/spelling mistakes, corrected and added some info. =============================================================================== ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Table of Contents ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *1* .................... Introduction *2* .................... WTF, who plays this game? *3* .................... In-game Character Data *4* .................... Terminology *5* .................... Raph's Arsenal *6* .................... Raph 101 *7* .................... Raph's Matchups *8* .................... Special Thanks *9* .................... ABA (Answered Before Asked) *10*.................... Closure =============================================================================== *1* - Introduction This guide is all about the character Raphael in the fighting game "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters." The game (which will be shortened to TF in the guide), was developed and released by Konami in 1993, and plays very similarly to the fighting game standard: the Street Fighter series. It's a game that's heavily overlooked because for one, it is old, and two, it's NINJA TURTLES. The turtles are considered a thing of the past and, for some reason, kiddy. Mutant turtles that hide in the depths of a big city and train ninjutsu fighting against an army of other ninja warriors. Am I missing something? I guess too many people got used to the original animated series, which had a more bright and happy nature to it compared to the old comics. But anyway, this guide will detail various data about Raph as well as provide insight to strategies, matchups, and anything that would help you win with him This includes what you should do against human opponents that know what they're doing as well as people that have no clue. If you couldn't tell by now, I'm not all about fancy ASCII art and all the pretty flare to make the guide look better cosmetically. I'm about getting down in the dirt and tackling the actual details and content, so without further ado let's get down to the nitty gritty! =============================================================================== *2* - WTF, who plays this game? I do. Isn't that enough? Seriously, this game is pretty much a cult classic and you won't find many people who play it. Even less people who play it seriously and actually know stuff about it (you'll mainly find people who think they know a lot, but really don't). The people who make these guides on GameFAQs like it enough to make guides (so they obviously play it a lot). Like aforementioned, this game is unfortunately overlooked by many people because it is old and it is Ninja Turtles. Combine the fact that it was made by Konami (not Capcom), and is very similar to SF. Most people are going to view it as a cheap rip-off by a company that "doesn't have a clue how to make quality fighting games. These people are full of it, of course, because they never bothered to explore the game's extremeties and discover if it really is a bad competitive game or very deep and balanced. But I won't get into all the details as to why this game is perfectly suitable for tournament play, we need to focus on Raphael. Just know that there are people who play this game and you will find them if you look hard enough. But if you like this game and want to play people in it, the best way to do that is just learn as much as you can about it and then try to get other people interested (people who normally like playing 2D fighters competitively will most likely give it a try). =============================================================================== *3* - In-game Character Data Nickname: Rap (I believe this was supposed to say Raph. Huh?) Height: 5'08" Weight: 170 lbs Eyes: Black Age: 15 Birthplace: Shelly's Pet City, New Hampshell Weapons: Sai Favorite Activities: Solitude, sarcastic joking with friends Ultimate Goal: He wants to purchase gifts for all of his friends -On the character select screen, Raph is the second turtle next to Leonardo. Oddly the 2P cursor highlights Cyber Shredder by default and not Raph. Winning Quotes -Train yourself some more and then challenge me again! -I must be much stronger than I expected! -You fought well against my sai. You've earned my respect. =============================================================================== *4* - Terminology This guide is mainly for competitive players, people who actually put much effort into improving. I myself have been competing (not playing casually) since the olden days of SF. I go to SRK, the main competitive community for such games, and so I will be using SRK terminology in this guide. Hopefully if you're reading this guide and wanting to improve, then you already know all of this, but just in case I'll spell out the things you'll be seeing in this guide and what they mean. Normals: Attacks that require no special motion to be executed. Specials: These require special inputs. Leo's Shining Cutter is a special. Supers: Or Ultimate Attack in this game. This is the attack you can do only when filling your character's U.A. meter completely. Cancels: Interrupting the ending frames of a move in order to perform another action right away (such as canceling one move into another to combo). Links: Attacks that can combo but do not cancel into each other. Ticks: Doing a move (usually a fast one) that makes your opponent block, then grabbing immediately after their blockstun is over. Crossups: Moves that place you on the other side of the opponent and force them to guess which direction to block. Hitstun: The time period after getting hit, in which you are unable to act. Blockstun: The time period after blocking a hit. You are unable to act. Stun: The time period where you are dizzy and must press buttons rapidly in order to act faster. Frames: The individual sprites that, when combined, form a complete animation. Chip: Using special moves to do smaller amounts of damage against a blocking opponent. Empty Jump: Jumping at the opponent and doing no moves. Done as a fake to trick the opponent into blocking, usually to setup a grab. Pressure: Playing offensively in a way that limits your opponents options and forces them into a defensive position. Turtle: No, this does not mean playing as one of the turtles. Turtling is a defensive position taken to force the opponent into a trap or stall out the timer. Usually done with projectiles and long-ranged moves. Window: Time frame (example: small window of invincibility). Wakeup: The period of time in which you are getting back on your feet after being knocked down. Reversals: Moves done at the very first frame possible after receiving hitstun, blockstun, or waking up. Overheads: Moves that hit if the opponent is blocking low. Broken/Cheap: Something so good it is completely unfair and warrants a ban in serious matches. Karai and Ratking fit this description. ~Abbreviations~ s.lp - Standing Light Punch s.hp - Standing Hard Punch c.lp - Crouching Light Punch c.hp - Crouching Hard Punch j.lp - Jumping Light Punch j.hp - Jumping Hard Punch AA - Anti-air xx - Canceled into QCF - Quarter Circle Forward QCB - Quarter Circle Back HCF - Half Circle Forward HCB - Half Circle Back DP/SRK - Dragon Punch/Shoryuken (refers to specials that are done by pressing forward, then QCF + punch or kick.) u/b - Up and back pressed together. u/f - Up and forward pressed together. d/b - Down and back pressed together. d/f - Down and forward pressed together. -Kick moves follow the same format, but with a 'k' at the end instead of p. -Certain moves require a directional input to execute. For example, a b.hp is when you press hp while holding back. These are still considered normal moves and not special moves. These are the bulk of what you'll be seeing in the guide, so make sure you understand them all. It doesn't take too much effort to learn and memorize. =============================================================================== *5* - Raph's Arsenal This is his moves section. We'll take a look at every one of his moves, I'll explain special properties, and various important information about them. ~Punches~ s.lp - This is a high sai hook with very short range. Compared to other jab moves, it's pretty slow and not necessary to use at all. Up close it becomes a high elbow strike. Both versions can be canceled into all of his specials. s.hp - An excellent move with good range, priority, and startup speed. When done from a distance it leaves him safe. From far it's a sai slash, but up close it turns into a sai uppercut that be canceled into specials (it does not combo into Jamboree and Power Drill, only Chest Buster). Both versions serve as nice AAs. c.lp - A "low" sai thrust (can be blocked high) that starts and ends very fast. Cancels into all specials, but only combos into Chest Buster. It's pretty much the same as c.lk, but does not hit low and has less range, which makes it the inferior choice. c.hp - Raph's best AA. Great vertical range and priority. Highly unsafe against a ground opponent (unless you're right next to them) due to lack of horizontal range. This is the move you want to get good with to react to jump-ins. It's what will allow you to pave the way for a lot of Jamborees, since people will be afraid to jump recklessly. j.lp - A decent aerial strike. The hitbox lasts throughout the entire duration of the jump, so it may potentially catch people off guard. Low range and priority makes it risky, though. Pressing down while doing it changes the move into a jumping body splash, which has more range, lasts just as long, and can also be used as a crossup. j.hp - An excellent aerial sai thrust that is fast and has high priority, but low range. It's his main jump-in move and the first move used in punish combos after stunning. He retracts the sai fast, so you must be more careful in your placement. ~Kicks~ s.lk - A basic standing roundhouse kick that starts and ends fast. Pretty good range. Oddly, it does not cancel into anything, but you CAN link it into c.lp and c.lk. Up close, it becomes a LOW kick to the shins. The opponent will get hit if blocked high. The close version also links into c.lp and c.lk. s.hk - The standard turtle high roundhouse kick with high priority. You'll pretty much never want to use this move unless as AA, in which case c.hp is still better (unless your opponent jumps at a distance c.hp will not reach due to poor horizontal range). Up close it turns into an outward double kick that hits high. It has very high priority and low moves pass right under it! However even though he is technically in the air, he can still be grabbed out of it before the first kick hits. The far s.hk can be crouched and Raph will miss entirely, but the close version still hits a crouching opponent (with the exception of Armaggon). c.lk - The main combo starter and pressure move of Raph's game. It comes out fast, ends fast, hits low, and cancels into all specials (only combos into Chest Buster). Most of the time you'll be punishing mistakes with three (or four if you're close) c.lk xx Chest Buster (lk or hk version). c.hk - Typical high priority sweep that knocks down. It does cancel into specials, but does not combo into them because it knocks down. You must be thinking that's pretty stupid, but there is a good purpose, but I'll explain that later in the guide. j.lk - If you jump straight up, it's a high upward kick with very poor range. A bad move overall that you never want to use. While jumping backward or forward, it becomes a knee drop. Another bad move with poor range, but a slightly better hitbox since it hits lower and can crossup (which you shouldn't even attempt, because you need perfect positioning; too much risk for little reward). j.hk - Raph's other great aerial move apart from j.hp. This does not hit as high as the j.hp, so use it when you need a lower hitbox. It looks like it has a lot more range than j.hp, but they are more or less the same. j.hk, however, can easily crossup and links into ground moves, making this move your standard crossup tool. ~Specials~ Jamboree - Done by pressing HCF + punch. This is Raph's projectile. He has a little startup, but NO lag after he throws it. The lp version goes slow and the hp version goes fast. It's one of the best projectiles in the game, but should not be abused heavily (not to be confused with "used a lot") due to the startup. You can throw another one right after throwing the first one if it hits or collides with another projectile. It does not go over Chrome Dome's Chrome Spark or Donatello's Ground Claw. It can go through Cyber Shredder's Aura Shield if done up close. Power Drill - A charge move. Done by holding back (or d/b) for about a second and a half, then pressing forward + punch. This is a very safe move with high priority and range. You cannot get grabbed out of this move, but moves with invicibility and projectiles will still knock you out of it. The lp version is good for maintaining up close pressure without putting yourself within grab range, and the hp version crosses up, as well as do good chip damage and can work as a tick. Chest Buster - Raph's best special, also a charge move. Done the same way as Power Drill, but with kick instead. However, if blocked, only the lk version is safe, and only if done from maximum distance (be careful, Chrome Dome will always be able to punish you with his EPD). This move is part of his main punisher, which involves three or four c.lk xx Chest Buster. The best part about this move is that it has a small window of invincibility at the very start, so you are able to counter almost any move with it, use it as an AA, and even go right through projectiles. Throws - He has two. Press forward or backward while pressing hp or hk. With the hp throw, Raph will just simply toss them away (they get knocked down from this). The hk throw will have Raph suplex them, also knocking them down. The hk throw is the better of the two, because it does more damage and it leaves them closer to you, which makes it easier to crossup and pressure. Backflips - Done by double tapping back. A somewhat useful technique that gives Raph complete invincibility until near the end. Every now and then you can use it to put some space between you and the opponent, or dodge projectiles if you are in the corner (if you try it midscreen, you may still manage to block it). I highly advise against using it too often, because you can be easily grabbed near the end of it. ~Ultimate Attack~ Raphael's super move is called Atomic Energy, done by pressing hp + hk after filling his meter completely. It's one of the best supers in the game thanks to the complete invincibility he has during it, and the amount of screen space it covers. Raphael shoots fireballs from his sais (he can do that now?) in all the space in front of him, forcing the opponent to get hit, or block and still take plenty of chip damage. The opponent CAN avoid the entire thing if they manage to get close and walk under him as he's rising. Which is why you never want your opponent to get that close when you're about to use it. Poke them out of range and then execute it. Strangely, all those fireballs miss if the opponent is hit with one, but not when they block. One fireball still takes more damage than a bunch of blocked fireballs, though, but don't let that prevent you from doing it right away. If they block they still take a lot of damage, and more often than not that is enough to turn a match around. =============================================================================== *6* - Raph 101 This section is all about Raphael's traps, combos, and his main goals when on the battlefield. This is probably what you came in here looking for. As far as the combos go, you already know that he can only combo a Chest Buster after normals, but can still cancel certain normals into any special, if you read the previous section. So he can't combo much, but the things he can combo are very effective. However, it's when setting up traps that Raph's dominance really shines. ~Simple Combos~ -Close s.hp xx Chest Buster -Close c.hp xx Chest Buster -c.lp xx Chest Buster -c.lk xx Chest Buster -s.lp (close and far) xx Chest Buster Not much of a selection here, huh? The best stuff if yet to come. ~Punish Combos~ -c.lk x1 or x2 from far, x3 from mid-range, and x4 from very close, xx Chest Buster. This is Raphael's main punisher, and it's what you'll want to do most of the time. -j.hp linked into close s.hp (or c.hp) xx Chest Buster -j.hk crossup linked into close s.hp (or c.hp) xx Chest Buster -j.hk crossup or j.hp linked into c.lk x4 xx Chest Buster The last few are part of a 100% stun and 100% life combo Raph has. Against most characters, a j.hp/hk, close s.hp/c.hp xx Chest Buster completely stuns the opponent. However, this only applies to the first time you stun the opponent in the match. If you stun them once and then try this combo, it will not stun them (but one more strong hit will stun them afterwards). The only exceptions to this are Raph and Mikey, who can be stunned twice in a row using this combo, and then a few more hits for 100% damage on Raph on Mikey. I know, it sounds broken, but it really isn't. Against a good opponent you'll almost never pull this combo off unless you predict a projectile and jump over it early, or you stunned them first (in which case the combo will not stun). Good stuff for Raph? Definitely. But not broken in the least. ~Traps~ Unlike combos, you can't really have a set pattern with traps that will always stay the same. There are general things that you'll want to always do, but not in a set pattern like with combos. So instead of listing traps I'll explain how you can use certain moves to put the pressure on. From Close: You basically want to use c.lk and Power Drills to pressure up close. Use c.lk once, twice, or three times depending on your distance from the opponent, then use a lp Power Drill. This will keep you out of their grab range and allow you to block any type of reversal they attempt. The trick is to not do the Power Drill after a set number of kicks, but by assessing your distance from the opponent. A hp Power Drill will allow you to crossup and will chip the opponent multiple times if blocked. If you do it after hitting with a far c.lk, you will land right next to the opponent and can grab them afterwards. This is not a foolproof trap, a fast reversal and things with invincibility will hit you out of your Power Drill. When pressuring, make sure not to Power Drill every time after the c.lk. Sometimes it's good to just sit there and crouch block to bait a reversal, then punish with a grab or a few c.lk xx Chest Buster. To an extent, Jamborees after c.lk and c.hk can serve as some good pressuring. Never use Chest Buster while they're blocking unless you hit with the very tip using lk. If you hit someone from close or mid-range with a c.hk, you can cross them up by canceling into Chest Buster (preferably hk version). This is useful when you need to get out of the corner and put them in it. If you hit with c.hk from far, a hp Power Drill is the only way to cross them. And of course, don't forget to tick throw after a c.lk or a lp Power Drill. From Far: Toss Jamborees and use s.hp if they try to jump over them. They'll get hit back and you can keep tossing Jamborees. You may also be able to jump forward with a j.hp, but this can be risky. There's not much to do from far to keep your opponent from getting close to you, but Raphael can still do it very well by using projectiles and punishing attempts to jump over them. Mid-range: Jamborees help, but you can't use them as much. Every now and then you can toss one, then punish a jump-in attempt with a c.hp. Use s.hp to poke every now and then, with occasional projectiles. You mainly want to move back and forth and attacking occasionally, to provoke mistakes. Walk up close, c.lk, walk back out of range. Be ready to block attempts at counter pressuring. To sum it all up, up close is where Raph is a beast, so you want to be there a lot. However, he is still excellent at turtling, and you still cannot play recklessly even up close, which means you need to make time for delays and fakes. Mid-range pressuring is what you want to do to safely get close, and far pressuring is what you want to do when your life is very low, or if the opponent is making it difficult for you to get close. Keep in mind that up close pressuring is best done against characters with no fast/invincible reversals, such as Wingnut. =============================================================================== *7* - Raph's Matchups Each character plays differently, so of course you're going to look out for specific things. If you're looking for general strategies, just refer to the previous section. The traps and combos described make up the bulk of what your goals should be when using Raph against any character. This section is more about pointing out the specific things that don't necessarily remain the same in each matchup. VS Leo: This can be a very tough matchup for Raph thanks to Leo's far s.hp and his Shining Cutters. One way to trick Leo into leaving himself open is by engaging in a projectile war at mid-range. You have to be careful because he may still slip in a s.hp while you are tossing Jamboree, but if he doesn't you can jump after using one, because Raph has no lag after his projectile, but Leo does. This is a nice way of setting up a 100% stun combo, which leads into another devastating combo that can pretty much guarantee the match. If the Leo is aware of this, he will not engage in the projectile war and this gives you more freedom to use more Jamborees and get closer. If this doesn't work, use lk Chest Busters right before the Shining Cutters hit you, and you'll pass right through them. Never jump-in unless you do it early while Leo is using Shining Cutter, otherwise you'll get a Roto Cutter in the face. If he gains meter, do not let him get far. His Millenium Wave has lengthy startup, so if you see Leo putting his katanas away, smack him out of it. You can also jump over him, but chances are Leo will be doing everything in his power to keep you at a distance. Don't let him. VS Raph: Obviously this is a pretty even match, but Raph is one of the best characters, so it's not really going to be easy. You basically want to stick with the goals indicated in the previous section. If the opposing Raph is doing the same, then chance are he's using Jamboree to a great degree. Don't be fooled, this is bait. He's waiting for you to Chest Buster right through one so he can counter you with his own Chest Buster, then go in for a crossup. This is exactly what you should do, so make sure to use projectiles a lot from far. If you are completely across the screen, you can use a lk Chest Buster to go through one of his Jamborees, then toss a Jamboree of your own (do not do this if he used hp Jamboree). You'll be able to throw one first because one Raph cannot have two of his own Jamborees on the screen at once. It has to hit, be blocked, or leave the screen before he can toss another one. But don't abuse that strategy because he can still hit you because you toss one. Up close pressuring is dangerous because of the Chest Buster reversals. So your main goal here is to bait that Chest Buster and counter the hefty lag it has. If he gets his meter, he's completely invincible and covers plenty of screen space. You need to get close like with Leo and walk under him. In a nutshell, this is a battle of attrition. VS Don: You can do the same projectile trick as you did with Leo, except that Don's Ground Claw is the fastest projectile in the game, so you have to be careful that you don't throw a Jamboree when it's already close. Doing so will result in the Jamboree going right past it, and you getting hit. His s.hp is fast, has range, and priority, so you don't want to be getting close to this guy without careful thinking. If you can manage to catch him in the lag of his Ground Claw, you know what to do. 100% stun, followed by the same combo for ridiculous damage. He might not have Chest Buster, but he does have the Headspin, which has invincibility at the startup, making it an ideal counter move. And above all else, do NOT let this guy jump-in. c.hp him each and every time, because if you let him do so he will use j.hp/hk, then bo thrusts when he lands. The bo thrusts combo and do big damage if they hit, not to mention a lot of chip damage if you block it. On the bright side, using Chest Buster to go through Ground Claws is ideal, because Don's hitbox is extended in front of him as he uses it, increasing the chance that you'll counter any Ground Claw attempt. During his Fire Dragon he is invincible, but thankfully if you crouch block you'll avoid most of the damage. VS Mikey: Jumping over his Dragon Breath is about as dangerous as jumping over Raph's Jamboree. Chances are he's charging Rising Thunder in case you jump. Rising Thunder is high priority and has invincibility at the start, so don't bother. Instead, you can do the usual Chest Buster through the projectile from far, being wary of his s.hp (all turtles have a good s.hp with range, it seems). One thing I need to stress is to not get caught by his Dynamite Bomber. The hp version hits all 6 times against all the turtles, and he can combo a lp Rising Thunder after it for 100% stun. Unlike Raph's 100% stun, this combo WILL stun a second time if he does it again, which will guarantee your loss. Because of this, take your time and play a far game, tossing projectiles and occasionally poking him at mid-range. Be constantly prepared to react to his Dynamite Bomber and hit him out of it, or grab when he lands. If you block he can throw in a s.hp to make sure you don't jump (you can Chest Buster through this). Make sure not to block it high, because it'll fill up more of Mikey's meter, as opposed to blocking low which doesn't give him much. Sometimes he will purposely not hit you and then grab when he lands. He can also cross you up with it if you're crouching. Try your best to prevent this, but if it does happen, grab as soon as possible. Mikey is also invincible during his Dance of Fury. He dashes toward you when he uses it, so jump over him and land behind him. Wait until he uses the Rising Thunder at the end and then punish him when he touches the floor. You can also jump and let him hit you while you're in the air, and that'll allow you to miss most of the attack (much like out next contender). VS Armaggon: This isn't a big deal for Raph. Armaggon can't do much up close except try to reversal with Jaws Upper, so you definitely want to pressure up close and bait one of those for an easy punish. Try not to Chest Buster to counter his Diving Swim, because you will trade hits. c.hp eats through it just fine without trading. Be careful when using Chest Busters through his Aqua Cyclone. He doesn't have a lot of lag after using one and his c.hk has enough range to counter you. Even if you use one from the very end of screen, he simply has to use a c.hk. It's tricky using lk Chest Buster through the projectiles. He can keep tossing Aqua Cyclones fast, but he's at a disadvantage because he has to charge the move, while you can throw Jamborees without charging. If you stop his projectiles with your own, and his Diving Swim with c.hp, he's not going to be able to do much more to harass you, and that's when you know you're in full control of the match. If he gets his meter, he'll cover the entire ground with a wave of water while doing a Jaws Upper. All you have to do is jump at him as he does it and get hit by him (not the wave). If you get hit by him you take minimal damage and get knocked down, which allows you to avoid the entire thing. VS Wingnut: This is hands down, one of your toughest matches if you cannot maintain the flow of pressuring. First off, Wingnut has no invincible reversal, so your up close traps are going to be working wonders here. If you can do that and keep him on the defensive, then you're increasing your chances of winning big time. But if you cannot, you have to be one step ahead at all times. Wingnut can pressure really good just like Raph can thanks to his c.lk, dash punch, s.hp, and worst of all, a little aerial trick he can do thanks to his hover. Wingnut is capable of hovering backward or forward any time he is air borne. This means that he has the best aerial game for any character. Wingnut can jump, hover forward as soon as he's in the air, and then j.hp you. This comes out very fast and will overhead you if you do not block high. He will land very fast directly after this and will be able to combo if he hits, or pressure with his excellent ground pressure game. On top of all this he can hover without using a move to trick you, then grab right when he lands. The strategy here is to never let Wingnut get close with these moves. Keep him far, and setup a nice Chest Buster counter. It only takes one Chest Buster to turn the tables, because that's when you'll be able to cross him up and pressure up close. Remember, you can counter his pressuring in between hits thanks to the invincibility of the Chest Buster, but he cannot do the same for you. And above all else, make sure Wingnut does not get close when he gets his meter. If he manages to get directly above you and activate Mad Spectre, you'll eat the full six hits and lose the match. If you're already pressuring him, keep it up and make him lose meter. If not, run. VS CD: When fighting Chrome Dome you'll be harassed by a lot of long-ranged moves. These include u/f and u/b j.hk, j.hp, c.hk, c.hp, Chrome Spark, and of course, the EPD (Electric Pile Driver). Jumping at him is also a trick thanks to his b.hp and u/f and u/b j.hk. They will always hit you out of your jump-ins, meaning you need to somehow get close. But if you get close, you stand the chance of getting caught by the EPD, which is a command grab that has more range than the average grab and does more damage. So how to fight him? Jamboree once again saves the day, as you'll be able to toss them at a much faster rate than he can toss Chrome Sparks. If you play at mid-range, you can also Chest Buster right through one. Knock him down, then go in for a crossup since he no good reversals. The only invincible reversal he has is hp Chrome Spark, and if you cross him up you won't get hit with it and you'll be able to hit him after landing. Continue this until he manages to block the crossup correctly, then stay on him with the usual c.lk and Power Drill pressuring. Do not pressure with Chest Buster! Only use it when you are far and want to go through a Chrome Spark, or if your c.lk hit him. Otherwise, if he blocks it he can EPD you in your lag, even if you used it from maximum distance. His super is pretty bad. Not only does it have poor range, but he leaves himself completely vulnerable while falling (you can hit him out of the air). When he gets meter, just keep him away and don't let him corner you. Walk into his range and back out to trick him into using it, then just keep back and walk forward after he rockets into the air. VS Aska: Another character with an invincible reversal, making up close traps a little risky. She has no projectile, so the best way to fight her is to stay very far and throw Jamboree over and over. Basically use the far and sometimes mid-range strategies outlined in the previous section. If she somehow manages to get past them, you've got the c.hp to seal the deal. And she really shouldn't be gaining any meter here, but if she does manage to pressure you up close with her Kunai Spin and fast punches, she'll be getting a lot of it. And most of the time you won't really need to worry about her getting enough meter for her super, but just in case she gets it, you can easily pass right through it with Chest Buster, even the lk version. VS War: This guy is a joke. Raph might as well draw a picture of War on a piece of toilet paper and wipe himself with it... right in front of War's face. Just do the same thing against him like against Aska. If he ever attempts his Jump Head Press, then he's asking for an easy c.hp up the rear end. On the flipside, don't underestimate how fast and high priority moves are, especially up close. Beware of his s.hk, when done from far it must be blocked LOW. If some miracle happens and War gets full meter, his super is too much of a joke to cause worry anyway. Just let him have his bouncy fun and punish him when it's over. VS CS: Cyber Shredder, possibly Raph's toughest opponent. Cyber Shredder has all the necessary options to put Raph on lockdown. He's got the Aura Shield, which reflects all projectiles except supers (with the exception of Leo's Millenium Wave, which can be reflected). The Knee Crush, which is an upward AA move that, surprisingly, is not invincible, but still very high priority. And the Aura Crusher, which tracks (the hp version) and pressures very well. Some characters can crouch under the second hit and hit him in his lag, but Raph blocks both hits if crouching. It has invincibility at the start, so if you're looking to interrupt him you have to wait for a good bit (he's vulnerable right before the uppercuts). His c.lp is very fast, don't try to interrupt it (unless he's doing them slowly). But if you block a c.lk or c.hk, you may have your chance for a Chest Buster reversal. Use Jamborees occasionally, and don't try to jump-in if he uses Aura Shield. He'll just counter with Knee Crush or Aura Crusher and get you in a bad spot. Yeah you can hit him, but chances are he'll hit you without trading. If it weren't for the Aura Shield, you could toss projectiles from far and keep him from pressuring you up close, but instead you need to play mid-range/up close and use a projectile every now and then, baiting him so you can counter with Chest Buster or ticks. After knocking him down, stay close but don't be so quick to act, as he can Aura Crusher on wakeup. You're basically just going to have to out poke him and score a few tick throws. If he gets meter, you can avoid his Lightning Crusher by jumping straight up or backwards. Don't let him get close to do it, and don't try to hit him during it, as he's invincible. What you can do to punish, though, is jump at him slightly late if he did it while you were at mid-range, and that'll allow you to catch him afterwards with the main jump-in combo: j.hp, close s.hp xx Chest Buster. =============================================================================== *8* - Special Thanks To be honest, no one really helped me with this guide at all. I learned just about all the info here, except official game data, by playing the game extensively and studying all the moves, situations, etc. If in the future someone helps me out with something (like a certain strategy explained to me and I decide to update the guide with it), I'll give credit here. But other than that, I guess I thank Konami for making a quality turtles game, proving that sometimes companies you'd never expect can make a game of a foreign genre and do it right the first time. =============================================================================== *9* - ABA (Answered Before Asked) Yeah I call it that because no one has actually asked me these questions, so they can't really be frequent. But after reading this guide, one may have questions in mind, so hopefully I'll provide answers here without having to be contacted. Q: So you made a Raphael guide. Will you be making a guide for anyone else? A: Probably not. Maybe, but probably not. Q: Do you use any other characters? A: Yes, almost all of them. Q: I disagree with some things in your guide. How long have you been playing this game? I question your credibility. A: I first played this game when it came out. I played for a long time and then stopped, but then picked it up again. When it comes to fighters I've been competing for over a decade, and I love SF style games (although my main fighter is not a 2D fighter). I think that anyone good at these types of games will agree with at least most of what I said after some careful reading. And before questioning my credibility, you should question your own first. Q: Can I use this guide elsewhere? A: Not without my permission. Read the disclaimer at the top. Q: If I send you some info you don't already have, will you give me credit? A: If I think it's significant and use it I will give credit in section 8. Q: Do you play online? A: No. I have a high speed connection, but I never get a good connection when playing online games with other people. Q: Will you ever show videos of yourself playing? A: For now, no, but it's quite possible I will in the future. =============================================================================== *10* - Closure And finally, the end of the Raphael guide for TMNT: TF. I hope that, even if you know much about Raph, you at least learned some new things. Even if you don't use Raph, this guide could help you learn how to fight against him. I have put a lot of effort paying attention to details, trying to get all of this as accurate as possible. Please do me the favor of pointing out any mistakes or possible incorrect information, because I actually made this entire guide in one day and monotony got the best of me. If you can post or contact me, please give some feedback. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000