=============================================================================== Budokan: The Martial Spirit, Walkthrough FAQ =============================================================================== Version 1.0 / Compiled By Daniel Dinglasan =============================================================================== Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Why did I write this FAQ? 3. Basic Controls 4. Training tips for each Weapon/Style and Move Lists a. Karate b. Kendo c. Bo d. Nunchaku 5. Tournament Tips 6. Opponent Strategies and Profiles a. Match 1: Goro Suzuki b. Match 2: Eiji Kimura c. Match 3: Jimi Doran d. Match 4: Shigeo Ka Wahara e. Match 5: Tetsuo Okabe f. Match 6: Arnie Gustafson g. Match 7: Hiroshi Ikeda h. Match 8: Miyuki Hirose i. Match 9: Randy Wu j. Match 10: Ayako Maruyama k. Match 11: Kazuo Sakata l. Match 12: Tokage 7. End / Credits 8. Copyright Information =============================================================================== 1. Introduction - Welcome. If you are reading this FAQ, you: 1. are bored and are just browsing around or 2. are a frustrated Budokan player and have just about given up. If number 2 applies to you, you're in luck! Here you see before you is a guid I have compiled to assist you in your conquest of the Budokan. I assure you, however, that this will be by no means an easy task. This game requires your time, patience, and, of course, skills. I will impart these skills upon your fighting spirit. I'll give you the skills and strategies you'll need to become the champion! =============================================================================== 2. Why did I write this FAQ? - Budokan, in many people's opinions, is the worst game ever created, so you'd be wondering why anyone would write a FAQ about it. Because of the frustrating controls and ridiculously smart AI, those who try Budokan drop the game after being knocked out by Goro Suzuki one too many times. Stating the obvious, Budokan is HARD, especially if you don't know what you're doing. Why finish the game, you ask? The only answer I can give is bragging rights. Since no one has written a FAQ about Budokan, I am assuming that only a handful of people have bought or borrowed the game & that fewer people have finished it. After watching various family members try Budokan and fail miserably, I decided to give it a shot. It takes a lot of know-how and practice to beat this game and the purpose of this FAQ is to show you how to fight various opponents using specific weapons. =============================================================================== 3. Basic Controls - This is the most important part of a game, playability. Sadly, this ain't a button masher. Guess the creators wanted people to actually "play" the game. UP - Hold to jump straight up BLOCKING - *Time with attack DOWN - Hold to crouch down High Block - Forward+Up LEFT - Stance for a special move Mid Block - Forward RIGHT - Stance for a special move Low Block - Forward+Down A,B,C Buttons - *I'll refer to these as Attack Buttons. Use any one of these to attack (combine with a direction). START - Pause the game MOVING - DOWN+FORWARD - Move forward JUMPING - UP+FORWARD - Jump forward DOWN+AWAY - Move Backward UP+AWAY - Jump backward =============================================================================== 4. Training tips for each Weapon/Style and Move Lists a. Karate: Yup. Just your good ol' fists and feet. Good only against certain opponents. PROS: -Faster (?) than other styles in terms of attack speed -Great jump kick CONS: -Very hard to defend; next to impossible actually -All attacks on ground are hard to use accurately -Punches have the worst range; better off using kicks MOVE LIST: -Punch (Forward+Attack Button) -Crouch Kick (Down, Attack Button) -High Punch (Forward+Up+Attack Button) -Low Punch (Forward+Down+Attack Button) -Jump Kick (Hold Forward+Up, then press & hold Attack Button) -Spinning Jump Kick (Hold Forward+Up, then press & hold Backward+ UP+Attack Button) -Kick (Hold Away, then press Attack Button) -Spin Kick (Hold Away, then press Forward+Attack Button) -Forward Kick (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) -Sweep (Hold Down, then press Away+Attack Button) STRATEGIES: This is perhaps the worst style you can use. There are only a handful of opponents that this style is actually good against. I suggest using the jump kick as often as possible, since it hits twice and can push your opponent out of the ring (I'll explain this later). Do not use the Spinning Jump Kick unless you're comfortable with performing it (very hard!), and even then, it is still not as good. All other moves seem to be a lost cause against computer opponents as they are too good at blocking; only use those other moves if you feel you can get away with it (by that I mean, don't get killed or lose 60% of your stamina for one measly hit). My walkthrough will show you which weapons/styles are effective for certain matches but if you can get away with winning a round with Karate, by all means, DO IT!! Just be sure to save at least one use for the last match (or Kendo, which is preferred over Karate). b. Kendo: THIS is the best style to use in my opinion. It offers several advantages and has only a few weaknesses which do not really matter as long as you fight the right opponent. PROS: -Fast Strikes (better than Karate's attack speed) -Long Range with Kendo, which enables safe poking -Fairly easy to utilize defensive techniques -Powerful attacks to smack opponents around with CONS: -Bad if you are in too close -Jump attack stinks MOVE LIST: -Basic Strike (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) -Jump Strike (Hold Up+Forward+Attack Button) -Crouch Strike (Hold Down, then press Attack Button) -High Strike (Hold Away, then press Forward+Up+Attack Button) -Mid Strike (Hold Away, then press Forward+Attack Button) -Low Strike (Hold Away, then press Forward+Down+Attack Button) STRATEGIES: Kendo is the best style to use. Its simplicity and good range along with the power of its attack makes it the ideal weapon against almost any opponent. Since you have limited uses of the Kendo (four to be exact), use it only against the tougher opponents (trust me, they're not ALL tough). I've developed a nice little technique for fighting opponents with the Kendo. Actually, it is simply using the Mid Strike (Hold Away, then press Forward+Attack Button) repeatedly. After performing a Mid Strike, immediately do it again, then again; somewhere in that flurry, your opponent may block one or none of these attacks and therefore, he/she will suffer major damage! This strategy works against most opponents and will work against the last boss. You can also block effectively with Kendo but your offense will most likely interrupt your opponent and keep him/her from doing much of anything, so defense is usually no concern. This is one of best styles to use so conserve it as best as you can! c. Bo: The Bo offers many advantages but also many downfalls, unfortunately. PROS: -Provides longest ranged attacks, allowing safe poking somewhat -Good jump attack (hits twice) -Easiest defense to utilize (Hold Away, and any Attack Button) CONS: -Slow attacks (probably the slowest) -Bad at close-range fighting -Surprisingly weak attacks (except for jump attack) MOVE LIST: -Mid Strike (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) -High Strike (Hold Forward, then press Forward+Up+Attack Button) -Low Strike (Hold Forward, then press Forward+Down+Attack Button) -Crouch Strike (Hold Forward+Up, then press Away+Up+AttackButton) -Jump Strike (Hold Forward+Up, then press Forward+Attack Button) -Spin Jump Strike (Hold Forward+Up, then press Away+Up+Attack Button) -Spin Forward Thrust (Hold Away, then press Forward+AttackButton) -Overhead Attack (Hold Forward, then press Away+Attack Button) -Full Defend (Hold Away+Attack Button) STRATEGIES: The Bo should and does have numerous advantages but frankly, it is not one of the best weapons to use; it only works great against certain opponents which I will point out in the opponent strategies section. Yes, the Bo has great range (the best, in fact), but it is also slow, and not as strong as the Nunchaku or Kendo. If you feel you can get away with using the BO, once again, DO IT! Saving your Nunchaku and Kendo for the tougher fights will make finishing Budokan much easier. When you DO use the Bo, always poke your opponent (utilize that range!) and keep your distance; don't fight in close as you'll get pounded very quickly that way. The jump attack is one of the more powerful attacks so use it especially when you have your opponent backed to the end of the mat to push him/her out. Overall, the Bo is best used as a secondary weapon to conserve your other styles. By the way, there are two matches where you can fully utilize the Full Defend (Hold Away+Attack Button) that I'll show you later on. d. Nunchaku: In my opinion, Nunchaku is the best style/weapon next to Kendo. It combines speed with power and range! Conserve this as well! PROS: -Fast attacks (keep the pressure on!) -Great range (allows for safe attacking) -Powerful attacks (three-hit combo attack) CONS: -Hard to defend with Nunchaku -Jump attack is not that great MOVE LIST: -High Strike (Hold Forward+Up,then press Attack Button) -Low Strike (Hold Forward+Down, then press Attack Button) -Mid Strike (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) -Jump Strike (Hold Up+Forward, then press Attack Button) -Spin Jump Strike (Hold Up+Forward, then press Up+Away+Attack Button) -Double Hit (Hold Away, then press Up+Attack Button) -Triple Hit (Hold Away, then press Down+Attack Button) -Overhead Hit (Hold Forward, then press Up+Forward+Attack Button) -Mid Hit (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) -Triple Body Hit (Hold Forward, then press Down+Forward+Attack Button) STRATEGIES: As stated above, Nunchaku's speed, range and strength make it a very valuable weapon especially when facing the later opponents. In fact, there are three matches where you can win using just the Mid Hit (Hold Forward, then press Attack Button) over and over again. This leaves you with just one use (only four uses per weapon/style) so do not waste Nunchaku on easy opponents (I'll rank them on a difficulty scale of 1 to 10 ). The triple hit has great range so use it to poke opponents from a distance. You can mix up your attacks as almost all of them have the range and strength. Too bad each weapon has limited uses. Otherwise, I would use Kendo and Nunchaku the whole way! This forces us to utilize every weapon/style at least once so we're better off making the best of it. Basically, the Nunchaku is a great all-around weapon so you'll definitely want to conserve it. =============================================================================== 5. Tournament Tips - Here, I'll explain the basic rules of the Budokan Tournament. You are also probably wondering what Stamina and Ki are so I'll explain there as well. -STAMINA: This is your life bar. More importantly, stamina has a direct influence on your fighting. At full stamina, you'll be able to perform attacks with relative ease. At half, attacks become harder to perform and it is harder to move. If you are near defeat, all attacks become near impossible to perform and moving is very difficult. People that play this game complain about all the frustration of the controls but the reason is because the creators decided to entwine your life bar with the difficulty of controls. I admit it is definitely different from what I've seen before but this single-handedly makes Budokan that much harder of a game. -KI: If you attack or get hit, you'll notice your Ki decreases. During most matches, it will stay empty since you are either attacking or getting hit yourself. However, if you do not attack or get hit for a time, Ki will increase (until you attack or get hit). Defending efficiently is key to increasing Ki but defending is impossible, right? With the Nunchaku and Karate, it pretty much is impossible. With Kendo and Bo, however, you actually have good defensive techniques at your disposal. What's the point of Ki? To increase your strength. At max, you can defeat your opponent with a single blow or two. Patience is a huge factor when increasing Ki; be calm, do not rush in, and defeat your opponent with one focused attack (this does not work all the time). -Rules of the Budokan: 1. As mentioned many times before, you can only use each style (Karate, Kendo, Bo, and Nunchaku) four times. A weapon/style becomes "used" up if you win the match using that weapon/style. If you run out of weapons/ styles, you automatically forfeit the tournament. 2. If you lose to a particular opponent twice, you'll be pushed back to the previous fight (i.e. if you lose twice in Match 9, you will have to face the opponent of Match 8 again). You cannot restore any uses of a weapon/ style in this case (or at all for that matter). 3. If you lose twice in the first match (it happens...), you are out of the tournament. Keep in mind that you can enter the tournament as many times as you want so don't give up if you lose the first match. 4. You will be fighting in a mat and when either you or your opponent goes "out of bounds", you'll be set back in the mat. Pushing your opponent is a great way to ruin their Ki and reduce their Stamina a bit. It is a dirty way of fighting but we're looking to win the Budokan Tournament! You don't get penalized for doing that anyway so utilize this so-called "dishonorable" trait in fighting! =============================================================================== 6. Opponent Strategies and Profiles - Now, let's enter the Budokan Tournament and show everyone what we're made of! In this section, I'll walk you through each match (there are twelve matchs in all) and give you the strategies you'll need to conquer each opponent. - First off, let me make a note: conserve Kendo and Nunchaku as best as you can and if you absolutely must, use Nunchaku before Kendo. The last few matches are better fought with these weapons and you don't want to take on a Yari-wielding warrior with your bare hands and feet, do you?! a. Match 1: Goro Suzuki School: Ozeki-Ryu Rank: Shodan Weapon: Karate Profile: Goro is better known for his sushi-eating ability than his Karate skill, but don't underestimate him. He'e got a good punch and a hefty kick. You'd better stay alert. Strategy: (Use Karate) What is said in Goro's profile is true; he's not too much of a fighter. Don't waste Kendo, Nunchaku, or Bo on this guy. He is not hard to defeat. Using Karate, utilize what I like to call the "in your face" offensive by doing repeated jump kicks (not spinning). This will push Goro out of the mat and he will get the "fault" every time. Basically, do this until you win. Beware also that low stamina will make jump kicks harder to do so make each one count! Difficulty: 4 out of 10 b. Match 2: Eiji Kimura School: Yagyu-Ryu Rank: Shodan Weapon: Kendo Profile: Known around town as the "Kamikaze Kid", Eiji knows only one thing -- all out offensive fighting. He'll want to take you out early, so watch out for his opening combination. Strategy: (Use Karate) Once again, Karate is your best bet against Eiji, since we're trying to conserve the other styles. Kendo is a great style but not when it is used by Eiji. Fight him using the same strategy as you used against Goro Suzuki and you should have no problem. His profile is utter BS; opening combination? What opening combination? His "offensive" style of fighting isn't so great either. Difficulty: 2 out of 10 c. Match 3: Jimi Doran School: Shito-Ryu Rank: Nidan Weapon: Tonfa Profile: Jimi was introduced to Karate when his dad was stationed on Okinawa. He quickly fell in love with the beauty of its form and its spiritual depth. Dedicated and serious, Jimi is a solid Karate-ka. Strategy: (Use Nunchaku) This is one of those fights where you don't even have to be awake! By using Mid Strike (Hold Forward, then press and hold the Attack Button), Jimi should not even touch you. Too bad all opponents don't use tonfas, though. DO not use the Karate style as it requires close range for effectiveness and Jimi's tonfas will annihilate you up close. Kendo and Bo work well but, once again, you should conserve those. Difficulty: 1 out of 10 d. Match 4: Shigeo Ka Wahara School: None Rank: None Weapon: Nunchaku Profile: Shigeo has spent the last two years on a deserted island striving to perfect his Nunchaku technique. Undefeated in local tournaments, he'll crush your spirit if it isn't strong. Strategy: (Use Kendo) Using any other style other than Kendo makes Shigeo annoying as hell. So, use Kendo to make things easier. Simply do Mid Strikes (Hold Away, then press Forward+Attack Button) repeatedly and you can walk away with maybe a scratch or two (or none). Do not let up on Nunchaku-users. Doing so will give them the opportunity to use the triple hit combination and do some real damage. Keeping the pressure on is the key here. Difficulty: 5 out of 10 e. Match 5: Tetsuo Okabe School: Miyate-Ryu Rank: Sandan Weapon: Bo Profile: He quit his full-time job as a "salary man" to devote his life to the study of Budo. Okabe-san's hard and diligent training shows in his strong techniques. Strategy: (Use Bo) He is impressive with a Bo, but you can easily defeat him with one blow! Using the Bo, use Full Defend (Hold Away+ Attack Button) and block all of his attacks. Since you're not taking nor dealing any damage, you Ki will increase. Wait for it to raise at least above half, then perform a jumping attack to defeat Tetsuo immediately! Easy, huh? Difficulty: 3 out of 10 f. Match 6: Arnie Gustafson School: Hakutsu-kai Rank: Godan Weapon: Karate Profile: Martial arts continue to thrive in Europe as exemplified by Arnie. His strength has earned him top rankings worldwide. His kicks are fast, powerful and accurate. Respect him. Strategy: (Use Kendo) Arnie is another annoying opponent so let's use Kendo to shut him up. Again, utilize the Mid Strike (Hold Away, then press Forward+Attack Button) repeatedly, and he should go down fairly easily. Be sure to keep distance; his kicks are deadly, powerful (don't know about that) and accurate, so take that advantage away. If you're feeling lucky, try Karate (use Goro Suzuki's strategy) to save a Kendo use. Difficulty: 5 out of 10 g. Match 7: Hiroshi Ikeda School: Araki-Ryu Rank: Hachidan Weapon: Kusari-Gama Profile: "Mountain Man" Ikeda lives in a small, secluded village atop Mt. Veno. Once a year, he travels to Tokyo to compete in the Budokan. Unfortunately for you, he has returned again this year. Strategy: (Use Nunchaku) Like Jimi Doran, Hiroshi Ikeda will fall to the Nunchaku, undoubtedly. Use Mid Strike (Hold Forward, then press and hold Attack Button) and he should not even scratch you (maybe one or two hits actually). That Kusari-Gama looks deadly but its user doesn't! I have not beaten this guy using any of the other styles so I can't give tips for any other style in this match. Difficulty: 5 out of 10 h. Match 8: Miyuki Hirose School: Shinkage-Ryu Rank: Yondan Weapon: Naginata Profile: She started training at age ten and continues to improve and refine her technique. Don't let her delicate appearance fool you. It may be the last mistake you will ever make. Strategy: (Use Bo) Wow, a female opponent. Bet you were wondering if there were any in this game. Well, there are; two to be exact (actually maybe one because I don't know what the gender of one of the opponents is). She uses a unique and deadly weapon, the Naginata. Don't worry though; using the Bo, just use Full Defend (Hold Away+Attack Button) until your Ki is high, then strike her down with one or two blows. Same strategy as Tetsuo Okabe. Difficulty: 4 out of 10 i. Match 9: Randy Wu School: Sekiguchi-kai Rank: Hachidan Weapon: Nunchaku Profile: Randy started his training in Honolulu but then decided to move to Japan and study under the notorious "White Tiger", Mizukami- sensei. His style may be rather unorthodox, but it is deadly. Strategy: (Use Bo) This guy is tough. You have two choices: the Kendo (unless you only have one use left) or the Bo. If you can spare the Kendo, use the same strategy as you did on any one of the opponents that you used Kendo on before and Randy will be on the ground soon enough. If you use the Bo, your best bet is to jump attack him as much as possible (Randy has priority for ground attacks). It may take a few tries but you'll understand what I mean. Also, don't try Full Defend; Randy is a smart-ass and he will hit an exposed spot. Difficulty: 7 out of 10 j. Match 10: Ayako Maruyama School: Unknown Rank: Unknown Weapon: Ninjitsu Profile: People speculate that Ayako studies a very ancient and obscure form of Ninjitsu. Though many argue about its origins, there's no arguing its effectiveness. Strategy: (Use Kendo) If you ran out of Kendo uses, I don't know what to tell you since I've never beaten Ayako with any other style. Ayako is unique for two reasons: 1. he/she can throw Ninja stars (cheap trick), and 2. he/she can disappear and appear behind you. For number one, there is a way to neutralize the Ninja stars; tap Away as the Ninja star is upon you and it should disappear when you "block" it. The disappearing trick just changes the positions, in essence, so it's not too bother- some. Use Mid Strike for Kendo very quickly and defeat Ayako. Expect to trade blows, though. Difficulty: 9 out of 10 k. Match 11: Kazuo Sakata School: Hozo-in Rank: Shichidan Weapon: Yari Profile: "Fight hard, fight fair, and fight with honor!" are the words that Kazuo lives by. He abides by a strict Bushido code of honor, so mind your etiquette in battle. Strategy: (Use Kendo) The guy you see in the lower left side of the title screen with the Yari? Yeah, he's your opponent and he is tough, assuming you've used up all of you Kendo uses. If you managed to save one more Kendo use, this is the time to use it! Fight using the Kendo the same way you did against everyone else. Karate and Nunchaku are lost causes, so the next best thing would be the Bo. Play a distance game using the Bo and only strike when you know you won't be counterattacked. He has long enough reach as well so keep extra distance. Difficulty: 10 out of 10 l. Match 12: Tokage School: Unknown Rank: Unknown Weapon: Various Profile: "Tokage", the chameleon, has the unnerving ability to mimic and copy his opponent's fighting styles. Your most formidable enemy turns out to be yourself! Strategy: (Use Karate) If you've made it this far, then you'll be happy to know that Tokage is much easier than Kazuo or Ayako. Tokage is basically you, so whatever style you use, Tokage will use that as well. The best styles to use are Kendo or Karate. Using Kendo, fight Tokage as if he were a souped-up version of Eiji Kimura (not really) and use the Mid Strike constantly to put him down. Using Karate, fight him as if he were Goro Suzuki (really) and Jump Kick him until he goes down. Tokage excels at Bo or Nunchaku so don't try using those unless you have to. It is tough but your experience with the other opponents will give you an idea of his attack patterns, so utilize that! Difficulty: 2 out of 10 (seriously) - Congratulations, Nippon Budokan Champion! YOu have overcome twelve rounds of frustration for... a crappy ending with no credits! Sorry for the disappointment. Your only reward is bragging rights of beating this incredibly frustrating game. Thank you for joining me on this strange but enlightening quest. I hope you found this FAQ helpful. =============================================================================== 7. End / Credits - Well, this is it. Thanks for bearing with me. I have to give credit to: My twin brother, Kevin (KDKM0506), who typed the whole FAQ for me and submitted it to GameFAQs (I am computer illiterate). GameFAQs, once again, for giving me motivation to write this FAQ. The creators of Budokan: The Martial Spirit, for giving me something to write a FAQ about. And, of course, you, for reading this FAQ. I appreciate it a lot! =============================================================================== 8. Copyright Information - This FAQ is not to be altered in any way if it posted somewhere. As for posting, I don't mind as long as you give credit to where it is due and as long as you don't make any money off of it (I didn't, so you shouldn't either). Follow these guidelines and we'll have not problems. If there are any specific questions about the game, check to make sure it has not been covered in the FAQ, then email me (at ddrspeedking@yahoo.com) and I will be happy to answer your questions as best as I can. ===============================================================================