~B
Darren Lo
lo@math.wisc.edu
Revision 0.12, 24 Jun. 2001
1. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. TABLE OF CONTENTS
.
.
.
1.5 REVISION HISTORY
2. FOREWORD
3. LEGAL DISCLAIMER
4. EXTRA-LEGAL PSEUDO-DISCLAIMER
5. TERMINOLOGY
6. ENTERING MOVES
7. SCORING SYSTEM
8. TABLE OF MOVES/BASE VALUES
9. CANONICAL COMBO LIST (with point values)
10. HIGH-SCORING MOVES
11. STRATEGY: MAXIMIZING YOUR SCORE
12. RUMORS
13. GAME SHARK CODE(S)
14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
15. TO DO
1.5 REVISION HISTORY
0.12 Added some contributions that were sitting around for ages. No
other major changes. I still haven't done a successful analysis of the
enthusiasm gauge, nor does it look likely that I ever will (the game's
too old now).
0.11 Added Strike's stage strategy (had accidentally omitted it). Fixed
an off-by-one error in description of combo multipliers. Updating
recommended strategies and adding solo move tables. Made canonical combo
table slightly more lucid. Will add more examples of attack timing.
0.1 Initial release.
2. FOREWORD
I usually take a dim view of people who write substandard rehashes of
other and superior FAQs, long after they have already come out, simply
because they want to see their names in print. Well, here is my very
late and oft-preceded FAQ for Bust-A-Move (Bust-A-Groove in the US).
However, I don't feel that I am contemptible for writing this, because
previous FAQs have had a certain lack of hard numerical data on this
game. You know, the kind a former physicist like me can appreciate. :)
I guess the hope is that this will not be a substandard rehash of other
documents. This is my first FAQ, so please excuse any deficiencies this
document may have.
3. LEGAL DISCLAIMER
This document is intended for use only by private individuals. It may
be reproduced (fully intact and unaltered) electronically. Free
electronic distribution of this document in abridged form is permitted,
provided that this disclaimer is included in its entirety and that the
distributor provides full copies of the original document upon request.
Private users may print one (1) copy of this file for personal use. This
document is not to be reproduced, nor its contents used in any way, for
profit. This document is copyright 1999 by its author, Darren Lo.
4. EXTRA-LEGAL PSEUDO-DISCLAIMER
This FAQ only applies to the Japanese version of Bust-A-Move. I imagine
that most of the game info (i.e., everything but the Game Shark codes)
should apply to the other versions of the game. However, I can't
guarantee this unless I have a copy of the other versions, and I don't
want to spend the money. So, if you want the US version included, send me
your copy of the game. :) (Or you could lend it to me.) I may sound like a
world-class cheapskate here, but I just have to save money for more PSX
stuff.
Note: I presume that you have a working knowledge of the game before
reading this FAQ. The purpose of the document is to analyze certain
aspects of the game, not to substitute for game experience or a
manual.
5. TERMINOLOGY
I will use the following terms in random places throughout the document.
U,D,L,R,O,X,T,S: Up, Down, Left, Right, Circle, X, Triangle, and
Square, respectively. The other buttons are referred to by their
full names.
Move: Sequence of arrow presses followed by a button press.
Turn: One measure (four beats) in which you can input a move.
String: A sequence of (successfully performed) moves. Attacks/dodges
are not considered to interrupt strings.
Combo: A type of string which involves performing moves in a set order
displayed in the game.
Level: Ranges from 1 to 7, lowest to highest. ("Enthusiasm gauge")
Canonical combo: Any one of seven 8-move combos (one for each Level). The
easiest way to see what I mean by a canonical combo is to go to
Practice Mode, pick the starting level of your choice (5, say),
then just follow the command prompts. Once you have pulled off an
8-move combo, you have just performed the level 5 canonical combo.
Also requires a ninth turn for the Freeze.
Move type: Designated as (level, number) or just a number. The number
denotes the move's position in a canonical combo. For instance, at
level 1, the canonical combo runs O,X,RX,DX,UX,RRX,DDX,URX. Then
move (1,8) is URX and (1,4) is DX. When a move number occurs by
itself, that means I don't care what level you're at.
Freeze: A pose lasting one turn that your character strikes after
performing a type 8 move.
Game mode: Normal (when both characters are on screen) or solo, when one
of the characters is performing a solo.
6. ENTERING MOVES
Your enthusiasm gauge has 7 positions, from mostly empty to full. I
haven't worked out exactly what the criteria are for changing your
enthusiasm gauge, but I hope to have that soon. You can perform any
moves with levels less than or equal to yours. For instance, if the
gauge is two notches full, then you can perform any level 1 or level 2
move, but you will not be able to input move from levels 3 and above.
If your gauge is full, then you can perform all moves at any time.
However, there are advantages to following certain patterns. See the
Scoring section.
The exception to the above rule is all the type 8 moves. Type 8 moves
must be preceded immediately by a type 7 move of the same level,
discounting attacks or dodges. You must also have one turn available
after the 8 for your character to Freeze. If you don't, the type 8 move
will fail. Type 8 moves also fail two moves before the end of the
round. So your last move before a switch to solo mode, and your two
last moves before the end of the round, can never be type 8.
Attacks and dodges are special types of moves. They don't break combos (to
see what a combo is, look ahead to the next section). You will use 1 measure
to perform the attack/dodge instead of dancing. If you fail to dodge an
attack, you will be knocked out for one additional measure, not two as is
sometimes reported. (You can enter commands as your character is getting up).
Attacks cannot be performed at certain times, like the measure before a
switch to solos. This is to prevent cheap tactics that would cut into the
opponent's solo time.
Commands: The prompts on the screen start by displaying the type 1 move
for your current level. Each time you successfully input a move, the
prompts will display the move of the same level and of the next higher
type. For instance, if you have just entered move (3,4), then the prompt
for move (3,5) will be displayed on the screen. When your enthusiasm
gauge is higher than the level of the move you have just entered, two
different moves will be displayed on the screen. You can take the upper
branch to stay at the same move level, or take the lower branch to move
up a level. This is known as "command branching". In the previous example,
if you have just input (3,4) and your level is now higher than 3, the
prompt for move (3,5) will be displayed on the upper branch, and the
prompt for move (4,5) will be displayed on the lower branch. The bottom
path always scores at least as much as the upper path, and usually more.
You cannot branch from a type 7 move to a type 8 of higher level.
Each character has three special sets of 4 moves for solo mode. Two
sets of moves are displayed, while the third is hidden (see
High-Scoring Moves). Unlike the normal commands, you are locked into a
particular combo once you choose your first solo move. You cannot use
solo moves in normal mode, nor can you use normal moves in the solos.
7. SCORING SYSTEM
The first concept that needs to be explained is that of the combo.
First, your combo resets to zero after every miss, Freeze, game mode switch
(normal to solo or vice versa), successful attack against your character, a
nd out-of-sequence normal move. Successfully making a move that is displayed
on the screen (i.e, of the next higher type, and of the same level or one
greater if possible) will increment your combo by 1. Attacking or dodging
does not affect your combo counter. Note that in the case of command
branching as described above, moving up one level (i.e., taking the bottom
path) does not reset your combo counter. You can thus follow the prompts
without fear of penalty. However, if you (successfully or otherwise) input
a move not displayed on the screen, your combo counter will be reset. Because
of the move system, the maximum attainable combo counter is 7 (after making
a type 8 move you will Freeze and the counter resets).
Each move you perform in normal mode has a base value. When you
successfully input a move, the game checks your combo, determines a
combo multiplier, then multiplies the base value by the multiplier and
adds the result to your score. The combo multiplier is max(1,n),
where n is the value of your counter. That is, the multiplier is equal
to your current combo counter, except that the multiplier is never less
than 1.
In solo mode, you obtain a certain (move-dependent) number of points
for performing each move. Moves of type greater than 1 can only be
performed in combos, so the concept of a "combo multiplier" is not
relevant here.
The only way to score is to perform moves. You receive no points for
attacking or dodging, and you lose no points for missing moves or
getting hit. (These actions may affect your enthusiasm gauge, but
that's a different matter entirely.) The winner of the match is
determined only by score. The camera angle will, in the absence of
other factors, indicate who's winning. The camera zooms up closer to
the leader (when not in solo mode, etc.) Your score is not otherwise
shown, which I consider unfortunate.
If your score gets above a certain value, the stage animations will
change. If you score enough points and win the round, your character
will perform a set victory dance called Fever Time. (Why can't they
dance like that in the game itself?) I hope to add the exact point
values in a later revision of this document.
8. TABLE OF MOVES/BASE VALUES
The type 1 move is the same for all levels. Similarly, the type 2 moves
for levels 2-7 are the same, as are the type 3 moves for levels 3-7,
etc. Therefore, I might write something like (4,1), but that's actually
the same as (1,1). Humor me on this. All type 7 and 8 moves are unique.
Set A (Upper branch) Set B (Lower branch) Set C (Hidden branch)
1 100 1 300 1 50
2 300 2 600 2 100
3 1000 3 1800 3 4000
4 2100 4 3600 4 7500
Total: 3500 Total: 6300 Total: 11650
The exact solo moves are character-dependent, and are listed below. After
entering the first move of the set, the subsequent moves will be
displayed on screen, but I might as well reproduce this information in
case you've disabled Command Display.
Heat: Set A Set B Set C
1 DX 1 UUO 1 UDUO
2 UUX 2 DDO 2 DUDX
3 URX 3 RRRO 3 RLRO
4 RLX 4 LLLO 4 DUDO
Frida: Set A Set B Set C
1 LX 1 UUO 1 UDUO
2 RRX 2 RLO 2 RLRX
3 URX 3 DDDO 3 DLUO
4 LRX 4 UUDX 4 URDX
Strike: Set A Set B Set C
1 LX 1 UDO 1 UULO
2 RX 2 RLO 2 LLRO
3 UUX 3 UDDO 3 RLLUO
4 DRX 4 RUUO 4 LUDRX
Hamm: Set A Set B Set C
1 DDX 1 DDDO 1 DRUO
2 UDX 2 DUUO 2 ULDX
3 UUX 3 UDDO 3 URUO
4 DUX 4 UUUO 4 DLDO
Kelly: Set A Set B Set C
1 LX 1 LLO 1 RLRO
2 LLX 2 RRO 2 RLLO
3 RRX 3 UUUO 3 RLRX
4 RLX 4 DDDO 4 LURO
Shorty: Set A Set B Set C
1 X 1 DO 1 DDDO
2 RX 2 LRO 2 LRUX
3 UX 3 UDO 3 UUDX
4 LX 4 DDUO 4 UDLRO
Hiro: Set A Set B Set C
1 URX 1 DRUO 1 RUDO
2 DLX 2 ULDO 2 ULRX
3 LUX 3 ULRO 3 LLDO
4 RDO 4 DRLO 4 RRUX
Pinky: Set A Set B Set C
1 LX 1 RDO 1 ULUO
2 DRX 2 LRO 2 RLDO
3 ULX 3 DLUO 3 UDRX
4 RLX 4 RUDO 4 LRDX
Gas-O: Set A Set B Set C
1 RX 1 UDO 1 LDRUO
2 LRX 2 RLRO 2 ULDRX
3 DUX 3 DUDO 3 RDLUX
4 URLX 4 LRUDO 4 DRULO
Kitty-N: Set A Set B Set C
1 RX 1 LRDX 1 DDRO
2 ULX 2 DLRX 2 URRUX
3 RLO 3 DRUO 3 RULDX
4 LDX 4 DDUO 4 LRULDO
Capoeira: Set A Set B Set C
1 UX 1 LRO 1 RURX
2 RLX 2 UDUO 2 LDLUX
3 UDX 3 DLDRO 3 RURLO
4 DUDX 4 LULDO 4 DULDO
Robo-Z: Set A Set B Set C
1 LRX 1 UDUO 1 UDLRO
2 DDDX 2 RRUO 2 ULDRX
3 UDUX 3 RURO 3 DUDUO
4 RLLO 4 LRLRO 4 DDRLLO
Columbo: See Shorty
Burger Dog: See Hamm
For an example of how to apply the scoring table in practice:
9. CANONICAL COMBO LIST (with point values)
Level 1
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. X 100 = 100 x 1
3. RX 200 = 100 x 2
4. DX 300 = 100 x 3
5. UX 400 = 100 x 4
6. RRX 500 = 100 x 5
7. DDX 1200 = 200 x 6
8. URX 2100 = 300 x 7
--------------------
Total: 4900
Level 2
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. LO 200 = 100 x 2
4. DO 600 = 200 x 3
5. DDO 800 = 200 x 4
6. RRO 1000 = 200 x 5
7. LLO 1800 = 300 x 6
8. RRRO 3500 = 500 x 7
--------------------
Total: 8200
Level 3
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. UUO 600 = 300 x 2
4. UUX 900 = 300 x 3
5. LRX 1200 = 300 x 4
6. DRX 1500 = 300 x 5
7. DDDX 2400 = 400 x 6
8. UDUX 4900 = 700 x 7
---------------------
Total: 11800
Level 4
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. UUO 600 = 300 x 2
4. URO 1200 = 400 x 3
5. LRO 1600 = 400 x 4
6. DDDO 3000 = 600 x 5
7. DUDO 4200 = 700 x 6
8. LRLO 7000 = 1000 x 7
---------------------
Total: 17900
Level 5
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. UUO 600 = 300 x 2
4. URO 1200 = 400 x 3
5. UUUO 2000 = 500 x 4
6. LLLO 4500 = 900 x 5
7. RURO 5400 = 900 x 6
8. UDUDO 7700 = 1100 x 7
---------------------
Total: 21700
Level 6
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. UUO 600 = 300 x 2
4. URO 1200 = 400 x 3
5. UUUO 2000 = 500 x 4
6. UDLRO 5000 = 1000 x 5
7. DUDUO 6000 = 1000 x 6
8. LLURRO 7700 = 1100 x 7
---------------------
Total: 22800
Level 7
1. O 100 = 100 x 1
2. RO 200 = 200 x 1
3. UUO 600 = 300 x 2
4. URO 1200 = 400 x 3
5. UUUO 2000 = 500 x 4
6. UDLRO 5000 = 1000 x 5
7. DDRLLO 6600 = 1100 x 6
8. DLRULX 8757 = 1251 x 7
---------------------
Total: 24457
11. STRATEGY: MAXIMIZING YOUR SCORE
I will adopt the following notation to show combos and strings:
1-7 to mean, perform a combo from type 1 through 7, always taking the
bottom route.
2-8+F to mean, perform a combo from type 2 through 8, taking the
bottom route, then wait a turn for the Freeze to end.
3-4+4 to mean, perform moves type 3 and 4, then repeat 4.
(etc.)
When and where solos occur in the song, as well as how long the song
is, affect which combos can be pulled off. For instance, in Hamm's
stage, there is an 8-turn gap between solos. You will therefore be
unable to perform your highest-scoring combo, the 1-8+F, because that
requires 9 turns. Game strategy thus hinges upon knowing what combos
will fit between solos and at the end of the round. Notice that solos
always occur at fixed points and for fixed duration, depending only on
which music is playing at the moment. No other factors affect the
placement or timing of solos.
As you can see from the Scoring section, entering long combos allows you
to reap huge rewards from the combo multipliers. When you have a choice,
you should usually go for a combo over a non-combo, and a longer combo
over a shorter one. When you have only one or two moves left over after
your combo counter resets, you won't be able to raise your combo multiplier
above 1, so you should just throw 7s. The exception is that a 2-8+F is
worth more than a 1-7+7 at the same level, but you will still need to
throw the 1-7+7 in cases where the 2-8+F is not possible (for instance,
at the end of a round).
For your solos, taking a quick look at the solo-mode scoring tables
indicates that you should perform the Set B moves (lower branch) if you
have 2 or less measures available, and the Set C moves (hidden) if you
have 3 or more measures available. Set A is useful only for novelty.
Finding the maximizing strategy for your score in this case comes down
to knowing what level you are going to be at (and if it switches in
the middle of the 8-turn run), then analyzing the scoring tables to
find your optimal strategy. However, this is a little impractical while
you are playing the game, so I will give turn breakdowns and recommended
strategies for each stage. These strategies assume that you never miss
(so that you are always at the highest level attainable at that point),
and that there are no attacks/dodges thrown. These change the strategy
considerably, as you will see below.
To use these breakdowns, just input the listed combos in the order
shown. B1-B2 means to do the first two moves of Solo Set B, and C1-C4
means to do all four moves of Solo Set C. I will also note safer strategies
to use against opponents who are likely to throw inconveniently timed
attacks (e.g., computer on Hard mode, or human who understands the scoring
system). When I recommend that you start a combo with a move type other
than 1, you will usually be at level 1 or 7, so just do the level 7 moves
if you can (otherwise, do the highest level available). In all cases, the
first solo section starts with Player 1, and the second solo section, if
it exists, starts with Player 2.
Note that, once you have internalized the workings of the game, it is
easier to remember measure counts than specific lists of combos. Thus I
will also list measure counts for each song, broken up into combo-sized
units. Solo parts are listed in [brackets]. For instance, Heat's song goes
7 . 9 . [2 . 4 . 2] . 9 . 9 . 9 . 5, which means a 7-measure combo, then a
9-measure one, then a pattern of 2, 4, 2 in the solos, then (etc...)
Robo-Z:
Measures: 8 . [4 . 2 . 2] . 9 . 7 . [2 . 2] . 8 . [4] . 2
Combos: 1-7+7, C1-C4, B1-B2, B1-B2, 1-8+F, 1-7, B1-B2, B1-B2, 2-8+F, C1-C4,
7+7
In the initial 1-7+7, the last "7" is usually level 3 (DDDX).
Well, this is all well and good, but in real games, attacks and dodges
mess up the combo timing (notice that I don't say "people miss moves",
because you really shouldn't miss any at all). There's really not much
to do but analyze particular scenarios and see which player gets the
advantage, when. You can do as much of an exhaustive analysis as you
like, or you can just look at a few instructive examples I have here.
Here's a very simple one. Suppose you have 8 beats until a solo. (We'll
say both players are at level 7; it makes the numbers easier). The
normal strategy would be to play 2-8+F, and that's what your
unsuspecting opponent does. However, you are planning to attack, so you
start a 1-7, and wait a few turns for your opponent to commit to his
2-8+F combo. Then you drop your bomb. Your opponent dodges
successfully, but he's left with a total of 7 "dancing" measures.
There's no longer room for 2-8+F, because the F requires an eighth turn.
So your opponent is forced to play 2-7+7. In the meantime, you continue
with your 1-7.
Without attack:
1-7+7 16800
2-8+F 19806
With attack:
1-7 15700
2-7+7 13400
The attack, even though it didn't connect, has turned the tide in your
favor. But if your opponent is as familiar with the scoring system as
you are, he can take the lead back with another attack. This shortens
the number of dancing turns to 6. You are still committed to what will
now be a 1-6 combo, and your opponent has a 2-7 combo.
With two attacks:
1-6 9100
2-7 12300
You've paid the price for your insolence. Adding further attacks may
change the point margin, but you will be behind from here out.
Now that you've seen how this works in a basic situation, let's look
at a more complicated scenario. Consider a stage like Capoeira's, which
starts with 16 turns before going into solos. If you just follow the
command prompts, you will end up with a "natural" string of 1-8+F, 1-7
before the solos hit. But I've recommended 1-7, 1-8+F. That's because
your enthusiasm gauge is continually increasing during the first 16
turns, so you get more points out of the 1-8+F by postponing it.
The 7.9 strategy is a clear victor over the 9.7 strategy.
Now, what if Player 2 waits until after his freeze and throws an
attack? (We'll assume Player 1 successfully dodges.) Since Player 1 is
stuck in the middle of his combo, to maximize his points he has to
finish out his combo and then throw one last 7 at the end (so his moves
are 1-7, 1-7+7). Remember, he can't perform the last 8 because of the
solos. For Player 2, the optimal strategy now is to throw 2-7 after the
freeze.
Player 2 is now ahead of Player 1, albeit by the slim margin of 200 points.
Suppose Player 2 is impatient, and doesn't wait for the freeze before
attacking Player 1. Player 1 now has time to think (i.e., study the
score tables that are lying on the floor in front of him ;) and
recapture the lead:
Player 1 might have capitalized even more heavily by waiting for Player
2 to start his second combo before attacking. If Player 2 wanted to
play 2-7 and had entered a few moves before Player 1 attacked, Player 2
would be stuck with a final combo of 2-6, which clearly is inferior.
Whether it's good to throw an attack or not depends on the particulars
of your situation, but as you can guess from the examples above, your
opponent can usually take the lead back with an attack of his own if he
knows enough about the game. In the meantime, you are both dragging
down your scores, making the coveted Fever Time that much less likely.
In general, therefore, I refrain from using attacks. If you use one,
throw it at the right time - for instance, when your opponent is
committed to a *-8+F string and has no attacks left (so he can't
retaliate), or right before a switch to solos so that there's no time
to trade attacks.
12. RUMORS
There's only one rumor really worth mentioning.
Q: Can I play two-player games on Robo-Z's stage?
A: No.
Well, maybe this answer needs some qualification. If there is a way to
play on Robo-Z's stage without using cheat devices, I will...do something
appropriate to show my utter humiliation. I've used a Game Shark to
play on Robo-Z's stage, and the glitchy camera work suggests to me that
there's no way to play on the stage normally. I've also done everything
reasonable to try unlocking the stage (e.g., beat the game with Robo-Z
on Hard mode, no continues, all Fever Times). No dice.
On the bright side, if you have read this document and understand it,
performing feats like the one above should be very easy for you. So go
ahead and try to unlock the stage. One thing I haven't tried is turning
command display off, so you could attempt that. E-mail me if you get it. :)
13. GAME SHARK CODES
The following codes were found on a Zippy GS and contributed by WNivek
(wnivek@att.net):
Robo-Z's stage is selectable in two-player mode
8004E068 FFFF
Player 2 is big Robo-Z
301A3EAD 0001
Here is a home-brew stage/music select code I found myself. For the
normal "boring" codes like stage select, 65535 dance score (which is
quite low, actually), and others, visit GSCCC or one of the other code
sites. I have a detailed philosophy about Game Shark codes, but it's
really off topic for this document, and you probably don't care. I'll
eventually put it up at http://www.math.wisc.edu/~lo/psx/, if you do
care.
You may wonder how I chose these horrible key combinations. First of
all, I wanted Select in there, because I didn't want the code to
trigger accidentally during gameplay (and some people have been talking
about mysterious functions for the L1/L2/R1/R2 buttons, so...) Second, I
wanted the bits set when you press the keys to correspond in some sort
of direct fashion to the internal stage numbers that the game uses. I
then planned to write a bit of assembly code into an unused portion of
RAM and hook the new routine, so that you would have a few lines of
elegant code handling all the stage/music swapping. Unfortunately, due
to the stock Game Shark's brain-dead code language, this approach was
much harder and space-consuming than taking the dumb way around (which is
what I have here). Nevertheless, the weird key combinations remained.
If you have the caetla ROM replacement (which I recommend highly), you
should be able to compactify the second block of code. E-mail me if you
do this (or need help with it).
I've only tested this on 2P vs. mode, but it should allow you to play
on any stage (including Robo-Z's), with any music. Without the code,
the music defaults to that of the stage you are currently playing on.
There are 30 lines in all, so you may have to split the code up into
segments. You can also leave out lines you don't want: In the second
"block" of codes, I've labeled each pair of lines with a comment
denoting what they do. So if you never want to hear, say, Kelly's
music, you can leave out the two lines that map to Kelly's music.
D006EA28 010D ;Robo-Z's stage
80075576 000B
D006EA28 010C ;Robo-Z's music
8006EB48 000B
D006EA28 010B ;Capoeira's music
8006EB48 000A
D006EA28 010A ;Gas-O's music
8006EB48 0009
D006EA28 0109 ;Hiro's music
8006EB48 0008
D006EA28 0108 ;Kitty N's music
8006EB48 0007
D006EA28 0107 ;Pinky's music
8006EB48 0006
D006EA28 0106 ;Shorty's music
8006EB48 0005
D006EA28 0105 ;Kelly's music
8006EB48 0004
D006EA28 0104 ;Hamm's music
8006EB48 0003
D006EA28 0103 ;Frida's music
8006EB48 0002
D006EA28 0102 ;Strike's music
8006EB48 0001
D006EA28 0101 ;Heat's music
8006EB48 0000
How to use the code:
Go to 2P vs. mode selection screen as normal, and pick your characters
and stage. You have to unlock Capoeira's stage if you want to select
it. If you want Robo-Z's stage at this point, hold down Select + R1 +
L1 + L2 on the first controller. While holding this combination, pick
any stage and TAP circle to select it. Once the "Now loading" screen
comes up, you can release the buttons.
To change the music, hold down the appropriate button combination any
time after the "Now Loading" screen first appears. You can also hold
down the combination during the actual game, then hit Start and "retry"
to play the same stage with new music.
To rematch somebody on the same stage with different music, it is
faster to hit "Start" at the end of the round, put in the combination,
then choose "Restart," than it is to go through the whole character
selection screen again.
14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Henry LaPierre for posting the elusive High-Scoring Moves.
I am very indebted to that one Japanese Playstation magazine I read
(whose name and date elude me, alas) which laid out most of the basic
strategy and some partial scoring tables.
WNivek (wnivek@att.net) sent me some nice ASCII diagrams and some GameShark
codes.
And, of course, acknowledgements to Sony and Enix.
15. TO DO
* Fix the formatting; I know it's ugly.
* Add all the stuff I said I would add at various places.
* Update to include the U.S. version.
