A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO JIN KAZAMA ================================================================================================== 1.0 FORWARD ================================================================================================== Hello, and welcome. This is a guide written to bring you from a starting player to one who has solid competency with Jin Kazama. As such, advanced techniques such as the Crouch Dash, Tag Juggles, and Frame data will not be discussed here; I will instead be concentrating on covering the basics. When you read this guide, keep in mind that I am not totally objective; I favour certain moves over others because I think they look better, or have more success with them than others. All I can do is say how well I think a particular move works; It's up to you whether or not to include it in your arsenal. It'd be a pretty boring world if everyone suddenly started to play Jin the same (poor) way I do :D ================================================================================================== 2.0 DISCLAIMER ================================================================================================== This guide is not subject to any real copyright stuff but I would appreciate it if you referenced me for any material from it you may use. I also hear that some sites sell guides like this, and though it is hardly likely that they will pick this doggerel up, I did this for free and hope people will accept it in that spirit. Tekken, all of its characters, and everything else belongs to Namco. All other trademarks belong to their respective owners. ================================================================================================== 3.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS ================================================================================================== 1.0 FORWARD 2.0 DISCLAIMER 3.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS 4.0 VERSION HISTORY 4.1 Version 1. 4.2 Version 1.01 4.3 Version 1.02 4.4 Version 1.1 4.5 Version 1.11 4.6 Version 1.12 5.0 ABOUT THE AUTHOR 6.0 JIN KAZAMA 7.0 PROS AND CONS 8.0 UNIFORMS 9.0 CONVENTIONS 9.1 Controls. 9.2 Abbreviations 10.0 MOVE PROPERTIES 10.1 Hit Heights. 10.2 Damage. 10.3 Clean Hit. 10.4 Counter-Hits. 10.5 Juggles. 10.6 Stuns. 10.7 Okizeme. 11.0 PUNCHES 11.1 Left Jab. 11.2 Right Jab. 11.3 Demon Backhand Spin (Jab to Spinning Backfist). 11.4 Mishima Flash Punch Combo (Shining Fists, Poking Doom). 11.5 Left, Right Combo (Double Punch, Twin Punches, Twin Fangs 11.6 Demon Slayer (Twin Fang Backfist, Double Punch Backfist, etc). 11.7 Demon Backfist (Backhand of Justice, a la Minsc). 11.8 Overhead Smash. 11.9 Parting Wave. 11.10 Corpse Thrust (Corpse Hitter, Corpse Splitter). 11.11 Demon's Paw. 11.12 Uppercut. 11.13 Twin Lancers. 11.14 Tooth Fairy. 11.15 The Laser Series. 11.16 High Pounce. 11.17 Twin Pistons (Rising Twin Uppercuts). 11.18 Punch Rush. 11.19 Thunder Godfist. 11.20 Wind Godfist. 12.0 KICKS 12.1 Left Kick. 12.2 Right Kick. 12.3 Spinning Roundhouse. 12.4 Demon Steel Pedal (Abuse Kick). 12.5 Knee. 12.6 Teardrop Kick. 12.7 Spinning Sweep. 12.8 Left Axe Kick. 12.9 Left Jumping Sidekick. 12.10 Tsunami Kicks (Crescent to Axe). 12.11 Can-Can Kicks (Dancing Man, Low/Mid Jumping Kicks, etc). 12.12 Mishima Flip Kick (Demon Scissors, Death From Above). 12.13 Spinning Demon (Rising Sun, Spiraling Doom, Descending Storm, Mishima Cheese Wheel, etc). 12.14 Slash Kick. 12.15 Hell Sweeps. 13.0 THROWS 13.1 Double High Sweeps (Bitch Kicks, Roundhouse to Crescent). 13.2 Over the Shoulder Reverse. 13.3 Complicated Wire. 13.4 Wrist Chuck Slam. 13.5 Stonehead. 13.6 Tag Throws. 13.7 Side and Rear Throws. 13.8 Ultimate Tackle. 14.0 UNBLOCKABLES 14.1 Lightning Uppercut. 14.2 Lightning Screw Uppercut. 15.0 COMBOS 15.1 White Heron. 15.2 Lashing Out. 15.3 Multi-Hit Combos. 16.0 MOVEMENT 16.1 Walking. 16.2 Sidestepping. 17.0 RUNNING ATTACKS 17.1 Flying Cross-Arm Chop. 17.2 Running Tackle. 17.3 Sliding Dash. 17.4 Leaping Side Kick. 17.5 Stomp 17.6 Unblockable Shoulder Charge. 18.0 THEY SEEK HIM HERE, THEY SEEK HIM THERE 18.1 Ducking. 18.2 Diving. 19.0 ON THE GROUND 19.1 Stay Put. 19.2 Roll. 19.3 Get Up. 19.4 Low Sweep. 19.5 Standing Side Kick. 19.6 Rising Cross-Arm Chop. 19.7 Rising Kicks. 20.0 BACK TOWARDS THE ENEMY 21.0 OPENING MOVES 22.0 FLURRIES 23.0 TAGGING 24.0 AVOIDING THROWS 25.0 WHAT'S THIS CROUCH DASH CRAP, ANY WAY? 26.0 JUGGLING 27.0 COUNTERING 28.0 SPECIAL TECHNIQUES 28.1 Chickening. 28.2 Counter-Baiting. 28.3 Force. 28.4 Box Moves. 28.5 Supercharger. 28.6 Low Parry. 28.7 Netsu. 28.8 Hit Points. 28.9 Setting up the WS 29.0 PLAYER TYPES 29.1 The Pit Bull. 29.2 The Turtle. 30.0 PLAYER SKILL LEVELS 30.1 Masher. 30.2 Beginner. 30.3 Intermediate. 30.4 Advanced. 30.5 Elite. 31.0 THE OTHERS 31.1 A Word To The Wise. 31.2 Alex/Roger. 31.3 Baek Doo San (Lamek). 31.4 Bryan Fury. 31.5 Bruce Irvine. 31.6 Devil/ Angel. 31.7 Eddie Gordo/Tiger Jackson. 31.8 Forrest Law. 31.9 Ganryu. 31.10 Heihachi Mishima. 31.11 Hwoarang (Bob). 31.12 Julia and Michelle Chang. 31.13 Jun Kazama. 31.14 Kazuya Mishima. 31.15 King/Armour King. 31.16 Kunimitsu. 31.17 Lee Chaolan. 31.19 Lei Wulong. 31.20 Ling Xiaoyu. 31.21 Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown. 31.22 Nina and Anna, the Williams Sisters. 31.23 Ogre/True Ogre. 31.24 Panda/Kuma. 31.25 Paul Phoenix. 31.26 Prototype Jack, Jack-2, Gunjack. 31.27 Wang Jinrei. 31.28 Yoshimitsu. 22.0 WHAT'S NEXT? 33.0 CONTACTING ME 34.0 CREDITS ================================================================================================== 4.0 VERSION HISTORY ================================================================================================== 4.1 Version 1.0 24/04/03 The very first attempt. Probably loaded with incorrect spelling and poor syntax, as well as misleading and false information. Further attempts will correct these :D ================================================================================================== 4.2 Version 1.01 19/05/03 Spelling mistakes and grammatical errors cleaned up. New information for fighting against Bryan Fury and Lei Wulong; errors in damage counts corrected and new moves added. The layout of the guide was prettied up, and the Table of Contents was created. The guide grew by 7 pages! ================================================================================================== 4.3 Version 1.02 More general tidying up of the document. I've learnt how to do f,N,d,D/F moves and give some hints and tips on them. ================================================================================================== 4.4 Version 1.1 More general tidying up of the text. I posted the guide directly to the Tekken Zaibatsu forums and stood back to watch the fireworks; after the dust settled, I incorporated some of the saner comments and criticisms into this re-write :D For the foreseeable future, this will be the last major update. I think I've got the most important stuff down. At a massive 60+ pages, I think I've covered enough, already! Get out there and play! ================================================================================================= 4.5 Version 1.11 More editing and general tidying-up. The Guide is more or less complete, so unless there's an epiphany of Biblical proportions around the corner, this should be the final update. ================================================================================================== 4.6 Version 1.12 More diting. Some more information added and some wordings clarified. ================================================================================================== 5.0 ABOUT THE AUTHOR ================================================================================================== My name is Michael Adams. I am a 20-year old University student. I study Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Biological Science at Griffith University in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. I do not ride Kangaroos, Wombats, or bilbies around, contrary to what you have seen on The Simpsons. In my spare time, I work, study, play computer games, read, work, and study some more. I've recently decided to give Science the flick for something I feel I'll enjoy more: Teaching. Yes, after finishing the requisite 12 years at school, I've still not learnt my lesson and will be heading back for more punishment ~.^ Griffith University has a Tekken Tag machine, and that is how I learnt to play. I recently bought a PS2 to feed my addiction. It was cheaper to buy one than to keep spending money at the arcade :D ================================================================================================== 6.0 JIN KAZAMA ================================================================================================== Jin Kazama was born to Kazuya Mishima and Jun Kazama. During his mother's pregnancy, Kazuya Mishima was hurled into a volcano by Jin's grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. Following the supposed death of its host, the Devil within Kazuya fled and attempted to possess the unborn Jin. Jun managed to fight the weakened spirit off, sending it back to her husband's shattered husk. Jun Kazama taught her son Kazama style karate as he grew up in the woods, isolated from the corruption of his Mishima bloodline-he never even took his father's surname for his own, instead taking the Kazama name. At the age of 16, Jin's world was shattered when the Ogre, released by the machinations of his grandfather, attacked his mother. Jin fought hard in her defence, but the Ogre was too powerful and he was knocked unconscious. When Jin awoke, his mother was gone. Swearing vengeance for her, he set out to confront the only man who could give him the strength he needed to vanquish the Ogre; his grandfather, the evil head of the Mishima corporation- Heihachi Mishima himself. On his journey, Jin was attacked and stunned by an unseen force; thereafter, he was marked with a black tattoo on his arm- the mark of the Devil which now dwelt in his soul. Nevertheless, Jin found his grandfather and convinced him to teach him Mishima style karate, melding it with his mother's Kazama style and his own form to create an unstoppable art. It was during this time that Jin encountered his only rival, the Korean Tae Kwon Do fighter, Hwoarang. Hwoarang and his gang encouraged passers-by to fight for prize money, and Jin was caught in this game. Jin and Hwoarang fought on, but were unable to find any advantage; the match ended in a draw, and both men swore to fight again to prove themselves the better. Three years later, at the age of 19, Heihachi deemed Jin ready. To draw the Ogre out, he announced the King of Ironfist 3; martial artists from across the globe gathered for the traditional 1 billion-dollar prize. Jin blew through all opposition, even downing Heihachi for the right to face the captured Ogre. Against all expectations, Jin slaughtered the Ogre-even after it had shapeshifted to its powerful, flame-breathing True form. Following the battle, Heihachi moved in to take samples of the Ogre's blood, which supposedly held the secrets to immortality. He also decided that Jin, capable of defeating both him and the Ogre, was too powerful an opponent to leave alive; along with a Tekkenshu team, Heihachi attempted to kill Jin. After being badly wounded (and shot in the head by Heihachi, no less!), Jin's Devil manifested, keeping Jin alive. Jin retaliated, killing all the Tekkenshu and hurling Heihachi out through the temple's wall. Since that time, Heihachi Mishima discovered that to unlock the power of immortality from the Ogre's blood, he needs the power of the Devil. Since Kazuya's body was supposedly unrecoverable (and we all know how *THAT* one turned out), Heihachi has begun a hunt for Jin. For his own part, Jin Kazama will stop at nothing to kill his evil grandfather. ================================================================================================== 7.0 PROS AND CONS ================================================================================================== Well, there are many pros to playing Jin Kazama. First off, he's one of the fastest characters in the game, throwing moves out incredibly quickly. Second, he deals out a hell of a lot of damage. Although not the biggest one-hit wonder in the game (that title belongs to Paul Phoenix with the accursed Phoenix Smasher), Jin's speed means he can dish out a series of fast strikes for excellent overall damage. Third, Jin has one of the meanest juggling games around, thanks to the mighty Laser series. Finally, Jin has moves which flow together well and can be varied to catch your opponent off guard. Unfortunately, all of the above means that Jin is a very popular character. Many people use Jin, so he's one of the most watched characters around. As a result, your opponent will probably have seen most of your tricks before. So when using Jin, you'll have to fight smart, not just hard. The other major con Jin suffers is that he really demoralises beginning players; when I started out, my opponent used Jin and creamed me. So this of course made me want to learn how to use Jin. He let me practice, so I opened up the command list and saw, to my horror, a multitude of moves to learn. Complete with commands like b,f+whatever and f,*d,d/f+ whatever. I gave up and went back to mashing with Hwoarang. I feel that this happens a fair bit; people assume that Jin is only for the masters and tend to steer clear. Well, it isn't so and this guide will prove it. ================================================================================================== 8.0 UNIFORMS ================================================================================================== Yes, dear reader, I have far, far too much spare time on my hands. Pressing (1) will give you Jin in black pants with blue fire designs on them and blue gloves. Pressing (2) will give you Jin with black pants with red fire designs on them and red gloves. Pressing (3) will give you Jin in black and red leathers with red gloves. Pressing (4) will give you Jin in black, red, and orange leathers with red gloves. This is similar to (3) but the jacket has different highlight colours and as a result looks kinda weird. Pressing (5) gives you Jin in his Mishima High School uniform. It has a purple top and tartan pants and looks very odd. ================================================================================================== 9.0 CONVENTIONS ================================================================================================== (These were borrowed from Kioni Kappahala's excellent Jin Kazama Guide for Tekken 4) ================================================================================================== 9.1 Controls. [ Controller Layout ] ----------------------------------------------------- ub u uf Jump Up-Back Jump Up Jump Up- Forward \ | / b -- n -- f Walk Back / Block Neutral Walk Forward / | \ db d df Crouch / Low Block Crouch Offensive Crouch Button 1 (Square on the PS2): Left Punch Button 2 (Triangle on the PS2): Right Punch Button 3 (X on the PS2): Left Kick Button 4 (O on the PS2): Right Kick Button 5 (Any of the trigger buttons or the right analogue stick on the PS2): Tag ================================================================================================== 9.2 Abbreviations. d/f tap down forward D/F hold down forward d/b tap down back D/B hold down back u/f tap up forward U/F hold up forward u/b tap up back U/B hold up back qcf quarter circle forward qcb quarter circle back hcf half circle forward hcb half circle back WS while standing up SS side step either way N joystick in neutral , followed by + at the same time ================================================================================================== 10.0 MOVE PROPERTIES ================================================================================================== 10.1 Hit Heights. There are three heights that attacks strike at; High, Mid, and Low. High Attacks hit opponents who are standing fully; they will pass over the heads of crouching opponents; at certain times, an opponent in the midst of a special move will be missed by such moves as well. High Attacks may be blocked with the normal Standing Guard (ie, by holding Back on the direction pad). Mid Attacks will hit both opponents who are Standing and who are Crouching. Mid Hits are only blocked with the Standing Guard. SM denotes a "Special Mid" hit. These hits can be blocked either Standing or Ducking, but cannot be Countered. Low Attacks will hit both standing and grounded opponents. Low Hits can only be blocked with the Low Guard (ie, by holding Down/Back). ================================================================================================== 10.2 Damage. Each move does different damage. The challenge of Tekken Tag Tournament lies in balancing the speed, hit properties, advantages and disadvantages of each move against its damage potential. Keep in mind that low-damaging attacks, although they may seem fairly useless, can offer substantial bonuses to the crafty player. ================================================================================================== 10.3 Clean Hit. A move that strikes an opponent who is not guarding against it will hit "Clean". A "Clean" hit will offer more damage and perhaps some other special properties as well. ================================================================================================== 10.4 Counter-Hits. A move that hits an opponent just before or just after they perform a move of their own becomes a "Counter-Hit". It will do extra damage and take on additional hit properties. A move that hits an opponent in the midst of their own move becomes a "Major Counter". It will yield phenomenal amounts of extra damage and a number of additional hit properties. ================================================================================================== 10.5 Juggles. Some moves can throw an opponent into the air, making them a target for powerful Juggle moves. These are identified as Juggle Starters. After performing a successful Juggle Starter, perform a Juggle. Some moves below will be identified as being particularly good for Juggles. ================================================================================================== 10.6 Stun. Although not the core of Jin's game, some of his moves can induce some pretty severe Stuns. A Stunned opponent is at your mercy, unable to defend themselves and vulnerable to extra damage. Stun Juggles, identified below, take advantage of this temporary vulnerability to do some guaranteed damage. ================================================================================================== 10.7 Okizeme. Okizeme is, basically, the art of flaying a downed opponent. Hardly sporting, but that's the way it goes. Although I'll not delve into the intricacies of being a cheap, cheap bastard, I'll point out some good ground-hitting arts. ================================================================================================== 11.0 PUNCHES ================================================================================================== 11.1 Left Jab. 1. H. 6. A fast snapping jab. It hits high, but as Jin is right-handed it inflicts low damage. I don't use it much by itself. The primary value of this move is as a long Juggle stabiliser. It will toss your opponent back up into the air long enough to follow on with a more powerful attack sequence. ================================================================================================== 11.2 Right Jab. 2. H. 10. Another jab. It hits high for better damage than a left jab, but that's all it has going for it. ================================================================================================== Demon Backhand Spin (Jab to Spinning Backfist). 2,2. H,H. 10,18. Jin lashes out with a jab, then follows through with a spinning backfist. Although the damage is excellent, it hits high twice and suffers in recovery. I use this to interrupt my opponents. The damage on offer often makes this worthwhile as an alternative to the 1,1,2 poke. Some people perform this move by accident because their fingers were in the wrong place and they were trying for a Mishima Flash Punch Combo. Make sure you are hitting the correct buttons. ================================================================================================== 11.3 Mishima Flash Punch Combo (Shining Fists, Poking Doom). 1,1,2. H,H,M. 6,8,18. Jin lashes out with two fast left-handed jabs, then follows through with a massive right cross that knocks your opponent flying. This is Jin's most reliable poking attack. It combines high speed and damage with delayability and the surprise factor of a mid-hitting finish. Opponents who duck may be hit by this, and since you can delay the final hit, sometimes you can collect opponents coming in to punish what they thought was a failed attack sequence. Plus, if you are fighting a counter-nazi, they will always get hit if they try to reverse the final punch because they tried to counter it too early :D. I use this to interrupt my opponents, to juggle if I put my opponent into the air unexpectedly, and quite often when I Tag in. It offers some breathing room because the final hit knocks guarding opponents back. This is quite probably the most important move in Jin's basic arsenal. It is a low-risk, high damage move, and will quickly become your standard counter-attacking move. Many people accidentally perform Demon Slayer when attempting this move. Make sure you are pressing 1,1,2 as you can get yourself in trouble by doing that. ================================================================================================== 11.4 Left, Right Combo (Double Punch, Twin Punches, Twin Fangs etc). 1,2. H,H. 6,10. Jin snaps a left-handed jab out, followed by a right cross. Damage is nothing to write home about, but it is a quick attack and several other moves follow. This is a pretty hard move to stuff up. Just check you are hitting 1,2 in that order and are not hitting any direction buttons. ==>Following this, you can hit (4) to turn it into One, Two, Knee. The knee attack does 12 damage and is very fast. Additionally, knees cannot be countered so this move works well against counter-nazis. Some people accidentally perform Shoot the Works by hitting (3) instead of (4). Personally, this is the move I most often use to finish the string. Jin advances throughout, which gives it solid range. If you intend any follow-on moves from the above two punches, I would strongly recommend that you choose this one. ==>By hitting (3) you can turn this into Shoot the Works. Jin follows up with an axe kick that does 25 damage, which is quite nice. It can even be delayed a little bit. Some people do One, Two, Knee by accident here by pressing (4) instead of (3). You can then tack on a final hit here. Pressing (4) whilst Jin performs the (3) Axe Kick (and this timing is important- you can't just go 1,2,3,4 here as he will stop after 1,2,3) has him follow up with another axe kick. This does 30 damage, however you would have to be very lucky to ever see this full combo connect. Jin advances throughout, so I very occasionally (maybe once per game) try this out against opponents who back away rather than stand and block, in the hopes of catching them as they come in. I have occasionally seen people perform the Mishima Flip Kick (see below, in the Kicks section) by accident here, though I have never done so myself. The most common mistake when trying for this move is that the kick doesn't happen. Make sure you have your timing right. Alternatively, you can go f+4 here and Jin will throw out a faster front kick, turning the whole affair into Shoot the Works Upper. The damage is only 10 points, but the speed can make it worthwhile. Otherwise it is the same as Shoot The Works. I use this in the same circumstances as the above move, but I throw this in as a speed variation in case they are fast off the mark. The most common mistake here is that no kick comes at all, so check your timing. The other common one is that Jin simply performs the final, slower axe kick. Make sure you are pressing forwards when you hit (4) and that you have the correct timings. ================================================================================================== 11.5 Demon Slayer (Twin Fang Backfist, Double Punch Backfist, etc). 1,2,2. H,H,H. 6,10,18 Jin performs a left jab, followed by a right cross, then finishes with a spinning backfist. Although the overall damage is better than the Mishima Flash Punches, there is a bit of time after the move when Jin is recovering, so do be careful. This move gets slammed in about every Jin guide I have read, and although I don't think it's as bad as has been made out, be careful with this attack. The main bonus is that this doesn't knock back as does the Mishima Flash Punch Combo, so if you have something devious planned, this can be useful. Beware if Kazuya Mishima ducks beneath this; you'll very shortly be seeing the dreaded Demon Gut Punch to Insane Juggle of Ultimate Doom. Some people accidentally perform Mishima Flash Punches when attempting this attack. Although not a fatal error, as IMO the Flash punches are better, if this was part of a devious plot you'll need to be fast on your feet to think up a new plan. ================================================================================================== 11.6 Demon Backfist (Backhand of Justice, a la Minsc). b+2. H. 12. Jin spins in place, delivering a backhand. I used to do martial arts, long, long ago and the Spinning Backfist was one of my favourite moves. Although not quite as damaging as a real-life spinning backfist is (you can block it...if you like having broken arms), my own bias towards this move makes me throw it out fairly often. The only problem I could see here is if you forgot to press back, in which case Jin would do a normal jab. Despite my use of the move, it is not overly recommended because of the recovery time. However, and this is the sneaky bit, you can follow up with a (4) for Jin to kick them. This does another 15 damage, and then keep mashing (4) to continue the attack with a jumping, spinning roundhouse high, a spinning low sweep, and a front kick! The only downside is that this is the opening to one of Jin's ten-hit combos and your opponent may anticipate and correctly block or counter this, so don't overuse it. Kudos also to Catfish, who pointed out that if you go f+3 after b+2, Jin will execute a fast side kick. The surprise factor may be enough for you to flick in a Can-Can Kick launcher for a Juggle. ================================================================================================== 11.7 Overhead Smash. f+2. H. 18. Jin performs a punch that smashes downwards onto your opponent. Damage is OK and the move is fast, but it takes a while to recover from. If you perform this move, even by accident, follow it up with a (4) to perform 893BP Punch Knee for another 10 damage. I find this a good move to use on people who are standing up, because it catches them off guard (most people anticipate a low sweep, because that's what computers and opponents do the most often). The range on this is good, as Jin steps forwards to do it. If you are having trouble getting this right, make sure you are pressing forwards. You may get the first hit of the Laser Series here if you attempted this move immediately after blocking as well, so make sure Jin steps forwards off the block before pressing (2) if this is the move you are going for. ================================================================================================== 11.8 Parting Wave. b+1. M. 15. Jin performs what I would normally call a parry. He sweeps his hand down towards their guts. In real life, you would do this sort of thing to turn aside an opponent's punch or something, but here, it's an attack. Go figure. By pressing D/F after this attack, Jin will burrow in towards his opponents. I use this to attack opponents who are getting up. Jin has a long reach with this attack. The real bonus here is that by holding D/F here counts as f,N,d,d/f so you can follow up with a Thunder Godfist, a Wind Godfist, Hell Sweep, or Slashing Kick (see below for all these moves) :D This is something I discovered by accident; I was trying for a Tsunami Kick and got a Hell Sweep instead. This is not a phenomenon I have seen covered in any other guide, so this is something special for all you readers. Make sure you use this, as it is a guaranteed surprise. I have seen this move stuffed up. Generally you will get a normal jab (you didn't press back) or a Corpse Thrust (you pressed d/b by accident). The Tekken Forumites reccommend you stay away from this move, citing low follow-up speeds. Still, if you're a newer player looking for easy Mishima moves, it's good for the interim whilst you practice up. Also note the really odd recovery time folowing a sucessful Mishima attack after Parting Wave makes it quite difficult to juggle. ================================================================================================== 11.9 Corpse Thrust (Corpse Hitter, Corpse Splitter). d/b+1. M. 24. Jin takes a step forwards, kneels, and then delivers a massive punch to the gut. The pain, it burns! Aside from mondo damage, this hit knocks your opponent flying and is worth points with the crowd if you can do it when your opponent runs at you. As Jin ducks as part of this move, High attacks go over his head and you'll score a lot of counter-hits with this wonderful move. Some people accidentally do Parting Wave here by pressing back instead of d/b, so be careful of that. I see a lot of people use this as a juggle ender, with varying degrees of success. I personally use other juggle moves, but I must say that a Corpse Thrust finisher has *STYLE*. ================================================================================================== 11.10 Demon's Paw. f,f+2. H. 27. I use this a lot whilst running. Even doing this off the cuff gives you a great deal of range, as Jin takes a step forwards and really leans in with the blow. Smackdown! Again, mondo damage with a massive knockback. Good for a distance strike; learn to time this and you will be able to send your opponent flying every time they so much as blink :D. Another of my favourites. Jin ducks a little, sometimes enough to duck beneath a high hit, but don't gamble on it too much. It will take you under Eye Lasers, though. I most often stuff up here by not pressing forwards twice, in which case you wind up with an Overhead Punch. Make sure you hit f,f or are hitting forward at the end of your run. ================================================================================================== 11.11 Uppercut. d/f+2 or ws+2. H. 15. I find this move has limited value. Unlike other uppercut moves, Jin's will only juggle on a counter-hit. Otherwise they grab their nose and stagger back a bit, which is your cue to step in and smack them around some more. He does duck as part of this attack, so I find it useful to smack the Devil out of his Eye Lasers. If you do perform this move as a While Standing one, it will always juggle. So, if you do plan on using this as a Juggle-Starter, learn it as the WS variant. This is my standard reply to anyone who attacks low; I block the hit (or string) then put them up with this for a Laser Juggle. Lotsa fun for the whole family :D The ways I have seen people stuff this is by pressing forward instead (getting an Overhead Punch) or getting a normal jab (you didn't hit anything). ================================================================================================== 11.12 Twin Lancers. D/F+1,2. M,H. 10,16. Jin lashes out with a left-handed jab to the gut, then follows up with an overhead blow. He leans to the side when doing this, so sometimes cross-body attacks from your opponents miss, which is always a bonus. This is a good poking attack against people who duck and crouch a lot. You can use it to Juggle, but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you're going for a stylish kill. People usually stuff this by not holding D/F throughout. You must *HOLD* D/F throughout as tapping it will just give you the first gut punch. God only knows why, but a friend of mine constantly stuffs this move by pressing back, and winds up with Force instead. I don't think many people would be cursed with the affliction of hitting B+1+2 instead of D/F+1,2 but it is funny to see it. ================================================================================================== 11.13 Tooth Fairy. SS+2. H. 16. Jin sidesteps, then dashes in and performs a swift uppercut. This always juggles and is probably the most commonly seen opening move. 99.99% of the other Jin players I have fought open with this in the hopes of scoring an early Laser Cannon juggle. As a result, this move is often seen and commonly abused, so think before using it. The range on this attack, plus the fact it attacks from unexpected quarters with the Sidestep, means you can occasionally catch people off-guard with this. However, be careful with this attack, because, I must stress, *EVERYONE USES IT*. To surprise your opponent you could try it off of a Left sidestep (u,u) as I have never seen anyone else try it and it usually works for me, as my opponents usually think it can only come off the right sidestep. The most common problem is that Jin performs a sort of crouching jab instead of the Tooth Fairy. If so, check two things; firstly that you have tapped up or down twice. Secondly, hit (2) just after the sidestep animation has begun. ================================================================================================== 11.14 The Laser Series. b,f+2,... H. 18. Ahhh, yes. Probably the most commonly seen, used, and abused move in Jin Kazama's arsenal. Jin takes a step in, leans forwards, and smashes his opponent in the gut with a massively powerful punch. This attack, by itself, induces crumple stun, so you can just perform this to stun your opponent, then throw out a juggle starter, or even throw Them if you wish. Aside from maybe Corpse Thrust or Demon's Paw, this is probably the most important attack to learn for Jin, as along with the Demon Steel Pedal, this will be your most common counter-hitting tool. Be careful when using it, as the b,f motion betrays your intentions early on and so many people have seen the attack. If they duck, counter, or parry this hit, you could be in for it. This is one of the moves that frightened me back when I started to play Jin. I thought I would never get the b,f motion right, but I discovered the simplest way was to unleash the hit from blocking by pressing forwards immediately after blocking a long string. This is a good way to get a handle on the b,f motion. The other bonus is that the b,f motion is executed in almost exactly the time it takes for Jin to recover from a previous attack, guard stun, or whilst an opponent falls from a juggle starter to attacks height! This is a very important move to learn for Jin, so practice, practice, practice. ==>The next hit in this sequence is executed by hitting (1). This attack is a multidimensional hook punch, so you will hit people who try to sidestep. Damage is nothing flash at 14 points. If you perform this attack, you are probably committed to finishing the Laser series, and it will end the stun induced by the previous hit, allowing your opponent to block, counter or whatever the final hit. The only thing this attack has going for it is that it has a delay of about one second built into it, so you can hold off on pressing (1) until your opponent drops back down during the ever-familiar Laser juggle, or hold off on the attack to punish an opponent who thinks you've messed up the attack sequence and is coming in for the kill. You can also punish sidesteppers and counter-nazis by delaying this move. This is the best-tracking move of the sequence, so if you don't catch your opponent with this, it might be a good time to stop. If you've gotten the b,f+2 part of the move down, there are few ways to stuff this attack up. Just be sure you aren't hitting any directional buttons and have hit (1) instead of any other button. As an aside, a mistake a friend of mine commonly makes is performing Force here instead of the Laser Series. I can only speculate as to how he is managing this, but I think the joystick may be faulty or that he is not allowing enough time for the b,f motion to compute before hitting 2,1. It's very funny to see, though. "Hah! In the air! Fear my...Force? What the hell?" ==>The final part of the sequence is performed by hitting (2). This is the biggest hit in the sequence, doing 24 damage. This attack is commonly countered or avoided, so be careful here. I usually only do this from a distance, advancing in with the Laser series to catch people out. This hit knocks your opponent down and away. I see a lot of people use this as a juggle ender, but there is a better option, discussed below. This turns the move into Laser Cannon. ==>The other option to end this sequence is in pressing d/f+2 for the juggling Laser Scraper. Jin will step in and perform an uppercut, launching your opponent into the air. I have seen one player who loop juggled by performing Laser Scraper over and over, but I think that's kinda cheap. Personally, I follow this with a Laser Cannon, or a White Heron (see the Combo section, below). It deals 15 damage. If you've gotten this far into the attack sequence and are stuffing up, check that you are not hitting any additional buttons or directions. A common mistake is getting the opposite end to the one you were trying for, so just check you aren't hitting any direction buttons. Just to reiterate...this is a *VERY* commonly-seen attack from Jin, and almost everyone knows when to duck, sidestep, or counter-attack it. Against good opponents, throwing this out will not get you anywhere. Its place is in juggles or when advancing in, to give your opponent pause for thought. *DO NOT OVERUSE THIS ATTACK!*. However, the fact that it is so commonly seen means it is always expected, so if you stop and change attacks mid-sequence you will probably catch your opponent out, especially with a low attack or Throw as most people are happy to ride out the attack by blocking the sequence. ================================================================================================== 11.15 High Pounce. U/F+2+4. Hits all. Jin leaps straight up into the air, flying forwards with Mishima lightning flowing across him. As he lands, he delivers a powerful right-handed punch. The "Hits All" notation means that it attacks against all ranges as Jin comes down; if they are standing, it hits high, crouching, it hits mid, and if they are on the floor, it hits low. In this case, Jin will also then jump back after finishing the hit. If he hits High or Mid, Jin will just stay put. It's the same case if they blocked the attack, as well. This is a jump and a half, and looks very stylish, particularly if you do manage to hit with it. I commonly use this as a finishing move to win points with the crowd, to stylishly evade Ogre Flames or Devil Lasers and win even more points with the crowd, or to change sides of the screen. Occasionally you can get a rear throw by performing this, but it isn't often worth the gamble. Unfortunately, Jin has a fair amount of hang time in this move, so your opponent will probably have moved by the time Jin gets around to attacking. So unless your opponent takes long naps during the fight or you are up against the computer, don't use this move too much. Still, it is too stylish to be ignored. You can jump straight up by pressing (U) instead of U/F or backward by hitting U/B, in case you need some other tactical edges. The most common ways I stuff this up are by not hitting U/F properly, in which case I wind up with a sort of hopping jab, a Throw, or an Overhead Smash. I also see some people kick by accident here. Make sure you are hitting U/F+2+4 correctly here. ================================================================================================== 11.16 Twin Pistons (Rising Twin Uppercuts). WS+1,2. 10,15. In my opinion, While Standing moves are the toughest to execute in the game. Although you get many opportunities for them (especially when you get into the habit of ducking attacks or parrying low hits), I personally find the timing to get a While Standing move to be a real pain. However, given that my Tag partner is Jin's father, Kazuya Mishima, I had to learn the WS real fast to take advantage of the massively evil Demon Gut Punch :). Anyway, back to Jin. This move cops a beating in just about every Jin guide I have read, and I can understand why. First off, there's the problem of getting the WS timing right, and then after that is the fact that this move, unlike every other Mishima in the game, and the Jacks, will only juggle on a counter-hit. Weak. Secondly, it takes a while to recover if this move fails. Oh, well. Now, just note that I have not found any way to integrate this attack into my style of play. If you can, then you should include it and you should always experiment with moves to see what you can get. If anyone out there has any ideas about this move, I'd like to hear them so I can add them in here. To be perfectly honest, in any situation that you can think of to use Twin Pistons, you are probably far, far better off to simply use Jin's While Standing Uppercut, as it will *ALWAYS* juggle. On the few occasions where I've actually attempted this move, I have stuffed it more often than not. Check you are attacking whilst Jin is standing up; I time this by thinking "one" after I release the stick from the "down" position, then hit 1,2. Sometimes you may get a WS+2 instead, but this isn't too bad as it's the second hit which juggles anyway, and there's less of a recovery lag in this case. Just remember that unlike Heihachi Mishima and the Devil, D/F+1,2 won't work here, as Jin Kazama has the Twin Lancers command instead. ================================================================================================== 11.17 Punch Rush. f,f,N,2,1,2,2. H,H,H,H. 7,8,6,7. This is the opening of one of Jin's ten-hit combos, so it can be predicted from the f,f,N motion. Jin steps in twice, hesitates an instant, then lashes out with a right jab, a left cross, a right cross, and finishes off with a spinning backfist. Damage for this series is surprisingly light, but the speed is excellent. I use this to finish opponents off in juggles or to continue on with the Ten-Hit combo. The most common problem I encountered here was getting the f,f,N motion right. I do this by thinking "forward, forward, one...attack" and I suspect you will also have to learn some timing trick to get this. You may end up with just a standard jab, or you may get Demon's Paw instead. Either way it was because of the f,f,N timing. This move will require some practice to get down right. ================================================================================================== 11.18 Thunder Godfist. f,N,d,D/F+1. H. 29. This is a very hard move to master due to the f,N,d,D/F motion it requires. If you are having trouble getting it right, have a look at performing it from the Parting Wave. Since I cannot perform this move on a regular basis, I cannot offer any other advice than to practice, though if anyone out there has some tips for learning it or performing it easier, I would like to hear from them. There are also other moves you can do after this. If they ducked, hit (3) for Jin to perform a mid-hitting side kick on the way down to punish them. If they simply blocked it high, try a low-hitting (4) for a spinning low sweep. ================================================================================================== 11.19 Wind Godfist. f,N,d,D/F+2. H. 25. If you've read other Jin guides, you've probably noticed that they dwell in great detail on this move. Yes, it is good for starting juggles, blah, blah, blah, but it is quite difficult to get right, and you don't have to be able to use this to be a good Jin player. Since you are just starting out, I would suggest avoiding this move altogether for the time being, but after you have gotten the basics down pat for Jin, it is time to start looking at moving on to the higher levels of play. This is one of the moves that you will need to advance into the Advanced ranks. But remember, *THIS IS A GUIDE FOR BEGINNERS*, and there are other moves to worry about before you try this or any of the other f,N,d,D/F moves Jin has. Do not get demoralised if you cannot get this move right. It is difficult and practice will make perfect. If you really want to use it but are having trouble getting it right, I would suggest trying it off the Parting Wave (see above.) It is a widely known fact that Jin's Wind Godfist hits High instead of Special Mid like the other Mishimas, so if your opponent spots this, they will probably duck or try a counter. I also hear that there is an Electric Wind Godfist, done the same way but at greater speed. Apparently Jin does the move quicker and there are sparklier special effects. I have never performed this move and have never seen it in action, so I cannot offer any advice on exploiting it. And, let's face it, if you can do this move you probably know all about it anyway. Something for the experts, I think. Don't get demoralised if you cannot perform this attack. All f,N,d,D/F attacks are quite difficult. ================================================================================================== 12.0 KICKS ================================================================================================== 12.1 Left Kick. 3. H. 25. Jin performs a side kick. It's slow coming out, but does have good range and moderate damage. ================================================================================================== 12.2 Right Kick. 4. H. 30. Jin performs a spinning Roundhouse. It has excellent range because he steps forwards whilst doing it. ================================================================================================== 12.3 Spinning Roundhouse. H. F+3. 35. Jin takes a short sidestep, then spins and unleashes this massive spinning roundhouse. The attack sends your opponent spinning through the air, and combined with the high damage and funky Mishima lightning effects, this is one of Jin's best crowd-pleasers. I use this sometimes to evade an attack and then stylishly reply, but that requires a lot of practice to get the timing right to sidestep around with the animation of this attack, and I paid the price early on, eating many a Phoenix Smasher until I got it right. Still, the surprise value when your opponent discovers you've stepped around them then delivered this massive hit makes it well worth the effort to learn. Make sure you are holding forwards when you attempt this attack. ================================================================================================== 12.4 Demon Steel Pedal (Abuse Kick). b+4. 21. Jin takes a moment to gather his strength, then unleashes a massive front kick. This attack causes crumple stun, executes very quickly, and can knock your opponent back. As a result, this is one of the most important weapons in your arsenal. It takes on even more properties during a counter-hit, so use it to interrupt your opponent. This move will also collect grounded opponents. The best part of the move is the stun it can cause. I used to follow it up with another Demon Steel Pedal, but more recently I have moved to the Tsunami Kicks as my first choice to follow. I also see some people follow up with the Laser Series or a juggle starter. They're yours to play with if this hits on a counter, so make sure you learn this move inside and out. The most common mistake here is that you didn't hit back when you kicked out. Make sure you are hitting b+4. ================================================================================================== 12.5 Knee. F+4. M. 12. Jin steps in and performs a quick knee to the 'nads. Damage is not spectacular, but this is very fast and near-impossible to predict unless you constantly use this move. This is good to throw out against people who you've taught to duck under Jin's Punches. The most common error here is that you get Jin's basic roundhouse kick, in which case you have not hit Forward correctly. ================================================================================================== 12.6 Teardrop Kick. D+3. L. 5. Jin lashes out with a low-hitting Teardrop Kick. This attack hits low and is good for taking opponents on the floor or who block high a lot. This is good to throw out at random; any damage done is to your advantage, and it all adds up in the end. I should also note that this is a "Box" move (see below, in Special Techniques) and as such has excellent range. You may get a Side Kick or Spinning Sweep instead here, in which case your "d" motion was inaccurate. ================================================================================================== 12.7 Spinning Sweep. D/B+3. L. 12. Jin spins in place and delivers a low, sweeping kick. This is a multidimensional attack and will catch sidesteppers. This is used in a similar way to the above move. Again, just make sure that you get the D/B motion correct or you will wind up with a normal side kick or Teardrop Kick. ================================================================================================== 12.8 Left Axe Kick. f,f+2. H. 23. This is the same animation as the axe kick in the Shoot The Works combo. Jin dashes in twice, then performs an axe kick. The damage is solid, and it can induce some nice staggering and guard breaks, but this can be somewhat unreliable as the f,f motion really gives you away. This move is worth points with the crowd if you can collect an opponent who is running in. This move slightly bounces your opponent from the ground after it hits, so if you're fast enough, you can pick them up with a White Heron Juggle :) The biggest problem here is that sometimes you will get the Left Spinning Roundhouse instead of an Axe Kick. Make sure you are hitting f,f and are not just holding forwards. ================================================================================================== 12.9 Left Jumping Sidekick. f,f,f+3. H. 30. Jin takes three steps forwards, then leaps to deliver a side kick. Damage is good, and because he moves forwards and then jumps, it works very well to take out fleeing opponents. However, the fact that Jin is very, very open to attack when using this means that you should be careful about its use. If you are having problems here, make sure you are tapping forwards three times. Otherwise you will end up with the Axe Kick or Left Spinning Roundhouse instead. ================================================================================================== 12.10 Tsunami Kicks (Crescent to Axe). d/f+4,4 or WS+4,4. M,M. 10,16. Jin lashes out with a Crescent kick to his opponent's head, then switches into an Axe kick on the way back down. This is a stylish attack, and works very well against downed opponents, especially large models like the Bears and Jacks, and against people who like to roll. It also serves well during juggles. The only thing is that opponents get two chances to parry or counter-attack against this, so be careful with it. The most common thing here is that Jin will kick only once (check you have hit the kick button twice) or will do his normal kick, in which case you didn't get the D/F right. Jin does more damage with this if it is performed as a WS instead of D/F. That might be worth having a look at if you can nail the WS attacks. ================================================================================================== 12.11 Can-Can Kicks (Dancing Man, Low/Mid Jumping Kicks, etc). D+3+4. L,SM. 5,20. Jin jumps up, kicking out with his left, then right legs. If the first kick hits, the second is not always guaranteed, but it will always juggle. This is a good move to use against ducking opponents. I throw this out against opponents who are getting up or running towards me. It is a stylish move and worth points from the crowd if you can perform an impressive juggle from it as well. This move has copped a beating in other guides I have read due to the lag in recovery time if this misses or is blocked. Again, I don't think the problem is that bad, but still be careful. If stuffed up, this move might yield a Mishima Flip Kick (see below), or any of Jin's standing or sweeping left or right kicks. Make sure you are hitting D+3+4 correctly. This move has recently become one of my favourites, largely due to the fact that I play more Tekken 4 these days and it's a good attack for Jin in that game. In any case, it's become my standard reply to opponents who've stuffed up, as I can then tack on a White Heron Juggle for some better damage. Catfish from the Zaibatsu Forums informs me that if you hit your opponent with a stabilising Left Jab (1) after this move, you can Laser Juggle them as well. I'm working on it... ================================================================================================== 12.12 Mishima Flip Kick (Demon Scissors, Death From Above). 4,3 or 4,3,u. M. 25. A very stylish move. Jin takes a moment to make sure his opponent is in the right place, then performs a flipping kick. This is a great move against grounded or fleeing opponents, or to stylishly evade Ogre flames or Devil lasers. It wins big points from the crowd if you get it off as the finishing move or to end a juggle. It bears special note as an attack against Ling Xiaoyu when she is performing the Phoenix stance, as she cannot block it or sidestep to get out of the way. Hahahaha. The downside here is that you wind up on the floor. This can put you in the position of getting smacked around from your opponent's Okizeme game, and is virtual suicide against the Kings, who can grab you on the floor. Urg. Hitting "up" just after you hit 4,3 eliminates the hesitation when Jin looks at your opponent, so the move executes slightly faster. However, I believe this also makes it slightly more inaccurate, as Jin may not aim his fall correctly. The most common problem here is that you hit 3,4 instead of 4,3, in which case you wind up with a side kick. Sometimes you may mis-hit "3" and get Jin's basic right kick. These problems become even more compounded if you are trying the "up" command as well. Make sure you are hitting 4,3, delay an instant, then hit "up". ================================================================================================== 12.13 Spinning Demon (Rising Sun, Spiraling Doom, Descending Storm, Mishima Cheese Wheel, etc). U/F+4,4,4,4. H,L,L,M. 25,15,12,25. Ah, yes. The Mishima Cheese Wheel, savior and bane of every starting Tekken player. Jin leaps up, performs a spinning roundhouse, lands, spins twice with low sweeping kicks, then rises up with a final, mid-hitting side kick. This move will work well against less skilled opponents, mashers, and people who use Ling Xiaoyu and Eddie Gordo in their alternative stances. However, this is a move that every averagely skilled player will have seen a billion and one times, and they'll know the block sequence inside out, and that's assuming they didn't do something sadistic, like counter early on, or low parry the two sweeps. Since Jin will be in for a long stagger if the low sweeps are blocked or parried away, be careful when using this. That being said, the fact that it is so well known means that you can sometimes get the drop on people by using it. 99.99% of your opponents will assume you aren't dumb enough to try spamming this move...which is where you prove them wrong. Try maybe once in a game; if it works, you just took off a major chunk of their life. If it didn't...well, you're in for a world of hurt. I use this move when people are trying to get up (I have trouble getting Hell Sweeps right), and it works fairly well then, as people are usually more concerned with getting up safely than countering or parrying at that time. Even in this situation it is not foolproof, so drop this attempt as soon as they adapt to it. The other time I use it is when I anticipate my opponent Tagging out. Sometimes you can collect the outgoing character and finish them off; the two low sweeps are almost guaranteed against incoming characters. Just be wary of people who like to come in with a sliding kick. ================================================================================================== 12.14 Slash Kick. f,N,d,D/F+3. M. 30. This is the same as the Leaping Side Kick I detailed earlier, except that it is performed off the f,N,d,D/F instead, giving it the element of surprise. Again, not a move I would be worrying about at this stage of your Tekken career. Try it off the Parting Wave, or practice hard to get it right. ================================================================================================== 12.15 Hell Sweeps. f,N,d,D/F+4,4. L,M. 18,15. These two hits are the same as the final two kicks in the Mishima Cheese Wheel. The first hit knocks your opponent off their feet, the second kicks them away. I hear that the best thing to do here is to just keep going f,N,d,D/F+4 to do the sweep, and trap your opponent in a Mortal Kombat-style Trip Lock. This is my favourite to use after a Parting Wave, because no-one expects you to attack so quickly, and they certainly don't expect a low attack. Since this is a f,N,d,D/F move do not get stressed if you can't do it yet. Practice will make perfect. ================================================================================================== 13.0 THROWS ================================================================================================== I cannot overstate the importance of Throws in your game. Surprisingly few players know how to evade throws, and you will succeed with them far more often than not. Also, learn how to evade and break throws (this is covered later, in Special Techniques). With throws, your timing is critical; you must hit the throw buttons simultaneously or Jin will not perform the move. Instead, you will wind up with some sort of punch or kick combo, if you are lucky. I also find it helps to hold Forward during my throws as sometimes you get Countered on the move before you went to throw and wind up with a free Chicken. ================================================================================================== 13.1 Double High Sweeps (Bitch Kicks, Roundhouse to Crescent). 1+3. H. 30. Jin grabs his opponent, stares them down, then kicks them twice in the head. Red lightning arcs through their body, and Jin hurls them away, laughing sadistically. This is a powerful psychological tool and is worth big points with the peanut gallery. This can be evaded by pressing (1) or ducking. Your opponent is now on the floor nearby and it is time to follow up :D ================================================================================================== 13.2 Over the Shoulder Reverse. 2+4. H. 30. The stock-standard martial arts chop-socky movie throw. Jin grabs his opponent's arm, turns his back and steps in, then flings his opponent away using his own body as leverage. The downside to this move is that Jin throws them too far away for any easy follow-up attacks. This can be broken by pressing (2). ================================================================================================== 13.3 Complicated Wire. qcf+1+3. H. 35. Jin grabs his opponent's arm, then using his leg for leverage, flings them away. The damage on this is better than his standard throws, but it doesn't look that impressive and again they land too far away to follow up on. This can be broken by pressing (1). ================================================================================================== 13.4 Wrist Chuck Slam. D/F+2+3. H. 38. Jin grabs his opponent, yanks them forward, then punches them in the back of the head, sending them sliding away across the floor. Again they end up too far way to easily follow this attack up, but it is a very impressive looking throw and one of my favourite finishing attacks. It can be broken by pressing (2). ================================================================================================== 13.5 Stonehead. f,f+1+2. H. 33. Jin steps in and then grabs the back of his opponent's head, staring them down before giving them a Glasgow Kiss to go home with. They skid backwards across the floor; this is your cue to finish them by running over and stomping on them, or by Mishima Flip Kicking them, because they are at the perfect distance for the kick! This is a Command Throw and can only be broken by hitting 1+2, so throw this out regularly. I doubt your opponent will break this often. ================================================================================================== 13.6 Tag Throws. 2+5. H. Damage Varies; Generally ~15. Jin grabs his opponent, hurls them to the floor, then tags out. His partner tags in and makes a free, if low-damaging attack. This is without a doubt the safest way to Tag in and out. It is broken by pressing (2). ================================================================================================== 13.7 Side and Rear Throws. Any Standard Throw (Not Tag Throw). H. Side Throws do 43; Rear Throw does 60. None of Jin's side throws look that impressive, and are certainly not up to the intimidating standards set by his father's menacing moves. However, his Rear Throw (Chicken Butcher) deals out a massive 60 damage, which is just under his most powerful Unblockable move! And it looks cool, as well. These throws can all be ducked. A Left Side Throw is broken by pressing (1), and a Right Side Throw is broken by pressing (2). There is no way to break a Rear throw. ================================================================================================== 13.8 Ultimate Tackle. D+1+2. H. 5. Jin runs forward, grabs his opponent by their middle, and slams them onto their back. He then sits on their chest. From here, you can punch them in the face six times (Just hit the alternating Punch button-1,2,1,2,1,2 and so on until Jin gets up) or punch them in the face three times and break their arm (by pressing 1+2). Alternatively, you can break their arm as soon as they fall, to virtually guarantee the damage. The Punches do 5 damage each; the arm break does 40. The character hit by this attack can break the punch series by holding Back and pressing (2) during the punch. The Arm Lock can be broken by pressing 1+2. The Tackle can be reversed by the opponent pressing 1+2 on the way down, letting them punch you in the face. Watch out for that. The most common problem is that people do a punch attack instead of the Tackle. Make sure you are holding Down and pressing 1+2 together. ================================================================================================== 14.0 UNBLOCKABLES ================================================================================================== I really must warn you: although Unblockables offer insane damage and can't be blocked (duh... hence the name), the downside is that they take forever to execute (forever and a day, in the case of the Lightning Screw Uppercut), and leave Jin very, very vulnerable throughout. Although the computer will eat them on a regular basis, no human opponent who has seen the move before will allow you to land it. Sadly, Jin cannot cancel out of these moves, so they are useless as sucker moves as well. ================================================================================================== 14.1 Lightning Uppercut. b+1+4. M. 40. Jin ducks down, spins a few times, arcs red lightning, then leaps up with an uppercut similar to the Thunder Godfist. Unfortunately, the attack knocks your opponent too far away to follow up. The only advantage this move has over the Lightning Screw Uppercut is that it takes less time to execute. This move will hit grounded opponents who have their heads towards you. The most common error here is that you get the longer-spinning Lightning Screw Uppercut (See below) or White Heron. In the case of the former, you held Back instead of tapping it; in the latter, you didn't tap backwards at all. ================================================================================================== 14.2 Lightning Screw Uppercut. B+1+4. M. 80. Jin's biggest single hit. Jin goes down, spins for three and a half years, and then rises up with a massive uppercut. As spectacular as this move is, it is simply too dangerous to even contemplate. If you tried this move and it didn't work, makes sure you are holding back. Otherwise you may get a White Heron or a Screw Uppercut instead. ================================================================================================== 15.0 COMBOS ================================================================================================== As well as the combos already covered in Punches and Kicks, Jin has a few other chain attacks up his sleeve. Many players seem to think that the 10-hit combos are the be-all and end-all of their character's abilities and will sit there and spam away with them all day. Although this is a good tactic to keep the pressure up on an opponent, the problem is that if you stuff up, Jin is probably in for some stagger stun or major recovery time, or even more likely, your opponent has seen the combo before and knows how to block it, or even worse, when to counter-hit. I find it is better to attack in short flurries than in long, convoluted strings, but I do acknowledge the usefulness of 10-Hitters in keeping the pressure up on your opponent and would suggest that you learn at least one of them for that purpose. ================================================================================================== 15.1 White Heron. 1+4,2. L,H,H. 5,10,10. Jin lashes out with a spinning low kick, makes a left-right punch attack, and then can follow on with either of the following end kicks: ==>Standard Finish- press (4). Jin ends with a powerful, mid-hitting spinning kick, which does 21 damage. ==>Low Sweep: hold Down and press (4) and Jin will spin through with a sneaky low-hitting sweep that does 14 damage. Your opponent will be knocked onto their back. The idea is to mix up the ending of this series so that your opponent has to guess whether to block high and potentially take the low sweep, or block low and take the mid-hitting finishing kick. If you use White Heron, make sure you mix it up or you may find yourself Parried, Countered, or Low Parried. As a four-hit combo, this move is fairly safe to perform in combat. I often use this move to Juggle. Wait until your opponent is about to hit the floor, and then start the combo. This takes a bit of practice to get right, but it breaks up the monotony of Laser Juggles. Be careful when performing this move; opening into this out of a blocking sequence could see you perform a Lightning Uppercut. Although this will probably surprise your opponent, and may even work, this is not a good habit to get into. Alternatively, Jin may perform some other kick or punch. Make sure you aren't hitting any direction buttons, and are hitting (1) and (4) simultaneously. ================================================================================================== 15.2 Lashing Out. 3,2,4,3. H,H,M,H. 15,6,10,10. Jin performs his Side Kick, jabs with his right hand, knees his opponent, then follows through with a spinning roundhouse. This is the opening sequence for one of Jin's Ten-Hit combos, so it will help you to learn this move. The bonus with this move is something I discovered by accident; if you stop the 10-Hit chain here, you may get a Side Throw if you are fast enough. It seems to be dependant on your opponent being a smaller model, so it won't work against the Bears, Jacks, or Ganryu. Even if you don't get a side throw from it, the throw will almost certainly succeed as your opponent will expect the 10-Hit combo to continue. I would suggest using 1+3 as your throw here, because as Jin appears to be to the right of the enemy, you should succeed in the throw if your opponent spotted the throw and anticipated a Right Throw and attempts the (2) Throw Break. ================================================================================================== 15.3 Multi-Hit Combos. (All of the following move lists and hit data were taken from Jim Fitzpatrick's Jin Kazama Guide for Tekken Tag Tournament, Version 3.0. Full credit goes to him for this information.) Combo 1: b+2,4,4,4,4,2,1+4,2,1,4. H,H,H,L,M,L,H,H,H,H. 12,10,10,8,6,6,5,5,5,21,20 Combo 2: b+2,4,4,4,4,2,1+4,2,d+3+4. H,H,H,L,M,H,L,H,H,M,M. 12,10,10,8,6,6,5,5,5,21,21 Combo 3: f,f,N,2,1,2,2,3,4,4,1,2,1. H,H,H,H,M,M,L,H,M,M. 7,8,6,7,6,11,5,5,8,30 Combo 4: f,f,N,2,1,2,2,3,4,4,3,2,1. H,H,H,H,M,M,L,L,M,M. 7,8,6,7,6,11,5,5,25,30 Combo 5: 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,2,1,2.H,H,M,H,L,H,H,M,M. 15,6,10,10,7,5,7,10,15,30 Combo 6: f,f,N,2,1,4,4,2,4,3,2,1. H,H,M,M,L,M,L,M,M. 7,8,7,10,5,7,5,25,30 Combo 7: 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,1,3. H,H,M,H,L,L,H,M,M. 15,6,10,10,7,5,7,21,20 Combo 8: 3,2,4,3,1+4,2,1,4. H,H,M,H,L,H,H,M,L. 15,6,10,10,7,5,7,21,12. Combo 9: b+2,4,2,1,2. H,H,M,M,M. 12,10,10,15,30. Combo 10: b+2,4,2,1,d+2. H,H,M,M,M. 12,10,10,15,15. With these attacks, you must pay special attention to any directional buttons used, as well as getting the buttons right. Additionally, some moves require a delay between their input, so be prepared for that as well. It may be worth your while to learn the openings of all of these moves, because they are useful as flurrying attacks and can be tacked together for custom attack strings. ================================================================================================== 16.0 MOVEMENT ================================================================================================== As summed up by the immortal words of Sun Tzu: "No combat can be won without movement." Although I'm generally content to allow Jin's attacks to move me around the arena, occasionally you do need to move for yourself. Most obviously, we want to get away from an attacking opponent, and move towards an opponent who is running. Although Tekken Tag isn't a truly 3-D game, it kinda sorta operates in three dimensions. As well as back and forward and up and down on one plane, we can Sidestep to the Left, and to the Right. So, when do we do what? ================================================================================================== 16.1 Walk. Walking is done by holding either forwards or backwards, in which case you will start taking steps towards (or away from) your opponent. It's slow, but you can only be Counter-Hit, not Major Countered, whilst you're walking. Walking backwards will slowly, slowly get you away from the action, with the added benefit of your being in a permanent Standing Guard. That's about it, really. ================================================================================================== 16.2 Sidestepping. You can Sidestep by tapping up or down twice in succession. Jin has only one While Sidestepping move, the Tooth Fairy, which I've already talked about, above. This section is devoted to the defensive aspects of Sidestepping. When your opponent uses a highly linear attack (such as a punch combo), sidestep after the first few hits and move out of harm's way. Do not, I repeat, do not, sidestep against multiplanar attacks, as you will get creamed every time. Edddie Gordo and Hwoarang track very, very well, and likely will not miss, either. To be perfectly honest, I can offer relatively little advice on Sidestepping. I rarely do so; I have yet to work it into my game pattern and I'm looking for advice myself. ================================================================================================== 17.0 RUNNING ATTACKS ================================================================================================== To run, tap forwards once, then hold forwards. Running takes care of any "f" notation for any of Jin's regular attacks, and there are a number of special attacks Jin can only perform whilst he is running. Just note, however, that Running attacks track very poorly, so watch for cunning opponents who sidestep around them. ================================================================================================== 17.1 Flying Cross-Arm Chop. Run at least 3 Steps, then press 1+2. H. 30. Jin runs forwards, then flings himself at his opponent in an attack similar to the Leaping Cross-Arm Chop you can perform while getting up (see below). It is a highly linear attack, because Jin does not track well whilst running. Make sure you have taken at lest 3 steps and have hit the 1+2 buttons correctly. Otherwise, you may get a different running attack or a Punch attack. ================================================================================================== 17.2 Running Tackle. Run 3 steps or more towards your opponent. H. 5. Jin runs forwards and then executes the Ultimate Tackle, which you can follow up as per the usual steps from the 'Throws" section, above. Make sure you are running at least 3 steps; otherwise, Jin may just run in and stand there. Not good. ================================================================================================== 17.3 Sliding Dash. Run towards your opponent for 3 or more steps, then press 4. L. 17. Well, that's about it. Run forwards, hit (4) and Jin will slide along the ground and knock his opponent down. This is a good move to perform when tagging in as it hits low and executes quickly. Make sure you are running and you hit (4). Otherwise you will see a Knee attack or Jin's standard Right kick. ================================================================================================== 17.4 Leaping Side Kick. Whilst running, press 3. H. 30. This is identical to Jin's f,f,f+3 Leaping Side Kick. ================================================================================================== 17.5 Stomp. Run at least 3 Steps. Hits Grounded opponents only. 14. Jin runs forwards, then stomps on his opponent as he runs over them. Make sure you don't press any other buttons when attempting this attack. ================================================================================================== 17.5 Unblockable Shoulder Charge. Run towards your opponent for at least 4 Steps. M (Unblockable). 30. Run from a large distance away. Jin will drop his head down behind his shoulder and slam into his opponent for 30 points of Unblockable damage. Follow this up with a quick Tsunami Kick to raise the damage to 46. Make sure you are running from the required distance and didn't hit any other buttons when attempting this attack. ================================================================================================== 18.0 THEY SEEK HIM HERE, THEY SEEK HIM THERE ================================================================================================== 18.1 Ducking. An important part of the game is knowing when to Duck. Ducking is a vital tactical tool; you can slot in WS attacks, avoid enemy attacks (and especially enemy throws and generally become more flexible. To Duck effectively, you must learn your opponent's Hit Heights for their attacks and be able to accurately predict them; to do this, watch them play and read the appropriate guides for the other characters. What you need to watch out for are opponents with a lot of Mid hits, as they can rapidly shift over and punish people who are avoiding their attacks. You can Duck into three positions: Low Block. Holding Down/Back will see you duck down and inch away from your opponent. Although you can be hit by Mid attacks, Low attacks will be blocked and High attacks will miss. Crouch. Holding Down will see you remain in place. You will be in the same defensive position as above, but you are only on Passive Block, which will not block all moves. Offensive Crouch. Holding Down/Forward will see you duck down and creep forwards. You have no defence against Low attacks in this stance, but High attacks will still miss. ================================================================================================== 18.2 Diving. A more extreme way of avoiding attacks is to Dive, by doing the Mishima Flip Kick. Now invulnerable to anything but Low attacks, Jin is on the floor. A bad idea against anyone displaying Okizeme talent, but with the number of wake-up attacks at Jin's disposal, sometimes a frighteningly good tactical choice. This is particularly true against Eye Laser morons. ================================================================================================== 19.0 ON THE GROUND ================================================================================================== You could be put on the ground for a variety of reasons. Most people panic when they hit the floor, fearing a follow-up attack. Your opponent, unless they're an Okizeme master, probably won't have a lot to follow up with, so just stay calm and think ahead. I have won games by intentionally putting myself on the deck to sucker my opponent in. ================================================================================================== 19.1 Stay Put. Take a nap. Why not? The longer you stay down, the more likely it is that your opponent will try to hit you, so getting up would probably be a good idea. It's a good idea to stay down when your opponent is running towards you (it hurts less to get Stomped on than to get Shoulder Charged, for example), or if you have a plan in mind. Staying down can be followed up with any of the other options available. ================================================================================================== 19.2 Roll. This is what most people will do. Press (1) to roll to the left, or D+1 to roll to the right. It will take you away from oncoming liner attacks, but beware nearby Mishimas, who will punish you with a Tsunami Kick if you try this. Jin will not stand up automatically at the end of a side roll, so make sure you instruct him to stand. You can also roll forwards or backwards by pressing those directional buttons. ================================================================================================== 19.3 Get Up. Press Up and stand. Not very inventive, but it gets the job done. The only bonus here is that you should be able to get some WS moves happening. ================================================================================================== 19.4 Low Sweep. 3. L. 10. Press (3) and Jin will perform a low-hitting sweep as he stands. Many people do this because they think their opponent won't expect a low hit while they get up. ================================================================================================== 19.5 Standing Side Kick. 4. M. 12. Jin stands up, spins, and delivers a side kick. This is good to use on opponents who you've educated to block low, as it will catch them out and they'll have to start guessing. ================================================================================================== 19.6 Rising Cross-Arm Chop. Whilst Rolling Forwards, 1+2. M. 15. Jin rolls forwards, then launches himself at his opponent. Damage is low, but it does hit mid. Still, a common move that many opponents will expect to see, so don't use it too much. Make sure you are hitting 1+2, or Jin may simply roll forwards then deliver a punch. I also discovered by accident that you can perform this move by pressing 1+2 when Jin rolls backwards. Jin will roll back a little, then fling himself forwards. I tried this out at the arcade and it worked quite well; my opponent had never seen it before, either. ================================================================================================== 19.7 Rising Kicks. Whilst Rolling Backwards, 3+4. M. 20. Jin rolls backwards, then uses his arms to hurl himself feet-first at his enemy. Again, a relatively common move, though it does hit mid. Your opponent will be knocked down. Make sure you are hitting 3+4 properly, or Jin may roll back and deliver one of his kicks instead. ================================================================================================== 20.0 BACK TOWARDS THE ENEMY ================================================================================================== Obviously, this is not where you want to be. You can turn around by holding the direction pad in the opposite direction, but this takes a while, and is not a good idea. The best way to turn around is to execute a Throw. Jin will spin quickly, and that animation also has the added benefit of extending the throw's range. Since your opponent also probably went for a Throw, this will help to get you out of the incredibly painful Rear Throw scenario. At best, Jin will knock them away from the Throw; at worst, he'll spin quickly enough to be Front Thrown rather than Rear Thrown, which is at least a quarter of a Life Bar worth of difference. Alternatively, you can perform a kick or punch attack. These are slower, but are more powerful and will knock your opponent back and away. ================================================================================================== 21.0 OPENING MOVES ================================================================================================== At the start of the fight, you are probably looking for a fast, surprising move to tag your opponent with. Shining Fists is a good, safe, opening move; the Stonehead throw is also an excellent opening attack because it is a command throw. Many Jin players open with a Tooth Fairy to get an early Juggle in. I also like to open with Corpse Thrust and Demon Paws to get my opponent on the back foot very early on. There are also two riskier options that I sometimes see used. The first is the High Pounce opener. The idea here is that you jump behind your opponent and perform a Rear throw on them. Though it yields results, your opponent may react faster and rear throw *YOU* instead, or set up some sort of Juggle during the long air time Jin has during this move. The second risky option is to open straight into an Unblockable attack. Even the best players will freeze up when confronted with the thought of loosing over half their life bar from a single attack, and that freezing can be enough to actually get the move in. It will only work once, however, so don't make a habit of this. ================================================================================================== 22.0 FLURRIES ================================================================================================== Just like a real fight, I find it works best to dart in and out, making short attacks against my opponent before going back onto the defensive. Quick, safe moves like Shining Fists, Corpse Thrusts, and Demon's Paws are good here. The trick with making a Flurry attack is not to push it. Make a fast attack, then pull back. If you try to push too hard, you could make a mistake and find yourself in trouble. The best part of fighting like this is that you typically knock your opponent down or back, and can buy yourself valuable breathing time to think up new tactics. ================================================================================================== 23.0 TAGGING ================================================================================================== Unfortunately, no matter how good you are with Jin, you will be saddled with a liability- your Tag Team partner (of course, if Jin is your secondary character and you're reading this for ideas, Jin will be the liability :D). If you're anything like me, you'll be OK with Jin and... slightly less than OK with whoever else you have got on the team (Individual characters will be discussed later on). The best time to Tag is when your opponent can't do anything about it. Tag Throws are, without a doubt, the best and safest way to Tag out, but you can't rely on that method alone. The next-best way is to knock your opponent away to give yourself time to run. Fortunately, Jin has many moves which can do this; Shining Fists, Corpse Thrust, and Demon's Paw are probably the most effective, though, as they are probably already part of your most-often used moves. Failing that, you can Tag out after your opponent has botched a move and they are going to spend a lot of time recovering. Alternatively, you can Tag out after putting your opponent into the air; this is particularly true if you can perform a Tag Juggle. The final safe way is to Tag out when your opponent does. When your partner comes on, they are running; if you tap forwards once, then hold it, you will continue the run and can make a Running Attack, as detailed above. For those intending to use Kazuya Mishima, note that he will not run on. I believe this is due to his Mist Step. However, the fact that you are running on means that you are vulnerable to attack; anything executed against an incoming player will hit Counter and Clean. You must Tag with caution, as an error here could very well cost you the game. When you have Tagged out, the player will regain health (Blue) up to his new maximum (Red) on the life bar. Try to keep your best character healthy. The other one can take it for the team. ================================================================================================== 24.0 AVOIDING THROWS ================================================================================================== The best way to avoid throws is to spot them early and then duck, which gives you the option of using a WS move or buying time to Tag out or do something else. However, you will get caught eventually, so you'll have to learn how to Break throws as well. Learning how and when to break throws is a vital skill. There are three button combos to break throws : (1), (2), and (1+2). If your opponent only ever uses one throw, just learn the appropriate break and keep using it. Most opponents will mix their throws up, however, so you'll need to learn how to pick the correct button. If they reach out with their left hand, the Break button is (1). If they reached out with their right, the button is (2). If they reached out with both at once, the break is 1+2. If they try to grab you from the left, the break is (1). If they tried from the right, the break is (2). You cannot break rear throws. The other way to break a Throw is to initiate a Throw of your own as soon as you see your opponent reach out. The final (possibly the best) way to avoid throws is through Ducking. As soon as you think they are throwing, duck. This works very, very well, and Ducking (aside from attacking back) is the only way to save yourself from being Rear Thrown. Be aware that King and Armour King have Throws which can collect you if you are Ducking, or even if you are on the floor. You must be careful against such opponents. ================================================================================================== 25.0 WHAT'S THIS CROUCH DASH CRAP, ANY WAY? ================================================================================================== Well, I have recently experienced an Epiphany and am now able to regularly pull off those accursed f,N,d,D/F moves. I'm even starting to work the "Crouch Dash" into my game. It ain't pretty, but it is effective. Mostly. Sometimes. OK, once :D The trick I use to do this is to tap the joystick (or pad) towards my opponent, then roll the stick (or slide my thumb across the pad) the same way as if I was throwing a Fireball with Ryu from Street Fighter. You have to hesitate for an instant before you roll it, though; that accounts for the N (Neutral) position, then keep going. Depending on how accurate your motion is, and how sensitive the control you're using is, though, the results may vary and you'll need to practice a little to get it right. You may have noticed that, unlike other guides, I don't rant and rave about the Crouch Dash or f,N,d,D/F moves in general. That's because this is a guide intended for beginners. The move is part of Jin's arsenal, which is why I included it, but they're quite difficult to do, at least at first. If you can't get it right, don't stress out or give up; they just need a little more time to get right. Don't waste time trying to get them down pat as soon as you start playing the game; learn other moves first, then come back later when your arsenal has expanded a bit more. Also, depending on what control you're using, the sensitivity and required motion may require some tweaking and practice. The more often you play the game, the more precise your movements, and control, will become; eventually, the magical light will just flash on, and you'll be set. It'll just take some time, so hang in there. ================================================================================================== 26.0 JUGGLING ================================================================================================== Without a doubt, the most feared part of Jin Kazama's game is his lethal Juggling ability. If you can get your opponent in the air, their death is all but assured. The most obvious Juggle Jin has is the infamous Laser series, which I discussed above. Most players perform a short, left-handed Jab to open into the Laser juggle. Combined with the Juggle Starter (typically a Tooth Fairy) the damage for the combo is usually around 80 points. The next Juggle that is exceedingly common is the White Heron. Wait until your opponent is just about to hit the floor, then open into the White Heron. This is a good Juggle for starting players as it is a button-only attack, rather than the timing and button-intensive Laser Juggles. I must also make mention of Jin's standard Right Kick (4), which works well in Juggles and will deal about 50 damage, so if you are having trouble with more complicated Juggles, this is a good interim move. The only reason to use another Juggle is for additional damage (which means you are going for a Laser Juggle), or to eat time, which is why I use the White Heron Juggle. My personal favourite Juggle is to put my opponent into the air (usually with Tooth Fairy, but occasionally with an Uppercut of some kind), then perform a Laser Scraper (not Laser Cannon) and finish off with a White Heron. The damage on offer for this juggle is almost 100 points! The timing on this attack is harder to get right, but it looks spectacular and does mondo damage. If you are having trouble with those Juggles, any High-hitting attack will work. I used to extensively use Mishima Flash Punch Combos, Demon Backhand Spins, and Shining Fists to attack my opponent in the air. Tsunami Kicks is another good move; basically, any damage you can do to an enemy in the air is free damage. They can't do anything about it, so just hit them with whatever you can. It all adds up. Again, start small and work towards the harder Juggles such as the Laser Series. Practice, practice, practice! A WS+1,2, WS+2, or Wind Godfist Launcher allows you to Laser Cannon Juggle straight off. Start the sequence straight after you flick them up; leave off the final hit until they fall down to the appropriate height. Watch someone else do it if you're unsure of the timing; we Jin players use this Juggle a lot because of the damage. With a bit of practice, you should also be able to tack a Tsunami Kick onto the end for a little bit more damage. For those looking to Lase Cannon Juggle from the Tooth Fairy, you must stabilise your opponent in the air with a (1) punch. This flicks them up for long enough that you'll be able to Laser them before they fall. Delay the final Laser hit as usual, though I've never been able to tack a Tsunami Kick ender on. Off a Can-Can Kick Launch, you can Laser Juggle after a (1) punch to stabilise them. However, you must delay the hits significantly to get it right. Also, this combo (whilst certainly looking spectacular) will only cause 56 damage; a much simpler White Heron Juggle will do 47... Many thanks to Catfish, Chains of Misery, and Night who pointed that out to me. ================================================================================================== 27.0 COUNTERING ================================================================================================== Jin Kazama has one of the most dreaded abilities in the game; he can Counter moves thrown at him. By pressing b+1+3 or b+2+4 just as your opponent's blow would have landed, Jin will grab their limb and deliver a counter-attack. The animation for this counter-attack varies, depending on what limb your opponent tried to hit you with. The damage tends to vary, and I believe it is based on the damage that would have been inflicted had the move hit you. Jin can counter Punches or Kicks, but only if they would have hit High. He cannot Counter mid or low hitting attacks. The most important part of this tactic is practice. In order to use Counters as a major part of your game, you must become familiar with the timing of your opponent's attacks. This will require a good deal of practice, especially against opponents with large move lists or highly variable attack options. Basically, watch your opponent as they fight. Start to time the difference between their limb moving towards you and the block animation. Although difficult at first, this will become second nature. Start with common attacks from popular characters, and gradually expand the amount of moves you can counter-attack against over time. It will take time to get this down; I have been playing for six months now, and can only pick my opponent's attacks coming about half the time. I counter whatever moves I think I can get away with it, and have a reasonable amount of success with the attempt. The biggest problem with countering is hitting the buttons correctly. Many arcades have shonky buttons, which do not behave as expected, so if you are not getting anywhere because of that, it would be a good idea to stop. Secondly, certain attacks (especially knees and elbows) cannot be Countered. You'll learn these the hard way. I find it very difficult to counter Lee Chaolan because of his insane attacking speeds, and Bryan Fury/Bruce Irvine because they knee and elbow more than anyone else does. The final problem lies in stuffing the counter up, by doing it at the wrong time or whatever else. Getting hit because of a failed counter really, really hurts as all hits against you are Counter-Hits and Clean, providing major damage bonuses to your opponent. For this reason alone, it is a bad idea to try to Counter high-power moves (such as Phoenix Smasher) because the damage you take will be all-but fatal. Practice will eventually make perfect, though, so just keep on trying until you get it right. Start small, then work your way up. A final, if unlikely, danger must also be pointed out; the "Chicken", where your opponent Counters your Counter. Damage is small, but you are knocked back and your opponent gains an initiative bonus on their next attack. Also, the computer announcing "CHICKEN!" is annoying and humiliating. Anyway, only high-skill or lucky opponents will be able to Chicken you, so if you think you are playing a really good opponent, you might be better off to steer clear of the Counter. ================================================================================================== 28.0 SPECIAL TECHNIQUES ================================================================================================== This is where I will be discussing some of the more advanced or exploitative moves available to Jin Kazama. ================================================================================================== 28.1 Chickening. Press F+1+3 or F+2+4 during an Enemy's Counter. If you are prescient enough to read your opponent's mind or fast enough to spot the Counter, you can fight back with the always crowd-pleasing Chicken. Damage offered is low, but if you can Chicken your opponent a few times, they will probably abandon their attempts to Counter you. As I mentioned earlier, if you mix throws in to your standard attack line up, it might help you to hold forwards as you attempt the throw as sometimes your previous attack is countered and you wind up with a free Chicken. ================================================================================================== 28.2 Counter-Baiting. The easiest way to get Counters is to bait your opponent into attacking you. I usually do this by performing a slow-to-recover move just outside of its attack range. My opponent then steps in to punish me for my perceived mistake, only to wind up getting countered! This is a somewhat risky technique as some characters (Bruce, Bryan) have uncounterable attacks that they like to use, or your opponent may make a low attack. Still, once you get used to the timing of counters and can start to predict your opponent's attacks, Counter-Baiting is a technique which will give you a few free points of damage when you really need it. ================================================================================================== 28.3 Force. B+1+2. Jin Kazama has a special move called Force, which you can activate by pressing B+1+2. Jin will step back, perform a short Kata, then arc lightning across himself. Anyone attempting to attack whilst he is in Force will be knocked back. Force is an often-overlooked part of Jin's arsenal. Although it does have limited application, when timed correctly, Jin can gain a major advantage with this move. I often use Force to buy myself breathing room if an opponent comes at me with a long combo, or to fry nearby opponents on the ground if I am close enough (they get shocked and fall back over). It can even be used against opponents who are flying towards you. There is a fair bit of danger in using this move; I use it when I am confident it will work, or am so desperate that I consider the risk of being hit being worth it to balance the fact that I am being forced onto the back foot. If you do intend to try to use Force, I would recommend you practice on a PlayStation where it doesn't cost you anything to play, or against a very inexperienced opponent if that is impossible. I have to say, the very best way to finish a fight on the PS2 is to kill your opponent on a Counter-Hit with the Demon Steel Pedal, then perform Force. They will crumple down into you, hit Force, get zapped, and be knocked away. Stylish. Annoyingly, you can't fry people like that at the arcade. Of course, where Force really shines is when Jin is partnered with Heihachi Mishima. By pressing 2,2,3 during the Force animation sequence, Jin will perform Omen. His stance will shift to that of Heihachi's, and red lightning will continue to pulse off of Jin. Jin gains some new moves from this stance, but since they are all complicated I will not waste your time by discussing them. The only move of note at this level is the Omen Corpse Thrust, which is 1+2. Jin will cause about 9 damage to himself, but will knock his opponent down in spectacular fashion, complete with crumple-stun animation and red lightning. The downside is that Jin is slow to recover off this move, and he does damage himself, which is not good. Omen will end if you block, step back, or perform any move from the stance. You can still walk (but not Run) forwards in Omen. If you intend to use Omen, make sure you are hitting 2,2,3 at the right time, or Jin may just perform a punch or kick at the end of the Force animation. ================================================================================================== 28.4 Box Moves. I am not very knowledgeable about computer graphics or programming, so this explanation is in my own words and may be inaccurate. Imagine each character as a stick figure. Over this is laid the polygons and graphics that make up the character model. The stick figure defines the character's movements, and the rest of the model animates them by moving in relation to the stick figure. However, the character's model is not the end of the character themselves. Instead, a "box" extends out past the edges of the animated figure, which allows the computer to determine where the character is, how far they can reach, and so on and so forth. This "box" extends slightly around every character, which is why you get the odd Throw animations where people appear to be reaching inside the other character. However, this "box" has a practical use as well. If you can get to know how far this "box" reaches around Jin, and how far it extends beyond your opponent, you may be able to execute attacks at ranges beyond which they expect. This is a difficult technique to learn and apply, but even slight advantages gained by using it can make it a worthwhile effort. In the example of offence, Jin's leg "boxes" extend beyond his feet by a fair margin, which I exploit by using his low attacks. His character animation comes nowhere near his opponent, but they are still knocked back, off their feet, or whatever else. In the example of defence, Forrest Law's leg "box" during his Dragon's Tail sweep extends a number of centimetres beyond his foot. If you are unaware of this, you may believe yourself safe because you are further away than his legs would seem to reach, but you may still be in the "box" zone and wind up getting knocked down. I know this seems overly semantic and technical, but it can be an important part of organising your combat techniques. ================================================================================================== 28.5 Supercharger. 1+2+3+4. By mashing all four buttons together, you can Supercharge. This will take a little bit of time, but it is a good psychological tool and has some advantages associated with it. First of all, when Supercharged, all your attacks a Counter-Hits, and you will be able to damage blocking opponents. Secondly, if you Tag whilst Supercharged, your Tag partner will come on Supercharged. This is difficult to get right as all four buttons must be pressed simultaneously, and as we all know, arcade buttons are never in perfect order. ================================================================================================== 28.6 Low Parry. Press d/f as opponent attacks. Jin, like everyone else, can make Low Parries against his opponents. This is an important technique to master, particularly against fellow Mishima players. Your opponent will be treated to a stagger stun and you will be awarded the initiative. I find that a Throw works wonders after this. Be careful when you Low Parry; your timing must be precise, or you will be Counter-Hit, which is never pleasant. ================================================================================================== 28.7 Netsu. The "Netsu" (Anger) power up comes into play after a Tag partner has been hit a certain number of times. Fortunately for us, Jin Kazama is a caring, compassionate lad and will start to get angry after his partner has been hit about 5 times, even if it's The Devil or Hwoarang! You will notice that the Tag partner's life bar begins to flash red; this indicates that they have grown angry and will inflict more damage when they attack. Sometimes, even if you're low on life, it can be worth the gamble to bring on an Angry character than to leave them out of the fight. However, some characters care little for Jin (such as The Devil) and won't get Angry, even if Jin is near death. ================================================================================================== 28.8 Hit Points. Not all characters in the game can take the same amounts of punishment. Jin Kazama is an absolute tank, with somewhere in the region of 150 Hit Points. Kazuya Mishima, the Bears, The Devil, and the Jacks also share high Hit Points and can take a major beating. Other characters, such as Heihachi Mishima and Wang Jinrei are old, old men and have about 100 Hit Points. Ling Xiaoyu and Jun Kazama are also quite weak. Most characters fall along the middle line of this extreme and have something like 120 or 130 Hit Points. I also hear that human players are given 30 extra Hit Points. Knowing how much of a beating you and your opponent can take at any given time is vital to your planning, as it will help you decide what moves to make and when to use them, and how much of a risk you are willing to take. ================================================================================================== 28.9 Setting up the WS WS (While Standing) moves are, quite frankly, a pain in the arse. But, as well as learning your timings as you come up from ducking, there's an easy way to set up the While Standing moves. Thesewill work for a little while, but repeating them against a good opponent will get you hammered, so do be careful. The first set-up for a WS is d+1. Jin will sort of crouch and poke out with his left hand. Anything you follow this up with will be a WS move. So, a d+1,1,2 will net you a Twin Pistons; a d+1,4,4 will get you a Tsunami Kick. This isn't too bad as a mix-up, as you can stay down low for a low spin kick (3) or come up with a high-hitting Twin Piston or Rising Uppercut launcher with the Tsunami Kicks to keep them guessing. The second way to set up the WS is with a d/b+3. Jin will spin down low and deliver an ankle-hitting kick. This is good for surprise factor; anything you can do with a d+1, you can do with a d/b+3. If you're having trouble, remember to let go of the directiona controls as soon as you've finished the d+1 or d/b+3 attack. Both of these are cheap, and I'd really recommend you learn how to duck for your WS, but these moves might help you out in a tight spot. ================================================================================================== 29.0 PLAYER TYPES ================================================================================================== Generally, there are two types of players you will see: Pit Bulls and Turtles. Highly skilled opponents will switch between these styles of play, but at this level of skill, you will probably have a preferred style of combat. ================================================================================================== 29.1 The Pit Bull. Pit bulls are easily identified by their character selection. Picking a Mishima is usually a declaration you will fight from the offensive, as Mishimas have little in the way of defensive techniques. Picking two Mishimas is a pretty sure sign you are a Pit Bull. Pit Bulls are players who will attack, attack, attack all day long and halfway through the night if given the chance. They will come in with powerhouse attack sequences and mix up strings to keep you guessing. Pit bulls will rarely, if ever, throw because their standard moves are more effective in their fighting style. The key to winning as a Pit Bull is to keep up the attack. No matter what, never stop or falter; force your opponent onto the back foot and keep them there. If you can force them into a reaction-only mindset, you've won already. Keep 'em guessing. The way to beat Pit Bulls is to learn their favourite attack sequences and block, parry, or counter them. The average Pit Bull won't have a huge number of attacks in their repertoire, but what they do use will be highly effective. Pit Bulls tend to have short reins, so if you can frustrate them with throws, counters, blocking, parries or whatever else, they will start to loose it and will rush in without thinking. Additionally, defensive techniques are alien to Pit Bulls, so if you can force them onto the back foot (granted, not an easy task) they will fall to pieces then as well. ================================================================================================== 29.2 The Turtle. Turtles are thoughtful, meticulous players who fight from the defensive. Picking characters who are able to Counter, who are tough, or "Safety" characters like Lamek or Jun usually shows a Turtle at work. Despite the name, Turtles are anything but slow in combat; however, instead of attacking outright, Turtles will sit back and fight the way they want to. Opponents who mess up will be severely punished with massive counter-hits, and they will Throw the unwary into oblivion. The way to win as a Turtle is to learn your opponent's techniques and just smack them out of whatever they are doing. Punish any failed attacks with Shining Fists, Demon's Paws, Counters, or Throws, and control the battle by forcing your opponent to come to you. The way to beat Turtles is to turn their own technique against them. Start mixing in throws, counters, and anything else. Force them to come to you. ================================================================================================== 30.0 PLAYER SKILL LEVELS ================================================================================================== 30.1 Masher. The button-basher is the first stage in the evolution of every Tekken player. They don't really know what's happening, but figure that as long as you're pressing a button, you're ahead. As mashers progress, they will learn some attack strings and will try to use them more often than simply mashing. Many people deride Mashers, but this is stupid for two reasons: firstly, everyone will have been a Masher at some stage; you can only get better. Secondly, some characters, such as Jin, Ling, and Hwoarang can be very dangerous in the hands of a Masher; they have so many moves that any random combination of buttons and directions can result in a special move, and since *THEY* don't know what they are doing, you won't be able to predict it,either. Most Mashers will be happy to hear any advice you have for them, so if you can help them out, do it. The better the competition gets, the better you will get. Also, keep an eye on Mashers who use the characters you fight with, since their unorthodox fighting style may give you some ides of your own. ================================================================================================== 30.2 Beginner. Hopefully, this is where you will be after reading this guide. Beginners will be good with their primary character, and not that hot with their other one. Beginners will probably know every move their character has, but may not use them because they have trouble getting the motions right or are afraid of getting punished for it. Beginners will have a solid basic style, but won't get too fancy in case they get confused or stuff up. Beginners will know a few Juggles and be able to deal significant damage to unwary opponents. ================================================================================================== 30.3 Intermediate. I consider myself to be an intermediate player. I can perform any of Jin's moves except the f,N,d,D/F ones whenever I like (shonky buttons and control sticks notwithstanding), and Counter, counter-hit, poke, and Juggle often. Intermediate players are very good with their primary characters, and are at Beginner level with their Tag partner. Most players at arcades will be of at least this level. I can win better than half of my games, but I know there are gaps in my style. I don't throw often enough, and am working on mastering the f,N,d,D/F moves and Tag juggles. I also need to work on learning how to fight better with Kazuya Mishima to become more dangerous. ================================================================================================== 30.4 Advanced. At this level, your opponents are truly dangerous. They will be able to Crouch Dash, are equally skilled with both their characters and can fight well with another half-dozen or so characters if they get predictable. They will Tag Juggle, Chicken, and Throw you like there's no tomorrow. They will still have a few flaws in their style, but these will be hard to pick and harder to exploit. Advanced players are good to watch to see what to try out next. ================================================================================================== 30.5 Elite. Elite players are the top of the Tekken tree. They will know every move for every character, make use of Frame data, and on the whole have no discernible weakness. A fight between two players of this level will just come down to luck. Elite players are absolute gurus and know pretty much everything there is to know. If you ever do see an Elite player, try to con them into teaching you some tricks. ================================================================================================== 31.0 THE OTHERS ================================================================================================== Sadly, Jin is not the only character in the game, so you'll have to learn to fight with (and against) some 30-odd other people as well (Grah!). This section will detail their usefulness as a Tag partner for Jin, as well as how people tend to fight with them and what the computer likes to do. ================================================================================================== 31.1 A Word To The Wise. The easiest way to get ahead is to select another Mishima fighter as Jin's partner, or to use his mother, Jun Kazama. Many Mishimas get special moves when they are put together, as does Jun when paired with Jin. Although these two features make selecting a Mishima or Kazama seem ideal, the downside is that you will probably play the two characters in a similar style, which could mean predictability. If you do choose a Mishima or Kazama as Jin's partner, be careful and mix it up. ================================================================================================== 31.2 Alex/Roger. These carnival freaks are all but useless, which is why no-one in their right mind would pick them. Still, their small stature, speed, and ability to hide their attacks with their natural movement means they can whip out a few surprises, especially with their spinning Tail Trip. They mix a few Mishima moves with some of the King's moves, so be prepared for anything. I have never seen a human play Alex or Roger. The computer likes to throw and uses a lot of sneaky low attacks, so be prepared. ================================================================================================== 31.3 Baek Doo San (Lamek). Quite probably the most annoying character in the game, Lamek's major claim to fame is the fact that he makes a lot of noise. Every attack, he grunts. Tap the direction buttons, he grunts. I mute the TV whenever I have to fight Lamek. Anyway, Lamek is a dangerous character, because he has a variety of high and low attack mix ups and is an infinite string attacker. Most Lamek players are pit bulls who will kill you by putting pressure on you. You can't block everything. Lamek is easier to learn than Hwoarang, his student, and can be a good bridging character if you want to learn to fight with Bob as many of their moves and fighting techniques are similar. Human players will constantly spam with infinite attack strings and force you to guess whether to block high or low. Fortunately, they don't tend to throw much as Lamek winds up on his back as well, which is a small mercy. The computer, too, will spam away and keep you guessing, but it will throw frequently, which is actually in your favour, as you can then get some valuable breathing time. ================================================================================================== 31.4 Bryan Fury. Like Jin, Bryan is a powerhouse attacker and has a number of painful Juggles. Again, like Jin, Bryan Fury has few low-hitting moves, and tends to become a bit predictable. Still, his excellent While Standing moves and the ever-popular Chains of Misery throw he has make him an excellent partner for Jin. Well, Rashan has moved on to Bryan Fury, apparently having decided that Bruce Irvine just wasn't quite cheap enough. The Cheese Knees were back in force, along with high/low mix-ups, throws, and moves which allowed him to duck beneath my punches and reply. Fortunately, as yet, Rashan can't do Chains of Misery and has yet to learn any major Juggles... Anyway, after having been taken 5-0 by Rashan, all I can suggest is that you really, really watch your opponent carefully. Try to pick the attacks ahead, as it seems Bruce doesn't have many alternate attack sequences. Bruce has a number of powerful, painful Mid Hits, so don't Duck without good reason. You have been warned. *Shudder* The computer doesn't throw a lot, instead relying on powerful counter-hits and the Vulcan Cannon punches. The computer will spam with Bryan's Mach Breaker punch, so be careful at middle distances. ================================================================================================== 31.5 Bruce Irvine. Arg. Those accursed Cheese Knees...Bruce fights in Kickboxing style, which means that he hits hard. Fortunately, Bryan has few low-hitting moves and can be predicted with a bit of practice. Bruce deals an incredible amount of raw damage, and it only gets worse on Counter-Hits. Human players will attempt to get you in the air for the Cheese Knees Juggle of doom. Don't let it happen. The computer tends to fight Bruce like Bryan. ================================================================================================== 31.6 Devil/ Angel. The Devil is Kazuya Mishima's darker alter ego; the Angel is a force out to save Kazuya's soul. In either case, both are essentially Mishima "shells"; they share the bulk of Jin's moves and will be easy to learn to fight with. Also, they have the most insane Juggle Starter in the game,Devil Twister, and the ever-popular Eye Lasers. It should also be noted that the Devil doesn't care much for Jin and won't get angry if he is beaten down on; the Angel, however, will. Additionally, the Angel is slightly smaller than the Devil and her Eye Lasers shoot correspondingly lower, so she will be able to hit the smaller characters, such as Roger/Alex, Ling Xiaoyu, and Wang Jinrei. Finally, the Angel is just a palette swap, so if your opponent picked her first, you will be lumped with the Devil. Most human opponents who use the Devil do so just for the Lasers. Learn to duck beneath the standing Laser, and if they take to the air, run behind them and Chicken Butcher them. A good opponent, however, will make the Devil a true menace; learn to block the low Hell Sweeps and make sure you never get hit by the Devil Twister, which is the harbinger of a long, exceedingly painful juggle. The computer tends to stick to Demon Slayers and Shining Fists, but it throws a bit as well. It occasionally uses the Eye Lasers, but for some reason it does Air Inferno, which is used to shoot down flying targets and always misses. Stay on the move against the Devil. I have been Stun Juggled by a Devil player lately. I tagged out, got hit by the Eye Lasers from up close...and then he put the Devil's 10-Hit Combo onto me with the Laser's Stun. Not pleasant; be warned. ================================================================================================== 31.7 Eddie Gordo/Tiger Jackson. Heh. Capoeira. Anyway, Eddie and Tiger are just the same character and nothing changes between them at all, so don't worry if they pick Tiger. Eddie has a bunch of alternate stances and is quite spectacular to watch. His Capoeira style means he is constantly doing the Ginga movement, so he is in a constant sidestep. Linear attacks tend to miss a lot, and Eddie players tend to duck a lot as well. Eddie is moderately tough, spams well, and does a fair bit of damage because of his speed. I have only ever fought one Eddie player (Ashley again), and I was surprised by the punishing Juggle damage and unpredictability the human element brings to Eddie. Ashley swept low a lot, threw frequently, and set up some damaging Juggles. However, the fact that he depended on the Ginga and ducking for protection rather than blocking meant that I could catch him with multidimensional attacks and mid-hitting attacks. The computer tends to spam random moves, but enjoys ducking and using alternate stances. I find Eddie to be a difficult character to fight, primarily because the Ginga disguises a lot of his attacks. Since I see him so infrequently, I also lack practice against him, and I suspect that it is the same for most other players as well. ================================================================================================== 31.8 Forrest Law. AKA: Bruce Lee. Forrest is a swiftly-moving, mean-juggling powerhouse attacker. Forrest's style is characterised by long, painful juggle series and annoying "Woy-yah!" noises. Humans who use Forrest will tend to Parry a lot of the time, and will look for every opportunity to Juggle you. Forrest is a *VERY* fast attacker, so don't get suckered in when fighting him. Forrest also has a lot of sneaky attacks, such as Poison Arrow and Dragon's Tail, which you must be on the lookout for during combat. The computer also tends to parry a lot, and is one of the few characters that will actually Juggle under AI control. Stay out of Law's reach, and make sure you don't get put into the air. ================================================================================================== 31.9 Ganryu. Hmm. Looks like E. Honda has escaped from Street Fighter for a cameo appearance. Anyway, Ganryu players tend to be E. Honda fans and will come at you with palm slaps and charging moves, so be prepared for the inevitable flurries and knock backs. Also beware of the move in which Ganryu hops around slapping downwards, as this move hits low and has to be blocked that way despite the fact that it appears to be hitting mid or even high. And I thought Paul Phoenix was cheap. Man...Anthony has taken to Ganryu. So many Unblockables, so many charges. *Shudder*. The big guy is fast, and I have no answers. Anyone? The computer fights Ganryu like the Jacks, but places more emphasis on low hits in case it can catch you out. ================================================================================================== 31.10 Heihachi Mishima. Another old, old man. Heihachi, too, shares the Phoenix Smasher, along with some nasty stuns and the ability to Hell Sweep low *THREE* times, then open into a Tsunami Kick or Thunder Godfist, causing massive amounts of damage. Since you already fight with Jin, Heihachi will be fairly easy to learn, but be aware that he has few hit points and is quite slow. Again, don't fall into the trap of fighting the same with Jin and Heihachi. Humans who use Heihachi tend to pair him with Jin and only bring him out for Tag Juggles. Heihachi's attacks tend to be quite linear, so sidestep a lot and you should avoid the worst of it. Just make sure you are never caught by one of his Hell Sweeps, as the results are very painful. The computer tends to fight Heihachi like the Devil and will rely on single, powerhouse moves rather than mid-length attack strings and Juggles. However, since you have selected Jin, Heihachi will probably be his sub-boss, so expect to see his 10-Hit Combos fairly often. ================================================================================================== 31.11 Hwoarang (Bob). Definitely one of the better Jugglers in the game, and equipped with nasty poking moves as well, Hwoarang is a true threat. All of Hwoarang's moves are quite painful to get hit by, and he has the ability to mix things up by switching between high and low attacks quite well. Hwoarang is an excellent Tag partner for Jin, as he's not too hard to learn. Human players generally come in two flavours; Mashers and Skilled. Don't waste your time trying to fight fair against a Masher; just whip out the Mishima Cheese Wheel and Shining Fists to put them in their place. Generally, Mashers will be scared already because you picked Jin, so if you can take advantage of that, they'll go down easily. Skilled players are a lot rarer than the Mashers who use Hwoarang, so be careful if you see they are not spamming moves and appear to have some direction to their attacks. Skilled players will make use of long attack sequences from Hwoarang's Flamingo or alternate stances, and will sidestep and throw a lot. Basically, sidestep as much as you can (but be careful- Hwoarang's moves track better than any other character's) and be prepared to block frequently. The computer doesn't tend to mix things up much, and almost never Juggles. However, it throws frequently, so be ready to break them. ================================================================================================== 31.12 Julia and Michelle Chang. Grr. My most hated opponents, the Changs. The Changs have a number of high/low mix up attacks, the accursed G-Clef Cannon, and the ability to spin around and get behind or beside you for some easy throws. Julia Chang is the newer of the pair and has a slightly more effective fighting style; she is also in Tekken 4, so if you want a Chang as your partner, I would recommend her. Human opponents tend to spin, G-Clef Cannon, and Juggle a lot. Fortunately, the Changs have a limited move list and can become quite predictable; you *MUST* learn how to block the high, low, high Juggle Starter sequences they constantly spam. The computer fights like the humans I have seen, so practicing against it will help a lot. ================================================================================================== 31.13 Jun Kazama. Jin's mother, Jun (yeah, these Namco people are real creative with names :P) shares many of Jin's attacks, and so is easy enough to learn. Because Jin centres around Mishima moves and Juggling, rather than infinite attack sequences, which are Jun's forte, you will probably wind up fighting the pair differently enough that predictability should not be a problem. Jun also has a nasty, low-hitting slap attack, which she will then Counter from if you were trying to do anything. The only major problems with Jun are that she has few Juggle Starters, Juggles poorly, and has low hit points to boot. Human players will spam endlessly with infinite attack strings, so be prepared to block a lot. Although she attacks forever, she has fewer moves than people like Lee or Lamek do and after a while, you should be able to predict her attacks well enough to block or counter effectively. The computer will spam all day, so smack it down early to avoid pain. ================================================================================================== 31.14 Kazuya Mishima. My personal choice as Jin's sidekick, Kazuya Mishima is one of the most vicious attackers in the game. He shares many moves with Jin, so he is easy to learn- but don't fall into the trap of fighting father and son in the same style, or you will be predicted and punished. Kazuya's main strength lies in his insane stun moves, and the wonderful Mist Step, from which he can perform f,N,d,D/F moves at high speeds. He also has the Tekken version of a Get Out Of Jail Free card, in his Twin Fang Stature Smash attack. Human players will center their style around Kazuya's Stun moves and Mist Step. Also learn to block the Twin Fang Stature Smash, but be careful as the better players will mix in mid-hitting Gut Punches to punish the faster learners. The computer will tend to fight Kazuya Mishima the same as it will Jin, so watch and learn as anything you learn from one will be useful against the other. It tends not to do much in the way of Mist Stepping or stunning moves. ================================================================================================== 31.15 King/Armour King. Chain throw, Chain throw, Chain throw. Anyone who picks either of these character is probably going to be dependant on the Throw Chains for victory. *STAY OUT OF THROW RANGE*. Against this pair, ducking or lying down to avoid their Throws won't work, because they can grab you from there as well! Lame. Also, their low-kick attack series can't be Low Parried unless you have the Command Parry, which Jin doesn't- so don't even waste your time trying. They can mix up the low kicks with a spinning backfist or clothesline, and the better players will mix that in as well. The Kings can also counter kicks, so do be careful with that. The best advice I can give you is to read a King/Armour King guide to learn how to break their Throw chains. If you can't tell what throws they are using, just start hitting 1,2,1+2,1,2,1+2 over and over until the chain ends, because hitting anything is better than hitting nothing as you will have at least a 33% chance of breaking the chain that way. Humans will chain throw. The computer likes to us the low-kick series and throws frequently, but thankfully won't Chain Throw too much, unless you hit King in stages 6 or 7. Anything you learn fighting King or Armour King will help you fight the other. ================================================================================================== 31.16 Kunimitsu. Yoshimitsu's mortal enemy, Kunimitsu fights a lot like he does. Although it's tempting to think of Kunimitsu as a Yoshimitsu palette swap, Kunimitsu has a number of moves that are all her own and will leave the unwary in a world of hurt. Human players use her Teleporting and Fake-Teleporting attacks a lot to avoid damage and make powerful follow-up attacks, so don't over-commit yourself against Kunimitsu as her speed and damage will quickly wear you down. The computer will play Kunimitsu almost exactly the same was as Yoshimitsu. ================================================================================================== 31.17 Lee Chaolan. Uncle Lee. Lee Chaolan is one of the most ridiculously fast characters in the game. His Silver Whip kick is faster than anything you've ever seen, and Lee has long, long attack strings to keep you under pressure. Add to that his Hitman stance and ability to defy gravity, and Lee can rapidly become a major headache. Lee shares a lot of moves with other characters, most notably Forrest Law, Paul Phoenix, and Baek Doo San, so be careful as a wily opponent will mix it up. I have only ever fought one Lee player, but he used Lee's fast spamming attacks to put me on the back foot, then finished me off with the Mist Wolf sneak throw. Basically, Lee will appear to feint a kick, then drive his hell into your gut and kick you in the head as he spins up. Gah. The computer tends to fight Lee exactly like Forrest Law. ================================================================================================== 31.19 Lei Wulong. AKA: Jackie Chan. Lei Wulong has a billion alternate stances, including the Karate Kid's Crane stance. He also enjoys sleeping on the job and will spend a lot of time on the floor. Lei Wulong's individual attacks trend to be quite slow, but don't be fooled as he can rapidly switch to another stance, and the longer he attacks, the faster he gets. Also, Lei tends to mix his attacks between high and low hits quite effectively, so keep an eye out. Rashan has dropped Forrest Law and now uses Lei. Aside from the insanity of the Drunken Master Headbutt and those accursed spinning backfists and backflips, throws and sidesteps were all the rage. I found the fight to be quite annoying, as although I could pick the attacks coming from a mile away, there was nothing I could do about them. I would recommend mid-hitting attacks and quick-to-recover moves against Lei, as he *WILL* make you pay for any errors. The computer doesn't tend to make much use of Lei's alternate stances; it tends to lie down a lot, though, and likes to use the lying-down kicks. These are quite painful as the animation suggests he is kicking low, but they are actually hitting Mid; block them normally. ================================================================================================== 31.20 Ling Xiaoyu. Ling is a swiftly-moving pain in the neck. Complete with annoyingly fast pokes, alternate stances, sidestepping and pirouetting moves, Ling will quickly put you on the back foot if you give her an inch. Fortunately, Ling does negligible damage, doesn't juggle that well, and has low hit points, so if you get the drop on her, it'll all be over bar the screaming. I have only ever fought two Ling players, and both had dramatically different style. A friend of mine, Ashley, used her Phoenix stance to attack low and her Rain Dance steps and Mistrust moves to get around me. None of my linear attacks worked, as he kept ducking, so I eventually brought him down by using the Mishima Flip Kicks and Mishima Cheese Wheel to snap him out of the alternate stances and force him to fight my way. The second Ling player I fought was a very skilled young lady; she poked continuously, threw a lot, and made use of Ling's alternate stances to gain additional range for juggling and normal attacks. At this stage of my gaming, I still used Hwoarang and The Devil, so my response was to Eye Laser her into oblivion. Quite frankly, she was much more skilled than me, and I would be at a loss to beat her with Jin now. If you meet an opponent like this, just block until you get some breathing space, as although Ling is quite fast, her attack sequences tend to be short. The computer doesn't seem to stick to any fixed pattern when fighting with Ling, so your guess is a good as mine. ================================================================================================== 31.21 Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown. These characters select any other character's move list at random and mimic their style. They cannot imitate the Ogres or The Devil, at least, so you don't have to worry about Eye Lasers or Fire Breath. However, it can take a while to pick which character they are imitating, so you can be fatally surprised at times. I wouldn't recommend you pick any of these characters as Jin's Tag partner as to be effective with them you must have mastered nearly every character in the game and be able to pick who Mokujin/Tetsujin/Unknown is imitating. The only thing you have in your favour is that Unknown always starts out imitating Jun Kazama. Human players who select these characters are probably masters of the game. They will know almost every character and move inside out, and have picked this character to make things slightly more interesting. Of course, it could also be that they are an amateur who doesn't know that these characters imitate others instead of having their own move lists, and if this is the case, have a field day! In all cases, these characters will fight like whoever they are imitating, so it's important to pick it early and be prepared. Some characters are easy to spot (the Mitsus, Heihachi Mishima, the Bears), but others are tougher to spot and could get you in trouble. ================================================================================================== 31.22 Nina and Anna, the Williams Sisters. Alleged fighting style: Assassination techniques based on Bone martial arts and Aikido. Actual fighting style: Bitch slapping, hair-pulling, and eye-gouging. Make no mistake, these two are exceedingly dangerous opponents; they have fast poking strings, the ability to Counter, nasty Okizeme moves, and Throw Chains! Nina Williams appears to be slightly faster and has more options in her Throw Chains, but does less damage than her sister. Anna Williams is slightly slower, but does more damage than her sister and has easier Okizeme attacks. I have never fought a human opponent who used one of the Williams, but when I play them, I counter a lot, poke my opponents, and occasionally delve into the throw chains, which are surprisingly easy. With Nina I also use her Divine Cannon Juggle Starter a lot; with Anna, I tend to put a lot of effort into knocking my opponent down so that I can stomp on them. If you pick a Williams as Jin's partner, I would recommend Nina as she is also in Tekken 4 and changes very little. The computer tends to make long attacks with the Williams and next to never uses their throw chains. Be careful of their ability to Counter, though, as the computer seems to enjoy doing it. ================================================================================================== 31.23 Ogre/True Ogre. These two fight a similar style, so aside from the True Ogre's ability to breathe fire, little changes. The Ogres are composite characters, and have the Mishima punches and Baek's kicks. The shared moves they have make them easy to pick up, but their kicking game will ensure that you fight in styles different enough not to become predictable, which is good. I find the True Ogre is the more dangerous of the two, as wings, fur, and horns occupy most of his character model, and with his colouration, they serve to conceal a lot of his attack movement. Additionally, the True Ogre has tail trips and long, long arms, so be careful when you fight him. As with the Devil, most human players will just breathe fire at you all day long; be careful of the standing version, which attacks through several dimensions and has to be ducked under or constantly sidestepped. If they take to the air, run behind them and Chicken Butcher them. Skilled opponents will make use of Infinity Kicks, low attacks, and throws, which makes things very dangerous. Also watch out for the Snake Venom punch/throw attack; it will catch you out a lot at first, so you will have to learn to deal with it. The computer will mainly use Mishima punches, Infinity Kicks, and Throws and so is not that hard to deal with as long as you can fight Mishimas and Lamek. ================================================================================================== 31.24 Panda/Kuma. Fighting bears. Fair enough. Like Ganryu and the Jacks, these characters are big, tough, slow, and deal massive amounts of damage. They have some nasty Juggle moves as well. The Bears fight like the Jacks. I have never seen a human player who uses the Bears. The computer likes to sit around in the Hunting Bear stance a lot, so use low and mid-hitting attacks to teach it a lesson. Stay away from their throws, which are painful and appear to have painful, guaranteed follow-up attacks. ================================================================================================== 31.25 Paul Phoenix. Hands-down the lamest character in the game, Paul Phoenix comes complete with high/low mix-ups, the ability to Counter, and the most painful attack in the game, Phoenix Smasher. In many ways, Paul is a natural partner for Jin, as he has a number of low-hitting attacks to make up for Jin's almost complete lack of them. Paul Phoenix is also a fairly tough character and has high Hit Points. Human players will punish you mercilessly with the Phoenix Smasher. If you ever stuff a move up around a Paul player, expect to see about half your life bar disappear. Paul players also like to use his high/low mix up attacks after the downward Karate Chop, after which they can follow with a trip and elbow, or slam a mid-hitting Phoenix Smasher through to keep you on your toes. Fortunately, Paul Phoenix has relatively poor juggling ability, so he can't take advantage of putting you in the air. The computer doesn't mix up its attacks as much as a human will, so its predictability will be its downfall. Again, watch for the counter-hitting Phoenix Smasher. ================================================================================================== 31.26 Prototype Jack, Jack-2, Gunjack. These massive robots are ridiculously tough and deal major damage, but by way of compensation are glacially slow. You should be able to pick their attacks coming from a mile away and avoid them; however, the sheer power of the Jacks means that if you do get hit, you will know all about it. The Jacks also have some funky abilities, such as flying or performing the Cossack Dance, which are worth points with the crowd. Human players who use the Jacks are very rare, but they tend to use the Jack as the secondary character and only bring him on if their primary character has been hammered or during Tag Juggles, which is where the Jacks become quite dangerous. The computer likes to perform the Vulcan Cannon punches, do the Cossack Dance, and throw a lot. It also sometimes takes to the air; make sure you run behind the Jack so you can perform the Chicken Butcher when it lands. ================================================================================================== 31.27 Wang Jinrei. Wang is an old, old man and takes damage like it. He s very weak in terms of hit-points, but many of his counters cannot be Chickened and he has a move similar to Phoenix Smasher. Human players who use Wang tend to run a lot, so it's easy to score counter-hits against them. As with Paul, though, make sure you avoid the Jinrei Smasher, as it will leave you in a world of hurt. The computer tends to fight Wang the same way as the Changs. ================================================================================================== 31.28 Yoshimitsu. A futuristic, Ninjitsu cyborg Robin Hood, Yoshimitsu has a number of easy and effective Unblockable attacks thanks to his Ninja-To, so be careful when he starts waving it around. Yoshimitsu is a solid character; tough, fast, and with easy-to-learn and damaging Juggles and powerhouse standard attacks, Yoshimitsu is an effective Tag partner for Jin. Human players tend to use a lot of Unblockable attacks, so be careful to stay out of sword reach. Yoshimitsu players tend to use his spin moves, then switch into a throw to avoid the nausea at the end of the spin, so be careful there as well. Beware if Yoshimitsu sits down or starts to use his sword as a pogo stick, because he has a number or cheap and effective moves from them. The computer spins so much it makes itself sick, so just sit back and take advantage of it. ================================================================================================== 32.0 WHAT'S NEXT? ================================================================================================== I plan to update this guide whenever I get enough material to make it worth it. In the event that I make it to Advanced levels, I will write an Intermediate Guide To Jin Kazama that will build on this work and give you some insights into playing Jin at higher levels. ================================================================================================== 33.0 CONTACTING ME ================================================================================================== If you have any questions, comments, or material to add to this guide, I would like to hear it. I have established an e-mail account, nightward@tekken.cc, where you can reach me concerning this Guide. I look forward to hearing from you. ================================================================================================== 34.0 CREDITS ================================================================================================== Writing this guide would have been impossible without the material from Kioni Kappahala's Jin Guide for Tekken 4 and Jim Fitzpatrick's Jin Guide for Tekken Tag. Kioni's guide had the control diagrams I used at the start of his guide; Jim's work influenced my own fighting style and the Combo Information I used here was taken from his guide. I must also credit the authors of several other Tekken guides out there, especially Essence of Jr and Exar Kun, whose excellent guides provided me with many ideas for my own playing style, and DevilJin and ILuvMomo for their Kazuya guides as well. Thanks also go out to the Tekken crowd from the Hub at Griffith, especially Dan for all the mercy rounds, Keiran for introducing me to the game and being an excellent punching bag, Rashan for being such a cheap, cheap Bruce player, Ashley for showing me how Ling and Eddie work, and to Ryan, Kevin and Ivan for raising the bar and showing how it's done. I must also mention my new sparring partner, Anthony Durl. Although I've had no success at all converting him to Jin (or any other Mishima) he is learning fast and developing into a skilled opponent. It will not be long, I fear, before the student surpasses the master :( Many thanks also to Catfish, Chainsofmisery, Freeman-Sama, Honkey#1, Insomnotek, Night, Rocket7, and Yukifumi, who took the time to proof-read my guide and correct the glaring errors. And going easy on the n008. I'd also like to thank you for bothering to read this. I hope it helped.