Bleach: Shattered Blade FAQ/Walkthrough Version 2.02 Date: December 11th, 2007 Author: SkilletTheWhat Email: KyleSBowers@yahoo.com Copyright (c)2007 Kyle Bowers ---------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1. BACKGROUND INFO 2. CONTROLS 3. HOW TO PLAY (CASUAL AND "ADVANCED") 4. GAME MODES A) Episode Mode >EPISODE 1 - ICHIGO KUROSAKI >EPISODE 2 - RENJI ABARAI >EPISODE 3 - TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA >EPISODE 4 - KENPACHI ZARAKI >EPISODE 5 - BYAKUYA KUCHIKI >EPISODE 6 - HANATARO YAMADA >EPISODE 7 - YORUICHI SHIHOIN >EPISODE 8 - ARTURO PLATEADO B) Arcade Mode C) Versus Mode D) Training Mode E) Urahara Shop F) Gallery G) Options 5. CHARACTER/STAGE UNLOCKING GUIDE 6. CHARACTER SUMMARIES AND MOVES I.) Ichigo Kurosaki II.) Rukia Kuchiki III.) Yasutora "Chad" Sado IV.) Uryuu Ishida V.) Orihime Inoue VI.) Renji Abarai VII.) Rangiku Matsumoto VIII.) Toshiro Hitsugaya IX.) Byakuya Kuchiki X.) Yoruichi Shihoin XI.) Soi Fon XII.) Ganju Shiba XIII.) Yumichika Ayasegawa XIV.) Ikkaku Madarame XV.) Kenpachi Zaraki XVI.) Izuru Kira XVII.) Momo Hinamori XVIII.) Hanataro Yamada XIX.) Shuhei Hisagi XX.) Sajin Komamura XXI.) Kaname Tosen XXII.) Gin Ichimaru XXIII.) Mayuri Kurotsuchi XXIV.) Kisuke Urahara XXV.) Yachiru Kusajishi XXVI.) Shunsui Kyoraku XXVII.) Jushiro Ukitake XXVIII.) Sosuke Aizen XXIX.) Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto XXX.) Grimmjow Jeagerjaques XXXI.) Ulquiorra Schiffer XXXII.) Arturo Plateado 7. CLOSING/CREDITS ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. BACKGROUND INFO Bleach: Shattered Blade is a fighting game for the Wii based on the popular anime series. While this game doesn't particularly offer an overwhelming amount of depth, it is a whole lot of fun, especially if you're a fan of the show. Additionally, the Wii doesn't have have a slew of outstanding fighting games at the moment, so whether you're an avid Bleach fan or just someone looking for a pretty fun fighter, I'd suggest giving Bleach: Shattered Blade a shot. ----------------------------------------------------- 2. CONTROLS Menu Controls ---------------- A Button - Select B Button - Cancel Nunchuck Joystick - Move + - In most modes this button will allow you to change your VS. options, but once unlocked you may use the + button on certain characters in the Gallery to make them your menu guide (when examining their character model). Combat Controls ---------------- The combat controls of this game are based on a holy trinity; Stab, Slash (Left/Right), and Chop (Up/Down). Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Up/Down Chops Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Left/Right Slashes Move Wii-mote Forward: Forward Stabs As a quick note, remember to keep the wiimote level when doing the forward thrusts since moving the wiimote too much up, down, left, or right during a thrust often registers it as either an up/down or left/right attack. Hold A-Button and... Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Critical Up/Down Chop Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Critical Left/Right Slash Move Wii-mote Forward: Critical Forward Stab What's the difference here? Well, while they're definitely slower you'll want to make use of them since not only can they break through an opponents flurry of attacks, but they can also break through shields also. Another important thing to note is that directional Criticals actually differ. For example, doing a critical while going from up to down will result in a powerful downward chop, whereas doing a critical when moving the wiimote up results in a powerful critical uppercut that launches opponents into the air. Hold B-Trigger and... Move Wii-mote Up/Down: Special 1 Move Wii-mote Left/Right: Special 2 Move Wii-mote forward: Special 3 These are a character's three Special Moves, for the most part they're pretty unique, albeit not always useful. You can sometimes combo these in to do a decent chunk of damage. When in Bankai form these specials will often be more powerful, one is often a cinema special activated by hitting your opponent with a certain attack. Which special activates the cinema special varies, some don't even have any. More useful controls in combat! Shake Nunchuck Left/Right - Charge Bankai (bottom) Meter (if meter is NOT full) Shake Nunchuck Left/Right - Enter Bankai Mode when Bankai Meter is on fire. Joystick - Movement C Button - Hold in while moving to dash, some characters can Flash Step using this when in Bankai mode. Z Button - Guard 2 - Pause ----------------------------------------------------- 3. HOW TO PLAY (CASUAL AND "ADVANCED") Okay, before you start reading, this section is going to be one big blob. I'll try to organize it as well as I can, but I'll be explaining more or less not only how to play but what things to avoid along with some useful tips I've picked up. Bars n' Bankais ---------------- First things first, the HUD. At the top of the screen you'll notice two health bars along with an adjustable match timer in the center. Just below the health bar is your Spiritual Power Gauge, but since that's a lot to type and it doesn't help you understand what it means, I'm just going to call it Stamina. STAMINA BAR - I should definitely cover this as it is a very important gameplay mechanic. Basically, what it is, is how much you can attack. When the bar is full you can let loose and combo as freely as you'd like, but the more you attack the more the bar drops. If you keep attacking constantly your bar will drop fairly quickly and you wont be able to do many moves, the bar restores itself rather quickly but in such a fast paced game its wise not to lest this bar go on empty very often. There's only one last bar and thats the one on the very bottom of the screen and that is.... BANKAI METER - This meter fills up as you fight and take damage. It can also be charged manually by waving your Nunchuck from side to side. Once this meter is full (you'll know because it will catch on fire) you must shake your Nunchuck from side to side in order to enter Bankai Mode. BANKAI FORM - Okay, so you filled your meter and waved the nunchuck, now what? Well, congratulations, you've just entered Bankai Mode! In Bankai mode your character either just powers up or takes on an entirely new method of attack based on that character's abilities. Some characters, like Rangiku, seem only faster and strong whereas other characters, like Ikkaku, fight completely differently because their actual weapons change. When in Bankai form your special moves are more powerful and some are completely different. There are multiple types of Bankai Specials you'll encounter, here are a few. Type I - Trap - Traps are probably the least useful since most experienced players know exactly how to avoid them. Basically, the trapper will lay down a circle of energy (whether it look like ice, flower petals, etc) on the ground and if you step into it for more than a couple seconds the special will activate. What's wrong with these specials is the fact that you can get hit by them initially but still escape them as long as you dash out in time. Most are pretty hard to land. Type 2 - Cinema Special - These specials are normally very damaging and the damage of these specials can be increased by shaking your wiimote (as if you were attacking). By doing so the cinema special not only does more damage but is extended and just looks cooler. Cinema specials are activated by striking your opponent with a singular hit that starts the special. Some of these can be combo'd, others do not work as well. Type 3 - Large Object Assault - Strange name, but I didn't know what else to call them. Basically, these specials involve a really large creature attacking you with either themselves or something very big. These specials normally aren't too shabby since they cover a wide area, put the opponent on the defensive, and in a way protect you since the creature keeps you safe. Type 4 - Charged Specials - These specials are immediately cause the user to stand still and begin charging an attack once activated. If you suspect someone of using one (Arturo and Byakuya both have them), attack them QUICKLY. If they manage to charge these attacks fully they normally do on average about half your health, Byakuya's does even more. These are a few of the most common ones you'll find. Bankai Buffs ------------- There are two main buffs a player can receive when entering the Bankai Form. Flash Step - Hold C and move around, instead of Dashing your character will warp around the arena, disappearing and reappearing at blinding speed. Make use of this in order to dodge, counter, and trick your opponents. It's very useful. Super Armor - This means your character will not flinch. If anyone hits you with mostly anything your character wont budge, and just continue his attacks. This is useful since it makes some specials very easy to land with certain characters. Examples of characters with Super Armor Bankais are Toshiro and Ikkaku. Note - Be careful around people with powerful multihit specials (like Yamamoto's Heat Wave and Kisuke's Benihime Slash) as your Super Armor will make you stand still and take every single damaging hit without being sent flying away. This means the opponent can repeat this and do ridiculous amounts of damage to you. Be cautious. --Tip from Viashino_wizard Attack Crushing ---------------- This is an attack I've dubbed, I don't really know what the official term for this is. Essentially, what this is, is crushing the opponent in the middle of an attack. The Rock/Paper/Scissor principle is in full effect at all times during this game, not just the Hyper-Speed Clash mode, so if you know a friend who just loves his Left/Right Special counter him with an Up/Down and break right through his attacks. This works with Criticals too. Critical Clashing ------------------ This is as important as the Bankai, as you'll often see these a lot. Whenever two people clash critical attacks they'll enter a "hyper fighting" mode in which both characters are going absolutely crazy with their respective weapons. During this mode a slider bar will move across the bottom of the screen with a green section in the middle. When the slider enters the green section input a Chop (Up/Down), Slash (Left/Right), or Stab (Forward Thrust) command. Simply put, this is basically a rock paper scissors game. Chop (Up/Down) > Slash (Left/Right) Slash (Left/Right) > Stab (Forward Thrust) Stab (Forward Thrust) > Chop (Up/Down) After all things are said and done either you will tie and each character will jump back or one of you will win. In the event that someone wins a cinema will begin in which the victor pummels their opponent. The damage of this cinema attack is proportional to the amount of Rock/Paper/Scissor wins you have. Win with just one and don't expect much damage, but win all five and just watch as your opponents health gets a huge chunk taken right out. Combat Basics - DO's and DON'T's - ----------------------------------- 1) Hackey McSlasherton (DO NOT) - Upon entering your very first match you'll notice that just about every character can swing their sword UNBELIEVABLY fast. While it is tempting to run up to and and nail your opponent with a 30-40 hit flurry, it's probably the worst way to go about offense in this game. While the attacks are numerous they do absolutely horrible damage and deplete your Stamina Bar in a matter of seconds. Also, considering that not only can these attacks be blocked but they can be overpowered by a single critical, you may want to limit how many rapid slashes you do. 2) Straight to the Point (DO!) - As kind of an expansion on 1), when you enter combat with another half-intelligent player it's best to get straight to the point. It's unlikely that both of you will just try to do weak slashes to each other, as awesome as it looks, so its best to pull out your criticals and/or specials early during your combos. The longer you wait the longer you risk getting overpowered by your opponent and severely damaged because of it. 3) Turtlin' (DO NOT) - The block in this game is TERRIBLE, by all means try to be as smart about blocking as possible. Blocking isn't necessarily a don't, but you definitely want to be exceedingly careful about using it. Any critical attack, which are thrown around quite often, will tear right through your guard, so often it's simply not worth it to block. You simply cant try to play this game too defensively save for a few characters simply because the blocking mechanics are too messed up. Block during specials you know are coming, but aside from that I'd avoid it as the second they whip out a critical you're done for. 4) Bankai Conservation (DO!) - It's not always wise to bust out the big guns as soon as you get them. Sometimes you're too far behind or too far ahead for Bankais to make much of a difference. If you're very far ahead save them for the next round (assuming there is one, and yes, the meter does carry over) and if you're too far behind for your Bankai to make a difference, save it for an early lead next match. 5) Spams O'Toole (DO NOT) - Spamming in this game is particularly bad not even because its annoying, but because of the rock/paper/scissor principle that is always in effect. No matter how effective most moves are, if you keep on using them your opponent will likely counter your move with one of an opposing nature repeatedly. Mix things up, you may catch them off guard or even counter some of their attacks. 6) Rock, Paper, Scissors, Read! (DO!) - Keep a close eye on your opponents row of attacks during a Critical Clash session. Some people are unpredictable, but often people try to avoid using the same direction over and over. If you see two stabs and a slash, use a stab since they'll likely try a chop as that is the only one they haven't used. Also, assume that they will try to trick you and think one step beyond them. If you see you don't have a chop, assume they know this if you're playing with a good player and try a slash to counter the likely stab thats heading your way. This is probably the least helpful of the tips, since it doesn't seem like it would work, but in my experience it has helped me win a few clash battles. 7) I'm A'Chargin' My Bankai! (DO NOT) - Unlike DBZ games, charging up isn't as convenient and it leaves you very open. Characters move quickly, so they can often run up to you and attack before you finish charging. The risk of being attacked isn't worth what little you gain from charging, and for the most part there are smarter things you could be doing. You can however charge before the match even starts, so make use of that. -------------------------------------------------- 4. GAME MODES A) Episode Mode Episode Mode is the game's main story mode. Jammed with cutscenes in both 2D and 3D, this mode tells the story of a few select characters dealing with the arrival of a new threat. These modes are VERY straight-forward with some being significantly more painful than others. By default matches will be 60 Seconds and a single round; however, by going to the OPTIONS mode you can adjust the timer (which is almost necessary for Hanataro's Episode Mode) and difficulty settings to something that suits you better. If you're sick of matches abruptly ending before you've had enough set the match length to infinite. You can also opt to make the match length significantly shorter (down to 30 sec) if you're having a hard time, since this allows you to get a good hit and run away until the match is over. It may not make a difference at first but when you get to Hanataro's you may want to adjust the difficulty setting. Going from Normal to Easy might just make the difference, especially with his difficult missions. If, when playing through Episode mode, you just cant get the swing of a character be sure to check my Character Info guide for their best, most efficient moves and some descriptions on how they're useful. One more note about Episode Mode, some of the fights actually change and fluctuate depending on which characters. For example, the first time you play through you'll have to fight Toshiro third in Ichigo's Episode Mode, but once everyone is unlocked he will change along with other characters who get swapped out. I'll be going over the original fights for most Episode Modes since you only need to play through most Epsiodes once and barely anyone ever goes back to them once they're completed. Of course, if it is an Episode Mode you need to play through twice (Kenpachi, Hanataro, Arturo) I will list the new encounters you'll likely see. New encounters (switched fights) will be marked with an "A" after the number, so for example if a Fight 7 was Kenpachi but he later gets replaced by Renji, Renji's fight would be listed as Fight 7A. >EPISODE 1 - ICHIGO KUROSAKI General Advice - Ichigo is a pretty straightforward character. Since you're fighting AI here don't be afraid to do big combos before a finisher. Also, if things get dangerous just bust out a Getsuga Tenshou (Up/Down Special) and keep them at bay. The AI should run into it a'plenty. Fight 1 - Renji Abarai Renji has range and for a novice this can be pretty deadly, so be careful when closing in on him. If you engage him I'd suggest using a critical rather early in your combo since he has a Side Special that racks up really good damage on you. If you cant seem to engage him up close due to his range you can actually just shoot Getsuga Tenshous at him (Up/Down Special) and since the CPU players aren't too bright in Stage 1 he should run into it. As always, there is the option of toning down difficulty and adjusting the timer for hit and run tactics. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 2 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado You've got a big advantage over this guy, and that's range. You can either take swats at him with Getsuga Tenshou (the CPUs will still walk into it this early) or assault him with really early criticals. Chad loves to do his shoulder rush move so try not to do too many non-critical slashes, he'll just break through them and punch you in the face. Make use of the fact that your sword is longer and have good ranged specials (Up/Down and Stab). If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 3 - Toshiro Hitsugaya Don't stay at a mid range with Toshiro because all three of his specials are targeted directly to a mid-range. Stay in close and lock him down by using Criticals very early in your combos. Most of the time the CPU will wait a few slashes before coming out with a Critical, so you can almost always beat them to the punch. If things aren't looking good feel free to stay back and fire off Up/Down Specials, but be careful of his ranged ice attacks. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 4 - Izuru Kira As a novice I'd actually stay out of this guys face. He has some pretty good up-close moves, including a pretty powerful cinema special that looks like a regular slash. Since anyone new to this game wont be able to tell it's easier just to use your Up/Down and Stab Specials to take this guy out. If you do engage him at close range use Criticals early otherwise he'll punish you with specials. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 5 - Kenpachi Zaraki This one can be tough since novice players will often rush in and begin hacking away. Do NOT do this since Zaraki has absurd range, power, and speed. Also, the Zaraki AI doesn't always do a few weak slashes before a big hit, he will very often just open up with a power hit and send you flying. You don't want to take hits from this guy, so what you can do is get near him, move around him, and wait for him to attack. Once he attacks you can run around behind him and start a quick combo. Keep your combos VERY concise with Zaraki otherwise he'll just plow through you. If all that isn't bad enough he has a counter that activates the second you attack, so he can surprise you with this move as well. No matter which way you cut it getting in close to this guy is dangerous, so if you want to play it safe you can actually shoot Up/Down Specials at him the entire match and they'll almost always hit. Cheap, but it works. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 6 - Ganju Shiba This is a pretty easy fight since Ganju is a pretty bad character. Feel free to get in his face and hack him up since he doesn't have any outstanding moves to frustrate you. Also, if you stay on him Ganju cant really activate ANY of his specials since they all take a good second to start. Much like Toshiro, pressuring this guy is the way to go. If you stay back and Ganju starts to run at you with a bomb just block. He'll run into you, you'll block the attack and he'll end up exploding. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 7 - Sajin Komamura This is actually a fight in which shooting Getsuga Tenshous all day probably will not work. If you're at a far distance Sajin will just shoot his Rock Wave at you and overpower you. The best way to beat this guy is stay in close and use your Crits early on in combos. Don't forget that you can use Ichigo's Up/Down Special after his UpCrit for an easy source of good damage. Sajin also has a lot of really good mid range attacks, so staying at any range will probably just be problematic. If he goes into Bankai just sit back and shoot Up/Down Specials at him. All you need to do is keep an eye out for a giant vertical slice since, if you stand far away, that's the only move he can try to hit you with. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 8 - Rangiku Matsumoto Rangiku is a fight that you can very easily play safe by abusing your two projectiles, but there really isn't a need for it due to the fact that she isn't a particularly threatening character. She lacks the deadly power and range of characters like Kenpachi, so you can fight her up close if you wish. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki This guy will be a pain, but if you're careful you can beat him. First and foremost do NOT think you're safe standing across the map shooting Up/Down Specials at him. Byakuya has a move in which he teleports behind you and slashes. While he will do this regardless of if you're far away or not, attacking from a distance is simply asking for it. Stay up close to Byakuya and attack him frequently since he can only use ONE of his specials if you're keeping pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting attacks off on you, just keep on him and use Crits very early. If he gets into his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure to attack him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the straight line of flower pedals he leaves across the floor. This also results in a very damaging special (assuming you step into the area). If you stay on him enough he shouldn't make it to Bankai though. If you get your Bankai circle around him until he is open and then use your Stab Special. If you stay back he may try to teleport slash you during your Up/Down Special. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough, but with some nice movement you can take him out. If you get your Bankai and need to use it just fire off your Up/Down special, it does great damage and the CPU normally doesn't block it. Flash step if you need to dodge. >EPISODE 2 - RENJI ABARAI General Advice - Renji's story should be even easier than Ichigo's considering his blade can be swung all over the place and the AI rarely ever blocks his great Left/Right special. Just like Ichigo, if things get rough stay back and let Renji abuse his range to take down the computers. Fight 1 - Hanataro Yamada What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. Since this is the first fight of Renji's Episode Mode and Hanataro is a very easy opponent you probably wont have to be so cautious, so don't be worried about getting in his face and beating up on him, that is just a strategy in case you find Hanataro to be tougher than you expect. If you need to use your Bankai don't bother countering, just keep far away and use Crits with your snake. Fight 2 - Uryu Ishida Don't even try to fight him at a range. The key to beating Uryu is to stay in his face at all times and instantly chase after him the second he attempts to run away. If Uryu gets you at a long range he can pick you apart before you reach him, so do your best to stick to him. If he's starting to move away but he isn't very far yet try to catch him with your Side Special before he can get out of range. As long as you stay up close this fight will be a breeze, but in the event that he does escape remember that most of the shots he'll fire out will be blockable, so keep calm and make sure to advance a little after every block. If you need to use your Bankai use the Stab Crit since, if Ishida is far away shooting arrows (which is likely) he will not dodge it. If you get in close to corner him you can actually hit him with your Stab Special since he cant move back to avoid it and Ishida doesn't often dodge to the side. Fight 3 - Rangiku Matsumoto You can be so cheesy for this fight since you can freely attack her without fear of being touched. At Renji's max sword range you can easily nail her with specials and crits but her sword attacks simply can not reach you. She has one or two specials that might go far enough to touch you but if you're constantly attacking as she gets up she will never get one off. Stay at your max range and retreat if you have to for a really easy fight. If you need to use your Bankai you can do the same exact thing and abuse his Side Crit at a safe range. Poor Rangiku. Fight 4 - Toshiro Hitsugaya Stay close to him because even though you have range, you can hit him with good specials up close. The same does not apply for Toshiro. Up close Toshiro has specials that simply aren't as effective and are meant to be used at a mid range. If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses his icicle slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leap can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits and Side Special at a close range and you'll be fine. If you need to use your Bankai stay far away for safety and assault him with Stab Crits since the CPU rarely ever dodges them. If Hitsugaya gets in close make use of your SideCrit and Counter Special. Fight 5 - Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then run up to him and attack him while he's open. If you're willing to get up close to him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except his Side Special, since the other two are actually pretty mediocre. Ichigo will often be pulling out his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos his Getsuga Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful. If you need to use your Bankai stay back and use your Stab Crit or Stab Special since it will rip through any ranged attack Ichigo can throw at you. If he actually confronts you simply use your SideCrit or Counter Special to get him out of your face. Fight 6 - Orihime Inoue The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Often Orihime will actually run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range she wont even put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your very long Side Special in attempt to trip her up before she gets away. In the event that she does escape do not bother with any ranged attacks, get in close fast because leaving her alone will allow her to attack, shield herself, and even heal. If you need to use your Bankai go for your Stab Special and do not wait long between attacks otherwise Orihime will put up her shield and sometimes even heal. Fight 7 - Kenpachi Zaraki Do NOT attempt to fight Zaraki from a range. He may not look it but he can attack just about as far as you can with a lot more power. Standing in front of him will result in a swift death so often keep moving since a lot of his hits can be dodged by running in circles. Once he leaves himself open use a reliable damage combo (like an UpCrit followed by a Side Special) and retreat. Do not try to stick around and fight him since getting hit by this guy is just not worth it. Slowly approach him once again and repeat the process, let him attack and you keep countering with good dodges and short combos. If you need to use your Bankai you can actually out-range Zaraki, so feel free to use your long range Stab Criticals from afar. Fight 8 - Izuru Kira Remember Rangiku? This is the exact same fight. Kira only has one attack capable of reaching you from your max range and you can almost always hit him before he starts it, so stay at your max sword range and let him have it. If he gets close simply use your Side Special or back away and gain some space. Your range is a huge advantage against this guy. If you need to use your Bankai you can do the same exact thing and abuse his Side Crit at a safe range. Poor Izuru. Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki This guy is tough, especially considering the lag Renji has after his attacks is a prime time for him to teleport behind you and stab you. Fortunately for Renji there is an attack that actually protects him from this particular attack on occasion and that is his Side Special. You can fight Byakuya up close or at mid range, it doesn't make too much of a difference. Stay on the safe side and instead of Crits use his Side Special. If you use your Side Special and Byakuya warps behind you he will actually get hit by one of your swings that happens to reach behind you. Don't let him get into Bankai, if he does just avoid any flower pedals on the floor and attack him the second he begins charging any attacks. If you go into your own Bankai I'd advise against the Stab Crit since it'll be easy for Byakuya to dodge, instead go for the Side Crit or the Counter if he gets close. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Do not attack this guy from a range since if you're standing still (which Renji does when attacking from afar) he can trap you with a stun. Additionally, mid range right in front of him is the prime spot for his other two dangerous specials. Circle around him a lot since all three specials are either meant to hit standing opponents or people directly in front of him. As long as you keep moving and using your SideSpecial/SideCrit you should be able to take him down before he kills you. If he goes into his Bankai make sure to attack him if he starts charging since, much like Byakuya, he will start a cinema that does ridiculous damage. If you need to go into your Bankai you can use your StabSpecial (Ultimate) very easily on him since he tries to stay in front of you a lot (since that is where most of his specials land). >EPISODE 3 - TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA General Advice - While Toshiro's specials aren't as easy to abuse the AI with, he's still a pretty solid character who shouldn't be too hard to tear through Episode Mode with. While Toshiro has some really nice Criticals, if things get rough abuse his Stab Special, which is his massive Ice Dragon (Hyourinmaru). The nice thing about this dragon is not only is it a good ranged attack, but since the dragon spirals around Hitsugaya himself upon its release it hits anyone in your face and acts as a defense. Also, since his Bankai has Super Armor you can simply overpower your enemies with his Stab Special (cinema special). On a side note, if you happen to go into a Hyper Clash Fight with someone and it ends in a draw use your Side Special right after it, since they'll be at the perfect range to get hit by it. This is a nice trick that often works. Fight 1 - Shunsui Kyoraku Kyoraku has some really nice combos, but fortunately for you it's the first stage and he probably will not attempt to do any of them. Stay close since using Criticals early in your combos barely gives the CPU any room to launch an attack. Feel free to mix in specials or go for more elaborate combos this early, but don't get careless. If you aren't getting anywhere by fighting up close Hitsugaya always has the option of staying back and shooting Stab Specials at his opponents. If he manages to turn the tides simply hop into Bankai and hit him with your Stab Special. Thanks to your Super Armor he can do nothing to stop it and will almost never block or avoid it. Fight 2 - Ganju Shiba Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay back and shoot Stab Specials at him. This works since he doesn't really have any ranged attacks besides his bombs, which don't go that far anyway. Also, if he tries to run at you with a bomb in his hand just block. You'll end up blocking the hit and he'll take all the damage. If you need to use your Bankai simply walk up to him and hit him with your Stab Special. Thanks to your Super Armor he can do nothing to stop it and will almost never block or avoid it. Fight 3 - Kenpachi Zaraki Normally I wouldn't advise sticking to Toshiro's specials but in this case it is almost a must for any non-experienced player. Kenpachi does a ton of damage in every attack, overpowers you often, and has great range to boot. Staying close to him can result in a very quick loss so to play it safe just spend the entire match showering him with ice. When he's at a mid/close range use your Side Special, which should send him flying away afterwards. Right when he stands up use your Stab Special and he probably wont block it. Repeat this process until he dies, and keep using your Side Special or an immediate Crit if gets close. If you need to use your Bankai, which may actually be the case if you decide to engage him up front, you can try one of two things. If you're low on health and fear he may kill you use your Up/Down Special to keep him at bay every time he stands up. If you have a nice chunk of health left get in there and use your Stab Special to finish him off. Fight 4 - Ichigo Kurosaki You cant really use the Zaraki strategy on Ichigo, which is a real pain since Ichigo has a lot of the same range and power Zaraki has. If you try to stay back and shoot specials he'll normally dodge and counter with a blade beam or ground wave. You don't have much of a choice here so fight him up close and use your Crits early since Ichigo will too. If Ichigo goes into his Bankai and you're remotely close to getting yours, charge it really quick and use it. If not run around, wait for him to give you an opening, and counter. If you need to use your Bankai, which is very possible, just hit him with your Stab Special. If he is in his Bankai too and you're having trouble getting the Stab Special to connect you can often just use Toshiro's Side and Up/Down Specials over and over to do the trick, they normally land, especially his Side Special if Ichigo is flash stepping around you. Fight 5 - Hanataro Yamada What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. If you really want you don't even have to be that cautious, since if you use your Crits early and he uses his specials to attack you (which he always does) you'll simply clash. You can't really bomb him from a range since he blocks a lot, so get in close and beat on him with early Crits. If he gets into his Bankai watch out, he can do an attack that takes off 1/3 of your health. If you see the camera zoom on him (which indicates a powerful special) defend or get away from the front of him immediately. If you need to use your Bankai hit him with your Stab Special up close. Fight 6 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado Chad isn't too tough since the Chad AI tends to abuse specials quite a bit. While he does have some power up close, don't stand back and shoot things at him. If you fire a special from a distance he can use his shoulder rush special, break completely through your Special, and still dart towards you with the final few hits. If you stay in close and use Criticals early you should be safe since his Specials shouldn't really ever overpower your Crits. Even more conveniently, when Chad clashes Specials and doesn't hit anything he often ends up behind the opponent, facing away from you. This gives you a good opening for a counterattack. If he uses his Bankai you can use your ranged attacks to keep him at bay, since the only real thing to worry about is his up close cinema. If you need to go into Bankai use your Stab Special, this should be pretty easy since you have Super Armor going for you. Fight 7 - Byakuya Kuchiki You can actually make this fight very easy for you by getting some space and spamming your Stab Special. If Byakuya tries to use his teleport special he will get hit by the dragon as it circles around Toshiro. If he uses any other attack at a range the dragon will almost always overpower him and do damage. Abusing the dragon makes this fight so much easier than it should be, so make good use of this. If you want to fight him up close make sure to run around him a lot since he has two specials that only hit directly in front of him and one that only hits standing targets, so moving around is a must. If he gets his Bankai play chicken a little but attack him instantly if he begins charging his final special (you'll know it by a white light). You can still use your dragon here since Byakuya loves the teleport, even in Bankai mode. If you need to use your Bankai you can attempt a stab special or just Up/Down Special him from a distance while using the Side Special any time he gets behind you. Fight 8 - Sajin Komamura Whatever you do, do not stand far away and attempt to use your Stab Special on this guy. Sajin has a quick rock slide special that goes across the screen and does a lot of damage. If that's not bad enough, your Side Special doesn't always work since he can hit you with a very powerful rock smash attack at just about the very distance from which you can best use your Side Special. This guy isn't terribly fast so if you stay in close and use your criticals early you can normally beat him before he uses his Bankai. If he uses his Bankai run as far away as you can and wait. If he uses his wall of flame special or his sword stab special shoot a Stab Special at him. He he uses his giant vertical slice just dodge it or block, then fire a Stab Special. He cant do too much to you from far away. If you need to use your Bankai and he doesn't have his simply walk up to him and use your Stab Special. If you use your Bankai while his is activated do NOT get in close since he can use the wall of flame and do absurd amounts of damage while you just stand there taking it thanks to your Super Armor. In a Bankai vs Bankai fight say far away and keep using your Up/Down Special. He cant do too much about that. Fight 9 - Renji Abarai This is another fight that you don't want to do up close, but you really don't have a choice here. At max distance you are safe from his extending sword, but he will probably just block your Stab Special or clash through it anyway. You'll have to engage him up close, using your Crits almost instantly. Renji will use Crits and Specials very quickly on most occasions, so using too many weak slashes will get you destroyed. Stay on him and keep getting hard hits off as he gets up off the ground. If he uses his Bankai stand far away and be prepared to dodge and block. Getting in close can get you killed so if you don't have your Bankai it's best just to play defensive and wait it out. If you have your Bankai, regardless of if he has his Bankai or not, staying back an assaulting him with Up/Down Specials normally works. If he tries to avoid it via running he'll just run into another row of ice. This move works pretty well. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough, but with some nice movement you can take him out. If you need to use your Bankai and he doesn't have his, simply stay calm, move around him, and use your Stab Special when he leaves himself open. If he has his and starts moving around you quickly use your Side Special to get him away from you, just keep an eye on him in case he starts his really dangerous special. >EPISODE 4 - KENPACHI ZARAKI General Advice - Zaraki is one serious character for a bunch of reasons. For starters his reach and speed are insane. He can hit what feels like a mile in front of him almost instantly. His Up/Down Special is one of the best in the game, as it has ridiculous power (a trend among Zaraki's moves), speed, and range. Zaraki also has a counter (Left/Right Special) that can be thoroughly abused on dim witted AI. Unfortunately, Zaraki's Stab Special isn't anything to write home about, but with his other two specials, overall attack power (he takes off ridiculous chunks of health) and speed, who needs it? His Bankai is decent but it's not as amazing as Zaraki is in general. You probably wont be relying too much on your Bankai with this guy, just make good use of his Criticals since they can decimate opponents. Fight 1 - Shuhei Hisagi You can literally chop this guy down in seconds without even moving an inch. Use your powerful criticals mixed in with his Up/Down special and you'll tear through this guy like he's nothing. A nice combo to use is his UpCrit followed by his Up/Down Special. This is a very reliable combo and does a ridiculous amount of damage. Use Crits early since they do so much damage that light hits aren't even worth it. If you need to use your Bankai you can chain your Up/Down Special out of an UpCrit for a guaranteed hit, so make use of this. Fight 2 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado You have a massive advantage against this guy, and that's range. You can easily keep him away by abusing your Up/Down Special and hit him with a nice crit if he gets too close. Keeping him at the tip of your sword is ideal since you lock down a lot of his attacks from that range, making him almost unable to fight. He might get the occasional shoulder rush on you, but as long as you're keeping him at a distance and abusing your crits, you'll ruin him. If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for absurd damage. Fight 2A - Yumichika Ayasegawa Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode. Anyway, Yumichika's range isn't horrible but if you stay as far away as you can he gets bullied pretty easily. At Zaraki's max sword length he can only hit you with one Special (his Side Special) and it isn't really devastating. Also, he probably wont get it off if you're quick about your Up/Down Specials. Keep knocking him down as soon as he stands up. If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for absurd damage. Fight 3 - Renji Abarai While Renji may appear to be dangerous on account of his range, you shouldn't be very worried since Zaraki actually has just as much range with a lot of his moves simply because of his size. If that's not convenient enough, Zaraki also uses some of his attacks quicker than Renji, so in a mid range fight make use of your very quick Up/Down Special and Counter (Side Special) if you see one of his slower attacks coming your way. You can fight him up close if you'd like, just make sure to use Crits early and often. If he uses his Bankai you can normally get up close, but if you do be smart about it. Be prepared to dodge or block when you see the snake coming and don't attack too much in a row since he has a very powerful counter. In the event that you need to use your Bankai you can easily land your Up/Down Special on this guy, so don't be worried. Fight 3A - Yachiru Kusajishi While it may seem fun to bully this little girl by rushing up and attacking, don't. She has one move in particular, a Helicopter Spin, that will pretty much overpower absolutely any move it clashes with and still do damage to you. Stay at Zaraki's max sword range since there's absolutely no way she can touch you yet you can still do great damage with your Up/Down Specials. If she starts her tornado and you don't get hit do NOT rush in and attack, it lasts a long time and you'll probably get caught in it if you rush up to her. Wait until the attack is ending, then move in with a Stab Special followed by an Up/Down Special (combo). Simply don't underestimate her and keep her at a distance. If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for absurd damage. Fight 4 - Izuru Kira Remember Chad? This is a very similar fight. Kira only has one or two attacks capable of reaching you from your max range and you can almost always hit him before he starts them, so stay at your max sword range and let him have it. If he gets close simply use your Counter or back away and gain some space. Your range is a huge advantage against this guy. If you need to use your Bankai get in close and land you UpCrit to Up/Down Special combo. If he doesn't die he wont live too long after that. Fight 4A - Jushiro Ukitake Get in this guys face and let him have it with really fast Criticals. All of Jushiro's specials are very slow to begin so just keep attacking him with some of your speedier power attacks (the Up/Down Special is an excellent choice for this fight). If you just keep attacking him with power hits you can defeat him easily without even being scratched. If you need to use your Bankai use your trusty UpCrit to UpSpecial combo for absurd damage. Fight 5 - Sajin Komamura This fight is actually really easy if you stay in close. From afar Sajin can hit you with some powerful ranged attacks, but not only are two of his specials bad when used up close, but most of his Criticals aren't fast enough to hit you assuming you're using your Criticals very early (you should be). Every time he gets up hit him with another, maybe mix in an Up/Down Special or combo him. He really cant do much to you up close so use this to your advantage. If he goes into Bankai stay away from him since getting in close can result in a lot of damage. The only attack that can hit you from far away is a giant vertical chop that is easily blocked or dodged. If you get into Bankai landing your special should be painfully easy, just get up close and let him have it. Fight 6 - Byakuya Kuchiki Stay up close to Byakuya and move around him frequently since he cant use any of his specials on a moving target. He has two specials that only hit directly in front of him (a barrage of flower pedals and an energy blast) and his teleporting slash will never hit you as long as you're moving. Stay in motion and keep pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting attacks off on you, just stay on him and use Crits very early when he uses a Special or Critical that leaves him open. If Byakuya manages to get into his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure you hit him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the pedals he leaves all over the floor. This move results in another powerful special if you stand in the pedals. If you need to use your Bankai wait for an opening and hit him with your Up/Down Special. Fight 6A - Yoruichi Shihoin You have a massive advantage against her, and that's range. You can easily keep her away by abusing your Up/Down Special and hit her with a nice crit if she gets close. Keeping her at the tip of your sword is ideal since you lock down all of her attacks from that range, making her completely unable to fight. She might get the occasional hit on you, but as long as you're keeping her at a distance and abusing your crits, you'll ruin her. If you need to use your Bankai wait for an opening and hit her with your Up/Down Special. Fight 7 - Toshiro Hitsugaya Stay close to him because even though you have range, you can hit him with good specials up close. The same does not apply for Toshiro. Up close Toshiro has specials that simply aren't as effective and are meant to be used at a mid range. If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses his icicle slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leap can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits and Up/Down Special at a close range and you'll be fine. If he uses his Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively and Counter any time you see a predictable attack coming. If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, just use your Up/Down Special. Fight 8 - Orihime Inoue The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Sometimes Orihime will even run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range she may not put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your very long Up/Down Special in attempt to trip her up before she gets away. In the event that she does escape make sure to follow her because leaving her alone will allow her to attack, shield herself, and even heal. If she goes into Bankai keep even more pressure on her to make sure she doesn't use her Ultimate. If you go into your Bankai hit her with an UpCrit to Up/Down Special combo. Fight 8A - Ganju Shiba Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay back and use your ridiculous range to keep him at bay. Much like Yoruichi, if you keep him at the tip of your sword there is almost nothing he can do. Also, if he starts running at you with a bomb in his hand simply block. He'll run into you, the bomb will explode, you'll block, and he'll take all the damage. If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, just use your Up/Down Special. Fight 9 - Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks, but against Zaraki it simply isn't enough. Zaraki reaches a bit further than Ichigo, especially when you use Zaraki's Up/Down Special, so keeping him at bay is the name of the game. If you stand at Zaraki's max range Ichigo can not hit you with most of his attacks and you can almost always hit him before he has the time to do any attack that can actually reach you. If he goes into his Bankai and you see an attack coming make good use of your Counter and don't be afraid to hit him with a quick Up/Down special since he can be knocked back. If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, get in close, finding an opening, and use the ol' UpCrit to Up/Down Special on him. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Do not attack this guy from a range since if you're standing still (which you often do when attacking from afar) he can trap you with a stun. Additionally, mid range right in front of him is the prime spot for his other two dangerous specials. Circle around him a lot since all three specials are either meant to hit standing opponents or people directly in front of him. As long as you keep moving and using your powerful Crit combos you should be able to take him down before he kills you. If he goes into his Bankai make sure to attack him if he starts charging since, much like Byakuya, he will start a cinema that does ridiculous damage. If you need to use your Bankai, regardless of whether or not he has his, get in close, finding an opening, and use the ol' UpCrit to Up/Down Special on him. >EPISODE 5 - BYAKUYA KUCHIKI General Advice - They're pampering you here, right before the fight of your life. Byakuya is an amazing character with a serious abundance of strengths. All of his specials are easy to land on AI and the Shunpo-Slash (Up/Down Special) is way too good. I wouldn't try to get greedy and use his ultimate special, just stick to what works and abuse his cinema special. If you really want to be cheap you can normally just run away and use his Up/Down Special over and over. Fight 1 - Kenpachi Zaraki This one can be tough since novice players will often rush in and begin hacking away. Do NOT do this since Zaraki has absurd range, power, and speed. Also, the Zaraki AI doesn't always do a few weak slashes before a big hit, he will very often just open up with a power hit and send you flying. You don't want to take hits from this guy, so what you can do is get near him, move around him, and wait for him to attack. Once he attacks you can run around behind him and start a quick combo. Keep your combos VERY concise with Zaraki otherwise he'll just plow through you. If all that isn't bad enough he has a counter that activates the second you attack, so he can surprise you with this move as well. No matter which way you cut it getting in close to this guy is dangerous, so if you want to play it safe you can actually just keep running away and using your Up/Down Special on him until he dies. Really cheap, but so effective. If you need to use your Bankai hit him with the Up/Down Special since the Stab Special is often unreliable. Fight 2 - Orihime Inoue The key to beating Orihime is staying in her face. Sometimes Orihime will even run away instead of attacking you, so if you do not let her out of close range she may not put up a fight. If she tries to escape make use of your godly Up/Down Special in attempt and cut her off in style. Orihime is easier to fight with Byakuya than absolutely anyone else in the game since she can not escape no matter what. The second she runs away and even begins to heal or shield she is a prime target for your Up/Down Special. You want to stay on her since leaving her alone will allow her to attack, shield herself, and heal. If you need to use your Bankai don't even bother with Specials, just use your speed to stay on her and pummel her up close. Fight 3 - Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks, but against Byakuya it simply isn't enough. Byakuya has a really good strategy against the Ichigo AI and while it is pretty boring, you simply cant argue with the results. Since Ichigo has good ranged attacks he'll often use them when you retreat. The very second he begins a ranged attack when you're far away you can let him have it with your Up/Down Special. You can actually just run back a couple steps and keep doing it over and over, which often works on the CPUs. If you need to use your Bankai you can get to a mid range and use your Up/Down Special for some good damage. Fight 4 - Toshiro Hitsugaya Stay close to him because even though you have your godly Up/Down Special, it's just as easy, if not easier to fight him up close. He can dodge your teleport slash on occasion and sometimes even counter you by using the dragon special, which will hurt you if you teleport behind him. Up close Toshiro has specials that simply aren't effective and are meant to be used at in mid range combat. If he uses his dragon it will only hit you once up close, if he uses his icicle slash you wont even be far enough to touch the ice, and his leaping attack can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits and Up/Down Special at a close range and you'll be fine. If he uses his Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively and use your Up/Down Special any time you see a predictable attack coming. If you need to use your Bankai try to circle him until he leaves himself open then use your Up/Down Special. Fight 5 - Soi Fon Soi Fon just loves combos so there are two really easy ways for Byakuya to go about beating her. You can lure her into starting a string of attacks, which she likely will not stop for a couple seconds and use your Up/Down Special or you can simply engage her up close and use your Criticals early. The Up/Down Special works like a charm but you can end the match sooner just by doing early Crits. She doesn't use hers right away and likes to combo a little beforehand so plowing through her attacks will be very easy. If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special. She normally doesn't dodge and will instead get closer to you for an attack, so landing this one is simple. Fight 6 - Sajin Komamura There are two very cheap ways to fight Sajin with Byakuya. The first way involves running away until he attacks (he'll usually use one of two rock-based specials) then using your Up/Down Special. Doing this works guaranteed and you likely will not get hit. Another method is running far away and shooting your Stab Special at him over and over again. Most of the time if you shoot it quick enough he cant do any attacks by the time it hits him, so he just keeps taking damage. If he gets his Bankai off simply use your Up/Down Special and retreat over and over. If you need to use your own Bankai just stick to the same strategy, you don't even need to use your cinema specials. Fight 7 - Ikkaku Madarame I wouldn't get too close to Ikkaku or even try running in circles around him because this guy has a lot of range and often hits people at his sides as well. Make good use of your Up/Down Special, in fact if you want to be super cheap you can just keep using it in succession and be pretty successful. Use criticals often since Ikkaku is another character who likes to get in some smaller hits before going for a Critical. He he goes into Bankai just keep away from him and shoot your Stab Special if he stops to attack. If you need to use your Bankai you should be able to land an Up/Down Special without too much trouble. Fight 8 - Izuru Kira Kira's range isn't great but he'll try to attack you anyway which means you can score major hits with the Up/Down Special very frequently. In fact, I've actually tried doing nothing but the Up/Down Special over and over and it works perfectly. If you use your Up/Down Special the second your last one ends Kira will normally take a hit. You should be able to do it a bunch of times, making many fights with Byakuya painfully easy. If you want to fight him up close and stay away from the Up/Down Special just circle around him a lot. Kira has really short range so by dodging via moving you should be able to find plenty of counterattack opportunities. If he goes into his Bankai just wait for an opening and use your Up/Down Special. If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special. He normally just tries to attack from that distance so landing this attack is rather easy. Fight 9 - Yoruichi Shihoin Yoruichi is a bit tricker than Soifon since she will use her Criticals earlier and dodge attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks go in for a Crit or use the safe Up/Down Special. Use her long Crits to your advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for an opening to use the Up/Down Special. If you need to use your Bankai get at a mid range and use your Up/Down Special. She normally wont dodge and will instead get closer to you for an attack, so landing this one is easier. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough, but with some nice movement you can take him out. The Up/Down Special isn't even that useful here since two of his specials seem to clash with it even though you're behind him. Stick to what works here, openings and counter Crits. If you need to use your Bankai circle around him and wait for him to leave himself open, which he will, and hit him with the Up/Down Special. >EPISODE 6 - HANATARO YAMADA This is going to be a real pain since the game makes you play through episode mode as Hanataro, a character who heals his opponents every time he touches them with his sword. Sounds fun, right? General Advice - Basically, you want to start here by instantly adjusting your difficulty to Easy and setting your match length to 30 Seconds. This is important since running away is a big part of the strategy. The core idea here is stick to Hanataro's 3 specials, his Headbut/Trip, his Spinning/Dizzy attack, and his Trip/Roll. All of these moves incorporate more than just his sword so you will often give more damage than you heal. Many people debate as to which attack is most useful, and while I do think its a bit situational, I think you can get rid of the roll entirely. I've done his Episode Mode pretty easily with just the Headbut and the Spinning attack. Of course, you should definitely try the roll and see if it works for you since I've heard plenty of success stories from people using that move. Anyway, so here are some basic strategies for Hanataro... Strategy 1 - Hit and Run - This strategy revolves around baiting the opponent into attacking and then hitting them with his Headbut special. This special does a decent chunk of damage and knocks you both over. By the time you both get up you should be able to make a clean getaway. You can always try to damage more but with how frustrating this Episode is, it's best to stay on the safe side and try to run away after you've gained the lead. Strategy 2 - Spin Spam - If fleeing isn't your style try spin spam. Ikkaku is easily the toughest fight in Hanataro's episode but you can actually keep him in check by spamming the spin attack repeatedly when he's in your face. The spin attack leaves both of you a little stunned, but it should keep the AI out of commission just long enough for you to move an inch closer to the oppoent and do another one. People use his roll attack the same way, so you can try spamming that too, but I find Spin Spam to be unbelievably effective. Strategy 3 - Bankai Baiting - Hanging in even if Strategies 1 and 2 aren't working is what Strategy 3 is about. It's more or less a backup, as this little guy's Bankai can easily turn the tides in these fights. Just stay alive until you've maxed your meter then let'em have it, but there are a couple tips I have to make Hanataro's Bankai even more lethal. Tip 1 - Use his Cinema Special (Up/Down) and THEN use his giant Slash (Stab) special. The AI normally wont block the Cinema Special and you can normally get his second one off shortly after. Tip 2 - If you land the Cinema Special activate his second special as soon as the cutscene ends. The AI will stand up as you're activating the special and in most cases will not move or block the attack. It's one of your best chances to land his best move. Don't get frustrated if you have to try Hanataro's Episode a couple times, pretty much everyone does. It's the toughest thing in the game but it's very do-able. Fight 1 - Yumichika Ayasegawa For the first stage you'll be wanting to rely on Strategy 2, the Spin Spam. Since it's early on in the Episode Mode Yumichika wont be countering you too much. If you repeat the Spin two or three times you should be able to get a nice enough lead for you to retreat and run away for the last seconds of the match. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 2 - Toshiro Hitsugaya For some reason the Spin doesn't seem to hit him as much as some other characters, probably because of his height, so I just used the headbut here. If he hits you and you get up you can normally hit him with a headbut before he recovers or has time to land another move. It should only take a couple headbuts in order to get a nice enough lead. If you get a lead and run away Toshiro will either shoot dragons at you (which is nice since they're easy to avoid and eat up the clock) or charge his Bankai, which is also pretty convenient since he's not attacking. If he gets into his Bankai don't worry since he should only have about 1-3 seconds left on the clock and he cant do anything to you in that time. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 2A - Ichigo Kurosaki Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode. Anyway, fortunately for you, you're fighting Ichigo really early. A character like Ichigo, when you have to face them later on in an Episode Mode, can be such a hassle. An easy way to deal with Ichigo is to run around him at a safe distance and attack him with a headbut (Up/Down Special) every time he goes for an attack and misses. Once you have a decent lead just run away and he'll likely shoot blade beams at you. This shouldn't be a problem since you can just block them. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 3 - Izuru Kira Both the headbut and the spin work fine on Kira. Once you get your lead the most important thing to remember is to keep moving around him when running away since he has a long ranged move that can drag you back to him. If he lands this move he will often combo you out of it, if this happens, as you're getting up go for a headbut, it often works. Just don't stay in front of him when running away and you should be okay, since he'll often stay at a range and just try to rake you in. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 4 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado Chad is one of the easier fights since the Spin Spam works absolute wonders on him and in the event that he actually does hit you with something that doesn't send you flying you can almost ALWAYS hit him with a headbut once you get off the ground since he has a lot of lag and moves very slowly. Once you get your lead he's easy to avoid too since he only has one ranged attack which is very easy to block. He often just stands there trying to hit you with it or charging his Bankai. If he gets close circle around him and retreat again. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 4A - Renji Abarai Two words, Spin Spam. Renji gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since a lot of Renjis moves have a second or two of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. Be extra careful if you decide to stop spinning and run away since Renji has ranged attacks that can break through your shield. As long as you don't run yourself into a corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that he hits you and you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat again. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 5 - Ikkaku Madarame This is the hardest fight in his Episode Mode, by far. He attacks with a lot of speed and range, plus he can also plow through your specials with enough duration in his attacks left to do major damage to you. You can almost always get a spin attack off in the beginning of the match if you get in his face and use it right away. After this you have a couple of choices, you can attempt to use another Spin attack or two, which works sometimes, or you can try to retreat and charge your bankai while stalling. Ikkaku will follow you a lot, so if you choose to run be very careful and know that you will likely NEED your Bankai, so put your effort into charging it. If he gets a few more hits on you and takes the lead, which he likely will, activate your Bankai. Even if there is only 1-2 seconds left use your Stab Special and hope it hits. If it does there's a good chance you'll steal a win at the last second. If you get your Bankai with some time on the clock try to bait him into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. Fight 6 - Ganju Shiba Phew, this is a cakewalk. Use your Spin right at the start of the match for an early lead, then retreat. After this you've pretty much won since Ganju is REALLY easy to deal with at a range. Once you have your lead and run away Ganju will normally do one of three things; charge his bankai, throw a bomb, or run at you with a bomb in his hands. If he chagres his Bankai you don't have to worry and if he throws a bomb you can very easily avoid it. The best case scenario is his bomb run since, if you block this attack the bomb explodes in his hands and damages him, not you. You deserve this after Ikkaku. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 6A - Sajin Komamura Two words, Spin Spam. Sajin gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since a lot of Sajin's moves have a second or two of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. Actually, you can trap Sajin in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you do run around Sajin since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him from far away. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 7 - Byakuya Kuchiki Byakuya can be annoying, but he's a lot easier than Ikkaku if you know how to go about fighting him. Byakuya is very prone to getting hit by your spin and your spin also doubles as a defense for when he tries his teleportation attack. If he goes for that attack while you're spinning it'll clash and occasionally counter. The "Spin Spam" works great and once you have a lead it's all about moving around since all three of Byakuya's specials cant hit you if you're in motion. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 7A - Yoruichi Shihoin You can use Spin Spam on Yoruichi, just don't be surprised if she breaks through your attacks every once in a while since her Criticals are long and consist of two hits. If you don't trust Spin Spamming Yoruichi you can run around her and wait for her to use a Critical. Since almost all of Yoruichi's Criticals consist of two or more hits they take a while to end, giving you a nice opportunity to headbut her (Up/Down Special) if she misses. Spin Spam or bait her and headbut. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 8 - Renji Abarai Two words, Spin Spam. Renji gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since a lot of Renjis moves have a second or two of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. Be extra careful if you decide to stop spinning and run away since Renji has ranged attacks that can break through your shield. As long as you don't run yourself into a corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that he hits you and you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat again. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 8A - Yasutora "Chad" Sado Two words, Spin Spam. Chad gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since almost all of Chad's moves have a good bit of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. If you're not confident about Spin Spamming too long and want to run away once you have a decent lead, go for it. Chad has absolutely no dangerous ranged moves and it's easy to avoid him. As long as you don't run yourself into corner you should be able to avoid him, but in the event that he hits you and you're up close again just hit him with a spin and retreat. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 9 - Kenpachi Zaraki Two words, Spin Spam. Kenpachi gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since a lot of Zaraki's moves have a second or two of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. Actually, you can trap Zaraki in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you do run around Kenpachi since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him from far away. If you're down by a lot of life don't risk trying to attack, charge up your Bankai and use it. Get at about a mid range and if you have time, try to bait them into attacking so you can use your Up/Down Special. After your Up/Down Special, as they're standing, use your Stab Special and hope it lands. If you don't have time just go for the Stab Special. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Two words, Spin Spam. Arturo gets destroyed by it, but for different reasons than Zaraki and Renji. Arturo always starts his combos with weak attacks so using Spin Spam will plow through his light attacks and trap him in the Spin Spam every single time you use it. Just like Zaraki you can trap Arturo in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you do run around Arturo since all of his specials are meant to hit a standing opponent or someone right in front of him. Two words, Spin Spam. Kenpachi gets destroyed by it, so definitely use this tactic. Since a lot of Zaraki's moves have a second or two of startup time you can often start your spin and trap him with it before he can get an attack off. Actually, you can trap Zaraki in a Spin Spam for all 30 seconds of the match if you do it well. Sometimes it isn't even worth it to run away, but if you do run around Kenpachi since a lot of his attacks hit directly in front of him from far away. >EPISODE 7 - YORUICHI SHIHOIN General Advice - This one isn't the cakewalk that Byakuya's is simply because Yoruichi isn't as good of a character all-around, but this Episode still shouldn't give you too much trouble. Yoruichi has a nice combo of her Side Critical with the Roundhouse followed by a Legsweep into her Up/Down Special (Dagger Kick). Make use of that and her easily combo-able cinema Special (left/right) to get through hers without too much trouble. Fight 1 - Renji Abarai Use this fight to get acquainted with Yoruichi, since this may very well be your first time playing her. She's very different and relies very much on Critical combos opposed to whipping around specials. Use your Criticals early with Yoruichi and out of them use a special or another Crit. Try using her Left-to-Right Side Critical to setup for combos into Crits and Specials. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 2 - Ikkaku Madarame Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as Yoruichi and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo. If you cant seem to get the swing of fighting with her up close just use hit and run tactics. You can also try using her Stab Special as a substitute for Byakuya's teleport slash, but it's really not as useful. Also, if he happens to use his Bankai stay defensive and wait until it runs out since he has Super Armor, which means he'll plow through any attack you throw at him and probably hit you with a special. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 3 - Rangiku Matsumoto Rangiku is really easy to pressure. If you keep assaulting her with crits after knocking her down she wont be able to function. She doesn't have any outstanding moves up close and you should be quicker than she is. Every time she gets up just hit her with another and you should be able to come away with an easy win. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 4 - Ganju Shiba Ganju is really slow in a lot of his attacks and overall he just isn't that great of a character. Since Yoruichi cant fight from a range keep your attacks constant to ensure he cant use any of his specials. If you lock him down with a flurry of criticals he'll fall in no time. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 5 - Toshiro Hitsugaya This fight should is good for Yoruichi since the easiest way to fight Toshiro is up close. At close range all of his specials simply aren't as effective since they're meant to be used at around mid range. If he uses his dragon up close it will only hit you once, if he uses his icicle slash you'll be too close to him for the ice to actually touch you, and his leap can be punished as soon as he starts it. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire special game and although his Crits can pack a punch, as long as you get yours out before he does you should be fine. Mix up your crits and Side Special at a close range to take him down. If he uses his Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively. It may be wise to run until you have yours since you don't have a good ranged attack. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 6 - Kenpachi Zaraki If you're going to engage this guy up close you MUST use your Crits and Specials instantly. Since you have no choice but to fight Zaraki at a close range you have to do everything you can to avoid being caught by one of his Crits or Specials. Zaraki has more range and power, so this is a dangerous fight for Yoruichi. One thing you can to do to make this fight a little easier is circle around him. None of Zaraki's Specials will hit you if you're not in front of him so dodging his attack and countering with a good Critical combo is a nice strategy. If he goes into Bankai wait for him to attempt a special, dodge, and punish him. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 7 - Sajin Komamura This fight should is good for Yoruichi since the easiest way to fight Sajin is up close. At close range all of his specials simply aren't as effective since they're meant to be used at around mid range. Staying in his face pretty much eliminates his entire special game and although Sajin is very powerful, his attacks are very slow. This means you shouldn't have any problems staying up close and getting your Criticals out before he does. If he uses his Bankai and you don't have yours play very defensively. It may be wise to run until you have yours since you don't have a good ranged attack and getting close will result in you taking a LOT of damage. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 8 - Yasutora "Chad" Sado This should be your kind of fight since you both have to fight up close, but since you're simply faster you have a distinct advantage. Pull off powerful critical combos before your Chad has a chance to use any of his powerful moves. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 9 - Byakuya Kuchiki Stay up close to Byakuya and move around him frequently since he cant use any of his specials on a moving target. He has two specials that only hit directly in front of him (a barrage of flower pedals and an energy blast) and his teleporting slash will never hit you as long as you're moving. Stay in motion and keep pressure on him. Don't worry if he gets some of his teleporting attacks off on you, just stay on him and use Crits very early when he uses a Special or Critical that leaves him open. If Byakuya manages to get into his Bankai and begins standing still while charging an attack make sure you hit him THAT SECOND or else you'll probably lose the match. Also, avoid the pedals he leaves all over the floor. This move results in another powerful special if you stand in the pedals. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. Fight 10 - Arturo Plateado Keep moving while fighting this guy or you'll be in a world of pain. Circle around him constantly, all three of his specials can be very easily avoided if you do this. One is two red "X"s of energy that drop from the sky, his second his a dark prison that surrounds the enemy, and his third is a long-range stab that starts a cinema combo. Since the energy blasts and stab combo only hit in front of him and the dark prison will never touch you if you're moving he'll be left wide open for you every time he tries to attempt a special, which is often. Keep your combos short and powerful so you don't drain your energy too much. If he gets into Bankai and starts charging while standing still make sure you attack him as soon as you possibly can, otherwise regardless of where you're standing you'll get hit by a very powerful special. He can be tough, but with some nice movement you can take him out. If you need to use your Bankai you can often combo your Side Special (ultimate) out of a regular string of weak attacks, but if you want a flashy, guaranteed combo you can use your Side Special out of her Left-to-Right side Critical. >EPISODE 8 - ARTURO PLATEADO General Advice - Once again, another pretty easy Episode thanks purely to the fact that the character you're using is really good. AI will normally just take a direct hit from his Side Special and his Up/Down Special combos in like magic. Arturo may not look like it but he has a lot of power in his moves, especially his special attacks. While his specials are definitely to be abused here, use his Bankai as soon as possible. Arturo's stab special (cinema) can be landed from practically anywhere on the stage and if you shake the wiimote during it you do a really nice amount of damage. After Hanataro this guy should be a blessing. Fight 1 - Mayuri Kurotsuchi This guy has a couple of really good up close moves but since it's the first round of Arturo's Episode mode he shouldn't bother you much. Take some time to get acquainted with Arturo's better combos (UpCrit into either Stab Special or Up/Down Special) and get an overall feel for him. You can often use his Side Special from a distance to trap the CPU and close in for a big hit. Since Mayuri can attack really well from a mid-long range it's best just to stay up close for this fight. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 2 - Rangiku Matsumoto Rangiku is really easy to pressure. If you keep assaulting her with crits after knocking her down she wont be able to function. She doesn't have any outstanding moves up close and you should be quicker than she is. Every time she gets up just hit her with another and you should be able to come away with an easy win. You can run back, wait for her to use a ranged Special and trap her with your Side Special if you want. Your Up/Down Special should be able to land on her nicely too. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 2A - Hanataro Yamada Remember, this fight is only for when you've unlocked everyone and you're going back through for Voice 2s. Disregard this and any other matches with a number and the letter "A" if it is your first time going through this Episode Mode. What you might not know about this kid is that he heals you whenever he touches you with his sword, so the only way for him to actually damage you is through specials that don't involve his sword. He only has three attacks like this and they're all three of his specials, which means they're all blockable. The three specials are a tripping headbut, a dizzy spin attack, and a trip followed by a ground roll. Bait him into attacking and just dodge the entire time since he doesn't have a damaging move that can penetrate your shield. Once you block his attack you're free to counterattack with all your strength. Since this is the second fight of Arturo's Episode Mode and Hanataro is a very easy opponent you probably wont have to be so cautious, so don't be worried about getting in his face and beating up on him, that is just a strategy in case you find Hanataro to be tougher than you expect. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 3 - Ganju Shiba Ganju doesn't have a lot of good attacks so if you use your specials and Crits early in your combos he shouldn't be able to toss out anything that'll annoy you too much. If he lays a Stone Wave (sand pit) do your best to avoid it and don't get too far away since he can throw bombs at you. If you're getting caught by Stone Waves too much and get punished for it up close you can stay back and trap him with a Side Special before attacking. This works pretty well since he stands still for a while during 2/3 specials. As for his third special, if he tries to run at you with a bomb in his hand just block. You'll end up blocking the hit and he'll take all the damage. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 4 - Ichigo Kurosaki Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then trap him with a Side Special after dodging. If you're willing to get up close to him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except your Up/Down Special (unless you combo your Stab Special out of an UpCrit), since the other two are aren't that useful in someone's face. Ichigo will often be using his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos his Getsuga Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful. If he gets into Bankai play defensively and try to land an Up/Down Special on him when he attacks from the front. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 4A - Ikkaku Madarame Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo. If you find that Ikkaku is doing a lot of combos before crits (sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't) don't be afraid to engage him head on and simply plow through his combos with powerful hits. If you cant seem to get the swing of fighting against Ikkaku up close just use hit and run tactics. You can also try using using his Stab Special when you see him open for a good source of damage. If he uses his Bankai play defensively since he has Super Armor and will plow through absolutely any attack with a special move. Ikkaku is a tough opponent, so if you absolutely need to you can also try retreating to charge your Bankai. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 5 - Shuhei Hisagi Shuhei doesn't have too many notable qualities besides the fact that he's pretty quick. Don't try to fight him from a mid range since all 3 of his specials are pretty useful from afar. If you stay close to him and use early Criticals there shouldn't be a problem since Shuhei tends to do light slashes before any big moves. This gives you the time to get an easy special or critical off on him before he can overpower you. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 5A - Ichigo Kurosaki Yeah, strange that Ichigo was bumped to the 5th fight, but oh well. Anyway, Ichigo can be a pain since staying at a mid distance while using your ranged specials can earn you a Getsuga Tenshou (blade beam) right to the face. If that isn't annoying enough, he has quite a lot of range with most of his attacks so reaching you often isn't a problem. Ichigo likes to shoot off his beams from a far range so you can actually use this to your advantage. By running around at a range you can bait him into firing a beam, then trap him with a Side Special after dodging. If you're willing to get up close to him definitely use your Criticals early and do not use any special except your Up/Down Special (unless you combo your Stab Special out of an UpCrit), since the other two are aren't that useful in someone's face. Ichigo will often be using his Crits just as early as you and he almost always combos his Getsuga Tenshou out of his UpCrit, so be careful. If he gets into Bankai play defensively and try to land an Up/Down Special on him when he attacks from the front. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 6 - Ikkaku Madarame Ikkaku has a Side Special that will break through anything you have so try to get your crits in early before he has a chance to use them. Stay moving as and strike when he leaves himself open with a good Critical combo. If you find that Ikkaku is doing a lot of combos before crits (sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't) don't be afraid to engage him head on and simply plow through his combos with powerful hits. If you cant seem to get the swing of fighting against Ikkaku up close just use hit and run tactics. You can also try using using his Stab Special when you see him open for a good source of damage. If he uses his Bankai play defensively since he has Super Armor and will plow through absolutely any attack with a special move. Ikkaku is a tough opponent, so if you absolutely need to you can also try retreating to charge your Bankai. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 6A - Yumichika Ayasegawa Yumichika isn't particularly threatening since he doesn't have many impressive abilities. If he throws a Peacock feather on the ground stay away from it, but aside from that stay up close and use your criticals early since his Specials, while meant to be used up close, take a second or two to activate. Fight 7 - Yoruichi Shihoin Yoruichi can be pretty tricky since she uses her Criticals early and she dodges attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks go in for a Crit or use the Stab Special. Use her long Crits to your advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for an opening to use combo her. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 7A - Kenpachi Zaraki If you're going to engage this guy up close you MUST use your Crits and Specials instantly. Since you have no choice but to fight Zaraki at a close range you have to do everything you can to avoid being caught by one of his Crits or Specials. Zaraki has more range and power, so don't bother trying to assault him from a distance. One thing you can to do to make this fight a little easier is circle around him. None of Zaraki's Specials will hit you if you're not in front of him so dodging his attack and countering with a good Critical combo is a nice strategy. If he goes into Bankai wait for him to attempt a special, dodge, and punish him. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 8 - Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto Stay close to this guy no matter what. All three of his specials are absolutely excellent when he's at mid range, but none of them are completely reliable at close range. Assault him with early criticals and don't let him use any of his attacks. Also, if he makes it into his Bankai do not try to run away from his Cinema Special (the camera will zoom in on him and he'll do a flaming shoulder rush at you) since it goes very far and follows you. Simply block it and retreat or counter. If you do attempt to actually dodge this attack don't try to run behind him since he leaves a damaging trail of flames that will hurt you. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. NOTE - Yes, this is the last fight for Arturo the first time through. Once you come back and replay his Episode to unlock Mayuri's Voice 2 you'll notice he has two extra battles. Fight 8A - Yachiru Kusajishi While it may seem fun to bully this little girl by rushing up and attacking, don't. She has one move in particular, a Helicopter Spin, that will pretty much overpower absolutely any move it clashes with and still do damage to you. Stay at a good mid range since there's absolutely no way she can attack you, yet you can still do great damage with your Up/Down and Stab Specials. If she starts her tornado and you don't get hit do NOT rush in and attack, it lasts a long time and you'll probably get caught in it if you rush up to her. Wait until the attack is ending, then move in with a Stab Special or an Up/Down Special. Simply don't underestimate her and keep her at a distance. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 9A - Yoruichi Shihoin Yoruichi can be pretty tricky since she uses her Criticals early and she dodges attacks more frequently. Fortunately Yoruichi has several very lengthy Criticals that keep her open when she misses, so you can often bait her into attacking by moving around her at a mid range. Once she attacks go in for a Crit or use the Stab Special. Use her long Crits to your advantage and remember that she can teleport to you from far away so don't just stand around. If she goes into her Bankai just play chicken and wait for an opening to use combo her. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. Fight 10A - Shigekuni Genryusai Yamamoto Stay close to this guy no matter what. All three of his specials are absolutely excellent when he's at mid range, but none of them are completely reliable at close range. Assault him with early criticals and don't let him use any of his attacks. Also, if he makes it into his Bankai do not try to run away from his Cinema Special (the camera will zoom in on him and he'll do a flaming shoulder rush at you) since it goes very far and follows you. Simply block it and retreat or counter. If you do attempt to actually dodge this attack don't try to run behind him since he leaves a damaging trail of flames that will hurt you. If you need to use your Bankai you can either run away and use your Stab Stab Special (shake the wiimote to charge faster) and hope it lands or you can actually land it in somewhat of a combo. If you land an UpCrit on your enemy start charging your Stab Special the second you hit them. Your special should be ready by the time they fall and stand back up, leaving them only about a second to take action (which they wont) before the cinema begins. This is very handy. ------------------------------------------------------- B) Arcade Mode Arcade Mode puts your chosen character up against 8 random characters. If you're having trouble with a particular character check my Character section on tips regarding what moves are useful and which ones aren't. Considering the adjustable difficulty and easy exploitation of the not-so-smart AI, Arcade shouldn't be too much of a hassle. Of course, it will be time consuming to go through with a ton of characters. ---------------------------------------------------- C) Versus Mode Beat up on your friends, the computer, or watch CPUs fight each other. Even if you don't have friends you'll be stepping into Versus Mode quite a bit to take care of some unlockables. Check the Unlocking Guide for all that goodness. ---------------------------------------------------- D) Training Mode GO HERE. Yes, the game is easy to pick up, but the training mode tutorial is a quick way to unlock Yoruichi, so you'll want to be completing it. Don't worry, it's a very simple tutorial that takes less than a few minutes. You can also invest a few quality minutes in Practice Mode, since you can experiment with combos here. Your bars will refill and you can adjust the AI to do whatever you want it to do. If you're really into mastering the ins and outs of a character, spending some time here would be a good idea. There's also a Wii mote test function, but in all honesty, I find it pretty useless... it is pretty fun to beat up on Kon though. ---------------------------------------------------- E) Urahara Shop A list isn't particularly necessary for the Urahara Shop, all anyone needs to have is a basic understanding of the unlocking process. Within the Urahara Shop you'll find Sets (the ability to use a character as a menu guide), Costumes, and additional Voices for different characters. While some of the Shop items are very simple to obtain, there are some that require specific conditions which some players may not think to do at first. Anyway, no worries as I'm here to tell you everything you need to know in order to unlock every shop item in Bleach Wii. 1) Sets - Nobody really has a problem with sets because simply put you get a lot of them on a very linear path through the game. Complete the Episode Modes, unlock all the characters and you should be set. 2) Outfits - These can be tricky if you don't know what to do, but I can tell you how to get each outfit specifically. Orihime Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Orihime, but here's a tip, if you don't like playing with Rangiku you should do her costume before Rangiku's since the win counter for Rangiku only starts once Orihime's second costume is unlocked. Rangiku Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Rangiku after getting Orihime's second costume. Yoruichi Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Yoruichi Toshiro Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Hitsugaya Renji Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Renji Rukia Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Rukia Ikkaku Costume 2 - Win 10 matches with Ikkaku Yumichika Costume 2 - Win 10 matches with Yumichika Komamura Costume 2 - Win 15 matches with Komamura Kisuke Costume 2 - Unlock EVERYTHING in the shop (besides this, of course). 3) Voices - Okay, here's the pain. People just do not know how to unlock voices, but don't worry, since I'm here to save you. There are a few voices that need to be unlocked by doing something specific whereas others are just purely dependent on how many matches with a character you've won. Step 1 - Beat Arcade Mode with every character and drag them into Versus for two additional rounds (bringing the grand total of matches played to 10). This will work on MOST people, but some people (like Jushiro) will require a SECOND Arcade Mode playthrough. If you already completed the ten and the Voice will not show up again, simply play through their Arcade Mode one more time. Step 2 - Go back to Episode Mode once every character is unlocked. Once all characters are unlocked play through Kenpachi's Episode Mode, Arturo's Episode Mode, and (ugh) Hanataro's Episdoe mode one last time. This should yield Shuhei, Komamura, Mayuri, Yumichika, Ikkaku, and Unohana. 4) Artwork/Sound - Once again, not very problematic due to the fact that they're gotten on the linear path of the game. -------------------------------------------------------- F) Gallery In the Gallery you will find three subsections: Graphics - Here you can view the character models and voices (once unlocked) of every character in the game and even some characters who aren't playable. Additionally, once unlocked, you may press + when inspecting a character model to set that character as your menu guide. Nifty, huh? Sound - Listen to the music in the game once unlocked. The game has a pretty cool soundtrack, so I'd suggest giving it a listen. Graphics - This is the 2d Art. After unlocking this stuff you can view all the 2d artwork that was involved in the game. A lot of it is neat to see, check it out. ---------------------------------------------------- G) Options Here you can adjust Music Volume, Cinematic Volume, Sound Effects Volume, Match Length, Com Difficulty, and even restore Default settings. This place is pretty useless, especially since you can set Match Length and Com Difficulty at character select screens. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5. CHARACTER/STAGE UNLOCKING GUIDE Character unlocking is pretty simple in this game, it just involves a ton of Arcade Mode, which shouldn't bother you anyway if you're trying to unlock everything in the Urahara shop since you'll be getting closer to Voice 2's in the process. Stages: Central 46: Inner Sanctum - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode Within the Seal - Beat Arturo in Episode Mode Characters: Yoruichi Shihoin - Beat Training Mode or Episode Mode with Hanataro Rukia Kuchiki - Beat Renji's Episode Mode Momo Hinamori - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode Hanataro Yamada - Beat Toshiro's Episode Mode Ikkaku Madarame - Beat Kenpachi's Episode Mode Shuhei Hisagi - Beat Hanataro's Episode Mode Soi Fon - Beat Yoruichi's Episode Mode Arturo Plateado - Beat Arturo's Episode Mode Yumichika Ayasegawa - Beat Arcade Mode with Ikkaku Madarame Shunsui Kyoraku - Beat Arcade Mode with Yasutora "Chad" Sado Mayuri Kurotsuchi - Beat Arcade Mode with Uryu Ishida Gin Ichimaru - Beat Arcade Mode with Rangiku Matsumoto and Izuru Kira Kaname Tosen - Beat Arcade Mode with Shuhei Hisagi and Sajin Komamura Yachiru Kusajishi - Beat Arcade Mode with Yumichika Ayasegawa and Kenpachi Jushiro Ukitake - Beat Arcade Mode with Shunsui Kyoraku Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni - Beat Arcade Mode with Jushiro Ukitake Kisuke Urahara - Beat Arcade Mode with Mayuri Kurotsuchi Ulquiorra Schiffer - Beat Arcade Mode with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen Sosuke Aizen - Beat Arcade Mode with Ulquiorra Grimmjow Jeaggerjeaques - Beat Arcade Mode with Sosuke Aizen ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6. IN-DEPTH CHARACTER SUMMARIES/MOVES In this guide I'll talk about a character, their overall ability, and some of their specific moves. I'll also talk about their respective Bankais and add anything useful I've learned about the characters. I.) Ichigo Kurosaki Downward Critical - Overhead Chop Upward Critical - Uppercut Chop Side Critical - Powerful Slash Stab Critical - Thrust Ichigo's Criticals are pretty good, specifically because they're not too slow and they have ridiculous range thanks to his huge sword. Ichigo packs a lot of power, so its needless to say you'll be wanting to opt for his Criticals opposed to some of his specials, as cool as some specials may look. Take for example the classic combo of Upward Critical --> Up/Down Special. In this combo Ichigo will uppercut his opponent into the air and if done correctly will proceed to hit them with a blade beam (getsuga tenshou) before they hit the ground. It looks really cool, but in terms of overall damage its safer to end that combo with another critical. Yes, the blade beam can do some damage but it doesn't always get all of its hits in. Sometimes it gets a few less than desired, but the critical doesn't. Up/Down Special - Getsuga Tenshou This special is particularly useful because you can combo it and its hard for enemies to break through due to the amount of hits it has. Also, if you have any really eager-to-attack friends you can normally catch with with a blade beam; however, if you're playing an experienced player I would advise not using it out of combos since they'll likely run around it and punish you. Side Special - Zangetsu Rush This marks the first of many attacks I'll be naming myself, no, I'm not very creative but you get the idea. Ichigo rushes forward and slashes twice with his sword. This attack is not only useful in combos but it's also useful if someone is in your face with a lot of hits and you need to get them away. This move has a lot of priority, hits, and does decent damage so definitely make use of it. It's only really tragic downfall is that some characters have similar Side-Specials that are simply longer, so if you both clash at the same time Ichigo will lose due to his ending earlier. Stab Special - Ground Wave Ichigo puts his sword into the ground and fires off a wave of spiritual energy that tears through the ground. It has more range the further it goes, so if you've cornered your opponent and see they don't have any place to run (due to the stage walls) you can feel free to let this one out, although they'll likely just block it. To be honest, it's easily Ichigo's worst special since you wont land this on anyone close range, it's not particularly worth trying to combo it since its slow, and if used at range it can just avoided or blocked. >>Bankai - Tensa Zangetsu Buffs - Flash Step Bankai Downward Critical - Overhead Chop Bankai Upward Critical - Upward Uppercut Bankai Side Criticals - Side Slash Bankai Stab Critical - Stab followed by an Uppercut Sometimes peoples Criticals change when in Bankai mode and very often these changes are worth mentioning. This is especially the case with Ichigo since his only real Critical change becomes his best asset in Bankai form. Ichigo's Stab-Critical in Bankai is heavenly, as you can instantly use your Cinema Special the second they're launched into the air and it combos seamlessly. You can still UpCrit into the Cinema Special (Stab Special), but since the Stab Crit is two hits anyway and its easier to land than (since you could potentially mess up an UpCrit), it's better to just rely on this. Bankai Up/Down Special - Black Getsuga Tenshou (Blade Beam) This move charges up for about a second and fires across the screen at a decent speed. This move can be blocked, but if you're battling someone who stands still during attacks (like Ikkaku's twirling Bankai special) it can really come in handy. Also, couple this move with Ichigo's flash step and you might be able to flash step away from an attacker and hit them with this before they recover, depending on the length of their attack. It's a very situational special, use it wisely if at all. Honestly, almost any time you can land this you could land his better special, his Cinema. Bankai Side Special - Somersault Slash This move is a nifty looking move and boasts decent power. You can get this one off a few times before you exit Bankai, but to be totally honest it just pales in comparison to his Cinema Special. The redeeming quality about this Special is that it's ridiculously easy to combo, you can use it without even launching your opponent and it'll normally connect for some good damage. Bankai Stab Special - Zangetsu Blade Flurry This is Ichigo's Ultimate Move in absolutely every sense. It is his cinema special, most damaging move, and pound for pound the best move he has. Once activated Ichigo will stab the opponent, if the stab connects a cinema starts in which Ichigo begins mercilessly hacking up his enemy. As almost always, shake the Wiimote during this special to extend it and add more damage. The thing about this special isn't just the damage, it's the fact that you can combo it so easily out of Ichigo's best Criticals. Use this move directly following a Stab Critical and it WILL land, same goes for an Upward Critical, but of course using his Stab Critical to combo this move is simply smarter for the reasons listed above (Bankai Criticals section). Closing thoughts on Ichigo -- Ichigo is a really good character, his specials accentuate his moves and hes got a lot of destructive capabilities. While normally Ichigo is a fine character his Bankai is what's most impressive about him. Simple ultimate combos, blinding speed, and a ton of damage gives you one of the more dangerous Bankais in the entire game. ---------------------------------------------------- II.) Rukia Kuchiki Downward Critical - Downward Chop Upward Critical - 3-Hit Uppercut Combo Side Critical - Side Slash Stab Critical - 2-hit Stab All in all Rukia's criticals are mediocre simply because you can't combo out of them as far as I've seen. Her Downward, Upward, and Stab all end up knocking your opponent on the ground and her side puts her to the side of the opponent, unable to really do anything fancy afterwards. Pretty much any criticals can be used with her since none do a ton more damage than any other. As you may be able to guess, Rukia's specials are somewhat situational. Up/Down Special - Hellfire Crash In one of the coolest specials of the game, Rukia leaps over her opponent and and sends a Kido (energy blast) straight into the back of their head. This attack has some uses, but you really want to be careful. Taller characters like Zaraki can swat you out of the air like nothing if you try to abuse it and depending on your positioning it will simply miss some shorter characters like Soi Fon (it'll go straight over her head sometimes). A decent use for this move is running at your opponent as if you attack, then quickly using Hellfire Crash. Your opponent will likely try to attack as you rush towards them, so this could catch them off guard. Like I said though, be careful since this move can go wrong in a lot of ways, using it in someones face in the middle of combat is almost guaranteed to get you swatted down. Side Special - Sode no Shirayuki Rush Rukia rushes towards her opponent, slashing them twice. This move is half decent since you can use it in someone's face and it does a decent amount of damage for being a quick move. If you can't seem to get someone out of your face give this move a try, it'll likely get the job done. Stab Special - Ice Wave Imagine a worse version of Ichigo's Up-Special and that's what you have here. The range isn't great, the damage isn't there, and it's not particularly combo friendly. If that's not bad enough it's pretty small, avoidable, and doesn't even clash well. There aren't too many uses for this move against any half seasoned opponent. >>Bankai - Spiritual Power Up Buffs - None (I say none because EVERYONE gets faster and more powerful for the most part, I'm only listing buffs in terms of things like Super Armor and Flash Stepping). Bankai Downward Critical - Downward Chop Bankai Upward Critical - 3-Hit Uppercut Combo Bankai Side Critical - Side Slash Bankai Stab Critical - 2-hit Stab The exact same criticals. A shame, she needed some help here. Bankai Up/Down Special - Hellfire Crash The same move as before with the exact same uses. Bankai Side Special - First Dance, White Moon Activating this special is a pain because it's so easy to avoid. Rukia will place a glowing white circle on the ground and it's up to the opponent to step into it. Of course, it's not even that easy, as the opponent can actually step out of the circle even if they get hit by it initially. This special requires the opponent to be in the circle for an additional second, so if your opponent knows this then they probably wont get hit by it unless they accidentally run into it. Regardless, if you manage to land this special your opponent will be trapped and assaulted by frost energy until frozen and shattered by Rukia. As always, wave the wiimote to add to this special, although if you play with friends you probably wont see it too often. Bankai Stab Special - Ice Wave Same move with the same utility (or lack of). Closing thoughts on Rukia -- Rukia isn't a very good character. Oddly enough, while she isn't that great due to her mediocre specials and just plai