Introduction
Guilty Gear XX Slash is a weapons fighter set in a dystopic future. Technology and Science has decayed away to be replaced by the more potent Magic. More than a century has passed since the start of the Gear Project, a project to create genetically-engineered magic-infused creatures. The world is ravaged by the aftermath of a Commander Gear named Justice who started a decades-long war against the humans called the "Holy War", who was finally neutralized (twice) by the elite Holy Order of the Sacred Knights. It was neutralized the second time after Testament had attempted to begin the Holy War anew. A short while later, with the world still reeling from the Holy War, another Commander Gear is discovered, and a large bounty is posted on the head of (peaceful) Dizzy to eliminate any further organized Gear threats. The new Gear is reported as destroyed at the hands of Jam, and secretly whisked away amongst the Jellyfish Pirates (Johnny, May, et al).
The game title is an allusion to one of the main characters, Sol Badguy, a free-willed human Gear. In the original Guity Gear storyline, Sol is the one responsible for bringing to an end (killing?) the Commander Gear named Justice (who was a threat to the world and all of humanity, anyway). Thus, the guilty Gear.
The predecessors to Guilty Gear XX Slash and what they lack compared to it (newest first):
- Guilty Gear XX #Reload ("GGXXR", "GGXX#R", or "#R") - Holy Order Sol didn't exist yet.
- Guilty Gear XX ("GGXX", "GGX2", or "XX") - Robo-Ky was not available.
- Gulity Gear X ("GGX") - no False Roman Cancel, no Dust button, no Psych Burst, Slayer, Bridget, I-no, Zappa not in the game.
- Guilty Gear ("GG", or "GG1") (Playstation 1 only) - no Faultless Defense, Tension is Chaos, running turned into ramming (returned with Robo-Ky), had Charging (returned with Holy Order Sol), Instant Kill was triggered differently, among other differences. Dizzy, Anji, Johnny, Jam, Slayer, Bridget, I-no, Zappa not in the game.
Controls
The controls for Guilty Gear is unusual compared to most other fighting games. The correct arcade layout resembles this (numbers indicate the joystick directions):
7 8 9 (K) (S) (HS) 4(5)6 (P) (D) 1 2 3
In particular, Kick (K), Slash (S), and Hard Slash (HS) are on the first row. In the second row are Punch (P), an empty spot, and Dust (D). It may help to think of the buttons as being in a "rainbow" formation instead of row formations.
While the Start/Taunt (T) button has no assigned position, the two Start buttons should not be close to each other, to avoid accidentally (or not,,,) forcing the other player into a disruptively vulnerable Taunt animation.
A Capcom control panel can be quickly converted into a suitable Guilty Gear panel by removing or disabling the MK button. The buttons can be reassigned in the arcade setup menu, avoiding rewiriing.
Common Arcade Bastardizations:
- The arcade mechanic just reads off the setup menu ("Punch", "Kick", "Slash", "Hard Slash", "Dust") and assigns the buttons in reading order (top-left to bottom-right):
P K S HS D
- The arcade mechanic is in the Capcom mentality of punches in top row and kicks in bottom row:
P S HS K D
Basic Strategy
Rule 1: Hit them a lot.
Rule 2: Don't get hit.
I. Hitting them a lot:
- Universal Anti-Air: 6P (except Testament). All characters with such a move have upper-body (above-waist) invulnerability. Variations are in the exact size and height of invulnerability, attack range, and animation timing (some are slow, some are fast). See Command Normal above.
- Universial Mid/Overhead hit: 5D. All Dust Launcher attacks must be blocked high. All Dust Launchers are also very slow to connect. Some characters have extra overhead attacks (e.g. Testament 6P).
- Universal Sweep: 2D (except Robo-Ky). Some characters have more than one sweep attacks.
- Universal power attack: 6H (except Bridget). Often very slow and qutie often very painful. See Command Normal above.
- Basic Gatling Combo: P, K, S, H, D. Generally, all characters can Gatling in this order, though not all attacks can be involved (e.g. Johnny's far Slash cannot Gatling into Hard Slash).
II. Don't get hit.
- Aerial Faultless Defense: air 4+P+K. FD is the only way to block a ground-to-air attack (i.e. when you are in the air and your attacking opponent is still on the ground).
- Backdash: 4, 4. Backdashing grants you a short period of invulnerability, thus doubling as a dodge. The timing of backdashes and invulnerability is different for each character.
- Double Jump: air 7/8/9. A late double-jump can be used as an evasive maneuver.
- Air Dash: air 4, 4 (backwards) or 6, 6 (forward). Air dashing changes your trajectory and distance.
|
