• Samurai Shodown 64 Button Setup and Abbreviations
• Main storyline of Samurai Shodown 64
• Nakoruru's storyline
• Basic Moves
• Special Moves
• Ground Combos
• Juggles
• Samurai Combo System
• Strengths and Weaknesses
• VS. Combat Strategy
• Fighting Gandara, Deku, Dekuina, and Yuga
• Nakoruru's Ending
• Death Slashes
• Nakoruru's Quotes
• Nakoruru's Outfits

For those that have never played Samurai Shodown 64, here's the basics on controls and the abbreviations I'm gonna use for the moves.

Twenty years ago, a man named Yuga took the babies out of a number of pregnant mothers and cast a spell on them, then releasing them back to their mother's bodies. As these babies aged, they grew with intelligence and high abilities, either famous or infamous. The now grown up babies were visited by Yuga, who unsealed the casted spells by showing them an ancient doll show. Those who were unsealed could not take the pressure and either committed suicide or went insane. This was not Yuga's intention, for he seeked a body he created which was strong enough to retain the unsealed spell. By using an innocent baby and two bodies which are strong enough to hold the spell--one man and one woman--Yuga will be able to ressurect the Dark Lord--the prime objective of Yuga.

In an eternal sleep within nature, Nakoruru is awakened by an evil force which sweeps about the world. Thus she goes on another journey to finish off the ultimate evil.

On Ground, Standing:
(any of these moves can be cancelled with C BEFORE the animation reaches its halfway point)
A = punch
B = downward slash
AB = steps in low and slashes
BC = spins and kicks (knocks down)
df+A = mid slash/stab
f+A = spin slash
d,N+B = standing side kick
f+B = runs forward and slashes upwards
f,f+B = steps forward and stabs opponent in the heart
ub+B = flip kick

On Ground, Crouching (while holding d,db, or df):
(any of these moves can be cancelled with C BEFORE the animation reaches its halfway point)
A = quick low slash
B = slashes low and spins
AB = upward slash (hits high and knocks opponent in air)
   This attack is the main set up attack for juggles
BC = balances herself on her hands and kicks with both feet low

While Jumping:
A = kick
B = upward slash
AB = kick (same kick as A attack)
BC = forward flip kick

Annu Mutsube:  QCD+A
  Ground slide

Lela Mutsube:  QCD+B
  Anti-air "slide"

Kamui Risse:  RDP+A  (hits 3 times when POW at MAX)
  Cape attack;  can deflect some projectiles

Mamahaha head strike:  QCF+A
  If connects, launches opponent into air to set up a juggle

Mamahaha talon strike:  QCF+B
  Can hit up to 4 or 5 times

Mamahaha grab:  QCB+D (Nakoruru hangs onto Mamahaha; control to Mamahaha)
  - Slash in air: A or B
  - Kamui Mutsube: AB
     "Slide" attack diagonal down; hits high or low depending on the angle
  - Get down: wait a few seconds or hold d until Nakoruru jumps off

"Matrix" grab:  DP+C (must be next to standing opponent)
  Nakoruru knees her opponent in the head twice, kicks him/her to the ground, 
  flips and jumps on her opponent then jumps away.  This move will remind you of 
  Trinity from "The Matrix" and is unbreakable.  ABUSE IT!!!

Special POW move:  QCF+AB (POW must be at MAX)
  Mamahaha attacks by sending shock waves at the opponent then dives at the opponent.

Annu Mutsube:  QCD+A
  Ground slide

Lela Mutsube:  QCD+B
  Anti-air "slide"

Kamui Risse:  RDP+A  (hits 3 times when POW at MAX)
  Cape attack;  can deflect some projectiles

Shikooru Attack:  QCF+A
  Nakoruru sends Shikooru at her opponent; Shikooru will jump if
	opponent does

Power Up Shikooru:  d,d+AB (must be next to Shikooru)
  Nakoruru pets Shikooru making his next attack stronger than normal

Running Chest Jab:  QCF+C (cancel by tapping D or 4)
  Nakoruru runs at her opponent then jumps, grabs his/her head with her feet, 
  flips the opponent over and stabs him/her in the chest.

Double "Bitch" Slap:  BC, A
  Nakoruru does her BC spin kick.  If that connects, she bitch slaps her opponent twice.

Nut Shot:  BC, B  (only works on male characters, "Bitch" slaps females)
  Nakoruru does her BC spin kick.  If that connects, she kicks her opponent where 
  it really hurts.   OUCH!!!!  See combo section for what to do next.

"Matrix" grab:  DP+C (must be next to standing opponent)
  Nakoruru knees her opponent in the head twice, kicks him/her to the ground, flips 
  and jumps on her opponent then jumps away.  This move will remind you of Trinity 
  from "The Matrix" and is unbreakable.  ABUSE IT!!!

Special POW move:  QCF+AB (POW must be at MAX)
  Shikooru howls then runs forward to the opponent and attempts to grab him/her.  
  If he connects, he wrestles and slams the opponent before throwing him/her high 
  in the air.  This move is unblockable.

Because Nakoruru is so quick, though not as strong as her opponents, her combos, especially her juggles, are a big key to victory. Here are the main ones that I came up with. Practice makes perfect. So the more you get used to the game, the more you can come up with your own combos.

A, A = punch, slap
A, B = punch, flip kick (knocks down)
A, A, B = punch, slap, spin kick (knocks down)
A, A, B, b+B = punch, slap, spin kick, flip kick  (knocks down)

BC, B, QCF+A, f+(D,AB) = Spin into Nut shot, Shikooru attack, Dash in and heavy slash

  This combo will only work (a) if your opponent is male and (b) you connect with the Nut Shot.
  As soon as your opponent falls to the ground in pain, immediately send Shikooru after him.
  Shikooru will nail your opponent and stand him up.  Immediately hold f, tap D once to dash in 
  and then hit AB to nail the heavy slash.

  99% of the time your opponent will fall down after this but if he is still standing, 
  immediately do an Annu Mutsube to trip him down.

QCF+A, f+D, BC, B, QCF+A, f+(D,AB) = Shikooru Attack, run to opponent, Spin into nut shot, Shikooru attack, Dash in and heavy slash

  This combo will only work (a) if your opponent is male and (b) you connect with the Shikooru.
  After Shikooru connects, run in, hit the nut shot, send Shikooru again which will stand your opponent up.  
  Immediately, hold f, tap D once to dash in and then hit AB to nail the heavy slash.

  99% of the time your opponent will fall down after this but if he is still standing, immediately
  do an Annu Mutsube to trip him down.  This is Nakoruru's most devastating combo.

BC, B, QCF+AB = Spin into Nut shot, Special POW move.

  This combo will only work (a) if your opponent is male, (b) you connect with the Nut Shot, and
  (c) your POW is at MAX.  As soon as your opponent falls to the ground in pain, immediately execute the
  POW move.  Shikooru will grab your opponent before they have a chance to roll away, GUARANTEED!!!

QCF+A, f+D, BC, B, QCF+AB = Shikooru Attack, run to opponent, Spin into Nut shot, Special POW move

  This combo will only work (a) if your opponent is male, (b) you connect with the Shikooru, and 
  (c) your POW is at MAX.  After Shikooru connects, run in, hit the nut shot, and immediately execute the
  POW move as soon as your opponent goes down in pain.  Shikooru will grab your opponent before they have
  a chance to roll away, GUARANTEED!!!

d+AB, B, f+AB = Slash opponent into the air, standing downward slash, heavy slash

  Timing is the key here.  After slashing your opponent into the air, wait for him/her to fall.
  When he/she gets just about even with your head, do the B slash, then immediately press f+AB to nail the
  heavy slash.

  If you have trouble with your opponent blocking the 2+AB slash, try sidestepping one of his/her attacks (2+D)
  then 2+AB to hit your opponent while he/she is recovering from the attack he/she made.

d+AB, A, RDP+A = Slash opponent into the air, jab, Kamui Risse

  I really only use this one when POW is at MAX because the Kamui Risse will hit 2 or 3 times.
  After slashing your opponent into the air, wait for him/her to fall to about even with your head then
  press A to throw a standing jab.  Then hesitate a split second before beginning the Kamui Risse movement.
  This combo, if it connects, is also good for throwing your opponent off the edge of cliffs to win the
  round even if your POW isn't at MAX.

  This combo requires a little better timing than the previous combo.  A great way to get the timing down
  is to play the CPU's Nakoruru.  The CPU will try and use this air combo all the time against you.

QCF+A, f+D, B, f+AB = Mamahaha head strike, run to opponent, downward slash, heavy slash

  The big key here is that Mamahaha must connect whether he hits your opponent on the ground or out of the air.
  If he connects, run forward next to your opponent, do the standing B slash when he/she falls about even with
  your head, then immediately press	6+AB to connect with heavy slash.

d+AB, A, QCF+AB = Slash opponent into the air, jab, Special POW move  (need MAX POW)

  Since the Slash POW move is easily blockable, this is probably the best way to connect it.  After slashing your
  opponent into the air, throw out a quick jab and immediately execute the POW move.

  If you're feeling really lucky, throw a standing B slash into the mix then execute the POW move.
  However, if you're gonna try this, make sure you execute the POW just before your opponent hits the
  ground.  If you do it immediately after the standing B slash, Mamahaha will connect the first time,
  but miss the rest of the move and your opponent will fall to the ground will little energy taken
  off and you will have wasted the POW move.

d+D, d+AB, QCF+AB = Sidestep, slash opponent into the air, Special POW move (need MAX POW)

  Since Nakoruru's Bust POW move is the slowest in the game, it is the hardest to connect.  But here's a hint,
  if you are right next to your opponent, whether he/she is on the ground or in the air, Shikooru will
  immediately lunge forward for your opponent without howling.

  The sidestep is key here.  Wait for your opponent to attack, then sidestep the attack and slash him/her
  into the air and immediately execute the POW move.  If you do it quick enough, Shikooru will not move
  with you when you sidestep and will immediately lunge forward for your opponent.  Since his grab animation
  is long, he will grab your opponent just before he/she hits the ground.

  This combo takes the most practice to perfect.

Group 1:
CD, A, A, A, A = Combo start slash, jab, jab, jab, jab
or
CD, B, B, B, B = Combo start slash, spin slash, spin slash, spin slash,
		 spin slash

Group 2:
A, A, A, A = mid slash, up slash, up slash, up slash
or
B, B, B, B = low slash, low slash, low slash, low slash
or
A, B, B, B = mid slash, low slash, low slash, low slash
or
B, A, A, A = low slash, up slash, up slash, up slash

Group 3:
A, A, A = mid slash, mid slash, flip kick
or
B, B, B = low slash, low slash, Annu Mutsube
or
A, B, B = mid slash, low slash, Annu Mutsube
or
B, A, A = low slash, mid slash, flip kick


Notes:

SCS Combos cannot be mixed up ABAB, BABA, ABA or something else like that.

SCS Combos can be broken at the pauses if your opponent guesses which button
(A or B) your are gonna press next correctly by pressing that same button on
his/her control pad.  If he/she guesses correctly, you'll be momentarily
stunned allowing your opponent to nail you.

SCS Combos can also be blocked at the pause if your opponent guesses correctly 
on whether to block high or low.  A combo that gets blocked at a pause simply 
pushes the fighters apart and cancels the SCS.

SCS Combos drain your stamina and can only be started when your stamina gauge
is a yellow color.

If you press CD to activate the combo but miss, you will still be flashing
showing you are in SCS mode.  Press CD again to cancel the SCS.

The best way to get better at playing Nakoruru, Samurai Shodown 64, or any other fighting game is to play another person. The CPU can only better you so much. After a while, you know what the CPU is gonna do and the challenge simply disappears as beating the game becomes 2nd nature.

The human mind is the best way to get better. What another player brings is another challenge besides the CPU. The human mind is often unpredictable. You may fight a player who loves to attack non-stop and tries to devastate you with combos, or you might fight someone who is very defensive. Strategies vary as much as the person you are playing.

As you play the game more, you will learn to develop you're own strategy while you are fighting. It may be attacking low all the time or using a lot of projectiles. Eventually though, people pick up on your strategy and only the truly great players are able to expand on their strategy to the point where they can still effectively use it in any situation.

An effective strategy I use is an offensive/counter-offensive type of strategy. I do like to attack a lot and try and get my opponent to make a counter attack so that I can sidestep it and use air combos. But I am also a very defensive player. When I'm not attacking, I'm blocking and looking for an opening to counter-attack. Annu Mutsubes are also very effective because people often forget that they hit low.

The main thing you wanna do is wait for your opponent to make a move and react to that move. If you are fighting a defensive opponent, do some attacking to make your opponent counter-attack. If your opponent doesn't counter-attack, remember that you still have throws.

When your POW is at MAX, try and find the opening to use your Special POW move. They are very effective and can get you back into a round if you have already taken a lot of damage. Never use your Rage Eruption unless you are about to lose the match. You only get to use it once a match so make sure that Fatal Flash connects. Also, remember that your Rage Eruption will stop the time in the round. So if you are about to lose the match because your opponent has more energy than you and is trying to avoid you because time is running out, hit ABC and get after it.

Sometimes I wonder why they put Gandara in the game in the first place. He is this huge purple guy who will challenge you either after you win two rounds in your third match or two rounds in your eighth match. Good news: He's big, slow, cannot block, and he sucks. Bad news: If he connects on an attack, he'll drain a lot of energy. Just B and AB slash him until you see him rear back to make an attack. When he does, Annu Mutsube behind him and repeat the process.

A word to the wise, assume that all of Gandara's attacks are unblockable and avoid them at all costs.

After beating 8 CPU opponents, you will move onto the final bosses. You'll see Nakoruru walk out into the open then a flash of light comes and Deku and Dekuina make their way down. A stone then comes up and will carry either an orange or blue sword. If an orange sword comes up, you will fight Deku. If a blue one comes up, you fight Dekuina.

Deku fights like a combination of the Bust and Slash Haohmaru characters. He is very quick and very very strong. But he does leave himself wide open and you can beat him if you are quick enough.

Deku can take a lot of damage so your best strategy is to try and knock him off the edge. But don't set your sights on that or Deku will beat you easily. Try and slowly work him to the edge. Be aware of his attacks and try landing a juggle to get him over the edge.

Dekuina is a little easier to fight. She is a mix of the Bust and Slash Shiki characters. She isn't any quicker than Deku but she's just as strong. At times, she is also more vulnerable than Deku. She also is thrown around easier so it doesn't take much to knock her over the edge. However, she has more unblockable attacks.

After you beat either Deku or Dekuina one round, you will move on to face Yuga. When you first face him, he is floating in a sitting position. His hand slashes can reach up to halfway across the screen. He also has a close Fortune Wheel grab and a fire line that travels along the ground. But, good news...he sucks at this point. Either continuosly B slash him or keep using juggles. He hardly blocks when he's sitting. If you are playing Bust, just keep using the Running Chest Jab whenever he gets up and you'll win easy.

After you beat him when he's sitting down, Yuga will POWer up and be floating in a standing position. And if you thought Amakusa was a cheap boss, you ain't seen nothing yet. Yuga is very cheap but is beatable. Yuga's POW remains at MAX throughout the rest of the match. Even worse, if you should get a Double K.O., Yuga will win the round, but you won't win the match. But guess what, if you are Bust Nakoruru, keep the Running Chest Jab going over and over and you'll win. Cheap? Yes. But its always good to beat the cheap with the cheaper.

Yuga is also a sucker for Annu Mutsubes and Kamui Risses. So nail him with these when you can. Most of the time, doesn't block them.

Beat the floating Yuga and you will have beaten the game. Good luck.

For those of you who want to know what the ending is because its very unlikely that you'll ever get to play Samurai Shodown 64, here you go.

The Road to Kamui Kotan.

Nakoruru traces the river bank.

She is happy to be going home.

But the fate of the nun awaits.

"I want to be a woman."

"I want to wear nice clothes."

"I want to go out at night."
But she is "Nature's Warrior."

Nakoruru gazes at the river bank.

A voice from the sky.
"Mamahaha!"

The thundering of the ground.
"Shikooru!"
She jumps on top.

"Rimururu!"
Her sister waves.

Nakoruru laughs and waves back.

Back to Kamui Kotan,
Her only true home.

Of course, who can forget the blood spraying out or the body splitting in half when you kill your opponent. If you didn't have that...it wouldn't be Samurai Shodown.

Nakoruru has three slashes that will kill your opponent if they are used to kill him in the winning round of the match. I must quickly note that Nakoruru, Rimururu, Shiki, Deku, Dekuina, Yuga, and Gandara cannot be killed.

Cut in half:  d+AB or f+B

Stab to the heart:  f,f+B  (I love using this one.  The animation is drawn perfectly to your opponent's heart.)

After winning a match, sometimes the screen will close in on Nakoruru while fading to a 2D pick on Nakoruru where she will say something. Here are her quotes.

Nakoruru has 4 different outfits that she fights in, 2 in Slash, 2 in Bust. Colors are chosen at the Slash/Bust select screen.

If you are at the 1st controller, press A to choose the 1st outfit and B for the 2nd outfit.
If you are at the 2nd controller, press B to choose the 1st outfit and A for the 2nd outfit.

1st color: White outfit with red and blue trim, red shoes, red bow, and long blue hair. Mamahaha is a brown and white color.
2nd color: White outfit with yellow and blue trim, yellow shoes, yellow bow and long black hair. Mamahaha is a dark blue color.

1st color: White outfit with purple trim, purple shoes, purple headband, and short brown hair. Shikooru is a purple and white color.
2nd color: Black outfit with yellow and purple trim, yellow shoes, yellow headband and short brown hair. Shikooru is a gray and white color. I like to call this the "ghetto girl" outfit.

Samurai Shodown 64 aka Samurai Spirits (c) 1997 by SNK. Nakoruru, Mamahaha, Shikooru, Rimururu, Amakusa, Yuga, Deku, Dekuina, Gandara, Haohmaru, and Shiki are all copyrighted names by SNK.

Do not post this FAQ on any website without my expressed written or emailed consent. To ask permission, email me at nakofan64@gmail.com If you are granted permission, I do ask that you give credit where credit is due.

Also, feel free to email me if you have any questions about this FAQ or Samurai Shodown 64 whether it be about the game or how to play any of the characters. I can play as any character on the game and am more than willing to help you out. Also, if you hear of any rumors about the game, email me and I will test those rumors and let you know if they are true.