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WHAT THE HECK IS WAKU WAKU 7?
Waku Waku 7 is a
kooky fighting game designed by Sunsoft of Blaster Master
fame. It was originally released for the Neo-Geo, and
surprisingly, it's one of the best tourney fighters on a
system that already has dozens of these games. In
addition to beautifully animated, pastel color characters (all
of who seem to have escaped from obscure Japanese cartoons),
Waku Waku 7 has gameplay that's complex without being
confusing... and there are even a few new features, like the
ability to slam your opponent into walls.
OTHER GAMES IN THE
SERIES
Sunsoft's first Neo-Geo fighting
game was Galaxy Fight. This release was unusual for two
reasons: for one, the game was set in the distant
future, and very few Street Fighter II derivitives ever
are. The second reason is that the game had no
horizontal boundaries, making it impossible to corner trap
enemies. Despite this, Galaxy Fight was still pretty
frustrating, mostly because the game moved so quickly and it
was tough to damage the opponent with combos unless you
performed them in the middle of a dash.
The sequel to Waku Waku 7 was
called Astra Superstars, and it wasn't your typical fighting
game either... the fighters could float around each stage like
the stars of Psychic Force, and the special effects were
flashier than in either of Sunsoft's previous games in the
series. Unlike the past two games, Astra Superstars was
released exclusively for the Sega Saturn, and required the
system's optional four meg RAM cart. Where quality is
concerned, Astra Superstars strikes a middle ground between
the highs of Waku Waku 7 and the lows of Galaxy Fight.
The aerial gameplay is a novel approach and the visuals are
outstanding, but the game lacks the flexibility and
depth of its ground-bound predecessor.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE
SATURN AND NEO-GEO VERSIONS
The Saturn version of the game, of
course, has loading time before every fight, and for some odd
reason the backgrounds are all very pixelated. On the
other hand, it's got a lot of advantages over the Neo-Geo
release, like calender artwork that pops up on every fourth
boot-up, redbook audio (this makes the music, especially in
Arina's stage, sound a whole lot better), better control, and
a versus mode that lets you play as Bonus Kun and Fernandeath
in addition to the other characters.
THE WAKU WAKU 7 BASIC GAMEPLAY GUIDE
AND
LIST OF ATTACKS FOR EACH FIGHTER
THE BASICS:
JOYSTICK (while facing
right)
forward. Moves your character forward.
 down forward. May make your
character crawl forward.
down. Makes your character duck.
 down back. Makes your character
block low attacks.
 back.
Moves your character backward and lets them block high or mid
range attacks.
 up back.
Makes your character jump backward.
up. Makes your character jump upward.
 up forward. Makes your character
jump forward.
BUTTONS
 light
punch. Delivers a light but fast punch, good for
starting combos.
 light kick.
Executes a lightning quick light kick.
 hard punch. Delivers a crushing but
much slower punch.
 hard kick.
Performs a devastating but slow kick.
light punch
hard
punch
light kick
hard
kick
+ used in conjunction with D-pad for
supers
+ used in conjunction with D-pad for
supers
++ activate short term adrenaline
rush
+ secret strike (confuses
enemy)
block
retreat
run
+/ pursuit
(while enemy is down)
MOTION
DESCRIPTIONS:
 roll the D-pad from down to toward your foe in a smooth,
quick motion
 roll the D-pad from away to
toward your foe in a smooth, quick motion
 roll
the D-pad from down to away from your foe in a smooth, quick
motion
 roll the D-pad from toward to away from
your foe in a smooth, quick motion
 press the D-pad
toward your foe, then press down and down toward in a smooth, quick
motion
 press the D-pad away from your foe, then press
down and down away in a smooth, quick motion
 hold away from your foe briefly on the D-pad,
then press toward them
hold down briefly, then press up on the
D-pad
revolve
the D-pad in a 360 degree motion, from forward to down to back
to up to forward again
 x5 press
the punch button repeatedly
 x5 press
the kick button repeatedly
RECOVERY
MOVES:
After being
knocked down...
retaliation (your character attacks as he
stands up)
or roll in the chosen
direction
x5
or x5 quick recovery
After being slammed
toward a wall...
and point D-pad away from the wall: wall
recovery
and point D-pad away from the wall:
wall bounce (back to foe!)
After being
thrown...
+ when nearing ground: soften fall or
recover entirely
ABOUT BASIC
ATTACKS...
• Basic attacks
(like punches and kicks) can be used to snuff projectiles,
just like in The Art of Fighting
• If two players
are in mid-air and one attacks, the other can block and
immediately counter with a punch or kick
• Some basic
attacks can chain into others by tapping a kick or punch
button twice
• Combine basic
attacks with D-pad presses for different attacks (generally
wall pins)
ABOUT SECRET
STRIKES...
• Secret strikes
may hit both high and low, making them more difficult (but not
impossible) to block. These vary from character to character
and generally take longer to perform than basic
attacks.
ABOUT
THROWS...
• Normal throws
( and ) do little damage
and can easily be negated with a throw recover. There are
exceptions (Politank Z comes to mind) but use normal throws
only to keep a safe distance from your opponent
• Waku Waku
throws ( and ) do fair to
great damage, but close proximity is necessary
• Throws can
counter a super charging enemy! The charge remains in effect
but you'll take no damage from touching the enemy and they
will be thrown clear, wasting a second or two of their super
charge time
ABOUT WALL
SLAMS...
• Some basic
attacks and special moves have the added benefit of slamming
your enemy to the wall, doing even more damage. Learn these
moves to keep opponents at a distance and give yourself an
edge in battle
• Wall slams can
be countered! Push away from the wall with the D-pad and press
LP or HP to drop harmlessly to the ground. Press LK or HK
instead to leap off the wall and into the enemy's lap for
sweet revenge
ABOUT WAKU GEM
POWER...
• Waku gems are the key to performing
your character's most powerful attacks, including sun
specials, super charges, Doki Dokis, and
Haraharas
• Every character is given a single
Waku gem at the beginning of the game, allowing him or
her to perform one super attack when the meter at the
bottom of the screen is full. The gem must be recharged
by fighting in order to perform another super
attack
• An additional Waku gem is earned
after you've beaten an opponent, with the exception of Bonus
Kun and Fernandeath
• All characters
are given the full complement of seven Waku gems in the versus
mode
ABOUT SPECIALS AND SUN
SPECIALS...
• Special moves
are more powerful than basic attacks, but must be performed
with a joystick command followed by an attack
button
• Most special moves can be upgraded
into a Sun Special (designated with an  mark) by pressing two punches or two
kicks at the end of the joystick command. Sun Specials
are similar to regular special moves but do more damage, hit
more times, and may have status effects
• Sun
Specials require one meter of Waku gem power to
execute. Attempting to perform a Sun Special without
Waku gem power results in the execution of a standard special
move
ABOUT SUPER
CHARGING...
• Super charging
(press any three attack buttons) gives your fighter a six
second adrenaline boost. During this brief period of time, all
attacks do 150% damage and your opponent will take chip damage
from kicks and punches even if they're blocked. Super charges
use one level of your Waku gem gauge
• Super charging
is most valuable as an all-purpose counter. Block any attack
except a Harahara, then activate the super charge to knock
your opponent away. Even Haraharas can be countered with a
super charge if your timing is precise!
• You're also
invulnerable to attack during the entire super charge
animation. However, you can still be thrown, so be
careful!
ABOUT DOKI
DOKIS...
• Doki Dokis are
super moves which strike multiple times, doing minimal damage
with each hit. These take one level of Waku gem power and are
usually (but not always) autocombos
• Autocombo
users take note! To initiate an autocombo, you must touch a
grounded opponent. If they aren't firmly planted on the
ground, the combo won't start. Also, it's very easy to knock
down an autocomboing player with a super charge, so make sure
your enemy has no Waku gem power or is open to attack before
you begin
• Other Doki
Dokis are good energy tickers, making them great for bullying
weak enemies into submission
ABOUT
HARAHARAS...
• Haraharas take
an enormous amount of energy with just one hit, but there's a
catch. Haraharas have lousy set-up time, and there's even a
warning that's flashed across the screen before the attack
begins. Human players should have no trouble avoiding
them
• If your
opponent begins a Harahara, QUICKLY run up to them and knock
them out of the animation
• Haraharas
cannot be blocked!
THE COMBO
SYSTEM...
The CPU keeps tabs on
the battle with notes that appear on either side of the
screen. Theser keep track of the first attacks, combos, Waku
gem charges, and super attacks performed by both players.
Impressive performance is awarded by the following
congratulatory notes:
GOOD!
Ten hit combos or ten point damage first
attacks
GREAT!
Twenty hit combos or twenty point damage
first attacks
EXCELLENT!
Thirty hit combos or thirty point damage
first attacks
WAKUWAKU!
Forty hit combos or forty point damage
first attacks
The first attack
system works different than Street Fighter Alpha's...
strangely, any attack that hits an opponent, blocked or
otherwise, counts as a first hit. In addition, the damage of
that first attack is noted by the combo system.
JANKEN SYSTEM
FOR ATTACKS...
In the game of
Janken, paper covers rock, rock breaks scissors, and scissors
cut paper. Waku Waku 7 works a little like this, as some
attacks were specifically designed to counter others. Here's a
list of those attacks:
Kicks and punches
snuff fireballs
Fireballs break Doki Doki and Harahara
attacks
Harahara attacks break blocks
Super charges counter all
other attacks...
...but throws counter super charges (if you're really
quick)
THE
WAKU WAKU 7
CAST
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ARINA
Arina's your
typical anime' teenager... she wears ultra-tight
jumpsuits, and beats the living tar out of rival martial
artists when she's not hanging out with her friends. Oh,
and did I mention that she's part rabbit?
Arina is best
described as a cross between Ken from Street Fighter
Alpha 2 and Honey, Fighting Vipers' resident cutie. Like
Ken, her special attacks hit multiple times, and like
Honey, or any of the Fighting VIpers, she can slam her
foes into the sides of the screen with a well-timed
kick. Her attacks don't do much damage, but her combo
ability is high, and she's quick enough to get out of
most tight situations. Oddly, she's not quite as
athletic as her archrival Rai, but Arina has the balance
of speed and power to take him and the rest of the Waku
Waku 7 cast
on. |
BASIC ATTACKS
OF NOTE
tap : Punch flurry. It's not exactly a hundred hand
slap, but it does the job.
:
Lunge punch. Hits twice if you're close to the
opponent.
:
Kick. Tap this again to plaster the enemy against the wall
with a searing roundhouse!
: 1-2 punch.
: Uppercut. Tap again to knock the enemy down
with another uppercut.
: Foot sweep. Will knock the enemy down if it
lands.
: Upward punch. Tap the button to alternate
fists.
: Butt drop. Tap the button and Arina will taunt
by slapping her rear end (hee hee!)
PURSUIT
ARINA TOE STOMP: +/
Arina gracefully hops on her foe's back
with one foot.
SPECIALS
ARINA BEAM:
Arina creates a star and kick
it to her opponent. The size and power of the star is
determined by holding down the punch button. There are four
power levels for the Arina Beam: Yellow (practically
harmless), green (hits once for fair damage), blue (hits three
times!), and pink (can hit nine times!). A low punch makes the
star travel in a straight path; a strong punch makes it travel
at a 45 degree angle. The Arina Beam can be performed
anywhere- even in mid-air!- making it an invaluable resource.
Hit a jumping enemy with a pink Arina Beam and watch that
sucker go for a ride!
ARINA BEAM: +
Arina fires a large pink heart. Unlike the normal Arina
Beam, this can't be charged and consequently has almost no
set-up time. In addition, two consecutive Arina hearts will
dizzy an opponent. Not a great attack, but not totally
useless. The Arina heart works best when used immediately
after a successful jump kick... this guarantees it won't be
blocked.
ARINA TORNADO:
Your typical whirlwind kick.
Tap the button repeatedly for up to eight hits and a wall
slam. Best used to deplete energy on a weak
opponent.
ARINA
TORNADO: +
Faster than the normal Arina Tornado, and a bit
stronger, but nothing special. Save your gem power for
something else.
ARINA CRASH:
Arina sends
her opponent skyward with several open handed strikes.
Keep tapping that button to tack a few kicks onto the end of
the Crash.
ARINA CRASH:
+
Similar
to, but faster than the original, and lands more blows (up to
ten!) to boot! Great for when your opponent attempts a
high-risk attack and misses.
DOKIDOKI
ARINA CARNIVAL: +
Arina
charges forward, and if she touches an unblocking opponent,
lets loose with a seventeen hit autocombo. Standard
autocombo rules apply- if your opponent can retaliate with a
super charge, DON'T DO IT!
HARAHARA
ARINA SPECIAL: +
After some (much) charging, Arina "flames on" and lets
her foe have it with a rushing fire attack. VERY similar
to Psylocke's Psi-Thrust from X-Men: Children of the Atom, but
this can't be repeated in mid-move. It's also important
to note that it can be performed in mid-air. Not as
powerful as some Haraharas, but not excruciatingly slow
either. Can hit up to three times for maximum
damage.
THROWS
BACKWARD TOSS: +(close)
Arina gives her foe a toss.
Practically useless and very easy to recover from.
BUTT BOP: +(close)
Arina smacks her opponent with her
rear end (lucky guy!).
WAKU WAKU
THROW
ARINA STOMP: (close)
Arina plants her
feet in the middle of the enemy's back and pins them to the
ground. Minimal damage.
SECRET STRIKE
KIENZAN: +
Arina
does a cool double crane kick. Long set-up time,
though.
SUPER CHARGE
ARINA COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT: ++
Arina does her best Sailor Moon impression,
swirling in a thin energy column.
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RAI
Rai is the game's resident hero, a
free-wheeling, BMX-riding, fashion conscious kind of guy
who bears more than a passing resemblence to a certain
Bogard brother from Fatal Fury. Snugly nestled in
Rai's glove is one of the seven Waku gems, allowing him
to harness his ki and convert it into deadly blue
plasma.
As alluded to earlier, Rai is very
similar to Terry Bogard from Fatal Fury, even sharing
most of his moves. However, Rai can also be played
like a Fighting Viper (he's got more wall slams than
anyone in the game) or strangely enough, Chun Li from
any given Street Fighter game, with equally positive
results. His high jump and ability to leap off
walls makes Rai an especially dangerous- and extremely
aggravating- opponent in the hands of an
expert. |
BASIC ATTACKS
OF NOTE
Tap : 1-2 punch. Tap to make
Rai alternate fists.
: Uppercut. Press forward and
HP for a decker punch with slams enemies.
: Whiplash kick. Press
forward and HK for a revolving kick that slams enemies.
Run and press HK for a charging jump kick that also sends
enemies into the nearest wall.
: 1-2 punch.
Tap to make Rai alternate fists.
: Foot
sweep. Knocks enemies down.
: Flying
kick. Press down and HK for a downward kick stomp.
+: High jump set-up. After
pressing both kicks, press up, up-left or up-right to jump in
those directions.
PURSUIT
NOW STAY DOWN!: +/
Rai leaps toward his
foe and plants his fist squarely in their back.
SPECIALS
PLASMA CANNON:
Rai fires either a
plasma wave (on the ground) or a plasma ball (in the
air). Nothing special, but it keeps the enemies on
defense. Plus, it's fun to high jump and rain hot death
on your opponent... it keeps 'em on their toes!
PLASMA CANNON: +
Rai fires two HUGE plasma balls. Now
THIS is more like it! These balls land up to eight hits
and are great on land or in mid-air. Can be easily
blocked or snuffed, though... it's definitely not an energy
ticker.
PLASMA CRASH:
Rai charges forward, fist extended and alight
with plasma. Hits once and knocks the opponent
down. It leaves you somewhat vulnerable if it's blocked,
so use the maximum strength crash to rush past your opponent
just in case. The crash can't be used in combos, and
stranger still, it has the odd property of being accessible in
mid-air, but only if Rai has used a super charge first.
PLASMA CRASH: +
The
super version of the Plasma Crash hits three times and CAN be
comboed! Whoohoo! Decent but not great. It
shoots you out of harm's way if it's blocked, so that's a
plus.
PLASMA UPPER:
Your standard dragon punch. Good combo
fodder, and you can milk it for five hits if you continue to
tap punch.
PLASMA UPPER: +
This super version of the Plasma Upper lands
up to nine hits but it's harder to use in combos.
DOKIDOKI
PLASMA
STORM: +
Rai sticks his fist into the ground
and creates a huge lightning column while trying to pull it
out! This has limited applications, but if you can catch
an opponent directly above you with the storm, it could net
you up to 25 hits!
RAI BUSTER: +
Rai rushes toward the enemy and
performs a fifteen hit autocombo. Standard autocombo
rules apply.
HARAHARA
PLASMA
SPINNER: +
After a lot of charging, Rai's fists become plasma
blades. He spins madly and from this point can be
controlled to some extent with the D-pad. Excellent
damage... if only the set-up time weren't so long!
THROWS
SPLITTING
HEADACHE: + (close)
Rai
pounds the enemy in the forehead, then smacks them again,
sending them careening into the nearest wall.
WAKU WAKU
THROW
WHIRLING
DERVISH:
(close)
Rai wails "GLORIA!", then hoists his foe over his
head and takes to the skies, spinning like mad. Rai then
tosses the baddie away.
SECRET STRIKE
SPINNING HAMMER
PUNCH: +
Rai does
a quick somersault and slams into the enemy with both hands
clasped tightly together. This move has a lot going for
it... it's confusing to the opponent and even comboable!
SUPER CHARGE
SUPER RAI!: ++
Rai
shouts "Suuu-paaa Raiiii!" as he's enveloped in a sheath of
dark plasma.
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SLASH
Slash is on the opposite end of the anime' spectrum
from the rest of the wacky Waku cast. This dark
elf wields what's best described as a laser katana...
this glowing weapon combines the grace of medievel
Japanese blades with the sheer power (and coolness!) of
Star Wars' light sabers.
Samurai Shodown experts are going to love this
guy. Slash plays just like a mid-sized Samurai
Shodown character, with moves "borrowed" from Haoh-Maru
and Amakusa. He takes more finesse to use than the
other fighters, but if you can master him, this can make
your victories that much
sweeter. |
BASIC ATTACKS OF NOTE
: An upward slash that leaves a
crescent shaped energy trail. Press forward and LP to
stab with the blade.
: A slash that creates a long, thin
ring of energy. Press forward and HP to swing the blade
twice for two hits.
: A painful heel kick. Press
forward and LK to strike downward with the blade.
: A stylish high kick. Press
forward and HK for a wall-slamming knee to the gut.
: Slide.
: Downward
slash. Press down and LP to slash slightly upward.
: Circular
slash. Press down and HP to swing the sword outward,
creating an energy trail.
: Downward
stab. Press down and LK to pogo off the enemy with the
sword, a'la Chun Li's stomp kick.
PURSUIT
IMPALEMENT: +/
Slash leaps at the
enemy, then plants his sword into their back.
SPECIALS
SLASH SHOT:
Slash creates a
dark vacuum with his blade, which hovers in place briefly
before disappearing. This can snuff projectiles
instantly, can itself be used as a quasi-projectile, and keeps
enemies at a distance... it's the special of a thousand
uses! Use the weak version on a close enemy- you'll hit
them with your blade, then juggle them with the vacuum for
four hits!
SLASH SHOT: +
Slash
creates several dark blasts which swell from the ground and
travel forward. Its range isn't great, but this does
INSANE damage to extremely close, unblocking opponents.
SLASH DYNAMIC:
Slash leaps skyward, swinging his blade
wildly. Sounds familiar, huh? It doesn't land many
hits, but on the plus side, no button presses are necessary to
sustain the attack.
SLASH DYNAMIC: +
Same as the normal Slash Dynamic, but it
lands six hits. An OK special.
SLASH BARRIER:
Slash swing | 
