SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium/Basics

The main game of SNK vs. Capcom - Match of the Millennium allows you to choose a particular style of match and a particular style of play. You can either fight as a single, a tag team, or a team of three, and you can choose from Average, Counter, and Rush Modes. The character story and the midboss you face is solely determined by the first character you select.

When fighting as a single, you will have to beat an opponent in a best-of-three match. As a tag team, you will have the use of two characters who can tag each other in and out at will, in the objective of knocking out both members of the opposing tag team. As a team of three, when one character is knocked out, the next takes its place, until all three members are knocked out.

Basic Controls

The controls for SNK vs. Capcom - Match of the Millennium were influenced by the layout of the Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld console, shown here.

SNK vs. Capcom - Match of the Millennium is a four-button fighter. Pressing the A button will make a player perform a punch attack, while pressing the B button will make a character perform a kick attack. The length of the button press determines the strength of the punch or kick. Lightly tapping the button performs weak attacks while pressing a button down performs strong attacks. Like in many other fighting games, the joystick is used to move the character about (back and forward denoting the direction relative to your opponent), and holding back as an attack hits you will make your character block an attack. To temporary pause or resume the game, press the OPTION button.

To simplify matters, a simple joystick notation will be used throughout the guide: u for "up", d for "down", b for "back", f for "forward", LP for "Light Punch", HK for "Heavy Kick", P for either LP or HP, K for either LK or HK, and PK for both buttons being pressed at the same time. A comma (",") is used to perform joystick motions in a sequence, and a + used to tap a joystick direction and press a specified button (or buttons) at the same time.

In order to save time, the following abbreviations will also be used:

qcf - "quarter circle forward", or d,df,f
qcb - "quarter circle backward", or d,db,b
hcf - "half circle forward", or b,db,d,df,f
hcb - "half circle backward", or f,df,d,db,b
360 - to rotate the joystick a full circle, starting in any direction. Multiples of 360 may be used to denote multiple full circles.
dp - "dragon punch", or f,d,df
rdp - "reverse dragon punch", or b,d,db
* - "charge": to hold a direction for a short amount of time (usually for two seconds)

Average Mode

Average Mode allows a user to store up to two levels of power. When one level is accumulated, a super combo may be performed. When two levels are accumulated, a MAX super combo may be performed instead of normal super combos. When a super combo, normal or MAX, is performed, the gauge empties completely. Average Mode is perhaps the most familiar to fans of Street Fighter.

Dash	f,f
Backstep	b,b
Taunt	PK
Knockdown Recovery	PK when knocked down
Guard Counter	f+PK while blocking

Counter Mode

Counter Mode allows a user to manually charge their super combo gauge. When the gauge is full, a super combo may be performed. However, when the life bar begins flashing, a super combo may be performed even if the super combo gauge is full. When both the life bar is flashing and the gauge is full, a MAX super combo may be performed instead of normal super combos. Like Average Mode, once a super combo, normal or MAX, is performed, the gauge empties completely. Fans of The King of Fighters should feel right at home when using this mode.

Backstep	b,b
Taunt	PK
Guard Counter	f+PK while blocking
Dodge	f+PK
Dodge Attack	P or K
Power Builder	d+PK (hold to charge super combo gauge)

Rush Mode

Rush Mode allows the use of various chain combos. In Rush Mode, you can store three stocks of power. A stock of power can be used to perform a super combo, but unlike Average and Counter Modes, will not completely drain the super combo gauge. However, MAX super combos cannot be performed.

Run	f,f (hold f to continue moving forward)
Backstep	b,b
Taunt	PK
Knockdown Recovery	PK when knocked down
Guard Counter	f+PK while blocking

Other Notes

In addition to the commands for the mode chosen, tag teams also have these moves:

Switch	b+PK
Guard Cancel Switch	b+PK while blocking

Regardless of the mode, a Guard Counter or a Guard Cancel Switch will use some super combo gauge energy.