The King of Fighters '98/Chris

Introduction

Chris was actually born at the beginning of time, beginning as a cosmic entity that ages in reverse. Back in the 80s he had a pretty wicked cocaine problem, but he's past that now. Chris was previously the official poster child for NAMBLA during 1997-1998 before Bao took over the position in 1999. All that man-on-boy love gave Chris super powers, making him top tier even when he isn't using them.

Gameplay Overview

Chris is an extremely fast, top-tier pressure/mixup/trickery character with high priority air/ground moves and great combo damage. His mixup options are almost unparalleled; he has a high/low game either from short hop or from blocked attacks, he has a scary crossup game with j.D, and his Head Grab is much faster than O.Yashiro's and partially invincible to boot. In top of that he has some of the highest priority moves in the game in j.CD, d/f+B, and cr.C. He has the fastest short hop in the game, and if you pick him in Extra mode, he has the fastest dash in the game as well. His run in Advanced mode is similar to Leona/Heidern's run, in that he can run under some of the higher traveling fireballs in the game (ie the old Art of Fighting team fireballs and Takuma's). He is a great character for a beginner as well, as he doesn't require godly execution (though it helps).

Combos

Chris has quite a few combo options as far as enders go.

• cl.C/cr.C,f+A xx Thrust (hcb+P)/A Slide Touch (qcf+A)/Chain Slide Touch (qcf,qcf+P)

• cr.B,cr.A,f+A xx Thrust (hcb+P)/A Slide Touch (qcf+A) (omit the cr.B off a front jump-in)

• cr.C~d/f+B (whiff cancel timing in case it misses)

• cr.B,cr.B,cr.B,st.B

• large characters only cr.B,cr.A, cr.C,f+A xx Thrust (hcb+P)/A Slide Touch (qcf+A)/Chain Slide Touch (qcf,qcf+P) (you can omit the cr.B to make this work on most characters at point blank range)

Generally you will always want to end with Shooting Dancer: Thrust (hcb+P). The A version does a bit less but recovers much better. The C version gets you maximum meterless damage. The first combo listed is the combo to use after you connect with a Direction Change (dp+P), using cr.C as the starter.

Slide Touch (qcf+P) A version will knockdown if you want that (not worth it in my opinion because it puts them pretty far away). On some characters after a dp+P, you can connect cr.C,f+A xx B Hunting Air (dp+B), which is better damage than Slide Touch and better knockdown advantage too. Just make sure it works on the character you're doing it on because if you miss, you're getting comboed.

Note that all of these combos other than the last one work in MAX mode as well, so Chris is a great character to use MAX mode with, as his single pokes are great as well.

In-depth Analysis

Normal Throws

b or f+C - Breakable, front knockdown, face forward, rollable.

b or f+D - Breakable, reverse knockdown, back turned, un-rollable.

D throw is preferred. Sets up anything you want; a crossup, ambiguous roll, Direction Change, the list goes on. Here are some example setups-

- D throw, wait a moment (whiff a light), sj.D crossup

- D throw, B Scramble Dash (qcf+B), j.D crossup or A Direction Change (dp+A) or CD whiff canceled into A Direction Change (dp+A)

Normal Moves

Standing A - Can be used as anti-air vs short hop.

Standing B - Nice speed/range mid poke. Similar to Kyo's standing B.

Standing C - Cancelable on 1st hit, one of the few cancelable far standing hard attacks. Connects on smaller crouching characters where cr.C doesn't. Has bad recovery so please whiff cancel it. Relatively slow startup.

Standing D - You can use it as an early anti-air.

Close B - Cancelable move that will connect vs crouchers. Usable as a meaty 'tick' into dp+A to either tick or bait a CD counter if you don't feel like doing cr.A xx dp+A.

Close C - Fast, chainable into command normals and specials, used as a combo starter.

Close D - Cancelable into specials, but not command normals. More of use to O.Chris than normal Chris.

Crouching A - Use it to combo into f+A off jump-ins if you don't want to worry about not being close enough to hit cl.C. Links into cr.C.

Crouching B - Nice range on a cr.B and your main low tool in high/low short hop mixups.

Crouching C - 2 hits, cancelable on the first. Super fast startup and awesome priority on the first hit. Can be used as an anti-air or a ground poke to hit limbs. As an anti-air, try canceling it into B Scramble Dash (qcf+B) into cr.B meaty as they land or a short hop D crossup setup. On the ground, whiff cancel it into something like d/f+B so you don't whiff the long recovery.

Crouching D - Very good sweep, makes Chris's hitbox shrink down. Can be used as anti-air or to beat some moves clean like Terry's Burn Knuckle, or to 'duck' under high fireballs.

Jumping B - Decent air-to-ground poke at long range or air-to-air if they are slightly below you.

Jumping D - Your main jump-in and crossup tool. The crossup hitbox is really chunky, and works well with Chris's short hop to cross up crouching opponents. You can go for a short hop D crossup after a blocked jump-in or a cr.B for example.

Jumping CD - The most infamous jumping move in KOF98. Comes out pretty fast for a CD, stays out for a long time, and covers a huge ass angle in front of Chris. Tons of blockstun like any CD attack. You can use this in MAX mode to trade in your favor with weaker anti-airs (ie weak DPs). If it hits on counter, of course you get another juggle hit. Most use jumping C/D/CD.

Command Normals

f+A - Relatively fast and long range cancelable move. Other than being a combo filler, you can use it to punish some things, like incompleted Iori rekkas. Never ever end with this if your combo gets blocked, as it is very unsafe.

f+B - 2 hits, second is overhead. 2nd hit becomes cancelable and non-overhead when chained. Nice fast overhead poke to use at it's max range, and a great move to slow cancel (delay the chain a tiny bit from a cancelable attack to make the 2nd hit retain it's overhead properties). A common high/low mixup is to slow cancel into this or d/f+B from a cr.C.

d/f+B - Low slide attack. Ducks really low and can go under Athena/Kensou fireballs as well as higher ones. Really godly ground poke. Extremely safe even if done close.

Special Moves

Slide Touch (qcf+P) - A version preferred because C version doesn't combo from anything. Just use if you want a knockdown in the corner off a combo. It's unsafe on block.

Shooting Dancer: Thrust (hcb+P) - You main combo ender. A version has better recovery, sets up for a crossup, leaves you closer, and ends with a low hit, while the C version does more damage. The A version is almost safe on block, but very fast attacks can still hit you. I would recommend stopping at cr.B,cr.A or jump-in, cr.A off a jump-in if you get blocked.

Shooting Dancer: Step (hcb+K) - Same as Thrust except the 2nd hit is overhead. Really punishable. You can use it to goof off or be a dick. It's not really a mixup with hcb+A, as the timing is completely different for blocking high/low.

Scramble Dash (qcf+K) - B version travels on the ground and is invincible on the bottom of his feet and the top of his head. D version travels in the air and has a larger invincible area on the bottom, but is vulnerable above waist-height. It can go over ground fireballs. Also note that if oyu get hit out of the D version, it counts as an anti-air hit.

Glider Stamp (qcf+K in the air) - Dive kick-type move, can be canceled from a jump C or jump CD. You could use this to hit someone after they block your j.CD very high. You can also jump back and do it I guess. The recovery sucks so I wouldn't recommend using it much.

Hunting Air (dp+K) - Weak for an anti-air move, even for KOF98. You can use the B version to hit pokes on the ground after blocked chains but I wouldn't recommend it. D version doesn't knock down so use as anti-air only.

Direction Change (dp+P) - A version preferred of course. Really annoying grab move that is similar to O.Yashiro's but much faster,harder to see, and has some invincibility. You can even use this is a reversal wakeup move if you think your opponent won't jump, or to go through a CD counter by canceling into it. At high levels, players seem to be able to see this almost as well as O.Yashiro's, so test your opponent with it and change accordingly.

Desperation Moves

Chain Slide Touch aka Talk To The Hand (qcf,qcf+P) - Usually used to combo from a dp+A when you have meter. MAX version does more damage. 65% from a grab?

Twister Drive aka Honkey Das Mas Ne (qcb,qcb+K) - Invincible flash kick super. B version is faster with shorter invincibility, D version is slower with longer invincibility. MAX version does more damage. You can use this to go through a CD counter by canceling into it if you're feeling cool.

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