The Blue Book

<font color=white>VIRTUA FIGHTER 4 BLUE BOOK</font color=white>
- ADVANCED PHASE -
enterbrain mook | arcadia extra vol.8 | isbn4-7577-0783-5

Here's a quick rundown of what you can expect to find in the Blue Book. Any translation errors are entirely my fault.

<font color=yellow>Chapter 01 System Analysis</font color=yellow>
<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Skills Summary (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- hit levels: h, m, l
- guard properties: staggers, unblockables, guard breaks
- attack classes: punch, kick, elbow, knee, middle kick, crescent kick, somersault kick
- sabaki and reversals
[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Hit Properties (4 pages)</font color=orange>

Damage
- normal hit (damage x 1.0)
- major counter hit (damage x 1.5)
- minor counter hit (damage x 1.25)
- air hit (damage x 0.8)
- guard hit (damage x 1.0 or 0.5 (if elbow, middle kick or somersault kick))
- down hit (damage x 0.5)

Hit Effects
- stun (e.g. Akira's D,f+P, Jacky's [BT] P+K on normal hit)
- force crouch (e.g. Jeffry's d+P+K)
- turn around (e.g. Jeffry's f, b+P)
- slant (e.g. Jacky's db+P, Pai's db+K+G)
- shin crush (special case: Aoi's db+P)
- back crumble (e.g. middle kick counter hit to back, Jacky's [BT] P+K to back)

Staggers
- elbow staggers (e.g. elbow vs crouching opponent)
- middle kick stagger (e.g. middle kick vs crouching opponent)
- counter hit stumble (e.g. Jacky's f,f+K on MC)
- back stagger (e.g. middle kick vs crouching back turned opponent)
- throw stumbles (e.g. Akira's, Lau's and Pai's b,d+P+G)

Special Knockdowns
- head crumble (e.g. Akira's d,db,b+P)
- stomach crumble (e.g. Aoi's b,df+P)
- foot crumble (e.g. Lion's b,df+P)
- side knockdown (e.g. Akira's (evade)P+K+G, Jeffry's (threat stance) P)
- head over heels (e.g. Vanessa's d+KPP, Jacky's df+PPP)
- leg flop (e.g. Lau's b,f+P, Shun's u+K+G)
note: you cannot break fall from these special knockdowns
[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Break Falling (2 pages)</font color=orange>

Quick Rise
- three phases: 1. down, 2. guard only, 3. normal
- properties, vulnerabilities (how to get a back stagger)

Tech Roll
- three phases: 1. down, 2. guard only, 3. normal
note: the length of phase 2 is considerable shorter than the QR phase 2
- rolling distance: closer you are to opponent, the longer the roll
- attack homing: if you're guarding during phase 2, opponent's linear attacks will track you.
- properties, vulnerabilities (how to get a back stagger)

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Rising (2 pages)</font color=orange>

Phases
- fall, down, getting up

Down positions
- face up, feet towards
- face up, head towards
- face down, feet towards
- face down, head towards

Rising Attacks
- circular (cannot escape)
- semi-circular (only escape one way)
- linear (escape either way)
note: when opponent is knocked down, you can look at which leg is bent to determine which direction to escape in.
- rising attack guard
- rising attack hit

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Throw Escapes (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- different situations arising from throw escapes
- throw escape chart for all characters listing who has the advantage, etc
- escaping special throw followups (Akira's f,b+P+G, Vanessa's hand hold, Wolf's (evade) P+K+G, Vanessa's db+P+K , Lion's f,db+P+G, Vanessa's f,f+P+KP)

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Evading (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- properties
- system
- timing
- ARM (all range movement)
- evade attacks (w/ chart on each character's evade attack and comment/rating)
- circular and semi-circular attacks (w/ chart on each character)
- evading combinations

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Walls (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- wall hit
- wall stagger
- wall hit (air)
- breakable walls
- ring out over low walls

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Stance (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- open and closed stance
- effects of stance on air combos, escaping attacks, connecting/guarding attacks, etc
- effects of stance on combo flowchart with explanations

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Junky's Jungle (2 pages)</font color=orange>

- VF4 column

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Strategy (4 pages)</font color=orange>

- basic rules of gameplay
- 50/50 situations (mid attack or throw)
- d+P analysis (guard, hit, counter hit)
- frame advantage
- standing to crouching
- crouching to standing
- dash/crouch dash buffering
- about throw opportunities (when you can and cannot throw)

[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Versions (1 page)</font color=orange>

- Differences between Versions A, B and C

[/list]

<font color=yellow>Chapter 02 Tactics and Knowledge</font color=yellow>
<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Tactics (56 pages)</font color=orange>

Per Character
- stategies
- move analysis
- frame analysis
- one point versus information
- combos (shows hit and stance requirement vs. all characters)
[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Beat the Rival (13 pages)</font color=orange>

Per Character

- versus information
- frame analysis
[/list]<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Character File (1 page)</font color=orange>

- short summary of character attributes and reasons for and against for choosing the character (somewhat tongue-in-cheek).

[/list]

<font color=yellow>Chapter 03 Technique & Data List</font color=yellow>
<ul type="square">[*]<font color=orange>Command Lists (28 pages)</font color=orange>

- name
- command
- hit level
- damage
- execution frame
- frame difference on guard, hit, counter hit
- escape
- comments

[/list]

 

Mr. White, yes, this is a Japanese publication, and if history is anything to go by, there won't be an English version.

 

Got decent translations for the cheeky part? (why choose character X?)

No. But I might work on it with the help of a friend, next I see him.

From memory, one of the reasons for not choosing Lion was because Chibita uses him /versus/images/icons/smile.gif (as in, forget about being as good as him, try someone else!) hah!