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----------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS -----------------
INTRODUCTION What Is This? Where To Find This FAQ Special Thanks
MOVES Introduction To Street Fighter Alpha 3 Introduction To Birdie Joystick/Button Layout Legend -General Notation -Joystick Directions -Buttons Presses & Combinations Universal Moves -ISMs -Moving & Blocking -Special/Other Birdie Command Attacks Birdie Throws Birdie Special Moves Birdie Super Combos
If they do not, please switch to a fixed font like Courier or Courier New or else certain parts will be unreadable.
------------- What Is This? -------------
This is a FAQ detailing SFA3 Birdie, a member of the Shadaloo organization and an underling and henchman of M. Bison, the ruthless and evil dictator of Shadoloo/Shadaloo/Shadowlaw (same organization). Since no one has written a FAQ on him for SFA3, I took it upon myself to write one up. Most people have written him off as a bad/bottom-tier character, but I have seen him used at a decent, playable level. Based on that and my own experience I write this FAQ. I will discuss Birdie's moves and throws and super combos. I then go on to analyze/discuss their uses. I also include combos and versus strategy towards the end of this FAQ.
---------------------- Where To Find This FAQ ----------------------
-God for allowing me to grace this earth -Mark Kim for his help with the copyright information -Chris MacDonald, Joe Van Pelt, Mike Torres, Colin Caldwell, Michael Troupe, Shawn Dumas, Kailu Lantis, and Robert Iu for their FAQ's -Capcom for another great albeit flawed in some spots arcade and PSX SFA3 (and hopefully DreamCast SFA3) -a.g.sf2 (alt.games.sf2) for being a good source of info for all SF games -Gamefaqs.com for having such a huge depository of information on so many video games and for eventually posting this FAQ -Myself for finally deciding to be man enough to write a FAQ and face criticism on my FAQ and SFA3 techniques -the Pokemon-carrying dude at the Super Just Games Mid West tourney who showed me that Birdie can be useful and fun (man I forgot your name - if you ever read this, email me and I will properly give you the credit you deserve)
Full acknowledgements (FAQ titles, etc) are listed at the bottom of this FAQ.
----- MOVES -----
-------------------------------------- Introduction to Street Fighter Alpha 3 --------------------------------------
In an effort to make this FAQ a whole lot shorter, I am assuming that you have a working knowledge of Street Fighter. If you are completely new to Street Fighter Alpha 3, then I suggest you read the following FAQ's:
Street Fighter Alpha 3 FAQ by Chris MacDonald/Kao Megura.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Combo System and General FAQ by Colin Caldwell/Nedfar.
They are both listed below in the Acknowledgements section and can be found at http://www.gamefaqs.com. If you have a basic understanding of Street Fighter and can do without, then read on.
---------------------- Introduction to Birdie ----------------------
Birdie is an unusual character. He is slow-moving but can hit with extreme power and prejudice. His shortcomings come with his slow ground movement. Even his 360-degree throws come out slowly (why? I don't know). Is it impossible to win with Birdie? Some say yes, but I am writing this to prove otherwise. Even though Birdie will never be top tier thanks to Capcom, but I hope this FAQ will make sure that you never suck at him either. With that, let's begin.
UB U UF UF U UB O O O O O O \|/ (LP) (MP) (HP) \|/ (LP) (MP) (HP) B O-O-O F F O-O-O B /|\ (LK) (MK) (HK) /|\ (LK) (MK) (HK) O O O O O O DB D DF DF D DB
For the purposes of this FAQ, I am assuming that you are facing right, i.e., the default 1P side. If you happen to be on the 2P side, simply switch the left and right joystick commands to get the same effect. I will be using both letter and joystick notation to describe each move.
------ Legend ------
General Notation ----------------
+ Perform motions/presses simultaneously , Perform next motion soon after previous motion * Charge/hold two seconds in that direction/hold button(s) down for 1 second ^ Release button(s) previously held down _ Or X n Perform n times or repeatedly XX Cancel into special/super move J Jumping CU Cross Up (hit enemy and land on other side) SC Standing close S Standing (far) C Crouching (XAV) Available in X, A, and/or V mode respectively (air) Move can be performed in air air Move can only be performed in air 360 One full rotation of the joystick 720 Two full rotations of the joystick
LP : Light Punch/Jab MP : Medium Punch/Strong HP : Hard Punch/Fierce LK : Light Kick/Short MK : Medium Kick/Forward HK : Hard Kick/Roundhouse
P/K: Any Punch/Kick PP/KK: Two Punches/Kicks 3P/3K: All Punches/Kicks Any: Any Attack
LL: Light Punch + Kick (LP + LK) MM: Medium Punch + Kick (MP + MK) HH: Hard Punch + Kick (HP + HK) SS: Same Strength Punch + Kick (LL or MM or HH)
START: Start button on PSX controller or arcade machine (1P/2P) SELECT: Select button on PSX controller
--------------- Universal Moves ---------------
Most of these are self-explanatory, but it is good to mention them since the game engine for Street Fighter Alpha 3 had undergone some major changes.
ISMs ----
The chart below is courtesy of Chris MacDonald's/Kao Megura's excellent FAQ on Street Fighter Alpha 3. It explains the differences between the 3 ISMs much better than I could.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABILITIES X-ISM A-ISM V-ISM ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Air Blocking No Yes Yes Air Recovery Yes Yes Yes Ground Recovery No Yes Yes Taunts Only Dan Yes Yes Guard Power Rating High Varies Varies SC/CC Gauge Speed Slow Normal Fast Levels Available 1 3 2 (50% / 100%) Alpha Counters No 1 SC cost 50% CC cost Damage Rating* x1.2 x1.0 x0.8
I further break down what these ISMs mean to Birdie in the ANALYSIS & STRATEGY section.
Moving & Blocking -----------------
You have to move your character around somehow. Second to importance to moving is blocking. Without blocking, you will eventually die from a dizzy or an empty life bar. However, too much blocking/defending and you will also die thanks to the guard meter and guard crushing. To reduce your guard meter, you can use guard protection, which is blocking right when the attack strikes you.
(XAV) Move Forward [F]: -O
(XAV) Move Backwards [B]: O-
(XAV) Crouch [DB_D_DF]: / or | or \ O O O
O O O (XAV) Jump [UB_U_UF]: \ or | or /
(XAV) High Block [B]: O-
(XAV) Low Block [DB]: / O
O O O (AV) Air Block [air, B_DB]: \ or | or / O- or / O
O O (XAV) Body Slam [air, D + HP]: / or \ | + HP O
O (X) Bad Hammer [close HP, U]: close HP (both hits), |
He does have a close standing move in his hard punch. In V-ISM, you can use this move anywhere by holding back and pressing hard punch. This is true for all V-ISM characters. If you wish to use the far reaching fierce, move the joystick to neutral or forward before pressing hard punch.
------------- Birdie Throws -------------
(XAV) Headbutt [B_F + PP]: O- or -O + PP
(XAV) Chain Toss [B_F + KK]: O- or -O + KK
O O O (XAV) Air Slam [air, B_F + PP]: \ or | or / O- or -O + PP
(XAV) Murderer Chain [360 + P]:
O O O [B, DB, D, DF, F, UF, U, UB, B + P]: O- / | \ -O / | \ O- + P O O O
O O O [F, DF, D, DB, B, UB, U, UF, F + P]: -O \ | / O- \ | / -O + P O O O
O O O [DB, D, DF, F, UF, U, UB, B + P]: / | \ -O / | \ O- + P O O O
(XAV) Bandit Chain [360 + K]:
O O O [B, DB, D, DF, F, UF, U, UB, B + K]: O- / | \ -O / | \ O- + K O O O
O O O [F, DF, D, DB, B, UB, U, UF, F + K]: -O \ | / O- \ | / -O + K O O O
O O O [DB, D, DF, F, UF, U, UB, B + K]: / | \ -O / | \ O- + K O O O
-------------------- Birdie Special Moves --------------------
Remember that the asterisk (*) next to a button means to hold the button(s) down. If the (*) is next to a direction, i.e., back or (*B), that means to hold back. A carat (^) means to release the button held down.
Birdie throws a quick standing punch. It is bufferable, but it doesn’t hit crouching opponents. Maybe it is good for anti-air purposes, but I’d rather use hard punch for that. The jab is not fast enough to repeat or chain into itself.
-Crouching-
Birdie throws a quick low punch. This is a very good move because your Jab Bull Head can buffer off of it for a painful two hit combo. It is also good for poking and ticking.
-Jumping-
Birdie throws a downward punch close to his body. If you want to set up a tick from the air, I would suggest this, the short, or the fierce body slam. It stays a little too close to Birdie’s body for any real air-to-air except at very close range.
Medium Punch/Strong -------------------
-Standing-
Birdie throws a standing reverse punch. Even though it is bufferable, it also hits very high. It may be good for anti-air if the opponent is in front of you. It isn’t too quick either so I’m not too gung ho on this punch. However, it does pack a wallop for a strong punch.
-Crouching-
Birdie throws a low reverse punch. This punch I’m a little more gung ho on. It is good as a poke and is bufferable into a Jab Bull Head. It has good range for a low strong. It comes pretty fast for Birdie.
-Jumping-
Birdie throws a downward punch in the air close to his body. This hits better than his jumping jab, but I can’t really find any air-to-air use for it. It is a decent jump-in combo starter, but Birdie has much better.
Hard Punch/Fierce -----------------
-Standing-
Birdie performs a two handed uppercut when close. In X-ISM, you can hit the opponent once more if you juggle with both hits of the close HP by holding up. In other ISMs, it is too slow to allow for any real juggles. When further away, Birdie does a downward double axehandle blow that hits twice. Since Birdie puts his fists over his head, it can be used for anit-air pretty well. It is also his longest poke. It is far enough to hit some foot sweeps, but since your foot extends slightly forward while doing it, you can be swept as well.
-Crouching-
Birdie performs an uppercut with his mohawk that hits twice on standing opponents. This is best bufferable move. In V-ISM, you can buffer off of either hit. In A-ISM and X-ISM, you can buffer only specials off of the first hit, but you can buffer supers off of the second hit. It also has surprising range – about equal to the crouching strong punch. It is also faster than the strong. Because it is an uppercut, you can use it as a mix-up in the anti-air game. It also does large amounts of damage even if it hits once.
-Jumping-
Birdie does a two-handed downward stirke in the air. If you jump in the air with fierce, chances are you are going to use the Body Slam (D + HP) if you are going to jump in. The normal jumping fierce is not very good at all. Stick to the Body Slam unless you need air-to-air combat. The jumping fierce doesn’t hit very well while the Body Slam can hit very deeply as a jump-in. The Body Slam is one of his really good jump-in attacks.
Light Kick/Short ----------------
-Standing-
Birdie does an ankle kick with the side of his boot. This move is kind of slow, but it is bufferable and easy to tick from. There isn’t much else to say about it.
-Crouching-
Birdie performs an ankle kick leading with the tip of his boot. This move is actually good in combos and ticking. Since it hits low, opponents have to block. However, it does have short range and it is not very repeatable.
-Jumping-
Birdie does a downward side kick that sticks out briefly. This is another jump- in to use in a tick or combo as it can hit deeply. You can also jump back and kick an opponent right next to you. This is a decent jump-in if you need to stay close to your opponent.
Medium Kick/Forward -------------------
-Standing-
Birdie kicks out waist high. This kick isn’t that great. It isn’t very quick, it doesn’t hit crouching opponents, and its recovery isn’t that great.
-Crouching-
Birdie performs a low kick leading with the flat of his boot. Even though the animation has changed from SFA2, this move has a lot of range. Its only weakness is that it is a little slow. However, since Birdie kicks slightly above the ground, it looks like it can go over other foot sweeps that hug the ground.
-Jumping-
Birdie kicks straight out in front of him while airborne. This is a good air- to-air move as he leads with his foot. The opponent would have to be above him to completely avoid the foot. It isn’t so hot on air-to-ground attacking as it can be ducked.
Hard Kick/Roundhouse --------------------
-Standing-
Birdie does a mid-level front kick while moving forward. This has about as much range as the standing forward and exhibits most of the same properties. It doesn’t hit crouching opponents and its recovery isn’t good at all. If you hold forward while pressing hard kick, you perform the Bull Drop, his overhead. As with most overheads, it’s kind of slow and easy to see coming. It doesn’t have much range either.
-Crouching-
Birdie spins around and swings his foot at the opponent’s feet. This foot sweep isn’t that bad. I tend to use it as a longer range poke. It is also Birdie’s only knockdown from a normal move. I’m not sure about its priority, but it seems to have decent distance.
-Jumping-
Birdie performs a drop kick leading with both boots. This is great in air-to- air and air-to-ground attacking. You can hit very deep with it or take people out of the air. Since Birdie shortens his body during the kick (rather than lengthen like Zangief), he more or less hides behing his feet. You can jump over projectiles relatively easily with this move. Overall, this is his best jumping attack IMHO.
Birdie grabs the opponent and continuously pounds them with his mohawked head.
As you can guess from the description, this is a hold. However, it has squat range compared to the Chain Toss and his other throws. It does offer some good setups based on whether or not your opponents flip out of the hold. You can Jab Bull Head after the hold if the opponent doesn’t recover at all. You can also wait and see what the opponent does and attempt to take him/her out that way.
Birdie grabs the opponent by the legs and tosses him/her completely over his head and across the screen.
This throw can be air recovered out of, but that can lead to good things for Birdie. Why? Because you can either whip out an A-ISM Bull Revenger to grab when they hit the ground or you can give a Bull Head or Bull Horn if they're still airborne. The latter you can only do near a corner or they recover right next to you. The best thing your opponent can do is not air recover and save them the potential damage.
Air Slam (XAV) [air, B_F + PP] ------------------------------
Birdie grabs the opponent out of the air and slams them down with his chain.
I can't really think of any follow-ups for this attack. The range is also quite small like his ground PP throw. For the record, it does look kind of brutal.
Birdie wraps the chain around the opponent's neck and slams them twice into the ground.
Am I only one who thinks Birdie's 360 throws got raped? The startup time on this is bad. However, it does good damage. If you're going to use this, use the Jab version. It does almost the same amount of damage as the Fierce. It has slightly better range than the Fierce version, which makes it a better tick. Even though the range is small on the Murderer Chain, you can still tick off of it using a jab or short. In fact, using a Body Slam, you can set up good ticks like the following (initially starting from 1P side):
(XAV) Body Slam, Short, Murderer Chain [J D + HP, LK, 360 + P]:
O O O O / | + HP, LK, O- / | \ -O / | \ O- + P O O O O
You have to enter the 360 during the light kick, but you do not buffer it into the light kick as you would a Bull Head. That will cause a "missed throw" animation to occur, which can be fatal for Birdie. You perform the motion while the light kick is thrown, but you time the button press so that you grab them at the end of hit/block stun. You can also use the Murderer Chain instead /without a jump-in. Simply do the motion in the air and press any punch when you touch the ground. You can also replace the standing short with a crouching jab or short and still tick.
Birdie grabs the opponent's legs with his chain and slams him/her to the ground repeatedly before throwing them far and away over his head.
This is Birdie's other 360 throw. The Roundhouse does the most damage since Birdie slams the opponent down 3 times before throwing them. The short and forward version slam down once and twice respectively. It seems like this move grabs a little faster than the Murderer Chain. The damage between Short and Roundhouse is large enough to warrant using only the Roundhouse version. I think the range on all three is about the same unlike the Murderer Chain (I could be wrong here). The ticks listed for the Murderer Chain will also work for the Bandit Chain so I won't list them here.
Before I forget, let me briefly explain the principles behind 360-degree throws. In actuality, you only need to do a 270-degree motion on the joystick to execute a 360-degree throw. A 270-degree motion is simply 6 consecutive points on a joystick, i.e., F, DF, D, DB, B, UB, U. However, for some people (like myself), it is easier for me to do a 360 than a 270 even though the motion is longer. I also use Zangief and I tend to use a 360-degree motion starting from F, B, or DB (actually 315 from DB to B) for all my 360-degree throws. If you have never done 360 motion throws consistently, I suggest you practice before using this in your repertoire. Once you're able to do them from a standing position (F or B) and from DB, then feel free to use this move.
------------- Special Moves -------------
Bull Head (XAV) [*B, F + P] ---------------------------
Birdie turns red and attacks the opponent with his mohawked skull while screaming "BULL HEAD".
For the record, I only use this move in combos since the recovery is horrible in most cases. However, when it does it, does it ever hit. The Jab Bull Head is your combo finisher off of any bufferable move Birdie has. If you miss, prepare to be punished hard and often. The Strong Bull Head goes a full screen while the Fierce can go even further assuming your opponent jumps back and gives you more than a full screen. If you want to live, stick to the Jab version in combos and instant short-range retaliation.
Birdie turns away from the opponent and yells out before rushing forward and attacking head first.
To perform the Bull Horn, hold down any two punches and release a punch, or hold down any two kicks, then release a kick. The longer you hold down the buttons, the more powerful the Bull Horn becomes, reminiscent of Balrog's Turn Punch. Unlike the Bull Head, Birdie does not turn red while doing the Bull Horn. However, the turning his back to his opponent does telegraph this move. Well how do you use it then? I tend to use it in close. When Birdie turns away, he can avoid many moves including fast projectiles and foot sweeps IIRC. Once he starts to lunge forward, he is vulnerable again.
The buttons you hold determine the distance you go with the Bull Horn. There are essentially two distances: about 1/2 screen and full screen. To do a half screen Bull Horn, you have to hold down jab and strong (LP + MP) or short and forward (LK + MK). The button you release to perform the Bull Horn will not affect this distance, only the buttons you hold down. If you use any other combination, you will do the full screen Bull Horn. There is one exception to this. Birdie will go more than a half a screen if you buffer the Bull Horn off of another move. He will travel the distance he would have traveled had the Bull Horn had been done on its own.
You can actually use this to tick at certain ranges since the recovery on this move is MUCH better than the Bull Head. In fact, you and the opponent usually recover about at the same time. If you are outside your opponent's throw range but within your Murderer/Bandit Chain Range, let loose with the 360 throw. If you buffer it into your recovery, you can grab them before they realize it. God knows I've fallen for it a few times. =) It looks something like this:
O O O *PP, ^P or *KK, ^K, -O \ | / O- \ | / -O + P_K O O O
I suggest that you start the 360 motion from forward to make sure you get the maximum range. However, if you fear retaliation from the Bull Horn, start the motion from DB and end at B or DB so you end up blocking if the move doesn't come out. Remember to perform the 360 motion while in move stun so that you only have to press the button as soon as you come out of stun.
As I mentioned before, the longer you hold the buttons, the more powerful the move will become. There are 5 levels to the Bull Horn: 1, 2, 3, 4, and Final. This chart from Chris MacDonald's/Kao Megura's FAQ illustrates how long you have to hold the buttons to achieve each level in the Bull Horn:
You will know what level Birdie is attacking with because he screams out 1, 2, 3, 4, or Final before he does it. The level also determines the maximum amount of times the Bull Horn will hit the opponent if it makes contact. A Final Bull Horn will hit five times maximum.
In combat, I tend to use LK + MK for the Bull Horn since I use the other buttons for other purposes: HK - jump ins, knockdown foot sweep; FP - poking, Body Slam jump-in; LP - Jab Bull Head, ticks; MP - I have trouble reaching MP sometimes while holding down LK + MK. Of course, using LK + MK means you lose a quick low sweep and a good tick move (LK) along with his decent reaching crouching MK. If you really need to use LK or MK, simply throw a move that doesn't use LK or MK that doesn't hit the opponent and quickly let go of the buttons. You won't be able to perform the Bull Horn due to the recovery animation of the move you just threw out. If you throw a move that is bufferable and does hit, chances are you will buffer into a Bull Horn. Otherwise, you won't do a Bull Horn, but you will lose that Bull Horn charge.
You can activate a Bull Horn with any two PP or KK buttons. However, you can have multiple Bull Horns charged. How? If you have the dexterity, you can hold down two PP and two KK at the same time. However, if you want two Bull Horns without the extra dexterity, just hold down 3P or 3K. Depending on what you release, you will get the corresponding level Bull Horn. If you want four Bull Horns, hold down all 6 buttons. Obviously, you can't attack with normal moves, but you can still can with specials. How? Remember that special moves and super combos can be activated by a button press or a button release. If you release a button after performing the motion for another special move (i.e., LP for a Jab Bull Head), you will perform the Bull Head rather than the Bull Horn. However, for most this is extreme, very difficult, and requires lots of manual dexterity. I have only known one person who could this well back in SF2HF (he used Balrog - kind of makes sense). He would hold down 3K, but he could take you out of the air with a Short Dashing Uppercut at will using the above method. He would still have his punches for Dashing Straights. For the less dextrous, if you need a Bull Horn, just hold down PP or KK for a second and then release so you can use those buttons again for other purposes. You can do this after a knockdown (yours or opponent's), within the midst of another move or special (my favorite method), or even when your character isn't controllable (beginning of round, between rounds, during storyline sequences, etc).
------------ Super Combos ------------
The Birdie (XA) [*B, F, B, F + P] ---------------------------------
Birdie rushes towards the opponent, delivering multiple Bull Heads. If he confuses the opponent, he taunts before he continues to deliver two more Bull Heads.
Ironically, the A-ISM Level 1 version is by far the most useful. The other two levels don't offer as good damage at higher levels. The Level 1 hits 3 times while Levels 2 and 3 hit 4 and 5 times respectively. The Level 1 can also be used for anti-air and will hit the airborne opponent two or usually all three times as if they were hit on the ground. For some reason, the Level 2 doesn't seem to do this very well since the timing of the Bull Heads are different. For the Level 3 A-ISM/X-ISM version, he hits three times and then the opponent is dizzy (watching the birdies so to speak - I wonder if this is where the name of this super combo comes from ;). Birdie will do a taunt and perform two more Bull Heads. I am not sure of how well Birdie goes through projectiles with this super combo, but I have seen him go through many other normals and specials executed at close range.
Birdie jumps through the air. Once he lands, he grabs the opponent and slams them multiple times.
The distance Birdie will jump is determined by what button you press. If you press a punch, he will go about half a screen and land. If you press a kick, he will go full screen. He can go through certain attacks and projectiles while he is in the air. As with all Super Combos, Level 1 is initiated with a LP or LK and so on. At Level 3, this will remove more than half a lifebar and is brutal to see - Birdie will perform two slams from his Bandit Chain followed by a Murderer Chain. You can also tick with this (why not? it's a throw), but you have to buffer it as you would a Shinku Hadoken. However, you can only use his light and medium bufferable attacks to do it. If you use crouching HP, you will usually land before the hit/block stun is complete, leading to a missed throw animation. However, there are a few cases where if the HP does hit, you will still get the Bull Revenger to grab. I have to investigate this further. Here is a tick you can perform for the Bull Revenger:
(A) Body Slam, Low Strong, Bull Revenger [J_CU D + HP, D + MP, DF, F, D, DF, F + P]:
O / | + HP, | + MP, \ -O | \ -O + P O O O O O
I don't want to get too much into buffering into super combos, but suffice it to say that Birdie can throw the crouching strong at either D or DF during the first or second D, DF, F motion. That is simply a preference. You have to use a punch for the Bull Revenger or you will fly over the opponent's head and waste super meter.
As with all ticks I listed in this section, you opponent can jump out of it if he is paying attention. However, don't let that stop you from ticking.
------ COMBOS ------
----- Basic -----
Birdie only has one really good basic combo on standing opponents. However, as with all Birdie combos, it packs a wallop. You should use either the Body Slam or HK as your jump in. Those are the only two really worth using in any combos.
(XAV) Body Slam, Low Fierce [J_CU D + HP, D + HP]
O / | + HP, | + HP O O
------ 2-In-1 ------
Birdie has the following bufferable attacks:
Standing Light Punch/Jab Crouching Light Punch/Jab Standing Medium Punch/Strong Crouching Medium Punch/Strong Crouching Hard Punch/Fierce Standing Light Kick/Short Crouching Light Kick/Short
His best bufferable moves all come from a crouch (LP, MP, HP, LK). The standing jab and strong don't hit crouching opponents. The standing short will hit crouching opponents, but it is slower and has less range than its crouching counterpart. In any of the combos below, almost any crouching bufferable attack can be used. I tend to use HP because of its insane damage and its ability to buffer into supers on the first hit or on the second hit should the opponent be caught standing.
(XAV) Body Slam, Low Fierce, Jab Bull Head [J D + HP, *DB + HP, F + LP]
O / | + HP, / + HP, -O + LP O *O
This combo and its variants do butt-loads of damage for a three-hit combo. It also knocks your opponent down. Be careful with this combo; if you release HP at the wrong time, you will perform a HP Bull Head rather than the LP one. This can and will be blocked and punished. You can accidentally do the wrong Bull Head if you buffer the Bull Head off of a medium or hard punch. If you find yourself doing the wrong Bull Head, either use Jab or Short to buffer into the Bull Head. If you let go of Short at the wrong time, nothing will happen. If you release Jab, you will probably get the Bull Head anyway.
(XA) Body Slam, Low Fierce, The Birdie [J D + HP, *DB + HP, DF, DB, F + P]
O / | + HP, / + HP, \ / -O + P O *O O O
If your opponent is standing during this combo, you can buffer off of the second hit of the crouching fierce, which makes this combo a lot easier. With any other crouching bufferable move or if the opponent is crouching, you have to be quick to get this combo off - difficult but far from impossible.
Even though it is not obvious, there is a slight difference in how I do the joystick motions for the supers in the last two combos than listed in the MOVES section. Rather than use the standard *B, F, B, F motion, I am using the diagonals (*DB, DF, DB, F) to perform the super. The reason for this especially in the third combo is to prevent from performing a normal Bull Head instead of the Birdie. In case I just confused you, here is a better explanation. Since the Bull Head and The Birdie share a common B, F motion, I can accidentally initiate the Bull Head I press the punch button too early while doing the combo. In order to prevent this, I move from DB to DF. This does count as a forward motion for the super. As a matter of fact, all supers requiring a back change can be done from DB, DF, DB instead of B, F, B before the final forward. In fact, it is much better to perform your supers this way because you don't do that super wiggle/shimmy to give yourself away if you do a super out of the blue. You just suddenly stand up during the super animation and do the super. If I buffer the super off of a short, I can do The Birdie with *B, F, B, F since *B, F + K is not an official special move motion for Birdie. I don't risk doing a move I don't want to do if I hit or release the button prematurely. However, I can't do Bull Heads if I go from DB to DF and press punch. I simply lose my back charge.
-------- Variable --------
I need to a whole load of work in the future to get variable combos for Birdie that work outside the corners. There aren't too many that I can think of at this time. I will have to work on this section with my good old-fashioned PSX V-ISM training mode.
----------- VS STRATEGY -----------
------ Vs CPU ------
I will list the boss battles since you have to fight them each you play the Arcade mode of SFA3.
Vs CPU E. Honda ---------------
At higher levels, E. Honda smacks you around like a spoiled stepchild. Do not let him hit you with either sweep (HP or HK) or a Sumo Head Butt - they do freaking incredible damage on higher levels. Bull Horns unless used to counter will be met by a sweep. The Level 1 Birdie is your best friend in this matchup, but E. Honda can hit or trade if you do it from too far away. He also likes to use Hundred Hand Slaps to keep your out of range and to counter any longer pokes. I try to hit him as he finishes the HHS with a Bull Head or a jump in since Honda can't do them indefinitely anymore. Take advantage of the Sumo Head Butt by jumping over it and countering it. He will normally do the Head Butt after a missed roundhouse sweep. You have to jump accordingly to avoid getting pummeled. His standing fierce can counter hit a lot of your moves. This is not a fun match, but it is winnable.
Vs CPU Blanka -------------
This battle is very tough for me. Blanka has the range and power to turn Birdie into chickadees. He uses his roundhouse sweep very well - it has more reach than any normal move you can throw out. If he does an Amazon River Run (DF + HP), block and foot sweep or Jab Bull Head if he is really close to you. If you do a Bull Horn or Bull Head for no reason, he will almost always counter you on the way in for big damage - usually his HK sweep. His only real weakness is through his jumping. If he jumps over you, you can grab him as he lands with the KK throw - do not use the PP throw - the range is way too small. Blanka doesn't have a reliable cross up attack so you can walk under and throw if he jumps from too close. If he doesn't jump over you, go into defensive crouch after you block the jump-in to prevent him from hitting you with a low sweep XX horizontal rolling attack. However, beware of the jump in tick if you do this. Birdie can not punish the ground rolling attack unless he has super meter (Level 1 Birdie) or he is hit in the corner (HP Bull Head). You should nail him if you block and counter as a reversal out of block stun. It's also hard to jump in because Blanka will do different albeit random things. This battle is not fun; sloppiness will end your quest here quickly.
Vs CPU Balrog -------------
This battle is not as hard as CPU E. Honda or Blanka, but you have to take Balrog seriously or else his fists will have your blood on them. You can counter Turn Punches with your Bull Horn if you turn around right before the fist makes contact. You can also block and punish some Dashing Punches with a Light Punch XX Jab Bull Head combo if you're quick. If you use Bull Heads or Horns indiscriminately, he will Turn Punch you or block and counter. You can Level 1 Birdie any of his Dashing Punches if Balrog starts to get predictable. You can use your reach to match his, but watch out for the standing fierce and crouching roundhouse. One has great reach; the other has good priority.
Vs CPU Shin Bison -----------------
I find myself doing a lot of Jab Bull Heads to counter blocked Double Knee Presses and the Somersault Skull Diver if he is not fully charged. If you are able to anticipate and jump over a Psycho Shot, it is imperative that you combo him. Watch out for his ground and air throws and of course, the Psycho Drive Crusher. He will usually do it off a blocked Somersault Skull Diver. There isn't much else I can say. This is always a close match for me, but I normally win by a few pixels if I avoid the Crusher. I know this sounds generic, but I just usually do a lot of blocking and counter what few opening Bison gives me.
-------- Vs Human --------
Against human opponents, it is usually an uphill battle for Birdie, but not an impossible one. However, I could use some good tips on this. If you have any, feel free to email me.
---------- MISCELLANY ----------
This whole section comes courtesy of the following FAQ authors: Kailu Lantis, Michael Troupe, Shawn Dumas, and Robert Iu. The only part I need to fill in is the Profile and Special Moves from the Opening Storyline using my trusty PSX.
--------- Storyline ---------
Opening Storyline -----------------
Profile (to be filled in)
Special Moves (to be filled in)
Birdie is a member of Shadaloo. But as a mere henchman, his daily life became very dull. And so he gathered information to overthrow M. Bison. Soon, he found the keyword... "Psycho Drive....."
Mid-Boss Storyline (vs. E. Honda) ---------------------------------
Birdie: Hey you! I like your hairstyle! E.Honda: The Mage is the hairstyle of the Sumo. You haven't heard of Sumo? Birdie: Sumo?! What's that? Some kind of raw fish dish...? E.Honda: Gwa ha ha ha ha! You can't eat it, but it's quite exciting! Birdie: Then show me what Sumo is all about!
...
Birdie: That was great! I see your hairstyle isn't just for show. Birdie: You're strong enough to be in Shadaloo after I take it over! E.Honda: Do you mean M.Bison's organization, Shadaloo? E.Honda: That's a funny joke! Gwa ha ha ha ha ha!
Birdie: Could he be a member of Shadaloo? Blanka: Uwo? Blanka: Uwooooooo!! Birdie: He doesn't know me... Birdie: It's no use trying to talk to this beast. I'll defeat him.
M.Bison: Ga ha ha ha ha! M.Bison: Birdie... What are you looking for? Birdie: None o' your business, mate! Get outta here! M.Bison: No... It's time you departed, you treacherous vermin! M.Bison: Now, Balrog.... Dispose of this rodent!
Final Boss Storyline (vs. Shin Bison) -------------------------------------
M.Bison: You defeated Balrog.... Impressive, but expected.... Birdie: Ya like a little entertainment before the main event, eh? Birdie: Now ya better tells me... Where is this "Psycho Drive?!" M.Bison: You know... You know too much... M.Bison: You are a fool! One with no respect for his superiors.... M.Bison: Now I shall teach you what respect is!!
------ Ending ------
(Birdie faces a Bison lying on the ground.)
Birdie: I won't be able to take over Shadaloo by defeating him.... I'll poke around the underground base....
(Birdie walks away, and arrives at the Shadaloo base exterior.)
Birdie: So this is the entrance to the underground base.... Now then....
(Birdie arrives at the Psycho Drive room.)
Birdie: I've found it at last! My information was correct.... This must be the "Psycho Drive"...... It hasn't been easy gathering this. But without this, no one but M.Bison could operate it.... Set! OK.... It's working! If it works, I'll have M.Bison's power! ...Here goes nothing!
(Birdie is in the tube, but he's dizzy.)
Birdie: Ugh...ugh.... I'm losing my strength. Wh...why...? I...I can't get out!! Some.... Somebody...help me!! Stop this machine!
(Next, we see a portrait of a Harrier combat jet flying through the sky. A close up reveals a portrait of a side shot of Charlie flying the Harrier.)
Charlie: The origin of the Psycho Energy emissions has altered....
(Portrait of Chun Li, with a leather jacket over her outfit, talking with some headphones on the monitor located on the dashboard of the plane.)
Chun Li: You're right! Set course for new location! I'll head there by ground! We'll rendezvous there!
(Charlie and Chun Li arrive at the Psycho Drive room, where Birdie is still dizzy in the tube.)
Charlie: What is all this equipment...?! Chun Li: First Lt. Charlie! There's someone trapped in there! Birdie: Help...help...me. I'm...saved.... I lost my strength instead of becoming like M.Bison.... Why? Charlie: M.BISON! You! You know something about him, right?! Chun Li: He's too weak to run away! Let's take him in! Birdie: I didn't do anything! Why did this happen to me?! Blast it!
Kailu Lantis' note on Birdie ending from his ENDINGS FAQ:
Bottom line: There is no respect for the bottom tier characters! :)
Truer words haven't been spoken in this FAQ.
---------- Win Quotes ----------
Did you just call me something? Why don't you tell me again! Eh? What was that? Speak up. I can't hear you from down there! Hey! My clothes are stained with you blood! Help me clean it up! I am Birdie! The most rotten villain in the world... I hope! If my name is Birdie, then why are you saying, "CHEAP! CHEAP!" (my favorite one) Oh, what!? ... Before? I looked pale because I was sick!! (my 2nd favorite one) That was a pleasant snapping! At least four or five ribs... You were ugly before we met... Now I can't even bear to look!
--------- Win Poses ---------
I don't remember all his win poses nor do I remember what buttons to push to get them after a victory. I believe there are a few more than the ones I listed here. If you know of more, let me know.
Birdie sticks out his hand in a claw-like hand symbol shouting "To Heaven". Birdie licks his chain while saying "I'm number one". Birdie sticks his thumb up and then down saying "Hey you", then his mohawk becomes unkempt. Birdie whips out a switchblade and smiles.
It is necessary to acknowledge the work of past FAQ writers without whose tireless work, knowledge, and information I would not able to write this FAQ. I have listed the author and his/her FAQ and what information I pulled from his/her FAQ into mine. The FAQ is a compilation of information found, read, researched or even discovered by me. However, many people have found information in this FAQ out and written about it long before I put together this FAQ. That being said, here are my main sources and references for this FAQ outside of my own SFA3 experience:
Mark Kim/Vesther Fauransy -------------------------
Web Site: http://www.verasnaship.net Email: verasnaship@verasnaship.net FAQ: LA Machine Guns: Rage of the Machines For the Sega AM3 Arcade Game Anti- Terrorist Manual Version 0.0.2 (Build 0114) Copyright (c) 1999 Mark Kim. All Rights Reserved. -Copyright information (I needed a good template for it). -General FAQ writing techniques
Chris MacDonald/Kao Megura --------------------------
Web Page: http://members.xoom.com/megura/ or http://members.xoom.com/megura/http://i.am/kao Email: kmegura@hotmail.com FAQ: STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3 FAQ v2.1 FAQ: STREET FIGHTER ZERO 3: PERFECT PACKAGE FAQ v0.7 Unpublished work Copyright (c) 1998-1999 Kao Megura. All Rights Reserved. -ISM chart -Moves for Birdie -Copyright information
Joe VanPelt/Chocobo -------------------
Email: chocobo@mindspring.com FAQ: Street Fighter Alpha 3 (arcade and PSX) VC Guide, version 1.8 Copyright (c) 1999 Joe VanPelt. All Rights Reserved. -Sections on V-ISM -V-ISM combos (one day I'll fully learn how to do all of them)
Micheal Torres --------------
Email: michaeltorres@prodigy.net FAQ: SFZ3 V-Ism Faq for PSX/Arcade 2.0 Copyright (c) 1999 Michael Torres. All Rights Reserved. -V-ISM combos
Colin Caldwell/Nedfar ---------------------
Web Page: http://members.spree.com/sip/nefdar Email: nefdar@hotmail.com FAQ: Street Fighter Alpha 3 Combo System and General FAQ Copyright (c) 1999 Colin Caldwell. All Rights Reserved. -Reference as a beginner FAQ to complement this FAQ FAQ: Street Fighter Alpha 3 Comprehensive Adon Guide / FAQ Copyright (c) 1999 Colin Caldwell. All Rights Reserved. -Template for in-depth comprehensive moves analysis
Michael "Svenyip" Troupe Shawn "Shred-Man" Dumas ------------------------
Emails: svenyip@javanet.com and shredder@bcn.net respectively FAQ: Street Fighter Alpha 3 "PLOT FAQ" Version 1.0 Copyright (c) 1999 Michael Troupe & Shawn Dumas. All Rights Reserved. -Storyline
Kailu Lantis ------------
Emails: jcarlo@hotmail.com, lantis@mailexcite.com, kailu_lantis_SNK@yahoo.com, or al760412@campus.ira.itesm.mx FAQ: STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3 ENDING FAQ Copyright (c) 1999 Kailu Lantis. All Rights Reserved. -Storyline and Ending
Robert Iu ---------
Emails: robertsmac@aol.com FAQ: Street Fighter Alpha 3 Quotes and Dialogue Guide v1.0 Copyright (c) 1999 Robert Iu. All Rights Reserved. -Win Quotes
-------------------------- What's New In This Version --------------------------
Version 0.002 -------------
-Added for "FOR ARCADE & PLAYSTATION" to FAQ title -Removed "FOR BEGINNERS" from FAQ title -Continued special move analysis -Added win poses -Entered special move and Super Combos analysis -Added basic and 2-In-1 combos -Finished normal moves analysis
Version 0.001 -------------
-Added storyline and moves -Wrote normal moves analysis -First version -Skeleton architecture from my E. Honda FAQ
Upcoming --------
-Vs Strategy (Human) -Counter hit combos -Variable Combos -More combos as I can find them -Other improvements based on feedback
-------- EPILOGUE --------
This is not the last word on SFA3 Birdie by far. However, I do hope that this FAQ may one day be the most complete word on Birdie. I would appreciate any tips on the FAQ itself or any Birdie tips you may have. Email me at the address below any comments/questions/critiques/flames. Thank you for taking your time to read this.
This Electronically Published Document is copyrighted (c) and trademarked (tm) by David Antoine. All Rights Reserved. This document is protected by applicable copyright laws and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction, retransmission, and/or a breach of copyright, partial or full, may result in civil and criminal penalties and is subject to maximum punishment and prosecution to the highest extent possible by law. Please properly credit David Antoine where credit is due. This document is the sole property of David Antoine.
