Introduction
This is Honki ni natta Mr.Karate, aka the Serious/Shin version of Mr.Karate(I'll call him Shin Karate here, because it's just easier), one of the most classic SNK bosses. He(In this version) was probably based off the first version of Mr.Karate(Where he was a boss), like: He can jump off walls here(In the first Art of Fighting game, every character could do that), has only one Super(His Exceed), and some other things. I don't know if he is better than his normal counterpart, but what I can say is that... He can be a boss character, but he is as strong as some other characters in this game(He isn't 100% broken, I mean, any character can win when against him in a player match). Now for his pros and cons.
Shin Karate's Good and Bad Things
Good Things:
- Very fun to play(He is a boss with easy infinites, and easy infinites = fun for beginners);
- Has easy infinites in MAXIMUM Mode(Unlike his normal counterpart);
- Can jump off walls;
- Can charge his meter(Another Art of Fighting thing);
- His normals are faster than his normal counterpart's normal moves;
- Can stop normal projectiles with the tip of his LPs(Yeah, I'm not joking, and I think it's another AoF thing);
- Has some unblockable moves(Not only his Exceed).
Bad Things:
- Has no cancelable normals/Command Moves(But he can cancel them in MAXIMUM Mode);
- Has the Ko'ou Ken from KoF 2002(I really don't like it, and it won't help you so much in this game, only to do one of his infinites);
- Has no Super Moves(His normal counterpart's old Supers are now Special Moves, including his old Exceed, the Chou Haoh Shikou Ken);
- Has no Far/Close animations on some buttons;
- He is bad with Light Attack chains;
- Can be very hard to learn if you don't like to play with infinites.
How to select Shin Karate
Oh, wanna have fun with him, but cannot even see his face? Simple. Just do these inputs below before the timer reaches 10(Possible only on the AES home version of the Neo Geo):
(While holding start) Up, Left, Up, Down, Right(2x), Down, Left, Up, Left, Right(2x), and press a button to select him
A little hard to do(You won't have so much time to do it, so... If you can't do it, use cheats, or search for a hacked version).
Moves List
Normal Moves
(Important note to remember: Shin Karate cannot normal cancel his normal moves, but he still can cancel them in MAXIMUM Mode)
s.LP - The Far and the Close versions are the same. It's the best starter for his Light Attack chains(It's the only way he has to begin Light Attack chains, and he can do good damage with them, I can assume), but will whiff those low crouching chars. It has the same speed as the normal Mr.Karate.
s.LK - The Far and the Close versions are the same. Can be used as a finisher for Light Attack chains(Won't even whiff on low crouching chars, strangely enough). Can be used as a poke, or even to anti-air. It has the same speed as the normal Mr.Karate.
s.HP - (Far) Very fast to use as a poke. Only that. This move is faster than the normal Karate's. (Close) Just a punch. The recovery of the move is different from the normal version, but it still will be faster than the normal Karate's.
s.HK - The Far and the Close versions are the same. This move was Takuma's in the early KoF games(It was used as an anti-air, because he didn't had a DP). The normal Mr.Karate doesn't have this move.
j.LP -
j.LK -
j.HP -
j.HK -
cr.LP -
cr.LK -
cr.HP -
cr.HK -
Command Moves
Yoke Migi Seiken Zuki
- b + A
Ducking shite Mawashi Geri
- b + B
Jigoku Zuki
- df + C
Soku Gatana
- df + D
Kiryoku Tame
- Hold ABC
Special Moves
Ko'ou Ken '02
- qcf + P
Zanretsu Ken
- f,b,f + P
Built Upper
- f,d,df + P
Hien Shippuu Kyaku
- Charge db,f + K
Kyokugen Kohou
- qcf,qcf + K
Kishin Geki
- qcb,qcb + P when near
Super Moves
Haou Shikou Ken
- f,hcf + P (can hold)
Chou Haou Shikou Ken
- f,hcf + AC (can hold)
Exceed Move
Chou Ryuuko Ranbu
- qcf,hcb + AC