I actually had not officially heard of this game until it got released in the U.S. in November of the same year (getting eclipsed by the likes of Street Fighter Alpha 3 at the time).
I bought my copy alongside Samurai Shodown III: Blades of Blood (The Peerless Blade of Zankuro, as known in Japan), having bought both games as “a pair” at a local Record Head music store all those years ago.
Irony of ironies, for GG1 to be purchased at a music store of all places, the very HEART and theme of Guilty Gear as a series, even more that it would be purchased almost like a Twin Brother to a game that would later feature one of GG’s characters in its own roster as a very epic crossover!
Over the span of 1998 to 1999, I had my nose in Game Magazines, and my feet would always walk towards the nearest Arcade scene. Even if GG1 was only just one of many games I had my eye on in those days, little did I know this series would impact my fate as an individual many years later.
If it weren’t for this series, I might never have been exposed to so many different genres of games and music, or the people I’ve met along the way!
27 years, is quite a long time. But it is so worth it.
Do you have any tips/advice on playing the Missing Link?
Alright, since some of you may not be familiar with some of Guilty Gear's "older" mechanics, I'll give you some tips:
1. Blocking is pretty much the same as in most fighting games, with exception that you need to hold down the Respect button to perform Faultless Defense (for most that's the L1 button, check your control settings). It will burn through a lot of your built-up Chaos Gauge if you were on the offensive, but at least you won't take damage while guarding, and you can even block better while in mid-air.
In more modern GG games, it's a lot easier to do this because you burn less Tension (that's the Chaos gauge by the way), you can also use it to cancel your movements briefly if you have the meter. It's useful for sudden stops and fast falls if you're in the air, or just want to jump really quickly.
2. It's a lot harder to turn around in GG1, but at least you can take advantage of this with the Taunt button in mid-air. If you manage to airdash behind a character, press the Taunt button and you'll make a sudden turn and can quickly attack them from behind. If you're fast, you can land an airdash combo and attack their backside! Practice this a bit in training mode and you'll get the hang of it.
If you’re blown away by an attack, try using Up+Any Button to perform an Aerial Recovery. It’s a tad different from more modern ways of recovering, but it’ll get you back on your feet so you can block at least.
3. As you probably already know, the Respect button also doubles as a "charge" button for most characters (Axl, Testament, and Justice are the only exceptions to this). If you input your respective character's "charge move" and begin to charge up the attack, you can briefly cancel the charge and reset your character's position. This is a LOT like a Roman Cancel! So when you perform a string of attacks, whether they are blocked or not, whether they HIT or not... you can input your charge attack and "cancel" the combo to continue the previous string of attacks.
Here's an example (using Sol Badguy):
Heavy Slash > 623+R (Charge) > Heavy Slash > 623+R (Charge) > Heavy Slash etc.
Some charged-based combos are really powerful and REALLY broken, but they still have a certain amount of pushback, so be careful how long you try to do them, forward momentum from a ground dash or breaker dash will help extend the combo.
4. This one's very important... if you find yourself in a pinch, where your Lifebar is in the Yellow, assuming you've lost half your health gauge, remember that you've entered Awakening Mode (Kakusei Mode) and for the rest of the round, you can perform an unlimited number of Chaos Attacks (called Overdrives in later games).
So if you're wounded, you can perform moves like Sol's Tyrant Rave (632146+H) or Ky's Ride the Lightning (41364+H) over and over and it doesn't even cost you Chaos Gauge meter! Take advantage of this whenever you can. Even Sol's Dragon Install can be buffed and re-buffed for an extended period while in this state.
5. Let's assume that your opponent is putting you under a LOT of pressure, if you have some Chaos meter, if you're blocking, you can perform a Gamble Attack (later called a Dead Angle guard cancel). To do this, you need to press Forward+2 buttons while blocking. It's a bit more costly than Faultless Defense, but it'll help you get back on Offense a lot quicker.
Also, please remember that some attacks of the same strength will clash. If you manage to clash against your opponent 3 times in a row, both of you will be pushed back and you’ll have some breathing room.
6. Momentum is very important in this game, especially if you have Chaos meter. Assuming you have a full gauge, you can charge at your opponent and RAM in to them! This is called a Breaker Crash dash attack! (Slow characters like Potemkin and Kliff can't really do this move, but others can!) You can use this not just as a way to attack opponents, but to extend combos after a knockdown or blowback! You'll have to do some experimenting with it though.
7. Certain counterhits will result in a Dust blowback, just like when you hit Dust (Slash+Heavyslash) input to knock someone in the air. If you're quick to react, you can press the Up button to perform a Homing Jump which leads in to an Aerial Gatling combo, it takes practice and reflexes, but take advantage of it whenever you can.
8. Gamble Attacks aren't the only move that can be canceled while Guarding. If you press Punch+Kick either while guarding or during a sequence of attacks, you'll initiate a Danger Time Instant Kill poke. The screen will go red and you'll have a chance to input your Instant Kill. But be alert and be FAST because if the opponent inputs theirs before you do, it's the end of the match!
If you know your opponent is trying to Instant Kill you, perform 214214+any button to try and escape the Kill attempt, and they'll dash behind you and you'll have an opportunity to attack them immediately afterwards.
Danger Time itself is often random and risky, but if you get used to taking advantage of it and can read your opponent (not just the CPU), it turns in to a very powerful mind game.
Also, be very careful, as some attack counterhits will also initiate a Danger Time poke, like many of Testament's moves.
9. Charge attacks aren't the only way to extend combos! A lot of your arsenal of attacks can be jump-cancelled. That's right, you can jump after an attack hits or is blocked. You can use this in the form of Instant Airdash Combos. The input's a little tricky as you have to press Up and Forward-Forward (88 or 77 after a ground attack that can be jump canceled), but with enough practice you can dash in on your target in the middle of a combo and use the momentum to extend your attacks. This is super effective on big characters like Potemkin and Justice.
10. Take advantage of spacing. If your opponent is far away from you and they aren't attacking, this will give you a safer opportunity to charge up your moves. Ky Kiske and Kliff can often take advantage of this with their projectile pressure. Use Ky's Level 2 or Level 3 Stun Edge and you can really lay the hurt and pressure your opponent. In Kliff's case, his Reflex Roar Level 3 can wipe out 50% health in a single blast! He's very powerful.
Is your opponent running away? Catch them with Potemkin's Level 3 Graviton (623+R/P Slide-Head)! Potemkin can also use Nitro Hook to close the gap on his opponents if they try to retreat (he later gets to use the move Hammerfall~).
Also, moves like Chipp's Ten'i Teleport (22+any) and Sol's Riot Stamp (214+K or 66+K) are really good at keeping you in your opponent's face when needed for pressure.
Axl and Millia are especially good at keeping their opponents at bay with their respective moves, so if you like poking people at a distance, give them a try.
11. Finally some tips for fighting bosses Testament and Justice.
For Testament: either try to poke him from a distance or pressure him as much as you can, because he's good at laying traps on the field. His combo strings are very long, but he doesn't charge cancel, so be patient and wait it out if you're blocking. If he brings out his EXE-Beast on the ground, be ready to jump and you'll take less damage in the air, just watch out for Grave Digger.
For Justice: at the outset she likes to spam her Michael Sword and Imperial Ray, so you'll need something powerful that can either interrupt those attacks (Potemkin's Graviton, Axl's Chain Trap, or Sol's Volcanic Viper/Ky's Vapor Thrust), or something that can stun her at a distance, like Stun Edge or Gunflame.
Like Testament, Justice has a very long string of gatling attack combos, but she can't charge cancel either, so wait it out if she's in your face.
If her Health is low, she'll begin spamming Gamma Ray, so be ready to use Faultless Defense, or a fast move that can interrupt the startup of her attack. The more you harry Justice with pressure attacks, the less of a threat she'll be. Just watch out for moves like Valkyrie ARC and SBT, as she'll use those if you pressure her too much.
Characters like Axl or Potemkin have a slight advantage in that they can attack Justice at long range, so use that to your advantage.
12. Last but not least: how to unlock Baiken!
Obviously you can only use Ky or Sol. I choose Ky because he's easier/safer to use.
Again, take advantage of Level 3 Stun Edge, most A.I. can't deal with it, so it does a ton of damage, even if they block it. While they're blocking, charge up another Level 3.
Get used to dodging Instant Kill pokes, as after Stage 8, the A.I. will step up its game and the game gets harder. But, they can't Instant Kill you if they can't touch you, so play keep away with that Level 3 Stun Edge.
Ky can also endlessly spam a mid-air Stun Edge if you're practiced with its input.
Ky's Stun Dipper is also useful in that it causes knockdown, use this for Okizeme frame advantage and charge up your Stun Edge while they're on the ground.
If you've been training and get used to Testament and Justice' patterns, you can wreck both of them with Level 3 Stun Edge.
After that, you just have to fight Baiken and unlock her.
Don't worry, even if you lose a round or match against Baiken you can still rematch her and try again without starting over. Baiken's a pushover compared to Testament or Justice (in this game at least, she gets stronger in later games).
----That should do it!
If you're still having trouble, just experiment in Training Mode some more till you get the hang of things! Be sure to read the manual and get a full grasp of the game’s mechanics!
Come to think of it, does the world at large know about Sol's role in the destruction of Justice or even what he is at this point(after Ariels' defeat), or is that information still confidential?
It’s a “circulated rumor” though not often talked about by the public. Only those really in the know or privy to the real information really know what happened.
The public story is padded with information that stated that the Sacred Order members who were involved directly with the tournament (like Ky and Kliff) were the ones who put an end to Justice at great cost (i.e. Kliff died).
Most information concerning Sol is treated like an urban legend for the most part, anyway. Sol keeps to himself, so only people who are bounty hunters who have seen him in action really know what kind of person he’s really like, with exception to people who have had a run in with him first-hand.
With everything happening so quickly in Illyria though, news travels fairly fast, and it’s presumed Sol was “hired” by King Ky to assist with the Valentine and Ariels issues, though most people probably don’t know Sol’s connection with the Gears or Justice herself.
Of course, the ones who know the MOST about Sol are Ky himself, Bedman, The Assassins, Leo Whitefang, and Asuka R. Kreutz.
You're probably the guy to ask. Considering the Switch collection, why would someone play the original Guilty Gear over Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus R?
That’s like asking the difference between philosophical fine art and mainstream kitsch advertisements.
The Missing Link is like fine wine… you SAVOR it. Every aspect of it.
You need more details? Okay, fine.
It’s the GENESIS of some of the best concepts ever seen in a fighting game series.
Not only are some of the characters’ moves and abilities in their prototypical form, but they still speak VOLUMES of the potential these characters could have to this VERY DAY.
What Accent Core doesn’t do, GG1 does in spades.
The rules of game balance “bind” AC, restrict it… no such rules apply in GG1. Freedom.
Freedom to create whatever combo you desire!
Even the slowest character, POTEMKIN, has so much potential in this game it’s ridiculous!
Not only this, not ONLY this… but GG1 has some of the best music compositions the series EVER HAD. Even compared to modern standards, GG1 still stands out.
Don’t believe me? Listen for yourself.
The Missing Link is the foundation, it’s the spark that set the series ablaze.
You will LEARN things about the characters you might not have known before if all you played were the Arcade GG games.
You’ll also begin to understand what “That Man” meant when he called the Tournament a farce.
You’ll ponder what was going on behind the scenes during that tournament, what happened before and after…
Is there anything else you should know, you ask?
GG1 is the prequel to the original Guilty Gear X… back then there were no remakes or reboots. These games are chronological, and if you missed one, you missed something.
GG1, GGX, GGXX, GGXXAC, GG2, the Drama CDs, the novels, the Manga… Xrd Sign, Revelator.
If you missed any of these, you missed a chunk of the story.
Does all of that answer your question? Well, if there’s anything else to know it’s this:
GG1 is fun. Tons of fun. Fun in ways more recent games wish they could be fun.
You’ll figure it out. You’ll figure out why I got hooked on this series in the first place!
As a side note: TODAY MARKS THE 21ST ANNIVERSARY of GG1′s Japanese Release Date! (May 14th, 1998). I hope you can appreciate that!
Here’s a list of things you probably didn’t know about the first Guilty Gear game:
---They pronounced Dust Attacks as “Dast” in the system text.
---Gamble Attacks are actually the prototype version of Dead Angle Guard-cancels (Alpha Counters, if you play SF games).
---Axl Low, Testament, and Justice are the only characters in the game who cannot Charge Cancel, as they have no charge attacks to speak of! They can still cancel in to their own special moves from various gatling routes, and their moves have certain unique properties on counter-hit. You can still cancel from a Taunt or Respect animation, however.
---Certain attacks on counterhit will send characters flying just as if they were hit with a Dust attack, it's possible to follow up these with a Homing jump if you time it right and you're not mid-attack animation.
---"Crash" attacks are certain moves that have a Dash attack property if you build up enough running momentum. Sol also has a special state for “Clean Hits” that was never used up until he obtained that mechanic in Slash and Accent Core with his move Sidewinder!
---If you clash/offset an opponent 3 times in a row, both of you will be pushed back and a gap will be made.
---The game's timer (which is usually an ambiguous Gear Head with an arrow flashing behind it) can now be set to 90, 60, 30, or Infinite time for matches. In the original version of the game it's assumed the default was set to 90 seconds as opposed to the standard 99 seconds used for modern GG battles. In the event of a tie, the game will proceed to up to 3 duels, with the 3rd being the Final, and if the game still ends in a tie, it's Game Over automatically.
---Holding Respect while guarding was the original version of Faultless Defense!
---The original GG had a handicap lifebar setting that increases a player's maximum health per match, and while the Steam version no longer has this option, it can still be used in Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator in the upper corner of the character select screen!
---The "Uematsu Remixes" that are bonus tracks found in the game's Music/Sound Test were done by Takahiro Uematsu, one of Team Neoblood's music composers who worked with Ishiwatari. No relation to Nobuo Uematsu!
---It's kinda goofy, but Versus Mode has a "Continue Countdown Timer" just like you'd have in Arcade Mode. Even sillier is the fact that if Player 2 lost, Player 1 can press buttons to speed up the countdown of the timer, essentially putting pressure on the opponent to continue before it's GAME OVER!
