THE KING OF FIGHTERS XIII

Currently there are 350 Trials available (including 98er Iori and NESTs Kyo as DLC) which means that you have to do roughly 6 Challenges with each character in order to get the achievement. With the upcoming DLC character Mr. Karate later this year, the trials are going to increase to a maximum of 360.

I think it´s really important to state that DLC trials DO COUNT TOWARDS the value you need to reach (I´ve tested it and it was confirmed by a friend of mine as well yesterday).

So what´s this solution all about you may ask? I´ll write down the trials I´ve finished and go a bit indepht on some characters since there are a lot of shortcuts for most trials. I´ve also tried to create a playstyle section for specific characters so that you can go all nuts when you got a specific mechanic down (charge characters for example). All examples are expecting your character standing on the 1P/left side and facing right.

To give you a small idea of what to expect from the characters, I rated them with 1 to 5 stars with 5 being very hard. Please beware that this rating is purely based on my own experience and some of you may find a specific character easier/harder than I do. Best example for me would be Elisabeth who I would have given a 5 doing my start of the game. But then when I got her Drive Cancel down, she´s a smooth 3. You get the idea.

Character - challenges finished - difficulthy


Charge Characters

Raiden 6/10 1/5
Ralf 7/10 2/5
Clark 6/10 2/5
Leona 4/10 5/5
Ash 4/10 5/5

Charge moves are often performed by holding a specific direction for about a second and then input the opposite direction together with an attack button (best example here would be Ralf´s [4]6HP.

The normal charging method won´t help you during most of your combos since there´s not enough time. That´s the point where the buffer system and charge partitioning comes into play. Let´s take Ralf´s Challenge 3 as an example:

2LK HP 236HP 2HP [4]6HP 236236LP/HP (first link)

After the 236HP 2HP part, you don´t have enough time to input and hold 4, then release 6+HP. The key here is a shortcut which is involved with every charge character and essential for him/her to compete. You have to input the combo like 2LK HP 236HP and then hold down [1], input HP as 1HP and immediatelly press 6HP as soon as you hit. The 1 counts as both down and back presses during your combo and it´s the only possibility to connect this combo. This may seem odd at first but you´ll get into it sooner than you think!

Raiden´s trials can be a bit tricky so I give you a few tips on them:

Trial 3: Input the 2 half circles normally and press LP each time you reach 2 or 3 and then input your super as usual. It should then look like 63LP214 63LB214 LP. This one is a bit unusal at first but you´ll appreciate it since there´re a few more trials like these (Saiki 5 for example) and it works like a charm once you´re familiar with it.

Trial 5/6: Raiden was nerfed in the console version and the required lvl 3 Dropkick shown in the demonstration will only come out if you hold LK and/or HK for 24! seconds and then release it (kinda like Hilde on Soul Calibur IV). Yep, 24 seconds. I recommend you to map both LK and HK to your shoulder buttons and set up a clock or count the seconds manually. After you got that down, trial 6 is a breeze.

Trial 5 is a bit tricky. The timing for the LP charge and then EX-canceling another charge is really strice so can map a kick on your shoulder button, perform the combo as normal. After the first LP charge, release your lvl 3 Dropkick BUT keep charging [1] and then release your 6LPHP EX Charge. Training and patience will let you reach this one pretty fast. Doing trial 6 before will make it easier.


Rekka characters:

Mature 7/10 1/5
Kensou 6/10 2/5
Duo Lon 7/10 4/5
(DLC) Iori 4/10 3/5

This term comes form Fei Long of Street Fighter. Rekka combos are performed by chaining together forward/backward quarter circles + punches/kicks up to 3 times (with the addition of EX moves, the number of available moves varies). You can usually delay each hit manually (link 2).

There´s not much to say here except what you should do on every trial. Don´t mash and perform each move as clean as possible. Duo Lon will be the hardest of these since he requires both precession and speed. If you´re completty unfamiliar with Rekka characters, Duo Lon will seem like a 6/5 but he´s not that hard. Practise and patience are the key again.


Art of Fighting characters

Ryo 6/10 2/5
Robert 4/10 3/5
Takuma 4/10 4/5

Each of these fighters has a unique input which is 646 + punch/kick. You´re most likely going to cancel these motions after uppercuts and such. The key here is to inut the uppercut as follows 6236LP/HP. This way, the last input from the uppercut will be registered as the first input of the 646 motion. Should look like 6236LP 46LP if done right.

Keep in mind that both Robert and Takuma also have charge elements involved during their combos which is why I rated them harder than Ryo.


Easy characters

Vice 10/10 1/5
Maxima 10/10 1/5
Goro 8/10 1/5
Saiki 8/10 2/5
Billy 8/10 2/5

Self-explanatory. Maxima doesn´t have any hard links and his combos are short. He only has one short and easy Hyperdrive (HD) combo (trial 10). Vice on the other hand has long combos and more HD cancels BUT her timing isn´t strict and the pattern of her combos stays the same until the hand. I highly recommend her, she´s really fun to play and you can also use 41236LKHK which makes her earlier Trials much easier. Examples:

Trial 1: 2LK 2LK 41236LKHK 632146LP/HP
Trial 3: 2LK 2LK 2LK 41236LKHK 6321463214LKHK

The later combos involving a forward dash HK (after 214HP) into 41236LKHK can be simplified if you do it at the corner and simply delay the HK a bit. Be aware that you have to REVERSE the input of her Neomax in Trial 10 if you have started the combo from the left side (link 3)!

Saiki has a unique style since he can hold down one of the 4 attack buttons after his 214HK in order to warp himself to different locations (note: he only does that if he hits the opponent). Seeming odd at first, you´ll get used to it once you´ve finished some of his challenges. If you have problems with trial 5, use the same strategy as written earlier with Raiden or cancel your second 2LK into Hyperdrive mode and then do a HP (altough I don´t recommend this method).


Elisabeth 6/10 3/5
Shen 7/10 2/5
Kyo 4/10 5/5
Benimaru 6/10 3/5
Iori 6/10 3/5
Terry 6/10 2/5
Andy 5/10 3/5
Joe 5/10 2/5
Athena 6/10 1/5
Chin 5/10 2/5
Kim 7/10 1/5
Hwa 4/10 3/5
Mai 7/10 1/5
King 7/10 1/5
Yuri 5/10 2/5
K´ 5/10 5/5
Kula 5/10 3/5


Closing advice:

Practice is the key. If you just started the game, some characters will seem impossible to you. Don´t let that pull you down! A trial is getting on your nerves and you don´t get it down? Skip it and try another one, you have to be very patient sometimes. Besides that, try to execute your inputs as controlled and clear as possible. Mashing won´t get you anywhere in KOF.

If you happen to get to a combo where you can´t connect 2 attacks like LP into HP or j.HP into HK, it´s most likely a link. A link requires you to connect 2 attacks with a specific timing. Elisabeth´s j.HK HP is a good example or Shen´s LP HP in Trial 5.

Instead of rapidly pressing the buttons, execute the first one and wait for a slight amount of time (let´s a say a good second) and then input the second attack. Vary your timing each time until you get a clean hit. Watching the demonstrations carefully will give you a good idea more than just once.

If you have any more questions in general or character-related, you can drop me a message or visit http://orochinagi.com/ for great and usefull advice. Many thanks for your time and good luck!

Cheers!

ENGLISH AND SPANISH GUIDE / GUÍA EN ESPAÑOL E INGLÉS

[WARNING: TOO MUCH TEXT]

I have decided to create a guide because the only one in TA is practically from the year the game came out and also because this game was in Games with Gold last january.

In order to give you a more knowledgeable guide to these Trials, I gave myself the task of completing the 360 existing trials of the game (yes buddy, you read it right: all of them).

Personally, I’m good at fighting games and doing combos, not to mention it's one of my favorite genres of all time. But nobody cares about that, so let's get to the point.

Because I’m mexican (maybe that’s why I’m good at KoF cause let’s be honest: we have KoF in our veins haha) I will do this guide in both Spanish and English, this is in order to help both English and Spanish speakers because Google Translate is not reliable, it translates what it wants and how it understands it. I want to leave this point clear because my knowledge of the language is approximately 70% so I hope you know how to apologize if I make a grammar mistake or if I use the wrong words. Beforehand, I appreciate your understanding and appreciation of the effort given in this guide by and for you ;D

Below, you can see a list in which I rated the difficulty of the Trials based on my criteria by using star rating.

Classification using star rating

★☆☆☆☆ – Easy combos that usually don’t exceed 4 commands. They are very easy to execute even if you are a newbie at fighting games.

★★☆☆☆ – Combos that, while they’re not complicated, they’re not easy either. Despite this, they are easier than they appear.

★★★☆☆ – "Neutral" combos. From this point, good precision is required when connecting the combos. You should have become familiar with the game and its mechanics.

★★★★☆ – Combos for people experienced in fighting games. They demand a lot of skill from the player, as well as demanding precision. They are difficult and somewhat extensive. From here, you must have understood how the game works almost in its entirety.

★★★★★ – Combos for those who have mastered the mechanics of the game. They require an extremely precise precision and good coordination with your brain, as well as being long combos. If you manage to complete all the Trials in this category, don't forget to add this great feat in your CV.

KOF XIII combos have their tricks. There are several "tricks" or "shortcuts" to perform them with less difficulty.

For example: there are characters which is necessary to perform a 🡣🡦🡢 move and connect it with a 🡣🡦🡢 + (EX Move) but their DM (Desperation Move) is made with the command (🡣🡦🡢 × 2) /. If you perform the commands as they are shown, the game will detect the second command as the completion of the DM since the game itself is programmed to save commands and facilitate the performance of certain combos (in this case, to avoid performing four times 🡣🡦🡢). To avoid this, it’s necessary to perform the first command (🡣🡦🡢) and instead of performing the second one, when hitting the first technique you have to quickly press + twice, in this way the character will correctly connect the Normal Move with the EX Move and the DM won’t come out.

Another example, now with a charge character, could be Leona. In order to easily connect your 🡣🡡 / move with your 🡠🡢 / move (or vice versa), it’s necessary to maintain 🡧 this makes it possible for you to load both techniques and perform whichever you like. To connect them (only once), what you have to do is hold 🡧 and then release upwards as follows 🡡 / and quickly finish with 🡢 / so in this way, they will combine successfully.

Well, most of her trials require connecting both moves multiple times. For this, the best you can do is hold 🡧 BUT continue with a 240° spin as follows: 🡧🡠🡤🡡🡥🡢. Once this is understood, the next thing to do is to press the requested command ( or ) at the moment of reaching 🡡 and as soon as 🡢 is reached, press or (whatever the combo indicates). Something like this is what you have to do: 🡧🡠🡤🡡 / 🡥🡢 /.

There are other extra tricks/shortcuts to make some combos easier, but I don't want to go too far and make this guide longer than it already is. Either way, I doubt you'll ever try these complex combos if you're only interested in unlocking the achievement.

Tier List

If you are a fan of fighting games, surely you know or have seen a Tier List of your favorite game. These lists are usually made to indicate which are the best characters (and the most broken ones) in a game and which are the worst of them, among other kind of topics.

I have noticed there are many Tier Lists about the most useful characters in KOF XIII but there are none (at least I couldn’t find something about it) about what are the most difficult Trials in this game, so I decided to be the first one to create a Tier List of KOF XIII Trials: from the simplest ones (D Rank) to the most frustrating of them (S Rank).

Tier List:

Trials:


Next, I add the number of Trials, depending on each established category:

★☆☆☆☆ = 90 Trials

★★☆☆☆ = 107 Trials

★★★☆☆ = 101 Trials

★★★★☆ = 45 Trials

★★★★★ = 17 Trials

NOTES:
· Although there are several Trials with the same amount of stars, some of them are more difficult than others. Cause... you know: even among dogs there are races.
A clear example of this would be K's Trial 5 against Raiden's Trial 9. Despite the fact that both Trials are ★★★★★ there's a very big difference between them because, according to my personal criteria, K's Trial 5 is the least difficult in this category, while Raiden's Trial 9 is the most difficult Trial of the entire game.
· It should be noted that I don't have the absolute truth and you'll probably find certain kinds of combos easier. Still, I tried to give the Trials a special order by looking at them from a more general point of view for players of all abilities.
· All characters DO count towards the number of trials completed.
· ALL Trials were done with an xbox controller.

I appreciate your time to read everything and I hope I was able to help you n.n

[ADVERTENCIA: MUCHO TEXTO]

He decidido crear una guía debido a que la única existente en TA es prácticamente del año en el que salió el juego, además de que lo regalaron el pasado mes de enero con Games with Gold.

Para poder entregarles una guía con mayor conocimiento sobre las pruebas de KOF XIII, me tomé la tarea de superar las 360 pruebas existentes del juego (sí amigo, leíste bien: todas).

Personalmente se me da esto de los juegos de pelea y los combos, sin mencionar que es de mis géneros favoritos de toda la vida. Pero a eso nadie le importa así que vayamos al grano.

Debido a que soy mexicano (tal vez de ahí la experiencia porque, seamos sinceros, llevamos KOF en la sangre) esta guía la haré tanto en español como en inglés, esto con el fin de poder ayudar tanto a los angloparlantes como a los hispanohablantes debido a que el Traductor de Google no es confiable, pues traduce lo que quiere y como lo entiende. De antemano, agradezco su comprensión y valoración al esfuerzo entregado en esta guía por y para ustedes ;D

A continuación, podrán ver una lista en la cual califiqué, en base a mi criterio, la dificultad de las pruebas mediante el uso de clasificación por estrellas.

Clasificación mediante el uso de estrellas

★☆☆☆☆ – Combos fáciles que por lo regular no pasan de 4 comandos. Son muy fáciles de ejecutar incluso si eres un novato en juegos de pelea.

★★☆☆☆ – Combos que, si bien no son complicados, tampoco son sencillos. A pesar de esto, son más fáciles de lo que aparentan.

★★★☆☆ – Combos “neutros”. A partir de aquí se requiere de una buena precisión a la hora de conectar los combos. Para este punto, ya debiste de haberte familiarizado con el juego y sus mecánicas.

★★★★☆ – Combos para gente experimentada en juegos de pelea. Exigen mucha habilidad al jugador, así como también requieren de una exigente precisión. Son difíciles y un tanto extensos. A partir de aquí debes de haber comprendido cómo funciona el juego casi en su totalidad.

★★★★★ – Combos para aquellos que han dominado las mecánicas del juego. Requieren de una precisión en extremo exacta y buena coordinación con tu cerebro, además de ser largos. Si logras superar todas las pruebas de esta categoría, no olvides agregar esta gran hazaña a tu Curriculum Vitae.

La realización de combos de KOF XIII tiene sus mañas, pues existen varios “trucos” o “atajos” para poder efectuarlos con menor dificultad.

Por ejemplo: hay personajes que te piden realizar un movimiento 🡣🡦🡢 y conectarlo con un 🡣🡦🡢 + pero su MD se hace con el comando (🡣🡦🡢×2) /. Si realizas tal cual los comandos, el juego detectará el segundo movimiento como la realización del MD ya que el mismo juego está programado para ahorrar comandos y facilitar la realización de ciertos combos (en este caso, para evitar realizar cuatro veces 🡣🡦🡢). Para evitar esto, es necesario realizar el primer comando (🡣🡦🡢 ) y en lugar de realizar el segundo, al momento de impactar la primera técnica tienes que presionar rápidamente + dos veces, de esta manera el personaje conectará correctamente el Movimiento EX y no saldrá el MD.

Otro ejemplo, ahora con un personaje de carga, podría ser con Leona. Para poder conectar fácilmente su 🡣🡡 / con su 🡠🡢 / (o viceversa) es necesario mantener 🡧 esto hace posible que puedas cargar cualquiera de las dos técnicas y realizar la que te plazca. Para conectar ambas (solo una vez) lo que tienes que hacer es mantener 🡧 liberar hacia arriba de la siguiente manera 🡡 / y rápidamente finalizar con 🡢 / para que se combinen con éxito.

Ahora bien, la mayoría de sus pruebas requieren conectar varias veces ambas técnicas. Para esto, lo mejor que puedes hacer es mantener 🡧 PERO continuar con una vuelta de 240° de la siguiente manera: 🡧🡠🡤🡡🡥🡢. Una vez entendido esto, lo siguiente es presionar el comando solicitado (LP o HP) al momento de llegar a 🡡 y en cuanto se llegue a 🡢 presionar LK o HK (lo que el combo indique). Algo así sería lo que se tiene que hacer: 🡧🡠🡤🡡/🡥🡢/.

Hay otros trucos/atajos extra para facilitar más los combos, pero no me quiero extender tanto y hacer esta guía más larga de lo que ya es. De cualquier manera, dudo que llegues a intentar estos combos complejos si sólo te interesa desbloquear el logro.

Tier List

Si eres fan de los juegos de pelea, seguramente conoces o haz visto alguna Tier List de tu juego preferido. Por lo regular, estas listas se hacen para indicar cuáles son los mejores personajes (y los más rotos) de algún juego y cuáles son los peores, entre otra clase de temáticas.

Me he percatado de que hay muchas Tier List acerca de los personajes más útiles de KOF XIII pero no existe ninguna (al menos no he podido encontrar algo al respecto) sobre cuáles son las Pruebas más difíciles de este juego. Por ende, decidí ser el primero en crear una Tier List sobre las pruebas de KOF: desde las más sencillas (Rango D) hasta las más frustrantes (Rango S).

Tier List:

Pruebas:


A continuación, añado la cantidad de pruebas dependientes a cada categoría establecida:

★☆☆☆☆ = 90 Pruebas

★★☆☆☆ = 107 Pruebas

★★★☆☆ = 101 Pruebas

★★★★☆ = 45 Pruebas

★★★★★ = 17 Pruebas

NOTAS:
· A pesar de que existen varias pruebas con la misma cantidad de estrellas, unas son más difíciles que otras. Porque... ya saben: incluso entre perros hay razas.
Un claro ejemplo de esto sería la Prueba 5 de K’ contra la Prueba 9 de Raiden. A pesar de que ambas pruebas son ★★★★★ hay una diferencia muy grande entre ellas, pues a criterio personal, la prueba 5 de K’ es la menos difícil de esta categoría mientras que la 9 de Raiden es la prueba más difícil de todo el juego.
· Cabe recalcar que yo no tengo la verdad absoluta y probablemente a ti se te faciliten más cierta clase de combos. Aun así, traté de dar un orden especial a las pruebas viéndolas desde un punto de vista más general para jugadores con toda clase de habilidades.
· Todos los personajes, incluidos los tres personajes DLC, cuentan para el logro.
· TODAS las Pruebas fueron superadas utilizando el mando del xbox.

Les agradezco que se hayan tomado el tiempo de leer todo y espero haberlos podido ayudar n.n

If you are struggling to complete Kula's #4, take Takuma to the corner and when you do her HP shoryuken, instead of cancelling it with the super special move (too hard to perform in the normal pad), cancel it with her quarter circle backward + strong kick (the move in which she spins with her leg), and right after you land, perform the Super Special Move, to hit Takuma in juggle state before he touches the ground. It's too hard to cancel the Shoryuken with this Super, and adding this move will increase your chances.

Trust me: while running for this achievement, every trial you complete is an important step forward.