GameSurge Strategy Page
GAMESURGE HOME l STRATEGY HOME l


King of Fighters 99
Millennium Battle
Maxima Guide v10.1
September 27, 1999
by Patrick Hwang
email ph@ucla.edu

================================================================================
==============

Table of Contents
=================

-Version History
-Why Maxima?
-Maxima Tidbits
-Kof Basics
-Maxima's Moves
-Combos
-Strategy
-Credits
-Conclusion

===============
Version History
===============

v10.1, 9/27/99-Wohoo! fairly big up update. manly little changes here and there
throught the guide.
v6.1, 9/1/99-Okay I'm finally done with the guide, ready to be submitted
v5.1, 8/23/99-Major update, still not ready to be submitted yet
v4.1, 8/21/99-Late late night update...or should I say early early morning...
v3.1, 8/20/99-Guide is nearing completness, still missing some information.
v2.1, 8/17/99-More info added, still very messy.
v1.1, 8/16/99-First ideas on the guide. Outline of the guide completed.

===========
Why Maxima?
===========

Why do I like Maxima so much? When I first saw Kof99 and Maxima, the first thing
that came to mind was Brian (from the USA team) with armor. I laughed at him.
As I started to play Kof99, I realized that all my favorite characters were
gone. Shermie, Orochi Yashiro, Goro...the grapplers, they were all gone. In
fact, the only true grappler that was left was Clark. But I hate Clark. Don't
get me wrong, Clark is an awesome character, he's faster and has more 'throws'
than Maxima. The thing is, I hate all the mainstream characters, thats why I
never play Kyo, Iori, or K', and thats why I won't play Clark. Not that I
can't, its just that I don't like playing any of the popular, albeit powerful
characters. So Clark was definitely out of the question. Well, out of all the
new characters this year, it looked like Maxima was the only thing close enough
for me to call a grappler. Maxima wasn't terribly popular (yet, for that
matter) where I played so I immediatley took a liking to him. As a grappler,
Maxima is horrible, though he is damaging, his range is just simply
horrible...maybe i'm just too used to the others like Shermie, for instance.
Agagin, don't get me wrong, Maxima isn't bad, he's actually very good in the
right hands, its just that he could have been
better...

==============
Maxima Tidbits
==============

Place of Birth Canada
Fighting Style "M Type" Grapple Art
Age 29
DOB March 2nd
Blood Type A
Height 204 cm
Weight 204 kg
Hobby Driving Motorcycles
Favorite food Sweet food in general
Good sports Rugby
Important thing His sideburns
Hated thing Natto (japanese food) and people who want opinion

==========
Kof Basics
==========

dash forward F, F
run forward F, F(hold)
dash back B, B
hop jump Tap U
super jump qcf,u
forward slide F+A+B
backward slide, hop forwards B+A+B
max roll Forward or Back+A+B(while blocking, uses 1 stock)
slide attack slide forward then press A/B/C/D
recovery roll A+B when landing
summon striker B+C
heavy attack C+D
counter attack C+D(while blocking, uses 1 stock)

Counter Mode
A+B+C
When you have stored three stocks, you may then activate Counter Mode. While in
this mode, you can perform unlimited DM but they have longer start up time. You
are also able to cancel your special moves into DM. A very good mode for
characters that are good at performing combos. After this mode is over, you may
not gain stock for a brief period of time.

Armor Mode
B+C+D
When you have stored three stocks, you may then activate Armor Mode. The time
Armor Mode lasts is significantly shorter than compared to Counter Mode. While
in this mode, you may not perform DM/SDM. While this mode is activated, you
will not experience hit stun. You will, in fact, still take damage, but you
will not be pushed back. This is the ideal mode for grapplers, Clark is very
deadly in this mode. After the mode ends, you will not be able to
gain stock for a brief period of time. NOTE you will not experience tick damage
while in this mode.

==============
Maxima's Moves
==============

========
Standing
========

A
Rating ***
Quick, light jab. Good for the average combo starter.

B
Rating *
Side kick. This move looks quite odd because Maxima is performing a standing
side kick move while facing forwards. Overall, this move doesnt have too much
use.

C
Rating **
Big punch. A long ranged punc that is very slow but powerful. It looks like
Zangief's standing fierce punch in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Like man similar
moves, the range and
strength of this move is compromised by its speed. This move has autoguard.

D
Rating *
Big kick. This kick resembles the big boot that many wrestlers do in
the ring. Its merely this foot extended outwards at about a 90 degree angle.
Very short ranged attack and is not recommended.

CD
Rating **
Double-fisted swing. Maxima swings his fist upwards in an arc. Looks like what
a batter's
swing as if he was swinging a baseball bat. This move is slow to come out but
it does seem like he goes forward a tad bit during execution. I believe this
move also has autoguard.

=====
Close
=====

A
Rating ***
Like the Standing A
version, this is also a quick jab attack. It's your standard close, light and
weak attack.

B
Rating *
A low ankle kick. Looks like a mini stop. A air stomp because he doesnt
actually stomp the ground. Sucks move because, see for yourself if you dont
believe me.

C
Rating ***
Backhand like move that hits twice. Like all close Cs, this move can be used in
combos, usually the command throw is performed after this. This move has
autoguard.

D
Rating ***
Knee. A close knee to the abdomen area. Not too useful but it is comboable and
you can command throw them after this move.

=========
Crouching
=========

A
Rating ****
Low jab attack. A very quick chop-like attack. Good to use for Maxima's
combos.

B
Rating ****
Low Kick. A fairly long-ranged and quick attack. Good for poking opponents.

C
Rating **
Low chop. This move looks like a swipe attack, Maxima slices his hand across at
an arm's length. Like all of Maxima's other hard hits, this one has good range
but is also very slow, it also has autoguard.

D
Rating ***
Sweep. Maxima's sweep is a very long ranged sweep attack. Despite the horrible
speed on this move, I actually find opponents falling for this move.

=======
Jumping
=======

A
Rating ****
Jumping chop. A jab chop aimed downwards at a 45 degree angle. This should be
the move to use for hopping attacks to apply pressure on the opponent.

B
Rating

C
Rating ***
Body Splash. A gaint body splash move similar looking to the one Zangief
perfoms in the Street Fighter series. Only an okay move, it may have cross up
properties. This move is somewhat, though not much better than the jumping D.

D
Rating **(regular) ****(hop)
Jump kick. The jumping D attack is a standard jumping kick that aims downwards
at a 45 degree angle. It looks a lot like the jumping D that Goro had in KoF98.
Because of the angle on this move, and the limited horizontal range, it is best
used as a jump-in attack. NOTE if you do a hop jump, or a small jump with the D
button, Maxima will perform a different version of his jumping kick. It will be
a jumping kick that resembles Bao's jumping CD. This is a very good attack for
jumping in.

CD
Rating ****
Air shoulder ram. Maxima is almost verticle with this move. Somewhat similar
to Kyo's jumping CD attack. This move has good air-to-air priority and should
be exactly used like that.


=============
Command Moves
=============

Forward+A
Rating ***
Maxima performs what
looks like a lunging hammer fist. Looks something like Ryo's forward+A, but
with two hands. Distance is bad but he does go forwards a bit. The speed on
this is also average, but it does seem to have some start-up time. This is your
basic command move that can act as an overhead when performed alone, or it can
be chained in combos for an extra hit. In addition, I find that you CAN'T, you
cannot chain this from a close C, you will miss since the distance isn't that
great on this move.

DownForward+C
Rating **
Another command move, Maxima
performs an upwards punch aimed at a 45 degree angle. This move is very slow to
come out but it seems that you may use this move as an anti-air if done early.
Reminds me of Goro's downforward+C in Kof98, obviously not as great though... Oh
yeah this has autoguard.


=============
Special Moves
=============

M-4 type Vapor Cannon
QCB+A/C
Rating ****
Maxima extends his arm out and a blast of smoke comes out, much like a cannon.
The actual range on this move is extended a little farther than what it seems to
be. The move seems to have a start-up lag so it is not recommended to be used
up close. C version also seems to have a delay afterwards so always use the A
version. This move has a high damage level.

System 1 Maxima Scramble (p1)
QCF+A
Rating ****
This move is similar to Brain Battler's move where he does his mult-version
grab. Maxima's is better since he does move forward. In this first part,
Maxima will do a mid level chop-thrust to the gut area. This is fairly fast to
come out and can be chained from a low A. This is a three part move.

System 2 Maxima Scramble (p1)
QCF+C
Rating ***
Same move as the A version, but the A version deals more damage overall, I dont
really recommend this move.

Double Bomber (Maxima Scramble p2)
QCF+A
Rating *****
Maxima will grab the opponent. Can't really see what he is doing at this time
due to his excessive movement. This move is preferred over the C version
because it deals more damage. Always use this instead of C.

Skull Crush (Maxima Scramble p2)
QCF+C
Rating **
Maxima will grab the opponent and slam them down to the ground. Must be done
after the System 2 Maxima Scramble. This move can catch a juggled opponent since
it can grab them out of the air.

Bulldog Press (Maxima Scrable p3)
QCF+A
Rating *****
This is done after the System 1 verion of the Maxima Scramble. Maxima will
finish the move by grabbling the opponent in the air with one hand and slam them
onto the ground. This move gets five starts in my book because it is freebie
damage after you connect with the first part of the Maxima Scramble. Remember,
free is always good. )

Centoun Press (Maxima Scramble p3)
Forward+D
Rating *
While your opponent is on the ground, Maxima will do a flip and land on the
opponent. This must be done after the System 2 version of the Maxima Scramble.
Let me be the first to tell you that this move sucks. This move is horrible
because you are required to time the move. If you do it too early, Maxima will
miss the opponent and end up on his back, if you do this too late, you won' do
it at all. Unless you enjoy messing around, do not use this.

M-11 type Dangerous Arch
HCF+B/D
Rating ****
This is Maxima's command throw. If you connect with this move, he will grab you
and thenbackdrop you to the ground. This is his only command throw and the
truth is, it sucks. There is very very little range on this move meaning you
must be *really* close for this to connect, otherwise you will get the miss
throw animation. Unfortuantely, since this is his only command throw, this will
be *the* move that you should be concentrating on landing on the opponent. The
damage on this is also high.

======
DM/SDM
======

Bunker Buster
QCF, HCB+A/C
Rating **
Maxima crunches up into a ball and shoots up, then he comes back down with an
explosion. The SDM version is the same thing except it has
"earthquake" properties similar to Chang's SDM. The only difference
is that the "earthquake" takes place while going up, unlike Chang's
which occurs while he is going down. To block this move, simply block low while
he goes up, then block high when he comes down. If they are tricked by the
"earthquake" Maxima will surely land on them, the same will apply if you are
able to hit them while goin up. From what i can see though, if you are hit by
the first part, you are still able to defend against the second part if you
recovery roll from it. Most of the time, this will trick newbies and/or people
that do not know about this move. After they find out, it is pretty easy to
avoid, making this a waste of stock. You can also delay Maxima's "take off" by
holding down the button. In addition, Maxima has autoguard while he recovers
from landing so there is no fear of being attacked. NOTE when playing against
this, you can simple recovery roll to avoid being landed on by Maxima/

Maxima's Revenge
HCB, HCB+B/D
Rating ****
This is Maxima's other DM, like all other grapplers, this one is a throwing DM
which means the opponent must be close for this to land. Maxima will grab you
and lift you up with one hand, then he will slam you down to the ground.
Afterwards, Maxima will throw you up, a la Clark's Ultra Argentine Back Breaker
DM. When you are about to land, Maxima will head butt you back up like what you
would do to a soccer ball. In the SDM version, Maxima will head butt you up
three times instead of one. This is what you should be using your stocks for
since it is the more relaible DM.

======
Combos
======

Maxima isn't too great in the combo department. You you opt for someone with
combos, Maxima is not your man. He does have a few combos though, not too many
that will be too interesting. Concentrate more on getting close to do your
damage.

I will list the combos that I know of as of now.

*Close C, Dangerous Arch
C, HCF+B/D

*Close D, Dangerous Arch
D, HCF+B/D

*Low A, Maxima Scramble
Low A, QCF+A X3

*Low A, Forward+A, Maxima Scramble
Down A, Forward+A, QCF+A X3

Counter Mode Combos

*slide attack, System 1 Maxima Scramble, Double Bomber Maxima Scrambe, Maxima's
Revenge DM
slide A+B, then attack, QCF+A, QCF+A, finish with the HCB, HCB+B/D. i suppose
this is your most basic counter mode combo utilizing the Maxima Scramble to hit
and get close and the Maxima's Revenge DM to finish it off.

========
Strategy
========

Since Maxima is a grappler, the best distance for him is close. With Maxima's
lack of speed and somewhat limited amount of moves, he is definitely not a combo
person. Besides the few combos that he does posses, his main move should be his
command throw. His command throw is powerful and he only needs to land a few on
the opponent to do some heavy damage. A few methods of getting close are to
simply jump at the opponent and do nothing. The opponent will think that you
are attacking and stand there and block. Upon landing, the opponent may try to
do an attack on you, just simply perform the command throw and they will be
thrown to the ground like meat. This usually will get sleeping opponents. Now
that many people already know this, it will not work as much. Another way to
get close fast is to dash/slide at the opponent. This will usually catch
opponents that are doing a special move, etc. The thrid way that I usually fake
the opponent out is with the new back dodge, forward slide move. By pressing
back and A+B, your character will jump backwards and then forwards. This is
especially useful since it is very fast. By all means you are not invincible
while performing this move, but since it is so quick, opponents may not have
time to react. One instance to use this is when the opponent is attacking you
with a limited ranged move. e.g Ryo's fireball. By executing the move at the
right time, you will dodge backwards, avoiding the move, then jump right back in
their face, giving you an open opprotunity to grab them. Occassionally, I will
dash at the opponent, and right before i get to them, I will do the dodge.
Because they were expecting me, they might do a move , e.g an uppercut to him
me. I dodge back to "sucker" them in, leaving them open, and a chance for me to
do some damage. Maxima's poking game is horrible. Even his light hits are slow.
My suggestion, stick to grabbing them instead of ticking them away.

===========================
Counter Mode Vs. Armor Mode
===========================

The new modes introduced in KoF99 are designed to give you a new game play.
Counter Mode allows you to perform unlimited DM/SDM for about thrity seconds.
The real beauty of this mode is that it allows you to counter special moves into
DMs. This allows you to do insane damage by doing doing comobs and interrupting
them with DMs. Unfortunately, Maxima lacks in the combo department. The lack
of comobs really makes this mode useless for Maxima. The other mode is Armor
Mode. In this mode, Maxima will be immune to hit stun, very similar to the
Super Armor Zangief in Marvel Vs. Capcom. This means even if he takes hits,
Maxima will still be able to grab the opponent. This is definetely a scary mode
for Maxima. Unfortunately, this mode only lasts for 10 seconds. In addition, in
Armor Mode, Maxima will not suffer tick damage. So that means if time is
running out and Maxima is a little ahead in life, activate Armor Mode and
turtle. hehe cheap but if you're desperate...

winner neither

Why neither modes? Because in 99, characters do not pass stock. This means that
when a new character comes in, they must rebuid stock from scratch. This makes
building up to three stocks a little difficult, and this usually means that by
the time you do have 3 stocks your life will be very little. In addition,
Maxima has a little more difficutly in building up to three stocks. Instead, I
recommend you using your stocks for his DMs for damage and CD counters for those
people that are overly offensive.

===============
Moves Breakdown
===============

-Vapor Cannon
This Vapor Cannon move is very good. The A version should always be used
because he suffers nearly no lag afterwards. This move is recommended to be
used while the opponent is further away. Obviously, when he opponent is close
he should be in the cluthes of the Dangerous Arch throw. This move has good
range and is even greater in damage. This hits fairly high and
because of this, I have been able to catch opponents as they try to jump away
from it. Important note, this move should not be used close because at close
range, you will suffer recovery lag. At further distances, the opponent will be
pushed away. heheh

-Dangerous Arch
Obviously, the Dangerous Arch is a damaging move. When the opponent is close,
your goal should be landing this move. This move is very damaging. Remember
though, the range on this move is horrible and Maxima's miss throw animation is
especially long due to his slowness. Be sure it will connect or you might
suffer a lot of punishment.

-Maxima Scramble
The Maxima Scramble is a great move IMO. It is very similar to Brian Battler's
move except it is not as complicated to execute. The A version is always
preferred to the C because it does more damage. One thing to do is to perform
this move when the opponent is close. If they are hit, finish the move for big
damage. If they block the move, perform up to the second part of the Maxima
Scramble and pause a little. If they are still blocking, you can then stop the
move and perform the Dangerous Arch command throw or even the Maxima's Revenge
DM if you have stock. You are able to do this because you will be extremely
close to the opponent. If the opponent decides to counter attack, immediately
finish the thrid part of the Scramble and
nail them hard.

-Buster Bunker
I suppose the Bunker Buster DM can be used as an air counter if they are right
above you, but that unfortunatley, is too unrealibe. The would have to be
nearly over you for this to be effective. You could also use strikers to get
them into this position. Kim, Choi, King, and others that launch them up can be
used to acomplish this task. The SDM version is good but it will only trick the
newbies and scrubs. Unfortunately, good players, or people that already know
the move will be able to block it with ease. One thing though, the Buster
Bunker DM is good for a wake up move so if they are over you when down, do it,
they will most likely be hit because Big M here has autoguard both when
launching and landing. Otherwise, concentrate more on landing the Maxima's
Revenge DM. The damage on the other DM may not be great, but at least it is
more reliable.

=======
Credits
=======

- GameFAQs
For accepting and displaying for FAQ

- Japan Arcade
For getting Kof early and having it for only one credit

- Orbit Comics
For having two Kof99 machines and staying open late

- UCLA X-Cape Arcade
For having the best damn damn joysticks ever...now if only it was 25 cents to
play...

- Peter
pkim210@ucla.edu
Thanks for all your help and input on Maxima

- Gunsmith
Wu-Tech Corp.
http//w3.to/wu-tech
Thanks for the information. Maxima bio and the names of the moves were taken
form Gunsmith's FAQ

- Fabian Chung
FabianC@oakley.com
For you input on the Maxima counter mode combos. Thanks!


This FAQ can be viewed at the following sites

- GameFAQs
http//www.gamefaqs.com

- Wu-Tech Corp.
http//w3.to/wu-tech

- Black Noah Isand
http//blacknoah.cjb.net




==========
Conclusion
==========

Well thats about it for now. I know im still missing a few moves and some
combos. Ill try to update once in a while when I find out more about Maxima.
Granted, not all tactics are the best, and obviously it is reflected by my own
stlye of play. So feel free to email me with questions or comments. Your input
will be greatly appreciated.

===
End
===

Patrick Hwang
Copyright (c)1999
PREVIOUS PAGE l STRATEGY HOME l GAMESURGE HOME

At GameSurge, we pride ourselves in being a game site for ALL games. We are always looking for new and exciting features to add to our site. If you have a submission, or wish to join the strategy section staff here at GameSurge, you can contact us through our email at webmaster@gamesurge.com.
This page is Created by CD2HTML v3.4.2 (© 1999 by Falk Petro).


» Contact Us » Top » Homepage


All HTML coding are original and © GameSurge.
Original Graphics and layout are copyright © of P.D.Sanderson and shivaSite Designs.
No part of this site may not be reproduced without prior consent.
Site best viewed with I.E./NS 4+.
Resolution is 800x600, up to 1152x864. 16 bit+ color recommended
Designed by shivaSite