King of Fighters '95 [Arcade] - play as Saisyu Kusanagi

This is a playthrough using Saisyu Kusanagi in the Arcade (NeoGeo MVS) version of King of Fighters '95. Read on below for more information...

Saisyu is the penultimate boss of the game, and he is an unlockable playable character.

===== HOW TO UNLOCK SAISYU =====

1) When you arrive at the character select screen and it says "TEAM EDIT?", select YES.

2) Now press and hold the START button, and input the following in the order below:

Hold UP, press LK
Hold RIGHT, press HP
Hold LEFT, press LP
Hold DOWN, press HK

When you release HK (after you press it) Rugal and Saisyu's icons should appear. If it doesn't, press START. This also works if you have the game set to Single play. This code works for both the MVS and AES versions of the game.

--------- MOVELIST ---------

===== COMMAND BASICS =====
-- Overhead Smash: F + [SP]

===== SPECIAL MOVES =====
-- Fire Wave: D,DF,F + [P]
-- Demon Scorcher: F,D,DF + [P]
-- Godly Consultation: F,DF,D,DB,B + [P]

===== DESPERATION MOVE =====
(requires POW MAXIMUM or/and low flashing life)
-- Orochi Nagi: D,DB,B,DB,D,DF,F + [SP] (hold [SP] to delay)

===== ABOUT SAISYU IN KOF95 =====

Saisyu is Kyo's father, and is the current patriarch of the Kusanagi bloodline and master of the sacred flame. In 1994 he went on a quest to challenge fighters from around the world, before being defeated heavily by Rugal Bernstein in the KOF94 tournament. It is implied that he allegedly died from the injuries he sustained before the finals.

However in the KOF95 tournament, it is eventually revealed that he had survived, and was brainwashed by Rugal's secretary, Vice, to take the task of competing as a mid-boss opponent in the semi-final round. He was defeated by his son Kyo and his teammates. Upon his second defeat, and with the destruction of Omega Rugal, Saisyu goes into self-exile.

===== GAMEPLAY =====

Like father, like son... also both from the same martial arts clan. Therefore it would be expected for Saisyu to have the same type of basics and have some of the same specials as Kyo. He does them better than his son though of course - as a boss character always should if he is a "semi-clone" of a regular character. cough*akumashoshinjo*cough

===== ADDITIONAL INFORMATION =====

---- When he is the CPU boss on the final stage, he does not have anyone on his side standing in the background plane area (where the non-active team members would stand) in gameplay.

---- As CPU bosses, Omega Rugal and Saisyu Kusanagi operate as one match, so you have to fight them both, one after the other (Saisyu first).

---- As a Team Edit only character, he does not have an ending.

---- If you play as Saisyu through the game, the 3rd cut-scene images of him will have him in the alternative colour palette!

---- In the 3rd cut-scene (the one before you fight Saisyu), the dialogue spells his first name as "Saishu".

---- He debuted in KOF94 as a victim in Rugal's gallery of defeated fighters.

---- He wasn't meant to appear in KOF95 as a result of him dying in the storyline in KOF94, but the developers added him in at the last minute.

---- KOF95 sees the debut of Saisyu Kusanagi (as a gameplay character) and Iori Yagami.

===== ABOUT KOF95 =====

KOF95 improves on the prequel in almost all aspects and the whole thing is far more refined. For the first time, players are able to choose to edit their teams from the whole roster instead of being stuck with a fixed three per team. This concept would turn out to be a hallmark feature for future KOF games. A criticism of the game would be perhaps the high damage infliction in general, meaning rounds can be really short.