**********************************************************************
Title: Kengo 3
Date: September 3, 2008
System: Playstation 2
Author: Adenosine
E-mail: NOSPAM@classiccase@hotmail.com (Remove NOSPAM@ to contact me).
Version: 1.5
**********************************************************************
History:
August 25, 2008
- Initial guide release.
September 2, 2008
- Added Edo Dojo 2 Event, Formation of Shinsengumi Event, Shinsengumi
Assassination Event, Return to Kyoto Dojo 2 Event, Kyoto Shrine Event,
Iga Job Event, Chasing Musashi Event, and Meeting Kojiro Sasaki Event.
- Discovered codes for Musashi's Sword and Kojiro's Long Sword.
Table of Contents:
Part 1
- Introduction
- Main Menu
- VS Mode
- VS Mode Created Character Set-up
- VS Mode In-Game Menu
- Extra Modes
- Options
Part 2
- Story Mode Walkthrough
- Character Creation
- The Beginning
- General Controls
- Training with Your Saviour
- The Aizu Dojo Day 1
- Equipping Your First Learned Move
- Resting
- The Aizu Dojo Day 2
- The Aizu Dojo Day 3
- The Aizu Dojo Day 4
- The Aizu Dojo Day 5
- The Aizu Dojo Day 6
- Aizu Tournament Invitation Day 7
- Friendly Tea Tournament Day 7
- Friendly Tea Tournament Day 8
- Resting Time Day 9
- Aizu Tournament Day 10
- The Aizu Dojo Day 11
- The Aizu Dojo Day 12
- The Aizu Dojo Day 13
Part 3
- Journey to Ueno Day 14-21
- Tea House Betting Game Day 21
- Ueno Old Man Event Day 22
- Ueno Dojo Day 128
- Resting Time Day 129
- Ueno Tournament Day 130
- Ueno Dojo Day 131
- Ueno Dojo Day 132
- Ueno Dojo Day 133
- Ueno Dojo Day 134
- Ueno Dojo Day 135
Part 4
- Journey to Edo - Day 138
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 139
- Edo Tournament Day 140
- Optional Edo Tournament Part 2 Extra 100 Ryo Day 140
- Shopping For Clothes Day 141
- Shopping for Swords Day 141
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 142
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 143
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 144
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 145
- Edo Dojo 1 Day 146
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 147
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 148
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 149
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 150
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 151-155
- Edo Dojo 1 Tournament Event Day 156
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 157
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 158
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 159
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 160
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 161
- Edo Dojo 1 Event Day 162
- Edo Dojo 2 Day 163
- Edo Dojo 2 Day 164-169
- Edo Dojo 3 Day 170-179
- Edo Dojo 4 Day 180-189
Part 5
- Passing By Ueno Day 183
- Blacksmith of Aizu Day 190
- Visit to Aizu Dojo Day 190
- Visit to Aizu Dojo Day 191
- Visit to Aizu Dojo Day 192
- First Job Day 193
- Aizu Blacksmith Day 194
- Deadly Tea House Tournament Day 194
- Waiting for Aizu Tournament Day 195-199
- Aizu Tournament Day 200
- Waiting for Aizu Tournament Day 201-209
- Aizu Tournament Day 210
- Waiting for Aizu Tournament Day 211-219
- Aizu Tournament Day 220
Part 6
- Ueno Day 227
- Ueno Tournament Day 230
- Waiting for Ueno Tournament Day 231-239
- Ueno Tournament Day 240
Part 7
- Edo Day 243
- Edo Tournament Day 250
- Aizu Day 259
Part 8
- Owari Tournament Day 280
- Owari Dojo 1 Day 281-289
- Owari Tournament Day 290
- Owari Dojo 2 Day 291-299
- Owari Tournament Day 300
Part 9-A Shinsengumi Story
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 315
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 316
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 318
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 319
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 320
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 322
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 323
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 324
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 325-326
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 328
- Kyoto Shinsengumi Event Day 332
Part 9-B
- Kyoto Event Day 315
- Kyoto Event Day 316
- Kyoto Dojo Day 317-319
- Kyoto Tournament Day 320
- Kyoto Dojo Day 321-329
- Kyoto Tournament Day 330
- Kyoto Day 331
- Kyoto Day 332-339
- Kyoto Tournament Day 340
Part 10
- Iga Day 342-349
- Iga Tournament Day 350
- Iga Day 351-388
Part 11
- Kyoto Dojo Day 390-391
- Osaka Dojo Day 393-399
- Osaka Tournament Day 400
- Osaka Day 401-409
- Osaka Tournament Day 410
- Osaka Tournament Day 420
Part 12
- Tosa Dojo Day 434-439
- Tosa Tournament Day 440
- Tosa Dojo Day 441-442
- Tosa Tournament Day 450
- Tosa Tournament Day 460
Part 13
- Buzen Day 476
- Buzen Tournament Day 480
- Buzen Kojiro Sasaki Event Day 481
- Buzen Kojiro Sasaki Event Day 482
- Buzen Dojo Day 483-489
- Buzen Tournament Day 490
Part 14
- Chikugo Day 495-499
- Chikugo Tournament Day 500
- Chikugo Dojo Day 501-509
- Chikugo Tournament Day 510
- Chikugo Tea House Day 511
Part 15
- Satsuma Dojo Day 521-526
Part 16
- Journey Back to Edo Day 527-569
- Owari Dojo 2 Event Day 569
- Edo Dojo 4 Day 582
Part 17
- Exploring Japan Day 593
- Edo Tea House Event Day 719
- Edo Event Day 720
- Exploring Japan Day 720-928
- Edo Event Day 928
- Exploring Japan Day 929 and Beyond
Part 18 (Newly Added Events)
- Edo Dojo 2 Event
- Formation of Shinsengumi Event
- Shinsengumi Assassination Event
- Return to Kyoto Dojo 2 Event
- Kyoto Shrine Event
- Iga Job Event
- Chasing Musashi Event
- Meeting Kojiro Sasaki Event
Part 19
- Tricks
- RAW Codes for GameShark or Action Replay.
- Parting Words
- Special Thanks
Part 20
- Copyright Information
***********************
Part 1
***********************
-------------
Introduction:
-------------
Welcome to the world of swordsmen during a time when the sword meant a
person's life! In Kengo 3, create your own swordsman and travel around
Japan challenging different schools as you integrate their styles into
your own. Collect swords from your opponents as you meet them along the
road, join tournaments to prove your worth, or you may also do heroic
deeds such as saving kidnapped victims or assassinating targets, it's
all up to you on how you live the life of one devoted to the sword!
Although I can't read Japanese, I have spent considerable time
experimenting with this wonderful game. I'm sure a lot of people also
want to enjoy this game, only to shy away because of the menu driven
nature of majority of the game. With this guide, I hope that you will be
able to have fun with most of the game's features, since the menus are
really used to travel around Japan and to select weapons and clothes.
Also in this guide, I shall create a swordsman that we can all use as a
"walkthrough" of sorts. I'll try to be as detailed as possible so that
the experience of following it will help you when you create your own
swordsman to do whatever you please. Just please bear in mind that not
everything will be exact because there seems to be some randomness in
the game when it comes to what skills you learn or what sword you get,
as well as how much you grow.
There will be no literal translations of the menus, but I will provide
the best words to describe what they are for. Please enjoy this guide
and have fun!
----------
Main Menu:
----------
On the main menu, you will find these choices:
Story Mode - This is where you create your own swordsman. This is more
like a "choose your own adventure" game where there are no set paths to
choose.
VS Mode - This lets you fight the computer or a friend.
Extra Modes - This lets you play extra modes like VS 100, VS1000, and
1-Hit Kill.
View Mode - You get this after you finish the game once. It lets you
view things that you got in Story Mode like techniques.
Options - Change your game settings to your liking here.
--------
VS Mode:
--------
The first screen asks you if you want to fight the CPU or another
player. On the next screen is the character selection. Below the list of
characters is a display which shows how strong a character is. The more
full the bars are, the better that character is.
If you have created a swordsman in Story Mode, you can use him/her as
well. Just press the Select button and the character list will switch to
the Created Characters list.
The next screen will let you change your set up if you chose a Created
Character.
---------------------------------
VS Mode Created Character Set-up:
---------------------------------
When you choose a Created Character in VS Mode, you can set him/her up
before battle. Here are the options from top to bottom.
1. Costume - When you choose this, two more choices will show up. The
first one is used to change your clothes, while the second one is used
to change your head accessories like  masks or hats. You will need to
buy them from Story Mode before they show up here.
2. Sword - You can change the sword that you are using from here, but
you'll need to get them from Story Mode first.
3. First Stance - change the style of your first stance. You must learn
them from Story Mode first.
4. Second Stance - change the style of your second stance. You must
learn them from Story Mode first.
5. Third Stance - change the style of your third stance. You must learn
them from Story Mode first.
6. Weapon Type - the first choice lets you use a real weapon, while the
second one lets you use a wooden version of your weapon.
7. Done - choose this when you're happy with your Created Character set
up.
The next screen will let you pick a stage to fight in. To unlock other
stages, you must fight on them in Story Mode first.
---------------------
VS Mode In-Game Menu:
---------------------
During a fight, press Start to bring up the in-game menu.
1. Resume/Rematch - when you or your opponent has been killed, choose
this for a quick rematch.
2. Change Characters - this will bring you back to the character select
screen.
3. Change Stage - this will bring you back to the Stage Select screen.
4. Exit - this will take you back to the main menu.
------------
Extra Modes:
------------
These extra modes are fun as they involve you having to kill a lot of
enemies!
1. VS 100 - kill 100 enemies to win!
2. VS 1000 - kill 1000 enemies to win! Every 60 kills, you will get a
short break time and your health will be replenished a bit for the next
wave of enemies.
3. 1-Hit Kill - kill 108 enemies, but be careful, 1 hit will kill you as
well!
--------
Options:
--------
There isn't much to change in the options menu. They are mostly used to
disable certain information from being displayed in VS Mode like health
and the stance you're using.
1. Life Bar - On/Off
2. Stance - On/Off
3. Blood - On/Off
4. ??? (Maybe it's a switch for the controller's vibration?)
5. Music - On/Off
6. VS Rounds - set the number to the amount of wins you need to be
declared the ultimate VS Mode Winner!
***********************
Part 2
***********************
-----------------------
Story Mode Walkthrough:
-----------------------
In the Story Mode, we will create a swordsman which we will help get to
the "end" of the game, which is a tournament of the best swordsmen in
Japan help in Edo. Please remember that there are also different events
which may occur while in the game that's not in this guide. After we
reach that "end" (which serves more like a checkpoint), we will then
proceed to discover what events we can while travelling all around
Japan.
When you choose Story Mode, you will be presented with two choices:
1. New Game
2. Load Game
Choose the first one to start a new game and create a swordsman.
-------------------
Character Creation:
-------------------
This is where the fun really begins! The first screen lets you choose
from a number of heads that you can choose to represent your swordsman.
Please take note  that there are also female heads if you want to create
a female character.
After choosing your character's head, the screen will ask you to input
your name. Now thisis really sad for those who can't understand
Japanese, but there is a way to write your name with alphabets!
At the bottom of the box, there are two choices. Choose the left one.
You will notice that suddenly, the box is letting you select from a
bunch of symbols. Scroll down and you'll discover letters that you can
actually use to spell your name! Unfortunately, the space provided is
limited. For the first part, you only get to type in 3 letters, while
the second part of your name, you can type in only 5 letters. At least
this is better than not being able to see your name on the screen.
Once you have finished typing your name, press Start and then choose the
already highlighted character on the right to proceed.
The next screen, I don't really know what it is for, but it seems to be
some type of "Potential" chooser. It lets you choose different set-ups
that seem to give more to some stats, and less to others. Others also
seem to have lower "Maximum Potential". Let us just stick to the default
choice and proceed.
You will then be presented with a map because you will have to choose
where your character is going to originate from. With the help of the
little translated map in GameFaqs by "Jack Power", here's a list of the
available areas for you. I will list them in order of upper right going
to bottom left.
1. Aizu (this is selected by default)
2. Ueno
3. Edo (this isn't available as a starting point, but it's directly
below Ueno)
4. Owara
5. Kyoto (this is directly in the middle)
6. Iga (this is directly below Kyoto)
7. Osaka
8. Tosa (this is on the island)
9. Buzen
10. Chikugo
11. Satsuma (this is on the bottom left)
Let us choose Aizu, which is the default option. We are choosing Aizu
because there aren't much text in the menu yet, and this will be good
practice for you to be familiar with certain Japanese characters and
what they represent in the menu.
The next screen will have two choices for you. It is actually asking if
you have a previous character whom you would like to use as your
"saviour" of sorts. You can only choose a previous character to be your
saviour (meaning you can use their money, fighting moves, clothes, and
weapons) if that character has already won the ending tournament in Edo.
Choose the second option for now because you don't have a previous
character that has won the Edo tournament yet.
The next screen will show you the starting stats of your character, as
well as the maximum potential he/she can achieve in the game. Press the
button to proceed, and then you'll be presented with two choices. Select
the top choice and the game will finally begin with your character.
--------------
The Beginning:
--------------
After witnessing two swordsmen kill each other, you fall down in the
snow. Another swordsman sees you and saves you. Later on, you are seen
training at his place. He calls you to talk about something, and then
you are presented with the menu in your room. I will list them down from
top to bottom as I give a general idea of what they're for.
1. Action - currently, you only have one action to do here, which is to
go visit the swordsman who saved you for some training.
2. Customize - when you choose this, you will be presented with three
choices to customize.
a. Moves - there are three slots to put combo moves in. Press Triangle
to view a move or a slot. Press the O button to activate the animation
to see it. Currently you only have two moves available.
b. Weapons - you don't have any choices here yet, only the default
one. You can collect swords from the Tea House betting game or you can
buy some from the sword shop.
c. Clothes - you don't have any choices here yet, only the default
one. You can buy clothes from the clothes shop.
3. Stats - this section just shows trivial things like moves you've
learned, swords you collected, characters that you've met, and others.
We won't be bothering with this since it's all just about reading.
4. Rest - currently at the start, you have four choices. This is used to
skip to a time period in the game. Each time you skip a time period,
there are lesser choices here, until you reach evening and your only
choice is to Skip to the Next Day.
a. Skip 1 Time Period
b. Skip 2 Time Periods
c. Skip 3 Time Periods
d. Skip to Next Day
5. Save/Load - choose this and you will be presented with three choices.
a. Save
b. Options
c. Exit to Main Menu
Right now, it is a good time to save the game. Choose the fifth option
(Save) and choose the first option to Save the game. You will be brought
to a screen with free saving slots. Save to one slot and then you will
see two choices. It's asking you if you really want to save there,
choose the left one to save. Once you are done saving, go back to the
previous screen.
-----------------
General Controls:
-----------------
Before we continue any further, now is the best time to have a little
review of how the control works while in fighting mode.
Triangle - Back/Side Step. Press this in combination with Back, Up, or
Down to do your desired step.
Square - Distracting Weapon Strike. Some moves allow you to push aside
your opponent's weapon by pressing Square. You can follow it up with the
Circle button to strike your opponent after you distract his weapon. You
can also add directions with the Circle button to make your character
move forward while attacking, backward, or going to the side.
O - this is used to attack.
X - this is used to block. Some moves also allow you to do Block-Counter
Strike. Just press X before the weapon hits you and your swords will
lock for awhile, press O to attack. You can also cancel combos by
pressing X anytime. For more information about how to do an Endless
Combo, please check out the Tricks section near the end of this guide.
L1 - Run. You can also attack while running by pressing O.
L2 - Switch to Previous Stance (Move Set).
R1 -  sheath sword. Some moves allow you to attack while your sword is
sheathed.
R2 - Switch to Next Stance (Move Set).
Pose - at anytime when you are attacking, hold down the O button and
you'll notice that your character will also pose in that move until you
let go of the O button.
---------------------------
Training with Your Saviour:
---------------------------
You are now back to your room and you can see the five options again.
Choose the Action menu (the first one on the top). There is only one
action for you here, choose it and you will meet your saviour for some
basic training.
On the next screen, you'll see your saviour's place. You will be
presented two choices. Select the top one and you'll go inside the
house.
The screen after that will show you your saviour talking. A long list of
menu items will then show up! Don't be scared because it's just a list
of things you can practice with to get comfortable with the game's
fighting controls. We will go through them one by one because this will
help you get familar with the controls easily. Here is a list and a
description of what will be done.
1. Talk - your saviour will just talk about something.
2. Attack - just keep pressing the O button to attack.
3. Block - just hold the X button to block his attacks.
4. Back/Side Step - when your saviour attacks, press the Triangle button
to side step. Please note that you can side step to any direction. Press
UP+Triangle to side step to the left, DOWN+Triangle to side step to your
right, and just press Triangle to step back.
A good way to back/side step his attack is to wait for him to raise his
sword completely, and then press the Triangle button to step back or do
a side step.
5. Block-Counter Strike - this training has two parts. On the first
part, keep hitting the O button to attack him. You'll notice that he'll
block your attack and then counter
it with his own strike.
On the second part, you will have to block his attack when it's about to
hit you. You need to time this well, otherwise, you won't be able to
counter his attack.
Wait for him to raise his sword, then when it begins to come down, press
X to block.
You'll notice that your swords will be locked with each other, press
forward and hit the O button to attack. You might hit him, but he will
most likely avoid your counters.
6. Distracting Weapon Strike - in this training, he will show you how to
"distract" the weapon by taking it out of the way, and then striking
with your own attack. There are two parts to this training once again.
On the first part, he will try to push your sword aside and then he'll
hit you.
On the second part, it's your turn to push his sword aside and hit him.
Press the Square button when you're in mid-range from him (just so you
reach his sword) and you will see that your character is trying to push
his weapon aside. While this is going on, press the O button to attack
him.
7. Escaping the Distracting Weapon Strike - in this exercise, you will
be shown how to escape the "Distracting Weapon Strike" from the previous
lesson. On the first part, just keep pressing Square to see how he does
it.
On the second part, you will have to press the Triangle button when you
see him try to do the "Distracting Weapon Strike" on you. You will know
it's the right time to press Triangle when you see the shiny rings on
the screen.
8. Sparring - in this lesson, you will have to spar with your saviour
with everything you have learned so far. The strategy against the savior
is to simply side step one of his attacks then attack him quick. Don't
even try to do the "Distracting Weapon Strike" on him as it is quite
hard to pull off. In case you lose, you will be brought back to the
menu, just choose the Sparring choice (it's the second to the last) and
try to beat him again.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Extra Info:
I'm not sure if it's really been taught in the game but there's another
way to escape the "Distracting Weapon Strike". Instead of pressing the
Triangle button, you can press Back+X button to jump back, or Up or
Down+X button to quickly side step away. The only disadvantage is if his
attack also follows in your direction, then it will be a sure hit!
The advantage of this is, if you're successful, then you have created a
space between him and you that would allow you to take a little break or
escape from being trapped in a corner.
You may also try to press Forward+X when he's trying the "Distracting
Weapon Strike" on you, this will cause you to rush forward and bump him.
If you bump him, he will be stunned for a second or two, giving you a
chance to hit him with all you've got. The disadvantage is, if he did
anticipate you trying to bump him, then he'll jump back along with you
and he'll hit you for sure!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
After defeating your saviour, you will be brought back outside of his
home, you will see five choices again. It is the best time to save for
now! Choose the fifth option, then choose the top choice. Save your game
and go back to the screen with five options.
Now it's time to learn some new moves! Where else can we learn more
moves but in a dojo? To go to the Aizu Dojo, choose the first option.
You will then have 6 choices.
a. Return To Where You Came From (Saviour's House, the first option
will most of the time be about returning to where you came from)
b. Inn (this is where you live/rest, for now it's free, remember that
is is made up of two easy characters)
c. Jobs (this place is where you get jobs to earn money, we'll deal
with this later, also remember that it's the one that starts with a
SQUARE shaped character)
d. Tea House (this is the place where you can beat people for swords,
or participate in tournaments where you have to defeat 100 people in a
friendly fight or a deadly live swords event)
e. Dojo - (this is the only dojo in Aizu, please take note of the
character it ends with, all dojos have that kind of character at the
end)
f. Blacksmith (you can go here so he can appraise or fix your swords)
Choose the fifth option so that we can start on our way to the Aizu
Dojo.
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 1:
--------------------
On our way to the Aizu Dojo, our character encounters two men duelling.
The guy with the orange sword kills the other, and a short converstation
occurs between our character and him. Fortunately, he leaves us alone!
Upon reaching the Aizu Dojo, we are presented with two options. Choose
the first one to go inside the dojo. You will then talk to someone from
inside, and then you will be allowed to spar with one of them.
In the Aizu Dojo, they will most likely use attacks that come from
above. Once you have checked on how far their attacks can reach, try to
make them attack first. Side or back step, then hit them with your first
stance combo. Move away and repeat.
----------------------------------
Equipping Your First Learned Move:
----------------------------------
Once you have beaten a student of the dojo, you will most likely learn a
new move. You will then be back outside the dojo and it's already
evening. Save your game (choose the fifth option, then choose the first
option and then save). After saving your game, go back to the screen
with five options.
Select the second choice (Customize) and you will notice that you only
have two options! The reason why you only have two options right now in
the Customize menu is because you can't change clothes while you're
outside of your room or inn. The two choices are:
a. Moves
b. Weapons
Choose the first one (Moves) and you'll be brought to a screen with
three slots. You'll notice that since we haven't really touched this
yet, only two slots are filled in. The first slot is for your first
stance, the second one is for your second stance, and the third is for
your third stance.
Select the third slot and press the O button. Another box would appear
with two things listed in it. Try to select the first one. Depending on
what type of move you learned from the Dojo, you might have two moves
listed on the first one or just one. The same goes for the second option
when you first selected the third slot.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Extra Info: Explanation on Moves Slots
You'll notice that by default, you have the first slot and second slot
filled in with a combo or move set. You'll also notice that each slot
has four sections. The first three sections just tell the name of the
combo or move set. The fourth section has two parts in it, the first one
has arrows, while the second one has some characters in it.
The arrows represent which attacks that current move set can use the
"Block-Counter Strike" on. For example, on the first slot, it shows the
Down arrow. That means, the move set on the first slot can use the
"Block-Counter Strike" on attacks coming from below. Basically,
the more arrows a certain move set has, the more advantageous it is for
you because you will be able to use the "Block-Counter Strike"  from
attacks coming from more directions.
The Dot represents a stab attack coming from the enemy. Just remember
that sooner or later, you will learn moves that don't have the "Block-
Counter Strike" ability, but some of them are worth the sacrifice
because of the offensive combinations they unleash.
The second section tells you about which stances from the enemy you can
use the "Distracting Weapon Strike" move where you press the Square
button to push aside your enemy's weapon before striking. Again, the
more you have available here, the better for you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Press the Triangle button on a move set and you will be brought to a
screen that shows you how the move set looks like. Let's call this
section the "Moves Viewer".
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Extra Info: Explantation on Moves Viewer
When you reach this screen, you will notice that you're in a dark room
and there will be four boxes on the left with various information about
the move set.
On the first box (which is already highlighted), press the O button to
view the entire move set combo. You will see your character perform the
combo.
The second box let's you view the "Sheathed Weapon Attack" of your
sword. Some move sets might not have this, but majority does. You press
R1 to sheath your sword, and then press O to do this while in a battle.
The third box shows which types of "Block-Counter Strikes" you can do.
Press O on those that have names to view them.
The fourth box (which is the last) shows you which types of "Distracting
Weapon Strikes" that move set can do.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------
Go ahead and view all the available move sets and feel free to modify
your Moves Slots. Go back to the screen with five options and Save the
game (choose the fifth one, then the first one to save).
--------
Resting:
--------
After a hard day's work of sparring against your saviour and fighting
someone at the Aizu Dojo, it is already evening and it's a good time to
return to our room to rest. From the screen with the five options,
choose the first one (Action menu). You will have six choices.
a. Return to Aizu Dojo (the first option will always be about
returning to the most recent place you visited)
b. Saviour's House (there's no point returning here anymore since
you've learned all that you can)
c. Inn (this is where you rest to restore your health if you've been
hurt badly, for now this is free because you started in Aizu, but in
other places you have to pay)
d. Jobs (we don't need money yet)
e. Tea House (this is a place to make bets to win swords, or fight in
friendly or deadly tournaments)
f. Blacksmith (we don't need to have any sword appraised or fixed yet)
Choose the third option (Inn) and you will be brought to a screen with
three choices.
a. Skip 1 Time Period (Evening going to Midnight)
b. Skip to Next Day
c. Cancel
Choose the second option (Skip to Next Day). Choose the first option to
accept.
You will then be brought to your room and your stats will be shown.
You'll notice that your "Minimum Potential" just went up! It might be
random by how much they go up, but in the character I made, it went up
from 3000 to 3003/6000.
The percentage you see is your health or sword health. It is important
to always keep this at 100% before fighting in the dojo, tournament, or
anywhere else.
You might also see two other numbers below the percentage. Those are
your "Popularity" points of some sort. The higher they are, the better
for you. Popularity seems to affect how dojos and people treat you, what
items are available for you to buy, and what events get activated.
Anyway press the O button to move on.
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 2:
--------------------
You are now back to your room with five options. On the left upper part
of the screen is a box showing you some numbers and a percentage. You'll
notice there's a number 2 there. That means it is now your second day in
the game! Congratulations!
You will also notice there's a number 1 below the first number. That is
your money. It means you have 1 Ryo. Just beside 1 Ryo is 0, that means
it's 0 Mon (also a form of currency in Japan).
The percentage is your health, hopefully it's at 100% right now after
resting.
We need to learn some more useful moves! We are going back to the Aizu
Dojo to do just that. Select the first option (Action menu) and there
will be five choices.
a. Saviour's House
b. Jobs
c. Tea House
d. Aizu Dojo
e. Blacksmith
Choose the fourth one (Aizu Dojo). You will be given two choices again
outside the dojo. Choose the first one to go inside. Now you will have
to fight against three students!
The strategy to beat these students should be the same as the first day.
The attacks mostly come from above, but sometimes they might do attacks
coming from the sides, so be careful. Just make them attack first, then
either try to do a "Block-Counter Strike" or just side step and then hit
them.
After beating all three of them, you should have learned thee more moves
hopefully.
You will be brought back outside of the dojo again with the five
options. Save your game first (choose the fifth option, then choose the
first option, then save).
Now that you have saved, it's time to check out the moves that you just
learned! They might be more useful than the ones you currently use. Go
back to the screen with five options, then choose the second option
(Customize menu). Choose the first one (Moves) and try to find out what
each new move looks like. Equip them if you want. When you are done,
return to the screen with five options and save your game.
After saving your game, it's time to revisit the Aizu Dojo to learn some
more moves! Since you already are just outside the Aizu Dojo, we just
need to get back in. From the screen with five options, choose the first
one (Action menu). You will see six choices.
a. Return to Aizu Dojo
b. Saviour's House
c. Inn
d. Jobs
e. Tea House
f. Blacksmith
Choose the first one (Return to Aizu Dojo), then choose the top option
and prepare for two more fights!
The two fights will be noticably more difficult than the previous ones.
The students you are fighting are becoming better. They may have the
same moves, but they're skill in using those moves are improving, and
they're faster too! Just be patient and try to side step then attack
them when they're open.
You might also encounter a student who can do the "Block-Counter Strike"
move which is very dangerous as it does massive damage. This is another
reason why we don't want to be the first to attack them, especially
since our character is still relatively slow and weak.
After you beat them, you might learn a skill or two. You'll notice that
it is evening once again outside the dojo. From the screen with five
options, go save your game. Go check out the new moves that you learned
as well and see if they are worth equipping. To do this, from the screen
with five options, choose the second one (Customize menu), then
choose the first option. Review whatever moves you have available and
equip them as needed.
When you're done equipping new moves, you'll notice that your health
might not be at 100% anymore. Since my character got damaged during the
dojo battle, my percentage is now at 94%. You might still have 100%, or
worse, even lower, so it's now time to go back to
our inn to rest.
From the screen with five options, choose the first one (Action menu),
and then choose the third one (Inn). You will have three choices again,
choose the second one (Skip to Next Day). Choose the top choice to
accept.
You will be brought back to your room, and you'll notice that your
"Minimum Potential" has gone up again! Very good! Your heatlh should be
back to 100% again, and you will notice that your "Popularity Points"
should have gone up as well. Right now, my character has 33 Popularity
Points.
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 3:
--------------------
Another day has started and it's time to learn some more moves from the
Aizu Dojo! You may want to save the game again just in case. By now you
should be familiar on how to save your game so I wouldn't be writing it
anymore to save space and to make things easier to read. The Saving
process is always the same anyway.
Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose the fourth option
(Aizu Dojo). Choose the top choice on the next screen to enter the dojo.
Prepare to fight!
You will battle 2 students again. Their difficulty will also be higher
than the previous students, so prepare for that. You will also notice
new movements from them, like running away, and they will have an even
improved defense. The only real way to deal with them now with our weak
character is to let them attack first, then we side step and then
attack.
Also, be ready for lots of "Distracting Weapon Strike" moves from them!
They will be using them more often, so it's best to get ready to press
the Triangle button (to escape it) or press the X button with any
direction to jump away or side step when they initiate this.
After beating the two students, you might notice that there seems to be
a lack of new moves to learn. Your health might also get low. Just save
your game for now while we're outside the dojo. At 75% health, it should
still be safe to go back inside the dojo for one more fight, so let's go
in.
From the screen with five options, choose the first one (Action menu),
then choose the first choice (Return to Aizu Dojo). Choose the top one
to enter.
If you have won all fights so far (as our created character has in this
guide), there will be a cutscene where a student will introduce you to
the master of the dojo. You will then fight with a tough student.
After you win, you might learn a new move. You will be back outside the
dojo and it's evening once again. Go save your game. Check the new moves
you just learned. To do this, from the screen with five options, choose
the second one (Customize menu), then choose the first option (Moves).
Equip whatever you think will be useful to you.
Be sure to check out all of the attacks available. If you see the
"Block-Counter Strike" style that the Aizu Dojo is using where they
block the sword, step on your sword, and then slash you, then equip that
right away. That is one "Block-Counter Strike" that is impossible
to defend against and is probably one of the best moves in the game.
Also, it comes with a nice offensive combo where you spin from right to
left while slashing, and then ending it with a downward cut. This is a
very useful attack when you're fighting more than 1 enemy, which is
usually the case during jobs.
After inspecting each new learned move set and equipping the useful
ones, it is time to go back to the inn to rest. From the screen with
five options, choose the first one (Action menu), then choose the third
one (Inn). Choose the second option (Skip to Next Day) and then choose
the top one to accept.
Congratulations, your character has improved nicely!
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 4:
--------------------
By now, if you have won all the fights so far, we should have around 55
Popularity Points. Since it is another day, it is time to go back to the
dojo to try to learn some more new moves!
Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose the fourth one (Aizu
Dojo). Choose the top option to enter and prepare for battle once again.
You'll see a cutscene of a student practicing. You will now fight!
During the battle, you might notice some considerable improvement in
your speed, and that's because we've been working hard these past few
days and beating the students in the dojo!
Hopefully you have the move set that I was talking about that we learned
from the Aizu Dojo, the one with the unblockable "Block-Counter Strike"
move which also contains the spinning attacks. You should be able to
make quick work of this student now.
After beating him, you might learn another move. Go save your game
outside the dojo, and then check your move list if you did learn
something. To do this, choose the second option (Customize menu), then
the first one (Moves). Check everything for something new and decide
if it's useful or not. Currently, our character just learned a 5-hit
combo with the same unblockable "Block-Counter Strike" move from the
Aizu Dojo.
The 5-hit combo is composed mostly of middle slashes, ending with an
upward slash. This is useful only when in close range.
Once you are done, go back to the screen with five options (that's
outside the dojo) and we're ready to return inside. Go choose the first
option (Action menu) then choose the top one (Return to Aizu Dojo), then
choose the first option to go inside.
You will have a fight with one student. With the new moves that you have
hopefully learned, he should be easy to dispatch. Just be careful of his
attacking range, and let him be the first to make the mistake of
attacking, then hit him while he misses.
After beating the student, you will get into a conversation with the
dojo master, then you will be brought outside. It is evening once again.
Save if you want. It's time to go back to the inn to recover from
injuries. Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose the third
one (Inn). Choose the second option (Skip to Next Day) and then choose
the first option. I hope you're getting used to this by now.
On the stats screen in the room, we'll have around 77 Popularity Points
by now. Also our other strengths should have increased as well. Save
your game if you wish.
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 5:
--------------------
Our health should be back to 100% by now, and we're ready for another
day at the Aizu Dojo! Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose
the fourth one (Aizu Dojo). Choose the first option to go inside.
You will have to fight 2 students. The first one should be easy, but the
second one is a real challenge. If you attack first, as expected, he
will use the unblockable "Block-Counter Strike" move on you. He moves
faster than your normal opponent, so he's a bit hard to side step and
attack. You just have to be patient enough with him in order for
the side step attack to work. Be careful, he will also try to run away
from you. If you run after him, he will surely hit you when you get
within range while you're running! Do not be tempted to run after him,
instead, just slowly work your way to the range that you know he will
attack that will make him miss you.
After defeating that tough man, you're back outside the dojo. Save the
game and it's time to go back in. Hopefully your health is more than
75%.
Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose the first choice
(Return to Aizu Dojo), choose the first one to go inside.
You will see the tough student bowing to his master, then the fight will
begin.
The first fight is just as tough as the previous, just be careful of
their "Block-Counter Strike" move. The second one is against the best
student of the dojo. It's really going to be hard to defeat him, as his
hits hurt a lot!
Win or lose, if you make it to the second fight, you might have learned
two new moves! In this case, our created character lost to the best
student. Save the game outside the dojo and then check the available
moves you have. If you don't see any new moves, then maybe it was
something else that got added. Just don't mind it for now and it's time
to return to the inn to recover.
Choose the first option (Action menu), then choose the third choice
(Inn). Choose the second one (Skip to Next Day) and then choose the top
one to go to your room.
As of now, we should have around 99 Popularity Points.
--------------------
The Aizu Dojo Day 6:
--------------------
It's time to spend the day at the Aizu Dojo once again! Choose the first
option (Action menu), then choose the fourth one (Aizu Dojo). Choose the
top option to go inside. You will see a cutscene of a student
meditating. It's time to fight again!
The student will be easier than the one from yesterday. After defeating
him, save the game and return to the dojo.
When you return, you will have two fights again. The first one is the
easy student, but the next one will be the best student again! Beat the
first student using the same strategy. The next fight against the best
student would just be really hard. This time, he might even use some
kind of karate throw on you when he's near, which will leave you on
the ground, open to his ground stab attack, which usually results in one
or two hit kills!
Anyway, our character lost to the best student again because he just
deals too much damage and he's way faster than us. At least we learn or
add parts to our moves little by little even if we lose. Go save your
game and return to the inn. We should have around 119 Popularity Points
by now.
---------------------------------
Aizu Tournament Invitation Day 7:
---------------------------------
I think this is triggered by having 100 or more Popularity Points. A
samurai will come visit you to invite you to a tournament. After that
scene, you will be back in your room.
Go save if you haven't done so. Since we just got beaten up by the best
student from the Aizu Dojo, our health is just at 92%. It would be ok to
skip a day at the dojo to check other things out.
Go choose the first option (Action menu) and you'll notice we have a new
addition to the list.
a. Saviour's House
b. Tournament (it is made up of two complicated characters)
c. Jobs
d. Tea House
e. Aizu Dojo
f. Blacksmith
Let's check out the Tournament, which is the second choice. When you
reach the tournament area, you will see on the screen the number 3. It's
saying you have 3 days left until the tournament begins! Now might be a
good time to try and learn some more new moves, but from where?
------------------------------
Friendly Tea Tournament Day 7:
------------------------------
Since we already have a somewhat capable character who just can't still
beat the superior best student from Aizu Dojo, we might have a fighting
chance elsewhere before the start of the tournament. It is time to visit
the Tea House for a friendly tournament against strangers.
From the screen with five options, choose the first one (Action menu),
you will see seven choices.
a. Return to Tournament
b. Saviour's House
c. Inn
d. Jobs
e. Tea House
f. Aizu Dojo
g. Blacksmith
Choose the fifth option (Tea House). Choose the first option to enter.
Inside, you will be presented two choices where you have to press
Triangle or Square. Press Triangle to participate in a friendly
tournament. Press Triangle again.
The friendly tournament will begin. It is completely random who you
fight, as everybody is a stranger. The friendly tournament will use
swords only, and there is a good chance that you will learn moves after
you beat your opponents.
You will be facing different sword fighting styles for the first time,
but fortunately, most of the strangers aren't too hard to beat. They are
usually on the level of those normal dojo students.
After you beat one, you have the option of fighting the next opponent.
Press Triangle to continue fighting, or press Square to quit for the
day. Since we have three days before the tournament, we'll spend two
days fighting in the friendly tournament, and then we'll spend one day
to fully recover to 100% just before the tournament.
Try to beat as many as you can to learn new moves! Oh and remember, your
health only replenishes partially up to the percentage when you entered
the friendly tournament. For example, if you entered at 92% health, then
the maximum the healing for each round can go is just 92% of your
health. Later on the maximum healing also goes down as you progress
in the friendly tournament.
After you have had enough and chose to press Square to stop fighting (or
if you lose), you will go back outside of the tea house. Since you
probably have very low health left, it's best to go back to the inn for
today. On the screen with five options, choose the first one (Action
menu), then choose the third one (Inn). Choose the second option (Skip
to Next Day) and choose the first option to start resting.
The character that we're using in this guide was able to beat around 62
people before his health became dangerously low, and that's when we
decided to rest. That resulted in having around 882 Popularity Points
and greatly increased skills!
------------------------------
Friendly Tea Tournament Day 8:
------------------------------
We still have 2 days left before the start of the Aizu Tournament, so it
would be better to spend some time learning new moves and improving our
skills in the friendly tea tournament.
From our room, choose the first option (Action menu), and then choose
the fourth option (Tea House). Choose the first option to enter. Prepare
for battle once again and hope that you learn something new!
After you quit or you get beaten, it's time to take a break. Choose the
first option (Action menu), and then choose the third option (Inn).
Choose the second option (Skip to Next Day) and then choose the first
option to start resting.
-------------------
Resting Time Day 9:
-------------------
On the next day, you should have more Popularity Points. Our character
in the guide now has 1469 Popularity Points. Save your game. Since it is
important to be at 100% health on the day of the tournament, let's take