Varan FAQ: Version 1.00 Last Modified: 1/1/08 Contents: *1: About The FAQ/Version Changes *2: Varan: Who is He, and how do I unlock Him? *3: Move list *4: General Strategy *5: Specific Strategies *6: Beating Varan *7: Contact Information/Special Thanks/Disclaimer _______________________________________________________________________________ *1: About The FAQ/Version Changes This is an FAQ designed for the character Varan in Godzilla: Unleashed for the Wii. My goal is to provide general strategies for the character. These will be useful for going through the main game as him for the first time. Also, I will attempt to give insight into using him against human opponents. That will constitute more detailed(by the monster) strategies. In any case, I hope this helps anyone interested in such a strange monster. 1.00: First Version for GameFaqs(1-1-2008) _______________________________________________________________________________ *2: Varan: Who is He, and how do I unlock Him? Varan is a fairly obscure monster from "Varan the Unbelievable", a 1958 film. His inclusion in Godzilla Unleashed is worth noting because Varan, despite the rabid fan base, has only been in a few Kaiju(giant monster) movies. He resembles a flying squirrel mixed with a lizard, and his fighting style makes about much sense as his looks. To unlock Varan, play as an Alien and destroy the purple panels on the wall during "On the Mothership". Come back to the stage later, defeat Varan, and then he is unlocked! He costs 30,000 points to purchase. In Game Description: Varan is an Earth Defender with special affinity for forested and hilly areas. Although not capable of true flight, Varan's extraordinary leaping abilities and gliding capacity mean that he rarely, if ever, touches the ground for more than an instant. Although he naturally lives in solitude, Varan has developed very finely-honed sonic projection which can be used to communicate over vast distances. These same pinpoint sonic waves can be used in battle to disrupt an opponent's sense of balance. Varan is quite possible the most mysterious of Earth's native monsters - first-hand sightings of him by humans are relatively rare. Faction: Earth Defenders Stats: Attack- 5/8 Defense- 4/8 Speed- 7/8 Weapon- 2/8 Weak Against: Concussive(Sonic), Poison Resists: Electricity, Alien Energy _______________________________________________________________________________ *3: Move list All damage is relative to Varan. "Bad Parry" is explained later. Here is the key: A: Press the A Button. B: Press the B Button. AB: Press the A and B Buttons at the same time. ^: Swing Wii Remote Up. <: Swing Wii Remote Left. >: Swing Wii Remote Right. V: Swing Wii Remote Down. A: Punch(Cannot Knock Down, Low Damage) B: Kick(Cannot Knock Down, Low Damage) <+A: Bite(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Fast) >+A: Cartwheel(2 Hits, High Damage) ^+A: Uppercut(1 Hit, High Damage) V+A: Overhand(1 Hit, Medium Damage) <+B: Spin Kick(2 Hits, High Damage, Off the Ground) >+B: Tail Snap(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Low) ^+B: Scissor Kick(1 Hit, High Damage, Off the Ground) V+B: Stomp(1 Hit, High Damage, Hits Monsters on Ground, Low) <+AB: Fierce Glide(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Off the Ground, Bad Parry) >+AB: Fierce Glide(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Off the Ground, Bad Parry) ^+AB: Fierce Tail Flip(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Off the Ground) V+AB: Fierce Roll(1 Hit, Medium Damage, Long Range) Miscellaneous Moves/Abilities: C: Oral Beam(Needs energy. Fairly weak. Concussive(Sonic) Damage) Tap C: Concentrated Beam(1 Energy. High Damage. Concussive(Sonic) Damage) Glide: Hold Z while in the air. All attacks are accessible while Gliding. Over time you will lower in height. However, using certain moves(like Uppercut), will give you back height. Doing this well can give you permanent Gliding. Crane Stance: Hold "AB" while standing still and not attacking(does nothing). _______________________________________________________________________________ *4: General Strategy Varan's greatest strength is his speed. His attacks, while not technically flowing together completely, function well in 'waves'. One attack naturally leads to the next, and you keep using them until, hopefully, your enemy is defeated. Varan can make quick work of monsters that, despite their size, are overwhelmed by his agility. Remember this basic point, and you should be fine. Using Varan's weak attacks(Punch and Kick) is a waste of time unless your opponent is trying to parry everything. Varan's attacks should be hard enough for your enemy to gauge, and even trickier to parry. I stress this because Varan can do far more interesting things than punching over and over again--keep this, too, in mind while playing as him. You want to close the gap between you and the enemy as soon as possible. Varan can function at a distance with his beam, but attacking at a close range is his primary concern. Close the gap, preferably with a jumping attack, early in the round to get in your opponent's face. Once there, do not give them a chance. Bite, Fierce Glide, Spin Kick and Fierce Tail Flip are all difficult to stop moves(Fierce Glide being the best of the bunch). Chain them together and your opponent will probably be pushed into a corner; if not that, then they will be knocked down(from losing a Health Cell or otherwise). Once down, you have a unique opportunity as Varan. Due to his absurd movement, he can actually slip behind a downed enemy and then hit them in the back again. Many monsters can do this strategy, and some players might frown on it, but it keeps them out of the fight while you, hopefully, are slaughtering them. Try and use this whenever possible. Above, I noted that Varan should do jumping attacks. Here is what I mean: try and jump towards your enemy and use a move(Fierce Roll looks the best, but Fierce Glide works well too). If you time it right, Varan will do his ascension(that his, his jump will lift him into the air), *and* your attack will cover the height of the jump. Although, technically, most characters can do something like this, Varan does it the best. His Roll and Glide seem designed for this purpose. Done correctly, you can easily stop any monster jumping or flying. Your jump covers a long distance, and halts them. In addition, the embarrassment of a squirrel moving so decisively can only make playing the game more enjoyable. Do *not* use Varan's rush(except, of course, to knock over buildings into your enemy). Rush attacks are best utilized for additional damage and stopping your enemy from using their beam. Varan is better off using his Fierce Glide in conjunction with jump/glide to bypass the enemy. You will, hopefully, be outside of their attack range, and then can start a new attack run. "Bad Parry" is a concept I talked about before. It seems to me that when Varan uses his Fierce Glide *and* is parried, the knock back from being parried does not seem as severe. Due to this, Varan can then lead into another Fierce Glide *before* the enemy can attack again. The best your enemy can hope for, then, is to cause a stalemate: I doubt they will (especially since minor damage is bound to get through). Varan has access to this power, and he should not be afraid to use it. Moves listed above as "Off the Ground" should be used against characters that want to use low attacks often(Godzilla, Titanosaurus). For the most part, you will dodge their attack and then damage them--certainly a good thing. However, care should be made not to overuse these moves. Your opponent might learn what you are doing then counter with a Rush. If you are in the air, you will then be knocked down, thereby giving your enemy an easy chance for damage. As a final note, do not use Varan's beam. The exception to this rule is, of course, if you are trying to engage in a beam fight(even then, using the above strategy about gliding is perhaps better). Your energy is better utilized with Concentrated Beam. The damage will probably be higher, and it is better at catching your enemy off guard. Since Varan is based around quick fighting, this works into your strategy nicely. Keep the enemy guessing amongst your many fast attacks, and the battle will probably be yours. _______________________________________________________________________________ *5: Specific Strategies Here I will try and give advice for Varan against "problem monsters". I do not think it necessary to outline every character in the game, but, rather, list how Varan should combat difficult foes. The general strategy section is assumed to have been read prior to this. Anguirus: This guy can be troublesome. His spiked back prevents you from quick strikes from behind, and his breath cannot be stopped. His natural strength is greater than yours, and, if needs be, he can match you pound for pound. In addition, his Rush can stop most of your combos due to its speed. Stay close, but make sure that enough distance is between you and him so, if you need to, you can escape. Most of his "knockdown" moves are slow and easy to predict, except for his "AB" tail attacks. Glide over(or parry) them so more damage is done by you--you have to possess more life than him. Attack by knowing that since you are faster, he will have to parry you to get a move in. Learn how your enemy is fighting, stop attacking, and then grab: your grab is easily one of the best in the game, and should be used against this monster whenever possible. Also, you can(and should) empty your energy whenever possible. Your Concentrated Blast will be helpful at offsetting his dangerous "Sonic Roar". There is no way to effectively stop him from hitting you with it, but you can quickly try and attack him once he starts: done correctly, you can neutralize his most potent weapon. Biollante: She has such a huge amount of health and, due to that, she will likely outlast you unless you know what you are doing. Parry is your friend: you have to use it. Predict how and when she will attack, then go in for the kill. You have to stay close or else you *will* be killed--she simply has too many attacks for you to do otherwise. Your Bite, Fierce Glide and Cartwheel all are effective weapons to use against the behemoth--she cannot dodge them effectively, and they will do good damage. If you are daring, you can try to Glide over her and attack her sides or back. This can be dangerous, but the results are well worth it. You have to use your natural agility to best her. Trying to do differently will end in defeat. Your attacks are much weaker than hers, and she will outlast you in a protracted combat. Try and put her to bed quickly. Your beam *can* be used to stop hers, but you are still better off using it as a Concentrated Blast. For the most part, if you are at a distance, you should try and do a jump attack rather than risk using it. Destroyah: There is not much you can do. Try and circle him and strike his backside. Other than that, there is no hope. His massive strength is more than a match for you, and it shows. I doubt you can win against a knowledgeable foe, but just keep attacking: it could work. Megaguirus: She can match your speed and, if it comes to it, steal your beam(this is bad since you are weak against it). And, generally speaking, she is a more potent fighter than you. To stop her, watch which moves she is trying to use. Her potent Bite is one of her best tools. Its speed is difficult to relate, but it makes for a difficult target if you want to parry it. Along with her other attacks, including swift uppercuts and other tricks, it becomes difficult to parry the onslaught. Instead, there is something else you can do. Despite her speed, Megaguirus' attacks do no 'chain' well together. There is an obvious gap between them wherein you, the intrepid flying squirrel, can attack. Timed correctly, you can unleash a barrage of quicker attacks against her. By the time she knows what is going on, you should(or could) have knocked off an energy cell. She will try and parry this, so try and use Fierce Glide. If she goes into 'Hyper Mode', glide away until its end--the strange angle of your movement should give you relative invincibility. Also, empty your energy as soon as possible. It is a resource that aids her more than you. If you fight well, your additional health should be enough to pad out victory. Titanosaurus: He is a dangerous melee fighter that, despite his inherit awkwardness, is more than capable of killing you. His beam, while looking very strange, inflicts good damage at your weak spot. This can be a difficult fight if not played correctly. The only attacks he has of relative speed are his Tail strikes. With clever use of your glide and jump attacks, you should be able to dodge him and land a blow at the same time. Beyond that, he is rather slow(except for his own jump attacks) and can be beaten like anyone else. Should the enemy begin jumping at you, it is best to return the favor, so to speak. In the air, Varan is a better fighter(use the Fierce Roll to knock him down). It should be enough to stop him from using that. Parry occasionally, after that, and the battle should be yours. Your energy can be used for stopping his beam or for concentrated blasts. Both are acceptable uses, and should be used according to the strategy that the enemy employs. Is he charging energy?--keep yours for beam fights. If he is not, then use your energy for good damage at his weak spot. _______________________________________________________________________________ *6: Beating Varan First of all, do *not* jump. Varan will do the equivalent of Ryu's famed "Dragon Uppercut" against you. You look like an idiot, and he hits you hard. Just try not to do that, okay? If you must jump, do *not* jump towards him. Retreat can be a good policy, but time it well. Next, if he starts using Fierce Glide a great deal, Rush into him to stop it. You will perhaps take some damage, but it will halt the attack right there. This is not a complete "null" to the strategy, but it prevents Varan from spamming the attack until you die. That has to be worth something. Varan will try and push you into a corner with a never-ending barrage of attacks; he does it well, and you need to have an answer. Rushing, as said before, does work well, so do your characters quickest attacks. You *need* to know which attacks give you a window of invulnerability(Mecha Godzilla 2's Plasma Grenade has such a window, for instance). These work relatively well at halting Varan and should be used accordingly. Also, grabbing Varan, if timed well, can be used to stop him. This can be risky, but you have to stop him from attacking. "Tap C" weapons(not missiles), like Godzilla's fireball, are *very* effective at stopping Varan. Use them whenever possible. Varan's beam, all things said and done, is quite pathetic. Try and force him to a range(by rushing/grabbing) and then use yours against him. Beam wars are difficult to master, but do provide you with the advantage(assuming you win). The additional damage, even if he resists it, can provide you with an advantage in the long run. He has to stay close, but you can do otherwise. Also, keep in mind that "Bad Parry" only applies to his Fierce Glides. If he is not using those, use Parry to halt his onslaught. Try and make him use normal attacks if possible, and then bring the battle under your own style. _______________________________________________________________________________ *7: Contact Information/Special Thanks/Disclaimer If you would like to email me(maybe I made a mistake or missed a strategy), please contact me at: chaoshydra18@hotmail.com If you are reporting a typo/error in the FAQ, please make that your subject line. That will make it easier for me and, I figure, for you too. Disclaimer: Unless I approve, this FAQ may *only* be used on Game Faqs. If you want to use it, just ask: I'm a nice guy. Special Thanks: nacholibre92: For how to unlock Varan. Toho Kingdom(standardized move names are great. Also, general move info). Mr. Strange: For being a good influence in the community.