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MELTY BLOOD ONLINE MANUAL
2002/12/30 WATANABE PRODUCTIONS & TYPE-MOON
2008/11/27 MIRROR MOON
1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Melty Blood from Watanabe Productions and TYPE-MOON.
This manual contains information for the game, so please read these instructions before playing.
*This manual has been optimized for Internet Explorer 6.0 SP1 with monitor resolution of 1024x768. mirror
moon recommends a resolution of 1280x1024 for increased readability.
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~k_wata/
http://www.typemoon.com/
2. Hardware Requirements
OS
Compatible with AT computers running Windows 98/NT/ME/XP
(Not supported for use with NEC PC-98 and other 98 series computers, or computers
:
running Win95)
Requires DirectX 8.1 or later
CPU
: Pentium II or Celeron 330MHz or greater (Pentium III 450MHz or greater recommended)
Memory
: 64MB or greater (128MB or greater recommended)
VGA
:
Sound
: DirectSound or compatible (required)
Peripherals :
Direct3D card or compatible with at least 640x480 resolution and 65536 colors.
For high speed, VRAM16MB. (Recommended: GeForce256 or better)
4-button gamepad recommended
(Keyboards do not support simultaneous pressing of multiple keys)
* Windows 95 is not supported. If you can install DirectX 8.1, you may be able to play the game, but we
cannot answer support questions concerning this environment.
* Voodoo3 and Banshee cards are not supported. The game may play on these cards but textures will appear
rough and garbage may appear on the sides of the screen. Again, we cannot answer support questions
concerning these cards.
* This game is not guaranteed to work under all computer configurations. We continue to correct bugs when
possible, but due to instability issues with Direct3D and other known issues, you may experience problems
including failure to start, garbage appearing on screen, file errors, and drive read errors.
* This game is not guaranteed to have accurate sound on all types of sound cards.
3. Installation Instructions
To play the game, you will need to install the program on your PC.
1. Insert the Melty Blood game CD into the CD-ROM drive.
2. If you have autorun capability, the installation will begin automatically. If
DirectX is not installed, it will install before the game installation begins.
3. If the installation does not begin automatically, navigate to your CD-ROM drive
and open SETUP.EXE or StartUpApp.EXE
Wait until the program indicates that the installation is complete.
When the installation is complete, you may start the game by going to the Melty Blood folder in your Start
Menu.
*You will not need to use the CD to play the game after it has been installed.
Please put it in a safe place to prevent damage.
*To uninstall, please go to "Add/Remove Programs" in the Control Panel.
4. Startup menu
When the game starts, you will normally see this screen. If it shows that your hardware meets the
specifications listed above, you may continue on. Certain video cards like G400s will cause the box to list an
incorrect amount of VRAM, but there should be no effect on gameplay.
*If you are playing the game in full screen mode and you switch to another application with Alt-Tab, you
may not be able to resume the game. If this happens, please end the game by pressing ESC or by ending the
MB process.
New to the game as of version 1.002 is the ability to change the color depth. If your video card supports 32bit textures, you can adjust the Color Depth to 32-bit. This will provide an enhanced look to the game by
using a more robust set of colors on the screen.
To assign different buttons to the controller, select Controller 1 config or Controller 2 config respectively.
*You cannot change the keyboard configuration. (Because of their inability to recognize simultaneous key
presses, keyboards are not officially supported.)
When you are comfortable with the screen size
and the controller configuration, press OK to
start the game!
5. Title Screen
The title screen will appear after the opening movie and
demo.
You can select from several modes of play at this screen.
Story Mode
-
Fight through scenarios for one of
multiple endings.
Arcade
Mode
-
Fight computer opponents one after
another.
VS Mode
-
Fight one on one against your
opponents.
Training
Mode
- Practice against the computer.
Options
- Change the game settings here.
End Game
- End the game and return to Windows.
6. Configuration Settings
Game settings can be changed at the Options screen.
-Action PartDifficulty
Sets game difficulty. 1 is the easiest;
- increasing the number increases the
difficulty.
Round
Number
Sets how many times you must defeat an
opponent to win the battle. This can be set
between 1 and 3.
This does not affect Story Mode. The
number varies between 1 and 3 depending
on the scenario.
BG
Rendering
Setting to "Simple" changes the background picture during fights to a single picture, which
will decrease the load on the computer. Keeping the background on the default setting is
- recommended. Changing to "Simple" will not cause any dramatic improvements in game
performance, nor will it allow you play the game with lower hardware specifications than
normally required.
-Novel PartNumber of Retries - Sets how many times you will be able to retry Story Mode after Game Over.
Message Speed
- Sets the speed at which text appears.
-Adjust VolumeSets desired volume of Background Music and Sound Effects.
Default Settings
Returns all settings to default configuration.
Return to Title
Leaves the Option Screen and returns to the Title Screen.
7. Playing the Game
One lever and four buttons control your character in
the game. The buttons are, in order, weak, medium, and
strong attacks, and shield (a special guard). Combining
movement and buttons produces special attacks, similar to
other fighting games.
*About the keyboard
This game was not designed for keyboard control.
Because the hardware does not recognize simultaneous
button presses, it is not dependable for use with this game.
However, the following keys may be used as an alternate
means of controlling the character.
Player 1 - N M , . for buttons 1 - 4, cursor keys for movement.
Player 2 - Z X C V for buttons 1 - 4, F G H T for movement (left, down, right, up).
Again, keyboard control is not supported for this game.
Keystrokes will be accepted simultaneously with input from the controller, which may cause errors.
Also, the keyboard configuration cannot be changed.
Rules of the game
To win, use a variety of fighting techniques to reduce your opponent's life bar to zero.
Some different techniques are listed below.
·Shield (button 4)
Using this, it is possible to nullify your opponent's normal attacks. Timing your opponent is the key to
victory. When you shield a normal attack, both moves are cancelled and you can move freely. Press your
opponent fully with your quick reflexes!
·Vital Source (blue gauge at the top of the screen)
This gauge measures your character's stamina and decreases as your character takes damage or uses special
moves.
When this gauge is depleted you will become dazed. In this state you will take more damage and have
difficulty recovering. This state will end after a certain amount of time.
Like most fighting games, there is no "perfect strategy".
About Story Mode
This mode advances through an actual story. Please enjoy
another sequel in the world of Tsukihime.
The outcome of your battles may lead to different
scenarios and a new story. There are times when you will
have no choice other than to fight or be unable to choose
who fights. There may even be times when you
sympathize with your opponent and will want to lose the
fight on purpose. Finding the true ending to the story will
require you to overcome many obstacles and persevere,
but please try hard!
8. Special Moves
Sion Eltnam Atlasia
Etherlite Air ...
Etherlite Ground ...
Warning Shot ...
Slide Air ... (in air)
Black Barrel (replica) ...
Arcueid Brunestud
You're in the way! ...
Quiet! ...
Slow! ...
Ready... Go! ...
From Dreams to Reality (Marble Phantasm) ...
Ciel
Black Key Throw ...
Aerial Black Key Throw ... (In air)
Halo ...
Seventh Holy Scripture ...
Tohno Akiha
To Fell Birds ...
possible)
To Burn Beasts ...
(Aerial
(Aerial
possible)
Piercing the Moon ...
Brilliant Impetus - Autumn Leaves (Promise Under the Maple
Tree) ...
Red Mistress - Locks of Hair (One-Handed Origami) ...
Hisui
Dusting ...
Bonds of Sisterhood - Basic Edition ...
(Special) Tag Out ...
Dark Jade Fist ...
Kohaku
Battou - Hidden Sharp Sword ...
Magical Amber Missile ...
(Aerial possible)
Difficult Childhood ...
Bonds of Sisterhood - Wind and Clouds Edition ...
(Special) Tag Out ...
China Kohaku / Low Blow Kohaku Kick ...
Tohno Shiki
Flash Sheath ...
Octagon Thrust
Nanaya (Seven Nights)
Gust of Wind
Flash Sheath - Eightfold Thrust ...
Flash Run - Six Rabbits ...
17 Pieces ...
9. Q&A
Answers to common game questions can be found here. Be sure to check here before contacting us with your
problems.
1.) I experience several problems.
First, make sure you are running the correct operating system. Performance can't be guaranteed on operating
systems other than specified above. Also, the game will not perform correctly if you are trying to run
Windows on a Macintosh. Use only Windows 98 or NT operating systems.
2.) The game does not start.
Verify again that your computer meets the hardware and OS requirements. Have you changed your hardware
recently? Turn the computer all the way off and back on again. Reinstall the game and DirectX. If none of
this works, consider reinstalling your OS or having the computer examined by a qualified technician.
We cannot support problems relating to hardware. If the game once worked normally but now has stopped
working, consider any changes that you may have recently made to software or hardware.
3.) The game moves very slowly.
A lack of VRAM, an insufficient graphics card, and insufficient CPU power are the three causes of this
problem. If your computer meets the hardware requirements, try terminating any other programs you have
running, then restart the game. Antivirus and other background programs can cause the speed of the game to
drop.
The framerate has been known to drop considerably on some video cards. This seems to be an individual
video card problem, so we cannot advise which ones may experience this. Just a warning.
Be aware that when the characters are moving quickly and are using special attacks, the load on the computer
increases and speed may drop.
4.) Background music stops or breaks up.
This means that your hardware is not transferring the music data fast enough. Try terminating any programs
that may be accessing your hard drive or try running the game on a faster machine.
5.) The game hangs up during play.
Make sure your hardware meets 3DMark 2000 and 2001 standards. Hang ups are usually caused by too great
a load on the hardware.
Try exiting back to Windows and restarting the game. If this fails, restart the computer.
6.) There are lines running through the characters.
Try updating your video driver. Getting the latest version usually fixes the problem.
Updating your drivers is an individual responsibility.
7.) No matter how you look at it, the screen looks pretty messed up.
This may be a video driver issue as well. If updating the driver does not work, your video card may not be
compatible with this game.
8.) The characters speak before the fight, but the fight does not begin.
Sometimes the game stops responding after the voices end, which we think is a sound issue. We have no way
of resolving this, so please restart your computer.
9.) What's all this "Tsukihime" stuff?
Tsukihime is a visual novel game made by TYPE-MOON. Melty Blood is sort of a sequel to Tsukihime. If
you have not played Tsukihime, you may have some trouble understanding the story of Melty Blood and
there may be some spoilers, so we recommend that you play Tsukihime. Of course, we have trouble
believing anyone like that exists. (j/k)
[Shameless plug by Ryuusoul: Downloading the English Tsukihime patch available from mirror moon would
be a great start.]
10.) In Story Mode, I see "Program No6 Error"!?
That's part of the story. It's not an actual game problem.
11.) Who are the voice actors for the characters?
The names of the voice actors are now included with Melty Blood as of version 1.100 when you finish the
game in any one of the different modes. Please check the ending credits to view the list.
12.) Damage doesn't seem to register at the beginning of the fight.
This is intentional, to prevent players from getting attacked before they are fully ready.
10. Support
If you still experience problems after reading this manual, please check the Watanabe Productions homepage.
Updated patches and troubleshooting tips will be listed here. Please check these places, as well as your
hardware and controller connections before attempting to contact us regarding your problems. We cannot
reply promptly to issues, and you may be able to find a solution faster by simply checking over your
computer or looking at the troubleshooting sections of the homepage or the manual. When sending us
your problems, make sure you list your hardware configuration, the circumstances under which you
experience this problem, and any other relevant details. We're not psychic so if you don't send us the
information, we won't know it.
Please do not e-mail your questions directly to TYPE-MOON or post them on the Type Moon bulletin board.
[Note from Ryuusoul: Actually, just visit #mirrormoon at irc.irchighway.net or post in the mirror moon
forums at ">http://forums.mirrormoon.org/.]
Watanabe Productions
Homepage
(Japanese)
http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~k_wata/
TYPE-MOON Homepage
(Japanese)
http://www.typemoon.com/
Emergency Questions Contact
(Japanese)
[email protected] *Mobile phone email address
[Note from Ryuusoul: Yeah... just contact us instead.]
11. Legal Information
This game is a product of doujin circles Watanabe Productions and TYPE-MOON.
All rights reserved by both groups. Please do not duplicate or distribute without authorization.
We do not encourage widespread distribution of modified versions of levels or characters.
Further rights and restrictions can be found on the TYPE-MOON homepage. Please read them carefully to
prevent violations.
12. Final Note
It's been a long and arduous process, but at last we lived up to our name of Watanabe Productions.
Many obstacles stood in our way, but at last Melty is finished. It's not perfect, but we still think it's pretty
good.
We could tell from everyone writing in on our website how long all of you have been waiting for the release,
but we really did have a lot of problems. Not just our own problems, but the problems of working together
with another group, TYPE-MOON, the changes both our groups experienced, problems getting the game
produced and distributed. By the time you add them all up, it's a pretty big pile. We want to apologize for
sometimes losing sight of why we started all this, for getting caught up in the grind and not being able to
stick to our planned schedules, and for not getting the trial versions out there.
We think the finished product is definitely something. The large character portraits, the smooth animation,
and the balanced fighting system turned out pretty well (we just hope there's not an endless stream of errors).
We received wonderful cooperation from TYPE-MOON in providing us with such wonderful material from
Tsukihime. We are truly fortunate to receive such quality original characters. For that, we are truly grateful.
This has been a great learning experience for us and we hope to use what we've learned in making this game
to make even better ones in the future.
About Story Mode.
Our deepest gratitude to Nasu-san, Takeuchi-san, Kate-san, and everyone at TYPE-MOON for dealing with
the problems of creating and packing in the engine for the story mode with an obsolete scripter. I
underestimated the work for Story Mode, but the latter half of the workload showed me otherwise! I knew
Nasu-san would pull it off, but despite being tortured with a large, complicated workload and limited chances
for character development, as TYPE-MOON's number one fan, I think he created a truly interesting
storyline. Of course it goes without saying that any shortcomings are our fault and not his!
About the fighting part.
There were pros and cons from the very beginning, but now it's pretty settled in. We're singing our own
praises here, but we thought to be revolutionary by getting rid of almost all traditional stiff blocking. The
game probably won't turn into simply overwhelming your opponent's defense, but it may be of some
concern.
During the planning stages, the biggest burden came from the voiced expectations of the hardcore gaming
community. We really appreciated everyone's inputs, but the continual calls to "make it another Street Fighter
II" or "another Street Fighter III" or "another Guilty Gear" kind of got to us. I just wanted to say, "If you like
Street Fighter II so much, just play that for the rest of your life!" (Heh.)
This might not please everyone and it may not even be a good excuse, but we decided it was more important
for beginners (like me) to be able to use our favorite characters like Arc and Ciel and have them fly around
the screen and do cool moves just by pushing a lot of buttons. In other words, we didn't want to have a game
system that only elite players could enjoy. Of course, it's best if a game can be enjoyed by beginners and
mastered by experts at the same time (which was always our intent). I guess we are still a little naive. In the
end, it became a combo game like MSH.
Now we'll talk about how to make it look good (damage correction).
What about the ultimate moves? It's difficult to use the ultimate moves in the beginning of the game, but that
was the idea. You fight carefully with weak attacks in the beginning, but in the later rounds you can attack
with stronger and stronger moves. If your opponent is weakened, you can use your best moves in Tsukihimetype instant-death attacks for a great finish.
In the future.
Well, we have a homepage and everything, but actually, after Melty, there probably won't be a 'Watanabe
Productions' anymore. The reasons are simple. One is that it makes us sound like a real company. The other
is that it's kind of a bother to Watanabe-kun, whom the name was taken from.
This name dates back to a Comike application from over ten years ago. It's hard to part with a name we've
had for so long, but it's for the best and now is a good opportunity. We'll do our best to be creative.
We don't know what our new name is yet, but please bear with it when we get decide on it. Right now, we're
leaning towards Agatsuma-san's doujin circle French Bread. This may be done on principle, but even if we
get a new name, our members will be the same. Isn't that what blind love to your circle is all about?
Our next work is probably going to be at Ariake next spring.
It may be a totally different style, but we will be going full speed ahead, so please look forward to it!
As far as additional characters for GOF and a possible sequel, Namikai-san says it's not going to happen. He
seems to be busy with deadlines for RBO, which was announced as his next project, so who knows what will
happen? Maybe he'll let us know by New Year's. There's a lot to be eager for.
As far as new characters for MB, that's a delicate situation. With TYPE-MOON's permission, we'd like to
add this girl and that girl, and even that guy, but we're pretty busy with new projects as it is. Even adding one
more character is a lot of work. I think for now, we'll take a little break. We want to add at least one more
character, so please look forward to it.
Now then, this note is quite long already.
The end.
Takeuchi-san. Nasu-san. Everyone thanks you so much for your help.
I'm sure we were a headache for you, but it was a lot of fun. Best of luck on all your future projects.
2002/12/30 Watanabe Productions
2008/11/27 mirror moon