Xbox 360 Gamers Afro Samurai: Training for the Number One Headband

The Number One Headband

The Perfect Slice:

The Perfect Slice skill could be the most important skill to perfect in the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 epic action video game Afro Samurai. Hold the focus and an attack button simultaneously, once a shimmer appears at the tip of your sword (make sure to use the time you’re waiting to ready your sword using the analog stick) release the button, let go of the button exactly when the tip begins to shimmer. You will know you have done the Perfect Slice correctly because any normal opponent will be diced in half by a successful Perfect Slice. The timing has to be perfect though, otherwise your Perfect Slice will become a regular attack. Releasing too early is usually better than releasing too late, unless you release your Perfect Slice isn’t going to hit your opponent and you want to save your focus. Start practicing the Perfect Slice skill as soon as you start the game, it’s always available, and you gain additional experience while it becomes a better attack, dicing multiple opponents at the same time and continuing smoothly into combos.

Block and Parry:

The phrase “the best defense is a good offense” is true, but while fighting in Afro Samurai remember to use your sword to block your opponents sword before it slices and dices you. Time your block right and you will parry the blow, which knocks your opponent off balance as you deflect their blow, but also rewards you with sufficient focus to immediately perform a Perfect Slice or time to execute a life-ending combo. The Daimyo teaches you how to use the parry technique, and will help you survive your coming encounters. To parry, wait until your opponent starts their swing, and then hold the block button. Should your opponent be too fast for you to block, try slowing down time using your focus button to simplify the task.

Parry is especially effective against an opponent that is already weak, if you successfully parry an opponent with low health, they will become dazed, which has a longer lasting effect and makes an opponent especially vulnerable to attacks than the normal stun. It becomes important to achieve against armored Samurai, who are only vulnerable to certain slices in a dazed state.

Screenshots

The Small Stuff

Headshots:

Aiming your Perfect Slice across an enemy’s face is rewarded by the game with extra experience, health, and focus to help you play the game better. The size of each bonus is ultimately determined by your opponent. Pulling off these challenging attacks are one of the few ways you can restore your health in hard mode. Attacking vertically between an opponent’s eyes will reward you with an even greater reward, but these attacks require extreme timing and skill to execute.

Mementos:

Gather all the crows together. You don’t need these “Father Legacy” moves to finish the game, but they improve your fighting skills a few ranks. Moves like Aerial Slicing, which allows you to execute a Perfect Slice while airborne, and Easy Make Combo, which will allow you take shortcuts in your combo string.

Mix up Your attacks:

Use Afro Samurai’s keep array of moves with launches, clearing moves, and brutal combo-ending attacks with variety to keep your opponents guessing. Use dash attacks to quickly get opponents off guard and to escape dangerous situations.

Head to Toe:

You need to slice your opponent right down the middle with a single slice to complete the Head to Toe achievement. A good way to make this easier is to launch android ninjas into the air and then execute an Aerial Vertical Slice on them.

The Focus is Important:

Over Focus is a very important thing. After you’ve dispatched enough opponents to have Over Focus ready for action, save it for awhile. It might be a better idea to keep it for the next big battle. Once you think all the present opponents have made their presence known, activate it. After turning it on, use the Drive By Slicing attack and watch the blood fly through the air in a very satisfying fashion.