Alien vs. Predator (Arcade, 1994 CPS‑2) — Complete Strategy, Tech, and Co‑op Guide

Key facts

Setting and cast

San Drad city is overrun. Colonial Marines team with two Yautja (Predators) to contain a sprawling Xenomorph infestation at street level, then push into labs, transport hubs, and hive‑like interiors. The tone is pure 90s Capcom: kinetic, crunchy, and gloriously over‑the‑top, with stylish martial moves, wrist blades, katana sweeps, smart‑disc throws, and sizzling plasma fire.

Playable characters

Controls and core mechanics

• Inputs (3 buttons): Attack (melee), Shoot (built‑in firearm/shoulder cannon or held gun), Jump (aerials, leap‑ins).
• Grapples and throws: Walk into enemies to clinch, then pick a direction + Attack to toss or slam. Throws grant brief invulnerability—use to escape dogpiles.
• Specials and bursts: Characters can trigger meter‑limited bursts (arm cannon, plasma, pistol/katana cancels). Smart timing lets you juggle or zone safely.
• Firearms as pickups: Pulse rifles, smartguns, shotguns, flamers, grenades. When held, Shoot uses their ammo. Ammo rarely persists between scenes—spend it to stabilize.
• OTG and juggle windows: Xenos pop up fast; learn which knockdowns allow extra hits (or a quick burst) before recovery.
• Horde pacing: Alien waves set the tempo—use wide normals, knockdowns, and explosives to keep control.

Weapons and items

Enemy lineup (high‑level)

• Facehuggers and Chestbursters: Tiny, sudden threats—prioritize or risk stun‑locks.
• Warriors and runners (color variants): Vary by aggression and HP; darker palettes often hit harder.
• Spitters: Projectile harassers; delete them first or they chip you down.
• Large Xenomorph morphs: Big bodies with multi‑hit strings and armor. Bait swings, punish backs, or throw.
• Eggs and hazards: Pop eggs from range; don’t let them seed extra facehuggers mid‑fight.

Stage‑by‑stage walkthrough (strategy‑first, spoiler‑light)

Stage names vary by region; the flow below mirrors the common 7‑stage arcade progression.

Stage 1 — San Drad Streets

• Learn your safe opener: jab string → walk throw. Use wide normals to sweep flankers.
• First big morph teaches spacing—bait the wind‑up, step through, back‑throw → meaty one hit → retreat.

Stage 2 — Warehouses and Back Alleys

• Eggs + facehuggers get dense: pre‑fire with rifles or a brief plasma tap.
• Shotgun rules doorways. Keep the line moving to avoid back spawns.
• Boss: Slow armored swipes; dash through, back‑throw, Shoot‑cancel for safe chip.

Stage 3 — Transit Hub / Skyway

• Narrow lanes demand knockdowns. Prioritize spitters; two advance, one watches the upper lane.
• Smartgun for suppression; spend ammo to stabilize.
• Boss: Faster morph + add waves. Control adds first; team‑throw into corner, then burst.

Stage 4 — Military Lab Complex

• Mixed packs and acid pools. Flamer denies eggs; keeps runners in hitstun.
• Rotate roles: one peels, one burns eggs, one deletes elites.
• Boss: Multi‑hit strings; punish recoveries with throw loops or single meaty → cancel.

Stage 5 — Tarmac / Transport

• Set‑piece chaos and off‑screen spawns. Stay centered; Predators cover diagonals with plasma.
• Grenades end bad overlaps; stagger specials so someone always has a panic button.

Stage 6 — Hive Approaches

• Environment hurts. Take high ground; never overextend past unseen egg clusters.
• Throw → OTG Shot as your standard punish; reserve specials for armor moments.

Stage 7 — Inner Hive / Queen’s Lair (Final)

• Endurance lead‑up before the arena—save one heavy weapon.
• Queen tips: Jump the grab, dash through tail sweeps, punish with throw → burst → retreat. Limit to two hits per window.
• In 3P, rotate aggro: one baits, one punishes, one clears adds.

Boss‑by‑boss move compendium and punish windows

Character tech: confirms, throws, and OTG routes

Firearms and explosives optimization

Three‑player stage plans (roles, ammo, danger calls)

Use short callouts: “Eggs right,” “Spitter up,” “Burst ready.”

Advanced system notes (practical, no frame data)

• Invulnerability windows: Back‑throws grant brief i‑frames—use to exit dogpiles. Specials (Attack+Jump) have startup invuln on most characters; treat them as panic buttons.
• Meaty timing: Aim for a single hit as the enemy stands, then cancel to Shoot to stay safe. Double meaties often get clipped by wake‑up armor.
• Cross‑through defense: Big morphs are easiest to punish by stepping through their first swing to force a back‑throw.
• Ammo discipline: Stabilize early—spending half a gun to prevent a death is always correct. Ammo rarely persists between scenes.

Training drills (5–10 minutes each)

• Throw loop fundamentals: Practice 2‑hit string → walk throw → step back until automatic.
• Safe meaty reps: Land 1 meaty → Shoot cancel → retreat on sturdy elites. No second meaty.
• Add triage: Force yourself to clear eggs/facehuggers first before touching heavies.
• Role swaps: Rotate Anchor/Flanker/Flex each stage so everyone learns responsibilities and callouts.

Troubleshooting common wipes

• “We keep losing all our health to chip damage.”
  • Assign one player to spitter/egg duty with Pulse/Flamer; others do not advance until “clear.”
• “Bosses counter our combos.”
  • Cap ground strings at 1–2 hits on elites; prioritize throw → OTG Shot punishes. Greed gets armored.
• “We get swarmed during big tells.”
  • Save a grenade or single plasma burst for those announces; designate a player to “hold for the bad moment.”

Quick‑bite checklists

• Before Stage 1: Pick roles, agree on callouts, and the “two hits per punish” rule.
• Mid‑run reset: If two players are low, let the healthiest lead while others cover eggs/spitters—slow for 30 seconds to restabilize.
• Final fight: Adds first, two safe punishes per window, rotate aggro every knockdown.

Cabinet and operator notes

Legacy and availability

• Peak Capcom brawler: Frequently ranked alongside Final Fight for feel, team play, and audiovisual punch.
• Licensing lockdown: Missed most compilations for decades due to IP licensing. Notably included in the 2019 Capcom Home Arcade micro‑console—an official but limited modern release.
• Lasting influence: Its “melee‑first, firearms‑on‑demand” template and 3‑player flow informed later beat ’em ups and remains a gold standard for crowd‑control design.

Quick picks

• Solo survival: Predator Warrior or Major Dutch (stable control, safe punishes).
• Speed and safety: Lt. Linn (mobility plus firearm cancels).
• Team delete button: Predator Hunter (with partners peeling flanks).