itch.io

Ok, I'll list the character's specials. As far as strategy goes, the characters in this demo are especially weak against crouching kick attacks, that is something that could help. Later demos also have F1 as a debug key that immediately wins the round, though that is disabled for Dream Fight 17 A.D.

For simplicity, I'll use some abbreviations in the special descriptions: QCF refers to a down, down-forward, forward motion on the analog stick or dpad. QCB refers to a down, down-back, back motion. HCF refers to a back, down-back, down, down-forward, forward motion. HCB refers to a forward, down-forward, down, down-back, back motion. UPPER refers to a Forward, Down, Down-Forward motion. a b c refer to weak kick (A key on the keyboard), medium kick (S key) and strong kick (D key) respectively. x y z refer to weak punch (Q key), medium punch (W key) and strong punch (E key) respectively. Due to this being an earlier demo, holding commands do not respect their holding duration. If the command says "Hold back for half a second" just tapping back will also work. This changes in later demos.

1. Baiken:
   1. Tatami Gaeshi - QCF + a
   2. Youzansen - UPPER + y
2.  Chipp
   1.  Power Charger - UPPER + c
   2. Hyper Combo - QCF, QCF + a
   3. Meisai - QCB + a
   4. Ten'i - QCF + y
   5. Beta Blade - UPPER + x
   6. Alpha Blade - QCF + x
   7. Gamma Blade - HCF + b
3.  Cop Justice
   1. Hyper - QCF, QCF + a or b
   2. Super - QCF +a or b
4. Courage
   1. Unnecessary Roughness - QCB, QCF + x or y or z
   2. Power Check - QCF, QCF +x
   3. Two-Point Conversion - QCF, QCF + y
   4. Helmet Spear - UPPER + a or b or c
   5. Drill Spear - QCB, QCB + a or b or c
   6. Air Tackle - UPPER + x or y or z
   7. Shoulder Tackle - QCF + x or y
   8. Stiff Arm- QCB + x
5. Axel Stone
   1. Super Missiles - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
   2. Super Golpes - QCF, QCF + a or b or c
   3. Missiles - QCF + x or y or z
6. Geese Howard
   1. Deadky Rave - Forward, Down, Back, Forward + a or b
   2. Raging Storm - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
   3. Rashoumon - QCF, QCF + a or b or c
   4. Hishou Nichirin Zan - UPPER + x or y
   5. Reppuken '96 - QCF + x
   6. Double Reppuken '96 - QCF + y
   7. Shin Reppuken - Hold back for half a second, Forward + x
   8. Shin Double Reppuken - Hold back for half a second, Forward + y
   9. Jaenken - HCB + x or y
   10. Reversal - HCF + a or b
7. Gilius Thunderhead
   1. Upper - UPPER + a
   2. Special 1 - QCB + a
   3. Special 2 - QCF + a
   4. Special 3 - QCF + c
   5. Special 4 - QCB + c
   6. Summon lightning - c
   7. Summon Dagon - z
8. Haohmaru
   1. Tenha - Down, Back, Forward + y
   2. Seiouzan - Down, Back, Forward + a
   3. Comet - QCB + a
   4. Crecent Slash - UPPER + x or y or a
   5. Rage - z + c
   6. Half Crecent - Back, Down, Down-Back + b
   7. Quake - Back, Down, Down-Back + x or y or a
   8. Cyclon Slash - QCF + x or y or a
   9. Sake Hit - Down, Back + x
9. Johnny Cage
   1. Turn into Sabrewulf - Down, Back, Down, Down + x or y
   2. Green Projectile - Back, Forward + x
   3. Shadow Punch - Back, Foward + y
   4. Shadow Bk - Forward, Back + y
   5. Shadow Kick - Back, Forward + a
   6. Ball Breaker - x + c
10. Kung Fu Man
    1. Smash Kung Fu Upper - QCB, QCB + x or y
    2. Triple Kung Fu Palm - QCF, QCF + x or y
    3. Kung Fu Knee - Forward, Forward + a or b
    4. Kung Fu Palm - QCF + x or y
    5. Kung Fu Upper - UPPER + x or y
    6. Kung Fu Blow - QCB + x or y
11. King
    1. Rose "Dragooneer" - QCF, Down, Back + a + b + x + y
    2. Illusion Dance - QCF, Down, Back + a or b
    3. Silent Flash - QCB, QCB + a or b
    4. Surprise Rose - Back, QCB + a or b
    5. Benom Strike - QCF + a
    6. Double Strike - QCF + b
    7. Tornado Kick '95 - HCB + a or b
    8. Surprise Rose - UPPER + x or y
    9. Mirage Kick - HCB +  x or y
    10. Trap Shot - UPPER + a or b
    11. Mirage Dance - HCF + x or y
12. Mai
    1. Mizudori no Mai - QCF, QCF + x or y
    2. Houou no Mai - QCB, QCB + x or y
    3. Chou Hissatsu Shinobibachi - QCB, Down, Forward + a or b
    4. Hanaarashi - QCB, Down, Forward + x or y
    5. Kachousen - QCF + x or y
    6. Ryuenbu - QCB + x or y
    7. Sayo Chidori - QCB + a or b
    8. Hissatsu Shinobibachi - HCF + a or b
    9. Wall Jump - Hold down for a little more than half a second, Hold up + x or y
    10. Toki Tsubute - QCF + a or b
    11. Hishou Ryuenjin - UPPER + a or b
    12. Hakuro no Mai - UPPER + x or y
13.  Mima
    1. Spellcards Lvl 3 - QCF, QCF + x or y or z or c or x+y+z
    2. Escape velocity - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
    3. Orreries Sun - QCB, QCB + x or y or z
    4. Meteor Strike - UPPER + x or y or z
    5. Sweep Away - Back, Down, Down-Back + x or y or z
    6. Green Spread - QCF + x or y or z
    7. Stellar Missile - QCB + x or y or z
    8. Flight mode - c
14. One-armed man
    1. Shoot gun  - QCF + a or b or c
15. Reimu Hakurei
    1. Spellcards Lvl 3 - QCF, QCF + x or y or z or c or x+y+z
    2. Fantasy Seal - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
    3. Demon Binding Circle - Down-Back, Down-Forward, Down-Back, Up + x or y
    4. Guard Cancel Counter - Back, Down-Back, Down + x or y or z
    5. Ascension Kick- Hold Down, Up + x or y or z
    6. Hakurei Amulet - Hold Back, Forward + x or y or z
    7. Rain Dance - UPPER + x or y or z
    8. Dimensional Rift - Back, Down, Down-Back + x or y or z
16. Rock Howard
    1. Deadly Rave - QCF - a + b
    2. Power Geysir - QCB, Forward +b or y
    3. Raging Storm - QCF, QCF + y or b
    4. Shine Knuckle - QCF, QCF + x or a
    5. Super Energy Ball - QCB, QCB + x or a
    6. Shinkuu Nage - UPPER + a
    7. Rising Tackle - UPPER + b or y
    8. Rage Run "Dunk" - QCB + x
    9. Rage Run "Swift" - QCB + a
    10. Hard Edge - QCB + y
    11. Double Hard Edge - QCB + b
    12. Reppuken - QCF + y
    13. Double Reppuken - QCF + b
17. Ryu
    1. Shin Shoryuken - QCF, QCF + a or b or c
    2. Shun Goku Satsu - x, x Forward, a, z
    3. Shinkuu Hadoken - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
    4. Shinkuu Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku - QCB, QCB + a or b or c
    5. Shoryuken - UPPER + x or y or z
    6. Shakunetsu Hadoken - HCF + x or y or z
    7. Hadoken - QCF + x or y or z
    8. Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku - QCB + a or b or c
18. Sagat
    1. Fatal Tiger - x, x, Forward, a, z
    2. Tiger Wave - Forward, Back, Down-Back, QCF + x or y or z
    3. TigerR - QCB, QCB + a or b or c
    4. TigerG - QCF, QCF + a or b or c
    5. Super Shot - QCF, QCF + x or y or z
    6. Super G Shot - QCB, QCB + x or y or z
    7. Tiger Uppercut - UPPER + x or y or z
    8. Tiger Knee - UPPER + a or b or c
    9. Tiger Shot - QCF + x or y o r z or a or b or c
19. Scorpion
    1. Aggressor - HCF - Start (Enter)
    2. Fire - Down, Forward + a
    3. Ducking Spear - Forward, Forward + a
    4. Spear - Back, Back + a
    5. Teleport - Down, Back + x
    6. Forward Teleport - Down, Forward + x
    7. Super Sweep - Down, Back + b
20. Sol Badguy
    1. DM_Fire - HCB, HCB + b
    2. Super Mode - QCB, QCB + y
    3. Uppercut - UPPER + y or b
    4. Fire Ball - QCF + y or b
    5. Twin Kick - QCF + a
    6. Dragon Teeth - QCB + a
21. Sonic
    1. Sonic Acrobatic Rush Super - QCF, QCF + z
    2. Sonic Acrobatic Rush - QCF + z
    3. Spin Down Rush Super - QCB, QCB + z
    4. Spin Down Rush - QCB + z
    5. Sonic Spin Blade - UPPER + x or a
    6. Ring Throw - QCF + b or y
    7. Backflip Wave - QCB + b or y
    8. Sonic Roll Attack - QCF + x or a
    9. Sonic Slash - Forward, Down-Forward, Down + a or x
22. Sub-Zero
    1. Aggressor - HCF + Start (Enter)
    2. Ice - Down, Forward + a
    3. Vertical Ice - Down, Back + x
    4. Shower - Down, Forward + x
    5. Ice Clone - Down, Back + a
    6. Floor Ice - Down, Back + b
    7. Slide - a + b + c
    8. Ice Blast - Down, Forward + y
    9. Ice Counter - Down, Back + y
23. Chun-Li
    1. Kikoken - QCF + x or y or z
    2. Spinning Bird Kick - Hold back for a little more than half a second, Forward + a or b or c
    3. Hyakuretsukyaku - a, a, a or b, b, b or c, c, c

This ought to cover most of them. Most special attacks revolve around quarter-circle movements so those are always a good starting point to explore.