Combat tips for SP mode?

[frogbeastegg]

This is embarrassing. I'm being beaten to a pulp, repeatedly ... by the AI. Absolutely mortifying! I swear I've taken more damage in several hours of this than I did in entire playthroughs of far harder games.

I just want to beat the story mode and get the SP achievements. I don't want to stress much.

My problem is that I can't seem to block or dodge damage effectively. Naruto lumbers around like a chump while the AI demonstrates all these fancy, fast dodges and escapes which I can't replicate no matter what I try. Sidestep, block and substitution are all extremely unreliable; the AI hits me right through them most of the time. Once the AI hits me I'm locked in for an entire combo of pain. I've seen a few tips about using a quick attack to break the enemy's combo; I can't get that to work. The AI does it to me frequently.

I can win some battles by going on an all out offensive - it's the tactic which got me through the first Naruto game a couple of years ago. That's proving less and less effective i this one and I'm only 34% done.

Any of you pros able to give some advice that will let me whip the AI and enjoy adventure mode?

Thanks.

[frogbeastegg]

Heh. Came back later and absolutely wiped the floor with everyone with no problems, and flew through a chunk more of the story mode. Must have been the cold medicine I'd taken; normally the 'might make you drowsy' doesn't affect me.