The only thing I don't like about r-LF2 is how long the Stage Mode takes to beat. So I'm going to talk about how the character you pick affects how fast you can finish Stage Mode. (I play with seven random computer characters <in easy mode...> to make it fun, but I almost never grab milk or beer.)
Deep is a good character for finishing faster, especially now that he's bridged the gap between short-range and long-range. His super doesn't involve grabbing anybody and the range is awesome. And since he's fire-based, his attacks do more damage when burned victims fly off and touch other enemies.
John would help you finish faster if his attacks didn't use so much manna. Being a defensive medium-range fighter makes him a better shield than sword. I will say this, however; his super is one of very few that actually do significant damage to Guardian in Stage 5-8. I'd prefer not to use him.
Henry's Rainy Arrows look deadly, but even against Bandits I noticed that it's only good as cover fire for your allies. Better to use Sonata of Death; range is about the same, but damage is higher. And because Henry's a long-range fighter, his many arrow attacks can help you finish faster.
Rudolf can help you finish faster, but his super won't. His Shadow Ninja Star works best to blow away a whole group of enemies. His doubles add people to your team...for a moment. But his best advantage is his transformation; you can be Louis EX by Stage 2, and Firzen by Stage 4! He's one of the fastest.
Louis is slow, but when he transforms into Louis EX that's a whole different story. Keep in mind that Louis' Ice Phoenix Palm 2 works better than his super against a group of enemies. It's Louis EX's super and quick manna recovery, however, that makes Louis a good character for finishing Stage Mode faster.
I love using Freeze. His Ice Dragon Super is very effective in taking out groups of enemies. I always keep my Ice Sword handy, especially when I'm low on manna; I just keep whacking until I have enough manna to make a whirlwind and then I blow away anybody who dares to come near me. My personal favourite.
I don't like Firen as much as Freeze because his attacks burn, and that's it. (Freeze's freeze, so I can hit an enemy multiple times.) Still, Firen's Fire Dragon and Atomic Bomb are awesome against a group of enemies. Keep your Fire Sword handy for low manna; whack a while, then Atom Bomb your enemies!
Dennis sucks for finishing faster, because he's mostly melee. His attacks don't use up much manna, but then again they're fairly weak attacks. His super only does heavy damage on one enemy, even though he stuns everyone else for a moment. Good only for cover fire. I'd avoid using him as much as possible.
I never liked Woody too much because of his inherent lack of attacks (Teleport doesn't really qualify as an attack). However, his Fire Energy Blast is almost unblockable and blows enemies away. Couple that with his relatively low-manna Tiger Dash, and he's a good candidate for finishing Stage Mode faster.
Davis is a long-time favourite of mine because of all the combos he can cook up. Unfortunately, he's not the fastest because he's more close-range. He excels Dennis because his Destructive Ball can blow away an entire line of enemies, and his super is virtually unavoidable. But that means you need manna.
As for the special characters, Guardian's too slow to help you finish faster. Bandit, Bandit EX and Hunter are a joke. Mark, Jack, Jan, Sorcerer and Richter aren't much better. Knight, Monk and Justin are good (their supers, anyway). Bat and Bat 2 are pretty good. Louis EX, Firzen, Julian and CL are the best.
Happy gaming! Remember this stuff when you're pressed for time!
Thanks Conrad Leung for making r-LF2! And don't just play the original LF2 because "you can't beat the original"; check out other versions. People have spent a lot of time trying to make LF2 even better!
