Every character in the game has two basic attacks, a Weak and Heavy one, that can be strung together to form combos. Players can even put a small pause in between some attacks to form Delay Combos. Heavy attacks might be slower, but they are more powerful than Weak ones. An added benefit of Heavy attacks is that when the button is held down, you can release it to executer a dash attack.
Characters can do much more than attack, though. If an enemy is pounding you with attacks, don't just stand there and take it. Utilize the guard and evade options to negate any damage and then counterattack. Players can also grab their opponent and attack them, or they can grab items in the stage and throw them at their opponents.
There is another defensive maneuver that players can use to get out of being attacked constantly, which is the 360 Degree Attack. By pressing the Weak/Normal Attack and Jump buttons together, players can break out of a combo and throw off their opponents, giving them some space and even possibly save you from getting killed.
