Virtua Fighter

• Release Date: 1995
• Genre: Fighting
• Style: 3D Fighting
• Similar Games: Virtua Fighter (Sega Saturn), Virtua Fighter 2 (Sega Saturn), Battle Arena Toshinden (PlayStation), Battle Arena Toshinden 2 (PlayStation), Tekken (PlayStation), Tekken 2 (PlayStation), Battle Arena Toshinden (IBM PC Compatible), Virtua Fighter 2 (IBM PC Compatible), Battle Arena Toshinden (Game Boy), Virtua Fighter 2 (Sega Genesis), Tekken 3 (Arcade), Tekken 3 (PlayStation), Tekken (Arcade), Tekken 2 (Arcade), Virtua Fighter (Arcade), Virtua Fighter 2 (Arcade), Virtua Fighter 3 (Arcade), Virtua Fighter 2 (IBM PC Compatible), Battle Arena Toshinden (Game Boy), Battle Arena Toshinden 2 (IBM PC Compatible)

Game Description

It's clobberin' time! After Virtua Racing showed you the true power of the 32X, Sega brings you Virtua Fighter -- a no-holds-barred Arcade conversion featuring all the smooth polygon graphics, lightning-fast gameplay and realistic character designs of the Arcade machine.

Join Lau, Pai, Wolf, Jeffry, Sarah, Jacky, Akira and Kage as they engage in the epic battles of the Judgment 6 fighting tournament, featuring a final match against an opponent that's barely human. Added features include a remixed soundtrack, colorful new costumes for all characters and a new tournament mode where you and seven buddies can bust-a-move to see who's best.

Roots & Influences

Virtua Fighter is a direct port of the same-named Arcade version, which along with the Tekken series, helped popularize the 3D fighting game.

Review: Overall

After the Saturn port of Virtua Fighter hit the stands, owners of Sega's supposed next-generation 32X console began questioning whether or not they would ever get their own version of the groundbreaking 3D fighting game. Fortunately, Sega realized that the 32X was more than up to the job of handling Virtua Fighter -- and gave us an outstanding port of the Arcade game.

The gameplay and storyline remain the same, with eight international fighters going at each other in hopes of fortune and glory. The animation beautifully reflects each character's individual fighting style, and a wide variety of moves are pulled off with the elegant block-punch-kick button configuration. A 3D ring means that not only can you knock out your opponent, but you can also force a "ring-out" that sends him or her toppling into the dirt. The only oddity in the game is the characters' jumping ability, which ascends them ten feet into the air.

Though the 32X isn't quite as powerful as Lockheed Martin's Model 1 Arcade hardware, the Genesis add-on has pulled off a respectable conversion. Polygon counts are a bit lower but are without the horrible glitchiness of the Saturn version, and all of the voice samples sound great. The music is up to the Virtua Fighter standard, and the sound effects make every kick refelect a real sense of pain.

Even though the 32X is a dead and buried system, its version of Virtua Fighter is certainly strong enough to warrant salvaging out of the bargain bin. Still, it's too bad Virtua Fighter 2 never found its way to the 32X

Review: Enjoyment

Delightfully solid and balanced gameplay.

Review: Graphics

The polygon graphics have been scaled down from the Arcade version -- but they're still lookin' fine.

Review: Sound

Pumping music tracks and crisp sound effects.

Review: Replay Value

Lots and lots of moves.

Review: Documentation

Tells the story and explains the controls.

Production Credits

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