Virtua Fighter

Last updated
Virtua Fighter
VIRTUA-FIGHTER-logo.svg
Genre(s) Fighting
Developer(s) Sega AM2
Genki (VF3 DC port)
Aspect (Animation)
Tiger Electronics (Megamix Game.com and R-Zone ports)
Tose (Virtua Quest)
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio (Ultimate Showdown)
Publisher(s) Sega
Creator(s) Yu Suzuki
Platform(s) Arcade, Sega Saturn, 32X, Microsoft Windows, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Master System, Game.com, R-Zone, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation 3, Virtual Console, Xbox 360, mobile, PlayStation 4
First release Virtua Fighter
October 1993
Latest release Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown
June 1, 2021
Spin-offs Fighters Megamix
Virtua Quest
Anime series

Virtua Fighter [nb 1] is a series of fighting games created by Sega-AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The original Virtua Fighter was released in December 1993 [1] and has received four main sequels and several spin-offs. The highly influential first Virtua Fighter game is widely recognized as the first 3D fighting game released.

Contents

Gameplay

Similar to most other fighting games, the default gameplay system of the Virtua Fighter series involves two combatants needing to win two of three rounds, with each round being 30 seconds long or more. Combatants utilize various attacks in an attempt to deplete the other fighter's stamina gauge and deal a knockout (K.O.), winning a round. If a character is knocked out (or falls out) of the ring, their opponent wins the round in a Ring Out. An extra round is necessary if a double knockout (both players knocking each other out at the same time) occurs in a previous round and the match is tied one round each. In this round, players fight on a small stage wherein one hit is enough to knock the other out and achieve victory.

The basic control scheme is simple, using only an 8-way control stick and three buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard). Through various timings, positions, and button combinations, players input normal and special moves for each character. This allows extensive lists of moves to exist for a given character within the limited control scheme. Traditionally, in the single-player mode, the player runs a gauntlet of characters in the game (which may include one's doppelgänger) all the way to the final boss.

Virtua Fighter also owes its simplistic game design to a notable lack of secondary game mechanics, such as any special meters or other emergent elements present in the vast majority of modern fighting games. In addition, every playable character introduced throughout the Virtua Fighter series utilizes a fighting style heavily based in real-world martial arts. Although some creative liberties are taken for the effective execution of certain techniques and styles, the series features no supernatural powers and scarce few superhuman feats, creating a grounded and semi-realistic system of combat.

History

The following is a list of games in the Virtua Fighter series:

TitlePlatform(s)
Virtua Fighter Arcade (1993), Sega Saturn (1994), 32X (1995)
Virtua Fighter 2 Arcade (1994), Saturn (1995), Sega Genesis (1996), Windows (1997)
Virtua Fighter Remix Arcade (1995), Saturn (1995), Windows (1996)
Virtua Fighter 2.1 Arcade (1995), Saturn (1995), Windows (1997), PlayStation 2 (2004), Xbox 360 (2012), PlayStation 3 (2012)
Virtua Fighter CG Portrait SeriesSaturn (1996)
Virtua Fighter Animation Game Gear (1996), Master System (1997)
Virtua Fighter Kids Arcade (1996), Saturn (1996)
Fighters Megamix Saturn (1996)
Virtua Fighter 3 Arcade (1996)
Virtua Fighter 3tb Arcade (1997), Dreamcast (1998)
Virtua Fighter 4 Arcade (2001), PlayStation 2 (2002)
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution Arcade (2002), PlayStation 2 (2003)
Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary PlayStation 2 (2003)
Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned Arcade (2004)
Virtua Quest GameCube (2004), PlayStation 2 (2004)
Virtua Fighter 5 Arcade (2006), PlayStation 3 (2007)
Virtua Fighter 5 Online Xbox 360 (2007)
Virtua Fighter 5 R Arcade (2008)
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Arcade (2010), Xbox 360 (2012), PlayStation 3 (2012), PlayStation 4 (2016) [nb 2] , Xbox One (2016), Xbox Series X (2020), Xbox Series S (2020) [nb 3]
Virtua Fighter: Cool Champ Mobile (2011) [2]
Virtua Fighter: Fever ComboMobile (2014) [3]
Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown Arcade (2021), PlayStation 4 (2021)
Virtua Fighter 3tb OnlineArcade (2023) [4]

Arcade fighting games

The brainchild of Sega AM2's Yu Suzuki, Virtua Fighter was released in 1993 as an arcade game using hardware jointly developed by aerospace simulation technology by the company that is now known as Lockheed Martin and Sega's most prominent and well known studio AM2, originally crafted for the arcade system dubbed the Model 1. [5] It is considered the first polygon-based fighting game. It introduced the eight initial fighters as well as the boss, Dural. Sony developers have confirmed that the game inspired Sony to create the first PlayStation console and to focus more on 3D games, more so than the main competitor in Japan, the Sega Saturn.

Virtua Fighter 2 was released in November 1994, adding two new fighters: Shun Di and Lion Rafale. It was built using the Model 2 hardware, rendering characters and backgrounds with filtered texture mapping and motion capture. [6] A slightly-tweaked upgrade, Virtua Fighter 2.1, followed soon after.

Virtua Fighter 3 came out in 1996, with the introduction of Taka-Arashi and Aoi Umenokoji. Aside from improving the graphics via use of the Model 3 (such as mipmapping, multi-layer anti-aliasing, trilinear filtering and specular highlighting), the game also introduced undulations in some stages and a fourth button, Dodge. Virtua Fighter 3tb in 1997 was the first major update in series history, implementing tournament battles featuring more than two characters (though not simultaneously as in Tekken Tag Tournament ).

Virtua Fighter 4 , which introduced Vanessa Lewis and Lei-Fei and removed Taka-Arashi, was released on the NAOMI 2 hardware in 2001 instead of hardware from a joint collaboration with Lockheed Martin. The game also removed the uneven battlegrounds and the Dodge button from the previous game. The title is consistently popular in its home arcade market. Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, released in 2002, was the first update to add new characters, these being Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami. Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned, an upgrade to Evolution, was released in the arcades in 2004. In Japan, Virtua Fighter 4 was famous for spearheading and opening the market for internet functionality in arcades. VF.NET started in Japan in 2001, and since companies have created their own arcade networks, E-Amusement by Konami, NESiCAxLive by Taito and Square Enix, and ALL.Net by Sega.

Virtua Fighter 5 was released in Japan on July 12, 2006 for Sega's Lindbergh arcade board and introduced yet two more new characters, Eileen and El Blaze. Similar to its predecessor, two revisions were later released. Virtua Fighter 5 R , released on July 24, 2008, saw the return of Taka-Arashi while introducing a new fighter, Jean Kujo. Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was released in arcades on July 29, 2010.

Console fighting games

Virtua Fighter on the 32X 32X Virtua Fighter.png
Virtua Fighter on the 32X

The first Virtua Fighter game was ported to the Saturn in 1994 (1995 outside Japan), just months before fellow 3D-fighter Tekken was released. The console port, which was nearly identical to the arcade game, sold at a nearly 1:1 ratio with the Saturn hardware at launch. [7] The port of Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn for Christmas 1995 was considered faithful to the arcade original. While the game's 3D backgrounds were now rendered in 2D, resulting in some scenery such as the bridge in Shun Di's river stage being removed, the remainder of the game was kept intact. It became the top-selling Saturn game in Japan. Ports of the original Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2 with enhanced graphics were also released for the PC. Virtua Fighter 2 was remade as a 2D fighter for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1996, omitting the characters Shun and Lion, and later re-released on the PlayStation 2 as a part of the Sega Ages series. Yakuza 5 was released in 2012 in Japan and in 2015 worldwide and features Virtua Fighter 2 as a mini-game. The only port of Virtua Fighter 3 was for the Sega Dreamcast by Genki (instead of AM2) with Virtua Fighter 3tb in 1998 for the Japanese release of the console.

Virtua Fighter Animation on the Master System SMS Virtua Fighter Animation 1996.png
Virtua Fighter Animation on the Master System

In a reverse of the usual development cycle for the series, an update of the original Virtua Fighter called Virtua Fighter Remix was released for the Saturn and later ported to the arcade.

Virtua Fighter Mini, based on the anime series, was created for the Game Gear and released in North America and Europe as Virtua Fighter Animation . The game was later ported to the Master System by Tec Toy and released only in Brazil. Brazil itself was a market where the series was very popular. [8]

Following Sega's exit from the hardware market in mid-2001, Virtua Fighter 4 was ported by Sega to the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Outside of a slight downgrade in graphics, the port of the game was considered well done. This port was followed by Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, an update that added two new characters as well as a host of game balancing tweaks, in 2003. Evolution was immediately released under the PlayStation 2's "Greatest Hits" label in the United States, which lowered its initial sticker price.

With the 2003 PlayStation 2 release of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution arriving in time for the series' tenth anniversary, a remake of Virtua Fighter , Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary, was released exclusively on the PlayStation 2. While the music, stages and low-polygon visual style were retained from the first game, the character roster, animations, mechanics and movesets were taken from Evolution. In the previous PS2 release of Virtua Fighter 4, a button code would make the player's character look like a VF1 model. In Japan, the game was included as part of a box set with a book titled Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary: Memory of a Decade and a DVD. The box set was released in November 2003 and was published by Enterbrain. [9] In North America, the game was included within the home version of Evolution, and in Europe it was only available as a promotional item; it was not sold at retail.

A port of Virtua Fighter 5 was released for the PlayStation 3 in Japan and North America in February 2007, and March 2007 in Europe. The PlayStation 3 port is considered extremely faithful to the arcade original, due in part to the arcade hardware (based on Sega Lindbergh platform) and PlayStation 3 hardware sharing NVidia-provided GPUs of comparable capability. A port for the Xbox 360 was released in October 2007 in Japan and North America, and December 2007 in Europe, and contains the additions of online fighting via Xbox Live, improved graphics, and gameplay balances from the newer revision of the arcade game. For years, the designers have held strong on their refusal to add an online mode to console versions of the games; because the gameplay relies so much on timing, any lag would ruin the experience. [10] Eventually, with the Xbox 360 release of VF5, Sega decided to add online capabilities via Xbox Live. Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in June 2012, with online play available in both versions. An updated version of Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown named Version B was released in Japanese arcades in 2015. Yakuza 6: The Song of Life was released for PlayStation 4 in 2016 in Japan and 2018 worldwide and the game features Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Version B as a mini-game, making the release of Yakuza 6 also the PlayStation 4 debut for the Virtua Fighter series.

Spin-offs and adaptations

Due to the success of Virtua Fighter 2, a super deformed version called Virtua Fighter Kids was released for the Sega Saturn and arcades in 1996. 1996 also saw the release of Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn, a crossover that pitted the cast of Virtua Fighter 2 against the cast of Fighting Vipers as well as other characters in AM2-developed games. Megamix served as a home preview to Virtua Fighter 3 in a few ways, as the game featured the dodge ability found in VF3 and the Virtua Fighter characters had their moves updated to those found in VF3. Some stages and music from VF3 are also in the game. The Virtua Fighter Kids versions of Akira and Sarah appear as hidden playable characters in the game; the character Siba, who was omitted from the first Virtua Fighter also appears as a hidden playable character.

In 1996, AM2 began developing a Saturn RPG based on the series, titled Virtua Fighter RPG: Akira's Story, with Akira as the hero. [11] Development moved to the Dreamcast, the Virtua Fighter connection was dropped [12] and the game became Shenmue , released in 1999. [11] Virtua Quest , a simplified role-playing video game (which was also known as Virtua Fighter RPG) with new characters aimed at the children's market, was released for the GameCube in 2004 and the PlayStation 2 in 2005. The Virtua Fighters had their incarnations from Virtua Fighter 4.

During the late 2000s, both Sega and Namco showed interest in a possible cross over between Virtua Fighter and Tekken . [13] This crossover would combine all the characters and fighting styles from both games, but any other inclusions are unknown at the moment. Prior to that, both franchises were represented as Mii Brawler costumes in the Nintendo crossover Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U , in which Ryu from the Street Fighter series first playable too, whereas Akira himself (based on 10th Anniversary version) physically appeared in the sequel Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an assist trophy character where Kazuya Mishima from Tekken, including Ken Masters as Ryu's echo fighter first playable too.

Other media

A 35 episodes-long anime television series Virtua Fighter was produced by Tōkyō Movie Shinsha, originally airing on TV Tokyo between 1995 and 1996. In 1995, Shogakukan began publishing a Virtua Fighter 2 manga, with creative oversight from Sega AM2 to ensure the characters were portrayed consistently with their original vision. [14] The games' manga adaptation was written by Kyōichi Nanatsuki and illustrated by Yoshihide Fujiwara starting in 1997. In Japan, Virtua Fighter CG Portrait Series, wherein each character in the series had their own Saturn CD showcasing various poses of the fighter, was released around the same time as well. People who collected all the discs could send in their proof of purchases to get a special Portrait CD of Dural. In 2014, Sega formed the production company Stories International for film and TV projects based on their games with Virtua Fighter as an animated project. [15] [16]

The first Virtua Fighter merchandise was a set of dolls of the first Virtua Fighter cast which Sega produced for their UFO Catchers (a model of claw crane). These proved so popular that supplies ran out almost immediately, so Sega made additional batches and began producing other Virtua Fighter merchandise to put in the UFO Catchers. [14] When these also proved successful, Sega realized that Virtua Fighter merchandise had mainstream potential, and began licensing the property to merchandise producers such as Bandai. [14]

Sega has also released soundtrack CDs for the games, and even an album of original theme music for the characters called Dancing Shadows. [14]

Characters

Character12345
Akira YukiYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Pai ChanYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Lau ChanYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Wolf HawkfieldYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Jeffry McWildYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Kage-MaruYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Sarah Bryant Yes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Jacky BryantYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
DuralYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg [lower-alpha 1]
Shun DiDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Lion RafaleDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Aoi UmenokojiDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Taka-ArashiDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg [lower-alpha 2]
Lei-FeiDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Vanessa LewisDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svgYes check.svg
Brad BurnsDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg [lower-alpha 3] Yes check.svg
Goh HinogamiDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg [lower-alpha 3] Yes check.svg
EileenDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg
El BlazeDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg
Jean KujoDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgDark Red x.svgYes check.svg [lower-alpha 2]
  1. Non-playable boss in Ultimate Showdown
  2. 1 2 Added in 5 R
  3. 1 2 Added in Evolution

Introduced in Virtua Fighter

NameDescription
Akira YukiAkira Yuki (結城 晶, Yūki Akira) is the mascot of the Virtua Fighter video game series, and fights using Bajiquan. [17] He seeks worthy opponents to fight in order to find flaws in his skills to further attain mastery, and is the official winner of Virtua Fighter 2
Pai ChanPai Chan (パイ・チェン, Pai Chen) is the daughter of Lau Chan, and a martial arts action movie star in her home town, fighting using Mizongyi. She seeks to defeat her father and prove herself a successor to his school of martial arts.
Lau ChanLau Chan (ラウ・チェン, Rau Chen) is a martial artist skilled in Koen-Ken. After winning the first tournament in Virtua Fighter, he seeks a successor for his martial arts style.
Kage-MaruKage-Maru (影丸, Kagemaru) is a ninja and the son of the woman that was turned into Dural. He seeks revenge after his village was destroyed and father killed.
Sarah Bryant Sarah Bryant (Japanese: サラ・ブライアント, Hepburn: Sara Buraianto) is a college student from Los Angeles that was kidnapped while investigating her brother Jacky's car crash. J6 brainwashes her, and has her try and kill her brother at their tournament.
Jacky BryantJacky Bryant (ジャッキー・ブライアント, Jakkī Buraianto) is a race card driver that fights using Jeet Kune Do. After J6 attempted to kill him with a car crash at the 1990 Indianapolis 500, his sister Sarah investigated them only to be kidnapped and brainwashed. Jacky seeks to rescue his sister.
Wolf HawkfieldWolf Hawkfield (ウルフ・ホークフィールド, Urufu Hōkufīrudo) is a professional wrestler from Canada. He entered the tournament seeking worthy opponents.
Jeffry McWildJeffry McWild (ジェフリー・マクワイルド, Jefurī Makuwairudo) is an Australian Aboriginal fisherman and Pankration practitioner. He seeks the tournament prize money for equipment to hunt a massive "Satan Shark".
DuralDural (デュラル, Dyuraru) is a Gynoid-like cyborg and serves as the final boss in every Virtua Fighter game, utilizing a mixture of attacks from all the other characters. Originally Kage-Maru's mother, she was kidnapped by J6 and turned into Dural when they noticed her exemplary fighting ability.

Introduced in Virtua Fighter 2

NameDescription
Lion RafaleLion Rafale (リオン・ラファール, Rion Rafāru) is a high school student from France that fights to gain independence from his wealthy father, and uses the style of Praying Mantis Kung Fu .
Shun DiShun Di (Chinese: 舜帝 Pinyin: Shùn Dì, Japanese: シュン・ディ Shun Di) is an herbal doctor from China that uses Drunken boxing . Considered a sage, he teaches in his small training hall and had many students, but after most left him he decided to enter the tournament after hearing his friends boasting.

Introduced in Virtua Fighter 3

NameDescription
Aoi UmenokojiAoi Umenokoji (梅小路 葵, Umenokōji Aoi) is who fights with Aiki Ju-Jutsu. She joined the tournament to test herself, like her childhood friend Akira Yuki. The eldest child of a dojo owner in Kyoto, she spars with Akira and enters the tournament to prove herself.
Taka-ArashiTaka-Arashi (鷹嵐, Takaarashi) is a sumo wrestler from Japan. During development of Virtua Fighter 3 his large size caused difficulties when jumping, [18] and further caused him to be omitted from subsequent installments of the Virtua Fighter series because his large size was deemed too difficult to simulate at the time until the release of Virtua Fighter 5 R . [19] In the Sumo world, Taka-Arashi is famous for his unusually brutal version of the fighting style.

Introduced in Virtua Fighter 4 and Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution

NameDescription
Brad BurnsBrad Burns (ブラッド・バーンズ, Buraddo Bānzu) is a Muay Thai fighter from Italy who debuted in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution. Popular with women for his looks and personality, he enters the tournament due to his thrill of fighting.
Goh HinogamiGoh Hinogami (日守 剛, Hinogami Gō) is an enigmatic assassin for J6 who fights with Judo and debuted in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution. A sadist due to the death of his father and J6's training, he often taunts his opponents and was introduced as a rival to Akira Yuki.
Lei-FeiLei-Fei is a monk from China who fights with Shaolin-Ken. Part of a clan assigned by an ancient Chinese emperor to kill anyone capable of martial arts techniques more powerful than the emperor's own, he enters the tournament to test his skills against and later kill Lau Chan.
Vanessa LewisVanessa Lewis (ベネッサ・ルイス, Benessa Ruisu) is a security guard, and fights using Vale Tudo. Rescued from J6, she acts as Sarah's boyguard after hearing they intend to re-capture her. She enters the tournament to both protect her, and find the killer of the person who rescued her.

Introduced in Virtua Fighter 5 and Virtua Fighter 5: R

NameDescription
EileenEileen (アイリーン, Airīn) is a girl who fights with Monkey Kung Fu (Xing Yi Quan). Raised by grandfather, a "Kou-Ken" martial arts master from China, after losing her parents at a young age, she is captivated by a martial arts exhibition by Pai Chan and enters the tournament to meet her.
El BlazeEl Blaze (エル・ブレイズ, Eru Bureizu) is a wrestler from Mexico who fights with Lucha Libre. As he watched Wolf dominate the heavyweight division, he grew envious and entered the tournament to confront him.
Jean KujoJean Kujo (ジャン 紅條, Jan Kujō) is a French full-contact (Kyokushin) karate fighter, who debuted in Virtua Fighter 5 R. A brainwashed assassin, he enters the tournament to prove his worth. He targets Lion Rafale specifically, unaware that they used to be childhood friends.

In other games

In Sega's music video game Project DIVA 2nd , Vocaloid Megurine Luka can obtain a Sarah Bryant outfit for gameplay. Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki appear in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing as partners competing against other Sega characters in races. Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant and Pai Chan, appear as guest characters in Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive 5 , [20] [21] followed by Jacky Bryant in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate . Akira Yuki, Pai Chan and Dural appear in the crossover RPG Project X Zone , which features characters from Capcom, Namco Bandai Games, and Sega. Akira Yuki, Pai Chan and Dural return in Project X Zone 2 along with Kage-Maru. In Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax , Akira Yuki and Pai Chan appears as a playable guest boss where Akira is playable and Pai as assist, though they became regulars in the Ignition update. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , Mii Brawler costumes based on Jacky Bryant's modern appearance and Akira Yuki's first appearance were released as downloadable content. Akira would also appear in Ultimate as an assist trophy in his appearance in Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary (a polygonal form from the first game with both voice lines and a move set from Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution).

Virtua Fighter 2, 2.1, 3, and Virtual Fighter 5: Final Showdown have been near fully-recreated within the Yakuza series of games, as both a playable game inside the in-game arcades and a separate 1 versus 1 multiplayer minigame. [22] Within the game files of Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Yakuza 6 , a near full version of Virtua Fighter 5 exists.

Reception

The original Virtua Fighter sold more than 40,000 arcade units worldwide by 1996, [23] with each unit costing between $15,000(equivalent to $30,000 in 2022) [24] and £14,000 / $21,000(equivalent to $43,000 in 2022). [25] Virtua Fighter 2 also sold more than 40,000 arcade units worldwide, adding up to more than 80,000 unit sales of both games by 1996. [26] Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2 became Sega's best-selling arcade games of all time, surpassing Out Run (1986), [27] which itself had sold 30,000 arcade cabinets by 1994. [28] Virtua Fighter 3 sold a further 30,000 arcade cabinets by 1997, [29] adding up to 110,000 arcade unit sales for the three games combined by 1997.

In 1994, Virtua Fighter was the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan, [30] one of the year's top five highest-grossing arcade video games in the United States, [31] and one of the year's most popular coin-ops in the United Kingdom. [24] In 1995, Virtua Fighter 2 was the year's highest-grossing arcade game in Japan, [32] [33] and one of the year's top ten best-selling arcade games in the United States. [34] [35]

On the Sega Saturn, Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2 combined together had sold more than 3 million copies worldwide by 1996. [26] Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter Remix sold a combined 1,067,036 copies in Japan. [36] Virtua Fighter 2 sold 1.7 million copies in Japan, [37] and more than 500,000 bundled copies in the United States, [38] for a combined 2.2 million copies sold in Japan and the United States. As of 2023, the franchise sales and free-to-play downloads combined totaled 18 million. [39]

Legacy

Virtua Fighter is often considered to be the grandfather of 3D fighting games, with each iteration being noted for advancing the graphical and technical aspects of games in the genre. Many 3D fighting game series such as Tekken and Dead or Alive were heavily influenced by Virtua Fighter, and the original Dead or Alive ran on the Model 2 hardware. In 1998, the series was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for contributions in the field of Art and Entertainment, and became a part of the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation. [5] Its arcade cabinets are kept at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where Virtua Fighter is the only video game on permanent display. [40] In 1999, Next Generation listed the Virtua Fighter series as number 8 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "Virtua Fighter is the most elegant fighting game ever created. With only two attack buttons, the game still offers an astonishingly wide range of martial art styles." [41]

Virtua Fighter played a crucial role in popularizing 3D polygon graphics. [42] [43] [44] [45] The success of the Virtua Fighter series resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series seven world records in Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008, including "First Polygon Based Fighting Game", "First 3D Fighting Game", and "First Fighting Game for a 32-bit Console". 1UP listed Virtua Fighter as one of the 50 most important games of all time, crediting it for creating the 3D fighting game genre, and more generally, demonstrating the potential of 3D polygon human characters (as the first to implement them in a useful way), showing the potential of realistic gameplay (introducing a character physics system and realistic character animations for the time), and introducing fighting game concepts such as the ring-out and the block button. [43] Virtua Fighter 2 on the Sega Model 2 introduced the use of texture-mapped 3D characters, [46] and motion capture animation technology. [47] Virtua Fighter 3 on the Sega Model 3 further advanced real-time graphics technology, with Computer and Video Games in 1996 comparing it to CGI and referring to it as "the most astounding display of video game graphic muscle ever in the history of this industry." [48] In 1997, Next Generation stated that Virtua Fighter had supplanted Street Fighter as the premier fighting game series. [49]

Some of the Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) staff involved in the creation of the original PlayStation video game console credit Virtua Fighter as inspiration for the PlayStation's 3D graphics hardware. According to SCE's Shigeo Maruyama, the PlayStation was originally being considered as a 2D-focused hardware, and it was not until the release of Virtua Fighter that they decided to design the PlayStation as a 3D-focused hardware. [50] Toby Gard also cited Virtua Fighter as an influence on the use of polygonal characters in Tomb Raider and the creation of Lara Croft. [51] John Romero also cited Virtua Fighter as a major influence on the creation of 3D first-person shooter Quake . [52] [53] Team Ico's Fumito Ueda also cited Virtua Fighter as an influence on his animation work. [54]

A late 1995 article in Next Generation declared that "The Virtua Fighter series has been, and will continue to be, the yardstick by which all next generation arcade and console fighting games will be measured for a long time coming." [55] According to Eurogamer: "One of Yu Suzuki's most enduring creations once christened every round of new arcade hardware, was a pioneer in 3D graphics and helped establish online fighting. All the while, beneath those achievements emerged a game of exceptional depth and nuance." [56] 1UP.com opined: "Due to its innovation, Virtua Fighter not only influenced competitors' games -- it basically created a genre. Technically, every 3D fighter that came after it owes Virtua Fighter for establishing that a 3D fighter could work. Even today, Tekken still takes inspiration from Sega's series." [57] Game Informer's Andy McNamara wrote: "It has always been my opinion that the Virtua Fighter series is the most intense and balanced of all the 3D fighters on the market. Its control scheme is intuitive, its pacing perfect, and its depth unmatched." [58] in 2006, IGN ranked Virtua Fighter as the 25th greatest game series of all time, explaining that "no other 3D fighter has equaled VF in terms of difficulty and depth." [59]

Notes

  1. Japanese: バーチャファイター, Hepburn: Bāchafaitā
  2. As a mini-game at the various arcades available in Yakuza 6: The Song of Life , making it the first time the game has been natively playable on the platform.
  3. A fully rewritten port of the version A, playable at the various arcades in Yakuza: Like A Dragon and the game is also available as an Xbox 360 backwards compatible title with optimization for the Xbox One X featuring higher resolution and level of detail.

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Virtua Fighter is a fighting game created for the Sega Model 1 arcade platform by AM2, a development group within Sega, headed by Yu Suzuki. An early prototype version was location tested in Japan by August 1993, before the complete game was released worldwide in December 1993. It is the first game in the Virtua Fighter series, and the first arcade fighting game to feature fully 3D polygon graphics. The game has been ported to several platforms including the Sega Saturn, Sega 32X, and Microsoft Windows.

<i>Virtua Cop</i> 1994 video game

Virtua Cop is a 1994 light gun shooter game developed by Sega AM2 and designed by Yu Suzuki. It was originally an arcade game on the Sega Model 2 system, and was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Windows in 1996. The Saturn version included support for both the Virtua Gun and Saturn mouse, as well as a new "Training Mode" which consists of a randomly generated shooting gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yu Suzuki</span> Japanese video game designer

Yu Suzuki is a Japanese game designer, producer, programmer, and engineer, who headed Sega's AM2 team for 18 years. Considered one of the first auteurs of video games, he has been responsible for a number of Sega's arcade hits, including three-dimensional sprite-scaling games that used "taikan" motion simulator arcade cabinets, such as Hang-On, Space Harrier, Out Run and After Burner, and pioneering polygonal 3D games such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter, which are some of the games besides others from rival companies during that era credited with popularizing 3D graphics in video games; as well as the critically acclaimed Shenmue series. As a hardware engineer, he led the development of various arcade system boards, including the Sega Space Harrier, Model 1, Model 2 and Model 3, and was involved in the technical development of the Dreamcast console and its corresponding NAOMI arcade hardware.

<i>Sonic the Fighters</i> 1996 video game

Sonic the Fighters, also known as Sonic Championship on arcade versions outside Japan, is a fighting game developed by Sega AM2. First released in 1996 in arcades on Sega's Model 2 arcade system, Sonic the Fighters pits players in one-on-one battles with a roster of characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series.

The fifth generation era refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. For home consoles, the best-selling console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64, and then the Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.

<i>Daytona USA</i> 1994 arcade video game

Daytona USA is an arcade racing game developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega in March 1994. Inspired by the popularity of the NASCAR motor racing series in the US, the game has players race stock cars on one of three courses. It was the first game to be released on the Sega Model 2 arcade system board. Daytona USA is one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time.

<i>Battle Arena Toshinden</i> 1995 fighting video game

Battle Arena Toshinden, also transliterated Toh Shin Den, is a fighting video game developed by Tamsoft and published by Takara for the PlayStation. Originally released in 1995, it was released internationally by Sony Computer Entertainment, followed by 1996 ports for the Sega Saturn, Game Boy and MS-DOS. It was one of the first fighting games, after Virtua Fighter in 1993 on arcade and console, to boast polygonal characters in a 3D environment, and features a sidestep maneuver which is credited for taking the genre into "true 3D."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega AM2</span> Japanese video game developer

Sega AM Research & Development No. 2, previously known as SEGA-AM2 Co., Ltd., is a video game development team within the Japanese multinational video game developer Sega. Yu Suzuki, who had previously developed arcade games for Sega including Hang-On and Out Run, was the first manager of the department.

<i>Virtua Cop 2</i> 1995 video game

Virtua Cop 2 is a light gun shooter arcade game, released in 1995 and developed internally at Sega by their AM2 studio. It was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1996, PC in 1997, and Sega Dreamcast in 2000. It was bundled with Virtua Cop in Virtua Cop: Elite Edition for PlayStation 2 in 2002.

<i>Fighters Megamix</i> 1996 video game

Fighters Megamix is a 1996 fighting game developed by Sega AM2 for the Sega Saturn. It is a crossover between Sega's 3D arcade fighting games Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers, with unlockable characters from several other AM2 games such as Virtua Cop 2 and Daytona USA. It allows gamers to play as the bosses of both Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers without codes.

<i>Virtua Fighter 2</i> 1994 arcade video game

Virtua Fighter 2 is a 1994 fighting video game developed by Sega. It is the sequel to Virtua Fighter (1993), and the second game in the Virtua Fighter series. It was created by Sega's Yu Suzuki-headed AM2 and was released for arcades in 1994. Ports were released for the Sega Saturn in 1995 and Microsoft Windows in 1997.

<i>Virtua Fighter Kids</i> 1996 video game

Virtua Fighter Kids is an installment in the Sega AM2 Virtua Fighter fighting game series. A super deformed version of Virtua Fighter 2, it was released in the arcade and on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Unlike Virtua Fighter 2, it was developed on the ST-V board.

<i>Fighting Vipers</i> 1995 video game

Fighting Vipers is a 3D fighting video game developed by Sega AM2. It uses the same game engine as AM2's Virtua Fighter 2 but features enclosed arenas and an armor mechanic, and was targeted more towards Western audiences, using a U.S. setting and more freeform styles of martial arts. The game was released in the arcade in 1995 using the Sega Model 2 hardware. The game was ported to the Sega Saturn, and to PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2012. Though Fighting Vipers was not very popular in North American arcades, the Saturn version was one of the most high-profile games in the system's 1996 holiday lineup, and was met with positive reviews.

<i>Virtua Fighter 5</i> 2006 video game

Virtua Fighter 5 is the fifth installment in Sega's Virtua Fighter series of arcade fighting games. The original version was released on the Sega Lindbergh arcade system board. The first location tests took place on November 26, 2005 leading to the official release on July 12, 2006, in Japanese arcades. An export version, based on Version B, was released to arcades outside Japan in February 2007.

<i>Virtua Fighter 3</i> 1996 video game

Virtua Fighter 3 is the sequel to 1994's Virtua Fighter 2 and the third fighting game in the Virtua Fighter series, developed by Sega AM2 and published by Sega in 1996. It was the first arcade game to run on the Sega Model 3 system board.

<i>Dead or Alive</i> (video game) 1996 video game

Dead or Alive is a 1996 fighting game by Tecmo and the first entry in Team Ninja's long-running Dead or Alive series. It was released first in Arcades, followed by home ports for the Sega Saturn in Japan, and later for the PlayStation in all regions. An enhanced version was included in Dead or Alive Ultimate for the Xbox.

Sarah Bryant (<i>Virtua Fighter</i>) Virtua Fighter character

Sarah Bryant is a character in the Virtua Fighter series of fighting games by Sega. She is a college student from San Francisco, California, who debuted in the original Virtua Fighter, brainwashed to try and kill her brother, and later tries to surpass him while seeking to take down the organization responsible. She has appeared in every game in the series including spinoff titles, and made several guest appearances in other games, notably in Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive 5 as a playable character. In addition, she has been featured in various print media, as well as the Virtua Fighter anime.

<i>Tekken</i> (video game) 1994 fighting video game

Tekken (鉄拳) is a fighting game developed and published by Namco. It was originally released for arcades in 1994, and ported to the PlayStation the following year. The game was well-received by critics. It is the first entry in the Tekken series, with a sequel, Tekken 2, being released in 1995.

<i>Fighting Vipers 2</i> 1998 video game

Fighting Vipers 2 is a fighting game developed and published by Sega. It is the sequel to 1995's Fighting Vipers and was released for the Sega Model 3 arcade system in 1998 before being ported to the Dreamcast in 2001.

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