Vs. (video game)

Last updated
Vs.
Vs. Cover.jpg
Developer(s) Polygon Magic
Publisher(s) THQ
Platform(s) PlayStation
Release
  • NA: December 2, 1997 [1]
  • EU: June 1998
Genre(s) Fighting game
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Vs. is a PlayStation video game developed by Polygon Magic and published by THQ in 1997. [2] The game, a 3D fighter, features 20 polygonal, gang-based characters (designed by former Marvel Comics artist Kurtis Fujita) brawling in a two-dimensional environment. Players select different members of each gang to fight rival gangs on their respective turfs.

Contents

The title is a port and an American localized version of Fighters' Impact, which was released only on the Japanese PlayStation and in Japanese arcades. It retained the game engine, most of the play mechanics, and some animations and other elements, but introduced an entirely new lineup of characters, new arenas, and a soundtrack of licensed music. It was met with an underwhelming critical response, being said to offer little new over the recent top-tier games in the fighting genre, and dropped into obscurity.

Gameplay

Players select a game mode to play then select one of the sixteen initially available fighters based on American gang stereotypes. [3] Each fighter represents one of four different street gangs. [4] Four bosses become available for selection upon certain conditions being met. Twelve different arenas based on real-life locations are used for combat. Fighting styles used include karate, aikido and kung fu. [5]

Characters

Streets

Hood

Campus

Beach

Bosses

Development

The characters were designed by former Marvel Comics artist Kurtis Fujita. [6] According to Fujita, "The main idea and theme of Vs. was to create a game which had characters that Americans could identify with, while still maintaining the visual flair of Japanese anime and manga." [7] Some of the characters, such as Harold, were designed by Fujita on spec, before he knew of the street gang theme that THQ wanted for the game. [7] The characters were animated using motion capture footage recorded at Polygon Magic's Tokyo studios. [2]

The soundtrack includes music by Razed in Black, Los Infernos, Suicide Machines, and Pigs in Space. [2]

Reception

Reviews for Vs. were mediocre, with most critics commenting that while the game is decent at worst in every respect, it fails to hold up against its contemporaries. GamePro , for example, summed up that "Vs. is an extremely competent game with the misfortune of stumbling into some bad timing. If it had been released, say, 18 months ago, it would've been the greatest thing since sliced bread and probably could've started its own religion. Unfortunately, Vs. offers nothing new to the already solid lineup of 32-bit 3D fighting games established by Tekken 2 , Soul Blade , and Fighters Megamix ." [11] Common subjects of criticism were the unimaginative characters [9] [11] and the lack of variety in the moves. [9] [10] Reviewers for both Electronic Gaming Monthly and IGN also said the character models are too blocky, [9] [10] but GamePro considered them a highlight, stating that "The motion-captured characters are built well, if not a little blocky, and really move according to their unique fighting styles." [11]

Most critics also found the frame rate impressively high, [9] [10] the evade move a strong feature, [9] [10] and the music both catchy and appropriate to the action. [9] [11] Sushi-X of Electronic Gaming Monthly said that "The music really saves much of the game for me", though he and co-reviewer Shawn Smith found the opponent A.I. absurdly difficult to the point where it takes the fun out of the single-player mode. [9] IGN concluded that "Vs. is a decent start for a company looking to get into the fighting market, it's just not as accomplished as other fighters, even Tekken." [10]

Related Research Articles

<i>Virtua Fighter</i> (video game) 1993 video game

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 October 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>Soul Edge</i> 1995 video game

Soul Edge is a fighting game developed by the Namco team Project Soul and published by Namco as the first installment in the Soulcalibur series of 3D fighting games. Originally released as an arcade game in December 1995, an upgraded and expanded version of the game was ported to the PlayStation in December 1996. The PlayStation version was renamed Soul Blade in North America, Europe, and Australia.

<i>Tobal No. 1</i> 1996 video game

Tobal No. 1 is a fighting video game for the PlayStation developed by DreamFactory and published by Square in 1996. The game was DreamFactory's first release, as well as Square's first release on the CD-based console.

<i>X-Men vs. Street Fighter</i> 1996 video game

X-Men vs. Street Fighter is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is Capcom's third fighting game to feature Marvel Comics characters, following X-Men: Children of the Atom and Marvel Super Heroes, and is the first installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. As the title suggests, the game includes characters from Marvel's X-Men franchise and the cast from Capcom's Street Fighter series. Originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1996, it was ported to the Sega Saturn in 1997 and the PlayStation in 1998.

<i>Tekken 2</i> 1995 fighting video game

Tekken 2 is a fighting game, the second entry in the Tekken series. It was originally released for arcades in 1995, and ported to the PlayStation a year later. The arcade version was later released in Tekken 5's Arcade History mode for the PlayStation 2.

<i>Tekken 3</i> 1997 fighting video game

Tekken 3 (鉄拳3) is a fighting game, the third entry in the Tekken series. It was released to the arcades in 1997, before being ported to the PlayStation in 1998. The arcade version of the game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of Tekken 5's Arcade History mode. The game was also re-released as part of Sony's PlayStation Classic.

<i>Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter</i> 1997 video game

Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter is a crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom. It is the sequel to X-Men vs. Street Fighter and the second installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series. The game was first released as an arcade game in 1997. It then received ports to the Sega Saturn in 1998 and the PlayStation in 1999.

<i>Street Fighter Alpha 2</i> 1996 video game

Street Fighter Alpha 2, known as Street Fighter Zero 2 in Japan, Asia, South America, and Oceania, is a 1996 fighting game originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is a remake to the previous year's Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams. The game features a number of improvements over the original, such as new attacks, stages, endings, and gameplay features. It was followed by Street Fighter Alpha 3.

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

Battle Arena Toshinden is a weapons-based fighting game developed by Tamsoft and published by Takara and Sony Computer Entertainment in 1995 for the PlayStation, 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." The Game Boy version of Battle Arena Toshiden despite sharing the same name as the console & PC counterparts is a different game. It is a 2D weapons based fighter and supports the Super Game Boy cartridge peripheral for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom to allow the game to be played on a TV with colour palettes and borders.

<i>Marvel Super Heroes</i> (video game) 1995 video game

Marvel Super Heroes is a fighting video game developed by Capcom. Originally released in the arcade in 1995 on the CPS-2 arcade system, it was ported to the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in late 1997. The game, alongside Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, was also included in the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection, released digitally for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in September 2012.

<i>Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi</i> 1997 video game

Star Wars: Masters of Teräs Käsi is a fighting game developed and published by LucasArts, which was released for the PlayStation in 1997. In the game's story, which is set in the Star Wars universe, the Emperor seeks retaliation for the destruction of the Death Star and recruits the mysterious Arden Lyn to battle in the art of Teräs Käsi, an unarmed combat discipline, against leaders of the Rebel Alliance. The game features Star Wars Legends characters, including the Emperor's Hand-turned Jedi Mara Jade.

<i>Fighters Destiny</i> 1998 video game

Fighters Destiny, known in Japan as Fighting Cup is a 1998 video game developed by Genki and Opus Corp for the Nintendo 64. It closely models the 3D fighting game standard set by Sega's Virtua Fighter, but integrates a unique point scoring system. The game's generic characters and unoriginal presentation have been panned by critics, but reviewers praise its point system and consider it to be one of the best fighting games on the Nintendo 64. It was followed by a 2000 sequel Fighter Destiny 2.

<i>WCW Nitro</i> (video game) 1998 video game

WCW Nitro is a professional wrestling video game based on the television show WCW Monday Nitro. Released by THQ for the PlayStation game console in 1998, the game featured a large roster of playable WCW wrestlers as well as full motion video clips of the television show. The game was followed by WCW/nWo Thunder, which was based on Nitro's Thursday night counterpart. Ports for Nintendo 64 and Microsoft Windows were released later in 1998 and 1999 with the updated roster featured in Thunder.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes</i> 1998 crossover fighting video game developed and published by Capcom

Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes is a crossover fighting game developed and published by Capcom. It is the third installment in the Marvel vs. Capcom series, which features characters from Capcom's video game franchises and characters from Marvel Comics. The game debuted in Japanese and North American arcades in 1998. It was ported to the Dreamcast in 1999 and the PlayStation in 2000. The game was re-released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as part of the Marvel vs. Capcom Origins collection.

<i>Fantastic Four</i> (1997 video game) 1997 video game

Fantastic Four is a PlayStation video game developed by Probe Entertainment and published by Acclaim Entertainment. The game was released in 1997, and is based on the Marvel Comics characters of the same name. A beat 'em up game released at a time when the genre was virtually dead, it received negative reviews which characterized it as repetitive and boringly easy.

<i>Dynasty Warriors</i> (1997 video game) 1997 video game

Dynasty Warriors is a weapon-based fighting video game developed by Omega Force and published by Koei. It was released in 1997 for the PlayStation for all territories. Unlike the later installments in the series which are hack and slash, Dynasty Warriors is a "one-on-one" fighting game.

<i>Spawn: The Eternal</i> 1997 video game

Spawn: The Eternal is an action-adventure video game developed by Sony Interactive Studios America and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation, based on the comic book character Spawn created by Todd McFarlane and produced by Image Comics. It was released on December 1, 1997 in North America and received poor reviews. When played on a CD player, the disc would be revealed to contain a lengthy audio interview with Spawn creator Todd McFarlane.

<i>Street Fighter EX</i> 1996 video game

Street Fighter EX is a 2D head-to-head fighting game with 3D graphics, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game for the Sony ZN hardware in 1996. It is a spin-off of the Street Fighter series co-produced by Capcom with Arika and was the first game in the series to feature 3D polygon graphics. It was followed by an updated arcade version titled Street Fighter EX Plus, as well as a PlayStation-exclusive home console version titled Street Fighter EX Plus α, both released in 1997. A Nintendo 64 version was also announced for release in 1997, but later cancelled.

References

  1. ↑ "THQ Ships Fab Five [date mislabeled "December 3, 1997"]". web.archive.org. 1998-02-04. Retrieved 2023-04-09.
  2. 1 2 3 "Thq To Develop, Publish Original Fighting Game, ""Vs."" For Sony Playstation". ebworld.com. May 27, 1997. Archived from the original on July 14, 1997. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  3. ↑ Douglas, Adam (December 2, 1997). "THQ needs to stay in school if it intends to compete against the big boys". IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  4. ↑ "Vs.: T*HQ Makes Fighting Short and Sweet". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 99. Ziff Davis. October 1997. p. 142.
  5. ↑ Marriott, Scott. "Vs. Overview". Allgame . Archived from the original on November 14, 2014. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Vs. Review". IGN. IGN Entertainment, Inc. November 3, 1997.
  7. 1 2 Kalata, Kurt (May 9, 2011). "Vs". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 1 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Vs. for PlayStation". GameRankings . Archived from the original on December 9, 2019.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Review Crew: Vs". Electronic Gaming Monthly . No. 102. Ziff Davis. January 1998. p. 164.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Douglas, Adam (December 2, 1997). "Vs". IGN . Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Boba Fatt (December 1997). "PlayStation ProReview: Vs". GamePro . No. 111. IDG. p. 164.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.