Virtua Fighter 5

This is just a quick post to enthuse about my most recent gaming accquisition. Getting Virtua Fighter 5, (I got it for £4 by trading in a lot of Dreamcast duplicates from my collection) means I now have every incarnation of the franchise, which in itself is something I'm rather excited about. VF1, VF2, VF Remix, VF Kids, VF3Tb, VF4, VF4 Evolution and now VF5 - eight games spanning four consoles and every one with it's roots planted firmly in rich, Saturn soil.

I suppose that would be my first point. From the ridiculously blocky and angular characters of VF1, to the photo realistic graphically gorgeous polished characters of VF5, the game is essentially the same... Moves, fighting styles, outfits etc. are quintessentially untouched from console to console.

Obviously the range of characters, the environments and other features have changed over the years, but on turning the game on, and selecting the game mode one is afforded the familiar 'ping' from VF1. It's a reverberation of the Saturn in the 21st century and a comforting one at that...

But then when the game kicks in, and you see the stunning next gen graphics, you know that the 360/PS3 incarnation is a different beast. It's literally breath taking! For me, even the PS2's VF4 was so next gen, that I was blown away... But seeing VF5 made me jump.

Playing VF4 in arcade mode I was able to beat the opposition on first play, up to Dural. Playing VF5 I was stomped unceremoniously. It would seem that the stakes in gameplay have been raised. This was confirmed by my first experience of playing VF online...

I've had two matches, and got fucked up royally (3-0) twice! I play all out attack (as Kage, always as Kage!) and apparently the way forward in VF5 is defense. Defense and then a stunning array of attack... Well that was how I got my arse kicked anyway! I'm going to enjoy playing and getting to know this title. It's as stunning a Saturn rebirth as Sega Rally Revo... (don't even whisper Nebacha! LOL!)

I'll update you more on this one as I become more familiar with it. Initial impressions? 10/10!

Happy days! :)

Virtua Fighter Mobile

Virtua Fighter is back! No, I am not talking about Virtua Fighter 5 or some Sega Ages PS2 Port, this time it's out for cell phones. It seems to be some Virtua Fighter 1 and 2 thrown together with the graphics similiar to Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn. To be honest it comes incredibly close to the visual brilliance that was Virtua Fighter 2. Only the backgrounds can't compare with our beloved Saturn version of the game, yet everything else seems to be intact. The resolution is quite amazing, the textures are even interpolated and the fighter detail seems to be up par with the Saturn game. The character portraits in the character select screen are some more recent ones. Probably from Virtua Fighter 4 or 5, which I've never played.

At first I thought that it has great graphics, especially for a mobile game. But then... how am I supposed to play that with the wonky keys of my cell phone? I think it's unplayable and a mere tech demo of what modern cell phones can do these days. But everything from the Saturn's past is welcome and so I'd file that under obscurity.


Check out some more and bigger screenshots right here.

Under the Influence

Man, what a find! Here's a Saturn-centric clip from a British television series called Bad Influence. It features three of the best games in the system's library, including Virtua Cop, Sega Rally Championship, and that most killer of apps, Virtua Fighter 2.

What's most peculiar about this clip are the celebrities used to test drive these games. They're Gladiators, yet quite clearly NOT the American variety I remember watching as a teenager (or now, for that matter). It's surreal to watch one of these muscle-bound, spandex-clad brutes sit down to a game of Sega Rally, then politely observe, "I say, these graphics are cracking good! Jolly good show, I say! Blimey, I would certainly enjoy a spot of tea right now..."