Codex Gamicus
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
FANDOM
Fan Central
BETA
Games
Anime
Movies
TV
Video
Wikis
Explore Wikis
Community Central
Start a Wiki
Don't have an account?
Register
Sign In
Sign In
Register
Fandom's centric source of video game knowledge
42,423
pages
Explore
Main Page
Discuss
All Pages
Interactive Maps
navigation
Main page
Community portal
Recent changes
Random page
Admin noticeboard
Forums
Company Index
Character Index
Hardware Index
In-Game Index
Ratings Index
Video Game Index
Fandom
Gamepedia support
Report a bad ad
Help Wiki
Contact us
Editing
Virtua Fighter (series)
Back to page
Edit
VisualEditor
View history
Talk (0)
Edit Page
Virtua Fighter (series)
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
{{SeriesInfobox | name = Virtua Fighter | image = Vflogo.jpg | caption = The official logo of the series | genre = Fighting | developer = Sega-AM2, Sega-AM1, Genki, Aspect, Tiger Electronics, TOSE | publisher = Sega | platforms = Arcade, Saturn, 32X, Microsoft Windows, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Master System, Game.com, Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, GameCube, PlayStation 3, Virtual Console, Xbox 360 }} '''Virtua Fighter''' is a series of [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[fighting game]]s created by [[Sega]] studio [[Sega-AM2|AM2]] and designer [[Yu Suzuki]]. The basic [[gameplay]] involves two combatants needing to win two of three rounds, with each round being 30 seconds long or more. If a character is knocked out (or falls out) of the ring, the opponent wins the round. A fourth round is necessary if a double knockout (both players knocking each other out at the same time) occurred in a previous round and the match is tied one round each. In this fourth round, players fight on a small stage wherein one hit equals victory. Its control scheme is simple, using only a control stick and 3 buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard); however, through various timings, positions, and button combinations, players unlocked a bevy of moves for each character. 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. 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. The arcade cabinets are currently kept at the Smithsonian's [[National Museum of American History]]. ==Overview== {{nihongo|'''''Virtua Fighter'''''|バーチャファイター|lead=yes}} is a series of [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[fighting game|competitive fighting games]] created by [[Sega]] studio [[Sega-AM2|AM2]] and designer [[Yu Suzuki]] in 1993, and receiving four main sequels since. The first game is widely recognized as the first 3D fighting game ever released. The basic [[gameplay]] involves two combatants needing to win two of three rounds, with each round being 30 seconds long or more. If a character is knocked out (or falls out) of the ring, the opponent wins the round. A fourth round is necessary if a double knockout (both players knocking each other out at the same time) occurred in a previous round and the match is tied one round each. In this fourth round, players fight on a small stage wherein one hit equals victory. Its control scheme is simple, using only a control stick and 3 buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard); however, through various timings, positions, and button combinations, players unlocked a bevy of moves for each character. Traditionally, in the [[single-player video game|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. 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. The arcade cabinets are currently kept at the Smithsonian's [[National Museum of American History]]. ==History== ===Arcades=== The brainchild of AM2's Yu Suzuki, ''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter]]'' was released in [[1993 in video gaming|1993]] as an [[arcade game]], using the [[Sega Model 1|Model 1]] [[arcade system board]]. It is considered the first 3D polygon-based fighting game. It introduced the 8 initial fighters as well as the [[boss (video games)|boss]], [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Dural|Dural]]. ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' was released in [[1994 in video gaming|1994]], adding two new fighters: [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Shun Di|Shun Di]] and [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Lion Rafale|Lion Rafale]]. It was built using the [[Sega Model 2|Model 2]] hardware, [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendering]] characters and backgrounds with [[Texture filtering|filtered]] [[texture mapping]] and [[motion capture]].<ref name="gamasutra.com">http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/228512/Yu_Suzuki_recalls_using_military_tech_to_make_Virtua_Fighter_2.php</ref> A slightly-tweaked upgrade, ''Virtua Fighter 2.1'', followed soon after. ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'' came out in [[1996 in video gaming|1996]], with the introduction of [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Taka-Arashi|Taka-Arashi]] and [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Aoi Umenokoji|Aoi Umenokoji]]. Aside from improving the [[computer graphics|graphics]] via use of the [[Sega Model 3|Model 3]] board (such as eyes on characters that followed opponents, [[mipmap]]ping, [[Multisample anti-aliasing|multi-layer anti-aliasing]], [[trilinear filtering]] and [[specular highlight]]ing),<ref name="cvg174">{{cite journal|title=News: Virtua Fighter 3|journal=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=May 1996|issue=174|pages=10–1}}</ref> the game also introduced undulations in some stages, and a fourth button, Dodge, both of which altered the gameplay. ''Virtua Fighter 3tb'' in [[1997 in video gaming|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 [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Vanessa Lewis|Vanessa Lewis]] and [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Lei-Fei|Lei-Fei]] and removed Taka-Arashi, was released on the [[Sega NAOMI 2|NAOMI 2]] hardware in [[2001 in video gaming|2001]] instead of hardware from a joint collaboration with Lockheed Martin. Additionally, 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#Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution|Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution]]'', released in [[2003 in video gaming|2003]], was the first update to add new characters, these being [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Brad Burns|Brad Burns]] and [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Goh Hinogami|Goh Hinogami]]. ''[[Virtua Fighter 4|Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned]]'', an upgrade to ''Evolution'', was released in the arcades in early [[2005 in video gaming|2005]]. ''[[Virtua Fighter 5]]'' was released in Japan on July 12, 2006 for Sega's [[Sega Lindbergh|Lindbergh]] arcade board and introduced yet two more new characters, [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Eileen|Eileen]] and [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#El Blaze|El Blaze]]. Similar to its predecessor, two revisions were later released. ''[[Virtua Fighter 5#Virtua Fighter 5 R|Virtua Fighter 5 R]]'', released in [[2008 in video gaming|2008]], saw the return of Taka-Arashi while introducing a new fighter, [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Jean Kujo|Jean Kujo]]. ''[[Virtua Fighter 5#Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown|Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown]]'' was released in arcades in [[2010 in video gaming|2010]], now utilizing the Sega [[List of Sega arcade system boards#Sega Ring series|RingEdge]] arcade board. ===Consoles=== [[File:32X Virtua Fighter.png|thumb|''Virtua Fighter'' on the [[Sega 32X]].]] The first ''Virtua Fighter'' was ported to the Saturn in [[1994 in video gaming|1994]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]] outside Japan), just months before fellow 3D-fighter ''[[Tekken (video game)|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.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=Steven L. |authorlink=Steven L. Kent |title=The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze that Touched our Lives and Changed the World |year=2001 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Roseville, California |isbn=0-7615-3643-4 |page=502}}</ref> Although the Saturn's Titan board was inferior to the Model 2, 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. A port of the original ''Virtua Fighter'' and ''Virtua Fighter 2'' with enhanced graphics were also released for the [[IBM PC compatible|PC]]. ''Virtua Fighter 2'' was remade as a 2D fighter for the [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]] in 1996, omitting characters Shun and Lion, and later re-released on the [[PlayStation 2]] as a part of the ''[[Sega Ages]]'' series. [[File:SMS Virtua Fighter Animation 1996.png|thumb|''Virtua Fighter Animation'' on the [[Sega Master System|Master System]].]] The only port of ''Virtua Fighter 3'' was for the [[Dreamcast|Sega Dreamcast]] by [[Genki (company)|Genki]] (instead of AM2) with ''Virtua Fighter 3TB'' in [[1998 in video gaming|1998]] for the Japanese release of the [[video game console|console]]. 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 "[[List of Sony Greatest Hits games#PlayStation 2|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' 10th anniversary, a [[Video game remake|remake]] of ''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|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 called ''Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary: Memory of a Decade'' and a DVD. The box set was released in November 2003 and was published by [[Enterbrain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2003/10/10/virtua-fighter-10th-anniversary-hits-japan|title=Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary Hits Japan|date=10 October 2003|work=[[IGN]]|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|accessdate=19 May 2013}}</ref> In North America, the game was included within the home version of ''Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution'', and in Europe it was only available as a promotional item; it was not sold at retail. [[File:Virtua Fighter 5 Box Art.jpg|thumb|right|200px|''Virtua Fighter 5'': The current release in the main series]] ''Virtua Fighter 5'' was released for the American [[PlayStation 3]] on February 20, 2007. 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. In December 2006, Sega announced that an [[Xbox 360]] port of the game was due the summer of 2007. It was released in October 2007 and contains the additions of online fighting via [[Xbox Live]], improved graphics, and gameplay balances from the newer revision of the arcade game. ''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. ==Spinoffs== Sega's [[History of video game consoles (third generation)|8-bit]] consoles, the portable [[Sega Game Gear|Game Gear]] and the home console [[Sega Master System]], as well as the [[History of video game consoles (fourth generation)|16-bit]] [[Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]] are not capable of internally displaying polygonal, three-dimensional graphics (Mega Drive polygonal [[racing game]] ''[[Virtua Racing]]'' relied on the [[Sega Virtua Processor]] hardware co-processor). To still be able to profit from the franchise's success, Sega created two-dimensional ports for those systems in 1996. A [[2D computer graphics|2D]]-version of ''Virtua Fighter 2'', which featured graphics that somewhat resembled the original 3D game, was produced for the Genesis. An 8-bit game, called ''Virtua Fighter Mini'', based on the 35 episodes long anime series of ''Virtua Fighter'' was also 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. 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 [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Siba|Siba]], who was omitted from the first ''Virtua Fighter'' also appears as a hidden playable character, and the moveset of ''[[Virtua Cop 2]]'' character Janet was based on ''VF3'' character [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Aoi Umenokoji|Aoi Umenokoji]]. In Japan, the curious ''Virtua Fighter 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. The Dreamcast game ''[[Shenmue]]'', also developed by AM2/Yu Suzuki, was called ''Virtua Fighter RPG'' in the early stages of development and features a ''Virtua Fighter''-like fighting system and in-game ''Virtua Fighter'' memorabilia (such as capsule machine toys of the characters). Suzuki has said numerous times that he used the series' main character, [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Akira Yuki|Akira Yuki]], as the main influence in the main character [[Shenmue#Characters|Ryo Hazuki]]. Throughout the game and its sequel, there are several characters whose appearances and fighting styles closely match those of the ''Virtua Fighter'' series. ''[[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 [[Nintendo GameCube]] in [[2004 in video gaming|2004]] and the PlayStation 2 in 2005. The Virtua Fighters had their incarnations from ''Virtua Fighter 4''. Recently, both Sega and [[Namco]] have shown interest in a possible cross over between ''Virtua Fighter'' and ''[[Tekken]]''.<ref>[http://ps3.ign.com/articles/766/766622p1.html Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Interview (IGN)]</ref> This crossover would combine all the characters and fighting styles from both games, but any other inclusions are unknown at the moment. ==Games== The following is a list of titles in the ''Virtua Fighter'' series: *'''''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1993 in video gaming|1993]]), [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1994 in video gaming|1994]]), [[Sega 32X]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter Remix]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]), [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]), [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1994 in video gaming|1994]]), [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]), [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]), [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] ([[1997 in video gaming|1997]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 2|Virtua Fighter 2.1]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]), [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1995 in video gaming|1995]]), [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] ([[1997 in video gaming|1997]]), [[PlayStation 2]] ([[2004 in video gaming|2004]]), [[Xbox 360]] ([[2012 in video gaming|2012]]), [[PlayStation 3]] ([[2012 in video gaming|2012]]) *''Virtua Fighter Portrait Series'' – [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter Animation|Virtua Fighter Mini]]''''' – [[Sega Game Gear|Game Gear]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]), [[Sega Master System|Master System]] ([[1997 in video gaming|1997]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter Kids]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]), [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) *'''''[[Fighters Megamix]]''''' – [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1996 in video gaming|1996]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 3|Virtua Fighter 3 : Team Battle]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[1997 in video gaming|1997]]), [[Dreamcast]] ([[1998 in video gaming|1998]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter 4]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2001 in video gaming|2001]]), [[PlayStation 2]] ([[2002 in video gaming|2002]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 4#Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution|Virtua Fighter 4 : Evolution]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2002 in video gaming|2002]]), [[PlayStation 2]] ([[2003 in video gaming|2003]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary]]''''' – [[PlayStation 2]] ([[2003 in video gaming|2003]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 4|Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2004 in video gaming|2004]]) *'''''[[Virtua Quest]]''''' – [[Nintendo GameCube|GameCube]] ([[2004 in video gaming|2004]]), [[PlayStation 2]] ([[2004 in video gaming|2004]]) *'''''[[Virtua Fighter 5]]''''' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2006 in video gaming|2006]]), [[PlayStation 3]] ([[2007 in video gaming|2007]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 5|Virtua Fighter 5 Online]]'' – [[Xbox 360]] ([[2007 in video gaming|2007]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 5#Virtua Fighter 5 R|Virtua Fighter 5 R]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2008 in video gaming|2008]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter 5#Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown|Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown]]'' – [[arcade game|Arcade]] ([[2010 in video gaming|2010]]), [[Xbox 360]] ([[2012 in video gaming|2012]]), [[PlayStation 3]] ([[2012 in video gaming|2012]]) *''[[Virtua Fighter: Cool Champ]]'' [[Mobile communications|Mobile]] ([[2011 in video gaming|2011]])<ref>http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/file/120217.pdf</ref> *''[[Virtua Fighter: Fever Combo]]'' [[Mobile communications|Mobile]] ([[2014 in video gaming|2014]])<ref>http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/pdf/VFFC140422.pdf</ref> ==Characters in ''Virtua Fighter'' By Title== {{main|List of Virtua Fighter characters}} {| class="wikitable sortable" ! width=150 |Character ! align="center"|''1'' ! align="center"|''2'' ! align="center"|''3'' ! align="center"|''4'' ! align="center"|''4: Evolution'' ! align="center"|''5'' ! align="center"|''5 R'' ! align="center"|''5 Final Showdown'' |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Akira Yuki|Akira Yuki]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Pai Chan|Pai Chan]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Lau Chan|Lau Chan]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Wolf Hawkfield|Wolf Hawkfield]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Jeffry McWild|Jeffry McWild]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Kage-Maru|Kage-Maru]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Sarah Bryant|Sarah Bryant]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Jacky Bryant|Jacky Bryant]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Dural|Dural]]!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Siba|Siba]]{{ref|a|a}} !!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Shun Di|Shun Di]]!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Lion Rafale|Lion Rafale]]!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Aoi Umenokoji|Aoi Umenokoji]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Taka-Arashi|Taka-Arashi]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Lei-Fei|Lei-Fei]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Vanessa Lewis|Vanessa Lewis]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Brad Burns|Brad Burns]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Goh Hinogami|Goh Hinogami]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Eileen|Eileen]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#El Blaze|El Blaze]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |- ! [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Jean Kujo|Jean Kujo]]!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{n}}!!{{y}}!!{{y}} |} ;Notes<nowiki>:</nowiki> :{{note|a|a}} Siba appeared in the prototype stages of ''Virtua Fighter'' but was omitted from the final game. His portrait appeared on some arcade cabinets mislabeled as Akira. His only in-game appearance so far is in the AM2 spinoff crossover game ''[[Fighters Megamix]]''. ==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. Even to this day, many 3D fighting game series such as ''[[Tekken]]'' and ''[[Dead or Alive (series)|Dead or Alive]]'' were influenced by ''Virtua Fighter ''. And while, sales-wise, the series has often fallen behind the other titles on [[Video game console|consoles]] (partly due to being released on underperforming consoles Sega Saturn and Dreamcast), the main games have always remained critically acclaimed titles. In particular, its fans note its more realistic, "tournament rules"-style gameplay (for instance, a loss can occur when a character is knocked out of bounds), which differentiated the first iteration from other fighting games at that time. It is also applauded for its depth, as each character has plenty of moves and strategies to learn, and that each character plays differently from the others. Additionally, the game is also known for its balance across all characters, such that a good user of one character can have a fair match against another good user of any other character. More generally, ''Virtua Fighter'' played a major role in popularizing [[3D computer graphics|polygonal 3D]] graphics. According to [[1UP.com|1UP]], the original ''Virtua Fighter'' was the first game to implement [[3D computer graphics|polygonal 3D]] human characters in a useful way, with [[Game physics|physics]]. For example, when "a character was hit in the head, they fell backwards as would realistically happen," and if "they were hit with a spin kick, they would spin away before hitting the ground," portrayed "in a realistic manner (where players could feel the impact when a character hit the ground and the character did not automatically bounce back up)."<ref name="1up_important">{{cite web|title=35. Virtua Fighter|work=The Essential 50: The Most Important Games Ever Made|publisher=[[1UP.com|1UP]]|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3135123|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050122095554/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3135123|archivedate=2005-01-22|accessdate=2014-12-26}}</ref> According to [[GameSpot]], ''Virtua Fighter'', as well as ''[[Virtua Racing]]'', popularized the trend of video games being rendered with 3D graphics, introducing it to a wider audience.<ref name="gamespot_vr">{{cite web|title=Virtua Racing – Arcade (1992)|url=http://web.archive.org/web/20100412225953/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p13_01.html|work=15 Most Influential Games of All Time|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=19 January 2014|year=2001}}</ref> ''[[Next Generation]]'' magazine, in 1995, referred to ''Virtua Fighter'' as "the most significant game of the 1990s" and stated it "is the biggest game in Japan since ''[[Super Mario World]]''."<ref name="hg101">http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/virtuafighter/virtuafighter.htm</ref> The developers continued to push technological boundaries with later games in the series. In {{vgy|1994}}, ''[[Virtua Fighter 2]]'' for the [[Sega Model 2]] featured characters and backgrounds [[Rendering (computer graphics)|rendered]] with [[Texture filtering|filtered]] [[texture mapping]], as well as animations produced using [[motion capture]] technology that had previously never been used by the [[video game industry]].<ref name="gamasutra.com"/> ''[[Virtua Fighter 3]]'', in [[1996 in video gaming|1996]], debuted the [[Sega Model 3|Model 3]] board, which featured graphical advances such as [[mipmap]]ping, [[Multisample anti-aliasing|multi-layer anti-aliasing]], [[trilinear filtering]] and [[specular highlight]]ing. At the time, ''[[Computer and Video Games]]'' magazine described it as "the most astounding display of [[Video game graphics|video game graphic]] muscle ever in the history of this industry" and compared its [[Real-time computer graphics|real-time graphics]] to [[Pre-rendering|pre-rendered]] [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] of that era.<ref name="cvg174"/> The developers of the game have also been considered rather meticulous, as shown by their removal of Taka-Arashi, the reason being that the hit detection was too difficult to calculate for the character in comparison to other characters.<ref>http://games.kikizo.com/features/sega_am2_vf5_videointerview.asp SEGA-AM2 Interview: Virtua Fighter 5</ref> The producers also 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, as expressed by ''VF5'' producer Noriyuki Shimoda in the February 2007 issue of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' when speaking of the PlayStation 3 port of ''VF5''. Eventually, with the Xbox 360 release of ''VF5'', Sega decided to add online capabilities via [[Xbox Live]]. The success of the Virtua Fighter series resulted in Guinness World Records awarding the series 7 world records in the Guinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008. These records include, "First Polygon Based Fighting Game", "First 3D Fighting Game", and "First Fighting Game for a 32-bit Console". 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."<ref>Robinson, Martin, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-06-13-virtua-fighter-5-final-showdown-review Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Review], Eurogamer, 13 June 2012.</ref> [[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."<ref>Leone, Matt, [http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-virtua-fighter Essential 50: Virtua Fighter], 1UP.</ref> ''[[Game Informer]]'''s Andy McNamara stated: "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."<ref>McNamara, Andy, [http://www.gameinformer.com/cfs-filesystemfile.ashx/__key/CommunityServer-Components-PostAttachments/00-00-13-90-63/review_5F00_xml_5F00_display.html Virtua Fighter 5 PS3 Review], ''Game Informer.''</ref> [[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."<ref>IGN Staff, [http://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/05/the-top-25-videogame-franchises The Top 25 Videogame Franchises], IGN, December 4, 2006.</ref> Some of the [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] (SCE) staff involved in the creation of the original [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] [[video game console]] credit ''Virtua Fighter'' as inspiration for the PlayStation's [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] hardware. According to SCE's former producer Ryoji Akagawa and chairman Shigeo Maruyama, the PlayStation was originally being considered as a [[2D computer graphics|2D]] focused hardware, and it wasn't until the success of ''Virtua Fighter'' in the arcades that they decided to design the PlayStation as a 3D focused hardware.<ref>{{cite web|last=Feit|first=Daniel|url=http://www.wired.com/2012/09/how-virtua-fighter-saved-playstations-bacon/|title=How ''Virtua Fighter'' Saved PlayStation's Bacon|publisher=''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''|date=2012-09-05|accessdate=2014-10-09|quote='''Ryoji Akagawa:''' If it wasn't for ''Virtua Fighter'', the PlayStation probably would have had a completely different hardware concept.}}</ref> [[Toby Gard]] also cited ''Virtua Fighter'' as an influence on the use of polygon characters, and the creation of [[Lara Croft]], in ''[[Tomb Raider]]''.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1410480.stm</ref> In the Sega music video game [[Project DIVA 2nd]], [[Vocaloid]] Megurine Luka can obtain a [[List of Virtua Fighter characters#Sarah Bryant|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|Tecmo Koei's]] ''[[Dead or Alive 5]]''.<ref>Richard Mitchell, [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/05/virtua-fighters-akira-playable-in-dead-or-alive-5/ "Virtua Fighter's Akira playable in Dead or Alive 5"], [[Joystiq]], Mar 5th 2012. Retrieved June 8th, 2012.</ref><ref>David Hinkle, [http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/05/dead-or-alive-5-enters-the-retail-arena-on-september-25/ "Dead or Alive 5 enters the retail arena on September 25"], [[Joystiq]], June 5th 2012. Retrieved June 9th, 2012.,</ref><ref>Stephany Nunneley, [http://www.vg247.com/2012/09/12/dead-or-alive-5-pai-chan-and-gen-fu-announced-via-famitsu/ "Dead or Alive 5 Pai Chan and Gen Fu Announced via Famitsu"] [[VG247]], Sept 12th, 2012. Retrieved Sept 17th, 2012.</ref> 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. In ''[[Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax]]'', Akira Yuki and Pai Chan appears as a guest boss where Akira is playable and Pai as assist. ==In other media== [[Virtua Fighter (anime)|Virtua Fighter]] the anime series aired on [[TV Tokyo]] with 35 episodes from 1995 to 1996. Sega has formed the production company Stories International and teaming up with [[Evan Cholfin]] for film and tv projects based on theirs games with Virtua Fighter as an animated project.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://variety.com/2014/film/news/sega-taps-evan-cholfin-to-adapt-its-videogames-for-films-tv-digital-platforms-exclusive-1201377268/|title=Sega Taps Evan Cholfin to Adapt its Videogames for Films, TV, Digital Platforms (EXCLUSIVE)|author=Marc Graser|date=December 11, 2014|work=Variety|accessdate=December 11, 2014}}</ref> ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== *{{dmoz|Games/Video_Games/Fighting/Virtua_Fighter_Series}} * [http://www.virtuafighter.com VFDC, online forum for VF players] * [http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/august03/millennium/day1/ "The History of Virtua Fighter"] {{Virtua Fighter series}} {{Franchises by Sega}} {{Sega-Sammy franchises}}
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to the Codex Gamicus are considered to be released under the CC BY-SA 3.0
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Templates used on this page:
Template:!!
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:ArrayListDevelopers
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:ArrayListGenres
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:ArrayListPublishers
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:ArrayPageType
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Aye
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Citation/core
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Citation/identifier
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Citation/make link
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite book
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite journal
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Cite web
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:CompanySwitch
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:DMOZ
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Dmoz
(
view source
)
Template:Franchises by SEGA
(
view source
)
Template:Franchises by Sega
(
view source
)
Template:GenreSwitch
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Hatnote
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Hide in print
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Main
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:N
(
view source
)
Template:Navbar
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Navbox
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Navbox subgroup
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Nay
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Nihongo
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Note
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Only in print
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:PageTypeSwitch
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:PlatformSwitch
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Ref
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Reflist
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:SEGA Sammy franchises
(
view source
)
Template:Sega-Sammy franchises
(
view source
)
Template:SeriesInfobox
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Transclude
(
view source
) (protected)
Template:Vgy
(
view source
)
Template:Virtua Fighter
(
view source
)
Template:Virtua Fighter series
(
view source
)
Template:Y
(
view source
)
Template:·
(
view source
) (protected)
Follow on IG
TikTok
Join Fan Lab