The Virtua Fighter series brought technically and balance to fighting games and is the reason we admire and expect high level play in them. Respect the GOAT.
A fact, just because Akira is wearing a gi and resembles Ryu, he doesn’t actually use a fictional form of Karate like Ryu, Kazuya etc. He uses a Chinese martial art called Bajiquan, the series’ first Karate user is Jean Kujo who appears in VF5 Final Showdown.
Next Curious, have you trained in it? I train in Shotokan Karate so just interested as to why you think it’s more appealing. Not hating just legit curious.
@@songoku9348 He prob thinks its cooler because karate is more known thus making it less interesting. I doubt it has to do with the actual moves itself because karate is cool af.
@@songoku9348 Can't speak for the OP, but the movements of baji look nicer to me. Or at least what Akira is doing. The bodychecks, shoulder rams, palms strikes and double-handed strikes do it for me. His revised knee from VF4 Evo onward is also really beautiful to me.
The biggest innovation: the high/med/low system of attacks, which was also used in Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Dead or Alive. I've always wondered how they came up with it.
From 2d fighting games. They key factor here is that unlike 2d fgs, 3dfgs dont use the air as much, if they use it. So they translate those conventions into the game by having more overheads, and changing the focus on always blocking low and be in the expectancy of an overhead (2dfgs) to always blocking high and be in the expectancy of the low.
@@Hecatom Yeah, the invention of the 'overhead' is a big one (not found in 2D fighters until Super Turbo half a year later), and I suppose they did it because Sega thought it would be silly if fighters were constantly ducking. But I'd love to hear their thought processes in an interview.
Umm, in case of Dead or Alive, it was literally just a VF2 mod, the original Dead or Alive game for the arcades are made using the VF2 engine, they later developed their own for DoA+, which is the home port of the game
Great video. I still remember my jaw dropping to the floor when purchasing the Saturn and powering on Virtua Fighter for the first time. It was amazing to have this game running on a a home console. Virtua Fighter 2 in the arcade was awesome at the time as well. The graphics were unbelievable, and the Saturn port was pretty amazing too. Loved Dreamcast VF3tb, PS2 VF4, and VF5 on PS3 looks amazing too. Such a great series. Miss the days when Sega was an arcade and home console juggernaut. The gaming landscape just isn't the same. Fighters Megamix seems like it'd be a cool fighter to cover in the future. (ie: background, history, how it was made, etc)
I think it's enough characters we have for VF right now so i would prefer instead if they make a VF6 with adding Tsukki as playable chara and recycling some of the VF anime exclusive characters would be perfect for a Virtua Fighter 6 (a game which would never exist)
I've got to admit, I was soured on a lot of your content due to the shtick and persona, so much so that I commented on one of your UA-cam polls stating this very thing but now with these Fighting Games Histories videos that you've turned me into a fan and subscriber. I'm sorry that I misunderstood your background in wrestling and how that persona was easily translated into one, that very much stands out, here on UA-cam. Your work is thorough and it is truly informative. I think this particular series is my favorite and can see it as a resource for the younger crowd who can watch your content and understand the love and passion behind these games. I can't wait for future releases and to see how your interpretation of the dark days of fighting games, 1998-2007, comes through in the following videos. It's great to see the dedication of a few who made the F.G.C. what it is now and the history behind the passions which led to multimillion dollar/pound pots and the rise of pro players from Valle to Daigo and JDCR and Punk or Smug. Hopefully, we can make it to Marvel Versus Capcom II before EVO this year as the fact that it's made its way to official status this year for its 20th anniversary is mindblowing and awesome to me. Thanks for your hard work and don't mind my old comments criticizing your choice of presentation/style. Your work is greatly appreciated, so sincerely, thank you and all the best to you. - A.J.
I remember the first time I saw this game. Arcade cabinet at the ice rink. I was blown away. I remember the the block people would smoke when you picked them. And the big floaty jumps. Like fighting on the moon.
I remember the first time I played the original Virtua Fighter was around 1994. Oddly enough, it was at a corner grocery store about 50 feet away from our house. The owner probably hoped it would generate more people coming into the store, beyond the usual candy, cigarettes and beer :) I have to say, while it took a bit to get used to the polygonal look I enjoyed playing it. I did have a home version about a year later, when I got my 32X add-on. While it looked a bit clunkier it played just fine. Curiously, I never had the game for my Saturn, but I got Virtua Fighter 2 with a 3-pack of games that included Virtua Cop and Daytona USA, all of which I got free with my Saturn in early 1997. I still have the Saturn and the three games to this day. I can't tell you how many hours I played VF2, but they were hours well spent. It succeeded in making me a fan of Virtua Fighter games, and I still own VF2, VF3tb for the Dreamcast, VF4 Evolution for the PS2 VF5 for the PS3 and VF5 Final Showdown for the Xbox 360. To this day the series is one of my favorite fighters (along with Dead or Alive and Soul Calibur, as well as Tekken 3).
@@almostliterally593 They only did that because the first version was rushed to meet the rushed launch of the SEGA Saturn, and the team working on it wanted to apologize, knowing they could do much better with the hardware.
I still remember seeing his for the first time and being amazed and the solidity and fluidity of the game. I love the flat shaded polygon look with directional lighting on the characters. This was sorely missing in Saturn VF2 in my opinion - the arcade version still had the lighting and that made the home conversion look a bit flat and muddy to me. I want to see more 'low poly' games with today's high resolution and polygon counts!
6:25 .. wait no punching? ;) hate to be that guy to point out that haha. i really like these videos you have been putting out lately, makes me appreciate these games more!
Also, thank you for making this video on my birthday. I am one of the biggest Sega fans ever and Virtua Fighter changed my life. I currently ONLY play fighting games and would love if Sega finally gave us a sequel on any system. Big fan of DOA5 just because that was the last time you could sort of play VF.
Oh man, I remember the very first time I played this arcade. My brother had played it before and wanted to show me how revolutionary games were going to be. I pumped so many quarters, or I guess tokens into it. Then we later got it on 32X and Saturn. Good times. I wish they'd make a new one.
Fighters megamix video should be next i remember how blown away I was by it and how it had a car as fighting game character I was like wow and then discovered you could also play as secret characters meat and Am2 palm tree
Tobal was so fun to play and still looks really good for a PS1 game. It's too bad we never got the sequel over here with it's even more robust quest mode.
Jon S I have Tobal but dunno about the other.. What I like about VF 4 Evo is they basically remade VF1 for the package which was nice in addition to the main game.. I still play the series sometimes.. However DOA even though technically isn’t seems like the spiritual successor..
First time I saw this was at EPCOT on what seemed like a movie theater sized screen to my child eyes and was just blown away and it changed the way I see graphics from then on.👊💥👊💥👍
I remember going to the arcade in the early 90's every Friday just to play this game. The place was Future Kids in the basment kalygiyah tower located in Kuwait city.
Just like Street Fighter II made the 2D fighting world solid, Sega opened a door to something new. 3D fighting games was something Back To The Future wished it had.
I wanna let you know you also forgot about Virtua Fighter Remix. It was an upgraded version of Virtua Fighter that upscaled the graphics a bit more making it look less blocky. It also recieved a PC port as well, also giving the option of having the Remix graphics, or the original Arcade/Saturn graphics. I also feel that the music should have been mentioned too, since all (except the Arcade and original Saturn releases. To my knowledge they have the same soundtrack) have different versions of the soundtrack. And lastly the impact was so great that Sega eventually made a 10th Anniversary game that was literally based on Virtua Fighter 1, making every character including those from VF2 all the way to 4 Evolution share the classic and iconic Virtua Fighter 1 appearance and even playing as if the game was actually Virtua Fighter 1. It was a stand alone game in Japan, but a bundled game in the West (Or so i assume. I dont know if anyone else other than the US got the bundle). I hope this help expanded the information prior to this video! And Virtua Fighter really deserves it's praise.
I seem to recall Virtua Fighter Remix being a kind-of-big deal because Virtua Fighter's home port for the Saturn actually had some issues... but I didn't get into Virtua Fighter until late in its life cycle, so I jumped straight to Virtua Fighter 2. Could just be a Nintendo-fanboy's bias. XP
@@KamisamanoOtaku We all are bias XD. But i do suggest playing the first game too since i feel nowadays its been overlooked a lot in favor of either Virtua Fighter 2 or 4. When you do play this on Mame or at least the Saturn or 32X emulators, you will see exactly what made this game so influential. Also i feel the music in VF1 was better than VF2's lol
@@etrotm12thebluewolf15 Since UA-cam is being quirky with comments (the "Read More" buttons are missing from comments), let me be clear that I did play the original a little, just only in Arcades. Indeed, that is why I finally got over the graphics and started to appreciate the gameplay. Probably just not as much as you did. ;) If I get the chance to play the original Virtua Fighter again, I'll take it, but if I'm going out of my way for Sega's 3D Fighting games from around this time, Fighting Vipers and Fighter's Megamix are in front of it. Probably Virtua Fighter Kids as well, given I barely ever played that but heard good things of it.
Virtua Fighter remix was developed using the same development tools as the Virtua Fighter 2 Sega Saturn port. While the original Virtua Fighter on the Saturn did get good reviews, it was actually overshadowed by Tekken on the Playstation 1. Tekken has textured mapped graphics and was cited by reviewers as looking better than Virtua Fighter 1 on the Saturn. Sega also gave away Virtua Fighter Remix for free to anyone that filled out their Sega Saturn registry card and sent it to Sega.
I played a lot of virtua fighter 2 on Saturn back then. Then shortly after we got soul caliber on Dreamcast. Sega is always king for bringing arcade graphics home.
Virtua Fighter and Virtua Striker, as well as Virtua Racing. When I saw Virtua Fighter in the arcades, I was hooked, and blown away!!! And the arab fighter was on the side of the cabinet.. and I was wondering where's this fighter?
I never played it a lot in arcades because it was $1 at my local arcade, but I always appreciated the Virtua Fighter series at home. The fighting system always felt so fluid, nuanced and variable.
Growing up I thought VF was going to be the future of fighting games. I guess VF helped people see what the future was going to be and improved on what Sega initially achieved with VF.
Fighters Megamix is a great crossover game that blends a lot of sega characters. How many times have you fought as a giant bear or Daytona car in other fighters. A video on that would be awesome.
I love these "MAD Stories". Virtua Fighter is one of my favorite fighting game series of all time. But, I am also not the biggest fan of the original game. It is groundbreaking and plays just fine, but it is hard to go back to when the sequels are better games. Playing Virtua Fighter 1 just makes me want to play Virtua Fighter 2.
Also, Model 1 arcade games do not run at 60fps, they were all locked to 30fps. Virtua Fighter 1 is capped at 30fps. All the home ports are 30fps too, to retain the 'feel' of the arcade game. Model 2 arcade hardware runs at 60fps. Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, the original Dead or Alive, Last Bronx, Sonic The Fighters, etc all run on Model 2 and are 60fps games.
@@euclid1068 In my opinion, there isn't a bad game in the mainline Virtua Fighter series. Virtua Fighter 1 is a tough fighting game to master, and is quite good. But Virtua Fighter 2 is better in just about every way that counts. It is much faster overall and more aggressive. It is a 60fps game, while VF1 is a 30fps game. Virtua Fighter 3 is also an incredible fighting game too, and was the first to use the Model 3 arcade board. This one added uneven arenas and 3D movement through dodging. Virtua Fighter 4 goes back to the style of VF2, but is even more refined. It was only ever ported to the PS2, and one of my favorite fighting games for that system. Virtua Fighter 5 is the last release. And it is totally worth playing.
I absolutely LOVE the "VIRTUA" polygonal characters graphics. There was an episode of the animated series "Reboot" that had used (and poked fun of) this type of model often for low-bit or enemy characters. They look even better when emulated with the resolution pushed up. I wish there were more games made with these blocky characters, i guess crossy road etc is one sort of way to appreciate the blockyness. Blocky Sega arcade games (virtua cop, gunblade ny, virtua racing etc) so silky smooth running often at 60fps too for the arcade versions. They have a certain charm to them that make them timeless in my opinion.
@DejaVoodooDoll ah yes voxels thats the name, i meant that as a modern alternative that is close to this but not really any games use the specific virtua polygonal graphics - but crossy road is looking at that pixels/voxels retro style so used that as an example. i shall check out sayonara wild hearts though thanks!
I remember the first time I saw Virtua Fighter in the arcades and being completely blown away. It was like seeing technology from another planet. On top of that, it was £1 a play at the time, when most other arcade machines cost 10-20p.
As a early adopter of the Saturn, I feel you didnt mention how, at least the U.S. version, the first release of virtual fighter was not good. It was so bad they had to issue virtua fighter remix for free to any who bought the original and registered it. Then the og copies were replaced in store with the remix version.
Here's what it says on Wikipedia under the Legacy section (on the page about the series, not the page about the first game): "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. 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." So when I visited the Smithsonian I asked around because I wanted to see it but for some reason nobody knew what I was talking about and I never managed to find it.
Seeing a video of Virtua Fighter does not do justice to seeing the smooth fluid animation of the cabinet in real life. The controls for this game were super tight. I loved using Wolf and lost a few friends doing so.
We can't wait for Top Hat Gaming to eventually get around to covering; Virtua Fighter 5. Lol, it'll require 3 videos as well to cover the various versions of'em. The basic arcade version. And the two followups which weren't released anywhere else except Japan? Virtua Fighter 5: R and 'Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown'. Good luck man! Hope he also bring's up the Virtua Fighter animated series when covering Virtua Fighter 2!
I love the VF series man, I remember being an eight year old kid going to the movies with my family when I saw VF1 in the arcade at the theater way back in 1994. Man I was completely blown away by the graphics, they were mind blowing at the time. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on the series. I’ve always preferred it to Tekken. Please give us a VF6 Sega, please.
Virtual fighter is the grandfather of the 3D fighting games no matter anyone believes period! And i recognize that in japan they like it more than tekken as well!
Capcom: the king of 2D fighting games. And Sega: the king of 3D fighting games. Hey, THGM! Ever heard of Virtua Fighter Remix for the Sega Saturn? It is the best version of Virtua Fighter 1.
This is the second video singing the praises of the Saturn port of Virtua Fighter. I feel like I really need to pop in that copy I got last year again and wash away my bad first impression.
Great video. You forgot to mention that the Sega Saturn later got Virtua Fighter Remix, an improved version with texturized graphics that looked better than the Arcade and the excellent PC port, that allowed to change between remix and original graphics. The thing I disliked the most about this game was that it didn't have endings, when you defeated Dural you just saw the credits with the replays. An interesting fact, Lau Chan is canonically the winner of the first Virtua Fighter tournament because Sega organized a tournament in Japan that was won by a player using him.
I was surprised to not hear about Virtua Fighter Remix on the Saturn. You said that the Saturn port was praised as nearly arcade perfect, but I've read a lot to the contrary. Both Virtua Fighter and Daytona USA, Saturn launch titles, were rushed to completion and had some significant graphical problems such as flickering or disappearing polygons. It's not hard to find reviews that prefer the 32X port over the launch Saturn port, due to the 32X's lack of load times. Since the launch port of Virtua Fighter (and Daytona USA) were so sub-par, they put out Virtua Fighter Remix just months later. In the US, they even sent a free copy to every Saturn owner. They put out Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition for much the same reason.
Can u talk bout sum lesser known beat em ups like the simpsons arcade game,pit fighter,the bouncer on ps2,& urban reign(also on ps2)? Also,can u talk bout street fighter x tekken?
In reference to your "that explains the 1 to 1 attachment rate"....at thecJapanese launch it was not bundled with the console except maybe later on with the remix version or to celebrate 100 000 consoles sold, possibly. In the usa and Europe it was indeed bundle with launch consoles. You got a Japanese Saturn with VF and a PS with ridge racer then maybe gale racer or more likely panzer dragon, or toshinden on PS. The first consoles into UK going for 600 and upwards. Ah the memories.
I remember when this came out in our local arcades. Made me switch over from the Street Fighters and the King of Fighters to this. Even preferred this and its sequel over Tekken and Tekken 2.
Ju-nen Ha-in Daiyo! Also thanks this game is my second video game franchise I’ve ever played (first is Sonic) If they aren’t gonna bring this back in the future I’m gonna make sure: I work in SEGA, go up the ranks and start development for the next game Work in SEGA and work on and remake for 1,2,3 or port of 5 I’ll work on my indie game idea and add a fighting system reminiscent of Virtua fighter Also Virtua fighter inspired PLAYSTATION AND TOMB RAIDER!? old SEGA don’t get enough credit for their innovations
@14:00 I dunno about "universal praise". The only review I remember reading of it back in the day was from Game Players magazine (who changed their name a few times during the magazine's life). Maybe the review was singing the game's praises, but all I can remember is a comment along the lines of "The match replay will either help you relish your victory... or check your Saturn for relish." due to graphical hiccups.
May I make a suggestion for a Forgotten Fighting Game History segment? There were a pair of 2d games I remember playing, and I think the titles were "World Heroes" and "World Heroes 2". (I think 2 also had a re-release with the "Jet" subtitle.) I remember playing them on the SNES, but I don't remember who made or published them. Almost like it was "the *other* other fighting game franchise" on the SNES. Might be a curiosity to look into.
A buddy of mine had this for the Saturn, which is when I first saw it. It was fun, and very nostalgic seeing it again, though I actually thought it was kinda ugly even back then.
I remember I was really impressed when I saw this game for the first time. The realistic shape of the models and, especially, the fluidity or movement blew my mind away. Even when Tekken came out on PSX, I thought VF was better, since the Namco game characters were blockier, had disproportionately bug heads and hands, not to mention they moon-gravity jumps. It's a pity the later versions VF were not as successful. Anyway, congrats on the video!
Yep, people straight-up forget the "moon jumps" of Tekken and Tekken II were directly linked and influenced by Virtua Fighter. Virtua Fighter is the father of Dead or Alive, hands down, just the pervy son of Virtua Fighter, given the ridiculous mammary physics.
I don't know if Street Fighter Alpha 3 or its ports have been covered, but I'd love to hear more about them, in particular, a rumor that SFW3 was planned to have an HD remaster ala SF2, but Seth Killiam of Capcom voted against it.
10:05 It is interesting that the character from Saudi Arabia is listed with occupation being a bouncer, because as far as I have heard alcohol is illegal in that country. Is that another place other than a bar that this profession is common?
scantronbeats you’re correct, I far as I know, bouncers in KSA can be contracted as bodyguards or security guards in malls and private companies. Some can be found guarding public avenues. Hope this helps.
Virtua fighter is the reason why tekken, dead or alive, soul calibur are all exist, without that game, non of 3d fighting games would have been existed to this day
Fascinating video. It was pretty neat to take a break from CAPCOM for awhile to dwell on 3D fighting game history. But I would like to know if you'll ever go into other genres from these companies. Will you ever talk about Capcom's _One Piece Mansion_ on the ps1? It's a short but fun puzzle apartment management game yet it would do wonders if it was remastered for Android and smartphone devices.
I remember being dissapointed with Virtua fighter on the Saturn. The import store had it displayed, and the popping polygons and lower count than the arcade (the Saturn version the characters didn’t have fingers), also Daytona looked awful. After seeing that I gave up years of Sega selling my Mega Drive, Mega CD and 32X, and bought a PS1 and Ridge Racer. It was close enough to the arcade for me compared to Daytona and Tekken looked Arcade perfect with textured polygons. Later on I Played the 32X version and that one plays well. I think later Saturn conversions like VF2 and Sega Rally were really good, but too little to late. I don’t remember being able to move in 3D in VF. The character kinda rolled around. I think Soul Edge was the first game I played that let me move side to side. But I think DOA was the first game to properly take advantage of being 3D. Falling out of the ring and continue fighting seemed like the first time these games moved next gen.
The Virtua Fighter series brought technically and balance to fighting games and is the reason we admire and expect high level play in them.
Respect the GOAT.
Amen to that!
Without Virtua Fighter, other fighting games like Tekken and Dead or Alive wouldn’t exist as both took inspiration from it.
I totally agree, but tekken would have been as 2d street fighter 2 like game in the name of Rave War if Virtua Fighter dosen't exist
Exactly.
Tekken actually had people working on it that worked on Virtua Fighter
A fact, just because Akira is wearing a gi and resembles Ryu, he doesn’t actually use a fictional form of Karate like Ryu, Kazuya etc. He uses a Chinese martial art called Bajiquan, the series’ first Karate user is Jean Kujo who appears in VF5 Final Showdown.
Also a Sumo Wrestler named Taka Arashi was THE Only Character who gets Absent in the Franchise's History, while the Original 8 got perfect attendance.
Also Baji Quan Is 10 Times cooler Then Karate, Just saying
Next Curious, have you trained in it? I train in Shotokan Karate so just interested as to why you think it’s more appealing. Not hating just legit curious.
@@songoku9348 He prob thinks its cooler because karate is more known thus making it less interesting. I doubt it has to do with the actual moves itself because karate is cool af.
@@songoku9348 Can't speak for the OP, but the movements of baji look nicer to me. Or at least what Akira is doing. The bodychecks, shoulder rams, palms strikes and double-handed strikes do it for me. His revised knee from VF4 Evo onward is also really beautiful to me.
VF was jaw dropping to experience back then.
The biggest innovation: the high/med/low system of attacks, which was also used in Tekken, Soul Calibur, and Dead or Alive.
I've always wondered how they came up with it.
From 2d fighting games.
They key factor here is that unlike 2d fgs, 3dfgs dont use the air as much, if they use it.
So they translate those conventions into the game by having more overheads, and changing the focus on always blocking low and be in the expectancy of an overhead (2dfgs) to always blocking high and be in the expectancy of the low.
@@Hecatom Yeah, the invention of the 'overhead' is a big one (not found in 2D fighters until Super Turbo half a year later), and I suppose they did it because Sega thought it would be silly if fighters were constantly ducking.
But I'd love to hear their thought processes in an interview.
Umm, in case of Dead or Alive, it was literally just a VF2 mod, the original Dead or Alive game for the arcades are made using the VF2 engine, they later developed their own for DoA+, which is the home port of the game
@@hiewenliem4494 yes doa++ is based on the ps1 port of doa
An arcade game called Gladiator came up with the basics of that in style in 1986
I remember just watching the attract mode for this game over and over. 9 year old me was blown away just seeing that.
True
I ran screaming to my parents for quarters after i saw Kage do the head dive. It was an incredible experience at the time
Great video. I still remember my jaw dropping to the floor when purchasing the Saturn and powering on Virtua Fighter for the first time. It was amazing to have this game running on a a home console. Virtua Fighter 2 in the arcade was awesome at the time as well. The graphics were unbelievable, and the Saturn port was pretty amazing too. Loved Dreamcast VF3tb, PS2 VF4, and VF5 on PS3 looks amazing too. Such a great series. Miss the days when Sega was an arcade and home console juggernaut. The gaming landscape just isn't the same. Fighters Megamix seems like it'd be a cool fighter to cover in the future. (ie: background, history, how it was made, etc)
Virtua Fighter is VERY important to the fighting genre.
Virtua Fighter is important for it's inspiration of the Fighting Game genre, but the franchise as whole.... *Not Quite.*
@@joseurbina3835 no entire franchise is important to the fighting game genre...
No, it isn’t.
It's the most important franchise to the 3D fighting game genre.
@@michaeloffgrid no, it isn’t.
This game changed the way I looked at fighting games forever....
I wish Some Indy Guys who wanted to make VF6, with a new character that Represent Taekwondo, & Capoeira.
I think it's enough characters we have for VF right now so i would prefer instead if they make a VF6 with adding Tsukki as playable chara and recycling some of the VF anime exclusive characters would be perfect for a Virtua Fighter 6 (a game which would never exist)
I've got to admit, I was soured on a lot of your content due to the shtick and persona, so much so that I commented on one of your UA-cam polls stating this very thing but now with these Fighting Games Histories videos that you've turned me into a fan and subscriber.
I'm sorry that I misunderstood your background in wrestling and how that persona was easily translated into one, that very much stands out, here on UA-cam.
Your work is thorough and it is truly informative. I think this particular series is my favorite and can see it as a resource for the younger crowd who can watch your content and understand the love and passion behind these games.
I can't wait for future releases and to see how your interpretation of the dark days of fighting games, 1998-2007, comes through in the following videos.
It's great to see the dedication of a few who made the F.G.C. what it is now and the history behind the passions which led to multimillion dollar/pound pots and the rise of pro players from Valle to Daigo and JDCR and Punk or Smug.
Hopefully, we can make it to Marvel Versus Capcom II before EVO this year as the fact that it's made its way to official status this year for its 20th anniversary is mindblowing and awesome to me.
Thanks for your hard work and don't mind my old comments criticizing your choice of presentation/style. Your work is greatly appreciated, so sincerely, thank you and all the best to you.
- A.J.
Hard work? He steals most of his information off of wiki.
He already did MVC 2.
I remember the first time I saw this game. Arcade cabinet at the ice rink. I was blown away. I remember the the block people would smoke when you picked them. And the big floaty jumps. Like fighting on the moon.
True
I remember the first time I played the original Virtua Fighter was around 1994. Oddly enough, it was at a corner grocery store about 50 feet away from our house. The owner probably hoped it would generate more people coming into the store, beyond the usual candy, cigarettes and beer :) I have to say, while it took a bit to get used to the polygonal look I enjoyed playing it.
I did have a home version about a year later, when I got my 32X add-on. While it looked a bit clunkier it played just fine. Curiously, I never had the game for my Saturn, but I got Virtua Fighter 2 with a 3-pack of games that included Virtua Cop and Daytona USA, all of which I got free with my Saturn in early 1997. I still have the Saturn and the three games to this day. I can't tell you how many hours I played VF2, but they were hours well spent.
It succeeded in making me a fan of Virtua Fighter games, and I still own VF2, VF3tb for the Dreamcast, VF4 Evolution for the PS2 VF5 for the PS3 and VF5 Final Showdown for the Xbox 360. To this day the series is one of my favorite fighters (along with Dead or Alive and Soul Calibur, as well as Tekken 3).
VF2 and Tekken 2. That's it.
The Virtua Fighter series deserves WAY more L♥VE!
I actually love the first 2 Virtua Fighter games on Saturn.
I got 2 with my saturn, 2 years later when i played tekken 3 still thought vf2 was better
Virtua Fighter Remix is great
@@almostliterally593 They only did that because the first version was rushed to meet the rushed launch of the SEGA Saturn, and the team working on it wanted to apologize, knowing they could do much better with the hardware.
@@CommodoreFan64 And yet the rushed version was highly praised.
"Big Daddy Top Hat here" cracks me up every time
Yeh and the tagteam teddy long holla holla!
Don’t forget the YEEEEAAAAHHH
HEEEEEEeeeLLLLooooOOoOOWwwww
@@RevengerPhoenix Fuuuuuuuurthhhhher
I still remember seeing his for the first time and being amazed and the solidity and fluidity of the game. I love the flat shaded polygon look with directional lighting on the characters. This was sorely missing in Saturn VF2 in my opinion - the arcade version still had the lighting and that made the home conversion look a bit flat and muddy to me. I want to see more 'low poly' games with today's high resolution and polygon counts!
I want a Virtua Fighter with story mode or individual character openings & endings. Virtua Fighter does have some lore.
@DejaVoodooDoll TMS even posted the episodes on their UA-cam channel (among many other titles)
6:25 .. wait no punching? ;) hate to be that guy to point out that haha. i really like these videos you have been putting out lately, makes me appreciate these games more!
Also, thank you for making this video on my birthday. I am one of the biggest Sega fans ever and Virtua Fighter changed my life. I currently ONLY play fighting games and would love if Sega finally gave us a sequel on any system. Big fan of DOA5 just because that was the last time you could sort of play VF.
"Kage" is pronounced "ka-gei" rather than rhyming with "sage" as it's Japanese for "shadow"
WOAH! Dude thank you!!!
Oh man, I remember the very first time I played this arcade. My brother had played it before and wanted to show me how revolutionary games were going to be. I pumped so many quarters, or I guess tokens into it. Then we later got it on 32X and Saturn. Good times. I wish they'd make a new one.
Fighters megamix video should be next i remember how blown away I was by it and how it had a car as fighting game character I was like wow and then discovered you could also play as secret characters meat and Am2 palm tree
Shouldn't Virtua Fighter 2, Virtua Fighter Kids, and/or Fighting Vipers come first?
Damnnn I didn't know VF creator had to do with Tobal and Ergheiz. 2 of my favorite lesser played fighters.
Tobal was so fun to play and still looks really good for a PS1 game. It's too bad we never got the sequel over here with it's even more robust quest mode.
Jon S I have Tobal but dunno about the other.. What I like about VF 4 Evo is they basically remade VF1 for the package which was nice in addition to the main game..
I still play the series sometimes.. However DOA even though technically isn’t seems like the spiritual successor..
First time I saw this was at EPCOT on what seemed like a movie theater sized screen to my child eyes and was just blown away and it changed the way I see graphics from then on.👊💥👊💥👍
Virtua Fighter was definitely one of Sega's last great innovations before their downfall.
True
Virtua Fighter 5 is still one of the best games ever made.
@Leandro Cerencio "one of". English, do you read it?
As well as starting the online gaming revolution we know today by creating the first home console with built in online capability. The Dreamcast.
I'm so glad to have been born a Gen X child.
Unreleased beta characters were also discovered in the game who look like Jin and Jack from Tekken.
Jin and Jack looks like them. They are earlier (same programmers)
@@ENFDO Yes, sort of prototypes of the Tekken characters.
I think that Kage is pronounced like "kah-gay", the Japanese word for shadow.
Not Kah Gay, Just Kah GE
I remember going to the arcade in the early 90's every Friday just to play this game. The place was Future Kids in the basment kalygiyah tower located in Kuwait city.
A Virtua Fighter arcade machine resides in the Smithsonian. The game is that important and influential.
Kage is most likely pronounced "KAH-GEH"
plasticbutler no it’s pronounced cage. His first name is Nik.
@@kurtfranklin2680 All this time we pronounce 'hokage' wrong!
Yeah! It means shadow.
GS Gunawan live and learn
Love your rewievs dude! Great job!!!
Just like Street Fighter II made the 2D fighting world solid, Sega opened a door to something new. 3D fighting games was something Back To The Future wished it had.
Here in the USA Virtua Fighter wasn't as popular as it was everywhere else
I wanna let you know you also forgot about Virtua Fighter Remix. It was an upgraded version of Virtua Fighter that upscaled the graphics a bit more making it look less blocky. It also recieved a PC port as well, also giving the option of having the Remix graphics, or the original Arcade/Saturn graphics. I also feel that the music should have been mentioned too, since all (except the Arcade and original Saturn releases. To my knowledge they have the same soundtrack) have different versions of the soundtrack. And lastly the impact was so great that Sega eventually made a 10th Anniversary game that was literally based on Virtua Fighter 1, making every character including those from VF2 all the way to 4 Evolution share the classic and iconic Virtua Fighter 1 appearance and even playing as if the game was actually Virtua Fighter 1. It was a stand alone game in Japan, but a bundled game in the West (Or so i assume. I dont know if anyone else other than the US got the bundle). I hope this help expanded the information prior to this video! And Virtua Fighter really deserves it's praise.
I seem to recall Virtua Fighter Remix being a kind-of-big deal because Virtua Fighter's home port for the Saturn actually had some issues... but I didn't get into Virtua Fighter until late in its life cycle, so I jumped straight to Virtua Fighter 2. Could just be a Nintendo-fanboy's bias. XP
@@KamisamanoOtaku We all are bias XD. But i do suggest playing the first game too since i feel nowadays its been overlooked a lot in favor of either Virtua Fighter 2 or 4. When you do play this on Mame or at least the Saturn or 32X emulators, you will see exactly what made this game so influential. Also i feel the music in VF1 was better than VF2's lol
@@etrotm12thebluewolf15 Since UA-cam is being quirky with comments (the "Read More" buttons are missing from comments), let me be clear that I did play the original a little, just only in Arcades. Indeed, that is why I finally got over the graphics and started to appreciate the gameplay.
Probably just not as much as you did. ;) If I get the chance to play the original Virtua Fighter again, I'll take it, but if I'm going out of my way for Sega's 3D Fighting games from around this time, Fighting Vipers and Fighter's Megamix are in front of it. Probably Virtua Fighter Kids as well, given I barely ever played that but heard good things of it.
Virtua Fighter remix was developed using the same development tools as the Virtua Fighter 2 Sega Saturn port. While the original Virtua Fighter on the Saturn did get good reviews, it was actually overshadowed by Tekken on the Playstation 1. Tekken has textured mapped graphics and was cited by reviewers as looking better than Virtua Fighter 1 on the Saturn. Sega also gave away Virtua Fighter Remix for free to anyone that filled out their Sega Saturn registry card and sent it to Sega.
@@schtive81 I did not know that. I wish i was born at the time so i can get a free copy myself XD
Oh yeah, I remember being blown away by this in the arcade, and I got handed Virtua Fighter Remix for free!
I remember playing the 32X version of this game, its pretty good. Sad sega stopped making these after the 5th one
I played a lot of virtua fighter 2 on Saturn back then. Then shortly after we got soul caliber on Dreamcast. Sega is always king for bringing arcade graphics home.
16:38 "Does not need to lower itself to these level of filth to be commercially viable"
Boy, that statement aged immediately.
@@CosmicChris I don't follow, can you explain?
Virtua Fighter and Virtua Striker, as well as Virtua Racing. When I saw Virtua Fighter in the arcades, I was hooked, and blown away!!! And the arab fighter was on the side of the cabinet.. and I was wondering where's this fighter?
I never played it a lot in arcades because it was $1 at my local arcade, but I always appreciated the Virtua Fighter series at home. The fighting system always felt so fluid, nuanced and variable.
Every game in the VF franchise is a true masterpiece of their time.
It's about time VF6 gets into production!
Growing up I thought VF was going to be the future of fighting games. I guess VF helped people see what the future was going to be and improved on what Sega initially achieved with VF.
Virtua Fighter Is No Doubt My Favorite 3d Fighter Gameplay Wise
I was lucky enough to play Virtua Fighter as a kid in the arcade. I was absolutely blown away.
“Dural, a bloody fembot.”🤣
Fighters Megamix is a great crossover game that blends a lot of sega characters. How many times have you fought as a giant bear or Daytona car in other fighters. A video on that would be awesome.
its the first 3d crossover ever.
We need a bloody roar next
I love these "MAD Stories". Virtua Fighter is one of my favorite fighting game series of all time. But, I am also not the biggest fan of the original game. It is groundbreaking and plays just fine, but it is hard to go back to when the sequels are better games. Playing Virtua Fighter 1 just makes me want to play Virtua Fighter 2.
Also, Model 1 arcade games do not run at 60fps, they were all locked to 30fps. Virtua Fighter 1 is capped at 30fps. All the home ports are 30fps too, to retain the 'feel' of the arcade game. Model 2 arcade hardware runs at 60fps. Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, the original Dead or Alive, Last Bronx, Sonic The Fighters, etc all run on Model 2 and are 60fps games.
@@euclid1068 In my opinion, there isn't a bad game in the mainline Virtua Fighter series. Virtua Fighter 1 is a tough fighting game to master, and is quite good. But Virtua Fighter 2 is better in just about every way that counts. It is much faster overall and more aggressive. It is a 60fps game, while VF1 is a 30fps game. Virtua Fighter 3 is also an incredible fighting game too, and was the first to use the Model 3 arcade board. This one added uneven arenas and 3D movement through dodging. Virtua Fighter 4 goes back to the style of VF2, but is even more refined. It was only ever ported to the PS2, and one of my favorite fighting games for that system. Virtua Fighter 5 is the last release. And it is totally worth playing.
My mind was blew🤯 the first time I played this game in the arcade.
Saturn is always my #1 system with the nes🙌🏿
Yet another quality episode!:)
I absolutely LOVE the "VIRTUA" polygonal characters graphics. There was an episode of the animated series "Reboot" that had used (and poked fun of) this type of model often for low-bit or enemy characters.
They look even better when emulated with the resolution pushed up. I wish there were more games made with these blocky characters, i guess crossy road etc is one sort of way to appreciate the blockyness. Blocky Sega arcade games (virtua cop, gunblade ny, virtua racing etc) so silky smooth running often at 60fps too for the arcade versions. They have a certain charm to them that make them timeless in my opinion.
@DejaVoodooDoll ah yes voxels thats the name, i meant that as a modern alternative that is close to this but not really any games use the specific virtua polygonal graphics - but crossy road is looking at that pixels/voxels retro style so used that as an example. i shall check out sayonara wild hearts though thanks!
I remember the first time I saw Virtua Fighter in the arcades and being completely blown away. It was like seeing technology from another planet. On top of that, it was £1 a play at the time, when most other arcade machines cost 10-20p.
It aged so well and looks great today! I’d buy it if it gets a re-release as is on current console with online.
Awesome video Mr Hat dude. Have great memories of these classic games. Still play them on my Saturn.
Hey, Top Hat Gaming Man. I would like to see a video on Tekken in a future Fighting Game Thursday video. Can you please do it?
As a early adopter of the Saturn, I feel you didnt mention how, at least the U.S. version, the first release of virtual fighter was not good. It was so bad they had to issue virtua fighter remix for free to any who bought the original and registered it. Then the og copies were replaced in store with the remix version.
Here's what it says on Wikipedia under the Legacy section (on the page about the series, not the page about the first game): "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. 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." So when I visited the Smithsonian I asked around because I wanted to see it but for some reason nobody knew what I was talking about and I never managed to find it.
giving you a like for the sonichu reference, game respects game
Seeing a video of Virtua Fighter does not do justice to seeing the smooth fluid animation of the cabinet in real life. The controls for this game were super tight. I loved using Wolf and lost a few friends doing so.
as a Sega kid VF was my life for so many years, will forever love vf2 and Sega for life.
We can't wait for Top Hat Gaming to eventually get around to covering; Virtua Fighter 5. Lol, it'll require 3 videos as well to cover the various versions of'em. The basic arcade version. And the two followups which weren't released anywhere else except Japan? Virtua Fighter 5: R and 'Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown'. Good luck man! Hope he also bring's up the Virtua Fighter animated series when covering Virtua Fighter 2!
I love the VF series man, I remember being an eight year old kid going to the movies with my family when I saw VF1 in the arcade at the theater way back in 1994. Man I was completely blown away by the graphics, they were mind blowing at the time. Ever since then I’ve been hooked on the series. I’ve always preferred it to Tekken. Please give us a VF6 Sega, please.
Virtual fighter is the grandfather of the 3D fighting games no matter anyone believes period! And i recognize that in japan they like it more than tekken as well!
Capcom: the king of 2D fighting games. And Sega: the king of 3D fighting games. Hey, THGM! Ever heard of Virtua Fighter Remix for the Sega Saturn? It is the best version of Virtua Fighter 1.
It's a different game.
This is the second video singing the praises of the Saturn port of Virtua Fighter. I feel like I really need to pop in that copy I got last year again and wash away my bad first impression.
i remember when i was a child, i watch virtua fighter anime on tv.
I remember playing Virtua Fighter 2 I think on my first PC with speakers. I was baffled by the graphics and everything
Great video.
You forgot to mention that the Sega Saturn later got Virtua Fighter Remix, an improved version with texturized graphics that looked better than the Arcade and the excellent PC port, that allowed to change between remix and original graphics.
The thing I disliked the most about this game was that it didn't have endings, when you defeated Dural you just saw the credits with the replays.
An interesting fact, Lau Chan is canonically the winner of the first Virtua Fighter tournament because Sega organized a tournament in Japan that was won by a player using him.
I was surprised to not hear about Virtua Fighter Remix on the Saturn. You said that the Saturn port was praised as nearly arcade perfect, but I've read a lot to the contrary. Both Virtua Fighter and Daytona USA, Saturn launch titles, were rushed to completion and had some significant graphical problems such as flickering or disappearing polygons. It's not hard to find reviews that prefer the 32X port over the launch Saturn port, due to the 32X's lack of load times. Since the launch port of Virtua Fighter (and Daytona USA) were so sub-par, they put out Virtua Fighter Remix just months later. In the US, they even sent a free copy to every Saturn owner. They put out Daytona USA: Championship Circuit Edition for much the same reason.
Can u talk bout sum lesser known beat em ups like the simpsons arcade game,pit fighter,the bouncer on ps2,& urban reign(also on ps2)? Also,can u talk bout street fighter x tekken?
I would like to see Samurai Showdown
I would like see super smash Bros
In reference to your "that explains the 1 to 1 attachment rate"....at thecJapanese launch it was not bundled with the console except maybe later on with the remix version or to celebrate 100 000 consoles sold, possibly. In the usa and Europe it was indeed bundle with launch consoles. You got a Japanese Saturn with VF and a PS with ridge racer then maybe gale racer or more likely panzer dragon, or toshinden on PS. The first consoles into UK going for 600 and upwards. Ah the memories.
I remember when this came out in our local arcades. Made me switch over from the Street Fighters and the King of Fighters to this. Even preferred this and its sequel over Tekken and Tekken 2.
Not many people knows the story of VF series!
Ju-nen Ha-in Daiyo!
Also thanks this game is my second video game franchise I’ve ever played (first is Sonic)
If they aren’t gonna bring this back in the future I’m gonna make sure:
I work in SEGA, go up the ranks and start development for the next game
Work in SEGA and work on and remake for 1,2,3 or port of 5
I’ll work on my indie game idea and add a fighting system reminiscent of Virtua fighter
Also Virtua fighter inspired PLAYSTATION AND TOMB RAIDER!?
old SEGA don’t get enough credit for their innovations
Star Gladiator yeeeeeeaaaah
I like how this game has physics for things like long hair and bandanas. Many AAA games TODAY still don't have decent hair physics, if any at all.
@14:00 I dunno about "universal praise". The only review I remember reading of it back in the day was from Game Players magazine (who changed their name a few times during the magazine's life). Maybe the review was singing the game's praises, but all I can remember is a comment along the lines of "The match replay will either help you relish your victory... or check your Saturn for relish." due to graphical hiccups.
May I make a suggestion for a Forgotten Fighting Game History segment? There were a pair of 2d games I remember playing, and I think the titles were "World Heroes" and "World Heroes 2". (I think 2 also had a re-release with the "Jet" subtitle.) I remember playing them on the SNES, but I don't remember who made or published them. Almost like it was "the *other* other fighting game franchise" on the SNES.
Might be a curiosity to look into.
Thank you so much for making this video about the pioneer of 3D fighting games.
So goooood!
A buddy of mine had this for the Saturn, which is when I first saw it. It was fun, and very nostalgic seeing it again, though I actually thought it was kinda ugly even back then.
I remember I was really impressed when I saw this game for the first time. The realistic shape of the models and, especially, the fluidity or movement blew my mind away. Even when Tekken came out on PSX, I thought VF was better, since the Namco game characters were blockier, had disproportionately bug heads and hands, not to mention they moon-gravity jumps. It's a pity the later versions VF were not as successful. Anyway, congrats on the video!
The mother of Tekken.
Yep, people straight-up forget the "moon jumps" of Tekken and Tekken II were directly linked and influenced by Virtua Fighter.
Virtua Fighter is the father of Dead or Alive, hands down, just the pervy son of Virtua Fighter, given the ridiculous mammary physics.
@@a.j.abrams3550 Moon Jumps lol
Great Video again. A little hint: Ehrgeiz is pronounced like "Air Guides".
the character motion still looks so smooth
I don't know if Street Fighter Alpha 3 or its ports have been covered, but I'd love to hear more about them, in particular, a rumor that SFW3 was planned to have an HD remaster ala SF2, but Seth Killiam of Capcom voted against it.
Please do Tekken after Virtua Fighter series
10:05 It is interesting that the character from Saudi Arabia is listed with occupation being a bouncer, because as far as I have heard alcohol is illegal in that country. Is that another place other than a bar that this profession is common?
scantronbeats you’re correct, I far as I know, bouncers in KSA can be contracted as bodyguards or security guards in malls and private companies.
Some can be found guarding public avenues.
Hope this helps.
Virtua fighter is the reason why tekken, dead or alive, soul calibur are all exist, without that game, non of 3d fighting games would have been existed to this day
Attention HERES MY SURVEY AND REQUEST PLACE A BETTER TYPE OF CARDBOARD BACK INTO THE TELEVISION A PETITION FOR THE LOVE OF WOOD
Of course Virtua Fighter was important. Pretty sure it was the first 3D fighter.
First one I ever saw anyway.
Fascinating video. It was pretty neat to take a break from CAPCOM for awhile to dwell on 3D fighting game history. But I would like to know if you'll ever go into other genres from these companies. Will you ever talk about Capcom's _One Piece Mansion_ on the ps1? It's a short but fun puzzle apartment management game yet it would do wonders if it was remastered for Android and smartphone devices.
You really did your homework. Very comprehensive.
Since you said it, the fighting game you should talk about next is the world heroes series
Yes!!!!! Top hat gaming man has done it again!!! Awesome video!!! I love Virtua Fighter and eagerly await the next video!!!!😁👍 A+++
I remember being dissapointed with Virtua fighter on the Saturn. The import store had it displayed, and the popping polygons and lower count than the arcade (the Saturn version the characters didn’t have fingers), also Daytona looked awful.
After seeing that I gave up years of Sega selling my Mega Drive, Mega CD and 32X, and bought a PS1 and Ridge Racer. It was close enough to the arcade for me compared to Daytona and Tekken looked Arcade perfect with textured polygons.
Later on I Played the 32X version and that one plays well.
I think later Saturn conversions like VF2 and Sega Rally were really good, but too little to late.
I don’t remember being able to move in 3D in VF. The character kinda rolled around. I think Soul Edge was the first game I played that let me move side to side. But I think DOA was the first game to properly take advantage of being 3D. Falling out of the ring and continue fighting seemed like the first time these games moved next gen.