VIRTUA FIGHTER 2 Review for Sega Saturn

Originally published on 10/29/12
Source: http://classicgameroom.com/cgrreviews/2012/10/29/virtua-fighter-2-for-sega-saturn-2/

Released in 1993, the original Virtua Fighter was a revolutionary arcade title from Sega’s AM2 division of software development. Due to the game’s ability to render polygonal graphics, it was the first 3D contribution to the “beat-em-up” genre spear-headed by the release of Capcom’s Street Fighter 2. Virtua Fighter was ported to and released for Sega’s brand-new Saturn system in November 1994. However, the version that appeared on the Saturn vastly differed from the arcade classic in terms of quality, even being outperformed by the game’s Sega 32x counterpart.

Initially anticipated as a game that would adequately demonstrate the power of Sega’s new 32-bit powerhouse, Virtua Fighter failed to please those who expected an accurate port of the arcade game. As an attempt to atone for their mistakes, Sega released Virtua Fighter Remix for the Saturn in 1995, going as far as to give the game away for free to those with registered Saturn consoles. Virtua Fighter Remix is vastly superior to Virtua Fighter’s original Saturn iteration, featuring enhanced character models plus smoother graphics and gameplay.

Released in 1994, Virtua Fighter 2 hit the nail on the head. It was a huge hit for the Saturn, selling more copies than any other game released for the console. The core gameplay elements remained intact, yet the game underwent a graphical overhaul and looked fantastic at the time of its release, running smoothly at 60 frames per second. It was an almost perfect translation from the arcade and would be considered the best looking 3D fighter on the Saturn if not for Tecmo’s Dead or Alive. The character models are improved and the stage backgrounds are much more detailed and memorable than those found in Virtua Fighter or Virtua Fighter Remix.

In addition to being visually ambitious for the time, Yu Suzuki’s Virtua Fighter series also contained a superb fighting engine that had a heavy emphasis on strategy. While games like Fatal Fury and Street Fighter feature projectile based specials, in the Virtua Fighter series such attacks are entirely absent. Instead, Suzuki’s games were more realistic due to the fact that players were required to anticipate their opponent’s next move and capitalize on opportunities to counterattack.

Overall, Virtua Fighter 2 is a balanced fighter. However, heavyweights Jeffrey and Wolf have throws that inflict huge amount of damage- throws that when combined with a body slam puts their opponent on life support within 3 seconds. The jumping physics are weird to say the least, characters float in the air towards their opponent when airborne. However, this is just a minor detail- you won’t spend that much time off the ground anyway. Regardless, a well-timed kick or punch in midair can be very satisfying.

Virtua Fighter 2 is as addicting as it is fun. Due to the game’s challenging difficulty, players are often faced with the “one more game syndrome” upon defeat. While the game has the potential to be frustrating, the fact that it is nearly impossible to put down the controller is a testament to its playability. Despite the fact that Virtua Fighter 2 is challenging, arcade mode can be completed in about a half hour. However, it is a game so deep that while the single player experience may be short, Virtua Fighter 2 definitely takes a while to master and thus has great replay value.

In addition to arcade and versus mode, there is also a team battle mode; ranking mode is also included where players can shoot for game’s high score list with only one credit. The music and sound effects in Virtua Fighter 2 are outstanding as well; the game makes fantastic use of the Saturn’s sound capabilities.

Many gamers have stated that this game hasn’t particularly aged well, but I disagree. Virtua Fighter 2 is a no-brainer for any Sega Saturn/fighting game enthusiast. The fighting style and the game’s engine are still engaging and satisfying today- there’s a reason the core gameplay mechanics pretty much remain the same throughout the series.