Virtua Fighter (universe)

Virtua Fighter (universe)
Developer(s)	Sega Various
Publisher(s)	Sega Tiger Electronics
Designer(s)	Yu Suzuki Seiichi Ishii
Genre(s)	Fighting
Console/platform of origin	Arcade
First installment	Virtua Fighter (1993)
Latest installment	Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown (2021)

Virtua Fighter (バーチャファイター, Virtua Fighter) is Sega's long-running series of fighting games, notable for inventing the 3D fighting game genre.

Franchise description

Sega AM2 was created as a development division within Sega to focus on arcade and console releases, particularly using 3D polygonal graphics. After the success of their first title, Virtua Racing, in 1992, the team decided to develop a fighting game. They decided to use the same Sega Model 1 hardware and experimented with how a game of this style can work in 3D. The game eventually became Virtua Fighter in 1993. Directors Yu Suzuki and Seiichi Ishii ended up creating a system of an arena where a player would instantly lose if pushed out of bounds, dubbed the "Ring Out" system. the game was also the very first to use 3D character models with realistic physics and motion capture. The arcade game received universal praise and great sales for its stand-out features and innovations in the genre. The game was ported to all of Sega's major home consoles at the time and has been rereleased several times. Two notable examples include Virtua Fighter Remix, which includes improved graphics like higher polygons and texture mapping, and Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary, which is a reskinned version of Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution to look more like this original game. The game was so critically and financially successful that it convinced Sony to develop their upcoming PlayStation game console hardware with 3D games in mind, as they were previously leaning more towards 2D hardware.

A sequel was released in 1994 titled Virtua Fighter 2. Yu Suzuki was the sole director as Seiichii Ishii defected to Namco to create Tekken. This game used the new Model 2 arcade board, which included native texture mapping and a graphics processor created by Lockheed Martin used to create flight simulations for the United States Military. This allowed more realistic movements, more movements in general, and a higher frame rate over the original. The game once again received praise for its many innovations, giving the series a reputation for pushing the genre forward with every release. An enhanced update titled Virtua Fighter 2.1 released in 1995. Eleven Sega Saturn disc each containing images and artwork for a single character were collectively released in 1995 as virtua fighter cg portrait series.

Also in 1995, a 35 episode anime adaptation of the series, simply titled Virtua Fighter. The series has been praised as among the best adaptations of a fighting game, especially in its era. The anime received a game tie in for Game Gear in 1996 titled Virtua Fighter Animation. Also in 1996, AM2 released a spinoff/parody of their series titled Virtua Fighter Kids. This game featured a Chibi artstyle and wacky tone, but also added innovations like programmable buttons and ways to test pre-made combos. A final spinoff in 1996 came in the form of Fighters Megamix for Sega Saturn, a crossover of all major franchises created by AM2, including Virtua Fighter, Virtua Cop, Fighting Vipers, and Daytona.

A proper sequel was released in 1996, titled Virtua Fighter 3. Developed for the Sega Model 3, the game once again featured improved graphics and movements, as well as elevated surfaces and individually moving elements like water and wind. The game was originally intended to be ported to the Saturn, but was instead released for the new Dreamcast. An upgraded version titled Virtua Fighter 3tb released in 1997 and included a new Team Battle mode where teams of players can fight each other.

After going on a brief hiatus, the series came back with Virtua Fighter 4 in 2001 on the NAOMI 2 arcade board and in 2002 on PlayStation 2. The console choice is due to Sega pulling out of the console market and becoming a third party developer. The game introduced a proper training mode where players can learn and get accustomed to characters and their moves. The game was also among the first arcade games to have internet functionality, allowing arcade player to fight each other online. The game was ported and upgraded several times, including Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, which tweaked gameplay and added new modes, the aforementioned Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary, and Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned, which again tweaked gameplay and added new content.

AM2 then teamed up with TOSE to create an action RPG game titled Virtua Quest, which released on GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2004. The game is a drastic departure from the series by mostly abandoning its realistic fighting roots. The player controls a boy named Sei who enters the digital world to find data chips and defeat enemies. He learns various moves from data version of many fighters from the series. While the game was praised for its ambition, many of the decisions did not work in its favor and became too unfocused for many people's liking.

The next mainline entry, Virtua Fighter 5 released on the Sega Lindbergh arcade board in 2006. The game was the first in the series to be available in high definition, as well as more dynamic stage designs and an overall faster game speed. Version B of this game was ported to the PlayStation 3 in 2009, and the enhanced version C was ported to Xbox 360 titled Virtua Fighter 5 Online. A proper enhancement was released in 2009 as Virtua Fighter 5 R, which reintroduced cut characters and adds several gameplay tweaks. Another update titled Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was released in 2010, which included new characters and more gameplay tweaks.

The only original titles have been Virtua Fighter: Cool Champ, a mobile card game in 2011 and Virtua Fighter: Fever Combo, another mobile card game in 2014. Sega has recently made an effort to move into the fighting game e-sports scene and have made an initiative. This included Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown, a remaster of the original game, for PlayStation 4 in 2021. Enhancements include a move to the Dragon Engine, notably used for titles from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio's Like a Dragon franchise, overhauled UI and online features, and a significant amount of new tertiary content. After the remaster's release, it would receive crossovers with other franchises between smaller updates; starting off with the Like a Dragon franchise in December 2021, then with the Tekken franchise in March 2022. Ultimate Showdown received a major update by the end of 2024, along with a port to Steam that will release in 2025 under the name Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O.

The series has mostly been dormant since the release of the original Virtua Fighter 5 until 2024, where a brand new game was announced at The Game Awards 2024. It is fully developed by Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio, over 18 years after the last title excluding ports and remasters.

Virtua Fighter left a mark in the 3D fighting game genre as being its founder. Furthermore, this series is referenced throughout Sega's various IPs; some of the characters' movesets were reused in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise such as Sonic the Fighters, the Shenmue series and its spiritual successor, Like a Dragon (formerly Yakuza), and the Bayonetta series for example.

In Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Though Virtua Fighter is never directly referred to within this game, Sonic's jab is based off the ubiquitous Sega punch-punch-kick jab combo from the series.

In Super Smash Bros. 4

Virtua Fighter is represented in this game by downloadable content costumes for Mii Brawlers based on Akira Yuki, the main protagonist of the series, as he appears in the first Virtua Fighter game, and Jacky Bryant as he appears in the fifth game.

Mii Costumes

The following Mii costumes were available as downloadable content, alongside Lucas, Roy, and Ryu. They were released on June 14th, 2015.

Outfits

• Akira Outfit (DLC): Based on Akira Yuki's gi outfit from the series. His costume uses the polygon model from the first Virtua Fighter game.
• Jacky Outfit (DLC): Based on Jacky Bryant's outfit, sourced from Virtua Fighter 5.

Headgears

• Akira Wig (DLC): Based on Akira Yuki's haircut from the series. His haircut uses the polygon model from the first Virtua Fighter game.
• Jacky Wig (DLC): Based on Jacky Bryant's haircut, sourced from Virtua Fighter 5.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Virtua Fighter is represented again in this game by downloadable content costumes for Mii Brawlers, along with Akira appearing as an assist trophy.

Assist Trophy

Akira: Akira appears as an Assist Trophy in Ultimate, still in his original polygonal model from the first game, with recycled voice clips from Virtua Fighter 4.

Mii Costumes

Akira and Jacky's costumes from Smash 4 return as downloadable content, as part of version 6.0.0, within the fourth wave of Mii Fighter outfits along with Challenger Pack 4 and Terry. They were released on November 6th, 2019.

Outfits

• Akira Outfit (DLC): Returns from Smash 4 as a downloadable costume.
• Jacky Outfit (DLC): Returns from Smash 4 as a downloadable costume.

Headgears

• Akira Wig (DLC): Returns from Smash 4 as a downloadable headgear.
• Jacky Wig (DLC): Returns from Smash 4 as a downloadable headgear.

Spirit

Akira also appears as a spirit.

No.	Image	Name	Type	Class	Slots	Base	Max	Base	Max	Base	Max	Ability
1,294		Akira		★★★★	3	3966	9918	2098	5245	1716	4292	Fist Attack ↑

Games with elements appearing in the Super Smash Bros. series

The Virtua Fighter universe has games represented throughout the Super Smash Bros. series with a total of 5 games. The latest game represented in this universe is Virtua Fighter 5, released on July 12, 2006.

Virtua Fighter

• Playable characters:
  • Sonic's jab is based on the universal one-two-three combo that originates in this game.
  • Akira Yuki and Jacky Bryant appear as costumes for the Mii Brawler.
• Assist Trophy:
  • Akira appears as an Assist Trophy.
  • Shin'ichirō Miki voiced Akira for the first time in this game.
• Spirit:
  • Akira appears as a spirit.
• Misc:
  • Bayonetta's Tetsuzanko technique for her forward throw will let her say "十年早いんだよ! (Ten years too early!)", which refers to Akira's famous quote, first said in this game.

Virtua Fighter 2

• Music:
  • "Begin a New Challenge": Used in the Mii costume reveal trailer for both Akira and Jacky, in both Smash 4 and Ultimate.

Virtua Fighter 3

• Assist Trophy:
  • Akira reuses Shin'ichirō Miki's archived voice lines from this game.

Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary

• Assist Trophy:
  • Akira's appearance is sourced from the anniversary port.

Virtua Fighter 5

• Playable characters:
  • Jacky's Mii costume is based on his appearance in this game.

Trivia

• Virtua Fighter is the only third-party Assist Trophy universe to not have any standalone game on a Nintendo console. The Sega Genesis version of Virtua Fighter 2, however, was available through the Wii's Virtual Console, and it later also got rereleased as part of the Sega Genesis Classics compilation for the Nintendo Switch and the Sega Genesis selection of Nintendo Switch Online.
• True to the original game traditions (except certain spin-offs and/or crossovers), the Virtua Fighter, Tekken and ARMS casts are restrictively spoken in their native languages in all international versions of their Smash appearances.
• Disregarding After Burner, Virtua Fighter is the only franchise from Sega to be represented in Smash without a playable character.