Virtua Fighter 2
Genesis * Sega

Review by Michael Vafeas
9.1

It seems almost absurd that a game initially notorious for its incorporation of three dimensional characters and environments would appear on the Genesis, a system rendered incapable of even remotely mimicking the graphical splendors of Virtua Fighter 2. Virtua Racing remains the sole Genesis title in which the graphics are entirely polygonal, and even with the assistance of the additional processing chip built into the cartridge (Sega's answer to Nintendo's FX chip), the graphics were, for the most part, simplistic and unimpressive. Acutely aware of Virtua Fighter 2's success in the arcades and on the Saturn, Sega decided that the game should be ported to the Genesis. Instead of wasting time trying to fabricate a technologically impossible 3-D based fighter on a 16-bit system, the polygons were replaced with traditional sprite-based characters and backgrounds, and the result is Virtua Fighter 2, for the Genesis no less.

Gone are the beautiful 3-D characters that we have grown accustomed to in Virtua Fighter, all of which have been replaced by 2-D versions. Though lacking the fluidity and seamless motion of their arcade and Saturn counterparts, the eight characters (Lion and Shun Di, who were, in fact, introduced in VF2, apparently didn't make the cut) appear quite well on the Genesis, keeping in mind the system's technological limitations. Although the characters are small and roughly animated, they move just like their big brothers and sisters in the 3-D world, and sport a slightly anime look not present in the previous incarnations of VF2. The backgrounds are also 2-D versions of those found in the arcade version of VF2, though some areas have been cut altogether in favor of memory-saving palette swaps. As a whole, the graphical accomplishments of this game are nothing compared to other specialized efforts such as Vectorman, but they do set the Virtua Fighter atmosphere and mimic the arcade as well as 16-bits would allow.

The sounds are almost completely unsurprising, with muffled effects taken straight from the arcade as well as music which suffers from the limitations of the Genesis sound chip. Again, while it may be initially disappointing to listen to the sounds of VF2, after remembering that this is a cartridge-based Genesis game, you'll realize that the sounds are fairly well done on the system and perhaps show a surprising similarity to the arcade version. In fact, some of the fighting effects sound more bassy and full than those of previous versions of VF2, which demonstrates that the best technology isn't always used effectively.

Virtua Fighter 2 is a title in a series noted not only for top-notch graphics and sounds, but also for gameplay which to date dwarfs all competition with its unrivaled whimsicality, depth, and sheer speed. While the visuals and sounds have lost some of their luster in the process of translation to a less powerful system, the gameplay remains adequately true to the VF series. Though some speed may appear lost due to the lack of frames of animation, the game still controls very well, and features some of the best brawling action to be found on the Genesis. Once again, Sega has wisely created a game from the inside out, and any dedicated VF player will immediately recognize and appreciate the control and AI in the Genesis version of VF2, which was ported over exceptionally well.

Conclusively, while this game may not be worthy of the "Virtua Fighter" title because of its apparent lack of polygons, the gameplay and overall feeling of VF has made its way over to the Genesis sufficiently, and shows that the Genesis, indeed, still does. As to how much longer games such as this can keep the Genesis (and 16-bit, for that matter) alive, that is another question altogether. One thing is for sure, Sega has done a beautiful job in stepping above the negative speculation and has produced a game which, albeit drastically compromised, offers something long thought impossible on the Genesis. For the believers who bring us such miracles: We thank you.


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