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Virtua Fighter 3. What a badass game!

I miss the arcades and more specifically, Sega's arcade games. All of their games were always light years ahead (graphically) of everyone else and wayyyy ahead of their time.
 
VF3's visuals skull fucked my eyes with awesome.

It played amazingly too.

Favourite 3D fighting series of all time.
 
I really hope this gets a digital release soon. VF 20th Anni Collection, pls?

Only got to play it via the DC port.

...on the DC pad. :(
 
Any plans for more VB? This is a great show- info quality is through the roof.


Thanks! I'm really happy to hear that you like it.

Episode 7 is still in the works but unfortunately kept being delay due to personal commitments and balancing between two jobs that had to take higher priority. Also, some of our staff has been experiencing "writer's block" as you really need to have a good imagination and mind-set so you can write, say and create the right things. Plus, creating something that matches or tops Episode 6 is an tough task. In short, the next episode will be released within 3 weeks, hopefully sooner.

Heh, if you want a little clue what will be in the next episode, check out www.versusbattlecast.com. I think lots of people on the other side of the fence will be very happy. :)
 
Didn't like VF3 that much. It was gorgeous, but the stages made it hard to complete juggles reliably and some other minor details.
 
I always liked the 'looser' feel that VF3 had (at least that's my perception of it). Its too bad the DC port wasn't up to snuff.
 
VF3's visuals skull fucked my eyes with awesome.

It played amazingly too.

Favourite 3D fighting series of all time.

I know the feeling. I remember seeing VF3 for the first time, I went insane! Soon as I found out it was showcasing in Hamleys Store in London West End, my little brother and I immediately jumped on the train and head straight there. Aoi was the first character I picked, and my mind was completely and utterly blown with awe.

What a wonderful feeling that was. I would love to have that kind of feeling again. :(
 
I remember playing VF3 in the arcade (Grand Prix and another mall in Miami). Unfortunately, like VF2, it competed against Tekken, which seemed more accessible to the public. For $.25 cents to a $1, you want instant gratification. And in America, VF is like the Gran Turismo of fighting games. It's no pick and play and requires investment. Also, the characters are way too bland. Tekken 3 was the first Tekken where the characters and styles really stood out. They seemed cool while VF had those stale, general stereotyped characters we see in SF.

1996/1997 was interesting because SF3, VF3 and Tekken 3 all came out. Tekken 3 ended up being the number one fighting game during that time, despite running on system 12, which was basically a souped up PS1. SF3 was a disappointment and you couldn't really find too many arcades with VF3 because it was expensive.
 
Virtua Fighter was my favourite arcade cabinet back then, the first time I saw it I had to phone my friend to tell him to come there immediately to see the future.
 
Here's a tech demo of VF3 I've always liked.

Unbelievable for '96. Lookit those sleeves, man.

Yeah, I spent hours of time in front of the E3 '96 showing of the same demo. I was so in love with VF2 in the arcade that I couldn't help but spend time watching it end to end multiple times, imagining the possibilities. Too bad the series lost its balls after that one to cater to the competitive scene. Absolutely amazing for the time and has a sensibility that I still prefer over VF4 or VF5 in both gameplay and aesthetic.
 
VF3 was indeed a complete mind-explosion of possibility at the time. To my young eyes, used to Saturn/PS1/N64-era graphics, seeing it running in an arcade (in Paris, of all places) was something else. It looked to me like the characters were photoreal, a laughable notion now, I know.

When I got a Dreamcast and VF3, I was disappointed with the graphical downgrade, but I think part of that simply might have been I'd been more exposed to Model 3-tier graphics by then, and the OMG SO REAL lustre had worn off.

The dynamic arenas were great at the time, but in hindsight they don't suit the VF system at all. You had the advantage with the low ground, rather than the high, for example, which was a good example of game-physics not correlating to real-world physics.

VF4 stopped the Yu Suzuki pursuit of realism and instead accepted the arcade fundamentals going forward, perhaps its sole concession to progression of 'realism' being the characters could no longer space-jump. In many ways, this made for a much better game. In other ways, it marked the end of the technology space race in the pursuit of real-world authenticity.

As a gamer, I without hesitation prefer where the VF series went. As a dreamer, I feel a pang of loss.
 
Yeah, I spent hours of time in front of the E3 '96 showing of the same demo. I was so in love with VF2 in the arcade that I couldn't help but spend time watching it end to end multiple times, imagining the possibilities. Too bad the series lost its balls after that one to cater to the competitive scene. Absolutely amazing for the time and has a sensibility that I still prefer over VF4 or VF5 in both gameplay and aesthetic.

From your perspective, what was the atmosphere like when you was with everyone watching the VF3 demo at E3?

I still love and enjoy playing VF2. I'm so happy with my PSN purchase of the game, I just wished there were more Western players.
 
I went out of my way to see VF3 in action. VF2 and Daytona were still god like, so the idea of the next generation of Sega arcade games was such an event. The render of Lau Chan's head from VF3 in a recent Edge was mind blowing to me, compared to the pre-release Saturn and Playstation graphics of the time. A friend told me there was a VF3 machine in his city, so I took the train up on Saturday morning and met him at the arcade.

To be honest, I was utterly underwhelmed by it. It looked like a shinier, smoother version of VF2. I was expecting a leap as big as Model 1 > Model 2. Even now, it's safe to say that such a leap will never happen again.
 
I went out of my way to see VF3 in action. VF2 and Daytona were still god like, so the idea of the next generation of Sega arcade games was such an event. The render of Lau Chan's head from VF3 in a recent Edge was mind blowing to me, compared to the pre-release Saturn and Playstation graphics of the time. A friend told me there was a VF3 machine in his city, so I took the train up on Saturday morning and met him at the arcade.

To be honest, I was utterly underwhelmed by it. It looked like a shinier, smoother version of VF2. I was expecting a leap as big as Model 1 > Model 2. Even now, it's safe to say that such a leap will never happen again.

Now that's a surprise. I was completely blown away in comparison. In my eyes it was clearly a massive level forward. From a graphics perspective and physics, I was underwhelmed with VF4.
 
I honestly wasn't impressed when I saw Virtua Fighter 3 for the first time. I think it's because my friend hyped it to the point where I was expecting "Toy Story" level visuals, and I was left severely underwhelmed. Plus I was running a 3dfx Voodoo1 at the time which shipped with this fighting tech demo called "Valley of Ra" (link below) which I thought was very comparable:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPA9nTWXxjE
Huh? That's like comparing Ballz to Toshinden.
 
I approve of this bump. Nothing looked as good as Virtua Fighter 3 at the time of its release. Sega's Model 3 board seems to me like it was the last time arcade games where at the cutting edge ahead of consoles and PC. I prefer to play VF4 or 5 though.
 
Virtua Fighter was the proof of concept that 3d graphics weren't just a fad. It ushered in the modern era of games. Thanks Virtua Fighter. A real "showstoppa" like Kali Muscle. LOL
 
Looks like Sega though did not learn the lessons from the shoddy port of Daytona on the Saturn, and did a balls up job with VF3 on the Dreamcast...though I do wonder given more time how close to the arcade could the Dreamcast version have been?
 
I'm trying to get a 3tb PCB so I can put it in my cab. can't wait to play this game without a fucking DC pad...
 
I honestly wasn't impressed when I saw Virtua Fighter 3 for the first time. I think it's because my friend hyped it to the point where I was expecting "Toy Story" level visuals, and I was left severely underwhelmed. Plus I was running a 3dfx Voodoo1 at the time which shipped with this fighting tech demo called "Valley of Ra" (link below) which I thought was very comparable

I had a Voodoo 1 at the time, even had that Valley or Ra demo, and there was just no comparison to Model 3. The level of detail was magnitudes greater in VF3. The character models were maybe comparable, but once you bring in the environments, forget about it.

VF3 was an extremely rare machine in the US, especially where I lived at the time. I only saw it when I went to Europe and it was a real treat. My favorite stage was Jacky's, what with the glass floors and sparks here and there.

The Dreamcast port was close, but not quite. I wish we'd get an HD version of some of these old Sega arcade classics, but like I say in every Sega thread--they are basically dead at this point. Maybe Model 3 emulation can finally deliver that arcade perfect VF3 I've always wanted.
 
Maybe Model 3 emulation can finally deliver that arcade perfect VF3 I've always wanted.
i could never get it to work...
tumblr_n3qriqDctF1slig2vo1_500.gif
 
This game looked mind boggling when it was released - Kage's pants! It's amazing how different my memories of its looks are from the actual thing.

Some people hate it because of the uneven terrain, but I enjoyed it, particularly the team battle aspect of 3TB.

There was a Saturn port that was never released, rumoured to use an expansion 3D card:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hk84nSsAv4
 
oh a bump

And yeah, VF3 rules. It's probably the VF game I have the most nostalgia for, but there's no doubt that the stages are the coolest in the series.

LiveFromKyoto said:
There was a Saturn port that was never released, rumoured to use an expansion 3D card:

aaa that guy's speculating over those fake Saturn screens. There's no way those are of Saturn VF3. It's so obviously the Model 3 version under incomplete emulation.
 
I bought a VF3 cabinet with the intention of turning it JAMMA compatible, so I didn't play it too much before I ripped out the guts (and sold the game specific parts). I didn't like it that much after 4 and 5, so it wasn't a great loss.

The stages were interesting but ultimately it was annoying having to take them into consideration, and the 3D move button was a gimmicky mess.
 
I approve of this bump. Nothing looked as good as Virtua Fighter 3 at the time of its release. Sega's Model 3 board seems to me like it was the last time arcade games where at the cutting edge ahead of consoles and PC. I prefer to play VF4 or 5 though.

I dont know. Virtua Fighter 4 also looked way above its time when it released on arcades (naomi 2).

the PS2 version looked pretty bad in comparison.
 
Looks like Sega though did not learn the lessons from the shoddy port of Daytona on the Saturn, and did a balls up job with VF3 on the Dreamcast...though I do wonder given more time how close to the arcade could the Dreamcast version have been?

IIRC it was a hastily outsourced port by Genki because AM2 was busy working on Shenmue or something. Stuff like Soul Calibur and Shenmue itself is proof enough the DC could have handled a much better (if not perfect) port had it been developed competently.
 
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