I’m not entirely sure why I wrote this, it was probably for one of DML’s bi-weekly Great Gamesradar Games Guru competitions. Still, I found it on my PC and it’s from that era, so here it is.
“A Review of Versus Fighting Game Evolution ~ Something Different
Traditionally at home in the arcades, Beat ‘em Ups have always been a niche affair. From Yie Ar Kung-Fu, through the heady days of Street Fighter II: Black Belt Edition right up to Soul Calibur 3, finding a friend or relative to play against on one of these games who don’t rely on the button bashing technique is an altogether rare occurrence. Challenging someone in an arcade was an acceptable practise, but unless you enjoyed taking your life in your hands, it was best to wait your turn; some of the boys down the arcade looked very rough.
This increase in sheer console power has arguably resulted in more emotive, recognisable and expressive characters, as hand-drawn sprites were replaced with versatile 3 dimensional models; but has this detracted from the core mechanics of the fighting system? In most 3 dimensional one on one fighting videogames the two planes of movement from 2D fighters – moving forward/back and jumping – has simply been replaced with moving forward/back and circling around your opponent.
If you took a walk through the Versus Fighting Games time-honoured home nowadays, you’d be forgiven for thinking the genre had one foot in the grave, with a solitary Virtua Fighter 4 machine gathering dust in a darkened corner. But, like most things, the VFG has moved on and is enjoying a new lease of life over the internet. It has never been easier to find that special someone who appreciates the difference between Ken and Ryu and will not bash those attack buttons riotously, not to mention that you are in no actual physical danger.”
I love the VFG.
