Virtua Fighter is a series of fighting games developed by Sega AM2 and designer Yu Suzuki. The first Virtua Fighter game was released in December 1993 and has had four main follow-up games and several other related games. The original Virtua Fighter game is widely known as the first 3D fighting game ever made.
Gameplay
The default gameplay of the Virtua Fighter series requires two players to win two out of three rounds. Each round lasts at least 30 seconds. Players use different attacks to reduce the opponent’s stamina gauge and achieve a knockout (K.O.), which wins the round. If a player is knocked out or falls out of the ring, their opponent wins the round through a Ring Out. If both players knock each other out at the same time in a previous round and the match is tied 1-1, an extra round is played. In this round, players fight on a small stage where a single hit is enough to knock the opponent out and win.
The basic control system includes an 8-way control stick and three buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard). Players use timing, positioning, and button combinations to perform normal and special moves for each character. This allows many different moves to be available for each character despite the limited controls. In single-player mode, the player faces a series of characters (which may include a character that looks like the player) until reaching the final boss.
History
The Virtua Fighter series includes the following games:
Virtua Fighter, created by Yu Suzuki of Sega AM2, was first released in 1993 as an arcade game. It used hardware developed by Sega and a company now called Lockheed Martin. The game was the first 3D fighting game. It featured eight fighters and a boss named Dural. Sony developers said this game inspired the creation of the first PlayStation console and helped Sony focus more on 3D games than its main competitor, the Sega Saturn.
Virtua Fighter 2 came out in November 1994. It added two new fighters: Shun Di and Lion Rafale. The game used Model 2 hardware, which improved character and background visuals with techniques like texture mapping and motion capture. A slightly updated version, Virtua Fighter 2.1, was released soon after.
Virtua Fighter 3 was released in 1996. It introduced Taka-Arashi and Aoi Umenokoji. The game used Model 3 hardware, which improved graphics with features like mipmapping, anti-aliasing, and specular highlights. It also added uneven stages and a new button called Dodge. In 1997, Virtua Fighter 3tb was released as the first major update in the series. It allowed tournament battles with more than two characters at once.
Virtua Fighter 4, released in 2001 on the NAOMI 2 hardware, introduced Vanessa Lewis and Lei-Fei. It removed Taka-Arashi and the Dodge button. The game was popular in arcades. In 2002, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution added two new characters: Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami. In 2004, Virtua Fighter 4: Final Tuned was released as an upgrade. In Japan, Virtua Fighter 4 helped start internet connectivity in arcades. VF.NET, launched in 2001, led to other arcade networks like E-Amusement, NESiCAxLive, and ALL.Net.
Virtua Fighter 5 was released in Japan on July 12, 2006, for Sega's Lindbergh arcade board. It added Eileen and El Blaze. Two updates followed: Virtua Fighter 5 R (2008), which brought back Taka-Arashi and added Jean Kujo, and Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown (2010). In 2021, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown was released for Sega ALLs cabinets and PlayStation 4.
The first Virtua Fighter game was released for the Sega Saturn in 1994 (1995 outside Japan), just before the release of Tekken. The Saturn version sold almost as many copies as the console itself. In 1995, Virtua Fighter 2 was released for the Saturn and was very similar to the arcade version. Some 3D backgrounds were changed to 2D, but the rest of the game stayed the same. It became the top-selling Saturn game in Japan. Enhanced versions of the original game were also released for PC. A 2D version of Virtua Fighter 2 was made for the Mega Drive/Genesis in 1996 and later re-released on PlayStation 2. In 2012, Yakuza 5 included Virtua Fighter 2 as a mini-game. Virtua Fighter 3 was released for the Sega Dreamcast in 1998.
An updated version of the original Virtua Fighter, called Virtua Fighter Remix, was released for the Saturn and later for arcades. Virtua Fighter Mini, based on an anime, was made for the Game Gear and released as Virtua Fighter Animation in North America and Europe. It was later released for the Master System in Brazil, where the series was very popular.
After Sega stopped making its own hardware in 2001, Virtua Fighter 4 was released for PlayStation 2 in 2002. It had slightly lower graphics but was well received. In 2003, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution was released, adding two new characters and game balance changes. It was sold as a "Greatest Hits" title in the U.S., lowering its price.
To celebrate the series' 10th anniversary in 2003, a remake called Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary was released for PlayStation 2. It kept the music and style of the first game but used characters and moves from Evolution. A box set with a book and DVD was released in Japan. In North America, the game was included with the home version of Evolution, and in Europe, it was only available as a promotional item.
Virtua Fighter 5 was released for PlayStation 3 in 2007 and was very similar to the arcade version. A version for Xbox 360 followed in 2007, adding online play. For many years, the game designers avoided online features because of timing issues. After the Xbox 360 release, online play was added. In 2012, Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown was released as a downloadable game for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. In 2015, an updated version called Version B was released in Japan. In 2016, Yakuza 6: The Song of Life included Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown Version B as a mini-game, marking the first time the series appeared on PlayStation 4. In 2021, Virtua Fighter Ultimate Showdown (called Virtua Fighter eSports in Japan) was released for PlayStation 4 and arcades. A later version, Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V
Characters
In Sega's music video game Project DIVA 2nd, Vocaloid Megurine Luka can receive a Sarah Bryant outfit for gameplay. Jacky Bryant and Akira Yuki appear in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing as partners who team up with others to race against other Sega characters. Akira Yuki, Sarah Bryant, and Pai Chan are guest characters in Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive 5, followed by Jacky Bryant in Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate. This was the first time Virtua Fighter worked with a non-Sega fighting game. It also marked the first time the series appeared in a tag-team fighting game. Akira Yuki, Pai Chan, and Dural appear in the crossover RPG Project X Zone, which includes characters from Capcom, Namco Bandai Games, and Sega. Akira Yuki, Pai Chan, and Dural return in Project X Zone 2 along with Kage-Maru. In Dengeki Bunko Fighting Climax, Akira Yuki and Pai Chan appear as playable guest bosses. Akira Yuki is playable, while Pai Chan assists. They later became regular characters in the Ignition update. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mii Brawler costumes based on Jacky Bryant's modern look and Akira Yuki's first appearance were released as downloadable content. Akira Yuki also appears in Ultimate as an assist trophy, using his appearance from Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary. This version includes a polygonal form from the first game, along with voice lines and moves from Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.
Virtua Fighter 2, 2.1, 3tb, and Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown have been almost completely recreated in the Yakuza series of games. These recreations appear both as playable games inside in-game arcades and as separate 1 versus 1 multiplayer minigames. In the game files of Yakuza: Like a Dragon and Yakuza 6, a nearly complete version of Virtua Fighter 5 exists.
Reception
The original Virtua Fighter sold more than 40,000 arcade machines worldwide by 1996. Each machine cost between $15,000 (equal to $33,000 in 2025) and £14,000 / $21,000 (equal to $47,000 in 2025). Virtua Fighter 2 also sold more than 40,000 arcade machines worldwide, making the total sales of both games more than 80,000 by 1996. Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2 became Sega's most popular arcade games ever, selling more units than Out Run (1986), which sold 30,000 arcade machines by 1994. Virtua Fighter 3 sold an additional 30,000 arcade machines by 1997, bringing the total sales of all three games to more than 110,000 by that year.
In 1994, Virtua Fighter was the top-selling arcade game in Japan, one of the top five best-selling arcade games in the United States, and one of the most popular arcade games in the United Kingdom. In 1995, Virtua Fighter 2 was the top-selling arcade game in Japan and one of the top ten best-selling arcade games in the United States.
On the Sega Saturn, Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter 2 together sold more than 3 million copies worldwide by 1996. Virtua Fighter and Virtua Fighter Remix sold a combined total of 1,067,036 copies in Japan. Virtua Fighter 2 sold 1.7 million copies in Japan and more than 500,000 bundled copies in the United States, totaling 2.2 million copies sold in Japan and the United States. On the Sega Dreamcast, Virtua Fighter 3tb sold 330,631 copies in Japan and 96,390 copies in the United States, for a total of 427,021 copies sold in Japan and the United States.
On the PlayStation 2, Virtua Fighter 4 sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide by 2002. On the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown reached over 300,000 global downloads across both platforms in 2012. On the PlayStation 4, the limited free-to-play offer of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown reached over 10 million global downloads worldwide in 2021.
As of 2023, the series has sold over 5.5 million units worldwide. The total sales of the series and free-to-play downloads of Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown combined reached over 18 million units.
Legacy
Virtua Fighter is often called the first 3D fighting game, with each version improving the graphics and technology used in the genre. Many other 3D fighting games, such as Tekken and Dead or Alive, were influenced by Virtua Fighter. The original Dead or Alive used the Model 2 hardware. In 1998, the Virtua Fighter series was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for its contributions to art and entertainment and was added to the Smithsonian's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation. Its arcade cabinets are displayed at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, where Virtua Fighter is the only video game on permanent display. In 1999, Next Generation ranked the Virtua Fighter series as number 8 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time," noting that "Virtua Fighter is the most elegant fighting game ever created. With only two attack buttons, the game still offers a wide range of martial art styles."
Virtua Fighter played a key role in making 3D polygon graphics popular. The success of the series led to Guinness World Records awarding it seven world records in the 2008 Gamer's Edition, including "First Polygon Based Fighting Game," "First 3D Fighting Game," and "First Fighting Game for a 32-bit Console." 1UP listed Virtua Fighter as one of the 50 most important games of all time, crediting it for creating the 3D fighting game genre and showing the potential of 3D polygon human characters, realistic gameplay, and fighting game concepts like the ring-out and block button. Virtua Fighter 2 on the Sega Model 2 introduced texture-mapped 3D characters and motion capture animation. Virtua Fighter 3 on the Sega Model 3 improved real-time graphics technology, with Computer and Video Games in 1996 comparing it to CGI and calling it "the most astounding display of video game graphic muscle ever in the history of this industry." In 1997, Next Generation said Virtua Fighter had replaced Street Fighter as the top fighting game series.
Some staff from Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), who worked on the original PlayStation, said Virtua Fighter inspired the PlayStation's 3D graphics hardware. According to SCE's Shigeo Maruyama, the PlayStation was originally planned as a 2D-focused device, but after Virtua Fighter was released, the team decided to focus on 3D graphics. Toby Gard said Virtua Fighter influenced the use of polygonal characters in Tomb Raider and the creation of Lara Croft. John Romero said Virtua Fighter greatly influenced the development of the 3D first-person shooter Quake. Team Ico's Fumito Ueda also said Virtua Fighter influenced his animation work.
A 1995 article in Next Generation stated, "The Virtua Fighter series has been, and will continue to be, the standard by which all next-generation arcade and console fighting games will be measured for a long time." Eurogamer said, "One of Yu Suzuki's most lasting creations, once called every new arcade hardware generation, was a pioneer in 3D graphics and helped establish online fighting. All the while, beneath those achievements, a game of exceptional depth and nuance emerged." 1UP said, "Because of its innovation, Virtua Fighter not only influenced other games—it created a genre. Technically, every 3D fighter that came after it owes Virtua Fighter for proving that a 3D fighter could work. Even today, Tekken still takes inspiration from Sega's series." Game Informer's Andy McNamara wrote, "It has always been my opinion that the Virtua Fighter series is the most intense and balanced of all 3D fighters on the market. Its control scheme is intuitive, its pacing perfect, and its depth unmatched." In 2006, IGN ranked Virtua Fighter as the 25th greatest game series of all time, explaining that "no other 3D fighter has matched VF in terms of difficulty and depth."