thicc_girls_are_teh_best
Member
Hey everyone. A while ago I decided on doing some extensive write-ups of various niche games, particularly from
the 1990s. Games that I feel are very interesting and of high quality, but might be forgotten, misunderstood, or both.
The initial idea was to focus on just SEGA's various Saturn output and while I am indeed starting with such a game, I've
decided that it would be a disservice to limit the scope to just that. So I intend to expanding the idea to cover other
niche games of certain appeal from other platforms and content makers.
You can expect more write-ups of this quality (with improvements) on games from Saturn, PS1, N64, 3DO, arcade, Neo-Geo,
SNES, MegaDrive, PC/DOS and others. In fact I already have a few ideas for what the next write-up or two will focus on.
Some may also focus on series of games rather than simply individual efforts, if deemed a better fit to do.
My goal with these is to provide detailed analysis and coverage on these games in terms of their objective and subjective
qualities, market performance, their reception at the time and current-day, and a look into the various cogs of the machine
that helped them see release into the market, with some critical analysis into those and the factors within that could've
impacted performance and perception of the releases. With that said, these are ALL games that I have a pretty good level of
respect for; some of which are even among some of my favorite games ever made. I'm focusing on quality choice cuts here, so
uh....no Action 52 or Bubsy 3D stuff is planned; sorry to the fans of those (that said, I haven't 100% made up my mind there,
but if I start covering games of that ilk, it might be spun off into a different type of write-up series).
So with all that said...let's get started!
[CYBER TROOPERS: VIRTUAL ON]
>DEVELOPER: SEGA AM3 (later known as Hitmaker)
>PUBLISHER: SEGA
>RELEASE DATE: 1996 (Arcade)
November 29, 1996 (Saturn, Japan)
November 8,1996 (Saturn, NA)
1996 (Saturn, Europe)
>UNITS SOLD: ~ 652,587 (estimate and speculation; please read section "Regional Distribution" for more)
>REVIEW SCORES:
Computer and Video Games: 100/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
All Game Guide: 90/100 (1998, Saturn)
DefunctGames: B+ (April 9 2005, Saturn)
Ultra Game Players: 8.6/10 (January 1997, Saturn)
Game Informer: 8.5/10 (September 1996, Arcade)
Gamepro: 80/100 (Feburary 1997, Saturn)
Edge: 80/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
Next Generation: 80/100 (Saturn)
EGM: 79/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
Gamespot: 57/100 (October 31 1996, Saturn)
>OST SAMPLES:
>GAMEPLAY SAMPLES:
>OVERVIEW: Cyber Troopers Virtual On, more commonly known as Virtual-On, is an area-style mech combat game released
in arcades on SEGA's Model 2B CRX hardware platform in 1996, with a Saturn port to all three major regions later that
same year. The game was designed by SEGA's AM3 arcade team, under the direction of Juro Watari (Virtua Athelete,
7th Dragon III) and Manabu Washio (Le Mans 24Hrs), with production handled by Hisao Oguchi (Doki Doki Penguin Land).
In the game, the player takes the helm of a "Virtualoid", and is tasked with doing battle against a single opponent
in one of several playing fields under a time limit. The game is famous for its twin stick controls systems in the
arcade version which, while presenting a learning curve, would come to be the favored method of play for those taking
the time and displaying the skill set to learn them. To accommodate such players in the eventual home port, SEGA released
the Twin Stick peripheral for the Saturn, providing near 1:1 recreation of the arcade version's input control system.
In many ways, Virtual On can be seen as a spiritual evolution of games such as Atari's T-Mek and Namco's Cyber
Sled. Both of these games had a vaguely similar theme of militarized/mechanical arena-based armed combat, but utilized
vehicles rather than mechs. Virtual On would take that basic concept and expand on it with a pacing and fluidity that
had become refined with 2D fighters such as Street Fighter, and some 3D fighers such as Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Battle
Arena Toshinden.
While the series has had periods of inactivity regards new releases, it has seen several of them, the latest on Sony's
PlayStation 4 console. Many of the concepts introduced here would be refined and/or changed in the various follow-ups
to come. The series also has a product line of figure models, soundtracks, light novels, and audio drama CDs, many of
these primarily or exclusively in Japan.
>GAME MECHANICS:
[Controls]
It probably helps to focus on the game's arcade controls, as they reflect how it was meant to be played.
Essentially, the game made use of two identical yoke-style command joysticks, the sort you'd see with
PC flight simulators for example. Each joystick provided eight-way directional movement, as well as two
buttons: a trigger (used to fire your weapon), and a button on top of the stick. This button is known
as the Turbo button, and its basic functionality is to allow your virtualoid to dash in the indicated
direction when moving.
The most unique part about the controls for the arcade version of the game is in how the twin sticks
effectively turn the Virtualoid into a piece of heavy labor machinery, such as a forklift for bulldozer.
If both sticks are pointed in the same direction, the Virtualoid will move in the indicated direction.
If, on the other hand, one stick is pulled back while the other is pulled forward, it will turn in the
forwarding direction. Pulling both sticks apart will make it jump into the air, and pushing them towards
one another will make it prone as it fires away.
In terms of facing the opponent, since there is ever only yourself and a singular foe (like in other
fighting games), there is no need for manual re-centering of your Virtualoid to face the opponent; various
actions such as dash-firing (firing your weapons while dashing) and jumping enforce auto-correct on their
own. This brings it in line even more with fighting games conceptually, as needing to manually face the
opponent would have likely slowed down the pace of the proceedings as well as run counter to other
design philosophies within the game.
[Systems]
Combat in Virtual On can be viewed in three congruent parts: Ranged Combat, and Close Combat. In both
types, you have three different types of weapon classes: Left, Center, and Right Weapon. These are
available at all times and may differ depending on your chosen Virtualoid. They will automatically
switch between Ranged and Close Combat mode functionality as you enter and exit triggering proximity
with the opponent. The in-game HUD (Heads Up Display) also provides additional visual feedback for when
these modes are active, such as the lock-on ring target around the opponent changing to dual rings when
in Close Combat mode.
Like in any fighting game, there are health gauges for you and the opponent that decrease when you take
any form of damage. There are various counter weapons and defensive maneuvers which can be taken in order
to avoid or minimize the amount of damage you receive. Likewise, when you actually land attacks on the
opponent, a HIT! icon appears on the screen as visual confirmation.
[Objectives]
This one should be fairly obvious: the main goal is to defeat the opponent by the end of the match, either
by having more health once the timer reaches zero, or obliterating their health before they can do the
same to yours. The Arcade mode functions like a typical fighter's, with increasingly difficult and challenging
opponents to face off against before meeting up against the final boss.
Versus Mode carries the same win conditions as the Arcade mode, except in this case the opponent is controlled
by another person. This can lead to some really neat aspects of high-level play if both players have a mastery
of their chosen characters and game mechanics, and I'll be providing some examples demonstrating this below.
>HIGH-LEVEL PLAY:
Here are a few videos of gameplay segments from various players showing off some of the game's high-level techniques:
Unfortunately these are the only two that I can find for the first game online. Searching Youtube, there are TONS of
high-level tourney footage for the sequel, Oratorio Tangram, but this is meant to focus more on the first game so
>1CC (ONE CREDIT CLEAR) STRATEGIES (IF APPLICABLE):
If you've always wondered into what 1CC strategies are applicable with the game showing mastery of its skill mechanics,
you can get a feel for that in some of this video below:
>LEGACY: By and large, roughly anywhere you look the game seems to enjoy a healthy amount of respect within the
retro gaming community, and is spoken of favorably by many retro game reviewers who have done more recent reviews
of the game. A few review/impressions/retrospective samples are provided here:
While it enjoys a very niche following, the game did go on to spawn several sequels, the latest being a release
for Sony's PlayStation 4 video game console. And as some would say, it is better to know your niche and serve it
well, than spread yourself too thin, lest you satisfy no one.
>MARKET PERFORMANCE (DIRECT, SECONDARY, FANDOM):
Good (Direct)
Good (Secondary)
Very Good (Fandom)
[Key Range: (Highest) Excellent, Very Good, Good, Okay, Bad, Very Bad, Poor (Lowest)]
>REASONS:
>Objective Qualities?:
At the time of its release, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On was seen as a very unique and inventive
take on the arena combat genre, merging it with concepts derived from the then-hot versus
fighting game genre popularized by Street Fighter 2. Even aside of the cleverness of its
idea and presentation, in objective/technical measures the game was highly well-received at
its time, and is still seen as quite objectively impressive today.
Thanks to the power of the Model 2 arcade hardware, the initial release was able to retain
a constant 60FPS refresh rate. Pop-in is virtually non-existent, and unlike home consoles of
the time such as PS1 and Saturn, you won't see any texture distortion or shakiness in the arcade
game. Sound is very clear and concise, with high-quality sample rates and distinct sound effects
for the various weapons, Virtualoid movements, and great sound mixing so that sound effects, vocal
tracks and music are distinctly clear while mixing together properly in a way befitting of a
high-end 3D arcade release of the mid-'90s.
Physics for the Virtualoids, from the sense of heaviness to artistic liberties taken to
apply tasteful agility and sense of movement, velocity, gravity etc. fit the game like a glove,
feeding back into the system game mechanics to strike a balance of just enough verisimilitude
to provide suspension of disbelief while having a high level of kineticism for the fun factor.
Projectiles are fast and pack a punch, and have enough variety in their visual distinctions so
that the player won't confuse one shot type for another after just a bit of familiarity is obtained.
The Saturn version, given the hardware the original game had to be scaled down to, is a very
solid technical accomplishment. It halves the framerate to 30FPS (vs 60 for the arcade release) while
scaling down on some of the graphical detail., but otherwise is similar. Parts of the arcade game that were
full 3D models were changed to 2D bitmap images, similar to techniques utilized in the Saturn port
of Virtua Fighter 2. Despite this, the actual Virtualoids themselves have comparable polygon
geometry to the arcade release, and stylistically everything still comes together more or less in line
with the arcade release thanks to smart technical decisions making good understanding of the Saturn's
unique hardware (both in its strengths and weaknesses).
Controls are where things can get a bit dicey with the Saturn version (though nowhere near as much as
the Windows release). The game itself is very responsive and in line with the arcade version, but the
method of controlling one's Virtualoid will vary greatly depending on if they have the Twin Sticks peripheral
or not. Without it, the player will have to make due with the Saturn's controller, which isn't exactly
the best fit for a game like Virtual On (for starters, it lacks analog sticks). It's technically possible,
but not the preferable way to play it on that system. Thankfully, Twin Stick peripherals can still be found
on sites like eBay and other aftersale markets, for reasonably affordable prices.
>Release Schedule?:
The arcade version of Virtual-On saw a worldwide release in 1996 for SEGA's Model 2 platform hardware.
An exact month of release date was not recoverable in time for this writing, but we can assume that it
saw release in Japanese territories at least a few months ahead of Western distribution. 1996 saw a good
number of heavy-hitting arcade games release that year: Bust A Move, Cruis'n World, Daytona USA Special
Edition, Dead or Alive, Die Hard Arcade, Killer Instinct 2, Metal Slug, NBA Hangtime, San Francisco Rush, Street
Fighter Alpha II, Time Crisis and Virtua Fighter 3 being just some of the releases.
As such, arcade goers weren't particularly starved for lack of content, especially if they wanted
something fighter/combat-orientated. Regardless, very few (if any) other arcade releases had the humanoid
mecha aesthetic hook mixed in with arena combat and fighting game principals Virtual-On did, which would
have helped it stand out from the crowd, provided arcades could afford cabinets.
Being that the initial arcade release had such a unique setup, deluxe cabinets were more or less pushed
by default, these of course costing more than single cabs, and requiring more floor space. Even so, this
would have still kept the game easily affordable compared to, say, Virtua Fighter 3, which was powered by
SEGA's then-new very powerful (and prohibitively expensive) Model 3 arcade hardware. Arcades looking for
a unique fighter/combat game and in taste for something of a SEGA variety likely were more tempted to pick
Virtual-On over something like Virtua Fighter 3, though it's debatable if it matched uptick of games such
as Dead or Alive (and very likely did not). After all, humanoid mechs may be cool, but jiggling tits are
even cooler (and much sexier.
The Saturn port would see some of its own release congestion by the time its release was upon manifest.
>Marketing?:
For the arcade release, there were at least two specific flyers created for the game. The first of the two to
be discussed is located below:
So, in what ways does this flyer communicate known qualities of Virtual-On? Well for starters, the advert
does use some visual cues to indicate the human-like nature of the game's Virtualoids, via having a male and
female graphic that transition from human to robot via a gradient effect. In sci-fi, there is usually some
designation between robots, androids, and cyborgs. Robots generally range from things with very vague human
body identifiers as part of some aspect of their design, but usually are very non-human (often more vehicular
and abstract) in their design, built 100% from the ground-up.
On the other hand, androids also share a similar pure mechanical build from the ground-up as robots, but
are much more human in appearance, and often in terms of behavior (capable of mimicking human logic ration-
ality, emotions, and in some cases even consciousness). The Virtualoids in Virtual-On adhere most strictly to the
concept of androids in practice, but the themes of robot-like design are very much identifiable too (in terms
of the fact they are much larger than humans, while androids tend to also be human-sized).
However, this particular flyer also could be interpreted by the average person as selling them a couple of
cyborgs. Cyborgs, in sci-fi, generally are depicted as humans who have undergone cybernetic/robotic modifications.
So essentially it deals with an organic being ingraining robotic and mechanical parts into/onto themselves. In
terms of visual reception, though, this doesn't exactly mesh with what the game's Virtualoids actually are. They
are not humans who have been modified into giant mechs. They aren't even giant mechs with human pilots! So there
may've been some subset of people in arcades (particularly in America; this is a Western flyer btw) who might've
expected some more cyborg-like out of the game's characters going off the flyer's image, and could've been jolted
when that didn't turn out to be the case.
With that said, the text in the lower-left hand corner does clarify that the Virtualoids are indeed robots.
There is also another visual theme at play here: virtual-reality. Of course, the game's name itself plays on
such a theme, but this flyer also gives the impression the game could be about humans stepping into a virtual
robot/mech combat arena. Whether that is meant to be taken in the game's context or transcend to the player
experience is mainly left interpreted by one's own judgement, but we can assume both contexts were framed in
the flyer as seen here.
The 2nd flyer, seen here, is immediately identifiable as being more informative, featuring much more text that
describes the general nature of the game and its game mechanics, play controls etc. In-game screenshots provide
a visual context for curious operators and players to see what the action will look like when they jump into
the fray, and further hints that this may've been a flyer meant to sell the game to arcade operators is seen in the
lower left-hand corner, via measurements for the twin-cabinet itself. This may be a less flashy flyer, but for
operators, it does a very good job of telling what the game is.
Meanwhile, here we can see some of the Saturn flyer and advert material used to promote the game. One thing
noticeable right off the bat is that, in terms of aesthetic, these have aged a lot better than the first arcade flyer
starting this section off (particularly the Japanese ones; then again, Japanese game flyers and adverts are generally
better/cooler than Western counterparts, especially for '90s games. Extends to box art/casing designs etc. too).
They're also more stylized and tonally seamless in the art and text blending together. There are those, such as the
2nd graphic, which do a great job giving primer introductions for the playable cast, as well as their general strengths
and weaknesses regards combat tools. Game mechanics are provided, all while, again, staying stylistically consistent.
They even advertise the Twin Stick peripheral!
Adverts were also produced for the NetPlay version of the game too; seeing as how this version stayed exclusively
in Japan, these adverts never saw circulation in the West. This one mirrors the regular release's Japanese Saturn
flyer/advert in terms of style and information, with said information being altered in parts to specify NetLink
functionality and compatibility.
As for television advertisements, here is one that can be readily found:
This ad was for the Japanese Saturn release; in addition to the usual mid '90s "edgy" (I personally hate the term,
but it'll do for now) style, it does a pretty good job on selling the kineticism of the game's high-octane action, as
the young boy whips his room into a whirlwind of windy destruction simply by playing the game. An exaggeration of
reality, sure (if the game caused this IRL you can bet it'd of never seen release), but it gets the message across
all the same.
Here is a promotional piece for the game, also from Japan. The music has that slap-bass happy heaviness typical
of a lot of '90s arcade games, and keeps at a high tempo with regular pacing. It sounds pretty mechanical in terms
of precision, fitting the game's theme. The various Virtualoids are shown off throughout; one could almost take this
as a concept for the attract sequence of the arcade game.
>Reviews?:
At the time of its release, Virtual On garnered favorable reviews from the gaming press, especially the
arcade version, in large part due to its excellent visuals, as well as its sound gameplay. The Saturn
port was received just as well, with the notable exception being Gamespot, who did not view
the Saturn port as favorable despite reviewing it twice (Saturn and Windows ports reviewed). Lack
of home-orientated content (as well as the controls not feeling suited to the Saturn controller) were
listed as chief reasons why.
The Windows version did not fare as well with critics at the time, having a fairly mediocre review
aggregate average.
[Mobygames Aggregate Average (Critics)]: Arcade N/A, Saturn: 82/100, Windows: 3.4/10
Computer and Video Games (CVG) (Jan, 1997): 100/100 (Saturn)
Thunderbolt Games (Apr 24, 2009): 100/100 (Saturn)
Shin Force (Jan 06, 2000): 92/100 (Saturn)
All Game Guide (1998): 90/100 (Saturn)
neXGam (2004): 86/100 (Saturn)
Defunct Games (Apr 09, 2005): 85/100 (Saturn)
Game Revolution (Jun 06, 2004): 83/100 (Saturn)
SaturnGamePro (US) (Feb, 1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Next Generation Magazine (1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Edge (Jan, 1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (Jan, 1997): 79/100 (Saturn)
Mega Fun (Dec, 1996): 75/100 (Saturn)
PC Joker (Jun, 1998): 67/100 (Windows)
Video Games (Dec, 1996): 65/100 (Saturn)
GameSpot (Oct 31, 1997): 57/100 (Windows)
GameSpot (Jan 21, 1997): 54/100 (Saturn)
---------
..continued in post below...
the 1990s. Games that I feel are very interesting and of high quality, but might be forgotten, misunderstood, or both.
The initial idea was to focus on just SEGA's various Saturn output and while I am indeed starting with such a game, I've
decided that it would be a disservice to limit the scope to just that. So I intend to expanding the idea to cover other
niche games of certain appeal from other platforms and content makers.
You can expect more write-ups of this quality (with improvements) on games from Saturn, PS1, N64, 3DO, arcade, Neo-Geo,
SNES, MegaDrive, PC/DOS and others. In fact I already have a few ideas for what the next write-up or two will focus on.
Some may also focus on series of games rather than simply individual efforts, if deemed a better fit to do.
My goal with these is to provide detailed analysis and coverage on these games in terms of their objective and subjective
qualities, market performance, their reception at the time and current-day, and a look into the various cogs of the machine
that helped them see release into the market, with some critical analysis into those and the factors within that could've
impacted performance and perception of the releases. With that said, these are ALL games that I have a pretty good level of
respect for; some of which are even among some of my favorite games ever made. I'm focusing on quality choice cuts here, so
uh....no Action 52 or Bubsy 3D stuff is planned; sorry to the fans of those (that said, I haven't 100% made up my mind there,
but if I start covering games of that ilk, it might be spun off into a different type of write-up series).
So with all that said...let's get started!
[CYBER TROOPERS: VIRTUAL ON]
>DEVELOPER: SEGA AM3 (later known as Hitmaker)
>PUBLISHER: SEGA
>RELEASE DATE: 1996 (Arcade)
November 29, 1996 (Saturn, Japan)
November 8,1996 (Saturn, NA)
1996 (Saturn, Europe)
>UNITS SOLD: ~ 652,587 (estimate and speculation; please read section "Regional Distribution" for more)
>REVIEW SCORES:
Computer and Video Games: 100/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
All Game Guide: 90/100 (1998, Saturn)
DefunctGames: B+ (April 9 2005, Saturn)
Ultra Game Players: 8.6/10 (January 1997, Saturn)
Game Informer: 8.5/10 (September 1996, Arcade)
Gamepro: 80/100 (Feburary 1997, Saturn)
Edge: 80/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
Next Generation: 80/100 (Saturn)
EGM: 79/100 (January 1997, Saturn)
Gamespot: 57/100 (October 31 1996, Saturn)
>OST SAMPLES:
>GAMEPLAY SAMPLES:
>OVERVIEW: Cyber Troopers Virtual On, more commonly known as Virtual-On, is an area-style mech combat game released
in arcades on SEGA's Model 2B CRX hardware platform in 1996, with a Saturn port to all three major regions later that
same year. The game was designed by SEGA's AM3 arcade team, under the direction of Juro Watari (Virtua Athelete,
7th Dragon III) and Manabu Washio (Le Mans 24Hrs), with production handled by Hisao Oguchi (Doki Doki Penguin Land).
In the game, the player takes the helm of a "Virtualoid", and is tasked with doing battle against a single opponent
in one of several playing fields under a time limit. The game is famous for its twin stick controls systems in the
arcade version which, while presenting a learning curve, would come to be the favored method of play for those taking
the time and displaying the skill set to learn them. To accommodate such players in the eventual home port, SEGA released
the Twin Stick peripheral for the Saturn, providing near 1:1 recreation of the arcade version's input control system.
In many ways, Virtual On can be seen as a spiritual evolution of games such as Atari's T-Mek and Namco's Cyber
Sled. Both of these games had a vaguely similar theme of militarized/mechanical arena-based armed combat, but utilized
vehicles rather than mechs. Virtual On would take that basic concept and expand on it with a pacing and fluidity that
had become refined with 2D fighters such as Street Fighter, and some 3D fighers such as Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Battle
Arena Toshinden.
While the series has had periods of inactivity regards new releases, it has seen several of them, the latest on Sony's
PlayStation 4 console. Many of the concepts introduced here would be refined and/or changed in the various follow-ups
to come. The series also has a product line of figure models, soundtracks, light novels, and audio drama CDs, many of
these primarily or exclusively in Japan.
>GAME MECHANICS:
[Controls]
It probably helps to focus on the game's arcade controls, as they reflect how it was meant to be played.
Essentially, the game made use of two identical yoke-style command joysticks, the sort you'd see with
PC flight simulators for example. Each joystick provided eight-way directional movement, as well as two
buttons: a trigger (used to fire your weapon), and a button on top of the stick. This button is known
as the Turbo button, and its basic functionality is to allow your virtualoid to dash in the indicated
direction when moving.
The most unique part about the controls for the arcade version of the game is in how the twin sticks
effectively turn the Virtualoid into a piece of heavy labor machinery, such as a forklift for bulldozer.
If both sticks are pointed in the same direction, the Virtualoid will move in the indicated direction.
If, on the other hand, one stick is pulled back while the other is pulled forward, it will turn in the
forwarding direction. Pulling both sticks apart will make it jump into the air, and pushing them towards
one another will make it prone as it fires away.
In terms of facing the opponent, since there is ever only yourself and a singular foe (like in other
fighting games), there is no need for manual re-centering of your Virtualoid to face the opponent; various
actions such as dash-firing (firing your weapons while dashing) and jumping enforce auto-correct on their
own. This brings it in line even more with fighting games conceptually, as needing to manually face the
opponent would have likely slowed down the pace of the proceedings as well as run counter to other
design philosophies within the game.
[Systems]
Combat in Virtual On can be viewed in three congruent parts: Ranged Combat, and Close Combat. In both
types, you have three different types of weapon classes: Left, Center, and Right Weapon. These are
available at all times and may differ depending on your chosen Virtualoid. They will automatically
switch between Ranged and Close Combat mode functionality as you enter and exit triggering proximity
with the opponent. The in-game HUD (Heads Up Display) also provides additional visual feedback for when
these modes are active, such as the lock-on ring target around the opponent changing to dual rings when
in Close Combat mode.
Like in any fighting game, there are health gauges for you and the opponent that decrease when you take
any form of damage. There are various counter weapons and defensive maneuvers which can be taken in order
to avoid or minimize the amount of damage you receive. Likewise, when you actually land attacks on the
opponent, a HIT! icon appears on the screen as visual confirmation.
[Objectives]
This one should be fairly obvious: the main goal is to defeat the opponent by the end of the match, either
by having more health once the timer reaches zero, or obliterating their health before they can do the
same to yours. The Arcade mode functions like a typical fighter's, with increasingly difficult and challenging
opponents to face off against before meeting up against the final boss.
Versus Mode carries the same win conditions as the Arcade mode, except in this case the opponent is controlled
by another person. This can lead to some really neat aspects of high-level play if both players have a mastery
of their chosen characters and game mechanics, and I'll be providing some examples demonstrating this below.
>HIGH-LEVEL PLAY:
Here are a few videos of gameplay segments from various players showing off some of the game's high-level techniques:
Unfortunately these are the only two that I can find for the first game online. Searching Youtube, there are TONS of
high-level tourney footage for the sequel, Oratorio Tangram, but this is meant to focus more on the first game so
>1CC (ONE CREDIT CLEAR) STRATEGIES (IF APPLICABLE):
If you've always wondered into what 1CC strategies are applicable with the game showing mastery of its skill mechanics,
you can get a feel for that in some of this video below:
>LEGACY: By and large, roughly anywhere you look the game seems to enjoy a healthy amount of respect within the
retro gaming community, and is spoken of favorably by many retro game reviewers who have done more recent reviews
of the game. A few review/impressions/retrospective samples are provided here:
While it enjoys a very niche following, the game did go on to spawn several sequels, the latest being a release
for Sony's PlayStation 4 video game console. And as some would say, it is better to know your niche and serve it
well, than spread yourself too thin, lest you satisfy no one.
>MARKET PERFORMANCE (DIRECT, SECONDARY, FANDOM):
Good (Direct)
Good (Secondary)
Very Good (Fandom)
[Key Range: (Highest) Excellent, Very Good, Good, Okay, Bad, Very Bad, Poor (Lowest)]
>REASONS:
>Objective Qualities?:
At the time of its release, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On was seen as a very unique and inventive
take on the arena combat genre, merging it with concepts derived from the then-hot versus
fighting game genre popularized by Street Fighter 2. Even aside of the cleverness of its
idea and presentation, in objective/technical measures the game was highly well-received at
its time, and is still seen as quite objectively impressive today.
Thanks to the power of the Model 2 arcade hardware, the initial release was able to retain
a constant 60FPS refresh rate. Pop-in is virtually non-existent, and unlike home consoles of
the time such as PS1 and Saturn, you won't see any texture distortion or shakiness in the arcade
game. Sound is very clear and concise, with high-quality sample rates and distinct sound effects
for the various weapons, Virtualoid movements, and great sound mixing so that sound effects, vocal
tracks and music are distinctly clear while mixing together properly in a way befitting of a
high-end 3D arcade release of the mid-'90s.
Physics for the Virtualoids, from the sense of heaviness to artistic liberties taken to
apply tasteful agility and sense of movement, velocity, gravity etc. fit the game like a glove,
feeding back into the system game mechanics to strike a balance of just enough verisimilitude
to provide suspension of disbelief while having a high level of kineticism for the fun factor.
Projectiles are fast and pack a punch, and have enough variety in their visual distinctions so
that the player won't confuse one shot type for another after just a bit of familiarity is obtained.
The Saturn version, given the hardware the original game had to be scaled down to, is a very
solid technical accomplishment. It halves the framerate to 30FPS (vs 60 for the arcade release) while
scaling down on some of the graphical detail., but otherwise is similar. Parts of the arcade game that were
full 3D models were changed to 2D bitmap images, similar to techniques utilized in the Saturn port
of Virtua Fighter 2. Despite this, the actual Virtualoids themselves have comparable polygon
geometry to the arcade release, and stylistically everything still comes together more or less in line
with the arcade release thanks to smart technical decisions making good understanding of the Saturn's
unique hardware (both in its strengths and weaknesses).
Controls are where things can get a bit dicey with the Saturn version (though nowhere near as much as
the Windows release). The game itself is very responsive and in line with the arcade version, but the
method of controlling one's Virtualoid will vary greatly depending on if they have the Twin Sticks peripheral
or not. Without it, the player will have to make due with the Saturn's controller, which isn't exactly
the best fit for a game like Virtual On (for starters, it lacks analog sticks). It's technically possible,
but not the preferable way to play it on that system. Thankfully, Twin Stick peripherals can still be found
on sites like eBay and other aftersale markets, for reasonably affordable prices.
>Release Schedule?:
The arcade version of Virtual-On saw a worldwide release in 1996 for SEGA's Model 2 platform hardware.
An exact month of release date was not recoverable in time for this writing, but we can assume that it
saw release in Japanese territories at least a few months ahead of Western distribution. 1996 saw a good
number of heavy-hitting arcade games release that year: Bust A Move, Cruis'n World, Daytona USA Special
Edition, Dead or Alive, Die Hard Arcade, Killer Instinct 2, Metal Slug, NBA Hangtime, San Francisco Rush, Street
Fighter Alpha II, Time Crisis and Virtua Fighter 3 being just some of the releases.
As such, arcade goers weren't particularly starved for lack of content, especially if they wanted
something fighter/combat-orientated. Regardless, very few (if any) other arcade releases had the humanoid
mecha aesthetic hook mixed in with arena combat and fighting game principals Virtual-On did, which would
have helped it stand out from the crowd, provided arcades could afford cabinets.
Being that the initial arcade release had such a unique setup, deluxe cabinets were more or less pushed
by default, these of course costing more than single cabs, and requiring more floor space. Even so, this
would have still kept the game easily affordable compared to, say, Virtua Fighter 3, which was powered by
SEGA's then-new very powerful (and prohibitively expensive) Model 3 arcade hardware. Arcades looking for
a unique fighter/combat game and in taste for something of a SEGA variety likely were more tempted to pick
Virtual-On over something like Virtua Fighter 3, though it's debatable if it matched uptick of games such
as Dead or Alive (and very likely did not). After all, humanoid mechs may be cool, but jiggling tits are
even cooler (and much sexier
.The Saturn port would see some of its own release congestion by the time its release was upon manifest.
>Marketing?:
For the arcade release, there were at least two specific flyers created for the game. The first of the two to
be discussed is located below:
So, in what ways does this flyer communicate known qualities of Virtual-On? Well for starters, the advert
does use some visual cues to indicate the human-like nature of the game's Virtualoids, via having a male and
female graphic that transition from human to robot via a gradient effect. In sci-fi, there is usually some
designation between robots, androids, and cyborgs. Robots generally range from things with very vague human
body identifiers as part of some aspect of their design, but usually are very non-human (often more vehicular
and abstract) in their design, built 100% from the ground-up.
On the other hand, androids also share a similar pure mechanical build from the ground-up as robots, but
are much more human in appearance, and often in terms of behavior (capable of mimicking human logic ration-
ality, emotions, and in some cases even consciousness). The Virtualoids in Virtual-On adhere most strictly to the
concept of androids in practice, but the themes of robot-like design are very much identifiable too (in terms
of the fact they are much larger than humans, while androids tend to also be human-sized).
However, this particular flyer also could be interpreted by the average person as selling them a couple of
cyborgs. Cyborgs, in sci-fi, generally are depicted as humans who have undergone cybernetic/robotic modifications.
So essentially it deals with an organic being ingraining robotic and mechanical parts into/onto themselves. In
terms of visual reception, though, this doesn't exactly mesh with what the game's Virtualoids actually are. They
are not humans who have been modified into giant mechs. They aren't even giant mechs with human pilots! So there
may've been some subset of people in arcades (particularly in America; this is a Western flyer btw) who might've
expected some more cyborg-like out of the game's characters going off the flyer's image, and could've been jolted
when that didn't turn out to be the case.
With that said, the text in the lower-left hand corner does clarify that the Virtualoids are indeed robots.
There is also another visual theme at play here: virtual-reality. Of course, the game's name itself plays on
such a theme, but this flyer also gives the impression the game could be about humans stepping into a virtual
robot/mech combat arena. Whether that is meant to be taken in the game's context or transcend to the player
experience is mainly left interpreted by one's own judgement, but we can assume both contexts were framed in
the flyer as seen here.
The 2nd flyer, seen here, is immediately identifiable as being more informative, featuring much more text that
describes the general nature of the game and its game mechanics, play controls etc. In-game screenshots provide
a visual context for curious operators and players to see what the action will look like when they jump into
the fray, and further hints that this may've been a flyer meant to sell the game to arcade operators is seen in the
lower left-hand corner, via measurements for the twin-cabinet itself. This may be a less flashy flyer, but for
operators, it does a very good job of telling what the game is.
Meanwhile, here we can see some of the Saturn flyer and advert material used to promote the game. One thing
noticeable right off the bat is that, in terms of aesthetic, these have aged a lot better than the first arcade flyer
starting this section off (particularly the Japanese ones; then again, Japanese game flyers and adverts are generally
better/cooler than Western counterparts, especially for '90s games. Extends to box art/casing designs etc. too).
They're also more stylized and tonally seamless in the art and text blending together. There are those, such as the
2nd graphic, which do a great job giving primer introductions for the playable cast, as well as their general strengths
and weaknesses regards combat tools. Game mechanics are provided, all while, again, staying stylistically consistent.
They even advertise the Twin Stick peripheral!
Adverts were also produced for the NetPlay version of the game too; seeing as how this version stayed exclusively
in Japan, these adverts never saw circulation in the West. This one mirrors the regular release's Japanese Saturn
flyer/advert in terms of style and information, with said information being altered in parts to specify NetLink
functionality and compatibility.
As for television advertisements, here is one that can be readily found:
This ad was for the Japanese Saturn release; in addition to the usual mid '90s "edgy" (I personally hate the term,
but it'll do for now) style, it does a pretty good job on selling the kineticism of the game's high-octane action, as
the young boy whips his room into a whirlwind of windy destruction simply by playing the game. An exaggeration of
reality, sure (if the game caused this IRL you can bet it'd of never seen release), but it gets the message across
all the same.
Here is a promotional piece for the game, also from Japan. The music has that slap-bass happy heaviness typical
of a lot of '90s arcade games, and keeps at a high tempo with regular pacing. It sounds pretty mechanical in terms
of precision, fitting the game's theme. The various Virtualoids are shown off throughout; one could almost take this
as a concept for the attract sequence of the arcade game.
>Reviews?:
At the time of its release, Virtual On garnered favorable reviews from the gaming press, especially the
arcade version, in large part due to its excellent visuals, as well as its sound gameplay. The Saturn
port was received just as well, with the notable exception being Gamespot, who did not view
the Saturn port as favorable despite reviewing it twice (Saturn and Windows ports reviewed). Lack
of home-orientated content (as well as the controls not feeling suited to the Saturn controller) were
listed as chief reasons why.
The Windows version did not fare as well with critics at the time, having a fairly mediocre review
aggregate average.
[Mobygames Aggregate Average (Critics)]: Arcade N/A, Saturn: 82/100, Windows: 3.4/10
Computer and Video Games (CVG) (Jan, 1997): 100/100 (Saturn)
Thunderbolt Games (Apr 24, 2009): 100/100 (Saturn)
Shin Force (Jan 06, 2000): 92/100 (Saturn)
All Game Guide (1998): 90/100 (Saturn)
neXGam (2004): 86/100 (Saturn)
Defunct Games (Apr 09, 2005): 85/100 (Saturn)
Game Revolution (Jun 06, 2004): 83/100 (Saturn)
SaturnGamePro (US) (Feb, 1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Next Generation Magazine (1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Edge (Jan, 1997): 80/100 (Saturn)
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (Jan, 1997): 79/100 (Saturn)
Mega Fun (Dec, 1996): 75/100 (Saturn)
PC Joker (Jun, 1998): 67/100 (Windows)
Video Games (Dec, 1996): 65/100 (Saturn)
GameSpot (Oct 31, 1997): 57/100 (Windows)
GameSpot (Jan 21, 1997): 54/100 (Saturn)
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