[Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown] June 5th. $15 USD. Free for ps+ members.

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For those that know and care, the long and sad tale of Virtua Fighter 5, Sega, and foreign fans is finally ending. And it's a happy ending, something even the faithful rarely hoped for.

For those that don't know but may care, the basics of the plot are the 5 years (the game actually had its 5th year anniversary last month) and 5 versions of the game that Sega has denied international fans of the game. From the initial snubbing of Virtua Fighter 5 D way back in 2007, to the overhaul and additional characters of Virtua Fighter 5R, and the new versions of that, and then eventually the complete package of Final Showdown last year.

Final Showdown has been in the Japanese arcade for a while now, long enough to get a new version (B). People have been expecting a console release, and people were hoping that it would be outside of Japan. But Sega was keeping tight, with only occasional hints that they knew fans of Virtua Fighter even existed outside of their native country. There were petitions by fans to get a new version of Virtua Fighter 5 out in any form they could play, but it always seemed that the tiny voices raised in Virtua Fighter's favour didn't even have ears to fall on. Many fans of the game gave up and moved on, even while Sega refined Virtua Fighter 5 into a more and more enticing product.

But all that may finally be in the past. Today Sega of Europe and Sega of America have both announced that Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown will be released on XBL and PSN as a downloadable title in 2012. Probably the best anyone could hope for. Sega gets to save on distribution, and it will be cheaper than a full release for a seemingly 5 year old game (which would have bombed again).

Here is the terrible announcement trailer (that's not even new):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLjEnwG7fns

Now, about the game itself. You've probably heard a lot of about Virtua Fighter and how difficult it is to play and learn. You may even have played some versions of the game in the past, possibly Virtua Fighter 5. Final Showdown is at least 2 significant overhauls deep from where Virtua Fighter 5 started, and most of the basic changes made to the game are there to make it easier to play.

In particular the throw mechanic that everyone loves to bitch about has been completely changed. No more more 0 frame throws and no more 6 direction multiple throw escapes. Throws now come in 3 flavours: forward, neutral, and back, and the escape window now takes the first escape input and that's it. You don't need to do multiple eteg's every time you're in a - frames. You don't have to keep track of 12 different throws and character specific rules for optimal throw escapes (well, you do, but that doesn't mean keeping track of 6 different inputs. They've even added some easy defensive options selects, since you can hold guard and throw escape at the same time.

What does the game look like? It looks great. There are 19 characters and each has a billion million customization options. You can even customize their ring entrances and win poses.

(Oh, the arcade version of Final Showdown has a built-in video uploading service that will even display character inputs or frame data. It would be nice to get at least that in the console version.)

Here are some sample matches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef7cfFrlpEg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAb2c63mw_w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TqICJbd9dY

PS. No spectators in online play.

Also: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xVgX0oEWnU

Fig-D

Only real men can play Virtua Fighter.

Which happens to be the reason I play Marvel instead. VF is fucking hardcore.

Nocren

I wonder if there's going to be anything like VF4:Evo's Arcade mode for single player? None of my local friends are as into VF as I am, and my connection isn't as good as it was.

Senjutsu

Nocren wrote:

I wonder if there's going to be anything like VF4:Evo's Arcade mode for single player? None of my local friends are as into VF as I am, and my connection isn't as good as it was.

Quest mode was in the VF5 console release, I'm hoping it gets held over for this. What I'd really, really love to see is a training mode on par with VF4: Evo's, but that's probably a pipe dream.

----

In other news there's a rumor floating around SRK that Sega is bringing some VF5:FS cabs to PAX.

Vic_viper

Man I cannot wait for this.

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Virtua Fighter 5 has that as well.

Though Final Showdown will be an arcade port, so who knows what they'll do for single player content.

Anyway, I forgot the most important thing: It still has the option for in-game commentary, and that was expanded in the newer versions. Hopefully we get another English option for that.

Also, since I showed Taka, the (not) new character in Final Showdown, may as well show Jean, the actually new character (from R, but whatever).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGX417veOcM

B:L

Man I cannot wait to play this at PAX.

And ask all the other players there if they watched the Virtua Fighter anime, English dub.

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How could I have forgotten to put my life's work in the op?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xVgX0oEWnU

EVOL

I only played VF4 and that wasn't for too long, but the little I played was fucking fantastic. I was getting my ass kicked all the time but it felt so good. It's just so goddamn complex in a really really good way.

Antihippy

Will the PS3 version be dumb and not have online support.

Bizazedo

Severely amped for this game. I hope there are lobbies at the bare minimum.

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The psn and xbl versions will be released at the same time, and be identical.

Lobbies would be nice, but they did say there would be no spectating. Maybe that question was interpreted to be a broader query about being able to spectate matches without joining them, but that seems unlikely.

EVOL

Hey guys remember the this 'trailer' for Final Showdown?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K-5ZYG8WDg

Archsorcerer

Fig-D wrote:

Only real men can play Virtua Fighter.

Which happens to be the reason I play Marvel instead. VF is fucking hardcore.

It is not that hard, some characters just have moves that are pain in the ass to pull off. I recently got the game (found out I can buy games with MS points) and I'm loving it.

Pick Pai Chan, she almost doesn't have any super complicated P+K+G -> PPK -> (X/Y) crap moves.

If anyone wants to kick my ass online, add me. My little brother almost masters this game.

iMatt

I always played Sarah Bryant and never found her to be overly complex. A good solid move set that almost felt Tekken-ey!

templewulf

Archsorcerer wrote:

Fig-D wrote:

Only real men can play Virtua Fighter.

Which happens to be the reason I play Marvel instead. VF is fucking hardcore.

It is not that hard, some characters just have moves that are pain in the ass to pull off. I recently got the game (found out I can buy games with MS points) and I'm loving it.

Pick Pai Chan, she almost doesn't have any super complicated P+K+G -> PPK -> (X/Y) crap moves.

If anyone wants to kick my ass online, add me. My little brother almost masters this game.

Pai is probably the best character in the game, but the cast is so finely balanced it's not a long walk from worst to best anyway. I try to main Akira, who also seems pretty good, but goddamn is it tough to remember all the inputs sometimes.

I still have this game and occasionally play it when The Sneak catches me online. Send invites whenever.

Bizazedo

I'm faster than lightning!

B:L

Bizazedo wrote:

I've done handcuffed lightning!

Bizazedo

I didn't play VF 4, really. So to me it's always faster than lightning.

VF 2 is the best.

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YEAAAAAAAH!

Virtua Fighter Sega sound design is still the best in the business.

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Soon we will be able to have this as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzaUR4iTx8c

Fig-D

What the fuck.

Archsorcerer

Pffft. It is Japan, maybe next we will see fan videos of the fighters dressed as the characters of a yaoi manga/anime. Hetalia or some sh*t.

When does the Tokyo Game Show start? Long time ago, there a was a rumor of a fighter using a style of 12 animals. Xing-Yi Quan?

Stigma

I pray for Street Fighter quality netcode...

Bizazedo

I always thought VF's was better than SF, netcode wise.

El Fantastico

Lion, all day, erry day.

Inquisitor

Page- wrote:

In particular the throw mechanic that everyone loves to bitch about has been completely changed. No more more 0 frame throws and no more 6 direction multiple throw escapes. Throws now come in 3 flavours: forward, neutral, and back, and the escape window now takes the first escape input and that's it. You don't need to do multiple eteg's every time you're in a - frames. You don't have to keep track of 12 different throws and character specific rules for optimal throw escapes (well, you do, but that doesn't mean keeping track of 6 different inputs. They've even added some easy defensive options selects, since you can hold guard and throw escape at the same time.

I'm not sure what this bolded bit means? Does this mean someone can be blocking, input throw escapes, and not have a throw whiff come out? Does this mean my trick of doing a high damage attack with a long wind up, instead of throwing, in a situation where my opponent is expecting a throw (causing their throw escape to become a throw attempt, which turns into a throw whiff because I am in the wind up frames of an attack) won't work anymore?

Pancake

Five? Isn't this a new IP?

Inquisitor

Virtua Fighter 5 isn't new. It's 5 years old, rather.

Pancake

What? Virtua Fighter hasn't even been around that long. It was just announced.

Inquisitor

I...I can't tell if you are yanking me or if you are just genuinely confused. Virtua Fighter has been around since like 1993.

templewulf

Inquisitor wrote:

I...I can't tell if you are yanking me or if you are just genuinely confused. Virtua Fighter has been around since like 1993.

Jesus, Inq, how long have you been on these forums? This is her thing.

I've been hankering for that new Soul Calibur, but this might be even better. Do we know what quarter it comes out in?

Inquisitor

templewulf wrote:

Inquisitor wrote:

I...I can't tell if you are yanking me or if you are just genuinely confused. Virtua Fighter has been around since like 1993.

Jesus, Inq, how long have you been on these forums? This is her thing.

I've been hankering for that new Soul Calibur, but this might be even better. Do we know what quarter it comes out in?

I don't post in G&T enough to know all of you weirdo's quirks :P

The SRK post about it says Summer 2012, btw.

Ketherial

oh my god, this is pretty much the best news ever. vf5 final showdown in the u.s. it is literally a dream come true.

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Inquisitor wrote:

Page- wrote:

In particular the throw mechanic that everyone loves to bitch about has been completely changed. No more more 0 frame throws and no more 6 direction multiple throw escapes. Throws now come in 3 flavours: forward, neutral, and back, and the escape window now takes the first escape input and that's it. You don't need to do multiple eteg's every time you're in a - frames. You don't have to keep track of 12 different throws and character specific rules for optimal throw escapes (well, you do, but that doesn't mean keeping track of 6 different inputs. They've even added some easy defensive options selects, since you can hold guard and throw escape at the same time.

I'm not sure what this bolded bit means? Does this mean someone can be blocking, input throw escapes, and not have a throw whiff come out? Does this mean my trick of doing a high damage attack with a long wind up, instead of throwing, in a situation where my opponent is expecting a throw (causing their throw escape to become a throw attempt, which turns into a throw whiff because I am in the wind up frames of an attack) won't work anymore?

You can hold g and press p, 6p, or 4p to get a throw escape without a throw animation, allowing players to buffer throw escapes in questionably throw-counterable situations. There are still plenty of ways to defeat this, from lows to highs with big +frames, or the always classic option of using delays.

Throws will still always, always lose to attacks.

The cynic in me will enjoy the casual schadenfreude of watching the tiny, teensy Virtua Fighter community attempt to make good on all the people who have been saying they'd love to play Virtua Fighter, but . . . only to find out that with the game right in front of them they suddenly have other things to do. It will be a minor miracle if Final Showdown does better than KOF 13.

Pancake

Inquisitor wrote:

I...I can't tell if you are yanking me or if you are just genuinely confused. Virtua Fighter has been around since like 1993.

I would have thought that if there had been Virtua Fighter games around people would have played them.

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Being fair, using the past tense is appropriate. There was a time when people did play Virtua Fighter games, with Virtua Fighter 2 being the peak and it dropping off from there. Seventeen years is a long time.

Archsorcerer

I hope SEGA can take advantage of this time to promote VF. Fighting games are not the rage today (could be said for some 2D fighters) but it has recovered some attention the genre lost.

Archsorcerer

Cool! This was in virtuafighter.com:

From iplaywinner.com:

"We're very proud to announce we will be teaming up with SEGA this weekend at PAX to bring everyone a live stream of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown! We will be streaming straight from the authentic Japanese Lindbergh arcade cabinet they are bringing to Seattle Gameworks on Friday from 6PM PST to 8PM PST.

Watch it LIVE on IPLAYWINNER.TV



SEGA's own Patrick Riley (Director of International Product Development) will be on the mics with us to explain some of the finer details of the game to all our viewers. Of course, I love Virtua Fighter as well so I'll do what I can to break things down too!

For all you Virtua Fighter fans out there, this is your chance to not only check out the game but ask questions and let SEGA know you're out there and hype for this new release! If you're as passionate as we are about the game, tune in and show your support!

Also, if you're in the area for PAX, remember to swing by and check out the game as it will be available to play all weekend!"

Final Showdown in America!

UnbreakableVow

Oh God

I want this

I want this bad. I still pop in VF5 on 360 a few times a month. I thought I would hate playing it on the 360 pad but I did eventually get used to it. I can't wait for this to come out so I can get myself re-acclimated with VF on a DualShock again.

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There will be a small VF5 tourney at GVN SJ this weekend, may as well get in on that.