Sega could rule the whole genre of fighting games. How, in fact, ruled by a Japanese slot machine halls, where Soul Calibur 3 and Tekken 5 are considered to be childish, Guilty Gear and King of Fighters deserve a little more of a reputation for mad fun otaku, and only Virtua Fighter has become more than a game - has become a religion . Need to be in smoky Japanese arcades and look into the eyes of young people hunched over a screen in order to understand the depth of their passion. A well-known champion (they are usually all know by name) can sit for automatic day zabesplatno, giving newcomers a virtual cuffs for their money. In large halls hung schedule of regular tournaments, and from time to time Sega conducts national championships Kakutou Shinseiki with a live broadcast on the Internet and professional comments. Serial Virtua Fighter, decades-oiled, polished, honed to such an extent that competitors fit only your elbows to bite, it remains a purely Japanese fun and popular - so popular! - In the halls of slot machines. Impression that the owners love this console Fighting is not very much and need: Sega-AM2 repeatedly released on consoles direct arcade port, it is not adapted to other platforms. Without the atmosphere of the club with the same interests and capabilities to fight with random upstarts with the county game is losing the lion's share of charm - what's the point in a clean sport, if no one with whom to compete? Home love to play Soul Calibur, Tekken or Dead or Alive, to gawk at the girls, neighing, a good time. Nobody plays in Virtua Fighter, to have a good time. It is played to win.
 | Virtua Fighter 5 for Xbox 360 |
Fate nearkadnyh versions Virtua Fighter has never been easy. From first to the third part of the game was the flagship of the genre on the console itself Sega, the fourth series was exclusive to the PlayStation 2, the fifth - one of the first fighting game for the PlayStation 3. Surprisingly, however, that in August this year will also be released and VF5 on Xbox 360. On this version, we still do not report, and it is unclear whether Sega is going to somehow adapt their fighting for an online service Xbox Live, add the option to record profiles on a memory card or issue an arcade controllers for the Xbox 360. Our guess is: no, not going.
 | |  | Guo Hinogami, which first appeared in Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, as was like a zombie, and stayed. | | In the training mode even shows the layout of keys on the gamepad is not as PS3, but as a gaming machine controller. |
Even journalists, and those do not seem to understand the essence of Virtua Fighter. Describing the ice blocks above the water surface, they lose sight of the amazing arcade games past and present.Of all the English-language online media, which tells about the game, it makes sense only 1up (due to personal passions Editor James Mielke) and Eurogamer (which is traditionally analyzed in all). The first full three-dimensional fighting game, Virtua Fighter fourteen years continuously developed in the same direction and with a single purpose: to be for connoisseurs of the genre by what has become for fans of StarCraft strategies. Fighting in the Virtua Fighter resemble a game of chess at five moves per second. A little sorting out the game with delight watching recording of professionals: you can already see where the virtual fighter deftly out of the cast, where the risks and benefits, which conducts dummy instead of the next attack, which makes a step in the direction, to anticipate the enemy's plan. In Virtua Fighter beginner will never win a player mid-level and mid-level player will never take precedence over the pros. Like laughing at pop culture, Virtua Fighter denies all that prevents a serious, proper battle: there is no jumping breasts Dead or Alive 4, Tekken 5 a cheap special effects or tipping the balance "customization» Soul Calibur III. Ascetic Virtua Fighter - a seventeen people with their style of battle, a square arena, techniques, taken from real life, and equal chances of winning. Let her get stronger.
 | |  | Before falling into ecstasy graphics with PS3, look at the sprite "petals" Sakura. Remember, it looked as trees in Perfect Dark Zero. | | Couple hours in the Quest, and unbearable Lion Rafale becomes Valery Leontiev! |
I know people for whom the selection screen of the character becomes the last thing they saw in the game. There are no metrosexuals cute and curvy girls, only motivated men and women, each of which represents the school really existing martial arts. Person show, Akira Yuki, practicing kung fu, the direction hakkeku-ken. Student Aoi knows Aikijujitsu fisherman Jeffrey enjoys Greek Pankration melee fighting, an alcoholic Xiong has perfected a style drunken master kung fu, monk Lei-Fei learned Shaolin martial arts mystery racer Jackie picked up tricks from the Bruce Lee. Nine out of ten attacks in the implementation of these martial arts masters look the same and lead to the same results as in the game. Repeat in the lives of some of the familiar techniques from the screen - sky-cool (and not without reason this episode is used in the manga "Battle Royale" to describe the character of Shinji Mimura). Styles give characters personality is much better than multi-colored hair and enormously long biography, and, having become acquainted with the game, you will soon fall in love some and hate others. In Virtua Fighter 5 to fifteen veterans join two newcomers, which we have all ears buzz in the news and previews. El Blaze, a Mexican wrestler, in schools beam Libre, head and shoulders lower than the other wrestler series, husky Wolf. In the behavior they have nothing in common: a calm Wolfe likes "to break" - slowly, but very hard, and slick El Blaze revolves around the enemy, conducting fantastic tricks and incredible entertainment, lightning surges. Chinese Eileen, who knows monkey kung fu, unpredictable and silly habits like a drunken master Xiong, only looks much nicer and does not drink. Her attack with a mind and strikes will not name - a girl know myself jumping on stage and waving his fists, legs. And, mind you, by the end of the third paragraph does not say a word about the plot. In Virtua Fighter is no plot. He did not order. It - to fight.
| SECRET! |
In Virtua Fighter no secrets, that would outwit gaming system. But it is useful to know that, for example, a third costume for each character appears when you are in the Quest takes it to the first given. The fourth suit is available when you build the first portion of the dragon balls "- the special orange spheres, which are sometimes given for victories in matches. For those who want to revive old, in the game, according to tradition, there is a great "easter egg": hold down the "circle" during boot Virtua Fighter 5, and when the white screen there blue logo SEGA, voice-overs, as of old, crows «SEEEEGA».
 | |  | Ushuist Lyon demonstrates techniques tanlantsyuan. Humiliation: the entire match crawling somewhere on the level of your knees Wolfe, Lyon manages to defeat the giant. | | "Meganeko" - not "megakoshka", and "the girl with glasses" (a joke for those who study Japanese). |
The combat system in the fifth part has changed irrelevant. Bringing the course of a fight almost to the ideal is still in Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, developers, without further ado, did not fix what is not broke. The fifth part focuses on the freedom of movement for the three-dimensional scene - indeed, in many 3D-fighting game battle still often goes in the same plane. In VF4 you anticipating receiving the enemy, could step aside and be unprotected at the side of the enemy - a trick known as Evade, «evasion. In Virtua Fighter 5, this action is split into two. Old Evade renamed Defensive Move, «protective movement," and added his new, improved version - Offensive Move, «an attacking move." Using Offensive Move, you are simultaneously closer to the opponent and circled around him. Guessing where the enemy wants to attack you with Offensive Move, you can instantly become not just the side - behind the enemy. For more than a clever three-dimensional battle nearly all the heroes of the opportunity if they wish to complete some combos step aside to avoid an instant counterattack. However, we can not say that such tricks as a changed pattern of gameplay. Among professionals - is another matter. These tough guys will find hundreds of new opportunities to outwit each other, but the primary and secondary level of proficiency in Virtua Fighter difference is barely noticeable. Other new things for the individual characters. Among the admirers of Virtua Fighter dominated "Monogamous" loyal soldier once selected (this is due to the fact that the memory card to slot machines store data only on one character, and to master at least one main character, VF - titanic task), and, as Jackie fan, I'll tell this: changed many complex combos, there were other shots, tactical retreat (with the possibility for several bogus) now allows you to move away from the enemy than half the arena, and at best a third was removed completely useless kick with both feet in the face of the prone position. Word - a set of pleasant things, and nothing special.
 | |  | Previously, access to tournaments open when you are certain conditions are met. Now you do from time to time come to an invitation to the match. | | The big round black glasses this season - all the rage. All Moscow goes to them and did not realize that the plate-glass windows make them cooler exactly twice. |
Slots Virtua Fighter are built on a modern platform, Sega Lindbergh. Developers long told stories about how difficult it will be to move this unique fighting game on other platforms, and because podi you - Virtua Fighter 5 for PlayStation 3 keeps stamp issue is strictly 60 frames per second, and very good graphics. The game works only in the resolution of 720p, the picture shows a large-format, and supports audio format 5.1 Dolby Digital. And although the characters and many of their costumes and look really great, easy to stumble across an annoying absurdity: that sound vaguely written, then outside the arena there are ticky-tacky backdrops. Especially annoying sprite leaves on the trees. In 2007 and the PlayStation 3 they could do otherwise. However, you will not look at the leaves, and the soldiers - and see how spectacular look muscular body in eye-catching costumes. Almost all the animation migrated here straight from Virtua Fighter 4, and the rare new blows you meet with sincere enthusiasm. A pleasant introduce new characters, who for some conventional methods use a unique animation - for example, jumps El Blaze or attack after Evade with Eileen.
Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution was blamed for the fact that the game only a few modes, and what happens? In the console Virtua Fighter 5 to ... even less. In the Arcade you win series fighters managed by AI and leave on duralumin, the last boss of the classical series (according to tradition, in Arcade mode, you lost the last battle, can not beat him and forced to start over). Training, and so are not particularly clear in Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, has become even more confusing, but with Sega mulishness demonstrates the technique of execution of attacks on the arcade controller instead of the gamepad. Somehow, the right companies like Konami did not disdain to rework the game for European release, and Sega-AM2 persistently trampled on the old rake, even though everyone knows perfectly well that the arcade Virtua Stick outside of Japan are found only in the artifact room. It is a shame. And even if the legendary controller you have, you can not really work out - the mission of the Evolution disappeared, left naked working out attacks. Mode VF.TV, which in the Arcade lets you view fighting masters, here reduced to a fight between two silicon brains, which is unlikely to be found, much to learn. Home Entertainment in the game has always been a mode Quest, the player simulates the journey through the halls of slot machines. He stayed, but also has become less complex: the number of jobs declined and tournaments, and artificial intelligence for some reason poglupel from last part (and not in vain in the arcade versions of AI updated with each new revision).
| How to learn to play Virtua Fighter |
The combat system is so complex, world-class players is so high, and training regimes are so useless that it is impossible more or less decent master Virtua Fighter using only one disk with Virtua Fighter 5. Fans from all over the world gather at VFDC (http://virtuafighter.com), to discuss methods, techniques and events of the world Virtua Fighter.In this forum you will find not only records fights with the Japanese championships or a detailed description of each character, but also invitations to a variety of tournaments. For example, recently touted everyone in Southern California to open a three-day tournament in late March, and you could be there - if only paid for a plane ticket. Recall that the Russian fans of fighting games are going to http://www.asof.ru and http://www.fighting.ru, but ... do not play in Virtua Fighter, and it is very sad.
 | |  | Dead or Alive 4 was blamed for the fact that distinguish the "top" attack from the "bottom" is often impossible. Virtua Fighter is designed so that you can never go wrong. | | How much would you or a loved Brad wore his costume in the style of "Gopnik of Lyublino see only guests in your home. |
Thus, if something in the game and become more, so this is just the costumes. Each of the seventeen characters are now four suits (Total 68 "), and each can be changed beyond recognition in the mode of Customize. Winning the virtual arcades, you occasionally get new clothes or money, which is proposed to lower the local boutique Item Shop. Not all accessories are compatible with all the costumes: on the contrary, for every thing at once states with which it can be pulled on a suit, but with some not. If, for example, a cap with ear-flaps come to any clothing, the label on the back clings only to the first, racing suit Jackie. A lot of options (though at times less than now on the slot machines), and customization can easily change the appearance of the hero of all recognition - but you still can easily calculate the enemy on the unique fighting stance.
 | |  | Chinese Eileen practiced monkey kung fu. It's not as humiliating as wushu Lyon, but still a shame. | | Jackie Bryant has borrowed many of the attacks in Bruce Lee. His favorite method - take the left hand hit the enemy and vmazat straight right. |
Sony has finally discovered the existence of the Internet and now publishes some demos on the PlayStation Store, and a Sega-AM2, it seems, is still ahead. Virtua Fighter 5 for PlayStation 3 is unaware of the existence of a global network. And this is perhaps the biggest drawback of the game. Producers justify that, they say, it is impossible to organize an adequate, balanced network fighting game Virtua Fighter on the engine under conditions of constant lag - and God bless him, with a network fighting game! There are thousands of other ways to benefit from the Internet. Developers could port to the console version of the update that regularly occur in the arcades (the current version - Version B Revision 1), and with them to improve artificial intelligence, and add new modes. Could allow players to skip the costumes pets other fans of VF. It would be possible to spread new clothes for the characters, to organize exchange service records of battles, to arrange live broadcasts of soccer, players activate the search in your area - so who knows what else! All this certainly contributed to the massive success of the project. But developers do not seem to need a massive success. They stubbornly make arcade ports and do not want to know what is happening in other game series. Well, if the team does not want a massive success, she did not get it. Virtua Fighter 5, and on the console remains the most balanced and deep fighting game.Even a pity that no one in it still will not play: he is too niche, too hardcore. No true lover of fighting games may not consider themselves as such, has not yet won in the finals of the last tournament mode Quest, will not understand the intricacies of the combat system Virtua Fighter and did not see the gulf that separates this game and all the rest. Recommend Virtua Fighter 5 to everyone as hard as you do not put it high marks. This dish is a gourmet, if you find like-minded people who will light up the idea to learn all the tricks, go to Tokyo and show the class of the Japanese, with Akihabara, - Virtua Fighter will become a favorite pastime for several years (by the way, this is not necessarily to acquire next-generation consoles. The last release, Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution for PlayStation 2 offers an excellent view of the game).
| Expert opinion |
 | Denis «Spaceman» Nikishin - The fifth edition of the "most balanced fighting game of the planet" mixed feelings. The creators have made to the formula of subtle changes in the amount of completely changing the feel compared to the fourth part. And not for the better. VF5 - a spectacle with plastic dolls. |  | Sergei Ovchinnikov - lack of online modes of play Virtua Fighter 5 for sure get a lot of blows from the press, but in my opinion, in a similar online game would be moved without much success. I, for example, far more comfortable evening sparring through VF5 with colleagues. Subordinates, tremble! |  | Alexander Ustinov - A worthy continuation of the fighting game is not for everyone. The console version at the same time manages to negate some advantages, such as the inability to use his character to another console. However, if you're going to play it in a fighting game, not Barbie, boldly add on another unit for evaluation. |  | Igor Sonin - Very sad without online and additional game modes. I am disappointed: Sega-AM2, which is so thin at guessing the mood of players in Arcadia, does not understand the soul of the foreign consolers. Again made a simulator for the Japanese and the "best game that nobody will play." What potential is lost ... |
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