Pizza vs. Virtua Fighter

I used to spend quarters on the Virtua Fighter machine down at the pizza place, but later on turn out that I can't afford a slice. Wouldn't it be nice if I can eat and play this game without worrying of running short on quarters. Well, it's not a problem anymore as I got my own Virtua Fighter now.

VF3tb is just awesome, where has it been all my life!? There are a total of 12 fighters to choose from, not including those hidden one. Sarah Bryant is the fast-kicking jeet kune do vixen. Jeffrey McWild does his weird gladiator moves, and even the old man with drunken-monkey style (Shun)is there. The variety of styles is what make this game so great, and playing with one as opposed to another (say, Shun instead of Pai) offers a thrilling experience.

How's it look? Well, if you've seen the arcade version, similarity is the word I'd say. All the nice animations stay about the same. Half the fun of playing VF3 is just checking out how good everything looks. Lion does his mantis strike, Pai giggles and moves into a crane stance, etc. The expressions on character faces are perfect and remarkably too. The backgrounds may need more improvement though, but I don't think it's due to any shortcoming of the Dreamcast.

Playing the game solo is surprisingly tough with harder AI settings. But as most of us know, VF3 is supposed to be played with another human. This is when the gaming fun kick in. The deliberations between strikes, the off-balance feeling when your opponent lays a hard strike on you, the satisfaction of dodging a strike at really low health--it's all there, just like in the arcade.

Unfortunately, VF3tb has only three modes, each supported in one or two player versions: team battle, regular, and practice. Team battle lets you select three different fighters and fight them against an opponent's three fighters. It allows for interesting possibilities. I usually go with Pai to lead off because I'm best at her, but then should I save her for last?

It's a shame they don't include a versus mode, but given the weak state of the Dreamcast's software library, the PlayStation 2 announcement, and their own screwed-up financial situation, it's no wonder they got this sucker gold as soon as possible. Anyway, this is the weakest link in the incredible chain that is VF3tb. Its kind of disappointing with no cinematic endings, when it could have been so much more.