SEGA VS Fighting Games - "Better run home to mama now!"

[Berto]

SEGA Announces Virtua Fighter 3tb Online for Arcades in Japan









https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7gfSabOP5w

SEGA announced Virtua Fighter 3tb Online for arcades in Japan during the Amusement Expo in Tokyo Big Sight event before beginning the “APM3” exhibition match event for Virtua Fighter esports. The game will have similar features seen in Virtua Fighter esports (Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown in US & EU) such as national matches, in-store matches, password competition with friends, ability to use Aime cards to save progress, and change from original and arrange BGM.
Virtua Fighter 3tb Online will be released for Japanese arcades on November 28th. This is exciting news for competitive VF players in Japan, however, it ...

Article : https://segabits.com/blog/2023/11/24/sega-announces-virtua-fighter-3tb-online-for-arcades-in-japan/

Virtua Fighter producer Seiji Aoki & APM3 general producer Toshiaki Yuasa talk Virtua Fighter 3tb Online

Not a lot of insight into the broader future for VF, but there's some stuff for Model 3 fanatics to chew on

Full interview :  https://cohost.org/gosokkyu/post/3653837-virtua-fighter-produ
JP version : https://4gamer.net/games/755/G075563/20231121025/

[Berto]

“Virtua Fighter 3tb Online” Soundtrack CD is now available for Pre-Order✨

CD “Virtua Fighter 3tb Online PREMIUM MUSIC COLLECTION” will be released on December 14th💿
Includes many VF3 Arr. songs, rare sound sources, and new vocal songs by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi!

Link : https://info-virtuafighter.sega.jp/archives/607

[Berto]

SNES version of Street Fighter 2 doesn't have chain combos ... but the Genesis version has it!

CPS1 Chain is an unintended mechanic in Street Fighter II games that run on the original CP System (The World Warrior, Champion Edition, and Hyper Fighting). CPS1 Chains were removed starting with the CPSII in The New Challengers.
CPS1 Chain is when Rapid Cancelable light kick is canceled into any of the three punches. To do so, perform a rapid cancelable light kick, then press light kick and desired punch button at the same time. Standing light kick can be canceled into crouching punch, and crouching light kick can be canceled into standing punch.
We have to admit, this is ...

Article : https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/11/did-you-know-snes-street-fighter-ii-is-missing-a-key-feature-of-the-arcade-original

[Mystic Monkey]

It might not matter now but it's still at least mattered back then. That fact wouldn't change.

Yeah, I don't regret not boarding the SSBU bandwagon.

There was already VF5US arcade (called Virtua Fighter esports).
It's using APM3 cabinet, same with what's Virtua Fighter 3tb Online using right now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRxtGBSjyT0

It even had the official tournament periodically ... in Japan.

Well, other countries also had the tournaments too but they're not officially endorsed by SEGA.

o... it's just VF3 esports as an alternative to VF5 esport? Like, milking it for all it's worth?

SNES version of Street Fighter 2 doesn't have chain combos ... but the Genesis version has it!



Article : https://www.timeextension.com/news/2023/11/did-you-know-snes-street-fighter-ii-is-missing-a-key-feature-of-the-arcade-original

Say it with me now... "Sega does what Nintendon't."

[Berto]

Yeah, I don't regret not boarding the SSBU bandwagon.

It could be the last Smash game to feature Sonic though, who knows.

o... it's just VF3 esports as an alternative to VF5 esport? Like, milking it for all it's worth?

In Japan the VF3tb community is still alive and there's yearly fan tournament of it.
SEGA is just responding their enthusiasm, that's why this arcade game is exclusive to Japan only for now.

Say it with me now... "Sega does what Nintendon't."

But even SEGA never said that.
What SEGA said was "Genesis does what Nintendon't" ... so I'm gonna say  "Genesis does what Nintendon't"

[Berto]

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[Mystic Monkey]

It could be the last Smash game to feature Sonic though, who knows.

For now, I regard it the last Smash Bros. game. I think that SSBU is supposed to be the penultimate and finale of the series, that Masahiro Sakurai made it to superb that he cannot further improve on its perfection... However, fans and probably Nintendo themselves are bugging him for more sequels, and he probably doesn't want to because to him "how can you improve perfection?"

The only way I can see it for him, if he can't continue the series, then expand it with spin-offs. Smash Bros. games that are sub-par to Ultimate or SSB4 but have their own gimmick or tide the fans over.

From what I understand, Persona series consist of five games and a butt-tonne of spin-offs so he could go down that route if he wanted.

In Japan the VF3tb community is still alive and there's yearly fan tournament of it.
SEGA is just responding their enthusiasm, that's why this arcade game is exclusive to Japan only for now.

Oh that makes sense. I mean, it's not milking if it had steady and on-going interest.

But even SEGA never said that.
What SEGA said was "Genesis does what Nintendon't" ... so I'm gonna say  "Genesis does what Nintendon't"

I know, I usually refer to it with Sega in general... but I guess you're right in this cage given it's about a game for SNES and Genesis.

Plus, I called it the Mega Drive, and I only had 4 TV channels growing up so I don't remember Sega of UKs marketing campaign back then

[Berto]

For now, I regard it the last Smash Bros. game. I think that SSBU is supposed to be the penultimate and finale of the series, that Masahiro Sakurai made it to superb that he cannot further improve on its perfection... However, fans and probably Nintendo themselves are bugging him for more sequels, and he probably doesn't want to because to him "how can you improve perfection?"

The only way I can see it for him, if he can't continue the series, then expand it with spin-offs. Smash Bros. games that are sub-par to Ultimate or SSB4 but have their own gimmick or tide the fans over.

From what I understand, Persona series consist of five games and a butt-tonne of spin-offs so he could go down that route if he wanted.

Don't give them the idea. I don't want Smash Bros Olympic game's replacing Mario and Sonic ones.

Oh that makes sense. I mean, it's not milking if it had steady and on-going interest.

The popularity of Virtua Fighter in Japan is really something.

I know, I usually refer to it with Sega in general... but I guess you're right in this cage given it's about a game for SNES and Genesis.

Plus, I called it the Mega Drive, and I only had 4 TV channels growing up so I don't remember Sega of UKs marketing campaign back then

We also called it Mega Drive in Asia and I still remember its campaign  "We Bring The Arcade Experience Home".
That's what really make me interested.
I was a PC IBM XT gamer before that and the thought of having arcade perfect version of Golden Axe, Columns, Altered Beast, Outrun, and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was really hard to resist.
The PC versions were really downgrade.
At that time I didn't know yet that Mega Drive version of Moonwalker was different than arcade version.

[Mystic Monkey]

Don't give them the idea. I don't want Smash Bros Olympic game's replacing Mario and Sonic ones.

I only have just the one idea for a Smash Bros. spin-off that will never-ever gonna happen.
"Nintendo Smash Bros. vs Sega All-Stars".

I like to imagine Sega and Nintendo coming together to make a game that purposely sparks the same energy of rivalry they once had in the '90s. Only market it purely as a campaign.
I'm not saying Sega and Nintendo should return as corporate rivals, I'm saying they should encourage the fans into a "rivalry" of sorts. Like the Pokémon games, this Smash Bros. game can come in two versions, one version only has Sega All-Stars as playable characters and the other the usual Nntendo fighters.

Think of it like World of Warcraft where when Blizzard realised their players were expressing their loyalty to their factions outside the games (The Alliance and The Horde), by Battle for Azeroth they started releasing commercials of fan-faction loyalty and probably more merch around it.

It's also why I think if Sonic and Mario ever had a canonical familiarity with one another, it should be "frienemies", because I think it would make a much more interesting character dynamic for the both of them than "just friends".

But yeah, I think a Super Smash Bros. spin-off that markets the former rivalry Sega had with Nintendo all-the-while being a game collaborated by Sega and Nintendo as partners, they would both make big bank off it.

The popularity of Virtua Fighter in Japan is really something.

I find the Virtua Fighters series in general a... how do I describe it.. a "flux popularity"?

I mean, the way I see it, games like Tekken, Dead or Alive and SoulCalibur are the more popular brand of fighting games... and that's not mentioning side-scrolling fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.
I believe Virtua Fighter is not as popular as the others because despite the first game practically founding the genre that Tekken and DoA copied from, those other games kept it's fanbase entice with story-modes and more fleshed out stories for each of their characters. Virtua Fighter has always seemed a rather strict contest fighting game and, while manuals and endgame cutscenes do tell a bit of a story, they never bother to flesh it out.
Yet regardless my thoughts on the matter, Virtua Fighter is still a popular brand of fighting game. Just more-so in Japan.

We also called it Mega Drive in Asia and I still remember its campaign  "We Bring The Arcade Experience Home".
That's what really make me interested.
I was a PC IBM XT gamer before that and the thought of having arcade perfect version of Golden Axe, Columns, Altered Beast, Outrun, and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker was really hard to resist.
The PC versions were really downgrade.
At that time I didn't know yet that Mega Drive version of Moonwalker was different than arcade version.

Plus PCs were a bit clunky back then.

Why was the Genesis renamed Mega Drive elsewhere?

[Berto]

I only have just the one idea for a Smash Bros. spin-off that will never-ever gonna happen.
"Nintendo Smash Bros. vs Sega All-Stars".

I like to imagine Sega and Nintendo coming together to make a game that purposely sparks the same energy of rivalry they once had in the '90s. Only market it purely as a campaign.
I'm not saying Sega and Nintendo should return as corporate rivals, I'm saying they should encourage the fans into a "rivalry" of sorts. Like the Pokémon games, this Smash Bros. game can come in two versions, one version only has Sega All-Stars as playable characters and the other the usual Nntendo fighters.

Think of it like World of Warcraft where when Blizzard realised their players were expressing their loyalty to their factions outside the games (The Alliance and The Horde), by Battle for Azeroth they started releasing commercials of fan-faction loyalty and probably more merch around it.

It's also why I think if Sonic and Mario ever had a canonical familiarity with one another, it should be "frienemies", because I think it would make a much more interesting character dynamic for the both of them than "just friends".

But yeah, I think a Super Smash Bros. spin-off that markets the former rivalry Sega had with Nintendo all-the-while being a game collaborated by Sega and Nintendo as partners, they would both make big bank off it.

That could happen back then when Nintendo and SEGA was joining forces to make Sonic and Mario game crossover (which who knows later could then became SEGA and Nintendo crossover too) but SEGA was the one who insisted that the crossover is limited to olympic series.
Sumo Digital even considered making Mario a guest star in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing exclusively on the Wii version, and while Nintendo was okay with it, SEGA rejected the idea as they did not want to "cross contaminate with the Mario & Sonic series.



That's why it's really a big surprise when Sonic came to Super Smash Bros since some fans thought that SEGA wouldn't allow it.
Turned out because Sonic was planned to be included in Super Smash Bros before the Olympic crossover deal.
During the GameCube development for Smash Bros., Yuji Naka really wanted to get Sonic into that game, but it was just too late in the development process and couldn’t get it in for GameCube, but they did move forward and put Sonic in for the Wii version.”

I find the Virtua Fighters series in general a... how do I describe it.. a "flux popularity"?

I mean, the way I see it, games like Tekken, Dead or Alive and SoulCalibur are the more popular brand of fighting games... and that's not mentioning side-scrolling fighting games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter.
I believe Virtua Fighter is not as popular as the others because despite the first game practically founding the genre that Tekken and DoA copied from, those other games kept it's fanbase entice with story-modes and more fleshed out stories for each of their characters. Virtua Fighter has always seemed a rather strict contest fighting game and, while manuals and endgame cutscenes do tell a bit of a story, they never bother to flesh it out.
Yet regardless my thoughts on the matter, Virtua Fighter is still a popular brand of fighting game. Just more-so in Japan.

You must rarely went to arcade centres back then.
Virtua Fighter was such a big hit in arcade.
It was the first 3D Fighting game and when it came out the 3D graphic alone really stood out compared to the other arcade games at that time.

While it might be the case that in console there are other fighting games more popular since the ports were coming late that was not the case in arcade centre.
It's not flux, VF series really were the pioneer in arcades.
Virtua Fighter came before Tekken and Soul Blade.
Virtua Fighter 2 came before Tekken 2 and Dead or Alive.
Virtua Fighter 3 came before Tekken 3 and Soul Calibur.
You can never forget your first love.

Plus PCs were a bit clunky back then.

Why was the Genesis renamed Mega Drive elsewhere?

It's the other way around, the real name was Mega Drive and only in North America the name was changed to "Genesis".
Former Sega CEO David Rosen said he insisted on the name as he disliked "Mega Drive" and wanted to represent "a new beginning" for Sega.
Remember that while Master System could be considered a success in Europe and South America, it was not the case for North America. That's why they want the 16-bit console to be the new beginning.

[Berto]

SEGA Teases Major Announcement at The Game Awards

Gaming content creators like Curiousjoi shared an invitation they received from Sega, which had the phrase "New Era, New Energy" on it. It also encouraged the recipients and their followers to tune in live at The Game Awards on December 7.
Sega's invitation was pretty vague, but many fans had their own theories as to what the announcement might be. Some believe that Sega will reveal its Super Game for the first time. Others think it might be ...

Article : https://gamerant.com/sega-game-awards-2023-announcement/

[Berto]

OVGA Podcast Episode 04: The Art of Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jI8SKZdPYI

Join us in a discussion about two very noteworthy artists within the niche of original video game artwork!
Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell have established themselves firmly within this hobby over the course of many years.
Their talent is highlighted by our hosts in this episode! Enjoy!

Link :  https://www.originalvideogameart.com

[Mystic Monkey]

That could happen back then when Nintendo and SEGA was joining forces to make Sonic and Mario game crossover (which who knows later could then became SEGA and Nintendo crossover too) but SEGA was the one who insisted that the crossover is limited to olympic series.
Sumo Digital even considered making Mario a guest star in Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing exclusively on the Wii version, and while Nintendo was okay with it, SEGA rejected the idea as they did not want to "cross contaminate with the Mario & Sonic series.



That's why it's really a big surprise when Sonic came to Super Smash Bros since some fans thought that SEGA wouldn't allow it.
Turned out because Sonic was planned to be included in Super Smash Bros before the Olympic crossover deal.
During the GameCube development for Smash Bros., Yuji Naka really wanted to get Sonic into that game, but it was just too late in the development process and couldn’t get it in for GameCube, but they did move forward and put Sonic in for the Wii version.”

I wonder why Sega just want it to be an Olympic thing? My guess by "cross contaminate", they mean they didn't want Sonic and Mario getting too chummy with one another that they're regarded a shared continuity, which I understand. But I'm glad Smash Bros. was the exception and I would love to see it go far as Sega All-Stars vs Nintendo Smash Bros.

You must rarely went to arcade centres back then.
Virtua Fighter was such a big hit in arcade.
It was the first 3D Fighting game and when it came out the 3D graphic alone really stood out compared to the other arcade games at that time.

While it might be the case that in console there are other fighting games more popular since the ports were coming late that was not the case in arcade centre.
It's not flux, VF series really were the pioneer in arcades.
Virtua Fighter came before Tekken and Soul Blade.
Virtua Fighter 2 came before Tekken 2 and Dead or Alive.
Virtua Fighter 3 came before Tekken 3 and Soul Calibur.
You can never forget your first love.

I told you what arcades were like in UK, at least the ones I've visited. Mostly just slot machines and coin pushers. Always disappointed.

It's the other way around, the real name was Mega Drive and only in North America the name was changed to "Genesis".
Former Sega CEO David Rosen said he insisted on the name as he disliked "Mega Drive" and wanted to represent "a new beginning" for Sega.
Remember that while Master System could be considered a success in Europe and South America, it was not the case for North America. That's why they want the 16-bit console to be the new beginning.

I see... do you think keeping the name Mega Drive may had effected sales at the time?

[Berto]

I wonder why Sega just want it to be an Olympic thing? My guess by "cross contaminate", they mean they didn't want Sonic and Mario getting too chummy with one another that they're regarded a shared continuity, which I understand. But I'm glad Smash Bros. was the exception and I would love to see it go far as Sega All-Stars vs Nintendo Smash Bros.

It was Yuji Naka's idea.
Sonic & Mario at the Olympic Games was released a year after Yuji Naka left SEGA, but he claims the idea was all his.
SEGA was given the license to produce a video game based on the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2006.
At the International Olympic Committee, they expressed their intention to promote a sporting spirit to children so that's why Naka came up with the idea to include kid friendly-mascot characters.

"It was actually my idea," he told a Eurogamer Expo 2010 audience, "and I was the one who approached Nintendo about it.
"I thought it would be fascinating to see the two heroes play together or play against each other, so that was exactly what I wanted.
"So I don't feel anything funny about that at all," he added.

Source : https://www.eurogamer.net/yuji-naka-sonic-and-mario-was-my-idea

I told you what arcades were like in UK, at least the ones I've visited. Mostly just slot machines and coin pushers. Always disappointed.

Even back then? I thought what you told was things that has just recently happened.
Man, UK is sure missing the golden gaming of arcade then.
Arcade was the peak of gaming since back then gaming consoles still struggle to make their games could be as good as arcade.
That's why "arcade-perfect port" term exist.

I see... do you think keeping the name Mega Drive may had effected sales at the time?

I'm not sure.
Most people here mentioned "Mega Drive" or "Genesis" as "SEGA" anyway (just like they mentioned "NES" as "Nintendo") but US gamers metioned Genesis as Genesis so at least the Genesis name itself really catchy to be mentioned.

[Mystic Monkey]

It was Yuji Naka's idea.
Sonic & Mario at the Olympic Games was released a year after Yuji Naka left SEGA, but he claims the idea was all his.
SEGA was given the license to produce a video game based on the 2008 Summer Olympics in 2006.
At the International Olympic Committee, they expressed their intention to promote a sporting spirit to children so that's why Naka came up with the idea to include kid friendly-mascot characters.

"It was actually my idea," he told a Eurogamer Expo 2010 audience, "and I was the one who approached Nintendo about it.
"I thought it would be fascinating to see the two heroes play together or play against each other, so that was exactly what I wanted.
"So I don't feel anything funny about that at all," he added.

Source : https://www.eurogamer.net/yuji-naka-sonic-and-mario-was-my-idea

The Mairo & Sonic Olympic games I get. The Olympics are supposed to be about countries from across the world of different politics and beliefs, coming together in sporting events out of trust and unity. Sonic and Mario were once rival mascots so having them in the Olympics could be for Sega and Mairo to give them impression that theres no more hostility, only handshakes and good sports.

Which is all well and good, but I still think in-lore character wise, the two would be more interesting as frienemies than just written to just so happen to be on friendly, good terms.

Even back then? I thought what you told was things that has just recently happened.
Man, UK is sure missing the golden gaming of arcade then.
Arcade was the peak of gaming since back then gaming consoles still struggle to make their games could be as good as arcade.
That's why "arcade-perfect port" term exist.

I'm sure there are god and quality arcades in Britain that have the classic games.... I just never come across them. The arcades I usually find were more like exetremely low-budget casinos, with a few arcade games tucked at the back so not to distract customers from the gambling machines.

I'm not sure.
Most people here mentioned "Mega Drive" or "Genesis" as "SEGA" anyway (just like they mentioned "NES" as "Nintendo") but US gamers metioned Genesis as Genesis so at least the Genesis name itself really catchy to be mentioned.

I guess so. Though would be nice if we all had a single name to be united over.