Virtua Fighter 5 dated

By Robert Purchese Published 19 December, 2006

Launch title for Europe.

SEGA's keen to get people fighting as it announces a 20th February North American release date for Virtua Fighter 5, and confirmation that it will be a launch title when the console arrives in Europe this March.

Clearly in the yearly throes of festive abandon, SEGA has also updated its website for the game, reflecting the updated schedule aswell as adding news and other media to ogle.

Virtua Fighter 5 will be the PlayStation 3's first high-profile fighting title; boasting 17 fighters, next-gen graphics, customisation options, and the freedom to move around to the side and behind your opponents for more strategical options.

Among the cast of ruffians are two new faces. El Blaze is a Mexican wrestler with a mask and spandex thighs, then there's Eileen who has learnt the ancient style of "Monkey Kung-Fu". Obviously we don't look quite so silly now for believing Splinter from the Turtles was real.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (45) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • brooza #1 5 years ago

    ooh spandex thighs

  • Steroyd #2 5 years ago

    There was lots of debate on wether it'd be the updateable B version from the arcade or your bog standard boring non updateable Version A but with them saying customisable i think it's the B version.

    Played a demo of Virtua Fighter 4 the other day and OMG where has this game been all my life?

  • chupachups #3 5 years ago

    "confirmation that it will be a launch title when the console arrives in Europe this March."

    If it arrives in March.

    You wonder what publishers will do if the PS3 really is delayed again to September. Will they abandon some releases for being too out of date?

  • captainrentboy #4 5 years ago

    We're still believing March then yeah?
    If the PS3 launches in March I'll eat my face.
    Ohh and I hate Virtua Fighter,it's not that it's bad,i'm just really terrible at it,give me the instantly playable Soul Calibur 2 anyday.

  • Carpathian #5 5 years ago

    "Virtua Fighter 5 dated"

    Great headline and probably more accurate than you realise having seen some of the vids doing the rounds ;o)

    (sorry, too easy to miss)

  • JediMasterMalik #6 5 years ago

    I prefer tekken or SC to VF, VF is too hard and technical, but many swear by it.

  • rhinoxious #7 5 years ago

    I'm interested in playing this, but fighting games don't sell a lot of consoles anymore, do they?

  • AcidSnake #8 5 years ago

    Don't really know where to post this, but I read some of you debating games and when they're released etc...

    My point is I just saw Rule Of Rose on the shelves..
    So it's not banned after all...

  • brooza #9 5 years ago

    it wasn't banned, the publishers just chose not to publish it in the UK, the BBFC said it was fine.

    chances are, it's got a new publisher for the UK

  • chupachups #10 5 years ago

    "it wasn't banned, the publishers just chose not to publish it in the UK, the BBFC said it was fine. "

    I don't think the BBFC has ever banned a game, has it? Some retailers have chosen not to stock certain games over the years, but that's their choice rather than an actual ban.

    The BBFC very rarely ban anything nowadays, they seem to prefer just rating things and leaving it up to adults (or kids in the case of lower ratings) to decide what they watch.

  • AcidSnake #11 5 years ago

    Well but there was talk about the mayor of Rome trying to ban it...
    Bit strange that I find a copy here in Italy then and you guys in the UK don't have one...
    Still I've heard it isn't much cop...

  • Xerx3s #12 5 years ago

    Not really impressed by the level design... Looks very static.

  • Knot #13 5 years ago

    The level design is still static because it's all about the classic VF gameplay ; which imho is all about counters and throwing your opponent to the floor, using merely the character his/her moves , not some tacky destructable multilevel fighting game design.

    VF5 for PS3 is a must have.

  • aine #14 5 years ago

    Rule of Rose was released in Italy (and possibly other countries), it's just 505's (fairly recently-established) UK division that decided not to bother.

  • Bertie Verified Senior Staff Writer, Eurogamer.net #15 5 years ago

    There's a nice interview over on our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz, with Gianni Zamo - Senior Examiner for the BBFC. Interesting read, but then I would say that.

    I hope to high heaven that the PS3 actually does launch in March, it'll be farsical if they continue to delay it. HD Spandex ftw.
    Edited by 1 at 19/12/06 @ 16:46

  • AcidSnake #16 5 years ago

    Nice read indeed...
    Go Ellie!

  • MasterControlProgram #17 5 years ago

    Don't know yet about VF5, but VF franchise holds the crown as most technical fighting game - at least among the most widely known titles. The peaks were probably VF2 and VF3. No lameness in VF, unless you mean lame = not elegant, but then every fighting game has 'debatable' characters and moves (and arrogant guys, like Jacky is)

    More generally speaking, it's true that fighting games don't sell consoles any more. They're probably way past their mainstream appeal, and heading back to hardcore/niche gamers. I guess they'll stay there until some big change is made to the tried'n'tested formula, including using wii's remote to mimic sword slashes (and assuming such a thing would be fun for common gamers and not, erm, simply lame - that's the word here ;))

    /edit:typos
    Edited by 1 at 19/12/06 @ 17:08

  • woodnotes #18 5 years ago

    PS3 could have a good Euro launch line-up then, with Motorstorm, F1, VF5 and Resistance. Hell, why don't they just delay it for another couple of years and launch with Killzone, DMC, MGS4, Wipeout, FF XIII and Getaway too.

  • AOFanboi #19 5 years ago

    VF4 Evo dropped my favorite VF4 char, that bald kung-fu monk. Boo, hiss.

    VF5 for launch? I am so preordering a PS3.

  • kissthestick #20 5 years ago

    looks awesome, killer app for fighting fans for sure

  • barnburner #21 5 years ago

    VF 5 is the best fighter on the planet right now Ive played it,Graphics are the best Ive ever seen on any game.
    Edited by 1 at 19/12/06 @ 19:17

  • Kos-Mos #22 5 years ago

    PS3

  • patchbox360 #23 5 years ago





    No online option = poor

  • gelf #24 5 years ago

    Well this is the first PS3 game I'm actually interested in as I loved VF4:Evo, but not enough to buy the console. I'll sadly miss out on it for a long while I wait for price cuts(And lots of em given how high it looks likely to be). I suppose its gonna be VF5:Evo or whatever for me.

  • gelf #25 5 years ago

    @AOFanboi
    No character from VF4 was dropped in VF4:Evo. The only guy who's ever has been dropped is the the Sumo guy from VF3.

  • PhakeDC #26 5 years ago

    I heart VF. I even bought a PS2 over XBox just for its fourth iteration.

    VF is the science of 3D fighting. DoA is okay (whilst Tekken remains sub-par IMHO).. You either love it or hate it, there's no middle ground.

    I'm not getting a PS3 this time though :p

  • Vin #27 5 years ago

    Man, the 360 version is gonna blow my bollocks off.

  • Steroyd #28 5 years ago

    /Doesn't have the heart to tell Vin.

  • HIGHVOLTAGE #29 5 years ago

    Adamofspazorwhateveruare: Yes that lightning kick was pretty spazzy. Just as you are. Go to youtube type in "virtua fighter combos" and watch how some of the masters vids (if you can find them). If you think they look easy try to do some of those moves. Not so easy and not many using the spazzy lightning kick. Look out for the vid on there of Kage's cheekily named 10 foot toss (oo-er) move. Count all the variations you can do on just that 1 move as the starter. Tekken, Soul Calibur, DOA none of those turds have that much variation in their whole move lists and that's just 1 move. That is why VF is held in such regard. Its a creative game-you invent your own combos-if you have the skill to play it properly. This is the tragedy if VF, such a clever game that revolutionised not just beat-em up design but game design in general and still so little respect *sigh.*

    You know as "outdated" (pur-lease) VF's and indeed "outdated" beat em ups popularity diminished all the skill just slowly seemed to go out of games, probably why there's so much meh about these days.

    Aw don't let me put you off: Go on kids play some non outdated mODeRn cOoL games instead like "Whatever guff we're supposed to like this week from Sony because the men in suits tell us to like it" "Gears of Bore," and "Zelda just the same as its been since the N64 and my god does it need more than a novelty joypad to update it Twilight Princess." They're all mODeRn!!!! Or play some EA games they're skillfull! EA are gwwweat aren't they more EA please! No more VF bollix! Ban VF boo hiss.

    Oh dear I probably just offended some people, oh good. I mean er...oh god, oh god Sorry!!!! Sorry!!! Basil Fawtly time.


  • login_name #30 5 years ago

    "Go on kids play some non outdated mODeRn cOoL games instead like "Whatever guff we're supposed to like this week from Sony because the men in suits tell us to like it" "Gears of Bore," and "Zelda just the same as its been since the N64 and my god does it need more than a novelty joypad to update it Twilight Princess." They're all mODeRn!!!!"

    How is a new VF any different from a new Zelda? Zelda, as you pointed out, is not modern and hasn't really changed that much...just like VF5. Fans will like both, neither are new or revolutionary. Oh and I hate to break this to you but the men in suits, you know, the Sony guys that tell us to like games? They're telling us to like VF5. Oh well, you almost had something good to play then huh? Never mind, I'm sure they'll do a sixth.

    For the record, I'm not a huge VF fan. I liked 1 and 2 but the others were nads. VF5 however is pretty good. The focus on the fighting appeals to me more than vast open arenas and huge, bouncing, cartoon tits.

  • Xerx3s #31 5 years ago

    HIGHVOLTAGE, Could you please tell me what you are smoking? I would like some as well.

  • admir #32 5 years ago

    to bad there is no online pllay

  • HelloWorld #33 5 years ago

    Nice title. It does seem kind of dated. Probably partly down to us seeing video of it about a year or so ago, and partly because the gameplay looks the same as always- par for the course with beat-em up sequels. The float-o-combos look increasingly wrong as the graphics get "better" too.
    I wish i was excited about this, but i'm not. Ho hum.

  • Vin #34 5 years ago

    "/Doesn't have the heart to tell Vin."

    Don't suck up the Sony mantra.

  • JediMasterMalik #35 5 years ago

    Sony haven't said anything numpty, it's sega you want to bash there. ;)

  • Cappy #36 5 years ago

    Avoid the PAL version of Rule of Rose. The mighty black borders have returned. Terrible PAL conversion.

  • davisorle #37 5 years ago

    My oppinion. Zelda can olwys be new and different eventhough Im not a fan of that game. At least i know that for gamers that prefer that kind of games it's prolly really awesome or whatever. I accept that. VF though is always going to be VF no matter what number of the serries that is.

    When you talk about skill on fighting games I think it's stupid hearing about VF's combos... A gamer is nothing telling me he knows the combos in a game like that. That's the easiest shit I've seen in my life and mostly in any other fighting game. Has anyone ever played Killer Instict? Do you even know that game? The last version which came out on N64 ther best and most challenging game of the kind EVER. Whoever wants to prove me wrong I'll be glad to laught in his face! People that know Killer Instict would instantly agree with me. And we are talking about some HUGE ASS COMBOS! It was the only fightiong game that I was learning new moves for months and months. If killer instinct would ever come out and that isn't on my already owned gaming console I'd probably consider buying it for that even though I'm not that kind of person. Buying a PS3 for VF is just stupid. Thanks for your time and have a good holiday gaming ;)

  • SBfistfun #38 5 years ago

    vf is shit

  • RexRunti #39 5 years ago

    My problem with VF is the lack of accessibility. You have to put in so much time and start making notes of which frame to press which button to actualy be any good at it that it stops being a game and starts becoming work.

    Soul Calibur, which is still my beat'em up of choice (SC2 should have been called Empty Shell Calibur 2), was easy to pickup and hard to master. Several of my non-gamer buddies loved it and I loved playing other experts for 5 minutes before either being able to getting a hit to connect.

    As for the lack of online play DoA may not be perfect but it proved it could be done well.

  • Feanor #40 5 years ago

    "Get VF4 evo, much better"

    How the fuck would you know that? Trolltastic.

  • MasterControlProgram #41 5 years ago

    Killer Instinct is all about very long chain combos, but has nothing of the deep martial art complexity and balance of VF. They're two completely different fighting games.

  • login_name #42 5 years ago

    I like Killer but the combos weren't that special. Yeah it's good to see them numbers fly but for the most part you just waited until they were done. Breaking the combos is where most of the skill lay.

  • rez606 #43 5 years ago

    awsome!!! well im sold on a ps3 for launch day now even if there are no other good games on the system...

  • Vin #44 5 years ago

    WHOOPS.

  • davisorle #45 5 years ago

    (BTW VF5 is also coming out on xbox360 and that's official! :p Even though I don't care about this game just letting you know. )

    Yeah, I know Killer Instict was totally diferent but we were just taking about Beat 'Em up games. I just wish it would come out again and nothing else would matter. I don't know. I just remember that it was the hardest game to master and I'm not talking about learning the moves of just one player. I might still have somewhere my notes of every move for every character. A long ass list! lol I still think it was the most challenging and most difficult game of all to learn.