Virtua Fighter Kids

Virtua Fighter Kids

North American Saturn cover art
Developer(s) Sega AM2
Publisher(s) Sega
Series Virtua Fighter
Platform(s) Arcade, Saturn
Release date(s) Arcade
1996
Saturn

  • JP July 26, 1996
  • NA July 31, 1996
Genre(s) Versus Fighting
Mode(s) Single player, multiplayer

Virtua Fighter Kids is an installment in the Sega AM2 Virtua Fighter fighting game series. A super deformed version of Virtua Fighter 2,[1] it was released in the arcade and on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Unlike Virtua Fighter 2, it was developed on the ST-V board.[2]

In Japan, Virtua Fighter Kids was released on the Saturn as a promotional item in co-operation with drink brands "Java Tea" and "Energen" under the title "Virtua Fighter Kids: Java Tea Original Edition". It was later released commercially without any mention of "Java Tea" on the cover. All Java Tea product placement was removed from the western versions of the game, but is present in all Japanese versions (Arcade, Regular and Java Edition).

All the characters all have big heads, and the music is a faster pace. The gameplay itself is slightly tweaked from Virtua Fighter 2. The Saturn version includes some new FMVs and programmable button sequences to allow players to test and use pre-made combos. Despite being children, some of the fighters retain adult characteristics, such as facial hair, muscles or breasts.

One of the variations of the boss character, Dural, features her with a fishbowl for a head, complete with a fish swimming inside.

Appearances in other games

Although no official sequels to Virtua Fighter Kids were ever made (other than the VF Kids versions of the CG Portrait Series in Japan called the Game Gear Portrait Series), the child version of Akira Yuki and Sarah Bryant reappear as playable characters in Fighters Megamix, and some of their fellow playable characters appear in the game's ending movie as well. The Kid styles of Akira Yuki and Sarah Bryant were made into figures in the Sega Dreamcast game Shenmue.

References

  1. "Virtua Fighter Kids Set For an Arcade Release!". Sega Saturn Magazine (5) (Emap International Limited). March 1996. p. 7.
  2. "Virtua Fighter Kids Makes Progress". Sega Saturn Magazine (6) (Emap International Limited). April 1996. p. 17.

External links