Virtua Striker

Arcade flyer of the first game

The Virtua Striker (バーチャストライカー in Japanese) video games are arcade-style football/soccer sports games by Sega. Originally developed by Sega AM2, the series moved to Amusement Vision with Virtua Striker 3. But the series moved again to Sega AM2 with Virtua Striker 4. The original Virtua Striker, released in 1994, was the first association football game to use 3D computer graphics, and was also notable for its early use of texture mapping,[1] along with Sega's own racing video game Daytona USA.[2]

History

The main arcade series includes:

The original Virtua Striker game received Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports, distributed respectively through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, in February 2013, exclusively for Japan.[3]

Overview

The original Virtua Striker used Sega's Sega Model 2 hardware.[4] The Virtua Striker 2 series run on Sega Model 3, with the exception of Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000, which appeared on the Dreamcast-based NAOMI system. Virtua Striker 3 was released for the NAOMI 2; subsequent installments (Virtua Striker 2002 and Virtua Striker 4) use the GameCube-based Triforce hardware. Virtua Striker 4 adds a card system and mobile phone syncing, allowing players to configure strategies and formations on the move.

The series has been ported to consoles on two occasions:Virtua Striker 2 for the Dreamcast (released in Japan and Europe as Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000.1) and Virtua Striker 2002 for the Nintendo GameCube (Virtua Striker 3 ver. 2002 in Japan). Virtua Striker was also featured as a minigame in Sega's PlayStation 2 EyeToy-based game, Sega Superstars.

The first two games of the series (counting also the Virtua Striker 2 revisions) feature a hidden team called FC Sega, made up of the game's developing staff, which always faces the player's team in special matches after the player wins the final match, and can be selected through a special cheat code.

Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000, as well as its home version, ver. 2000.1, features two other hidden teams in addition to FC Sega: MVP Yukichan and Royal MVP Genki, which both consist of strange, cartoonish characters. The original team selection BGM from the first game also exists, and can be heard through a special code.

In Virtua Striker 3 and the GameCube port, ver. 2002, there is an unlockable team called FC Sonic. This team is made up of Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Dr. Eggman (who plays goalkeeper), four Neutral Chao, a Dark Chao, and a Hero Chao, and has Sonic's creator Yuji Naka as manager.

Virtua Striker 4 released on the Triforce arcade platform in 2005, and was updated in 2006. It had online play with ALL.Net.

Reception

A critic for Next Generation applauded the original Virtua Striker as both "excellent to play and watch." He cited the smooth and accurate control, realistic player moves, camera which consistently zooms in or out to the perfect frame at every moment of play, "gorgeous" texture-mapped players and backgrounds, and realistically strong defense. He gave it four out of five stars.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Virtua Striker at the Killer List of Videogames
  2. ↑ "IGN Presents the History of SEGA - IGN". Uk.retro.ign.com. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  3. ↑ "Virtual-On and Virtua Striker aren't coming overseas". Destructoid.com. 2013-01-31. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
  4. ↑ "AOU: Coin-Op Houses Unveil '95 Line-Up". Next Generation. Imagine Media (6): 22–24. June 1995.
  5. ↑ "Virtua Striker". Next Generation. Imagine Media (10): 130. October 1995.
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