Virtua Fighter 4

by Sega Of America, Inc.

Product Features

• Learn new attacks, counters and defensive moves for every character
• Simulated arcade tournaments
• Optimized graphics eliminate jaggies and shimmer
• Two new characters - Goh the Judoka and Brad the ferocious Muay Thai Kick Boxer
• Twice as many customization options - More than 1,500 accessory items to alter clothing, hairstyles and more

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005Y1BG
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: March 19, 2002
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,485 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This new version of the definitive hand-to-hand martial arts sim features fully optimized graphics designed to harness the power of the PlayStation2. Virtua Fighter 4 also delivers an extremely deep fighting system, highly tuned AI, and two new characters hungry for their place at the top. If you are new to the Virtua Fighter series, the in-depth training system will teach you the art of combat, move by move. Rewards await those who master every move, and you can expect to unlock a few secret techniques along the way.

Two new characters (Lei Fei and Vanessa Lewis) join 11 VF veterans for a grand total of 13 fighters, each with his or her own unique styles based on real martial arts. New counters and defensive moves allow players to switch up their stances and fighting styles midbout. High-polygon character models, exquisite detail, and brilliant light sourcing combine to create breathtaking visuals. You can also train a computer-controlled character through sparring and an easy-to-use rewards system, then pit your character against a friend's, or challenge the arcade mode. A new accessory system allows you to customize your character's clothing, sunglasses, hairstyles, and more.

Product Description

Virtua Fighter 4: Greatest Hits is an incredible return to the action of the Virtua Fighter games. They were the definitive hand-to-hand combat games, and they've gotten an incredible revamp for the PS2. Try out this incredibly deep fighting system with adaptive AI and see how well you'll do against the world's best fighters. Rewards await those who master every move, if you're smart enough to unlock a few secret techniques along the way.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you need one review to change your mind, make it mine, March 21, 2002

By 

"liquiddancr" (Gainesville, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virtua Fighter 4 (Video Game)

Short and sweet is the way this article should be written, and instead of writing some long winded review I only have one word...WOW! Everything from the complexity of the game down to the graphics is top notch. Don't waste your money renting this for yourself or your children, just buy it. Whether you are a fighting game buff or just a lover of good video games, don't be the last kid on the block to own this videogame.
The gameplay is the finest I have seen in any fighting game(and isn't this the most important aspect of a fighting game). The sound is on par with the videogame and unless you had hopes of buying the VF4 soundtrack(which would probably be an utterly disappointing cd), I think you will see it fits the tempo perfectly. The graphics are amazing, from the free flowing clothes to the facial expressions, it should be downright illegal to produce a game of such quality...this coming from a videogame fanatic that grew up on Mario Brothers and NES : ) Kids are so lucky today and like the review at gamespy said anyone that complains about slight jagginess or small imperfections needs to seek some psychological help because this is a truly beautiful game.
To sum it up, this is the best fighting game to come out for several years, and it ranks in my top best 3 ever. It boggles my mind how people like _A gamer from the United States_ who wrote a previous article before Vf4 was ever even released, can be so biased towards a particular system, thus giving games an insufficent review. Why he believes GC and Xbox are next gen consoles and the ps2 is not is beyond me. Just because a company is the first one to produce a system of that magnitude doesn't mean it should be chastised. Regardless of everything else it all comes down to the fact that this is a well made game and any person will be extremely pleased with his/her purchase. Thanks!

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Inch Soul Calibur's Equal, March 26, 2002

By 

flaviolius (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virtua Fighter 4 (Video Game)

A bold statement, but true in every sense of the word. The Year of the Fighter has started off with a big bang with the home release of Sega's Virtua Fighter 4. With a new Mortal Kombat game on the horizon, not to mention Tekken 4 and Soul Calibur 2, fighting fans have a lot to look forward to in 2002. However, the race may already be over - VF4's competitors have a gigantic mountain to climb.

Graphically, VF4 is a masterpiece. You won't see any multi-tiered environments a la DOA or flashy effects like Soul Calibur. The Virtua Fighter series has always been grounded in reality, and the newest incarnation is the most realistic fighter yet. The characters are modelled with compelling accuracy and astounding, lifelike animation (no fireball casting here) - clothing wraps around limbs, flaps in the wind, and flows with breathtaking movement. The arenas are spectacular creations: Pai fights in an underwater aquarium with sea life swimming outside its glass walls, and Jacky battles on the roof of a skyscraper with several circling helicopters creating some amazing lighting effects. You might find sand or snow underfoot, or be knee-deep in water. You'll be in a cage surrounded by a shouting crowd. You'll see leaves softly falling, or birds overhead. These are perfect places in which to battle. Most of the arenas contain incredible animation, and although they don't really affect the gameplay, they make the fights that much more involving. Walls can be broken in some places, and ring-outs happen, but not as often as in Soul Calibur. The dreaded PS2 "jaggies" are present, but they're only noticeable if you're looking for them. The combination of realistic fighter animation and beautiful environments make VF4 the current best-looking home fighter.

As amazing as it looks, however, the gameplay of VF4 is what vaults it into Soul Calibur territory. The controls consist of three buttons: punch, kick, and guard; and the d-pad. That's it. The PS2 controller allows you to map button combinations to a single key (i.e. P+K+G = R2) if you so desire, which can make pulling off more complicated moves easier for beginners. Each character has literally hundreds of individual moves at his or her disposal; throws, reversals, rising attacks, combos, etc. There are only 13 fighters, but they are all perfectly balanced, and each is very different from the other. Lei-Fei is a Chinese monk who features several stances; Kage is a ninja who sports airborne throws; Lion uses Mantis Fist style; Wolf is a pro wrestler. Button mashing won't get you far against a VF master or the higher difficulty CPU settings. You're required to explore your fighter's capabilities, using strategy for victory. It may seem overwhelming at first, but the game's perfect control makes maneuvering your fighter second nature after a few matches. The Virtua Fighter system is deceptively simple, and as you get used to the timing of a side-step followed by a vicious counterattack, a perfect reversal of an incoming combo, and throwing, you'll discover how much attention Sega paid to it. Unlike past VF games, beginners can get the jist pretty quickly, but the artistry of the fighting engine becomes more apparent over time, and rewards the patient.

VF4 features several modes. Arcade mode pits you against all 13 fighters with progressing AI difficulty, and Vs. is for multiplayer. Pretty standard stuff, although there's nothing quite like a human vs. human VF match. Its replayability is infinite, and it works best when the two combatants are of relatively equal skill levels, making fights a match of wits as much a match of reflexes.

One new addition is Kumite Mode, a tournament of sorts. Pick a character, and fight an unending stream of CPU opponents, progressing in rank along the way. The better you do, the harder the enemies. Perform well, and you unlock customizable items like sunglasses, jewelry, and headgear. It's like a souped-up Survival Mode, and is highly addicting. You can eventually take each fighter through the entire Kumite Mode - a daunting task that will take many, many hours to complete. The higher difficulty levels are brutal, and require mastery of your character.

Training Mode is a fantastic creation. It's split into three sections, one of which allows you to practice combos to get your timing down. The second lets you practice against a CPU dummy, which can be set at several difficulty levels. You can even program the dummy to perform a specific combo to practice countering or evasive tactics. The third section contains different challenges that teach you the basics of the VF universe. This mode is highly recommended for beginners, as it teaches the skills necessary for success. It also gives you a glimpse at how deep and refined the VF engine is, like peeling back a layer to find many more underneath.

AI Mode allows you to train a "blank slate" fighter yourself, and set it lose against your friends or even in Kumite Mode. It's a novel idea, but isn't quite as compelling as the other modes. Still fun to play around with, though.

Virtua Fighter is a more involved, strategic game than, say, the Marvel vs. Capcom series. It relies on technique rather than flash, in both gameplay and visuals. It's been made more accessible for newcomers (after all, this is the first time a VF game has appeared on a non-Sega console), but still retains the complexity of previous installments. VF4 is a labor of love. In comparison to Soul Calibur, the extras and flashiness of SC are balanced out by VF's incredible fighting system and Kumite Mode. Some may argue that DOA3 is prettier, but Tecmo's series doesn't come close to the sim aspects of Virtua Fighter. Sega has drawn first blood in Year of the Fighter, and it currently sits beside Soul Calibur as the best fighting game available.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Virtua Fighter 4 a beautiful 3d complete fighting game, March 27, 2002

By 

martin nunez (Long Beach, Ca) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Virtua Fighter 4 (Video Game)

VF 4 shines in gameplay, every character has a realistic martial arts technique. A true balance between fighters the fast, the strong, and the technical. The more you learn the faster the fighting gets. Easy learning curve but difficult mastering curve. The graphics are said to have Horribile jaggies, but really they are nice, very nice. And when you are fighting for your life you don't have time to inspect the jaggies with a magnifying glass. The replay value is very high with the kumite mode (survival mode), you can customize your characters color,name, and some apparel. The vs. mode is classic and ofcourse adds an eternity of replay value beating your friends up. The presentation is good with a futuristic feel to it. The stage design is also very nice but not breaking any new berriers like DOA 3. The sound is nice punching and kicking sound like punching and kicking though i never thought that making fighting noises was all that complicated. There some things that virtua fighter 4 is missing like a tag team mode, analog support, online play, option for infinite time, and no ring outs. All in all this is a superb package of a fighting game. I suggest to buy it, besides it is the only great 3d fighter(at the time) and may end up being the best 3d fighter for the ps2