New here, but happy to be here.

I’m excited to see people get excited about Virtua Fighter again. I’ve loved these games since the start. I remember when VF debuted in arcades. I saw it launch on the SEGA Saturn. 2, too! The Dreamcast got Virtua Fighter 3tb, an expanded idea that added “Team Battles” to the home port of the arcade game, Virtua Fighter 3. When the PlayStation 2 got Virtua Fighter 4, it was a BIG deal! People need to remember that Sony’s monster machine put SEGA out of the console business altogether. So much has happened in the history of the Virtua Fighter series, but one thing has remained constant, and that is the fact that Virtua Fighter has no equal. It is simply the best 3D fighting series ever. It always has been, and it always will be.

Now, I never liked Virtua Fighter 3/3tb. To me, it just never felt right. It never looked pretty, and it felt like a step down from Virtua Fighter 2. I commend SEGA for trying something different with the uneven fighting rings, but VF was always at its best when it kept things simple and focused on the fighting and realism. Virtua Fighter 3tb has always been the weakest of the series to my mind. However, with Virtua Fighter 4 and 4 Evolution, I became obsessed while I was in the Army. I played the hell out of both on my PS2. They were games that helped me keep my sanity, especially when pulling 24 hour fire watch and guard duty. After getting out of the armed forces, and as VF 5 found its way onto PS3 and Xbox 360, I dove right in.

Now, here we are in January 2025. Today, I ordered physical copies of. Virtua Fighter(s) 2 and 5 Ultimate Showdown ver. 2.0 for Xbox One/Series X and PS4/PS5. Two old-school games for an old-school player.

I’m not limited to Virtua Fighter. I love all fighting games. Big on Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, Samurai Shodown, King of Fighters, Tekken, Soul Calibur, and, of course Dead or Alive!

Dead or Alive is very special to me. There is a deep connection. Between DoA and Virtua Fighter. Most people don’t realize that the first DoA was built using the same engine that built Virtua Fighter 2; the SEGA Model 2 board. SEGA’s Naomi board, the hardware for the Dreamcast, went on to give us Virtua Fighter 3/3tb and Dead or Alive 2. This is why the control scheme for both VF and DoA are so similar.

The connection between Tecmo and SEGA goes further back. Shinobi and Ninja Gaiden are related. Both were ninja game series that started in arcades in the 80s and came home to the NES and Genesis. Ryu Hayabusa is a main star in the DoA games to this day. The connection grew deeper with DoA 5 when we saw Jacky, Sarah, Akira, and Pai appeared on the series.

Virtua Fighter’s influence undeniable. It is to 3D fighting games what Street Fighter is to 2D fighting games. Virtua Fighter 6 is on the horizon today. Younger fighting game fans are waking up to what I, and a select few, have known for years. Virtua Fighter is amazing!

I love that I have been around to see the series from its inception. I turn 47 in April. My friends that I grew up with have moved on with their lives and hobbies, but I have stayed the course and kept my love of gaming every bit as alive today as it was back when I was a kid. I made the right choice as I grew up and I am the lucky one.

To all of you who have been part of this forum and site for a long time, thank you. I sincerely appreciate you having me and allowing me to join.

Thank you for having me.