SEGA Saturn

Virtual On: Cyber Troopers

Highly recommended for fighter and arcade game followers. An excellent translation of the Model 2 original complete with smooth 3D and transparencies on the "incapable Saturn". The fighting action is non-stop with a bit of strategy thrown in for good measure...

Though the Saturn version of Virtual On: Cyber Troopers is a straight arcade port with a versus mode tossed in for good measure, it's still more than enough to cater to the hardcore Virtual On fans out there. If Japanese anime-influenced robot carnage is one of your passions, this is a must buy.

I actually played the Saturn version blissfully unaware that it was a port of a popular Sega arcade game, one I later went to play to find any differences, and all I could find were shadows. The Saturn version is identical, except for the lack of shadows beneath the Virturoids (not to be confused with mechs). So, if you played an enjoyed the arcade game, you owe it to yourself to find a Saturn as well as this game. It is absolutely worth it.

All in all, Virtual On is a refreshing change in the fighting genre. The interface is a lot of fun to play, and the computer opponents are remarkably hard. This new fighting format could be excellently integrated into other game genres, such as an RPG or adventure, adding more depth to the game. A sort of cyber-punk meets Robotech game in which you had to complete different missions would be perfect. That aside, Virtual On is definitely worth a closer look by fighting fans.

The graphics could have been sharper. The polygons are ill-defined when opponents get close, making it difficult to see who's hitting who. The sound effects and music scream 16-bit with weak explosions and a sound track that seems borrowed from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The voice-overs are so tiny they sound like someone just got kick in the Virtual....well you know. Virtual On is good fighting fun without having to learn a host of moves. Try it as a rental first to see if it satisfies your thirst for fast action.

As befits the development team which brought Sega Rally to the Saturn (AM3), Virtual On is a super-slick conversion of the popular coin-op. With its roots planted in the standard fighting game format, the game is the most imaginative and different big-name title to be produced by any of Sega’s in-house development teams.

It frustrates me greatly to say that this game could've been fantastic. When talking about a straight port from the arcade, Virtual On is dead-on. Every detail is about perfect, except for the fact that us Americans get the short end of the (joy)stick. Even though the Japanese get a dual joystick to play VO, you will eventually get used to playing on a Saturn pad. My gripes land on the original game design. It is too unbalanced. Almost everyone has homing attacks, this takes the skill out of the game. Some mechs' attacks are too powerful and can dish out over 50 percent damage in one hit! VO is a terrific, but flawed game.

Virtual On is a game that can't make up its mind. On one hand it's a fighting game where players pick from a collection of robots, each with its strengths and weaknesses. On the other hand, Virtua On is a tank-inspired shooter, meant to be played with dual sticks. And while it shone brightly in the arcades, on the Saturn it merely gives off a dull glint. But don't blame the Saturn for this - blame the game.