As promised, this is the first entry in my theme for this week, this time covering the VIRTUAL-ON series by Sega.
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On, known as Dennou Senki Virtual-On (電脳戦機バーチャロン) in Japan, is an arcade game initially created created for the Sega Model 2B CRX arcade platform by Sega AM3 in 1995.
The release of sequels (specifically the Xbox 360 version of Dennou Senki Virtual-On: Force) has seen this entry in the series retroactively subtitled Operation Moongate (shortened to OMG) - this is a name occasionally referred to in Japanese merchandising but not within the game itself (and not overseas).
Plot
“The Virtual Century has Begun
The world is under new management. It is the age of economic feudalism; governments have been privatized, multinational conglomerates have carved the world into enterprise zones and sprawling business entities stretch their tentacles into every sector of public and private life.
V.C. 0084
The delicate balance of power maintained by the rival trade consortiums was thrown awry when a lunar-core mining survey commissioned by the DN Group uncovered an extensive ruined outpost of incredible complexity and indeterminate age beneath the desolate surface of earth's moon.
The DN Group appropriated esoteric machinery from the lunar ruins and implemented a revolutionary R&D program under the tightest security blanked - OT (OverTechnology) Systems. Years of secret research culminated in the development and release of a new line of neurally-directed combat droids with battleground precision and attack capabilities far beyond any mechanized warriors produced by the competition.
OT Systems gave DN Group a total monopoly, cementing its dominance of the world economy. But, more disturbingly, the internal security programs of the lunar base were accidentally re-armed by DN Group technicians, unleashing virtual pandemonium on the surface of the moon. "Operation Moongate" was initiated to shut down the base before the chaos could extend to earth.
V.C. 00 a. 0 (Present Day)
The battle for control of the moon is underway, with OT Systems combat machines arrayed against the formidable remnants of the lunar complex defense forces. The DN Group forces have numerical superiority but are being tactically outclassed by the experienced droids defending the base. In a desperate effort to recruit talented virtual pilots, the DN Military Support Division has opened a Test and Training program designed to cultivated maximum combat skills in the shortest possible time. As one of thousands of test candidates, you must prove yourself in a simulation warfare against increasingly powerful DN test droids before qualifying for the Mindshift into real-time combat in the lunar theater. „
— US Sega Saturn Manual
Gameplay
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On is a versus fighting game featuring robots known as "Virtuaroids" who are armed with a variety of weapons. The game is played from a third-person perspective with players traversing across a three-dimensional field, attacking each other primarily with projectile weapons. Like other fighting games, the object of the game is to destroy all of your opponents in succession.
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On was designed to accommodate a digital "twin-stick" control scheme, similar in part to older arcade games such as Robotron 2084 and Smash TV, but with two buttons on each stick. Moving the sticks cause the player's Virtuaroid to move, while the buttons fire. Virtual-On supports up to 32 projectiles from each player on-screen at once, meaning a maxiumum of 64
Playable Virtuaroids:
VR.TEMJIN (MBV-04-G)The Temjin was the first prototype to be developed by the DN Group. This machine was made for stability and performance. An all-around fighting machine, what the Temjin might lack in advanced technologies, it makes up for with its reliability.
VR.DORKAS (HBV-10-B)The product of early experimentation with a stronger armored structure, the Dorkas is built slower than other droids, but packs a heavier punch. The long-range and obstacle-clearing power of its hammer attack make it a particularly tough customer in broken-field arenas.
VR.Fei-Yen (SRV-1-A)The Fei-Yen is the fastest of the DN Group droids, sleek and streamlined for high-speed maneuverability. The R&D team had to cut back on armor and heavy weapons, but the Fei-Yen is rumored to have a devastating secret attack system for last-ditch defense.
VR.BELGDOR (SAV-07-D)Based on the popular Raiden battle-droid, the Belgdor is a slightly more mobile variant with a formidable homing missile system. The Belgdor doesn't have the one-punch KO capability of a Dorkas or Raiden, but it beats them both in speed and jumping range.
VR.VIPER II (TRV-06K-H)Developed for fast tactical deployment, Viper II extends the Temjin prototype to a new level of quickness and agility. Sacrifices were made in the Viper II armor and close-range arsenal, but most machines have trouble getting close enough to hit one.
VR.BAL-BAS-BOW (XBV-13-T11)The Bal-Bas-Bow was released well after the other DN Group battle droids, and it represents a new direction in virtual warfare tech-droids. With longer sustained jumping power and next-generation smart guidance weapons systems, the Bal-Bas-Bow may be the newest stage in battle-droid evolution.
VR.APHARMD (MBV-09-C)The Apharmd models are designed for use as guerilla shock-troops, with a paid of beam tonfas especially suited for hand-to-hand combat. Turbo speed and sturdy armor make the Apharmd droid a force to be reckoned with on any battleground.
VR.RAIDEN (HBV-05-E)Raiden droids are feared equally for their dual laser cannons and their strontium-alloy armor. If these machines have a weak point, it's a lack of speed and jumping ability, but they don't need to spend much time trying to get out of anything's way.
All Virtuaroids are powered by Sega Saturns as seen on their backs during gameplay.
Arcade
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| Friendships were tested when it came down to battles on this bad boy. |
Holy fuck, this damn game though. So many damn characters to love and learn the movesets of. Yes, there were individual special moves and hidden weapons for each of the playable Virtuaroids. In this game, Temjin was my obvious favorite VR (abbreviation for the Virtuaroids) to play as, followed by Fei-Yen as a close second. That being said, I came to quickly respect what all of the VRs brought to the table, whether it be Dorkas' devastating homing hammer attack that can wear down even the toughest of VRs' armor to shreds, Raiden's mega particle beam attack that is pretty much a one-hit KO against most of the cast, or even Fei-Yen's explosive heart projectile attack when she enters her critical mode state with higher offensive output on all of her attacks.
Oh god, there's one thing the arcades will always have over the home releases and it's that siren/alarm (that's in surround sound as you sit in the chair of the arcade machine) that goes off when your VR is in critical condition or about to be destroyed. For some VRs, this is the time for your last-ditch effort attacks/weapons to kick in. For others, it's time to nut up or eat shit and die. I always thought that added an added sense of urgency to the gameplay that really took battles, especially against other human players along with enemy CPU AI's, to the next level.
Another thing about the gameplay that I felt was lost for the most part in the home releases is that feeling of how your attacks track and lock-on. Most people would describe this game as 90% fighting game and 10% third-person shooter. In that regard, they are absolutely correct. All of your projectile attacks have a "curve" to them when you are aiming while moving. You don't get a more accurate lock-on onto your opponent unless you're jumping or remain stationary. That's where jump-cancels (something you will see advanced players do all time that looks like short hops) come in. This eliminates your movement delay/cooldown from jumping and dashing around and allows your VR to instantly acquire a lock-on and make your attacks much more accurate. I thought it was MUCH more easier to do this on the Twin Stick controller layout in the arcades than fumbling around with the standard controller on the home releases. Maybe it's just me, but that's something I always felt about this game in comparison to the home ports.
Home Releases
The home release of Cyber Troopers Virtual-On came into two flavors. There was a Sega Saturn release and a PC release. In terms of performance and visuals, the Saturn release is a massive step down in comparison to the arcade original release, BUT that was accommodated by the additional modes that weren't seen in the arcades.
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| The bundle pictured above never saw it's way outside of Japan, so all players who wanted to have the genuine feel of the game of like how it was in the arcades were shit out of luck unless they imported this bad boy. |
For the authentic arcade feel, Sega manufactured the Saturn Twin-Stick, of which the game was bundled with in Japan. While the control scheme can be replicated on a standard control pad, all six face buttons are utilized in addition to
and 
. Conversely, the shape of the Twin-Stick means it is easier for players to understand which actions move their Virtuaroid, and which buttons fire. The Twin-Stick was never released outside of Japan, however plans seem to have been in place at one stage to release the peripheral in North America as a separate product, as it is both advertised and its control scheme listed in the US manual.I'm not going to go too much into how much I loathe the console based controls of these games over the twin stick approach until we reach the coverage on Virtual-On: MARZ later this week but the default controller layout for this series is best described as "hot garbage" and carpal tunnel inducing.
The Saturn version of the game aims for a 30FPS refresh rate (half that of the arcade) and uses an in-house engine not reliant on the Sega Graphics Library. Most, though not all, of the underlying code (and to a lesser extent assets) were brought directly from the arcade version. Like Sega's Model 2-to-Saturn fighting game conversions, 3D polygonal backgrounds were replaced with 2D variants. The Saturn version also includes two split screen options, both "horizontal" and "vertical".
In 1997 another verion of the game was released that was compatible with Netlink, like all other Netlink games can now be played over a high speed internet connection with Voip.
1997 also saw a Windows PC release derived from the Saturn game, however unlike previous Sega PC games, Virtual-On required a 166MHz Pentium MMX processor to run, which at the time was only available as part of high-end machines. Despite this, the game was unable to hit a stable frame rate with the recommended hardware, and 3D accelerator cards were not supported. In Japan compatibility for said cards was added, though no configuration matches the Model 2 version's visuals and performance (although the PC versions can output higher resolution graphics).
On the other hand, the PC release runs similarly to the arcade original, despite a few hiccups here and there in terms of performance issues. There weren't a twin stick controller made for use on PC with the game, so players on the so-called "master race" were reduced to playing on a keyboard. That being said, this is the version to get if you want the game to look as visually appealing as the arcade original, but the sound quality isn't as good. At the time of release, the game was reportedly slowing down and under-performing on those older computers that it was made for, but by today's standards, a Windows 7 and up machine can handle this game with little to no problems if you can tolerate the headache of acquiring a copy and managing to get it to run on your machine without it closing out after every match.
I have to be honest. I'm willing to shell out the dough to buy the Saturn release of the game just for the Twin Stick bundle with the game. I would have to buy two just for a friend could play but damn. It's either that or building a custom machine and/or setup to replicate the arcade feel of the game just to run this on PC and finding the means for somehow getting some twin sticks for PC to be compatible with the game to boot. Then again, the Netlink version might be preferrable with the option for online play over VoIP (voice over IP), but then again, as much as I loved the original title in this series, there's more sequels (and better yet spin-offs) in series to discuss.
We'll cover the sequel to this title, Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Ontario Tangram, tomorrow.
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