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Sega teases return of Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers, Virtual On and more
Sega of Japan has released a (very) short teaser, er, teasing the impending announcement of five new games. Showing the text "2x5," and following it with five very recognizable sound clips from some of Sega's greatest arcade games, specifically those that ran on its Model 2 board. All told, we hear Akira from Virtua Fighter 2, Bahn from Fighting Vipers, rings from Sonic: The Fighters, and the announcers from Virtua Striker and Virtual On. Sega will apparently be making an announcement about the games tomorrow, presumably that they're coming to download services like PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.Virtua Fighter 2, Fighting Vipers and Sonic: The Fighters aren't exactly a surprise, as they've already been rated for Xbox by the USK, but this is the first time we've heard of Virtua Striker or Virtual On. Good news for fans of soccer and giant robots!
Hori's Twin Stick EX controller returns for Virtual-On Force
For Hori, the release of Virtual-On Force is another excuse to sell its expensive Twin Stick EX controller. The peripheral company is producing another run of the ¥30,000 ($344) Twin Stick EX, now bearing the Virtual-On Force logo and targeted at a winter release to coincide with that game. The current iteration of the stick is being sold only through preorders on Hori's website between now and July 20, but we suspect a small number will find their way to importers, for those of you who started saving up the last time these sticks were announced and have only now managed to get enough money together.
Robots team up in Virtual-On Force for Xbox 360
Sega has announced a second game for people who bought that $300 Xbox 360 twin stick controller. Now it's totally a worthwhile investment! Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Force is a port of the latest arcade Virtual-On title, which adds 2-on-2 battles to the usual robot-fighting formula. The Xbox 360 version will allow players to meet up online or pit their Virtuaroids against one another offline in split-screen. The main gameplay mode in team battles involves assigning the position of "Leader" to one player on each team, who must be defeated for the opposing team to win. Players can protect the leader (or either teammate) with a health-sharing "Rescue Dash" move. Virtual-On Force will be released in Japan this winter -- on a disc, unlike the recent port of Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram. [Via Famitsu]
Video: Augmented reality meets Virtual-On
Project Natal? Sony's Motion Controller/Arc/Whatever It's Called? Psshht, whatever. They've got nothin' on the ARToolKit augmented reality Virtual-On demonstration we just watched. Spotted by Mecha Damashii, the tech demo gets our hearts all aflutter with the prospect of fighting a tiny mech while running from room-to-room in our apartment, dodging lasers. We hear those things are bad news! (Lasers, that is.) Regardless, if the video after the break doesn't get your heart racing, you should probably call a doctor -- you might be dead. [Via GameSetWatch]
Japan's Xbox Live stats indicate proneness to Japanese-developed games
It'd be impossible to discuss Japan's Xbox Live usage stats, recently released by Microsoft (and posted after the break), without pointing to the overwhelmingly Japanese-developed composition of them. Taking first place among the top XBLA purchases of 2009 was last year's Virtual On port -- a game so popular in Japan that it currently holds second place in the region's all-time bestsellers list. Games like Ikaruga and Trigger Heart Exelica populate the rest of the XBLA stats, though Western-developed Castle Crashers notably takes the number one position in all-time popularity. The sheer Japanosity of these stats is even more apparent in the download numbers for all that other stuff. From demos (75 percent Japanese-developed) to Games on Demand (90 percent) to DLC (also 90 percent), Japanese players clearly have a hankering for homemade games -- even on their Western-developed consoles. [Via Andriasang]
Mechs stand tall among Japan's top ten XBLA games
Microsoft has posted Japan's top ten Xbox Live Arcade games of 2009. It's unclear whether it's a list organized by sales or critical response, but the top title is Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram -- you know, the classic robot fighter from ... no? Just play along then. The rest of the list, scrawled down by Siliconera, features many titles that found a lot more success in the west. Battlefield 1943, Castle Crashers, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Trials HD (another surprise) take spots two through five, respectively. Check out our XBLA in Brief on Virtual-On after the break if you'd like to know what all the Japanese fuss is about. %Gallery-46149%
Virtual On director creating new XBLA game
According to a Gemaga report (translation), Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram director Toru Murayama intimated at the CESA Developer's Conference that he's working on a new Xbox Live Arcade game. According to Murayama, Virtual On was popular, so he's decided to work on another XBLA project. Unfortunately, it seems Murayama didn't provide any further details on the subject. While we're positively giddy at the thought of a new Virtual On game for XBLA, let's all just take a deep breath and not get our hopes up. That said, it sure would be great to have an excuse to dust off our $300 paperweight. [Via andriasang.com]
HORI's revamped TwinStick EX: fit for Virtual On addicts only
We'll admit, that cheap-o Virtual On mod we peeked earlier this year was pretty stellar, but those obsessed with the anime-themed title are likely tired of using a hacked up Xbox 360 gamepad in order to advance from stage to stage. If you've found yourself in that increasingly narrow niche, HORI has a fine piece you should feast your eyes upon. The refreshed TwinStick EX was designed specifically for Microsoft's latest console and to be used specially with Virtual On. The result? A ¥30,000 ($325) joystick that you'll probably never quite justify the purchase of to your significant other. Get your pre-orders in early; we get the feeling these are bound to sell out.[Thanks, Marv]
Finally, an official Virtual On Xbox controller -- for only 20 times the cost of the game
Hori is now accepting preorders (in Japan) for an official Twin Stick controller for the Xbox Live Arcade version of Virtual On Oratorio Tangram. The Twin Stick EX will be in stores this November, at a cost of ¥30,000. That's around $305. The game, of course, came out at a price of 1,200 Microsoft Points, or $15. We heard some complaints about the game's price being too high upon release, but this really puts it into perspective! In any case, if you like the game enough (and a lot of people do), it's worth a lot to have a good controller, even if the game was a bargain. And Hori tends to use high-quality arcade machine parts in its controllers. That said, it's going to be painful to pay shipping on top of that $300 when the import retailers pick this thing up.Looking a little plainer than the Dreamcast Twin Stick controller, and a lot plainer than the Saturn version, this model uses a Real Arcade Pro base as its body. The Xbox face buttons are located on the body, and the bumpers and triggers are moved to the joysticks, which map to the D-pad and right analog sticks.[Via Kotaku]
Incoming Virtual On update to tweak graphics, add lobby
The game has been out for just under a month now, but Sega is already detailing the contents of the first title update for Virtual On. The updates are detailed on the official Japanese VOOT blog, Chief among these updates is a new lobby system for online matches. The lobbies will allow players to chat and watch matches online, though the lobbies are apparently invite-only, so don't expect to chat it up with strangers.The update is also set to include some graphical improvements. Specifically, the shadow effects have been adjusted to make the Virtuaroids (yeah, we said it) appear brighter, while other improvements have been made to the weapon effects as well.The update is being tested at Sega right now, after which it will be sent to Microsoft for certification. So yeah, the release date is still up in the air. Oh, and remember that new Twin Stick peripheral Sega was considering for the game? It looks like it's still being mulled over, so keep those fingers crossed.[Via Siliconera]
Xbox Live Top 10: Halo 3 maintains top spot, VOOT takes top honors on XBLA
It's good to be the king, and no other title would know that better than Halo 3, which still reigns supreme at the top of the Xbox Live activity charts. According to Major Nelson, the latest figures show Bungie's crouching-on-dead-enemy-faces-sim beating out other fan favorites, Call of Duty: World at War and Call of Duty 4. On the XBLA side, the dual release of Virtual On and Banjo-Tooie proved to be quite the alluring mix, as both titles populated the top of the XBLA list. Now if only we could get a game that combines birds, backpacks, bears, and gigantic death machines ...
VOOT camp: Virtual On retrospective
Now that Virtual On Oratorio Tangram has been released to XBLA, we thought we'd point you toward a very interesting retrospective on the series at GameSetWatch. Written last month by Ollie Barder of doublesix, the studio behind Burn Zombie Burn, the article takes a look at the entire history of the Virtual On series, starting with the groundbreaking original and moving all the way to the disappointing Virtual On Marz.The article covers a lot of interesting facts. For example, did you know that the Twin Stick control method was actually devised to work around arcade hardware limitations? New players and old fans of the series should definitely give it a read.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Sorry!, Banjo Tooie, Virtual On
We've got three new games on Xbox Live Arcade this week covering a pretty broad range of tastes. We've got a board game in Sorry!, the latest addition to Hasbro Family Game Night. Then we have the classic platformer, Banjo Tooie. Topping it all off there's Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, an arcade mech fighting game from Sega. All in all, it's a pretty full week, and an expensive one too -- both Banjo and Virtual On clock in at 1200. Check out the latest episode of XBLA in Brief and see if any of 'em are worth a spin. Download the trial version of Sorry! Download the trial version of Banjo Tooie Download the trial version of Virtual On [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon). [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
This Wednesday: Virtual On, Banjo Tooie & Sorry! [update]
It's really just a reminder at this point, but we thought you might like to know that Microsoft has confirmed that both Banjo Tooie and Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram are headed to XBLA this Wednesday. If you're up for some giant robot blasting action, we suggest Virtual On. If you're more of an anthropomorphic-bear-jumping-on-things kind of guy, then you'd probably prefer Banjo Tooie. If, however, you like cheap Arcade games, you're out of luck. Both games cost 1200 ($15). Update: As a commenter points out, Sorry! is coming to Hasbro Family Game Night as well for 800 ($10) %Gallery-46149% %Gallery-43257%
Sega confirms Virtual On XBLA for April 29
Time is running out for you to make your own DIY Virtual On stick, as Sega has announced that Virtual On will be available for download on April 29. Sega's press release made no mention of price, so we sent out our Joystiq Attack Dogs™ to track down someone at Sega and extract the info. They came back and confirmed that the game will be priced the same in North America as in Japan: 1200 ($15). And for those of you who say that price is too great, know that these are high-tech machines you're paying for here. They aren't made of cardboard!%Gallery-46149%
Modder brings Virtual On's dual sticks to the Xbox 360 on the cheap
Most fighting games are pretty badass, but fighting games that feature giant robots? Overwhelmingly badass. Such was Virtual On, one of Sega's most beloved (and seemingly most quickly forgotten) franchises, where two anime-themed (and frequently Saturn-wearing) virtualroids duked it out in full 3-D and blew our minds with great graphics and a humbling dual-stick control scheme (push both forward to run ahead, apart to jump, together to crouch, etc.). With the game making its triumphant return to action on the Xbox 360, a Japanese gamer has created the above monstrosity by wedging a couple of candy packages onto the controller's analog sticks, then wiring up weapons buttons. With a little paint they'd almost pass for the arcade's controller, but we're not entirely sure that thin plastic would hold up to repeated deploys of Grys-vok's ICBM attack. [Via Joystiq]
Scary cool: DIY Virtual On twin stick controller
Words fail us. The above monstrosity elicits two distinctly different responses. At first glance, we're mightily impressed that a Japanese gamer has taken it upon himself to create a homemade twin stick controller for the upcoming XBLA port of Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram ... using only some wire, a few buttons and a pair of empty candy boxes.It's the candy boxes bit that elicits the second response: Hoo boy is that thing ugly. And yet, even if the rumored official controller sees the light of day, the novelty of this Franken-controller is enticing. On second thought, scratch the "ugly" comment. We totally want that thing.[Via 1UP]
Microsoft readying 31-game barrage for Japan
Microsoft's plans for the Far East have always been something of a murky science, pea soup made somewhat more clear following the company's recent media conference in Japan. Siliconera reports that the Xbox 360 will play host to a number of high-profile titles in Japan in the months ahead, 31 in all, including Magna Carta 2 in August and tri-Ace RPG End of Eternity (sadly not based on the Isaac Asimov novel) in the winter.Japanese gamers will finally get to suit up as a decidedly not dead yet Commander Shepard when the original Mass Effect finally graces Japanese store shelves on May 21, while players will have to wait until later this summer to cure the locust plague in Gears of War 2. Another 14 XBLA titles were confirmed at the event, including the previously announced remake of mech shooter Virtual On Oratorio Tangram, which will arrive in Japan on April 29. Other notable upcoming downloads include Mega Man 9 in June, Space Invaders Extreme this spring and The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match sometime in 2010. And what of Square Enix, which plans fill Japanese XBLA appetites this year with puzzler Yosumin Live, Project Cube and the wonderfully titled 0 Day Attack on Earth (pictured)? Well, we have those trailers for you after the break.Source: This Is What Microsoft Has Planned For Japanese Retailers For NowSource: Square Enix And SNK Blast Announce Xbox Live Arcade GamesSource: Watch Some Square Enix Xbox Live Arcade Trailers
Sega contemplating twin stick controller for XBLA Virtual On
According to Siliconera, a recent post on Sega's Japanese Virtual On: Oratoria Tangram website mentioned the possible creation of a new peripheral for the upcoming Xbox Live Arcade release. While it's not directly mentioned, the most tantalizing possibility would be a new twin stick controller that would recreate the original arcade experience. Unfortunately, the post apparently notes a high cost for the peripheral. Considering the controller would only be used for one Xbox Live Arcade game we wouldn't be surprised if the controller never makes it onto store shelves. Even if it does, it's still possible it wouldn't leave Japan. Still, the twin sticks are really the only way to pilot a giant mechanized death machine, so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled for updates.%Gallery-46149%
Virtual On totally on for US XBLA release
click to giant robot size Sega America has confirmed a US release for Japan's previously announced XBLA remake of Virtual On Oratorio Tangram. The game is set to be available Stateside during a very broad "spring 2009" launch window.Like the upcoming OutRun Online Arcade, the one-on-one arena fighting game is getting a bump up to HD resolution, which suits its minimalistic -- dare we say "virtual reality" -- art style quite well (as can be seen in newly delivered screens). Achievements, in-match voice chat and challenge modes are also confirmed. We've contacted Sega to try and narrow the release date for this 15-"Virtuoid" throwdown.%Gallery-46149%
