Virtua Fighter

Virtua Fighter was the first arcade fighting game to feature full 3D polygon graphics and it’s the first in a successful series. Sega decided to take advantage of the added power of the 32X and ported the game to the system (they would later release the title for the Sega Saturn). This is the type of game that shows off what the 32X can do as the 3D polygon graphics would not have been possible with the Genesis/MD 16-bit chip.

The player controls a selectable character as he/she fights with eight different characters on various areas (desert, mountains, etc.). Interestingly, you’ll get to fight a duplicate of your selected character as well. Each match is fought using a number of kicks, punches, jumps, throws, many other available moves. Early on things are easy but as you move onto tougher challengers, using all these additional moves becomes key if you are to win. In fact, with the right move you can end the fight very quickly!

There’s a total of eight different fighters and these have 25 different moves that can be employed during combat. You’ll need the manual if you want to know what all these moves are ahead of time! Given that these are the early days of 3D graphics, the characters are on the blocky side but they control well and they are nicely animated. Don’t expect much from the backgrounds but you’ll definitely like the voice synthesis in the game. There are three modes of play to select from as well: arcade, tournament, and versus. This game is a must in the library of any 32X owner.