Virtua Fighter 3 Team Battle
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Introduction Having had the distinct pleasure of reviewing VF3tb just over one year ago when it first appeared as the flagship title for the Dreamcast launch in Japan, I was jubilant to return to it to see what if anything had been re-tooled or added. As one of the best products to ever come out of Sega's coveted AM division under the helm at the time of Yu Suzuki, VF3tb once was regarded as the pinnacle in fighting games. Since its first introduction into the arcades almost three years ago, many fighting games have come and gone. Does it still live up to its original high watermark? Mostly. Graphics While we have known for a year that Dreamcast can handle most Model 3 applications with utmost accuracy, VF3tb is starting to look its age when compared to other Dreamcast titles. VF3tb looks pale in comparison to Soul Calibur. The high detail we now come to expect is not present. The fact of the matter is you wouldn't think VF3tb's graphics were weak unless you had witnessed Soul Calibur. VF3b maintains a stable 60 frames per second refresh rate. This is especially noticeable in how the characters move ballet like, very precise. In the Japanese version, the backgrounds felt a little flat and could have been more interactive. This has remained unchanged in the North American version. With interactive backgrounds becoming the norm in such games as Dead Or Alive 2, AM needs to re-think the backdrops in future VF installments. Audio The sound effects and soundtrack are standard fare here. It is an exact port of the arcade in terms of audio. Perhaps a few extra Dreamcast only tracks would have spiced up the sound a little more, but as it stands it is neither troublesome or unique. |