With the popularity of Sega’s model-1 arcade machines, it’s no surprise that a few years later the proposed home conversion of Virtua Figher was announced and scheduled for release to coincide with launch of Sega’s newest console the Sega Saturn.
By the time of the release, myself and friends were already hooked on the next generation Sega Model-2 arcade Virtua Fighter 2, so we were really looking forward to a home console port.
It’s a shame then, that when a friend of mine had brought the new Saturn and a copy of Virtua Fighter, we were utterly disappointment because it turned out to be a bit of a turkey! It was badly drawn, stuttered and the collision detection was awful. Supposedly, it was a rushed port so that it would be available for the consoles release date and to hit the stores before Sony’s PlayStation arrived (especially with Battle Arena Toshinden & Tekken on the way!)
Thankfully, Sega re-released Virtua Fighter in the form of Virtua Fighter Remix. This was a much improved version which not only fixed all of the the original problems, but provided a much needed graphical make over and was shipped to all registered Saturn owners free of charge – although sadly, my friend never received his ![]()
Until this release, the only other home port for those wanting to get there VF fix outside of the arcades was for the Sega Megadrive utilising the often underrated addon adapter, the 32x.
Even with the limited hardware of Sega’s aging 16-bit console, Virtua Fighter on the 32x is simply stunning and so much playable compared to the original Saturn version. You would expect, due the technical limitations of the Megadrive, that the number of characters, stages, moves or indeed frame rate would be limited somewhat but nope, they’re all here and presented beautifully.
It’s a shame that the 32x adapter came a little too late in the game for the Sega as as it surely proved with titles like Virtua Fighter, it was capable of some brilliant arcade conversions (Space Harrier and Afterburner). As it stands, it’s a great addon and increased the longevity of the Megadrive during it’s twilight years…. but never out for the count for all that still love it.















