Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. News

Sega revives Virtua Fighter 2, other classics for the holidays

Earnest Cavalli
By
Fighting Vipers screenshot
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you spent any amount of time in an arcade in the early- to mid-90s, you’re likely well aware of Sega’s prominence in the field of giant, noisy video game machines. The company has been one of the biggest arcade game developers since the early years of the industry, and it remains one of the few companies still churning out arcade games to this day. Given how many arcade titles Sega has made over the years, it’s to be expected that some of them would be lost to the sands of time, but today we’re happy to report that Sega has officially revealed its plans to revive three of its classic arcade fighting titles for modern consoles.

According to a new entry on Sega’s official blog, Virtua Fighter 2, Sonic the Fighters and Fighting Vipers are all scheduled for release on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network in mere days (November 27 for PlayStation users and November 28 for Xbox 360 devotees). All three titles will feature a $5 price tag, regardless of which platform you purchase them on, and while that paltry amount isn’t enough to warrant a fully-upgraded re-release of these games, each will feature “support for full online multiplayer and achievements/trophies” on top of the otherwise arcade-perfect ports of these classic games. Unfortunately, as you can see from that Fighting Vipers screenshot at top, while the resolution of each of these games was increased to match modern gaming machines, none of the now-archaic art assets were reworked, resulting in arcade-accurate, yet arguably unattractive letterboxing during gameplay. We sent Sega an email to ask if these games will offer any other viewing modes, but have yet to hear back.

Recommended Videos

So, you read through all of the above and have become substantially psyched for these releases before realizing that you’ve never heard of these games before. Alright, Virtua Fighter 2 is familiar, but what the heck are Sonic the Fighters and Fighting Vipers? Sega’s blog offers an official synopsis of each:

Sonic the Fighters

Related

Sonic the Fighters’s arrival in arcades in 1996 offered players a first-ever opportunity to take to the ring with characters from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, including Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose. Players had to battle their way through eight stages to collect chaos emeralds and once again thwart the evil plans of Dr. Robotnik and Metal Sonic!

Fighting Vipers

Fighting Vipers came to arcades and the SEGA Saturn the following year, in 1996, adding a new concept that was a fighting game first: destructible armor. Players could maximize their damage dealt by destroying an opponent’s protective gear, and could then finish the round by punching or kicking the other player right through the arena’s walls.

Those are pretty accurate descriptions, though most players view Virtua Fighter 2 as the real gem here. All three games actually play relatively similarly to one another owing to their similar gameplay engines, but Fighting Vipers lacks a necessary amount of polish and Sonic the Fighters was never really seen as anything more than a novelty fighter aimed at rabid fans of Sega’s most famous mascot. Completionists or those who refuse to admit that arcades are dead will want to nab all three titles, especially given that the entire lot can be had for a mere $15, but those of you who are new to the polygonal fighters created by Sega’s AM2 development wing should probably stick solely with Virtua Fighter 2.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Earnest Cavalli
Earnest Cavalli
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Earnest Cavalli has been writing about games, tech and digital culture since 2005 for outlets including Wired, Joystiq…
How to beat the Nightweaver in Remnant 2
A gunslinger shooting a glowing wraith.

Remnant 2 has a smorgasbord of unique and punishing boss encounters to push through if you want to see everything in its Soulslike world, but few are as frenetic and occasionally jarring as the Nightweaver. The showdown against this nightmarish foe caps off a long and unsettling trek through Losomn's creepy Sanatorium. If you've come across her and find yourself struggling with her rapid movement and constant barrage of attacks, we'll offer some tips here that might help you make it through the fight alive.
How to beat the Nightweaver in Remnant 2
The Nightweaver is located in Losomn within The Tormented Asylum. She's one of Remnant 2's most challenging bosses due to how fast and erratically she moves around the battlefield. It doesn't help that she has multiple phases throughout different areas of the Sanatorium, eventually making for a very claustrophobic fight once you reach the interior.

At the beginning of the fight, you'll be outside the Sanatorium facing down the Nightweaver as she flies around in various directions, which can make her difficult to hit. During this first phase, the biggest things to look out for are her Spectral Lunge and Icy Spikes attacks. The former is telegraphed by her ascending into the air and beginning to dive, at which point she'll begin swiping viciously in your direction until she reaches you – but careful timing can help you dodge right through her attack to survive the onslaught. The latter is a ranged homing attack, meaning you'll have to either strafe left or right to avoid them or dive out of their way.

Read more
Remnant 2: How to cross the floating pillars in The Lament
Floating pillars in The Lament

If you work your way through the various maps throughout Remnant 2's biome of Yaesha, you may stumble upon an area called The Lament. There are a few different puzzles on this map, but perhaps the most head-scratching one is located in its depths where you'll encounter a selection of floating pillars. If there doesn't appear to be a solution in sight, don't worry – we'll fill you in on the tricks to solving this mystery.
How to cross the floating pillars in The Lament
The floating pillars in the Lament can be crossed via invisible walkways, but before you can discern which ones possess these paths, you'll first need to look at the symbols on top of them. There are three different symbols, but only one will provide safe passage. To find out which one, you'll need to do one of two things.

The official method would be to return to the beginning of the map and find the symbol, which is extremely easy to miss. Make your way to the very start of the gauntlet where you must evade the darts being fired at you. Turn on your flashlight and look up above the first crawlspace to spot the symbol.

Read more
How to beat Mother Mind in Remnant 2
Three characters shoot at a boss in Remnant 2.

Remnant 2 comes with a pretty substantial number of bosses to take on across its various biomes, and some playthroughs will yield different encounters than others. So if you come across The Nameless Nest in Yaesha during your travels, you'll soon find yourself facing off against an optional boss named Mother Mind. This huge creature looks pretty scary, and if you're not sure how to handle the fight, it can put an end to the battle quite quickly by making you fall to your death. However, we'll share with you some tips for taking on Mother Mind and making the most of its big, ugly weak spot so you can drop this monster and get on with your business.
How to beat Mother Mind
Mother Mind is a mix between a standard DPS-driven boss battle and a mechanics-based encounter, meaning you'll need to dish out plenty of damage while also watching out for the enemy's special move that can send you spiraling down to an instant death. Because of this, be sure you're prepared to stay mobile and understand how to sprint and jump before entering the door to the creature, as you're going to be doing a lot of both.

The boss battle against Mother Mind takes place in a large, circular arena with a total of four stone platforms. You'll walk through the door facing the boss, and you can instantly begin firing at the cross-shaped weak spot on his face, getting in as much damage as possible right off the rip. If you have the Hot Shot weapon mod (or any mod that will grant additional damage per bullet), the beginning of this fight is a great time to pop it and move things along.

Read more