Best/Favourite Saturn 3D Fighter

[tempest]

In your opinion which is the best Saturn 3D fighting game? It would be nice to hear some reasons as to why you think so. Take into account things like gameplay first and foremost, along with things like technical merrits, extras, and anything else you think is valid.

I appologise if I've missed out your favourite game in the list - I tried to put as many 3D fighting games as I could name in the poll. If I've missed it out check 'Other' and let us know what your favourite Saturn 3D fighter is.

[mick_aka]

Whilst not the most technically superior, Last Bronx has to get my vote.

It feels great to play, fast and responsive, loads of fun on 2 player and just keeps me coming back for more.

This is also a firm favorite of my non Saturn owning friends.

[Snowcat.]

Ill second that, Last Bronx is fun to play.

[superdeadite]

Megamix, it's just fun to go back to due to the crazy stuff like Hornet.

[termis]

Fighters Megamix.

I really like some others on the list as well, but as stated on a different post of mine, many of them have been bettered by their sequels later on (i.e. The VFs, Virtual On, DoA, and to some extent, FMM bettering FV).

Last Bronx is awesome (red-eye is bad-ass!), but FMM's sheer volume of characters and wacky fun gives it the slight edge over LB's polish.

[Deleted]

megamix..sheer number of things to do and its just that it has the fun factor.

[Anthaemia.]

No love for Savaki, D-Xhird, All Star Pro Japan Featuring Virtua, Final Fight Revenge, Zero Divide or Anarchy In The Nippon? Me neither - it's gotta be Fighters Megamix all the way!

[wheelaa]

Always had a soft spot for FFR actually. I always found it had a very 2d fighting style which suits me better, I'm terrible at 3d fighters generally.

Anyway, VF2 for me. Magical times waiting for it to be released, it didn't disappoint then and doesn't now. Technically solid, gameplay to die for, and a sense of overall polish that the others don't achieve.

[grolt]

Megamix. It's got everyone and it has the dodge feature. Sold!

[ninjacop88]

For me it's Virtua Fighter2 with it's second nature responsiveness.

[snow-katt]

robopit !

just kidding fighters megamix

[tempest]

Over the past week I've played through all the Saturn 3D fighters I own and want to give a brief run down of my thoughts on each game.

Cyber Troopers Virtual On
I never really understood the appeal of this game. Plus I'm crap at it. It's hardly strategic like SSM claimed, and with only a limited number of moves per character it gets old quickly. I find myself jumping around more often than not to find my opponent more than anything. The mech designs are cool though, and I love the synth rock soundtrack. Cool concept, limited by lack of depth in the gameplay department. Not a contender for me.

Dead Or Alive
I played DOA2 on DC long before the original on Saturn and loved the fluidity of the gameplay. The same can be said of this game - it's fast, fluid and extremely fun to play. It's very accessable unlike VF2, but it also has a good amount of depth underneath the fancy looking moves. The bouncing breasts are a bit over-the-top, and I can't believe this was the main attraction of the game when it came out. The high-res graphics are as good, if not better than those found in VF2, and I like the 80's soundtrack. Definitely high on my list.

Fighters Megamix
Theoretically this game beats all others because of the sheer number of fighters, modes, options, and the slick presentation. It was a nice idea, and I appreciate the effort AM2 put into it but I feel its lacking in the all important gameplay department. Mixing the two play styles together has weakened the fighting styles of the Virtua Fighters and Fighting Vipers, although the Vipers certainly hold the advantage thanks to their armor. I feel the A.I. can be extremely cheap at times, especially on the harder difficulties, and the controls feel less responsive than FV or VF2, and responsive controls are a must for a fighting game. The graphics are more polished than FV, although slightly unimpressive and the music an amalgamation - I hate that it restarts every round. I could go on with my nitpicks about Megamix but I don't want to ruin it for other people. Back in the day I enjoyed the game to a point - unlocking all the cool characters was fun, even if most were useless - but these days I come away unfulfilled. Close, but not quite a contender in my opinion.

Fighting Vipers
I love this game. It's fast, action-packed, very accessible and extremely gratifying to play. I love the setting, the idea behind the game, and especially the 80s rock soundtrack. Graphically it's a slight downgrade from VF2, and perhaps not as polished as could be (like Megamix) but the lightsourcing effects make up for this. The ability to save replays is a great option, and the training mode is quite thorough. There's nothing more satisfying than a jaw-clenching fight only to send your opponent through the barrier at the last second. Okay, it's a little gimmicky, and not as deep as VF2 or DOA, but I love it. It's high on my list.

Last Bronx
I loved this game back in the day - the underground ghetto setting, the bad-arse characters, the weapons-based gameplay, and the sheer number of modes and extras (I played this before Megamix, maybe that's why I found Megamix lacklustre). But Last Bronx is hard to get into and not as rewarding as some other fighters. The characters control somewhat rigidly, and the gameplay feels a little shallower compared to AM2s games. I think the VF style controls limit the game a little and it seems a little unbalanced (play against Zaimoku or Kurosawa and watch your arse quickly get pounded). Graphically it's up their with VF2 and DOA, and the sound effects are really meaty which help convey the force delivered by some hard-hitting punks. It's a very violent game (ok all fighting games are violent, but Last Bronx extremely so) and I think that is what ultimately puts me off it. This is another game that I come away from unsatisfied these days. I do think it's a great game, just not one of my favourites (it's certainly better than Tekken and it's ilk though). For me Last Bronx is much better than Megamix but not quite a contender for me. Which is why it gets fourth position.

Virtua Fighter Kids
Looks good, but plays poorly due to the big heads of the fighters. It also feels like a cash-in attempt by Sega. Not worthy.


Virtua Fighter 2
A technical masterpiece on the Saturn, the game plays fluidly and brilliantly. I put this on after Bronx recently and it was like a breath of fresh air. Whilst it doesn't have the cooler back stories of games like Last Bronx, it more than makes up for it in the gameplay department. The game sacrifices accessiblity for depth of gameplay, and the satisfaction of this game doesn't come from flashy moves or gimmicks, instead it comes from finally mastering a technique and overcoming a challenging opponent. There's a decent amount of options, and the ranking mode is cool. Definitely a contender.


So for me it comes down to a tussle between DOA, FV, and VF2. DOA and VF2 outshine FV in the technical aspects, but FV is more immediately grattifying. However FV becomes shallow and tiring if played at length. For that reason it misses out from the top spot and comes in at an gratifyingly fun third.

So that leaves VF2 and DOA.

In my opinion they are evenly matched on a technical level. The difference then comes in the form of VF2's deep gameplay and DOA's accessablity. DOA's accessability means I can jump in and enjoy myself from the get go, whereas VF2s depth means I need to warm up before getting the maximum enjoyment from the game and I prefer games that are instantly accessible. For that reason Virtua Fighter 2 comes in at a close second, with Dead or Alive coming out on top of the pile because of all the fun I've had with it recently.

[snow-katt]

virtual on is only worth playing with the twin sticks otherwise dont bother

[Yart]

I object to that. I never played Virtual On with the joysticks and still found it very fun.

And Tempest, I'll have to try out Fighting Vipers and Dead or Alive. Actually... thanks to a certain someone here who's super awesome (*cough*aiden*cough) I have a copy of Fighting Vipers on it's way to my door as I speak. So soon!


I never was too much into 3D fighters, but today I got to try Fighters Megamix and actually enjoyed it a lot. I never liked Virtua Fighter, but I liked the faster pacedness of this game. It helped me enjoy the Virtua Fighter characters more, plus the addition to fight other characters from other Sega games was a nice perk. I'd call it a version of Virtua Fighter that was suitable for my tastes.

I checked the little booklog thing after I played, and in one sitting, first time turning on the machine I played for six hours straight, had 79 games and marched through every path unlocking all the characters.

Funny... and yet a game like Soul Calibur 4 can't even hold my attention for fifteen minutes...

HMMM....

And it looks like I use too many smileys!