http://www.gamerweb.com/content/tgs101101_02.htmlQuote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pre-TGS Exclusive: Virtua Fighter 4 on PS2
We\'ve seen it played on PS2 first, and let me tell you: it is absolutely stunning. If you were worried about the quality of the PS2 conversion, breathe a sigh of relief. Full report, screens and movie.
At the Sega booth, only the arcade version is playable. But that didn\'t stop us from seeing Suzuki-san play the PS2 version in the presentation rehearsals earlier today. The PS2 version is pant-wettingly good.
The eagerly-awaited PlayStation2 conversion of the breathtaking arcade fighting game, Virtua Fighter 4, is not shown to the press until tomorrow, and the public the day after that. However, we love VF more than anyone else, so we\'ve broken the rules and can bring you this: the definitive first impressions and exclusive details of PS2 VF4.
Don\'t believe me? Look at the unique stuff in these screens for evidence. Whilst they are not the quality you\'d usually expect from us, that\'s because they came \'off the back of a lorry\' so to speak, but they tell you two things: there\'s a lot of new stuff in the PS2 version, and most importantly, it looks THE @#%$ PART.
VF4 PS2 VERSION: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Right, first thing\'s first. Does it look good? Is it as good as the arcade? Let me start by saying that I have put in a LOT of hours with VF4 (final, version
in the arcades recently, playing top-level players in a London arcade. I must have racked up eighty hours of combined watching and playing easily. Why is this relevant? Because I would say I am a fairly good judge for the quality of this conversion.
These are the first screens of VF4 PS2 in the world. The quality is not up to much, but they tell you 1) what the new stuff is and 2) that it looks great. Look to our footage below for further evidence.
It does not appear to be one hundred per cent identical to the arcade version in terms of appearance, not in a bad way, but you need to know. It may have been the A/V connection they were using, but the display seemed different. Different system, different display I suppose. The resolution was the same. But most importantly, there will be NONE of the qualms that fans have had with past VF conversions on Saturn and Dreamcast.
These are the PS2 options and menus. Look st all the new features! They\'re explained later in the article.
In fact, I was quite spooked at how good this looked, and it was running on a PS2 which was as breathtaking as it was refreshing (Sega\'s new era and all that). Let me clarify: Virtua Fighter\'s distinctive animation, the solid 60fps update, the earth-shattering techniques employed by seasoned VFers - I saw it all, and at first it was difficult to believe it was on PS2. But it was - Suzuki-san and developer Takayuki-san played the game themselves, on a small liquid crystal monitor, in turn shown on the large screen. I almost died when I saw Akira doing his stuff, VF4... PS2 stylee!
So far, three backgrounds and four characters have been shown in the PS2 version. There may have been more, expect more tomorrow.
THE BACKGROUNDS SO FAR
The conversion was at the early stages, and only three background stages appear to be in so far. There may have been more, I was high at the time. I will of course clarify this in the \'proper\' report tomorrow. Those that were there were Shun\'s \'Cave\' level, Sarah\'s \'Coliseum\' level, and Vanessa\'s \'(Can\'t remember the name, but I called it Venice even though it isn\'t - it was Akira\'s stage in the test version)\' level.
Everything, including the outstanding character animation, is \'arcade perfect\'. Get very, very excited now if you\'re into arcade VF4.
The backgrounds look spot-on. I will be off to the local arcades in Tokyo tomorrow evening to make some comparisons with some of the PS2 gameplay I have seen in mind, to draw some conclusions, but everything from the rippling water to the supremely-well textured environs are \'arcade perfect\' (God I\'ve not used that term in ages). Some stuff is still to be added, such as collapsing parts of scenery on the Coliseum level, but don\'t let that worry you. It will be in there, Suzuki-san said so.
THE CHARACTERS SO FAR
The characters that I saw today running on PS2 were Akira, Vanessa, Jacky and Jeffry. If there are any more, I\'ll let you know when I see it all again properly (and not quite so taken aback) tomorrow. They all look perfect. The detail on Akira\'s gi (which if you\'ve had a chance to check out the arcade version yet is excellent), and the rippling (finally anti-aliased on the edges) hair of Jacky - all spot-on.
The \'Character Edit\' mode allows you to change parts of your fighter\'s costume.
But I have to say, the element of the PS2 version that made me smile the most was the animation. You can lower the polys if you have to, but you can never take a game\'s animation away - and in the case of VF4, the character animation is obviously flawless and excactly as in the arcade game. From Akira\'s every Hakkyokou-ken technique, to Vanessa\'s harsh grapples and punches - it\'s simply VF4, except on PS2. I am really enjoying this.
EXCLUSIVE FEATURES FOR PS2 VERSION
Moving on to the anticipated special features for the PS2 version. They were all unknowingly revealed to a hidden media representative (me) and here they are. These are all the options you get after you hit the start button when you first boot up the game (which will be a DVD-ROM).
Arcade Mode - Not much explaining needed here. The arcade game sees you fight all thirteen opponents in the VF4 line-up, in standard order, with Akira as the last regular fighter before Dural. By the way, Dural looks ace in arcade VF4, with a unique stance of her own that looks very, very cold indeed. Anyway...
Versus Mode - the much-needed console feature that was absent from Dreamcast VF3. Basically has the convenience of letting the winner choose their character again, which arcade mode doesn\'t let you do. Useful if you\'re stuck with a character you don\'t know to well when the VF3 champion comes to play you on the machine...
Survival Mode - How long can you last with one energy bar? I think this mode was present in Fighting Vipers on the Saturn, and proved quite popular, hence its return for PS2 VF4.
Training Mode - Not the first time AM2 have included a Training Mode in a console fighting conversion, but for any type of VF player, Training Mode is great because it teaches you the harder techniques until you crack \'em.
A.I System - There may be more to this, but I am assuming it puts more emphasis on computer A.I., like the Saturn version of VF2 did. If you allowed it in the options screen, the computer would use an attack it had learned from you and the word \'USE\' would appear under the CPU\'s energy bar each time this happened. More of the same sounds good to me, especially when DC VF3 was pretty extra-featureless.
Character Edit - Let\'s you change your character\'s appearance, and possibly more. The example Suzuki gave was of Jacky, who had three different (additional) looks including a Fighting Vipers-style big hairdo with cool shades, and Vanessa, whose extra styles included more of a \'street\' look with a nice little hat. More aesthetic stuff for the home version of VF4? I\'m not complaining, as long as the emphasis remains on the title\'s solid gameplay.
Replay - I am guessing, but you save your best fights onto the PS2 memory card (better stock up) and them watch them. This would be particularly good in a serious tournament environment I think...
Option - The options screen is tucked away at the bottom, and its contents have yet to be revealed. But that\'s quite enough information for the time being I think.
So it\'s early days, but all is looking tremendously healthy in VF4 conversion land. Which is just as well, because I would have been $3,000 worse of if it turned out crap. Seriously, this is going to be a CORKING HOT conversion, and I command you to check out this video of VF4: PS2 footage immediately. Please bear with me as I upload it from a temperamental hotel Internet connection, it will be there ASAP.
All that\'s left to say is make SURE you come back tomorrow, when we\'ll have more screens and videos from PS2 VF4 without the hassle of not being allowed to capture them.
Adam Doree
Can\'t believe how good VF4 on PS2 is. Seriously. It is so good, I can hardly type.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am truly surprised to see what sega can do with the ps2. Check out the screens!!!!!!!! Awesome!!!!!!!!!:thepimp: :thepimp: :thepimp:
Topic: VF4 shown at preTGS!!!!!!!!!! Arcade-perfected!!!!!!!!! (Read 873 times)