The Zen Of Virtua Fighter

I'm starting this thread in hopes that the VF players that have put considerable time and effort into the game over the years, and have seen many battles, tournaments, and versions of the game might share some of their deepest philosophical insights about the game.



I've been playing the game for a little over a decade now, and have many thousands of matches, countless hours, bitter defeats and sweet victories I 've learned a few things about the Zen of Virtua Fighter.


First, you don't master Virtua Fighter, Virtua Fighter masters you. One of the reasons I found the game so addictive was because with every loss I almost won. It was easy for me to tell my self with just a little more effort I'll get him next time. But that's part of the seduction of VF, you're always almost there. But quietly, and subtly the VF bar is moved, and the better you get, the better you need to be, and at each turn certain victory it just within grasp, one evade away, one dropped combo, you can almost touch it, But you can't, you can never master Virtua Fighter, Virtua Fighter masters you. And that is why so many noobs and would be VF players are turned off from the very beginning. VF does not cater to instant gratification of the gamer in the same way that other fighting games do (I mention no names here). But rather VF teases you, entices you, and taunts you to just get a little better and all will be yours, but each time you improve a new aspect of the game reveals itself to you, whetting your appetite just a little more, causing you to push for what ultimately you can never get. Virtua Fighter play the ultimate in hard-to-get.


But when I examine the cat-and-mouse game that I've been playing with VF over the years, I find that VF really is a window into self knowledge, as long as you grow that knowledge will never be complete but it can become clearer, and that's exactly what happens as you get better with VF the way becomes clearer, and prize always seems just within reach, so you keep pushing and learning, and getting better, and before you know it Virtua Fighter has completely, and thoroughly mastered you. And in the process you learn a little about yourself and your potential.



If you do not know who you are VF will simply not appeal to you. But a little self knowledge and VF will entice you, it will cajole you, it will master you in the name of getting to know you true inner self.



If your truly have a philosophical insight about the game Virtua Fighter as a result of many years and many battles please feel free to share...