Your Favorite/Best VF

This is something I've thought about for a long time, always comparing different versions in my mind.

For many years, I thought 3 was my favorite, and in many ways still is, but now I've been playing 4 Evo again and am enjoying it so much. I love the overall design, art direction and concept of 3, but I think 4 Evo is my favorite because that version of my character, Aki, is my favorite. He has just the right amount of simplicity and power, whereas I think in 5, and especially in R and FS he just has too many moves. I like the combo variety of 5, but otherwise VF4 Akira seems like the real Akira, to me

for other characters, I'd say 5 versions seem much more developed (like Lei seems really much more realized in 5, and Brad)

Anyway, if you were going to only have one more VF session in your life, with your favorite people, which version would you play?

 

If Sega released VF4 (Ver.A) on xbla I would play Akira forever.

 

I actually got to play version A, which most people outside of Japan never did. He didn't have 3+P+K+G (P), 46P+K+G and I think 214+P. That version only lasted a couple weeks, basically like extended Loc. Test. I remember going from Sendai to Kanispo where I saw people doing those moves for the first time.

 

By character (in versions I played):

Akira- I like too like the simplicity of VF4/Evo Akira, but FS combos are fun.
Aoi- while all her new additions are great, Evo was my favorite.
Goh- Evo, same reasons as Akira, but I don't like FS style at all.
Jeffry- Vanilla 5
Pai- FS
Sarah- Evo
Vanessa- FS and 4, FS she feels like a complete character (more so than ever) and in 4 the complete opposite
Wolf- FS, feels complete and scary

Only play FS Taka, so that's the one I like
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Over all, Genesis is the best.</span>

Fuck that, 10th Anv. mode from Evo was fucking awesome.

 

I consider VF4 (original version) to be my favorite for a few reasons:
-I favored the stage BGM and design in VF4 better than the Evo version.
I actually like the arcade-nostalgic system voice of VF4 over the one in VF4 Evo/VF5 original, I guess because I played quite a bit of VF3 in arcades when growing up. I would love to see a VF game for xbla, specifically VF3 so I can retire my Dreamcast. Hopefully Sega will make VF3TB one of their dreamcast re-releases as a digital download.

On a bit of a side-note, for most fighting games, I tend to play just the latest version but when it comes to VF, I play the different installments I have because of the somewhat different move sets for my favorite character (Sarah) as opposed to doing what most fighting games do and just add new moves to the characters' move set with Tekken being a good example if I'm not mistaken.

 

@ Myke, I could be wrong, but I think that was version B. I was in Japan when 4 released, in Sendai. I remember Akira gaining 3 attacks in version B, which came only about 2 weeks after the first version, and I think 214 P was one, but I'm not positive. Version B was the version we all played in arcades before the PS2 release, version C (at which time Japanese arcades also updated).

 

4 Evo and FT are probably my nostalgia favs. I started with them, I got a handle on VF basics with them, and in FT the game even had moves for Wolf that I kinda guessed beforehand that made it in.

I was pretty solid in them toward the end of their lifespan and enjoyed games with the Ohio crew when we could make it out for a gathering/tourney.

Or hell, going to Evo 2k4 and watching Shou, Myke, Adam, Maddy take on Itazan. I didn't make it out of pools there; didn't know the followup to the low punch cut exchange. Damn, I never felt scrubbier lol. iirc Kurita was in my pool, so i would've qualified in losers anyway .

 

My favorite is Fighters Megamix... if that counts.

 

VF2 KID!!

 

VF4:Evo, because that's the version I got to play with you Brian.

 

nice! yeah, my final session would definately include Boston crew^^

 

ver. A? the one where you could escape back throws? im looking for that rom to play it on the emulator.

 

I gave my copy of VF4A to rsw before I sold my first collection. He should still have it so it can get dumped.

You can break normal back throws in that version with just P+G (don't think you could break command back throws). It's obvious why they took that out.

Gutti and I have been playing all of the VFs while he is in Tokyo on holiday going from arcade VF1, VF2.1 (on 2), VF3tb, VF4FT, and occasionally FS in the arcade. We've been playing FT almost every night for hours on end and it never gets old, rather we have gotten old!

VF4 Evo and VF4FT are the ones I would rather play especially after living through the depressing VF5 era in Japan. If it came down to it, I would pick Evo as it just has the right balance of speed and systematic fundamentals that VF5 fucked up.

 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I think the law of diminishing returns is in effect here. There's only so much you can throw into the mix, and change, before you've totally deviated from your core product and alienate the entire fan base (I purposely exaggerate to make a point).

I would prefer to see them perhaps start a new IP with a totally new mechanic, or, reboot the weapon fighter genre with their Last Bronx IP, or up-the-ante in the fantastical combo fest genre with Fighting Vipers.

In terms of the game's image and aesthetics, I do agree some improvements could be made, but I think FS is the best in the series by far. I personally dislike Tekken's character designs, but hey, there's no accounting for taste.
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I understand your points, and I've known for years that you've always considered the current version the best to think about, which makes perfect sense, cause it's the one people are playing... sorta (at this point)

I think that while there's a good amount of truth to the diminishing returns thing, I think that what's making the game boring, to me, is that all the characters seem to be functioning in such a similar way now, with combos and throws being practically over-balanced. IE, I don't need or want to do 6-8 hit air combos with Akira or Wolf, because they're power characters. I just wanna guess right once and see 80-100 points vanish. That's exciting.

As a longtime part of the fan base, I actually feel alienated because to me VF is Giant Swing takes half, Jeffry has Splash Mountain, Kage's TFT throws you backwards, and Ring Out is always looming. It was a dangerous game of really high stakes, and I think in FS, from what I can only see in videos, that's really been toned down with the larger stamina gauge. I remember combos in R seeming totally devastating, especially when the wall was involved. I used to feel like the wall in R was "Ring Out Lite". Those combos still there (slightly changed), but seem much less potent now.

I don't really like Tekken's characters either, but the thing is what you or I or Mukki Akira thinks doesn't matter: we're going to play this game as long as they make it & we have access to it. It's what all those thousands of people who DON'T like VF think that Sega should be focusing on. Like, why is the Yakuza series a hit outside of Japan for Sega? What makes it cool, how can we make VF cool like Yakuza? How can we get 75% of the people who play Yakuza to play/buy VF?

While some of us might think FS is the coolest version yet aesthetically, from every indication, it's the least popular VF so far (aside from maybe VF1)

 

That would be boring for me.. I want to actually work for my rewards, not flip coin and guess right and be rewarded. Its always going to be about guessing, but at least now I need to input stuff.

Theres nothing stupider than an Akira spamming doublepalm or bodycheck.

My favorite VFs are Vf4 evo and Vf5 ver.C. I haven't played FS so that doesnt count.

 

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Like, why is the Yakuza series a hit outside of Japan for Sega? What makes it cool, how can we make VF cool like Yakuza? How can we get 75% of the people who play Yakuza to play/buy VF? </div></div>

AFAIK yakuza sold badly, Yakuza 2 sold 40K, how did Y3 and 4 do?

 

VF 2,but I may be biased because I'm so damn old school. I mean look at my avatar.

 

Anything could happen unless someone got KO, that's the spirit in FS

 

I guess I shold clarify, I don't mean taking that mich damage with Akira per se, although with Wolf's throws I enjoy that. I like Evo damage body check, and I like Akira's harder combos in Evo, most of which were 4 hits IE Shoulder P Yoho DblPm, Knee P Yoho DblPm, that depend on character, stance etc.

When I see wall hit-> 214P-> P-> 214P-> P-> DLC-> 2_6PP, seems so gamey and silly, especially when it's only taking like 40% of the gauge. But, that's just me. I think Sega's tuning the combo system based on what other games are doing/what seems like it might be fun for players (doing long combos), but it doesn't seem to be working?

RE Yakuza's popularity, I know this much: its a REALLY big project to translate, yet aside from the Kenzan version, it's selling enough to justify every version being released outside of Japan. They even re-instated all the mini-games that were cut from 3 in the US version of 4 because of fan demand.