"If they had Sonic in this game, that'd be even cooler!"

Virtua Fighter was a fighting series I never tried, mainly due to the fact that I hated all Sega systems. So when I learned that next game in the series would be out on the PS2, and for only 20 dollars, I was ready to spend the cash because I read some pretty good things about it. The game is fun, but it does have flaws.

Story: 7/10
A year has passed since the ''Worldwide Martial Arts Championship.'' A new tournament has been planned called the ''Worldwide Martial Arts Championship II.'' Original, eh? But to participate in said tournament, you have to fight through tons of arcades, make a name for yourself and emerge as the best fighter in the world.

Alright, so that's the story right there. I was just like, ''Ok...so this is just like any other game.'' I didn't like how there was no story behind the tournament or anything. What's worse is that the characters don't have any endings after you complete the arcade mode, but I'll get to that later. Fighting games were never much on stories, but they at least had some sort of history as to why different competitions were being held.

Controls: 8/10
This is a fighting game that is VERY HARD to pick up and play without experience to the series. Button mashing will get you nowhere. There are a lot of button combinations and techniques you have to get used to in order to emerge victorious in a fight. I do like how fast it can go when you get good and input the proper buttons. There is an endless amount of techniques for each character to master. Also, there are many fun skills (evade, counter, twist) that can be learned. A lot of the characters have similar moves. Although there are many special moves for each character, the three hit punch combos are all the same. There needs to be some variety. A lot of the moves are cool, but they just all do the same thing...push you back or knock you down. The fights can be pretty slow when you start off as well. It does get frustrating, especially, when fighting a computer who keeps on comboing your ass. This game is not easy to pick up and play. It will require a lot of work in order for you to become a well accomplished Virtua Fighter. Overall, the game is fun...but only if you practice and get a feel for it.

Characters: 8/10
There are apparently two new characters that weren't in the previous installment: Brad Burns and Goh Hinogami. To a person who has never played VF before, all of the characters were new. Many of them are cool. I really like Jacky Bryant and Goh Hinogami. All of them have a reason for wanting to enter the tournament, which is sort of interesting. However, you don't get to see what happens to them after you complete arcade mode. There's no epilogue...no cool screen shot...no nothing. That's what really disappointed me. And there are no secret characters! I mean come on...a fighting game without secret characters is like a night club without me! Not the best analogy, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Graphics: 10/10
The game's strong point. The character models are VERY well done. The details given to each person is superb, clean and crisp, and full of fluid motion. The outfits and hair blow in the wind with realism...very cool. The fighting arenas are just as great. There is a ton of detail, which is in the highest resolution, to each setting.

Music and Sound: 8/10
The music is really good. The tracks are mainly full of heavy metal rock type arrangement, which is quite fitting for the game. There are some tunes which are definitely worth listening to with the volume cranked up.

The voice acting in this game is...corny. I mean, seriously...who says, ''Let's rumble!'' any more? That is SO 1992. The dubbing is fine, but what was translated isn't that great. The sound effects are good. The punches and kicks do sound painful when they connect.

Replay Value: 10/10
There is a quest mode where you can get tons of goodies for your characters, so that will keep you playing on and on. And the magic of VS. mode never gets old! If you enjoy VF4, you'll be playing it again and again.

Difficulty: Hard
This is a hard game, as I mentioned earlier. It'll take some time in Practice mode for you to learn your character's moves, special techniques and other things. But, it is well worth the effort.

Buy or Rent: Buy
This game is a greatest hit. So, for 20 dollars you'll be getting plenty of bang for your buck. A definite buy this is!

I started playing this game a bit after I got used to Soul Calibur II. I tell you, the transition was really difficult. But, it is worth learning this game's style because the battles have the potential to be fast and fun. Go buy this game, and become a Virtua Fighter!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/28/03