People never ask us “You Arcade, if you could have any Sega games in your ideal arcade, what
would they be?” Well, we'll tell you. These are the games that would make us freak the hell out if
we found them in the wild. Now you don't even have to think about asking. We've met a need by
pre-empting it.
1) Cyber Troopers Virtual-On
Year: 1995
Developer: AM-3
According to Wikipedia, the Virtual-On cabinet wasn't even a video game but a remote operation
device sent back from the future to train potential pilots, which technically makes it a simulator
and officially 100% baller. This probably makes replacement parts for broken cabinets hard to find
since they haven't been invented yet, so it's almost forgivable that we haven't managed to find it in
any arcades so far.
Cyber Troopers Virtual-On invites the player to choose from one of eight selectable mechs and
battle against the others one-on-one in a hybrid beat'em up/shooter. Especially unique was the
game's control system which provided players two joysticks to control their mech with. It was kind
of the future to send back a fairly relatable control system for the mid-nineties and not a direct
cybernetic interface, since not many people were fitted with those back then.
Despite the relative oddity of its subject matter and gameplay, Virtual-On is undeniably a Sega title,
employing the same appealing primary colour palette, summer skies and upbeat soundtrack usually
associated with their driving games. Listen to this:
It's literally the future.
2) Scud Race
Year: 1996
Developer: AM-2
Sega have a history of really fantastic arcade racing games, but even in the mid-nineties finding
Scud Race felt a lot rarer than finding a Sega Rally or Daytona USA machine. Unlike its sister titles,
Scud Race bucked the trend towards representations of real-world locations in favour of locations
like stylised underwater tunnels and ruins that simply radiated pure Sega.
Scud Race never saw a console port of any sort, which may account for its relative lack of endurance, but both visually and mechanically it can be felt in some entries in the Burnout series. Its hyper-stylised sense of setting is thankfully also shared with AM-2's subsequent OutRun 2 from 2003.
3) Fighting Vipers 2
Year: 1998
Developer: AM-2
The decline in popularity of the fighting game that we've witnessed on our arcade visits so far
has been pretty shocking, especially since they still have a solid following on home consoles. The
Fighting Vipers games might not have the renown of the Virtua Fighter series, Sega's premier 3D
beat 'em up franchise, but they're unmistakably Sega games, pitting brightly coloured, gimmick-
laden teenagers against each other for reasons I can't remember or never knew.
Fighting Vipers 2 feels a little dated in some respects (selectable characters include a skateboarder and a rollerblader), but I have a lot of affection for it as Virtua Fighter's hyperactive younger brother, and the armour breaking mechanic was always satisfying. Unfortunately, Fighting Vipers 2's lack of brand-name recognition and the current unpopularity of the arcade beat 'em up means I'm not too hopeful about finding it any time soon.
Wednesday 12 October 2011
Wanted List - Round 1
1 comments:
I applaud you on your blog, its nice to see am not alone in wanting to see how the Scottish arcade scene stands. Guess not too great at this point.
In any case, truly enjoyed watching your videos and commentary, it brings that nostalgic feeling back.
Indeed its a shame your focus is on Sega and not all arcade games as a whole, would have been great if you had conducted a wider audit of things in general. Played a lot of scud racer back in the day and it still holds up better than GT4.
These days its hard to find arcade games at all, thanks for the intrepid investigations and I hope you keep up the work.
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