Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate may not have been the announcement many Virtua Fighter fans were hoping to see for the franchise, but it certainly was a welcome one. What is considered to be the franchise’s best when it comes to exhilarating, smart and accessible combat, Ultimate Showdown proves that the series reigns supreme in the realm of 3D fighters. A classic re-energized with it’s visual facelift, Ultimate Showdown reminds us once more of why the Virtua Fighter series is so damn special. Hopefully this is a testing ground of some sort to pave the way to the much anticipated sequel.

Virtua Fighter 5 has aged like fine wine, and while some modern games feel more fluid or look prettier, Sega's classic cannot be replaced.

After a 15 year hiatus, the forefather of 3D fighters is back! With several iterations already in existence, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown promises to deliver the biggest overhaul of the game to date. Built from the ground up on the Dragon Engine, will this be the celebrated return that fans of the series have been clamoring for?

As a game, Ultimate Showdown does little to convince you to choose it over the newest Tekken, Dead or Alive, or Mortal Kombat game. But given how well its core gameplay holds up with its various enhancements, it’s certainly worth a look for fighting game fans looking for something a little different.

15 years on, Ultimate Showdown finds Virtua Fighter 5 just as engaging as it ever was, maintaining its long-held reputation as one of the genre’s classiest and most enduring fighters. Woeful single-player content and receding features prevent the package from achieving its full potential but, despite its flaws, Ultimate Showdown costs little, looks good, and plays great. A welcome return to one of gaming’s most distinguished rings. Now… about that sequel…

The package itself may be no frills but Virtua Fighter 5 is still one of the best fighting games ever made and deserves to be appreciated by a wider audience.

Despite having a few flaws, such as missing modes and the lack of being able to invite friends for some online bouts, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is a solid title. If and when Sega addresses the online issues, this will be a title that everyone will be playing, there’s no doubt about that. Now if it was only available for the other platforms, it would be even better.

The three button setup of Virtua Fighter 5: Ultimate Showdown has stood the test of time, providing an incredible amount of depth with a strong emphasis on the fundamentals. It’s just a shame that the spotty netcode drags down the overall experience; those looking to seek out new challengers best come with a bit of patience.

A remastered edition of the 2006 sequel, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is still a quintessential example of true 3D fighting.

So, it turns out that Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown isn’t quite as ultimate as the title suggests. It is, however, a solid fighting game that should keep players entertained for tens of hours – providing the online community remains buoyant and matches play out without any hitches. It’s just a shame that more offline, single-player offerings haven’t been provided to round out the package.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown delivers a deep, satisfying fighting game experience--provided you're okay with barebones single-player and inconsistent online play.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown's one goal was to update this old-school and finely aged fighter for a modern platform. In that, it excels. This is a classic fighting game that holds up to this day. Despite that, though, it's a shame that so many single player offerings had to be cut in order to achieve this vision. Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is a perfect competitive fighter for the modern world, but for someone looking to mess around with it offline, your options are disappointingly limited compared to previous versions of the game.