Yu Suzuki

Virtua Fighter 5 is a fighting game stripped down to the most basic elements. It's almost as if the developers don't have the slightest interest in attracting new players. I'm sure they're turning a profit; according to the credits, the game is made by a shockingly small number of people, and it has a long life in the remaining arcades, but I can't help but wonder how long a series can last with a static user base.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence

Game Description: Virtua Fighter 5 offers worldwide fighting stages in which as many as 17 contestants vie, including two new characters, El Blaze, a Mexican wrestler who dominates with his Lucha Libre fighting style, and Eileen, a Chinese Monkey style kung-fu champion. SEGA also has implemented a new "offensive move" enabling players to take down opponents from different angles; these moves are believed to set VF5 apart from past VF games.

I think Gene is being a little pejorative by hanging that 8.5 on Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution. He labels it "user-nasty," then bemoans the fact that he had to spend time in the training mode—"slogging through command list after command list"—in order to reaquaint himself with the controls.

Even as I took out the 20 dollar bill out of my wallet to purchase this game, I asked myself why I'm bothering paying to play a game I had mastered and even reviewed almost a full year ago. The answer is pretty simple: I really like the game. So much that I'm willing to pay to see the new additions.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Suggestive Themes, Violence

While I didn't grow up in a culture like Ryo's (or Gene's), I have lived in places with many similarities. I can definitely relate to elements in the game that are signatures of non-Western cultures, and appreciate their genuineness. Gene's comment stating "This is a foreign game with foreign concepts" has legitimacy and weight, and it would be wise to keep this in mind before entering the world of Shenmue II.

Enter the first 2 to 3 sentences of the review here, which will appear as the teaser on the homepage. Take a snippet elsewhere if the opening sentences are are not sensical or effective as teaser text.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Gambling, Use of Tobacco & Alcohol, Violence

Game Description: Shenmue II is an epic adventure with all the elements of a great movie—drama, mystery, suspense, and action—and offers a unique gameplay experience that seamlessly blends elements of action, adventure, fighting, and role-playing games. In Shenmue II, players assume the role of Ryo Hazuki, a young man dedicated to the task of tracking his father's murderer and unlocking the mysteries of the Phoenix Mirror. Shenmue II continues where Shenmue left off and brings Ryo to Hong Kong with many questions still unanswered as he follows the trail of Lan Di, the man who killed his father.