Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1

Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1 (バーチャストライカー 2, Bācha Sutoraikā Tsū) is a sports video game developed and published by Sega for arcades in 1997. It is the sequel to the 1994 video game Virtua Striker, and the second game in the Virtua Striker series. A series of updates was released from 1998 to 1999, starting with Virtua Striker 2 ver. 1998 and ending with Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000.1 Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000.1 (バーチャストライカー2 ver.2000.1, Bācha Sutoraikā Tsū ver.2000.1), that latest update being released for the Dreamcast in Japan in 1999, and then internationally in 2000, with the North American version re-titled to Virtua Striker 2.

The arcade game was a major success in Japan, where it was the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1998 and the overall highest-grossing arcade game of 1999. The Dreamcast version, however, received mixed reviews from critics.

History – Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1

The main arcade series includes:

• Virtua Striker (1994)
• Virtua Striker 2 (1997)
  • Virtua Striker 2 ver. ’98 (update, 1998)
  • Virtua Striker 2 ver. ’99 (update, 1998)
    • Virtua Striker 2 ver. ‘99.1 (update, 1998)
  • Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000 (update, 1999)
    • Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000.1 (Dreamcast port; December 1999; titled Virtua Striker 2 in North America)

The original Virtua Striker game received Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 ports, distributed respectively through Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, in February 2013, exclusively for Japan.^[4]

Overview – Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1

The original Virtua Striker used Sega’s Sega Model 2 hardware.^[5] The Virtua Striker 2 series run on Sega Model 3,^[6] with the exception of Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000, which appeared on the Dreamcast-based NAOMI system. Virtua Striker 3 was released for the NAOMI 2; subsequent installments (Virtua Striker 2002 and Virtua Striker 4) used the GameCube-based Triforce hardware. Virtua Striker 4 added a card system and mobile phone syncing, allowing players to configure strategies and formations on the move.

The game consists of a single-elimination knock-out tournament with 16 teams (like in the knock-out stage of the FIFA World Cup), with each match lasting two minutes by default, plus injury time and, if the match ends in a draw, one extra minute of sudden death. If the draw persists, penalty shootouts are used to decide the winner. In the console versions and Virtua Striker 4, matches are divided in two halves of one and a half minute each, with substitutions allowed at half time. Virtua Striker 4 also adds a qualifying match, which grants access to the tournament proper if won.

The game operates with three buttons: one for passing (which is also used for sliding tackles when not in possession of the ball), one for long balls (which automatically crosses if the player is running parallel to the box) and one for shots, which can be charged or, if the player is on the receiving end of a cross, tapped for a header or volley finish.

Reception – Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1

In Japan, Game Machine listed Virtua Striker on their July 15, 1995 issue as being both the second most-successful arcade game and the most-successful dedicated arcade game of the month.^[7]

A critic for Next Generation applauded the original Virtua Striker as both “excellent to play and watch”. He cited the smooth and accurate control, realistic player moves, camera which consistently zooms in or out to the perfect frame at every moment of play, “gorgeous” texture-mapped players and backgrounds, and realistically strong defense. He gave it four out of five stars.^[8]

Virtua Striker 2 was a major arcade hit in Japan, where it became the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1998, below Tekken 3.^[9]

Virtua Striker 2 Version 98 Set 1 Soundtracks

1. vs2_2k_001_00_00_00

2. vs2_2k_001_00_00_01

3. vs2_2k_001_00_00_02

4. vs2_2k_001_00_00_03

5. vs2_2k_001_00_00_04