History VideoGame / VirtuaFighter

** Several of the custom costumes. You can dress Sarah as [[VideoGame/SpaceChannel5 Ulala]] and Akira as [[VideoGame/{{Shenmue}} Ryo Hazuki]]. El Blaze has an [[VideoGame/SambaDeAmigo Amigo Sombrero]], Wolf has a [[{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein]] head, a hairstyle option for Jacky and Lion looks like a [[VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Mishima]], and Jeffry has a mohawk that makes him look a ''lot'' like Creator/MrT.

Akira, Pai and Dural have also made appearances in ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', with the first two together as a playable paired unit and the last as a recurring boss. Akira also returns for ''Project X Zone 2'', with Kage-maru replacing Pai as his partner.

* DittoFighter: Dural is the [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} Goddess]] of them. She has several moves that belongs to other characters.

** Several of the custom costumes. You can dress Sarah as [[SpaceChannel5 Ulala]] and Akira as [[{{Shenmue}} Ryo Hazuki]]. El Blaze has an [[SambaDeAmigo Amigo Sombrero]], Wolf has a [[{{Frankenstein}} Frankenstein]] head, a hairstyle option for Jacky and Lion looks like a [[{{Tekken}} Mishima's]], and Jeffry has a mohawk that makes him look a ''lot'' like MrT.
** One of Eileen's custom items is an extending staff, much like [[Anime/DragonBall Son Goku's]]. Given her [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest monkey motif]], it fits.

* SNKBoss: Dural...though she doesn't spam powerful attacks.
* SociopathicHero: Vanessa... snapping necks while laughing
* SpinOff: ''Virtua Quest'', a 3D action-beat 'em up featuring the cast of ''Virtua Fighter 4'' as fighting data in {{Cyberspace}}.

* {{Tsundere}}: Vanessa.
** Aoi to Brad too, if you read their backstories.

* MightyGlacier: Wolf, Jeffry, and Taka-Arashi. Both Wolf and Jeffry use grappling moves, while Taka-Arashi is a sumo wrestler.

-->'''Jacky:''' "I've done handcuffed lightning!" (This is actually half of an out-of-context quote from UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli, which goes "I done handcuffed lightning, put thunder in jail...")

-->'''Jacky:''' "I've done handcuffed lightning!" (This is actually half of an out-of-context quote from MuhammadAli, which goes "I done handcuffed lightning, put thunder in jail...")

-->'''Jacky:''' "I've done handcuffed lightning!"

** Jean is one big ShoutOut to JojosBizarreAdventure.

* TechnicianVsPerformer: This series is the technician to ''every other fighting game's'' performer.

* SuperDeformed: ''Virtua Fighter Kids''.

%%* MightyGlacier: Wolf, Jeffery, and Taka-Arashi.

* MightyGlacier: Wolf, Jeffery, and Taka-Arashi.

* AlternateContinuity: ''VideoGame/VirtuaQuest''.

** ''Virtua Fighter 4 Final Tuned'' (2004, NAOMI 2)

** ''Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown'' (2010, Lindbergh) (2012, PS3/Xbox 360)

''Virtua Fighter'' is a long-run FightingGame series produced {{Sega}}'s [=AM2=] development team that debuted in the arcades in 1993. It is notable for being the first truly successful [=3D=] fighting game franchise, paving the wave for the likes of ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' and ''VideoGame/DeadOrAlive''.[[note]]Although Sega's lesser known ''Dark Edge'' predated ''Virtua Fighter'' by a year in having 3D movement, it used sprite-scaling technology instead of actual polygonal models.[[/note]]

Compared to other fighting game franchises, ''Virtua Fighter'' doesn't have much focus in its storyline. This is partially due to trying to make the combat mechanics more realistic and the depth in the characters' fighting styles as a whole and the moves they use. Virtua Fighter is known for the balance of its characters between each other. The series is also notable for being one of the few fighting game franchises to preserve its character roster throughout every entry, adding new fighters without removing anyone. The sole exception was Taka-Arashi, who was retired in ''Virtua Fighter 4'' due to the difficulty of integrating the sumo wrestling style into the new engine, only to return in ''Virtua Fighter 5R''.

A 35-episode [[AnimeOfTheGame anime]] aired in Japan from October 2, 1995 – June 27, 1996. Only the first 24 episodes were dubbed into English, though the entire series has been dubbed in Spanish, Italian, and Arabic. An OVA titled ''Virtua Fighter Costomize Clip'' was also released in 1996, consisting solely of animated music videos set to songs from the Virtua Fighter image song album ''Dancing Shadows.'' The OVA is incredibly obscure, but the music videos can be viewed [[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHhErfbJ76BIDaOO4DHG4qIvBrHE74QbD here.]]

* AlternateContinuity: VideoGame/VirtuaQuest.

* AndYourRewardIsClothes: ''VirtuaFighter 4'' was the first fighting game to feature accessories for your fighter that did not affect the fighter's stats in any way (even if you gave them weapons).

* AnimeHair: Akira, Jacky and Goh. Brad's is almost there.

* BoringButPractical / SimpleYetAwesome: The series in general when compared to most other fighting games. The ''VF'' games eschew any kind of super meter or gimmick, and instead have relied on fleshing out the core mechanics over the years, making it a very deep game. YMMV on whether this is enjoyable or not.

* BreakingTheFourthWall: In ''Final Showdown'', during the game over countdown Taka stares up at the players and begs them to continue.

* CoolMask: Kagemaru and El Blaze, being a {{Ninja}} and a MaskedLuchador respectively.

* DifficultButAwesome: The series is widely recognized for being one of the most complex and difficult to get into in the FightingGame genre, but it is also arguably the most well-balanced amongst its characters and a perennial tournament favorite. While the game has tier lists, a low-tier character can easily best a high-tier one with practice and skill. The difference is nowhere near as pronounced as in other series.
** A more specific example would be Akira himself. Despite being the main character, he's, ironically, generally considered one of the hardest characters to master in this already difficult to master game. That said, he consistently tops tier lists.

* FacialMarkings: Wolf has them. It makes since he is Native American.

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: In ''Final Showdown'' one of the customisation pieces is an Egyptian mask with glowing [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] Kage Maru and El Blaze also have unique face pieces which have the same effect.
* GratuitousEnglish: While Jeffry, Jacky, Sarah, Vanessa and many other characters do, in fact, speak coherent English, some of their win quotes seem... awkward...

-->'''Sarah:''' "Even Good Guys blow it..."
* HotBlooded: Akira
* IdiotHero: Akira in the anime, a far outcry from his 'Ryu clone' game persona. But it still works.

** The Virtua Fighter 5 opening [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezAaHgBmmxg features dozens]] of character match ups.

* KyuAndDanRanks: The series introduced them from part 2 on. Until 1st dan, those will be gained by experience points, afterwards with victory points. Once the player reaches 10th dan, it's possible to acquire even higher rankings with the titles (High King and Emperor being the highest in ''VF4'' and Champion in ''VF4Evo''.

* MagicalNativeAmerican: Wolf
* MaskedLuchador: El Blaze

* MightyGlacier: Wolf, Jeffery and Taka-Arashi
* {{Ninja}}: Kage-Maru

* NoblewomansLaugh: Sarah
* NonHumanSidekick: Alexander, Sarah's pet flying squirrel from the anime)
* NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: All English-speaking characters sound American, regardless of origin. Equally all the Asian characters speak in Japanese.
** Lion is apparently French, but he sounds like a loud American teenager.

* OldMaster: Lau and Shun
* TheOmniscientCouncilOfVagueness: J6 again
* ProfessionalKiller: Goh and Jean
* ProfessionalWrestling: Wolf and El Blaze
* PsychoForHire: Goh and Jean
* {{Retraux}}: Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary, which is Virtua Fighter 4 with the first game's blocky polygons and soundtrack.

* RingOut: In the very least the TropeCodifier for the fighting genre, if not the TropeMaker.
* TheRival: Wolf to Akira
* ScaryBlackMan: Jeffry
* ShipTease: Akira gets this with Pai a lot, but only outside of the games. It's extremely prevalent in the anime and even comes up in the American comic. Borders on OfficialCouple.

* ShoutOut: One of Shun's customizations in the ''5'' series is a blue tank engine. [[WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine Sound familiar?]]

* SpinOff: VirtuaQuest, a 3D action-beat 'em up featuring the cast of ''Virtua Fighter 4'' as fighting data in {{Cyberspace}}.
* SuperDeformed: ''Virtua Fighter Kids''
* ToBeAMaster: Akira
* {{Tsundere}}: Vanessa

* TheVoiceless: Dural
* UpdatedRerelease: Each game in the series had their fair share of software revisions, but it wasn't until ''[=VF3tb=]'' that Sega started releasing full updated versions for each entry. Most notably, ''[=VF4=] Final Tuned'' and ''[=VF5R=]'' were arcade exclusives and never had home releases.

* YamatoNadeshiko: Aoi
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: In 5 the DLC packs gave most characters the option of having brightly coloured hair, in ''Final Showdown'' everyone gets it.
* YourDaysAreNumbered: Lau

%%* DittoFighter: Dural is the [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} Goddess]] of them.

* DownloadableContent: The costume packs in ''Final Showdown''. If you bought the PS3 version early, you got everything.
%%* DrunkenBoxing: Shun's fighting style.

%%* EvilAlbino: Goh
%%* FacialMarkings: Wolf
%%* FauxActionGirl: Sarah in the anime.
%%* FragileSpeedster: Pai, Aoi, Eileen, Lion

* DittoFighter: Dural is the [[Pantheon/{{Combat}} Goddess]] of them.

* DrunkenBoxing: Shun's fighting style.

* EvilAlbino: Goh
* FacialMarkings: Wolf
* FauxActionGirl: Sarah in the anime.
* FragileSpeedster: Pai, Aoi, Eileen, Lion

[[quoteright:400:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/183614a6e1c07645c6d7c68c5ca8839e.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:400:Promotional image for the [[MilestoneCelebration 20th Anniversary]] showing the ArtEvolution of Akira Yuki.]]

* AlternateContinuity: VideoQuest/VirtuaQuest.

* AlternateContinuity: Video/VirtuaQuest.

* AlternateContinuity: VirtuaQuest.

** ''Virtua Fighter Remix'' (1995, ST-V/Saturn) - Remake of the first game featuring texture mapped characters.
** ''Virtua Fighter PC'' (1996, Windows PC) - Features the original and ''Remix''-style graphics.

Compared to other fighting game franchises, ''Virtua Fighter'' storyline doesn't have much focus in its storyline. This is partially due to trying to make the gameplay realistic (sorta) and the depth in the characters' fighting styles as a whole and the moves they use. Virtua Fighter is known for the balance of its characters between each other. The series is also notable for being one of the few fighting game franchises to preserve its character roster throughout every entry, adding new fighters without removing anyone. The sole exception was Taka-Arashi, who was retired in ''Virtua Fighter 4'' due to the difficulty of integrating the sumo wrestling style into the new engine, only to return in ''Virtua Fighter 5R''.