Awesome Music / Virtua Fighter

Much like many other Sega titles, Virtua Fighter has quite the memorable library of music. This series is also perhaps the starting point of one of Sega's best composers - Takenobu Mitsuyoshi.

Virtua Fighter 1

Originally composed by Takayuki Nakamura, with Takenobu Mitsuyoshi behind the Arranged versions.

• Character Select/Dural's Theme and its (Arrange Version). A song that welcomes you into the world's first 3D fighting game when you insert your coins, doubling as the final boss theme.
• Jacky's Theme and its Arrange Version. Your first opponent in this unique 3D world has a sense of wonder to it, fitting of the new technology at the time. The song returned as a bonus track in VF2 but with a much more serious and sad feel.
• Jeffry's Theme, as well as the arranged version. Sounds like the right song to work out to, and was even used as his Leitmotif in Hi-sCoool! SeHa Girls.
• Sarah's Theme and its Arrange Version. A loud song befitting the series' first rooftop battle and against Jacky's brainwashed sister. The song also returned in VF2, sounding more like a solid arrangement of the original tune.
• Kage's Theme (Arrange Version) combines the mood of fighting a badass ninja and wonder of the 3D world that has yet to be explored. And those wacky vocals.
• Wolf's Theme, and the Arrange Version. A song fitting of a fight taking place in a beautiful sunset desert, as well as Wolf himself, both his name and the kind of spiritual man he really is behind that tough exterior. Provided he doesn't grab you and throw you out of the ring.
• Akira's Theme, a calm theme for the last opponent before Dural, also in a unique desert-like location with ominous cloudy skies. The Arrange Version has a guitar solo of sorts late in the song that really demonstrates a sense of spiritual passion in the fight.

Virtua Fighter 2

The soundtrack was composed by Takayuki Nakamura and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, with Mitsuyoshi exclusively handling the Arranged versions.

• Fencing and Judo ~Begin New Challenge~, the Opening theme. A hard-hitting song that brings players back to the franchise, while demonstrating the monstrous graphical power that was Sega's MODEL2 board. The world's first 3D fighting game was back and better than ever.
• Evolution, used for the FMV demos for the Saturn version, demonstrating the Art Evolution from the first game to the second.
• Virtua Fighter 2, the Character Select Theme. An intense song that'll get you pumped to get back into the series, while urging you to hurry and pick a character already.
• Man of the Fist, Lau's Theme. Fitting for a song against the first opponent, and one who'll kick your ass if you underestimate him because of it. The Arrange Version has a little more fun with the composition.
• Black Cat Moon, Sarah's Theme. Another hard hitting theme for Jacky's jumpsuit-wearing brainwashed sister, she's ready to destroy you in this stormy coliseum. The Arrange Version is not as intense but seems to emphasize Sarah's more human side than her weapon side.
• Mountain Hermit Shun Di. A calm theme fitting of the series Old Master and perhaps his state of mind as he effortlessly wipes the floor with you. (Arrange Version).
• Star from Hong Kong, Pai's Theme, warns you that you're about to get your ass handed to you by this girl from China. And you'll know why after you throw the very first punch and land on the concrete instead. The Arrange Version has a little more bass and feels less threatening. Too bad she isn't.
• Young Knight, Lion's Theme, introduces another new character as well as the youngest. The Arrange Version certainly captures the experimental and creative mood of Sega at the time.
• Fisherman of the Seven Seas, Jeffry's Theme, demands concentration and determination as you stay out of his dangerous grasp. The Arrange Version has a powerful guitar complimenting his strength and soul, and you'll probably have an urge to pick up some weights yourself.
• Secret Hidden in the Leaves ~A Heartless Law~, Kage's Theme. He's a much more dangerous and confusing opponent this time around, and this song highlights his ruthlessness, but at least he's trying to fight you and not kill you. The Arrange Version has a completely different mood and is much more experimental in its synth.
• Escape, Jacky's Theme. A heroic theme that fits the man of lightning speed attacks, as well as his resolve. The Arrange Version has a hard edge guitar throughout that intensifies the fight.
• The Woodcutter's Dirge, Wolf's Theme. He's as tough as ever, and he's fought on a cold and snowy mountain, something he's probably more conditioned to than you are. The Arrange Version sounds slightly more ominous, but pushes you to persevere and make it to the next round.
• Ride the Tiger, Akira's Theme. You've finally made it this far and there's only one opponent left to fight in the tournament. A song that encourages you to stay strong and push through, Akira's trained hard and is ready to show what he's made of, and is just as eager as you are to win the title as the world's strongest. The Arrange Version is a bit more relaxed but is just as pumping. The song also appeared in Project × Zone 2 with its own unique arrangement.
• Messenger from the Dark, Dural's Theme. A fight taking place underwater in the ruins of an ancient city that affects your movement, the song highlight's Dural's mission to destroy you and make sure you never return to the surface. The Arrange Version is more guitar-driven with ominous vocals, giving it a more epic vibe against this inescapable enemy.
• Chicago, the song for the unique stage that only appears when Sarah and Jacky fight against each other. An exciting and energetic song as brother and sister fight it out. The Arrange Version is more guitar and synth driven.
• Stage Clear. Either you climbed a mountain or overcame another skilled martial artist.
• Afterimage, Credits Theme. A celebratory theme that lets you watch the final moments of each victorious bout.
• A Moment of Eternity, Name Input Theme. A soft theme fitting as a final goodbye as you put your name in before the game completely ends.
• The game's ranking mode also has a few unique jingles depending on how far you get and how well you fight. With Kyu being good, Dan being better, and Meijin being the best.
• Game Over. An urgent song that pleads with you to put in more coins, ending with a sad note should you not.

Virtua Fighter 3

Composed by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Hidenori Shoji and Fumio Ito, the soundtrack takes a much more synthesized direction, with a more emotional vibe found in the compositions. Many songs also received vocal versions as part of the "On the Vocal" image album, making you wonder if the soundtrack was composed with Mitsuyoshi's vocals in mind.

• Rowdy, the opening attract song, invites us to this installment with an exciting tune while showcasing Sega's MODEL3 board, and familiar to fans of Fighters Megamix as Siba's stage. Brave It Out ◊ Jacky, the vocal version, features Mitsuyoshi's singing.
• Underground "Sarah in the Subway" highlights a unique and exotic stage setting as well as Sarah herself, now that she's no longer Brainwashed and Crazy.
• Gostroptosis "In the Cave", exclusive to the cave level, carries a more emotional mood, good for fighting with a hint of sadness and wonder. The vocal version, Mysterious ◊ Sarah is far more energetic and guitar driven.
• Open the Deadgate "Pai on the Roof" is one of the more calm and relaxed songs for the series' Anime Chinese Girl, complimenting the old town scenery above all else. Beyond The Mirage ◊ Lau, like the rest of the vocal album, is far more upbeat by comparison.
• Raging Wind "Lau in the Great Wall" compliments the gorgeous Great Wall at sunset, which would eventually become Lau's hallmark stage in later games.
• Ancient Times "Wolf in the Desert" is a calm and relaxing theme fitting both Wolf's spiritual side and the gorgeous scenery. Too bad this is Virtua Fighter and not Virtua Meditation.
• On the Circle "Taka-arashi on the Ring" brings this infamous newcomer to the series with a song that highlights a sense of strength and serenity within the sumo champ.
• The Hall "Akira in the Bamboo Grove" reminds you that you're facing the champ of the previous tournament, fitting his theme of intense training. The vocal version, Heat Haze ◊ Kage, certainly takes advantage of its composition for Mituyoshi's vocals.
• Tender Steel "Dural" highlights the mysterious origins of this human weapon as well as her suffering, while keeping you on edge for the duration of the fight so you don't suffer instead. Some of the instrumentation sounds oddly reminiscent of very early 3D tech demos.
• After image 2 is a brief and tender song that plays during the staff roll. The vocal version, Alone ◊ Akira, features an arranged instrumental version before being extended for the vocal portion that keeps the mood.
• Tell me your memories is a relaxing song similar to the previous Name Entry screens. The vocal version, My Lover ◊ Pai, takes a few liberties with the arrangement fitting for the final song on the vocal album.
• Modesty is a fast-paced and upbeat bonus track that can be heard in Jeffry and Lau's alternate stages.
• Blandish Fist is a catchy little song that accompanies Pai's alternate nighttime stage. It got the vocal treatment as ZERO ◊ Dural.
• Persevering is one of the more intense tracks on the soundtrack, which can be heard in Wolf's alternate stage.
• Inpudence, the theme of Sarah's alternate stage, is a fast-paced piece that mixes synth pianos and guitars that compliments the action and the mood the game was likely going for.
• Tears of Falling serves as Taka-arashi's alternate stage music, with a more energetic compared to his other song. Given the mood, it shouldn't be surprising it got a vocal version in the form of Wild Blood ◊ Jeffry.
• For You..., an alternate opening song for the attract screen that showcases the spirit of the series up to that point. Its vocal version, A Night Without You ◊ Lion, has added guitar and sounds something like a love song from an anime.

Virtua Fighter 4

Composed by Sachio Ogawa and Hideaki Miyamoto, 4 saw a change in style to more of an experimental techno/rock/industrial sound, not only suiting the first game in the new millennium, but also an attempt to revitalize the series for a wider audience.

• Watch Out, Jacky's theme. A dark and dangerous theme with techno influences, perfect for another rooftop fight at nighttime.
• Blue Impact, Pai's theme. An exotic electronic tune fitting for a fight that takes place in an underwater aquarium.
• The Great Wall, Lau's theme. The game's new musical style meets the Great Wall.
• Nightmare, Wolf's theme. Pure rock that fits his setting of a dangerous underground caged fighting ring, but if the song title is any indication, he's still fighting because of the apocalyptic visions he's having.
• A Star in the Sand, Jeffry's theme. You can never go wrong with guitar on the beach.
• Terminus, Sarah's theme. Another electronic song that fits the dangerous mood of a fight in a stormy coliseum, she's still not an opponent to be taken lightly.
• Defile a Sanctity, Aoi's theme. Perfect for a Yamato Nadeshiko who can dish out some beat downs.
• Cutting Edge, Vanessa's theme. The series introduces this dangerous newcomer with a fitting song that highlights her tactical styles as well as her raw strength.
• The Last Survivor, Shun's theme. Unlike his other themes, he gets a fast-paced techno song that should warn newcomers that this old man is not to be taken lightly, even with J6 running the tournament.
• Metal Dream, Dural's normal theme. A fast-paced techno song warning you just who the Final Boss is.
• Melting Pot, Dural's theme when she's fought in stealth mode. More rock driven with monstrous-sounding vocals, you better bring your A-game with you.
• Nite Crawler, the credits theme for the arcade version, could be seen as a demo for the heavier and exciting sound direction they wanted to go for with the game.
• Ray of Light is heard in the new stage introduced in the home version. A calm track that fits the scenery of the stage, it doesn't lose any of the momentum found in the other songs.

Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution / Final Tuned

Evolution received an entirely new soundtrack, with Fumio Ito composing the majority of the songs. More rock-driven than the previous entry while maintaining its electronic feel and with a stronger emphasis on the fight itself. The same character themes would also be used in Final Tuned.

• The new intro music, a hard rocking track which helps kick off Goh and Brad's addition to the roster. It goes from heavy to fast and back and just makes you want to kick some ass.
• Push Your Luck, Lion's theme, demonstrates the more rock-driven direction while maintaining some electronic overtones. The soundtrack includes a bonus version of the song that's more experimental in tone using vocals and voice clips from the game, also giving it a melancholy feel at times.
• Rain, Lau's theme. He's fought on the Great Wall during a rainstorm, and despite its electronic tones, the mood of the song fits the setting perfectly. Like the last game's Lau theme, it's a composition by Hideaki Miyamoto.
• It's mine, mine, mine! is heard when facing against Jeffry. A purely rock-driven track packing a lot of energy, it received an extended version on the soundtrack release that adds a new layer of guitar.
• Hate a person like poison, the only character theme by Sachio Ogawa, fits Vanessa's eagerness to fight (and bury) you as face her on the harbor once more. The song's more upbeat than the title implies.
• Ever Changing, Kage's theme, uses strings and guitar to deliver a darker and more serious song, fitting a rather bitter ninja for everything J6 has done to his family.
• Clairvoyant, Lei-Fei's theme, was composed by SEGA veteran Yasuhiro Takagi and uses a wide variety of sounds and styles to highlight a man who's corrupted and twisted the teachings of legendary fighting arts that have been passed down for generations.

Virtua Fighter 5

Once again largely composed by Fumio Ito, 5 incorporates a lot more styles to flesh out its character themes, particularly of the ethnic variety. It's still a rock soundtrack at heart.

• The Menu Theme for the home versions. Calm, peaceful, soothing, beautiful and relaxing.
• Jacky's Theme, a rather melancholy track fitting a rainstorm in the city streets.
• Sarah's Theme, fitting a fight taking place near the gorgeous northern lights.
• Kage's Theme, by Nobuhiko Kashiwara from Compozila. Take ninja, mix with techno, and you get this.
• Wolf's Theme, fought on a snowy mountain you can bet counts as Scenery Porn.
• Aoi's Theme, which sounds similar to her song from VF4.
• Goh's Theme, a rocking theme fitting a fight taking place in a house falling apart (or burning down in later versions), or Goh's madness. Take your pick.
• Dural's Theme, a haunting rocking theme with organs fitting how tough she still is.

Virtua Fighter 5 R

5 R leans much harder into rock and metal for a lot of its themes, making the game feel much more intense than ever before.

• Akira's Alternate VF5 theme. First featured in this game, this catchy, upbeat rocking song will also play in Akira's stage instead of his original song if the music is set to play VF5 music in Final Showdown.
• Jacky's Theme. Just hearing how intense it is will also make you go "YEAH!"
• Jeffry's Theme, by Yasuyuki Nagata, which sounds more tribal and fitting of his whole "Island" theme.
• Pai's Theme, by Kazuki Takagi. While guitar-driven, it also highlights her delicate side.
• Lion's Theme, a hard hitting song with a haunting (but awesome) chorus. You'd never guess it, but it's composed by Megumi Takano, who also composed Lion's theme for the previous game.
• Aoi's Theme, also by Yasuyuki Nagata, perfectly fitting the character's Yamato Nadeshiko side.
• Jean's Theme, a hard rocking theme fitting J6's new weapon.

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown

This soundtrack doesn't go for the metal quite as much as the last game, but seems to have gotten even faster-paced.

• Akira's theme, composed by Junpei Mishima. It's a sort of feudal Japanese jazz song, with a blazing piano.
• Aoi's theme, which actually remixes the Hong Kong theme from R-Tuned: Ultimate Street Racing. Very sneaky, Kazuki Takagi.
• El Blaze's theme, the only character theme from this game to appear on Virtua Fighter Best Tracks + One, and being another Kazuki Takagi composition. It takes you through all the highlights of wrestling.
• Taka-Arashi's theme, by Seiichi Hamada, is much slower and more groovy than the other music here, fitting for the big sumo wrestler that he is.
• Ai wa Tsuienai (Love is Never Wasted), the Special Credits music played when you beat Dural in Arcade Mode without continues. Hearing this song will make it even more satisfying doing the objective as it is sung by Takenobu Mitsuyoshi, Kage's voice actor and the vocalist for the second opening of the anime!

Pachinko

• The intro to CR Virtua Fighter Revolution, BREAK OUT, really gets the blood pumping, and the outro, The Heart of a Champion, is simply inspiring. Both are performed by Eric Martin, and both have a classic 90's rock charm. It's a wonder why they weren't used for the main games.

Anime

• Wild Vision, the first season's opening theme. An upbeat theme to rather upbeat season.
• Kuchibiru no Shinwa (Lips of Legend), the first season's ending theme which accompanies cute images of Pai getting up in the morning, getting dressed and going out. In other words, Kawaiiko.
• Ai Gatari Nai Ze (Love is Not Enough), the second season's opening theme. This one packs a lot of energy and fighting spirit. Mitsuyoshi has claimed this song to be one of his favorites. The song made a glorious return in Project × Zone 2, and while Mitsuyoshi's vocals are absent, the new saxophone makes up for it.
• Kyouhansha (Accomplice), the ending song for Episode 20. This one is both catchy and also rather haunting with somewhat discomforting vocals and lyrics which captures Sarah's character arc.
• Eien no man-naka de (The Middle of Eternity), the second season's ending theme. More pop-based than the previous ending song with fantastic vocals. Need your fill of 90's anime J-pop? Look no further.

Image Songs and Music Videos

Dancing Shadows, an image album for Virtua Fighter 2:

• Dancing Shadows - Sarah. A somewhat melancholy piece with a nice, heavy guitar riff which captures Sarah's angst while she's under J6's control.
• Believe in Love - Jacky. A song that goes both upbeat and downbeat, exemplifying Jacky's naturally cheerful personality, but also the seriousness of his mission to save his sister. It shows the familial love he still feels for her and the hope she still remembers him.
• Go Beyond That Wave - Jeffry. A surprisingly soothing track for such a boisterous and rough character like Jeffry.
• Summer Tempest - Akira. One of the best songs in the whole album.
• Oh My Shinin' Star - Pai. An easygoing, lowkey J-Pop song that shows how despite being a celebrity, Pai is still a normal girl.
• Everyone is a Stranger - Kage. A heavy, downbeat rock song that's just right for the stoic ninja on a mission.
• CHAIN REACTION - Wolf. A little cheesy, but catchy too.
• Golden Rain - Lau. Nice, smooth guitar with a bit of an R&B style.
• Winner or Loser - Lion. A song about finding one's own inner strength and confidence, win or lose.
• Confusing Dreams - Shun. The kind of song you just want to sit back and listen to with a good drink.
• Embrace the Unreachable Heart - Dural. Hard, catchy guitar riffs, with some unusual vocals.

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