VF 10th Anniversary Update

We clear up an alarming amount of confusion arising from our Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary media posted earlier this week.

On Monday, we ran a story showing you the first screens and videos from the Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary disc, and gave gameplay details about this cool collectors' item.

Since then, more details have surfaced on the status of how this game has been, and will continue to be distributed.

For starters - let's be quite clear about this - the game, so far, is definitely 100% a standalone disc that exists by itself. We know this, because we have a copy. However, to date these have only been circulating in Europe in limited supply - primarily via GAME retail outlets, which have been giving away copies of the special disc to people who bought VF4 Evolution. Indeed, the copy from which we posted all the media on Monday was clearly a PAL copy, as indicated by the cover design and the 50/60hz option at the start of the game. They have probably run out by now, but there are still more PAL copies to be unleashed, in very limited numbers, so stay tuned. You never know, there may be some competitions round the corner...

However, it has been reported that Virtua Fighter 10th Anniversary is "included inside Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution on the same disc", with more than a hint of "so there!" attitude attached.

Today we can clear up once and for all, after confirming with SOA, that this is only true of the US release of the game, which hits stores on August 12 at an absolute miracle bargain price of $20. For the record, this is the best value new-release fighting game we can remember in the history of modern gaming - and the value is bolstered further by the inclusion of VF 10th Anniversary mode inside the US version of the game.

However, it would be incorrect to state that 10th Anniversary is included as a mode inside VF4 Evo in conclusive terms - since in the Japanese and European versions which have both been out for some time now - it is clearly not the case, and 10th Anni DOES exist as a standalone disc, in limited numbers in Europe.

So - to wrap this thing up - if you're planning to get the US version of VF4 Evolution, then you get VF 10th Anniversary - in its entirety and with all the VF1 features including play system - on the same disc. If you're not getting it, then the only way for some crazy VF1/VF4Evo hybrid fighting action is to stay tuned for ways to get hold of the European version of the standalone disc, which will no doubt be a bit of a collectors item due to it having its own packaging.

Phew! So that's that cleared up.

Adam Doree
Director, Kikizo.com