Virtual On: Cybertroopers

Once upon a time, I didn't have any computer games at home. I wasn't allowed to use the family computer and I didn't have an SNES, PC, or PS1. I only had the arcade to play at, and a very large part of my memory of those days involved only two things: associating with shady, rugby-smelling people I wouldn't be caught associating with anywhere else, and playing Virtual On: Cybertroopers.

At some point in my life, included in my list of things I just had to do in this lifetime was to take home a game cabinet of Virtual On (see picture) - and only so I can make sweet love to it and have Virtual On children (if electrocution via junk didn't kill me). I loved this game that much.

The game is basically a one-vs-one third person fighting simulation of one mech called a virtuoid going against another virtuoid across varying locations from forests to space stations.

There were 8 mechs to choose from, each with varying advantages and disadvantages, like the Viper-II that was quick as heck but had paperthin armor that went up in smoke the moment it touched anything more damaging than killer intentions. Others like the Raiden were slow and cumbersome but had thick armor and anti-ship weaponry that basically vaporized Viper-II types so hard, it punched holes on player egos as well.

Controls were pretty novel for its time, hell it's still as novel even now. Virtual On took the then shitty Sega Cyberslide's dual joystick idea and made it actually fun to use. Moving the right joystick up and the left down, made you rotate. Moving joysticks in the same direction made you move forward/backward/strafe. Seperating the sticks made you jump and putting them close together made your mech guard. Boosters are placed on top of each joystick and triggers for different types of weaponry are also provided. Locking on was semiautomatic, so as long as you have yoru enemy on sight, you will always be facing that enemy. Even up until now, this control configuration is still unrivaled in easy of use and flexibility when it comes to robot-simulation games. (FUCK YOU GUNDAM BANDAI).

Gameplay is relatively simple. You use your mech's weapons to destroy your enemy before or until the time runs out. In single player, you will be given 4 enemies and your time will be measured. If you're not fast enough, you will be given a penalty stage facing a midgame boss that took many coins to the underworld. Ranks will be given ranging from C, B, S, SS, SSS, and finally the rank I've only gotten once in my life, A. (one of my life's greatest achievements, sadly) If you get past that, you fight another five enemies and complete the game.

One of the greatest joys in this game is that while it's very intuitive to play, there's a great dose of strategy and skill involved for multiplayer. Since there are very few complex move combinations, you focus more on using the stage to the advantage of what weapons you have. At one point, I remember an ad hoc league being formed in SM Bacoor just for this game. There's no joy greater than demolishing your enemy without a single bullet ever grazing you.

The only letdown of this game is that the joysticks on the machines were very quick to break, and once one of them has broken down, the machines are next to useless. After a while they all just disappeared from arcades everywhere and the game is lost in antiquity.

Lost, to most people anyway. A PC port still exists, capable of network gameplay and with video-card supported graphics so the look of the game is still decent. Some hacking is necessary to make the game work but it's well worth the hassle. The joystick control may be missing, but the experience is still as close to the real thing as it gets.

This game is one classic you shouldn't let slip past you. There are several sites for downloading online, or alternatively i can give you a copy of the game if it's not too much of a hassle for me (it becomes less of a hassle if you give me a good reason to give you a copy).

Virtual On is still the standard by which all mech fighting games are measured. So far, it's irreplaceable - at least until they find a way to give this game's sequel online connectivity.