By: SEGA

Genre: Fighter

Release Date: March 26, 2026

Platform Used: Nintendo Switch 2

Rating: 2.5/5

Boy I love the Nintendo Swtich 2. It reminds me of a charming console that had just as few games but was not as well-endowed with hardware. I am of course, speaking of the Atari Lynx. The Lynx however, had the advantage that it was getting what was, at the time, triple A games released for it at launch. Aside from two or three exclusives, the Nintendo Switch 2 has exactly zero triple A games released for it at their original release, one was cancelled, but Crimson Desert will be subjucted to the wrath of Orcus in due course. All the other major games released at the time of their release are in fact for the switch and not its successor.

Yes, aside from having very few games available for it on release (where is the next Madden Nintendo?), and being treated to “games” in the form of $5 upgrades for games that are already compatible with it, we now come to the point where we are getting ports of remasters of updates a year late two. Does that sound overly specific and verbose? Well Street Fighter 5 R.E.V.O is an update for a remaster that has been out for a while on other consoles, and is now being ported to switch a year late. And this comes less than a month after we got a FREE update that renders those $5 updates inconsequential.

Now I, Orcus the Vile, like Nintendo – know my audience. Sometimes I find an unspoiled village in the Carpathian mountains where they still sacrifice roosters once a year to protect their sheep from wolves. When this happens, I rub my shovel-like hands together in glee. I then send my chief proselytizer, Brother Paganizer, to go seed the old ways there. Unlike the Paganizer, Nintendo saw Street Fighter 6 had an audience and said unto themselves: “let’s get another fighting game here. And what better game than Virtua Fighter? Yakuza 2 had a full working arcade version of it, so lets charge our consumers 60+ dollars for it.” I will be honest here: As a wight that has not seen the inference of a conference room (that is the word young people use for council chambers now I’m told) since before the Great War – I may be a little out of touch. But even I know that if Nintendo released more games, they would probably know more about their playerbase. It does feel a little like they assume because street fighter was successful, and because smash bros was successful in the past, Virtua Fighter R.E.V.O would be a smash hit. However, Orcus the Vile is not a prognosticator, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt.

I am a staunch follower of the old ways. Turkey legs, wenches, and feats of strength were they back in the old days. In my boyhood there were none who could beat Orcus the Vile in good old rambunctious wrestling. And now, being long in the tusk, and ashen of beard – I like to live vicariously through fighting games. I am told Zangief bears a remarkable resemblance to me when I took up the cross of Templar in the 12th century. Dark Stalkers, Tekken, Soul Calibur, Mortal Kombat, I’ve done them all. But Virtua Fighter never struck me as the cream of the crop. But as I have said: benefit of the doubt. What is this game they offered up unto us?

Honestly, not a bad game. We didn’t get some slapped together, half-forgotten port for the sake of it. We got a well-programmed, responsive, easy to learn fighter that is cleverly geared towards and optimized for online multiplayer. I have my doubts the online multiplayer will thrive, and it remains to see how long it endures, but the potential is there.

The graphics are beautiful, and unlike some other next gen fighting games, it doesn’t just look like unity slop. The graphics would be incredible if there wasn’t a distinct dip in quality as the game goes from cutscene to combat. Hair looks awkward, and the realism of the sand is more photo realistic than the fighters themselves. There’s some potential here, but it remains hidden unfortunately. Controls are different from the usual Street Fighter style layout, it is easy to learn, and rewards experimentation. And I like those games that have controls that are quick to learn through built-in reinforcement.

The game’s difficulty does spike incredibly fast in arcade mode, Almost disproportionately so. If there is a problem with the singleplayer, it’s how quickly you need to hike those controls you just learned and were adapting to. This game will not hold your hand.

Another problem is the story. If there is one – they hide it really well. That being said, usually with a fighting game the story is thinner than an anorexic tapeworm. What can I say? You don’t expect hamlet from a fighting game. And I know you can probably read the story to Virtua Fighter 5 somewhere, but a manual is not a substitute for a plot.

So that’s virtua fighter 5, an average but enjoyable fighting game. Was it worth porting? Probably, but there are other games that would be fun too. Try it out if you have the cash (and a Nintendo Switch 2, I’m told they do in fact appear outside Japan) but don’t expect the next smash bros.