I say again, as I have said so many times, and shall continue to say forever, that nothing beats a good giant robot game. In my virtual dreams, I have done many things. I have flown. I have been to Afghanistan. I have driven a Subaru Impreza WRC, most coveted among automobiles. I have played the role of any number of legendary heroes. I have even, on rare occasions, been able to convince myself that I could dance. But any number of lesser videogame experiences, of whatever sort, will never, ever compare to the sublime joy of getting into a huge anthropomorphic robot, stomping around, flying hither and thither, and shooting/beam-swording/napalm-bombing the living hell out of everything. It just doesn't get any better than that.

The original Virtual On didn't come a moment too soon. Before that, the only even vaguely passable mech sims out there were PC games like Mechwarrior (slow, low detail), or arcade has-beens like B.O.T.S.S. (a pastry if you remember that one). None of its predecessors matched V-ON's intense speed, sharp graphics, and precise control, though. I still remember my first try at it, hurling the VR-Dorcas' mace as I realized that yes, there were arcade games worth three quarters a shot.

The new Dreamcast version is actually my first go at the sequel, though. Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram receieved terribly sparse distribution in arcades, of course, like every other Model 3 game. Up until now, the only place I'd ever seen it was in the pages of the dear, departed UK Official Sega Saturn Magazine. Incidentally, as an aside, I highly recommend the last few issues of that superb publication; dating from a period when domestic Saturn releases had all but ceased in the West, they contain unequalled import, arcade, and game strategy coverage. Mr. Leadbetter, if you're out there, you have my thanks. I would have never finished Panzer Dragoon Saga without your help.

But Virtual On 2 is the matter at hand, and after a long test of the imported Dreamcast version, I can say that if this is not a perfect arcade port, I can see no glaring deficiencies that would prevent it from receiving that coveted title. Sega Rally 2's obvious framerate fluctuations do not appear to be in evidence (to my admittedly imprecise eye, anyway); the game only slows down when it wants to, to catch especially impressive impacts in the post-battle replays. Otherwise, it's a solid sixty frames, as smooth as Chihuly glass and just as beautiful.

It surprised me to discover that certain of my colleagues didn't actually think much of Virtual On's visual style. It is true that the level of texture detail remains low; though they're constructed out of many more polygons than in the Model 2 original, most of the mechs are still colored with flat or Gouraud shades. But to me that seems to be a strength rather than a weakness. A coherent, pleasing style can be a game's most potent asset; the Panzer Dragoon games were made classics by the world Team Andromeda created. It's the same in the case of Virtual On. Taking the obvious inspirations from the classic traditions of mecha anime, and adding a touch of Tron's sharp lines and primary colors, it creates mechs and arenas that visually merit the term "Virtual." They have the bright, slightly outlandish look of something that could only exist within a computer. The graphics, in turn, complement the framerate and fast, arcade-style gameplay; with the duller, more utilitarian mech designs of Gundam or Macross, the game wouldn't be half as much fun to play, let alone look at.

The game is, by all means, great fun to play. There are more mechs than in the original, including a few hidden ones, and they're all a bit better balanced in terms of speed and destructive potential. The line between the fast skirmish mechs and heavier tanks is still pretty clearly-drawn, but some, like the old-model Apharmd, blur that line a little, and a couple of oddball mechs partially defy categorization. It's to that latter group that my personal favorite so far belongs, the death's-head-adorned Specineff, with its massive scythe.

Specineff Launch Sequence MPEG - 1.4 MB
Specineff Combat Sequence MPEG - 3.9 MB

I've also developed a fondness for the transforming Cypher (cousin to the original's Viper II), which undoubtedly has the game's niftiest launch cinema, and wonderful win poses (try to get a perfect with him, if you can).

Cypher Launch Sequence MPEG - 1.3 MB
Cypher Combat Sequence MPEG - 2.2 MB

Combat in the 3D arenas is as fast as in the original, to the point where the twinstick peripheral looks like it will be a must for effective control, especially in the versus mode. The DC pad almost manages to keep up, except in the area of rotation. There are several control schemes programmed into the game, but they all seem to hang up a bit when it comes to turning your mech on a dime. Generally, you have to resort to a dash or jump/jump-cancel combo to quickly face your opponent; the former leaves you vulnerable when you brake to a stop, and the latter is annoying to execute when you're trying to dodge incoming fire and draw a bead on your opponent. We sincerely hope for a US release of the twinsticks, however limited it may be (surely Sega can sell them on-line, at least). They're what the game was designed to be played with, and it isn't half as much fun without them.

While I'm begging for the release of oddball peripherals, let me also make a plea for the link cable. There is a split-screen versus mode, but it's the only minor disappointment in the game; presumably to keep the framerate steady, the two windows have the same aspect ratio as your TV, meaning that the screen has a bit of a letterboxed look to it, and your view of the battlefield is a bit smaller than one might hope. Since we won't get to play this over the net, at least grant us this one favor, so we may smite our friends unto the dust in the most glorious detail the Dreamcast can offer.

All that said, of course, I don't want to give the impression that I didn't have a great time in the single-player game with the standard Dreamcast pad. The opposition is decently intelligent, although the bosses are a bit cheap when you first meet them, and then easy once you suss their patterns.

Mid-Boss Skin-Of-Your-Teeth MPEG - 1.9 MB

Of course, if CPU turns out to be too smart, you can always spend some time in the excellent training mode, which gives you an opportunity to hone your skills and practice the many hidden maneuvers (there's far more than the handful found in the original, and they're generally much more impressive).

Like I say, it doesn't generally get better than mech games, and so far, mech games don't get better than Virtual On 2. Its roots are in the arcade, but it has the depth and replay value to succeed as a home game, and its graphics have a beautiful style all their own. The game is, I believe, queued up for an American release early next year; hopefully, the twinstick, link cable, and lovely Japanese cover art will follow in step. After all I've blown on imported Dance Dance Revolution nonsense, I don't think my bank account can take much more...

Those of you with envy-inspiring net connections may also be interested in these downloads.

Intro Movie MPEG - 7.3 MB
Angelan Battle MPEG - 5.7 MB