Virtua Fighter Kids

Virtua Fighter Kids is a lighthearted arcade spin-off of the main series by Sega AM2, which in 1996 transformed the fighters from the famous 3D series into figures with big heads and shrunken bodies in the then-popular "super deformed" style. Beneath the playful visuals, however, hid a practically unchanged combat system from the main series, making it an unusual combination of cute looks and serious fighting mechanics, something fairly uncommon in the mid-1990s.

The controls and character movement were taken directly from the then-current installment of the series, so players familiar with Virtua Fighter could apply their habits unchanged - only the visual coat changed, not the rules of combat. The fighter roster mirrored the lineup of the main series, including their signature styles and special techniques, just in a much more stylized form, which set the game apart from the more serious entries and drew in players who otherwise wouldn't have tried a serious fighting game.

This kind of spin-off, where a seriously toned series got a lighthearted version with shrunken characters, was a fairly common way for Japanese developers in the nineties to reach a broader audience without having to change the game's core. Virtua Fighter Kids is thus an interesting example of how Sega approached expanding its flagship series with alternative takes on the same experience.

For players who knew the Virtua Fighter series from its more seriously toned arcade cabinets, the contrast between the realistic look of the main line and the cute proportions of the Kids version could be surprising, but mechanically it was exactly the same experience - just in a different wrapper. This set the game apart from most similar "chibi" versions of other series, which often simplified the gameplay itself as well, whereas here the combat system remained untouched.

Why play it: Virtua Fighter Kids will appeal to players who know and like the combat system of the main series but want to experience it in a lighthearted, visually casual wrapper. It's an interesting curiosity from the mid-1990s showing how Sega experimented with its own more serious series, rather than a full-fledged alternative to the main installments.