Jeffery says of Suzuki's status that "Last I heard, he was doing some online stuff in China", saying that the Space Harrier and Virtua Fighter creator is "kind of his own man right now." Suzuki's recent projects, the arcade game Psy Phi and MMO Shenmue Online never made it to final production stages.

There's obviously much more to the Jeffery Q&A and, as you may be aware, we're fans of the frank Sega exec — and not just because he kept hope alive for a System 16 compilation. The entirety of the interview is worth your while.

The Evolution Of Sega: A Conversation With Simon Jeffery [Gamasutra - thanks, Jay!]

Can a fake arcade cabinet qualify as dreamy? I'd say "yes".
Lindberg Style Arcade Cabinet [VFDC, thanks Brian!]

Let the comparisons begin! A trio of Xbox 360 Virtua Fighter 5 screens have trickled out. The game is slated for an August release for North America and Europe. And for Japan? Not sure, but why bother. Brian Ashcraft

VF5 Xbox 360 Screens [Sega Nerds]

In an interview with Games Radar Christian Nutt, Sega's AM2 talk Virtua Figher 5 and how they "begged" to make an Xbox 360 incarnation. Their rational? Make money Get the game to the widest audience possible. The developers even hope that the Xbox 360 one will outsell its PS2 prequel! The devs also say it took AM2 the same amount of time to create the PS3 version that it did the Xbox 360 one, and both versions were "equally challenging." One of the devs, though, added that developing for the Xbox 360 version was easier, and that Microsoft was very supportive and helpful during the process. Brian Ashcraft

Virtua Fighter Feature [Games Radar]

It's Monday which means new games on the Wii Shop Channel for everyone to enjoy. Punch Out!! (500 points), Virtua Fighter (800 points), and Bonk's Revenge (600 points) are now available for everyone who was disappointed at their tax refund and need to be frugal for the rest of the month.

Of course, nothing saves $250 better than those Wii shortages. Kim Phu

[Wii-kly Update]

Punch Out!!! (NES - 500 Points): Originally Mike Tyson's Punch Out, the games was later released as Punch Out!! featuring Mr. Dream due to contract issues and Tyson's loss to Buster Douglas. Hands-down the best boxing title until Ready 2 Rumble.

Virtua Fighter 2 (Genesis - 800 Points): Take that, Xbox 360 and PS3! You thought you were he only ones getting Virtua Fighter? Eat it! The Wii is not only getting a VF title, but an eleven year old one to boot. It's not even the best port of the game either, with much better PC and Saturn versions available, so...um. Yeah. Take that, you next-generation powerhouses. *sigh*

Bonk's Revenge (TGFX16 - 600 Points): The stirring story of an encephalitic caveman who finds a way to turn a debilitating condition into a tool for prehistoric justice, killing various plants and animals with his enlarged cranium in his quest to recover half of the moon, stolen by King Drool III. Sometimes he bites stuff.

Sometimes the VC update also bites stuff, and this feels like one of these times for me despite my penchant for physical violence. The games are all great mind you, but not titles I feel the need to play over again. Press release says knock you out, after the jump. Michael Fahey

April 16, 2007 Wii-kly Update: Three New Classic Games Announced for Wii Shop Channel

Three classic games from three classic systems. The only problem you'll have this week is deciding which one to download first. For the best retro gaming around, it's time to pay a visit to the popular Wii(TM) video game system's Wii Shop Channel.

Three new classic games go live at 9 a.m. Pacific time. Nintendo adds new games to the channel every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points(TM) to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

Punch Out!!(R) Featuring Mr. Dream (NES(R), 1 player, 500 Wii Points): As young boxer Little Mac, players have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to battle the big guys of the World Video Boxing Association circuit. Take them on one by one, starting with skinny Glass Joe. Battle up through King Hippo and all the way to the WVBA Champion himself. Players use their best jabs, hooks and power uppercuts to knock out opponents, but must pay attention to subtle changes in their body position to dodge jaw-breaking blows. With great graphics, addictive action and a touch of humor, this game will keep players entertained for hours.

Virtua Fighter(TM) 2 (Sega Genesis, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Virtua Fighter was the very first 3-D fighting game in the industry and introduced six unique characters, each with their own martial arts style. In Virtua Fighter 2, the intrepid fighters return to the World Fighting Tournament. Players take to the stage to see who will claim the championship title. Will it be Lau Chan, Kage-Maru, Wolf Hawkfield, Jeffry McWild, Akira Yuki, Jacky Bryant, Sarah Bryant or Pai Chan? The answer lies within. Players immerse themselves in this technically challenging game and see if they have what it takes to be the champion of the second World Fighting Tournament.

Bonk's Revenge (TurboGrafx16, 1 player, 600 Wii Points): The "hardheaded" hero is back for more in the second installment of the Bonk series. Taking place in the Monster Kingdom, Bonk the Caveman makes his way toward King Drool III. Bonk's Revenge is a side-scrolling action game in which players Jump and "Bonk" (head-butt) their enemies while they make their way to the goal at the end of each stage. Double, even triple, attack power by eating the meat that appears in a stage. There are eight different hidden bonus stages, and the Dinosaur Train that appears after players defeat a boss will change depending on how many Smileys they've collected. With new actions such as the Triangle Jump and the ability to climb trees, as well as seven variety-packed stages, Bonk's Revenge will keep players playing over and over.

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Thank Sega for giving the PLAYSTATION a decent controller. At E3, we fiddled around with the PS3's control pad, which felt a tad too light and dainty. What's more, no Dual Shock. But, this Sega "VIRTUA STICK High Grade" makes us forget our whining pronto. Look, there are pink buttons! Downer that we'll have to wait until 2007, when Sega releases Virtua Fighter 5. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Insert Credit]

Splashy water, whippy pigtails and shiny shiny skin in these new Virtua Fighter 5 screens. From Computer and Video Games:

Promising seventeen fighters, including new comers El Blaze and Eileen, you'll have the ability to customize your characters with costumes and a bunch of attachable items to stick on their various body parts.

Virtua Fighter, Katamari style. At the end of a truly successful campaign, you can actually start attaching lesser fighters to your heaving flesh until you become a hideous, sticky gestalt of asskickery. eliza gauger

Unfortunately, Kataoka gives very little info on console versions of Virtua Fighter 5 and After Burner Climax, or updates to other Sega arcade favorites but it's a good read nonetheless.

The Last Arcade Crusaders [1UP]

The Virtua Fighter web site saw a series of updates this weekend, with one new bit being info on character customization. Players can buy items and store those items on terminal cards for a small fee, tricking out their El Blazes, Sarahs, and Akiras with all sorts of accessories.

The site also points out that each character will start with four standard looks to upgrade. Hopefully, this level of customization will carry over to whatever next-gen system Sega sees fit to port VF5.

Official Virtua Fighter 5 Site

It's also an opportunity to get your first look at one of the new combatants, Eileen, whose style looks like monkey kung fu. Monkey kung fu! I've been drooling for a monkey fighter since van Damme's Bloodsport.

VF5 Shaky Cam Videos [File Front]
Virtua Fighter 5 Official Web Site

What do you get when you cross a martial artist, an EyeToy and Virtua Fighter? Seriously sick moves, that's what. Kick ass martial artist Esco set out to review the Virtua Fighter EyeToy. Like the regular EyeToy peripheral, movements unfold in real time as players actually kick, jump and punch five feet from their TVs. Voices, sound effects and music are all directly from the game. Easy mode, Esco notes, is slow-paced and good for getting your Bruce Lee on. Medium is a huge step up with complicated combos and attacks. Hard falls somewhere between impossible and friggin' impossible. Seems like fun, but I just wish they could do something about the backgrounds. My living room decor doesn't exactly scream kick-ass.

Read Esco's Full Review [HigherVoltage] via Insert Credit