Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Operation Moongate

Cyber Troopers Virtual-On: Operation Moongate
Developer(s)	Sega AM3
Publisher(s)	Sega
Platform(s)	Arcade, Sega Saturn, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2
Release date(s)	1995
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single-player/ Multiplayer
Rating(s)	ELSPA: 11+ ESRB: K-A
Media/distribution	CD-ROM
Cabinet	Sit-down
Arcade system	Sega Model 2

Cyber Troopers Virtual-On (電脳戦機バーチャロン, Dennō Senki Bācharon^?) was released in arcades and for Sega Saturn and PC, all in both America and Japan. There were actually two PC versions released, a normal version for North America and a 3D accelerated version for Japan. There were also two-player online versions of the game released in America and Japan for the Sega Saturn using the NetLink and XBAND services. A PlayStation 2 version was released on October 30, 2007, as part of the Sega Ages 2500 line, featuring improved framerates, music and additional features not found in the original versions.

Game Mechanics

Virtual-On is set up similar to a Versus fighting game. Two Virtuaroids (Mecha) face each other on a stage. The player(s) use a variety of firearms, explosives, hand-to-hand combat, and other techniques to destroy the enemy for a set number of rounds, usually a single battle, or best two out of three rounds, like fighting games.

The game is made to be played with a two-joystick setup, known as the twin-sticks. Each stick is equipped with a trigger and a button on top of the stick.

The twin sticks control the virtuaroid on screen much like a bulldozer. Pushing or pulling both sticks in one direction will make it move in that direction, while pushing one stick forward and pulling the other back will make it turn in the forward direction. Pulling the sticks apart causes the virtuaroid to jump into the air, and will cause it to automatically turn to face the opponent. Pulling them towards each other while pulling a trigger causes the virtuaroid to crouch while firing.

The top buttons are Turbo buttons. Pressing a Turbo button while moving will cause the virtuaroid to dash for a few seconds. Dashing is used to avoid enemy fire, or to maneuver quickly around the stage. Virtuaroids can fire while dashing. While Dash-firing, like during a jump, the virtuaroid will turn to face the enemy before shooting.

Each virtuaroid is armed with three "weapons". Two of those weapons are associated with either the left or the right trigger, and are referred to as the Left Weapon (LW) and Right Weapon (RW) respectively. The Right Weapon is generally a Virtuaroid's main weapon, usually a rifle or gun. The Left Weapon is commonly a support weapon, often an explosive. Left weapons usually have a blast radius and can inflict splash damage even if they miss the target directly. The third weapon is called the Center Weapon (CW), and is activated by pulling both triggers at the same time. Depending on the selected virtuaroid, a Center Weapon attack can be extremely powerful, but can only be used a few times in a row before they run out of energy. Each weapon's size, power, and rate of fire is varied by the virtuaroid's actions when the player pulls the trigger. For example, a standing Temjin's RW is a single shot from its rifle, but while dashing, the RW unleashes a rapid burst of shots at once. While dashing, the virtuaroid's direction may also have an effect on the attack.

Virtuaroids

Description

In the Virtual-On universe, Virtuaroids became relatively easy to produce when the creation of matter through "reverse conversion", and the virtuaroids themselves, were discovered. They are produced by first constructing a working skeletal frame, then installing the "V-connector", and lastly creating their armor through reverse conversion. Later in the series, the V-converter would be responsible for the full creation of the Virtuaroid, including the skeletal frame.

List of Virtuaroids

• MBV-04-G "Temjin"

The first of the two original Virtuaroids, the Temjin is a well-balanced VR that serves as the architecture basis of all Virtuaroids. It is well equipped for long-, mid-, and close-range combat; a pair of fold-out boosters installed underneath its V-converter aids in both speed and aerial combat. When the Temjin was first designed, its concept included a railgun for combat, which proved to be too cumbersome, and ill-suited for melee combat. Eventually, it was retooled to use a Multipurpose Beam Launcher, or M.P.B.L., a weapon capable of acting both as a rifle and an energy sword.

A simplified variant of the Temjin was also produced. This streamlined version, called the 10/80, is colored gray and equipped with a vulcan cannon and sometimes a railgun. One of the first pilots to use it effectively was Issy Hatter of the S.H.B.V.D., who used the 10/80 to defeat a second-generation Apharmd.

• HBV-05-E "Raiden"

The second of the two original Virtuaroids, the Raiden was created alongside the Temjin as a heavy battle VR. Heavily armored and incredibly strong, it is highly feared on the battlefield. The Raiden's shoulder-mounted lasers were salvaged from 26 Battlecruisers disassembled after the war. With these high-powered lasers, the original purpose of the Raiden unit was to intercept and destroy enemy spacecraft before they reached Earth's atmosphere. These lasers are capable of completely destroying a VR in a single shot or, less commonly, of heavily incapacitating one. To complement the lasers, the Raiden is equipped with a "shell bazooka", which was originally designed with a flat-launcher laser, although its power flow proved to be impossible to regulate while the weapon was in use. The Raiden is also equipped with mines that are dispensable from its palms. Due to the high-cost construction of the Raiden and lack of available postwar battlecruisers, it was impossible to produce them in high numbers. This resulted in production being halted at 26 units. Consequently, the D.N. corporation created the Belgdor and Dorkas Virtuaroids to make up for the low production numbers of the very expensive Raiden.

When Operation Moongate ended and the D.N. cooperation split into the DNA and RNA armies, the DNA army created the Special-Heavy-Battle-Virtuaroid-Division, or "S.H.B.V.D.", as a special forces unit. The unit was made up mostly of heavily customized Raidens, such as the HBV-05-SR4 unit belonging to Lt. Salpen, which uses heavy chaingun, and Dash Pronger's HBV-05-E/k2, which was capable of faster movement than normal.

• MBV-09-C "Apharmd"

A guerrilla-warfare VR based on the Temjin's skeletal frame. The Apharmd is the choice of advanced virtuaroid pilots, possessesing special melee weapons known as "Tongfers", which are fold-out beam-blade versions of tonfa weapons, connected by a swivel on its wrists. These tongfers use high-density beams of energy that can break through even the toughest defense. In addition to the Tongfers, the Apharmd is armed with a shotgun and the same dispensable bombs as those used by the Temjin. With its high speed and agility, the Apharmd is a highly capable Virtuaroid and, in large numbers, a force to be feared.

When Operation Moongate ended and the D.N. corporation split into the DNA and RNA armies, the Apharmd became the choice VR of the RNA army. It was one of the first VRs to undergo transformation into the second generation series, resulting in the creation of a number of variants to cater to different types of special missions.

• SAV-07-D "Belgdor"

A heavy-type Virtuaroid created out of necessity due to the high cost of the Raiden unit, it uses the Raiden's skeletal frame as a chassis, and uses missiles rather than lasers. It has twin missile launchers built into its shoulders, as well as a high-frequency radar dish built into its head. This VR is often used for bombing operations. It carries a grenade launcher in its right hand and is armed with a napalm weapon in its left. Its weapons can be considered quite powerful, and is used as foil to the Raiden series. However, the dramatic change in the design has left it with relatively weak armor, and the missile weaponry installed in its upper body has resulted in balancing issues. These issues make the Belgdor unsuitable for close-range combat.

The S.H.B.V.D. was known for using Belgdor alongside Raiden when the group was first formed. When it was discovered RNA had already finished the new second-generation Apharmds, the Belgdors were discovered to be nearly useless against them. As a result, the "Belmate", a slightly larger Belgdor painted gray rather than the traditional green, was developed. The Belmate was equipped with a much better radar system than the Belgdor, and was used briefly in Operation Sand Sycthe until its successor, the GRYS-VOK, was developed.

• HBV-10-B "Dorkas"

A heavy-battle type Virtuaroid also created as a substitute for the expensive Raiden Unit. It has a design very different from that of the Raiden and Belgdor, very high strength, and was created with energy efficiency in mind. It also has a mace-like hammer that can be launched at the enemy mounted on its left arm, a claw mounted on its right hand, and a fire-lanced bombing system implanted into its chest. The Dorkas is much shorter than the other virtuaroids, which makes it somewhat difficult to engage in melee combat. Despite its incredible strength, demand for the Dorkas was relatively low, which caused production to cease quickly, before Operation Moongate had ended.

The RVR-64 "i-Dorkas", a variation of the Dorkas was created for use in construction. It has no weapons and has a shovel claw installed on its left arm.

• TRV-06-E "Viper 2"

The XMU-06A "Viper Version Alpha" and later the TRV-06-E "Viper" were created by the eccentric scientist Dr. Yzerman, who reworked the Temjin's concept into a more mobility-based Virtuaroid. The Viper had much higher mobility and speed, which became its greatest assets in aerial combat. However, during one of the VR's tests, the pilot of the Viper lost control over the VR, and his last words before the unit crashed into ground were, "She's lost control!"

The Viper was eventually modified to fix the loss of control over the aerial thrusters. Once the TRV-06-E "Viper 2" was finished, it was fitted for weaponry: a beam launcher was built into the its chest, and it carries a fast-firing vulcan cannon, which is also capable of launching streams of missiles, in its right hand. The Viper 2 also has Special Wing Binders mounted onto its back to complement the powerful thrusters. However, as a side effect of its high mobility, the Viper 2 lacks sufficient armor for prolonged combat, and is often turned down for the less agile but better armored Temjin. In what is believed to be either a sick joke at the late test pilot's expense or a dedication, the Viper can empty all of its energy into its thrusters and ram into its opponent in a kamikaze-like fashion; this moved has been dubbed "S.L.C.", short form for "She's lost control."

Eventually, Yzerman continued his research on the Viper in an attempt to give it more functionality. The result was the YZR-540SH "Viper 540sh", which was capable of transforming into a jet-fighter. While the prototype ultimately proved unfit for combat, special retooled variations were given to a select few pilots, two of whom were part of the RNA's "Rose Sisters."

• XBV-13-t11 "Bal-Bas-Bow"

The design of the Bal-Bas-Bow was based on the head of a Virtuaroid found during the excavation of the moongate, which was incomplete upon full recovery. The Bal-Bas-Bow is a highly experimental and unstable Virtuaroid, that is armed with E.R.L.s, or Ejectable-remote-limbs, on its arms. These weapons can be mentally controlled from the cockpit, and serve as remote turrets. The bottom half of the Bal-Bas-Bow is a hovercraft instead of legs, which provides poor mobility to inexperienced pilots.

• SRV-14-A "Fei-Yen"

The SRV-14-A "Fei-Yen" is the only Virtuariod from Operation Moongate not designed by the D.N. Corporation. It was designed by a mysterious independent syndicate; specifically, by L'Ln Plajiner, the daughter of a renowned VR scientist, a child prodigy at age 10. She managed to design and build the "Fei-Yen", a feminine Virtuaroid unit with an emotion-system built into its V-converter. However, through some unknown means, the original Fei-Yen model "escaped", and has been missing ever since. A simplified version of Plajiner's original design has gone into production. It has high speed but relatively weak weapons, and its left hand is equipped with a sword that can launch weak beams towards its enemy. During moments of extreme panic or weakness, the Fei-Yen's emotion system goes into "hyper mode," during which its color changes to bright gold, its weapon systems increases in power, and its speed output is pushed to its limits.

• Z-gradt

A powerful enemy and the guardian of the Moongate, the Z-gradt is a powerful 4-legged tank that protects the moongate and its solar-cannon. It has a very high defense, and built-in beam weaponry. A large particle-cannon is constructed into the center of its frame. While the Z-gradt's defense is lowered when the particle-cannon is in use, the cannon itself is stronger than even that of the Raiden's laser-irradiators. What controls the Z-gradt is unknown, but appears determined to prevent humanity from using the moongate.

• Jaguarandi

During one of the many tests DN performed to discover pilots with a high VO+ rating, a small boy's consciousness was absorbed into the Reverse-convert while controlling a Raiden. The result was a fatal bug and mutation in the M.S.B.S.'s gameplay. Should a player disengage against the computers made to test the pilot, the bug will manifest itself in the form of a mutated Raiden known as Jaguarandi. Jaguarandi is heavily armed with four Laser irradiators and powerful seeking-bombs. While the armament has been confirmed by reports, the Jaguarandi's size and appearance has varied greatly. Respective eyewitnesses have claimed to have seen it as red, green, and many other colours. Some claim it was as large as a battleship, and others, as tiny as a Dorkas. While Jaguarandi has proven to be an annoyance to players of the M.S.B.S. control games, DN found it to be nothing more than a bug, and have no plans to remove it from the program.

Version Differences

• The Saturn version of the game was significantly compromised, as expected from Saturn releases of games based on Sega Model 2 arcade hardware. The Saturn version of the game runs at half the framerate, a lower resolution, and lacks any lighting effects. The arcade version’s polygonal backgrounds were replaced with 2D images for the Saturn release. Certain arenas have elements removed when played in split-screen mode, such as the elevated outer ring in Ruins and the hills in Green Hills. Finally, many weapons behave differently in the Saturn version when compared to the arcade original.
• By default, the PC version runs at half the framerate of the arcade version. An option in the graphics menu allows the player to choose between 30 and 60 frame/s modes. It uses the same resources as the arcade release, retaining detail in the arenas and polygonal backgrounds. It also runs in a higher resolution than the arcade original. In Japan, twin-sticks were made available for the PC. The game allows the player to mimic a twin-stick setup by using two identical two-button gameport joysticks.
• The PlayStation 2 version is the most feature-rich interpretation of the original arcade version so far, featuring a smooth framerate, enhanced resolution, updated music and improved effects. A multitude of extras were added to the game, including "Z-gradt Mode" where the player takes control of Z-gradt for the first time in Virtual-On history (without the use of a hacking device), "Chibi-chara Mode" which turns the Virtuaroid models into superdeformed versions, and "Assault Mode" where both Virtuaroids are restricted to close-combat weapons. To commemorate Virtual-On's 10th anniversary, several gallery modes were added, including posters, CD case art and a VR-collection viewer. There is no twin-stick controller for the PlayStation 2, however, though the DualShock's analog sticks can be used in a similar manner.