Cyber Troopers Virtual-On Oratorio Tangram (VOOT) is a cult classic Sega arcade game released in 1998 and then ported to the Dreamcast in 2000. This highly regarded twin-sticks fighter has now been released for Xbox LIVE Arcade, boasting enhanced graphics for HD screens, and offering online multiplayer.
The game has you piloting a large robot mech and pits you against other mechs in progressively harder stages. When released for the Dreamcast, a controller accessory was also released. This “twin-stick” controller allowed players to play as they would have at arcades using two joysticks. Push both sticks in one direction to move there, pulling the sticks apart jumps, and other stick combinations allow other moves such as turning or attacks. The Xbox LIVE Arcade version has a “standard” controller scheme enabled by default which uses the left stick and buttons only, but a “twin-stick” scheme can be chosen to bring the game back to its arcade origins.
While the graphics have been updated, they aren’t particularly special. The bright colour schemes and anime influenced mech designs are something that you’ll probably like or hate – I personally didn’t find that altogether appealing. The game doesn’t seem to have aged well either – it does feel a bit stuck in the past. This includes the games rudimentary menu structures right through to the jerky slow-motion replays of the death delivery blow at the end of each round. To the game’s credite, the arenas in which you fight are varied and largely interesting.
The game has an adjustable difficulty mode, so it won’t take long to get through the game’s 10 levels and collect the achievements on offer if you feel like scaling back the difficulty. The game can be quite difficult for newcomers, especially with the less than adequate tutorial that flashes information off the screen almost as fast as it appears. Little guidance is offered to assist with the “twin-sticks” mode either, which is disappointing.
The game features only a small roster of 15 mechs, although you can customise your own and save them (using the Dreamcast VMU icon within the game). While going back and trying a new mech with its own characteristics might offer a little replay value, this is a game made to be played with other humans. Online play over LIVE was reasonable in terms of lag, but finding players was a bit of a struggle. Given this, it is a shame that split-screen play has been removed from the previous Dreamcast version of the game. System Link is available, but obviously requires two consoles, two screens, and two copies of the game.
Closing Comments
Fans of the original Virtual-On games will probably be pleased with this faithful reproduction, but annoying issues like the broken online help will not help this game broaden its appeal to gamers. At 1200 Microsoft Points, it doesn’t come cheaply, although this does seem to be one of the new price points for new releases on XBLA. The demo is worth a look for anyone interested as this will exhibit the game’s graphical and gameplay style, but only fans and the truly intrigued are likely to part with their points.
