Q&A: Whilst getting some paint inspiration, the Virtual On page brings back memories of ’08. And, does the contact form work?
Hi, Just wanted to say hi. I was taking a break from painting some Warhammer 40k models and while my airbrush cooled down I thought I’d grab a tub of paints and figure out how to paint a battlesuit on the base of the model I’m currently working on. I’ve always wanted to paint some Tau in the style of some of the Virtuaroids from Virtual On and while looking for the artwork for Belgdor to try to colour-match with my paints I saw a crazy screenshot of a big head mode Apharmd. Following that link brought me to your website and it is peak 2008 web design. Sure, it looks dated by today’s standards but I had a lot of fun reading your review of the Sega Ages version of Virtual On: Operation Moongate. I owned that game on the Saturn and played it once or twice in the the arcades, but you don’t see that one in the wild anymore! Your article was a wonderful time capsule and I just wanted to offer some feedback. I wasn’t sure if you’ve even be able to receive this message after all this time but it looks like you’ve got an up-to-date Youtube page so I’d give it a go.
Hey, thanks for reaching out! Good news: The contact form still works and the site is still occasionally updated. (Well… the Sega section is pretty much frozen in a time warp at this point.) I kind of like the old-school ’08 look now that it’s reached a vintage age.
When you finish painting, be sure to send some pics. I’d love to see how they turn out!
Q&A: A proposed trade: Virtual On stage images for a link?
Hi, I’m the owner of arcadequartermaster.com. I wish to ask permission in using the images for the stages of Virtual On since I’m also building a shrine for it.
Also, I would love to link the site back for it and vice-versa.
Take all of the images that you want. I’m pretty sure I pulled them from a site that was hosted on tripod.com years ago. I’m not even sure if the other site still exists.
I’ve been slacking on updating my site, but I’ll get a link back to you!
Out in California, on the opposite side of the US, and what do I happen across? Something I thought I may never see in person: an authentic Virtual On arcade cabinet.
In a semi-random situation, I found myself on the opposite side of the US for the past couple of weeks, and somehow I ended up at the Redondo Beach Pier outside of LA. Little did I know that when I stumbled upon the “Fun Fish Market & Restaurant,” that I’d actually be wandering into an awesome arcade. The place definitely looked the part; Unlike the glitzy sheen of the neon-coated GameWorks and Dave & Busters of today, the dim lighting and concrete floors felt a tad grimy and very well-worn.
So, I perused the place, and in a corner, found some retro machines with classics like Centipede, Galactica, Tempest, and Mortal Kombat. It was definitely worth a quarter to play the original MK, which unfortunately my brain had completely forgotten over the years. The result: Sub-Zero kicked my ass.
I was afraid I spent my quarter too soon, though, when I ran into an arcade rarity: a Virtual On machine
This may be the first time that I’ve ever seen one in person. I checked my pocket and, lucky me, there were enough quarters left for the ultra-expensive, 50-cent Virtual On. I sat down, adjusted the seat, leaned back, grabbed the twinsticks and hit Start.
Virtuaroid… Apharmd, of course.
Now, it’s time to get down to business. The twinsticks on this game seem very natural, and after a couple of seconds, I was jump cancelling like nobody’s business… because I soon realized that the right trigger was broken. Shit. I’ve only the bomb to work with? No melee attacks? No shotgun?
Sucks, but I managed to beat Temjin, and was well on my way to taking out Viper II via clock stoppage until I got cocky. Damn, I wish Sega had made more of these machines.