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Three words: Giant. Frickin'. Robots.
Hit the link for the Temjin-approved review of Sega's flagship mech sim, now in HD.
Back in the day, Virtual On was the game that I pumped most of my precious quarters into. Sure I had to visit the shadiest arcade of them all, complete with coke dealers and lingering cigarette smoke, but once I sat in the pilot's seat of the Virtual On cabinet, all those intrusions disappeared. When the home version of the game came out, I begged my mother for a Sega Saturn, but to no avail - I didn't get one until I was 21. The PC version demanded too much from my low-powered Pentium 1 machine, so that wasn't an option either. I had to keep going to the arcade until Sega released the Dreamcast port of the sequel. Now, years later, we have an updated version of Oratorio Tangram. And it's awesome.
The Dreamcast port of VOOT is based on version 5.45, with previous versions included as unlockables. The XBLA port, though, is version 5.66, which features several variations on the original lineup of mechs, custom color-schemes, and of course, online capabilities. (Tidbit: 5.66 is the only version of the game to run on Sega's Naomi board.)
The gameplay of VOOT is frantic and fun. It's all about out-maneuvering your opponent and taking the perfect opportunity to strike. You're always escaping enemy fire by the skin of your teeth, keeping you on the edge of your seat, exasperated by the end of the match. The engrossment of the arcade machine's seat and twin sticks is, of course, absent, keeping any home version of Virtual On from being a preferable experience, but the game still has a lot of fun to offer. (Release those twin sticks, Sega!)
The updated visuals are great. Crispy HD models, designed by Hajime Katoki of Gundam fame, and vibrant energy bursts from weapons are a noticeably improvement from the Dreamcast version. My only complaint is that there is still choppy animation during instant replays. A game running at 60 frames per second should be able to do slow-motion with no problems.
The color editor is also pretty fun. It's somewhat limited, but creating a custom paint job for your viruaroid is quick and easy. I've been having trouble using my customs in online matches, though. The game always seems to choose the alternate (2 player) color instead of my custom color, even though I've noticed some customs used by other players. Another irk is that you have to load your custom every time you want to use it, which is too long of a process. It would be better if a small number of customs could be added to the character select screen for easy access.
 The controls are what I was most worried about. I was hoping for the game to utilize the 360's two analog sticks as replacements for the twin sticks, but it actually uses a similar control scheme to the Dreamcast version. I was able to edit the controls to something a little closer to the arcade's, but I'm still disappointed (which isn't to say the game controls poorly). If you edit your controls, just be sure to do so from the main menu, as in-game edits are not saved.
The real reason to buy this version of Virtual On is for the online play. Playing against another person is simply a blast. Despite the hard competition, I can't get enough of the game. My only problem is that the net code seems to be a bit jumbled. I have to search several times for a game until I can connect to another player, and almost all lobby games are filled before I can join.
One thing I would like to have seen is a level editor. The level design of Virtual On is based on simplicity, so amateurs would be able to create some pretty decent maps, in my opinion. Also, while the game features a training mode, newcomers to the game will probably be confused. I definitely recommend reading up on the control combinations if you aren't an experienced player. I'm more than happy to see such a niche classic as Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram on the 360. Though it cheapens the collectibility of physical copies of the game, online play is certainly a fair trade. If you like giant robots and fast, arcade action, this game is for you.
Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram, rated E10+, is available for Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points
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