Virtua Fighter was the first of it's kind: A one-on-one fighting game featuring fully 3D environments and characters. The fighters and arenas are rendered in flat-shaded polygons. Unlike many fighting games, Virtua Fighter focuses on deep gameplay based on actual fighting styles, rather than outrageous special moves and story lines.

There are 8 fighters to choose from in Virtua Fighter, and an equal number of fighting backdrops in which to compete. Each fighter has a distinctive fighting style, and their own set of signature moves.