With new information about Street Fighter 4 emerging daily, I've been bitten with the fighting bug once again. After launching on the PlayStation 3 at the start of 2007, Virtua Fighter 5 has finally made its Xbox 360 debut to satisfy my cravings. Following up on a shining effort on Sony's black behemoth, it's time to look back and see whether the 360 version can hold its own.

The first 3D fighting game to emerge on the scene all the way back in '93, the Virtua Fight has stood through the popularity of Tekken and Dead Or Alive, regarded as one of the more highly-technical fighters on the market, by fans of the genre. In spite of the more common four- and six-button fighting configurations of today, the Virtua Fighter series has still persevered with the same control scene since day one, with just three main buttons and your joystick to determine your attack.

With such a basic control scheme you'd be forgiven for assuming that it would amount to a rather simple affair and limited selection of moves, but with just the three main buttons of kick, punch and guard, literally hundreds of moves are at your disposal. Virtua Fighter is based firmly in situational awareness, with different moves intended for different situations. The key to victory is within read and react gameplay, observing your surroundings and your opponent's actions to construe your attack. Button mashing won't take you far, but even the most newbish player will begin to improve once they begin to understand the principles of the gameplay.

The game's balance is so well founded, that even a fight where defeat seems just one punch awaycan still be won if you employ strategy and technique. In the same breath, a fight can be as easily lost if you sloppily try to just get that final punch in on a crushing victory. It keeps battles interesting, but most importantly fair.

Whilst fair and balanced, Virtua Fighter is not exactly the sort of game you can instantly just pick up and play. With 18 fighters in total (including hidden), it pales on the surface in comparison to Mortal Kombat Armageddon's 7th generation family reunion and there's no super combos or fireballs to be had. Instead Virtua Fighter 5 rewards dedication and encourages you to focus your efforts on slowly learning one character than the moves sets at all. Quest mode sees you taking your fighter through a diverse selection of competition and tournaments, earning items to customise your character and gradually improving your competitive rank.

The difficulty curve within single player is thankfully smooth, with no goddamn cheating final boss (see Alpha 152 from DOA4), but merely series favourite Akira sporting exceptional technique, blocking your path to victory....Ok there's Dural, but she is merely a bonus boss and you only need to face her once, you don't need to beat her. Still, she also is a lot fairer than most bosses in recent fighters and maintains a case of read and react.

The series has come along way from its 'revolutionary' 3D flat shaded wire frame models of the early 90's. Virtua Fighter 5 is nothing short of beautiful. Shiny and smooth-flowing in all the right places its as impressive as can be without losing that typical, colourful SEGA visual flair. The PS3 version looked good, damned good, and without the mighty grunt of the 'Cell' processor, you'd be fooled into believing that the 360 version couldn't match the graphical beauty. To my eyes I couldn't spot the difference between the two and the 360 version is still able to maintain relatively quick load times.

Matching the graphical standard is an admirable achievement on its own, but it does not only that, it goes one step further, providing a game of superior gameplay for Xbox 360 owners.

With the progressive updates that occur in the arcades, VF5 has been no exception, experiencing an upgrade from Version B to Version C in the time between the PS3 and Xbox 360 releases. Sega has thankfully chosen to include Version C on the 360, offering a few slight improvements and tweaks to gameplay. Whilst to most gamers, the differences mightn't be noticeable, to the hardcore fighting elite, this is your 3rd Strike to your 2nd Impact. This factor alone doesn't necessitate a second purchase for owners of the PS3 version, but it's a nice upgrade on behalf of Sega none the less.

The biggest new addition to the game comes in the form of the much-coveted online play. A sorely missing inclusion in the PS3 version, it's great to see it make the cut this time around. With such a niche market and slim to no presence in Australian arcades, finding a truly competitive human opponent is not a simple task, so online play helps to bridge the link between fans across the world. In my early attempts to find some competition, I did struggle to find games, but typically you'd be best arranging matches through fighting communities prior. Online I wouldn't exactly call the game friendly towards new players, but just get back into the offline game and improve your technique.

For those looking for a real purpose to their fighting, Virtua Fighter 5 will sorely disappoint. There is a premise and story but it is never really touched on within the game. Completing Arcade mode simply amounts to the credit screen and a small 15 point achievement, with no typical FMV stylised conclusion to tie up the story. It does admittedly feel disappointing after all the effort, but then the Virtua Fighter series never has featured closing movies (with the exception of Virtua Fighter Kids) and most likely never will.

Virtua Fighter 5 is a fantastic game and an even better port. There are countless other modes and online ranking systems that I haven't even touched on in this review that will keep any hardcore fighting fan amused for months to come. With a limited story, no ridiculous number of characters and gameplay that requires dedication and practice, it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Sega has really catered to fans of the series and genre in general with this release and its well worth a look if you fit into either category. Going up and beyond the expectations of a port, the improvements to this version take the game one step further.

Virtua Fighter 5 will certainly never take off in the mainstream like Tekken has unfortunately, but for any fighter fan out there check it out instead of just twiddling your thumbs waiting for Street Fighter 4.