Reminder: You Can Download Sega Ages Virtua Racing Right Now From The Japanese eShop

I won't be downloading it but I hope others give it a shot when it comes stateside. Looks fun.

Does it have the extra tracks of the 32x or Saturn versions?

at least it's not $100 like the Genesis version lol.

We Need Virtua Cop next

I am sure it will be in the western eShops very soon

I created a Japanese account and purchased Virtua Racing today with a Japanese eShop card I got from Play-Asia. The game looks and plays phenomenally; the draw distance probably is indeed superior to the arcade version and it runs silky-smooth. The controls are so tight and intuitive I won my very first race (albeit the Beginner track; the others definitely pose a stiffer challenge); cornering felt natural the very first go.

One point worth mentioning: you can play either region's games using either User account. Essentially all your purchases are lumped together, which is great.

One question I'd like to throw out there if anyone can answer: my Switch appears to be stuck defaulting to the new user account (complete with Japanese Region news updates, etc. at startup). It has absolutely no bearing on being able to play or browse the American eShop with my regular account (you simply select the profile you want to browse with and it automatically goes to that region's store). However, it'd be nice to have the news updates in English the way I used to.

So, assuming this is because my Japanese account is the newest one registered to the system, is there a way to return the Switch's default User and startup region to my regular profile, or is the change permanent?

Stateside soon like this Thursday please???

@w00dm4n omg would love to see Virtua Cop 1 AND 2!!

English subtitles?

@AtlanteanMan I have the same problem

@AtlanteanMan The reason you're seeing Japanese news is because you have a Japanese account on your Switch. There's no way to stop getting Japanese news other than removing the account and waiting for new news to overwrite it.

I personally use my one UK user/account, and change the region to Japan or wherever on the Nintendo Account website, then I get what I want off of the eShop, and change it back to UK. This way, viewing my download list on my UK account on the UK eShop still allows me to see and redownload anything purchased from other regions.

I also unsubscribe from every news channel before starting this process, to avoid getting spammed with Japanese news.

@AtlanteanMan Go into Settings/ User/ Change order.

The draw distance has been vastly improved from the arcade, it looks fantastic. I'm so tempted to buy an Eshop code off Play Asia but the 50% markup is putting me off.

@JRJalapeno @AtlanteanMan In System Settings go to Users section, and in there you can “Change Order”

Great to see Sega start releasing games beyond the genesis and 16 bit arcade systems. Will definitely be picking this up.

Oh heck yes.... that's really all I have to say but apparently I have to type more. Is this enough?

Yes finally an arcade accurate version. Can't wait til it gets here in NA.

@w00dm4n

only the original 3 tracks unless they are unlockable

@AtlanteanMan you will be getting all Japanese and English news from now on and there is no way to stop it. My suggestion is to start learning Japanese and then use the Japanese news as a way to practice. 🇯🇵

can'T wait for the EU release! i remember, when i was a child, maybe 8 years old - i was stunned when i played this game in a local arcade. and i was so happy, when i got this expensive beast for my mega drive played the poo out of it - even when i was really bad and never made it in time to the finish hahaha. but wow - even on the mega drive, that game had so much better graphics than starwing (star fox for our american readers )

the 3d rendered "flying" sega logo alone, when you started the game - and i still get goose bumps - good memories ... and great game back then.

This looks beautiful! May have to download it now.

@w00dm4n No. it's the arcade version, those aren't in the arcade version.

Downloaded it last night and played it for hours, couldn't get one online game but perhaps it was too early for people to be on the uptake, i hope that changes soon. Beautiful game and finally great to have an arcade perfect version. I set it up on a CRT last night and it looks amazing.

@w00dm4n 100! Really- I picked that up for the Mega Drive for less than £20.

@eRaz0r Just go and grab it now, it won't get a release here typically for a couple of months. Fine if you can wait that long, i couldn't and grabbed it last night immediately.

@OorWullie There isn't a 50% mark-up, it about £2.50 more, stop whinging and go and play this beautiful game. Or wait two months and save two fifty.

@AtlanteanMan You get the news from all countries that you hold an account with, so you will get lots you cannot read and lots you can.

@darthstuey At launch it was £90 here in the U.K and that is what he is clearly talking about, at launch not second hand.

@yandman i don't think they will need "months". every sega ages game came basically at the same time in all regions. only phantasy star took 3 more weeks outside of japan.

i don't wanna mess around with accounts and region settings. also, i have no credit card i have still not finished alex kidd and: 16 not played switch games including xenoblade, shining resonance, valkyria chronicles and much more. in aprox. 2 weeks saints row gets delivered and in 3 to 4 weeks i will get team sonic racing .... argh - game overkill hahaha. but ... i have enough games to keep me entertained for the next 2 years on switch hahaha. so, i can def. wait 2~4 weeks, for the worldwide release of virtua racing.

@YANDMAN I paid £60 for it New in the 90s. Didn’t see it anywhere for £90 at al. 🤔

Downloaded it, plays beautiful. Menus in English if you sign in with your EU account. Well worth setting up a Japanese account to playing this arcade beaut.

@YANDMAN The 1000 Yen Eshop card costs the equivelant of £10.48 on PlayAsia, £10.48 converted on XE.com is 1512 Yen so it is a 50% markup. I know it's just a few quid more to play it now but I spend a lot of money on games as it is and I buy most of them at full price. I don't mind that,but I would rather not spend more than full price for a game.

As for the game itself, I must have spent over £100 on it in the arcades back in the 90's and I also bought a 32X specifically for it,so I'm more than aware of its quality. As for its original price, it did not cost £90. The Megadrive version cost £70 and the 32X version £60.

Looks fantastic. Will wait for EU release in a couple of months (I have a huge back log)

It is a shame that they couldn't add the extra cars and tracks from the Saturn version. I'd personally get a lot more use out of 7 extra tracks, 4 extra cars and the GP mode than I would out of online or 8-way split screen. Still looks like a fabulous port though, don't get me wrong.

@nmanifold Does it use rumble? The arcade version used Force Feedback!

@Sveakungen I didn’t notice rumble unfortunately, yes it was great on the arcade machine. I did notice my car randomly drifting to the right a few times, but I don’t know if that’s the game or my joy-con (it’s never happened before playing this). Time to buy those lovely red Japanese only joy-cons anyway.

@OorWullie The amrkets have obviously altered a lot of recent times. When i shop in japan i always equate my workings that 1000 yen is roughly £10. On that basis the Sega Ages releases here are £7.99 at launch, meaning on my calculations that it would be simply a couple of pounds difference. That is what i based my answer on, so no it wasn't rude, i merely answered on a basis that i believed to be true. But i still stand by the notion of if you want to play it just play it already, even at five pounds more what is that really ut against the time you will have to wait for a European release? If its another month which is will be at least, thats 16p a day. I too buy lots of games but i'd rather not waste two months of my life crying over five pounds. There is nothing more costly than time.

Very excited to play this at last, seems like a brilliant port and SO glad it's full screen rather than all boxed in. Think I'll probably wait for the western release though and finish up a couple other games in the meantime.

This is mine when it comes to the 🇬🇧 😬

@BionicDodo at it has the replay mode from the 32x with a remix from that game https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv3iEbttbmY

@YANDMAN they're £5.99 actually. With Play Asia's mark up you're gonna pretty much pay double that.

I spend a lot of money in Japan and ¥1000 is roughly £7, not £10.

And I don't think anyone is 'crying over 5 pounds'...

@ritouf yes, Sega rally championship please!

Any idea when this will be released on the US eshop