Fighters Mega Mix - JP Sega Saturn

Fighters Megamix for the Sega Saturn is AM2's ultimate crossover celebration — a Saturn-exclusive fighting game that pulls together the complete rosters of Virtua Fighter 2 and Fighting Vipers alongside a sprawling cast of guest characters from across the Sega universe. It was never released in arcades, making the Saturn the only place to play it. The 32-character base roster is rounded out by hidden fighters including Janet from Virtua Cop 2, Bark the Polar Bear from Sonic the Fighters, Rent A Hero, and the Hornet car from Daytona USA — which fights by running opponents over and rubbing a spinning tire against their face.

The two franchises' physics engines coexist within the same game — players can switch between Virtua Fighter's realistic martial arts system and Fighting Vipers' over-the-top armored combat at any time, with the Fighting Vipers mode allowing wall breaks and armor destruction. A key gameplay innovation introduced here is the Sidestep — the ability to freely move on the 3D plane at any point in a match — which Sega claimed made this the first "true 3D" fighting game. The mechanic and several moves from Fighters Megamix were later implemented in Virtua Fighter 3.

The single-player mode is split into nine themed courses — Virtua Fighters, Fighting Vipers, Girls, Muscle, Smart Guys, Dirty Fighters, Bosses, Secrets, and Novice Trial — each with six fights and a hidden character unlock at the end. Survival, Team Battle, and two-player VS modes round out the package. Sega-16 gave it a 10 out of 10, calling it "technically brilliant" and noting its "generosity of content and variety." One original character was created exclusively for the game: Deku, a comical Mexican green bean in a hat with a bird hidden underneath.

Released in Japan on December 21, 1996, Fighters Megamix was one of the most critically acclaimed Saturn releases and met with strong sales. The Japanese version includes a full vocal version of the Rent A Hero theme on his stage — replaced with an instrumental in the Western release. This is the Japanese import disc. The Sega Saturn is region-locked and this disc will only play on a Japanese Sega Saturn or a region-free modded unit.

Full Title: ファイターズ メガミックス (Fighters Megamix)
Language: Japanese — menus and gameplay largely accessible without Japanese reading ability
Rating: N/A (Japan release)
Platform: Sega Saturn
Genre: 3D Fighting
Players: 1–2 players
Developer: Sega AM2
Publisher: Sega
Release Year: 1996 (Japan release: December 21, 1996)

Important: The Sega Saturn is region-locked. This Japanese import disc will only play on a Japanese Sega Saturn or a region-free modded unit.