Request Help with my Virtua Fighter research needed...

[Allie]

I'm currently in the process of compiling information about early installments of the Virtua Fighter series, or more specifically I'm trying to determine the identity of a long-retired "Tetsujin" known only as Kashiwa Jeffry. Based on my efforts so far, it seems as if he disappeared from the tournament circuit soon after mentoring Chibita, though he did contribute to the VF2 era Wheel Of Fortune character video for Jeffry, not to mention he was one of four real world unlockable fighters in Goiken Muyou, which was developed by a team that included Ikebukuro Sarah on programming duties, plus BunBun Maru and Shinjuku Jacky in advisory roles. If anyone can fill this blank, I'd be eternally grateful - the closest I have to a lead is that he might possibly have been credited under his real name in some Japanese guide book that's yet to be translated, but I'm not 100% sure. Perhaps worst of all, very few clips of his peak era matches are still online.

 

[Tongara]

God, those names are a blast from the past!

I don't have much to add, sadly, but I know Shibuya Jacky and Ikebukuro Sarah are still active, and the latter is on Twitter @ikesarah, so maybe they could help you out with some info they may recall?

Also, I own a 2-Disc VCD of the "Wheel Of Fortune - The Best Bout" video, and have uploaded both to my Youtube channel... I think it's slightly different to the VHS tapes, so might be worth a look at for you~




On another note, the Weekly Famitsu produced TV show "Game Catalogue II" was uploaded in full on Youtube over the last year, and it has many appearances of the Virtua Fighter games and even some of the people you mentioned in your post (Especially BunBun Maru, who I think at one point became editorial staff for the Weekly Famitsu), so this series might be worth checking out, as many rare things have been discovered there!

It spans over the following three playlists, with the series spanning April 1994-March 1998, so there is a lot to check out, but I feel it will be worth it to you:





On the same channel, the follow up series to this "GameWave" that started in April 1998 and aired until September 2002 is also on there up to November 2001 as of today, and subsequent episodes are being uploaded daily. Have fun!

 

[Allie]

Thanks as always, Tongara!

I know that a few of the separate character VHS cassettes in the Wheel Of Fortune series were later reissued on DVD (and some of these versions are even available on YouTube), but I've never seen the full set, which must have been edited down quite a lot to form the 2xVCD highlights compilation subtitled The Best Bout, as each volume originally ran for around 30 minutes. If it helps at all, here's a scan of the cover for that Jeffry tape:

https://segaretro.org/images/5/51/VF2WoFJeffry_VHS_JP_Box.jpg

P.S. Watching through all those videos you embedded is going to take me AGES, though I can already sense that they're going to be an absolute goldmine of information - I'll share any findings once I've seen everything these playlists have to offer...