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Latest Character Distribution Chart
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From D.K's latest diary entry #86, two charts are revealed. The first (refer to translated image) charts the latest character distribution.

As can be seen, Jacky and Akira are still the two most popular characters, which was also true when compared to results shown in a previous chart (diary #21) which dates back to VF5, and just prior to the release of VF5R. D.K. notes the stability in popularity with the main two protagonists of the series.

Sarah is shown as 3rd most popular, which represents a rise since the previous chart position of 6th. Previously, 3rd and 4th most popular were Eileen and El Blaze, respectively, probably due to them being new characters to the series.

This time round, however, the new characters Jean and Taka have somewhat polarising positions. Jean sits quite high at 4th most popular, yet Taka sits at the bottom representing the least popular -- perhaps due to his uniqueness as compared to the rest of the cast.

A final note on D.K's diary entry: there's a second chart showing the Ranking Distribution. I have nothing of real interest to say about this chart apart from noting the nice curve, which probably represents a health distribution

<span style="font-size: 20pt">One Day in Tokyo</span>
My First Showdown

From One Day in Tokyo: My First Showdown:

As some of you know, I recently went snowboarding in Hokkaido, Japan. While the trip didn't exactly have a happy ending, I can easily say it was the best snowboarding holiday I had ever experienced in the past 10 years. But, this post is not about snowboarding...

On my way to Hokkaido, I arranged for a one night stop over in Tokyo. My plan was to catch up with some old and new VF friends, and play FS for the very first time.

Follow the link to read Myke's ridiculously long blog-style post of his recent time in Tokyo and how he spent 17 waking hours in excruciating detail.

Sega will be live streaming Final Battle Audition, which will take place on Feb. 19th, the first day of AOU 2011, the annual arcade expo in Tokyo. You can catch the live stream of the tournament via Sega's UStream channel

Here's a lineup of the participants for the tournament.

Star Players: Senningiri, Tomalion, Monkichi, Fullswing, Fuudo, Byakko, Jin, Choutarou, YOU
Star Player cadets: Morimoto Leotard, Drum's Ko, Joseph, 23, Shindou Jacky, Kanzen Nitaku, Anaguma, Itabashi Zangief

Due to other commitments on that day, Gorgeous Eileen will not be participating in this tournament.

Update:[/size] If you missed the live stream, then the recording is still available for viewing. Head directly to Sega's UStream channel and enjoy!

{Originally posted by Reno}

Final Showdown ver. A Announced
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Sega announced Final Showdown Version A at the AOU show this afternoon, although there aren't a whole lot of details about what exactly has changed. They promised a lot of balance tweaks but that's about it. But what's interesting is that Dural seems to be playable...

Sega has announced that two of their Star Players, Koedo and Kiyotaka, will be retiring their titles as their contracts have expired.

In their place, three new Star Players have been announced. They are...

Kanzen Nitaku (Wolf): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXzJIffTGaw

Anaguma (Jacky): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abqyc95omhU

Itabashi Zangief (Shun): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3QwwHkSIcs

Virtua Fighter 2 for iPhone

Virtua Fighter 2 for the iPhone is now available for purchase at the iTunes store and currently retails for $2 USD. It is based off the SEGA Genesis console port of this once-popular arcade title.

In this version, Dural is unlockable as a playable character, and versus play is supported over Bluetooth. Head on over to the iTunes store for more information and screenshots.

Otenami Haiken AC Videos

The first round of Otenami Haiken AC videos are available for your viewing. Head on over to the VF5FS Otenami Haiken AC Videos thread for the links and discussion!

Otenami Haiken AC (Area Championship) is a series of national wide tournaments currently being held by SEGA in Japan. The nation is divided into 9 areas, and within each area a number of arcades will be running Otenami Haiken AC qualifer tournaments. The winner of each qualifier tournament will then play-off to determine that area's champion. Each area champion will receive a special title.

VF5R & FS Combined 3rd Best Income 2010
From noodalls' post:

Harada (Tekken producer) recently uploaded a scan from amusement journal's current issue, showing that (unsurprisingly) Tekken 6BR has again topped the arcade income awards.

What was a little more surprising is that VF5R is in 5th place, and VF5FS is in 14th place, however if you combine them (as they are effectively competing against themselves) it adds up to 6084, which would be third place.

Refer to noodalls' post for more information and a full translation of the chart.

Otenami Haiken AC Details

Sega has finally revealed details about the upcoming Otenami Haiken AC tournament, which begins next week starting on the 15th. Unlike previous Sega run tournaments, this is dubbed an "area championship", meaning that there is no actual national champion. Instead, there will be local qualifying tournaments like before and then a final area championship tournament to determine the champion of that area. There will be nine champions when everything is said and done. Why Sega has decided to go this route is anyone's guess. Even more puzzling is that there seems to be no upgrade revision on the horizon like with previous tournaments.

Otenami Haiken AC Announced

While I was on vacation up in the northern part of Japan, I noticed that the Sega Joyland I went to had a poster announcing the next (I assume) Otenami Haiken national tournament. There isn't any other information about the tournament, but I assume that it will surface within the next 30 days, so keep an eye out for it.