Whilst not directly Shenmue related, having worked on Virtua Fighter RPG prior to the cross-over into what ultimately became Shenmue, some of the same team members whilst working under the AM2 division at SEGA also worked on what was to become the latest Virtua Fighter game at the time, Virtua Fighter 4. Virtua Fighter 4 ended up releasing for the PS2, however it’s interesting that a wealth of artwork was collected amongst all of the Shenmue artwork, and provides an early look into the development process for this fantastic fighting game!
Virtua Fighter 4 – Base Skill Flow Chart Diagram Page 1
A detailed skeletal structure diagram labeled “VF4 BASE SKL,” showing a hierarchical structure with labeled nodes in various colors. The chart organizes elements such as joints, chains, and explicit translation points, with corresponding explanations below. The text includes technical instructions on skeletal control, mesh organization, and rotation handling in the animation process.
Virtua Fighter 4 – Base Skill Flow Chart Diagram Page 2
A skeletal structure diagram labeled “VF4 Character Weight Assignment (Temporary)” featuring multiple branches with color-coded elements representing different skeletal parts.
Text:
VF4 – Character Weight Assignment (Temporary) Ver. 5/8
Assigned to: Kida (木田)
Taka-Arashi – Early Virtua Fighter 4 Character Sketch
A sketch of a Taka-Arashi in a powerful stance, his fists clenched. He has a fierce expression, wild hair tied in a topknot, and wears a richly detailed apron with an intricate design. A date at the bottom reads “4/15”. Whilst never included as a character in Virtua Fighter 4, the outfit shown in this sketch would indicate that he may have been originally planned to feature the roster – as it differs from his Virtua Fighter 3 outfit.
Vanessa Lewis – Character Illustration Version 1
A rough character sketch of Vanessa Lewis in a confident stance. She wears a cropped top, tight shorts with flame-like patterns on the sides, gloves, and high-top boots. The sketch is loosely rendered with visible construction lines and highlights.
Vanessa Lewis – Character Illustration Version 2
Vanessa Lewis with tightly braided hair and earrings. She wears a green jacket with red detailing, a corset-like top, and red leggings with flame patterns.
Vanessa Lewis – Character Illustration Version 3
A character illustration of Vanessa Lewis in a confident stance. She wears a cropped, unbuttoned jacket with rolled-up sleeves, along with tight shorts that have red trim. Her accessories include a studded belt, fingerless gloves, and knee-high lace-up boots. Her hair is slicked back, and she has a strong, determined expression. The artwork features warm tones and a sketch-like rendering style.
Vanessa Lewis – Character Illustration Version 4
A character illustration of a Vanessa Lewis, dressed in tactical gear. She wears a yellow short-sleeved shirt under a black bulletproof vest adorned with patches. Her blue cargo pants have knee pads, and she wears rugged lace-up combat boots. She holds a handgun in both hands, wearing fingerless gloves, and has a serious, focused expression. A holster and pouches are strapped to her belt.
Vanessa Lewis – 3D Model Render
A 3D-render of Vanessa Lewis, wearing a black strapless top, dark shorts, fingerless gloves, and laced boots. She stands against a black background with one hand on her hip.
Vanessa Lewis – Upper Torso 3D Render
A 3D-render of Vanessa Lewis, shown from multiple angles. She wears a gold and red jacket with an open front. The top row presents front views with slight variations, while the bottom row shows side and three-quarter perspectives.
Possible Sarah Bryant – Black & White Illustration Designs
Two design concepts for Sarah Bryant with long blonde hair. One features a punk-inspired outfit with a cropped top, netted fabric, and black pants. The other presents a traditional Chinese dress with intricate patterns. Additional sketches highlight hairstyle details and earrings.
Text:
一応 9月頭に出す予定です。 — “Tentatively scheduled for early September.”
前髪についてコリジョンなしで物動量限定— “For the fringe, no collision with limited dynamic movement.”
イヤリング — “Earring”
うしろ髪全体おさげしとりで – “Entire back hair is done in plaits”
ゆれる — “Sways”
OK
部長承認済み 2000/6/27 — “Approved by Department Head 2000/6/27”
Possible Sarah Bryant – 2 Designs Colour Illustration
Two design concepts for Sarah Bryant: one in a punk-inspired outfit with a cropped top and leopard-patterned pants, the other in a Chinese dress with golden patterns.
Text:
“OK”
部長承認済み – “Approved by Department Head”
“2000/6/27”
Possible Sarah Bryant – Colour Illustration
A color illustration of Sarah Bryant in a black beanie, metallic top, fishnet details, and leopard-print pants with black boots. She wears a red gemstone pendant and has long, wavy blonde hair.
Text:
OK
部長承認済み – “Approved by department head”
2000/6/27 – “June 27, 2000”
Sarah Bryant – Colour Illustration 1
A character illustration of Sarah Bryant. She wears a cropped halter top with a tribal design, red metallic pants, a studded belt, and heeled boots. Her accessories include a choker, bracelets, and a chain detail on her top. She has a confident stance with one hand on her hip.
Sarah Bryant – Colour Illustration 2
A character illustration of Sarah Bryant from Virtua Fighter. She wears a black, form-fitting outfit with a halter top, high-waisted pants, knee-high boots, and fingerless gloves. She has a confident stance with one hand slightly clenched and the other relaxed.
Sarah Bryant – 3D Model Render
A 3D-rendered model of Sarah Bryant. She wears a form-fitting blue sleeveless jumpsuit with gold buttons and a red choker. The image showcases multiple angles and poses, including a close-up of her face, a defensive fighting stance, and a pose with one hand behind her head.
Sarah Bryant – 3D Render / Real World Office Photo
A 3D-rendered model of Sarah Bryant is composited into a real-world office setting. She is sitting on a chair with her arms crossed, wearing her signature blue outfit and gloves. The office contains cluttered tables with newspapers, documents, a remote control, an ashtray with cigarettes, and a whiteboard with handwritten notes.
Sarah Bryant / Vanessa Lewis? – Early 3D Render
Character model sheet featuring either Sarah Bryant or Vanessa Lewis in a green and white strapless bodysuit with thigh-high boots and a choker. Multiple angles and poses are displayed, including a large close-up of her face, side profiles, and full-body views. The character has dark eyes, white lipstick, and a confident expression.
Jeffry McWild – Early 3D Render
Two full-body renders of Jeffry McWild, depicted in different fighting stances. He is shirtless, muscular, and wearing white martial arts pants with a rope belt. His distinctive hairstyle features multiple tied sections extending outward. His hands and feet are wrapped in bandages. The background is plain blue.
Akira Yuki – Early 3D Render
Two close-up 3D-rendered portraits of Akira Yuki labeled “VFX Akira.” The left portrait shows a three-quarter view, and the right one presents a profile view. He has a strong jawline, spiky brown hair with a red headband, and a serious expression. The background is plain and light-colored.m, a belt, and a long skirt.
Pai Chan – Early 3D Render
Two close-up 3D-rendered portraits of a Pai Chan labeled “CHINA GIRL.” She wears a traditional red and gold headdress with intricate patterns and tassels. She wears red pom-pom earrings and a blue and gold embroidered outfit with a high collar and decorative fastenings. The background is a plain light color.
Unknown Girl – Colour Illustration
A sketch of a female character in a dynamic martial arts pose, wearing a red outfit with white trim, a pink sash, and translucent pink sleeves. Her right arm is raised, fingers close to her face, while her left arm extends downwards. The image combines hand-drawn line work with textures. Some areas remain unfinished.
Text:
＊まだヌリ途中なの。 (すんません。) – “Coloring still in process. (Sorry.)”
by Tetsunari Iwasaki
Unknown Girl – Costume 3D Render Design
A character texture reference sheet. On the left, fabric textures include a red garment with floral embroidery and a bird motif. The right side shows a 3D character model wearing a red and pink traditional-style outfit with a sash, long sleeves, and a layered skirt. The character’s eyes are obscured with a “DANGER” label.
Text:
“TEXTURE_BASE: WEAR”
“Written: Tetsunari.Iwasaki”
Unknown Girl – 3D Model Render Green / Light Blue Background
Description:
A 3D-rendered character in a red and gold traditional Chinese outfit with butterfly embroidery and floral patterns. She has a high ponytail tied with a pink ribbon and wears dangling blue earrings. The image features multiple poses: a high kick, a dynamic stance with one leg raised, and a close-up of the back of her head showing the earring detail. The render sits against two seperate backdrops, one is a solid green color with a wooden floor beneath the character, whilst the other more soft light blue.
Unknown Girl – 3D Model Render 1
Two 3D-rendered images of a female character in a red and pink traditional-style outfit with gold trim. She has long black hair tied into a high ponytail with a pink ribbon. Both images depict her in martial arts poses on a textured stone surface, with a pinkish-red gradient background. (photographic paper)
Text:
VFX
新規女性キャラクタ – “New female character”
実機用test model – “in-game test model”
“2000.07.04”
“作成 伊藤孝司” – Creator: Takashi Ito
Unknown Girl – 3D Model Render 2
Description:
Four 3D character model sheets featuring a young woman in a traditional Chinese-inspired pink and red outfit with gold trim and a butterfly emblem on the chest. The images includes multiple angles and close-ups of her face. Her hairstyle consists of a high ponytail secured with a pink ribbon. The first features a light blue gradient background, whilst the rest are just plain white.
Unknown Girl – 3D Model Render 3
Description:
A character in an elaborate red and gold Chinese-inspired outfit is presented in two views: a front-facing full-body pose and a rear view. The outfit features a detailed top with sheer, wide sleeves, a layered skirt with golden embroidery, and ornate knee-high boots. Her hair is tied up in a high ponytail with a pink accessory.
Unknown Girl – 3D Model Render 4
A female character in a red and black Chinese-style outfit with gold trim and intricate floral patterns is shown in two views. The left side presents a medium shot of her upper body with one arm extended, while the right side is a close-up focusing on her face. She has sheer pink sleeves, a high ponytail secured with a pink ribbon, and a confident expression.
