Advanced V.G. 2 (short for "Variable Geo") is an all-women's fighting game developed by TGL and released on the PSX in 1998. It is the sequel to the first Advanced V.G., released on PC-Engine in 1994 (and ported to various consoles later), which was itself a reboot to the original Variable Geo, released on PC-98 in 1993. Despite its rough start, the series has come a long way, and with AVG2, TGL delivered a solid, playable and fun fighting game. It is worth noting that for a series known for its pervy origins, this game is very light on fanservice and so has no H-scenes at all.
Perhaps in spite of appearances, AVG2 doesn't play like a typical "anime" game, instead being more comparable to a mid-90s Capcom or SNK game. Mechanically, the game is closer to something like Real Bout Fatal Fury than Guilty Gear. If you like a fast and dynamic ground game, high damage combos and 90s anime girls, this game just might be for you.
| Advanced V.G 2 (AvG2) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Version |
PSX |
| Developers |
Technical Group Laboratory |
| Publishers |
Technical Group Laboratory |
| Systems |
Playstation |
| Online Play | |
| Player Resources |
Japanese Wiki |
| Community Channels | |
Tier List
This tier list is an approximation based on Negi's AVG2 tier chart. With the exception of a couple of outliers, AVG2 is a surprisingly well-balanced game, and most characters are capable of holding their own and winning tournaments.
Material and Miranda
Material and Miranda are the hidden boss characters of the game, with Material serving as the mid-boss, and Miranda as the final boss. Both characters are banned in competitive play, but they can be good for a laugh, so if you want to mess around with them, unlocking them is a pretty simple affair.
First, you must complete Story Mode, which will unlock Material. Then, completing Normal Mode will unlock Miranda. You must unlock the two characters in that order -- which is to say, having Material unlocked is a prerequisite for unlocking Miranda.
Alternatively, if you plan to play on an emulator, save yourself the hassle and download a save file from GameFAQS here.
How to Play Online
nullDC BEAR now supports Mednafen, meaning you can now use it to play PSX games online, including AVG2. Join this Discord channel if you want to organise games, and make sure you have Radmin VPN installed so you can join the relevant network.
Game Versions
There are two versions of the game: the original 1998 release (SLPS-01318) and the 2003 SuperLite 1500 series re-release (SLPM-87226). As far as difference goes, they're pretty much identical besides the SuperLite logo screen in the re-release.
The game version released in the Japanese PS Store (for PS3, PSP and Vita) is the original release, SLPS-01318. It's a PS1 Classic, so it has no built-in netplay.
Resources
- Japanese Advanced V.G. 2 Wiki
- afroshouji's Advanced V.G. 2 FAQ/Movelist on GameFAQs
- Advanced V.G. 2 Japanese Competitive Matches
- Variable Geo Channel on the TMNT TF CE + SNES Fighters Discord
- Advanced V.G. 2 Thread on SRK