I'm really not sure if this belongs here or in the Classic Gaming forum, but mainly this post is based off of me playing the most recent version (Virtua Fighter 5).
For years I have despised this game, always thinking it was slow, clunky and boring. Despite my years of dismissing the game I always felt there was something I was missing as many other people seemed to clammor on about it. I would keep giving it a shot over the years yet my frustration would always outweigh my enjoyment and after many attempts with every version 1-4 I would just throw it to the side and never take the time to understand and master it, thinking it was a waste of time.
Years later it seems my experience with other fighting games has culminated enough to where I have the resolve and understanding (in other words when I get frustrated and pissed I kept trying, lol) that once over this hump you get to enjoy what the game is truly made of (especially fighting games).
Givin' games like Soul Calibur and Dead or Alive can also be frustrating, but in those games you can "skim by" as they are designed with button mashing as an option. Sure they also have deep combo/reversal/etc moves, but a button masher can also come in and win the day fairly easily. Virtua Fighter is in no way like this at all and until I have gotten in the higher ranks of combat I never realized how much of a perfect fighting game it is.
While other games have reversals and combos, they come NOWHERE near as close to the perfection of this game. Where in other games you can just mash buttons and get by in Virtua Fighter you have to watch your opponent and plan your attack. Of course you also get that "where did that come from" attack that you may do by accident that only makes it better. It is just awesome and for so many years I have wondered what I have been missing and now I see and it's wow, just wow, lovely!
I'm tempted to go back and try the other Virtua Fighter games as well now, but i'm not sure it has always been this in depth, though i'm sure it has as it has stood the test of time. Either way I regret throwing this game to the side for so long, it's by far "imo now" the best 3D fighter there is bar none.