Virtua Fighter gets Japanese card game spin-off on Mobage platform

It seems like the Japanese really love their social game spin-offs, whether it be the Tales franchise or even the gigantic Monster Hunter series.

Now, another big-name series has received its own social gaming tie-in, as Virtua Fighter is stripped of its beat-'em-up premise, sliced into thin slithers, and stuck on playing cards.

Launched today via the Japanese Mobage network, Virtua Fighter Cool Champ sees players putting together decks of cards that feature Virtua Fighter characters, and then going head-to-head against each other in virtual playing card combat.

It's a free-to-play game with in-app purchases, and shouldn't be too shabby, given that development was overseen by legendary arcade game creator Yu Suzuki. Don't expect to see it hit Western shores, however.