Title: Street Fighter IV
Format: Consoles Only (PS3 Reviewed)
Publisher: Capcom
Reviewer: Wonda-I3oy
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22 years is a hell of a long time....especially in the gaming industry. Apart from the classics (PAC-MAN, Space Invaders etc) very few gaming titles have lived this long without something special, an original idea that has re-invented itself over time to constantly offer something new. Capcoms latest Street Fighter IV (SFIV) has arrived and is without doubt something special......HADOKEN!!!
Street fighter was originally launched in the arcades as far back as 1987, and was an instant hit among gamers. The following year it was ported to home computer systems including the PC and the franchise was born. Its greatest success is attributed to the arcade version, the idea of having individual appealing characters having their own set of unique moves that enabled you to “Beat up a friend” was a novel idea that left many a teenager myself included, spending tons of pocket money in the hope of being the “people’s champion”. In 1991 it took a massive step forward in the shape of Street Fighter II as the following year it was bundled with the very much acclaimed SNES (Super Nintendo) a legend in its own time (And that’s coming from a Mega Drive Owner ) to this date it’s that particular game is Capcom’s bestselling video game EVER!!
Fast forward to 2009 and the much anticipated SFIV has arrived on PS3 & Xbox360, with the entire original cast (minus a few light weights T.Hawk for example) plus no fewer than 6 new faces in glorious 3D battles. Can SFIV live up to the hype, let’s see....SHORYUKEN!!! |
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The most important aspect of the old SF games has remained...the controls. Nothing has changed in this respect, I was instantly able to pick up the game pad and rattle off the same old moves with the same key strokes from way back in 1991which really enforces the mantra “If it aint broke, don’t fix it”
So what’s new...I hear you roar in your best RYU impression. Well to be perfectly honest, the game remains essentially the same “Street Fighter” we all know and love. The action now takes place in glorious very smooth (60FPS) 3D animation breaking from the usual 2D battles to engage impressive ultra combos which can be utterly devastating if done correctly. Not to mention a new and improved move-set with focus attacks and revenge meters. Another very welcome addition to the game in addition to a deep single player campaign is the “Network Battle”. Allowing you to compete online in both ranking and non ranking battles, the game auto searches for the best signal by identifying signal strength with 5 bars which range from red (weak) to green (optimal) which works really well (for me anyway ) |
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SFIV is an immensely playable game, pure pick up and play “get a game in before dinner” kind of way. And with the online features and downloadable content its longevity is assured. As with all games it is not without its faults, the AI can be EXTREMELY frustrating on the higher difficulty settings, especially true off the last boss “SETH” which blatantly cheats by spamming moves that seem to be unblockable at times.. This in turn could be slightly off putting for people trying to re-affirm their love for an old classic. On a more personal note, I could not help feel the game scaled better and looked a tad sharper on the Xbox. Indeed a quick glance on the back of both boxes the eagle eyed amongst you will no doubt have seen that the Xbox360 version scales higher (1080p) than the 720p offered by the PS3 version . Not enough to be truly off putting but gamers used to high AA and AF of PC titles will notice the difference when playing. |
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Conclusion
Street Fighter IV is a very polished and well rounded game and a welcomed addition to a much loved beat’em up franchise. It’s fun, very playable with enough in the locker to keep enthusiasts of the series content. And the new-comers confused by the powers of some truly amazing online talent. |
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