George Lucas has said that he thinks
he’ll tinker with his existing movies – primarily the Star Wars trilogies – for
the rest of his life. In his eyes, the saga is never really complete. He must go
back, take new edits, insert new scenes and whatever else he believes will
ultimately make the films better than they were in their original form.
Street Fighter seems to have been
given a similar fate. No matter how many offshoots are created, no matter how
many minor upgrades are released, Capcom always comes back around to the beloved
SFII formula, tinkers with it, and creates a better product as a result.
Contrary to how it may appear, this
is not the same as what other fighting game developers are doing. Street Fighter
IV is, at first glance, a gorgeous, high-res version of the ‘90s classic. Beyond
the pretty colors is an exceptional, heavily refined gameplay engine, but it
won’t be looked as being innovative or revolutionary. Instead, Capcom has given
us the kind of sequel you might have expected if PS3 had Xbox 360 had come out
10 years ago.
Knowing the importance of returning
favorites, Street Fighter IV has a healthy lineup of fighters that include Ken,
Ryu, Chun-Li, E. Honda, Sagat, M. Bison, Guile, Balrog, Vega, Dhalsim, Zangief
and Blanka. Most of their classic moves are back, ensuring that most everyone
can pick up the controller and feel like a pro – even if the basics are all you
remember. Newcomers like Rufus (he looks like a sumo wrestler but is a master of
kung-fu), C. Viper (she uses her magically-charged body to whip enemies into
submission), and El Fuerte (an in-your-face kind of grappler) give players
something new to master.
As important as this is to every
fighting game, the character lineup is far from Street Fighter IV’s most
standout feature. Unquestionably, that award is like a three-hit combo, going
straight to the controls, the speed and the overall feel/reliability of the
game.
From the moment you start playing,
Street Fighter IV looks and feels like it was designed for arcades. It doesn’t
matter what platform you’re playing it on (most will never get their hands on
the rare arcade cabinet, sold primarily in Japan); whether PS3 or Xbox 360, the
game is pure high-end, current-gen bliss. The controls are ridiculously smooth
and remarkably responsive, mirroring the SFII formula. Better still, the speed
has been amplified to levels that are well past SFII and III but are just below
the overly hyper experience of Capcom’s many Vs. titles (Marvel Vs. Capcom, SNK
Vs. Capcom, etc.). It would be naïve to think that the developers have found the
perfect speed for a Street Fighter game, but at this time and for this console
generation, it doesn’t appear the game could move any better.
Diehard Street Fighter fans may be
disappointed to learn that the combo system hasn’t evolved past the super moves
of yesteryear. But it’s hard to complain about what’s here: Super Combos, Ultra
Combos and EX Special Moves. None of them will break your thumbs, though you
might be surprised by the complex motions that some of the combos employ.
Super Combos (performed with wide or
multiple rolling motions plus the addition of at least one button) and EX
Special Moves (the same as regular moves but performed with two or more of the
required buttons, such as punch) are tied to the Super Combo gauge, which slowly
increases every time you attack. Divided into the four sections, the gauge may
be used quickly to perform EX Special Moves, since they require just one section
of the gauge. Super Combos may only be performed when the gauge is completely
full.
Ultra Combos are often the hardest
moves to perform, requiring many precise rolling and/or charging maneuvers.
Their power is tied to the Revenge gauge, which fills up as your health
decreases. Thus, if you’re an expert player competing against a novice, chances
are the gauge won’t be full by the time the first round ends. But in any normal
battle, Ultra Combos can be a lifesaver, functioning as a decent survival tool
when it appears that all hope has been lost.
Focus, EX Focus and Hyper Armor
moves add yet another dimension, allowing players to perform additional strikes,
extend or alter their combos, and absorb certain enemy attacks.
Though Street Fighter IV improves
the single-player experience with amusing anime sequences (one intro and one
conclusion per character, similar to the Tekken franchise), you won’t be playing
solo for long. Whether pummeling friends locally or looking for new competition
on PSN, the multiplayer – still wisely limited to one-on-one battles – is
immeasurably addictive.
Additionally, players can re-watch
any sequences they’ve unlocked via the movie gallery, learn the ropes of the
game using the training mode, and compete in numerous trials that test your
ability to perform various moves. Time attack and survival challenges are also
available.
To top it all off, the developers
coated Street Fighter IV with layers of paint so beautiful you’d never guess
this game was made for a console that houses the graphically-depressing
Soulcalibur IV and Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe. Not only are the animations
superb but the character models are incredibly cool – a mix of realistic-looking
textures and anime fantasy that produce an impeccable art design that will stand
out for many years to come.
If you’ve begun to doubt the
fighting genre, hold that thought until you play Street Fighter IV. It may not
be revolutionary. It may not be a huge step above the game many of us grew up
playing. But just like Mario (which had a 2D adventure prior to Galaxy) and
Resident Evil (which had a high-end remake before Resident Evil 4), it proves
that sometimes you have to back to the basics before you can move ahead. Lucky
for us, the time warp couldn’t have been better.
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Gameplay: 9.0
It’s like I’ve died and gone back to 1993. Not in the way that the high-def
upgrade of Street Fighter II took us back to a different gaming era, but in a
way that will enthrall players and make them wonder what could have been had the
16-bit era lasted longer. In the case of the Street Fighter series, now we know.
Graphics: 9.0
Positively stunning. A beautiful mix of polygons, cel-shading and an
overdose of eye-popping colors make Street Fighter IV an instant head-turner.
Sound: 7.8
The new theme song is a little weird, but the majority of the battle tracks
and sound effects are pretty good. The voice-overs, however, are about as
laughable as you’d expect.
Difficulty: Easy/Medium
What would a fighting game be without a cheap boss?
Concept: 8.0
Street Fighter IV doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. There aren’t any
obscure elements that feel out of place, but at the same time, it isn’t at all a
groundbreaking sequel. In essence, Street Fighter IV is an extension of
everything that made SFII unforgettable.
Multiplayer: 9.3
Stellar, ultra-fast two-player battles that pummel the competition and live
up to Street Fighter II’s grand legacy.
Overall: 9.1
The must-own Street Fighter sequel. SFII fans have been waiting more than a
decade for a game like this.
