Street Fighter IV Review

The long-awaited fourth entry of the Street Fighter series has finally made its way into players' homes. Capcom's latest sequel of its beloved fighting franchise is more than a mere port of its arcade counterpart.  Complete with unlockable fighters and a handful of console exclusive modes and features, this is the definitive Street Fighter experience.
 
Veteran fans of the strictly 2D series will immediately notice Street Fighter IV's graphics.  Rendered in stylized 3D, Street Fighter's nostalgic characters have never looked so inspiring. Moving with unbelievable fluidity, the fighters are a true monument to Capcom's graphical achievement. Environments are equally impressive, as some of the more noticeable arenas have been enhanced with an enormous level of detail.



The formula of Street Fighter hasn't changed much throughout the years.  Players have a six-button interface that ranges from light to heavy attacks. Each character has their own distinct set of Special Moves, which can be executed with a certain controller motion and an attack button. Veteran players will go right into the action since the familiar controller motions are only enhanced by how responsive the game is.  Super Meters also make their return, allowing players to perform EX versions of their Special Moves.  In its latest addition to the series, Capcom decided to add a few new features to make the classic Street Fighter gameplay even more intense than it already is.
 
The most useful new feature is the Focus Attack.  By holding down the Medium Punch and Medium Kick buttons, the player's stance will change. Depending on how long a player charges the attack, the strike is capable of completely knocking an opponent to the ground.  The Focus Attacks lends to the overall strategy of the fight. By charging the Focus Attack, players can also absorb a single attack from an opponent. Though it comes at the price of minor damage, the Focus Attack can be immediately executed without delay, making for a devastating counterattack.  But that isn't the limit of the Focus Attack. Players looking to sacrifice a portion of their Super Meter can use the Focus Attack to cancel out an otherwise threatening Special Move. This feature adds an entirely new level of fun to a match that both newcomers and veterans will appreciate.



While players fill up their Super Meter by attacking their opponent, the Ultra Meter – or Revenge Gauge – fills up as players take damage. Once this meter has filled completely, it will glow red and become engulfed in flames, signifying its readiness to unleash utter chaos. Although a tad tricky to pull off, Ultra Combos can obliterate any opponent and can shift the tide of any battle.

Street Fighter's appeal comes from its challenging and incredibly satisfying gameplay mechanics and its ever expanding roster of characters. For Street Fighter IV, Capcom decided to focus on a more essential and balanced roster of players to choose from.   All of the fighters from Street Fighter II are present and accounted for. They are the faces that made the franchise what it is and their return to the arena is cause for celebration. Complete with their classic appearance, Ryu and company return with all of their signature moves intact.  The transition to the current generation of consoles has enhanced the old-school gameplay mechanics noticeably so that fighters like Blanka and Zangief rarely feel sluggish. 



What would Street Fighter be without a few fresh faces? The newcomers are a great addition to the Street Fighter series and play just well as the classic cast.  Abel, a mixed martial artist, is reminiscent of Ken and Ryu but has a bit more strength behind his attacks. Crimson Viper, a female spy clad in leather, is a lightning fast fighter and is often times very difficult to keep up with.  The Mexican luchador known as El Fuerte is very nimble on his feet but able to pull off some especially brutal moves; almost like a miniature Zangief.  And what's there to say about Rufus?  The rotund Kung- Fu fighter rivals the silliness of veteran goofball Dan and is a testament to Capcom's animation expertise, jiggly bits included.   But despite his unique appearance, players will no doubt find that Rufus is one of the more formidable fighters.

Home console exclusive unlockable characters enhance the roster and make it feel more balanced.  Fei-Long and Cammy from Super Street Fighter II fame are fast and incredibly agile characters and are just as fun to play with as when they made their debut so many years ago. Dan and Rose of Street Fighter Alpha and Sakura and Gen of Street Fighter Alpha II lend to the roster's diversity. They are seasoned characters in the Street Fighter universe but still manage to feel like completely new fighters when they stand along side veterans like Ken and Ryu.

Secret characters are pulled from both the old and the new this time around.  Akuma returns and is just as much a menace as he ever was.  Gouken, elder brother of the aforementioned monster and sensei to Ken and Ryu, makes his series debut and is a considerable force to be reckoned with.



Following the trend set by Gill of Street Fighter III, Seth, whose body has been enhanced by state of the art technology, makes his debut as the Street Fighter IV's boss character. Also known as the Puppet Master, this unforgiving opponent can mimic the techniques used by other fighters.  He also has the ability to absorb players into his rotating yin yang center and expel them for extraordinary amounts of damage.

As a fighting game, Street Fighter IV's charm would only last so long as a single player experience.   Thankfully, Street Fighter IV's online component guarantees that players will be facing off against other fighters with little to no wait.  Players taking on the CPU Arcade can take Fight Requests during their single player sessions and go right into an online battle whenever they want. Achievements and Trophies can be earned during online play.



Street Fighter IV explodes onto home consoles with impressive visuals, arcade-perfect controls, and over-the-top special effects and animation.   There is nothing here that a Street Fighter fan won't adore.  This is Street Fighter at its best.  How it manages to outshine every other incarnation in the series is simply remarkable. Out now for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 consoles, fighting game fans owe it to themselves to pick up this title and give in to it. You will not be disappointed.

Fun Factor:  This is pure Street Fighter, nothing but fun.

Game Length:  Arcade Mode can be completed in a fairly short amount of time.

Difficulty: The new gameplay features have made the game easier for newcomers. 

On the Negative Side:  The boss and secret characters are a tad overpowered but it hardly takes away from the experience.

Bang for your Buck: With plenty of characters to unlock and features to explore, players will have a hard time pulling themselves away from Street Fighter IV.