It’s barely been two years since Street Fighter IV barreled into Arcades blazing a fiery trail, one year if you count the refined console release as the last iteration. The “Super” may remind some of the 90′s, back when a Turbo or Super or Hyper Fighting seemed to come out every few weeks. This is no mere quick update though, this is a full fledged revision of what some believe to be superior to even the decade old Street Fighter III.
IF YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH STREET FIGHTER IV, SKIP THIS SECTION!
Preface:
A quick refresher course, Street Fighter IV is a fighting game produced by Dimps/Capcom aoid directed by Yoshinori Ono of Onimusha fame. It was the first numbered entree into the series in nearly ten years. Many principle techniques that were staples were dropped or revised. The game uses a traditional 6 button setup and is played in a two dimensional plane although it uses polygonal characters rather then sprites. Art director and character designer Daigo Ikeno, who previously worked on Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, opted for non-photorealistic rendering to give them a hand-drawn look, with visual effects accented in calligraphic strokes, ink smudges and ink sprays during the fights.
Ono being interviewed about SSFIV
SFIV game moved at a more methodical pace, encouraging spacing and punishing missed attacks (whiffs). Primary engine-specific focus was on Ultra Combos, EX moves, super combos and Focus attacks. Focus attacks, known also as Saving Attacks was a new system in Street Fighter that allowed the player to absorb a single attack and launch a counter attack, performed by pressing medium punch and medium kick simultaneously. This occurred in two phases, the player shifts into a defensive stances at which point they have a small window to absorb a blow, depending on the time this stance is held, the move can become unblockable and cause the opponent to crash to the ground allowing for free follow up hits upon dashing in. Activating your Focus move still did not prevent damage although the life bare would regenerate after. Many special moves can be canceled into the Focus attacks at the cost of half their super gauge.
When asked as to why this was incorporated so strongly Ono has stated that this system was made in order to shift the emphasis away from combos and toward a more realistic system he has compared to boxing, in which “the skill is in reading your opponent’s move before he or she starts moving … We haven’t forgotten about combos and linked moves, but focus makes it so that you have to read your opponent.”The system aims to make ground attacks as viable a way of approaching opponents as jumping was in previous games. The focus system is a core part of Street Fighter IV’s gameplay. Ex moves are basically advanced version of normal special moves that sacrifice super gauge in exchange for a variety of different attributes and effects such as increased damage or armor break.
In addition to the powered-up versions of special moves introduced in previous Street Fighter games such as Super Combos and EX Special Moves, the game also introduces a new type of powered-up special move officially dubbed the Ultra Combo. Ultra Combos are long and cinematic moves featuring a lengthy combination of punches, kicks and other fighting techniques. Just as there is a Super Combo gauge, there is also an Ultra Combo gauge , but insead of how the Super Combo gauge fills up when the player hits their opponent or performs a special move , the Revenge Gauge fills when one takes damage from their opponent. Along with the Super Combos, Ultra Combos are one of the only times the camera becomes cinematic rather then fixed. The closer to full the Ultra combo gauge is, the more damage it does upon connecting with the opponent. Focus attack dash canceling allows you to link combos that would be otherwise impossible to do so such as uppercut FADC forward roundhouse for example. You press the two medium attack buttons then press forward (or backwards) twice quickly to dash then let go of the buttons to start and then cancel the focus attack. So you’d uppercut but FADC would immediately cancel the uppercut which would allow you to do another follow-up move like a roundhouse, ultra, and so on.
CONTINUE
Super Street Fighter IV (here on known as SSFIV) is the tenth major entry into the Street Fighter canon. Fittingly it adds in ten more fighters, eight taken from past entries as well as two brand new characters. These characters all offer a fresh and diverse play style ranging from simple easy to pick up characters such as Cody to true challenges like fan favorite Ibuki. They each feel expertly tweaked and balanced, Capcom did no throwaways though some could argue Ibuki and Makoto are overpowered their low life gauge balances things similar to Akuma There is almost guaranteed to be a character to please everyones taste. This is my short take on each character and is in no way meant to be a compendium of information on each but rather a brief preface and introduction.
Adon :
Muay Thai style that is very different from Sagat and full of high speed strikes
Very unsafe and wild moveset in comparison to the methodical nature of Sagat
Decent distance coverage with Specials but very punishable
Above average walk speed
T.Hawk:
A heavily grapple oriented character
Very slow but also very strong
Poor response to being zoned
Cody:
Street Fighting involving rocks and knifes
A good beginner character
High damage character
Better served using EX moves rather then Super Combos
Great overhead, causes “quake” reaction
Guy:
Ninjitsu, total rush down character
One of the few characters to possess a “run”
Fun character to play as, very flashy
Relatively safe character
Excellent bait tactician
Wall flip kick as useful as ever
Ibuki:
She’s fast, has tons of combos
Some of the nastiest mix-ups in the game
Poor Ex-move and oki selection
Tons of options in every situation
A great counter-pick to rufus and C. Viper
Poor health gauge
Great Target Combo
Makoto:
Strong style Goju Karate focuses on close combat
Sure to be a fan favorite and one of the best pure strikers in the game
Ex version of Choke hold grants Super armor allowing Makoto to soak damage when rushing in
Ultra II goes through Hado
One of the fastest dashes in the game
Dudley:
Tough to master Boxing style
Focuses on quarter circle motions rather then charge motions such as Balrog
Tosses roses that have anti-air properties
Really mean throw game
Absolutely lethal in the corner if Ultra is available
Dee Jay:
Focuses on charge attacks similar to Guile
Combos rather easily from normals to specials
Can slide under Hado-attacks
Juri:
Tae Kwon Do style based on heavy parlor tricks and throw game
Default Ultra is similiar to the Custom combo gauge from the Alpha series
Hakan:
Turkish Oil wrestler
?.. keep him oiled, much to say on Hakan..
-Terrible low jump
-Very bad anti air
-Hard to get in close with
+Ultra II one of the best Ultra’s in the game
+ Very high damage throws
- Easily locked down by campers and rushers
+Good mobility for a big character
All the old SFIV faces are relatively the same, with small adjustments and tweaks. All told, the new characters make for a staggering 35 available fighters to choose from. All characters are unlocked from the start, which can be slightly overwhelming for a new player. Fortunately the game includes a very concise training mode to help you learn your chosen fighter as well as trials so that you may master moves.
All characters now have two selectable Ultra attacks selectable upon choosing them except for Gen, who will have four total. The newly added Ultra’s are quite useful although one could consider them to be situational for the most part, it’s good to have choice again. We see the addition of 5 newly created stages thrown into the mix as well, all of them are beatifully crafted in this reviewers opinion. We see a classic make a comeback, the car and barrel stages that were bonuses from the Street Fighter II days. It’s quite enjoyable to turn metal to scrap and I am glad they put it back in the game. Now if only they brought back the Basketball parry mini game from Street Fighter III and Sean along with it.
Capcom has also added in a team battle for up to 8 players, a replay channel which allows viewing and saving of replays, and Endless battle, in which the winner fights against a rotating set of 8 other players. The game also features key battles in Arcade mode, where you are faced against a rival and a cutscene ingame plays out prior to the fight. These are a nice addition and help to flesh out the story a bit more. Also upon completion of Arcade you are treated to a nice cinematic by Studio Gonzo of their ending. Gonzo will be sorely missed as they have since shut their doors due to the failing economy. Also noteworthy is that all characters now have new opening and ending anime clips. No reused assets from SFIV here. Capcom already has DLC mapped out, additional costumes and a Tournament mode are all planned for release in the near future.
The visuals are untouched from the 2009 console release and the controls are tight as ever though I would recommend an arcade stick over a controller for precise movment and input. Considering Yoshinori Ono’s considerably meager list of titles that he was Producer, what he has done with Street Fighter is a beautiful thing and I truly hope to see him around for a long time. He has always been on the forefront of innovation, bringing such cult hits as Shadow of Rome and Chaos Legion. Capcom made a wise choice.
In conclusion:
Gameplay & Design
The classic lives on, solid engine that has only improved since last years incarnation. Ultra damage has been toned down, and overall the game feels more forgiving to mistakes. Long time fans will appreciate the additions of their beloved characters and new players will find it a great place to start off with.
Graphics & Sound
Gorgeous artwork and highly stylized character design mesh into an almost manga feel for the presentation. From the slick main menus to the brush strokes that are subtly seen during Focus attacks to the fearful expression on a fighters face right before they are hit with an Ultra this game just oozes style. Studio Gonzo lent their talented team to the storyboard artwork and their unique anime style feels right at home in the Street Fighter universe. The sound is as nostalgic as ever, boasting a Japanese and English track. Every thud, crash, and slam sounds as hard and high impact as you’d imagine it to be.
Final Word
With countless online opposition, a huge roster of character and a solid engine SSFIV is a game that belongs in any gamers collection, casual or hardcore.
Score
9.7
Additional thoughts:
Seth is cheap as ever if not more as the final boss fight
RSS
iTunes
YouTube
flickr
Myspace
follow us