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Super Street Fighter IV - The fighting series that I can never see dying.

  • May 27, 2011
Rating:
+5
The best street fighters in the world gather together once again to compete in a tournament that is sponsored by a warrior named Seth. Each of the fighters have their own goals and they will do whatever necessary to see them realized. However, the tournament holds an ulterior motive by an organization called S.I.N. -summary

Back in 2008, Capcom released Street Fighter IV for the PS3. It featured a whole new fighting engine and introduced new characters to the series. Super Street Fighter IV is a beefed up version of the game that features two brand new characters to the franchise. This was my first exposure to this chapter of the series, since I never played Street Fighter IV so I really didn''t know what to expect.

I heard that the previous game suffered from flaws that bogged down the game play, and this version happened to correct them all. Now, whatever Capcom managed to clean up or upgrade is pretty much a mystery to me. But since I played all of the other games in the franchise, I'll say that this is the best SF has to offer. Capcom pulled many characters from the previous installments such as; the Street Fighter Alpha series and Street Fighter 3, bloating the character line up to 35 characters with everyone playable from go. Yep, you heard that right, no secret characters or codes.

Game Play:

Super Street Fighter IV is still a 2D fighter, that features 2 player one on one combat. The game contains many modes; Arcade Mode, which happens to be the story mode where you get a prologue and ending for your character. Versus mode which is self explanatory, but you can choose to battle a CPU controlled opponent, along with challenge, and training mode. The fighters compete in  2 out of 3 round competition, with the option of increasing the rounds up to 4 out of 7. The bouts are given a time limit of 99 seconds which can be lessened or completely eliminated.

Capcom put the creative juices to work and went all out with this version of SF. Super Street Fighter IV is by far the best in the franchise, as it boasts the deepest fighting engine under the banner. The game has an intricate combo system that takes practice to master. Basic combos such as two in ones are still a breeze to pull off for a veteran. However, it takes a great deal of practice to perform and master the more advanced, juggling, and linking combos. There are plenty of ways to link special moves into super combos, and into ultra combos. Mastering these moves and learning when to pull them off is what separates the advanced players from the novices. The game uses features from Street Fighter 3: Third Impact. Shades of SF3, the characters can once again perform "EX" supers. These are special moves that add additional power to the regular specials, for example, Ryu's basic hadoken will fire two instead of the normal one. This feature has many different effects on all of the characters moves.

The characters have stock meters to perform the special moves, the gauge diminishes when the EX supers are used, but when the bar is full, the player will be able to execute one of the super specials for bigger damage. In addition to this, the game also features a "revenge" meter, that builds up as the player takes damage (this is one way to build it). When the bar is full, the player can unleash the ultra combo, which is a deadly finisher that can quickly turn a definite defeat into a possible victory. And it doesn't stop there, the player can also perform a "focus" attack, that when powered up, lands an unblockable hit that sends the opponent face first into the dirt. The attack can also work as a parry and it helps build the revenge meter.

The challenge mode is set up to help the player learn and practice many different combos through a trial run. This is very helpful because the walkthrough introduces advanced combos, and you wouldn't even know that these combos existed. The practice mode is very good as well, and you can set the dummy up to block your attacks. I found this to be great practice when learning which attacks can and cannot be followed up, and how much time exactly it takes to follow certain attacks up. The game also has perfect hit detection, and every move from what I noticed lands when it's suppose to.

Unlike many others, I was not happy to see the return of the bonus stages. I never liked bonus stages in fighting games because it ruins the pace for me. I'm glad they can be turned off. The bonus stages are revamped versions of the original car and barrel stages from the original Street Fighter II.

The game has a difficulty setting that can be set anyway you want. The CPU can be very tough, and the harder levels will force you into different strategies. This game is nothing like the Street Fighter from ages ago, this is indeed a new game all around, and if you don't learn your characters strengths and weaknesses, as well as your opponents, only to name a few things, then you are going to lose a lot. The AI is competitive, and it takes skill to win, especially on the harder settings. This is not an SNK game, where tough game play is confused with cheap game play. There's a difference and Super Street Fighter IV is evidence. If you're losing like crazy in this, then step your game up.

Controls:

The controls follow the traditional six button style, and they can be reconfigured to suit your gaming preference. Plus, they are very fluid and responsive. Pulling off specials and supers are a breeze, and linking combos and juggles can be just as easy with a lot of practice. Although to a novice player it may seem impossible to pull off, but trust me, don't lose patience with it, and eventually you will be holding your own against veteran players. Now, I'm not saying you're going to win though.

The move functions follow the Street Fighter mythos, with the quarter circle, charge back, and 360 motions. The EX specials are performed by pressing two buttons at once, in combination with the directional pad motion. While supers and ultras require the double motions. It's all stuff you should already know if you been playing for years. Focus attacks are performed by holding the medium punch and kick buttons. Overall, I have no issues with the controls at all.

Graphics/Sound/Music:

The visuals are among the strongest points in the game. The character designs appear to be hand drawn in a manga style, with some really great detail to them and diversity. The females are indeed bursting with sex appeal, from the cheeky Cammy to the exotic Juri. The facial designs have quite a bit of detail and realistic movements. The animation has a life like feel to it, and there are small, yet incredible details that can go so easily unnoticed. There is a great water like fluidity when the characters perform their moves, and little things like jabs and gut shots just have a life like feel to them. The camera work is also amazing during the Ultra move animations, with fantastic zoom-ins capturing the facial expressions when a character has been decimated by a jaw shattering blow. Ryu and Adon's finishers come to mind when I think about some cool looking, bone crushing finales. The visuals continue to excel with the light show put on by the special moves. For example, when fireballs are blocked they don't simply disappear, instead, they burst into smaller particles or flashes that look really nice. Every thing about Super Street Fighter IV was done in style.

The sound effects is another area where the game shines. Light and heavy blows are easily distinguished, and there's real attention to detail here. You can easily hear the jaw bones breaking during Ryu's finisher. I also enjoyed the voice actors, as they all seem to fit perfectly with the characters. Now in regards to the music, even though I enjoy the stage soundtracks, because they are great BGM's for a fight. But stage music doesn't fit with Street Fighter for me. I prefer to hear the characters specific songs. The only time when the character's song is played, happens to be during their rival battle. Perhaps Capcom's intention was to create an epic battlefield with the characters specific music. If that was their reasoning, then they succeeded in that area. Still, I  prefer it the other way no matter what.

Character Roster:

Abel, Adon, Akuma, Balrog, Blanka, C. Viper, Cammy, Chun - Li, Cody, Dan, DeeJay, Dhalism, Dudley, E. Honda, El Fuerte, Fei Long, Gen, Gouken, Guile, Guy, Hakan, Ibuki, Juri, Ken, M. Bison, Makoto, Rose, Rufus, Ryu, Sagat, Sakura, Seth, T. Hawk, Vega, Zangief

This is definitely a very solid roster, with many different fighting styles consisting of tae kwon do, kung fu, boxing, wrestling, and even oil wrestling. There appears to be someone for everyone. My only issue is Evil Ryu not being in the line up.

Replay:

Well, it's a fighting game, a very good fighting game, called Street Fighter. So of course, replay value is through the roof, and the fact that it has on-line play is a plus. And this is coming from someone who doesn't care for on-line play much. The challenge and training modes add to the replay value greatly, because this is where serious players are going to spend most of their time. Especially, when they're being torn to pieces by guys who seem to play this day and night, forsaking a social life altogether. In any case, if you're a die hard fan of Street Fighter then this is definitely for you, and I highly recommend a strategy guide for newbies. Casual fans will be able to get into this as well. Unfortunately, they're the ones who are going to suffer the brutal beatings the most.

Other PS3 reviews:

Marvel vs. Capcom 3

NBA Jam

Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection


Pros:
-Very tight controls
-Fantastic visuals
-Training modes


Cons:
-Stage music for the most part

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May 30, 2011
I've grown a bit tired of the franchise but this review has intrigued me. I am more of a Tekken fan, but hey Street Fighter was great for its day. How was the new MK game?
May 30, 2011
The MK game is real good, and I love the story mode. The fatalities are real sick and I like that they went back to the 2D style. I might get around to reviewing it. And I hear you about the SF series, but SF3: Third Strike and this were moves in the rigth direction. I highly recommend checking them out. Also, I saw screenshots on SF vs. Tekken. Can't way to see how that's going to turn out.
 
May 29, 2011
Don't think I have played this one, great review.
May 29, 2011
It's unlike any other Street Fighter in my view. You should definitely check it out if you were a fan of the series at any point.
 
1
More Super Street Fighter IV (PlayS... reviews
Quick Tip by . March 13, 2011
posted in Siliconera Bounce
The general speed of the game is improved, and the character selection is mind blowing. An interesting addition for those who are about to get into the fighting game craze. Third Strike is still better though :D
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Wiki

Super Street Fighter IV (スーパーストリートファイター IV, Sūpā Sutorīto Faitā Fō?) is a 2010 fighting game produced by Capcom. It is an updated version of Street Fighter IV and has been said to mark the definitive end of the Street Fighter IV sub-series.[3] Having been deemed as too large an update to be deployed as DLC, the game was made into a standalone title, but given a lower price than that of a full retail game.[4] It was released on April 27, 2010 in North America, April 28, 2010 in Japan, and April 30, 2010 in Europe for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[5] Super Street Fighter IV was released as one of the launch titles for the Nintendo 3DS, with 3D functionality, on February 26, 2011 in Japan.[6] As of March 2011, the game has sold 1.6 million units worldwide,[7] while Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition has sold an additional 1 million copies as of April 2011.[8]
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