[360/PS3] - Street Fighter IV Review

[DoctorFinger]

Street Fighter IV Review

Title: Street Fighter IV
Platform: 360/PS3/PC (soon)
Developer:Dimps/Capcom
Publisher:Capcom
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
MSRP: $59.95 (360/PS3), $79.99 (360 CE/PS3 CE)
Editor: Michael 'DoctorFinger' Chauvet
Online W-L record as of publication:3-18

What's Hot: Fun, fast paced fighting action; a learning curve that, while steep, always seems to make you a better player; a beautifully balanced roster.

What's Not: The AI opponent regularly crosses the line from 'challenging' to 'OMG stop &%$@ing cheating, you computer bastard!; the 360 controller is not the best way to play a fighting game of this sort; too few new moves.

Let me get put this out there right off the bat: I pretty much suck at Street Fighter IV. I can pick up the controller without injuring myself, but anything past that is beyond me. Even with my fumblefists, I can clearly see just how impressive this game is.

When you pop in the game you'll quickly find that Capcom has taken a back-to-basics approach to the game. If you're one of the gamers who, like me, enjoyed Street Fighter III on the Dreamcast, you may be disappointed to learn that not a single character introduced in that underrated effort has found their way into this game (although Yun & Yang appear in Chun-Li's cinematics). I understand on some level why Capcom made this decision (IV is set chronologically after II but before III), but it's still a mild disappointment. What's also obvious right off the bat is the return to 2D gameplay. There's no 8-way movement, free running or even sidestepping. Very old school, but also refreshingly simple. Capcom had tried to move Street Fighter into the third dimension before, with lackluster results, so rather than go for another bite of the apple they kept things simple.

The game begins with 16 fighters available - the 12 combatants from Street Fighter II, plus four new fighters: Savateur Abel, techno spy Crimson Viper, Luchador El Fuerte and rotund Kung-Fu master Rufus. Another nine characters are unlockable, including such old favorites as Cammy and Bruce Lee Fei-Long. If you've played Super Street Fighter II, then you already know all of the special moves of the pre-existing characters. Other than the few new universal moves discussed later, no one has been granted any new special moves. I'm not saying you have to completely revamp each character, but a couple new moves here and there would have been nice. The new maneuvers given to all of the combatants however are a strong addition. All (standard) throws are now executed by pushing the light punch & light kick buttons, with different throws being executed depending on which direction you push on the pad/stick. Holding MP & MK will trigger a Focus Attack; a move which lets you absorb one (non-super) attack and immediately counter with a hit of your own. Learning this move can be the difference between a whuppin and a victory.

Also new to the series are EX boosters. Execute a special move using two of the appropriate buttons (say a Dragon Punch with 2 punch buttons) and you'll do an enhanced version of that move, at the cost of part of your combo meter. The damage is not dramatically increased with these EX moves, but they add another layer of strategy to a game with a surprising amount of depth to it. You also have the good old Super and Ultra combos, which are a bit harder to execute, but to a ton of damage.

Graphically this game keeps with the 'updated classics' theme. The characters themselves are high count polygons, but through judicious use of outlines and ink sprays they really pop against the backgrounds. One low point in the game are the lack of alternate costumes. Each character has numerous palette swaps available to them, but different outfits are only available as premium DLC. Lame. The backgrounds are subtly dynamic. They clearly move and change as the fights progress, but not enough to distract you from the business at hand.

Online play is as smooth and problem free as any fighter on the market. In a neat twist, Capcom allows you to go public while playing Arcade mode: online users can challenge you even while you're playing single player. This option can be turned off, but it's a neat throwback to the days of the dimly lit arcade, where your pursuit of Bison could be interrupted at any time by a live challenger. The players who fight online tend to be pretty good, but that may just be because I stink.

But what about the fighting itself? It is simply sublime. The roster of fighters is large enough to encompass any play style, but no character (even the unlockable bosses) is so powerful as to throw the game out of whack. Or at least they aren't in the hands of live players. The AI on the other hand is tough, at times almost frustratingly so. You'll take your lumps early, but learn how to survive. Then you'll come up against Abel, Zangief or El Fuerte and take half a dozen nigh unblockable super throws in a row. They're never unbeatable, but the Special Throws are just a little overpowered for my tastes.

The final boss, Seth, is also a real pain at times, but that's just how Japanese fighting games do business. These balance issues are minor when compared to the overall tuning of the roster. Most fighting games inevitably boil down to a 'super' character who has a particularly cheap or powerful combo with which to devastate other human opponents. In my experience, this isn't the case with this game. All of the characters have their strengths, but none seem to fall into that 'super' category. There are clearly some characters who just don't match up well against other opponents, but that's the fun of the game: you can't use the same strategy against every character.

Street Fighter IV shows why the Street Fighter property is so revered amongst fighting fans. A very back-to-basics approach with some superb technical advances combine to form a fighting game that shouldn't be missed. It's fully playable on the Xbox 360 controller, but the experience is better with a PS3 pad or even better a fighting stick.


Editor: Andrew 'TrackZero' Hodder
Online W-L record as of publication:15-28

What's Hot: Amazingly well polished fighter. Gradient difficulty options make it accessible for beginners and challenging for verterans. Online multiplayer netcode is near perfect.

What's Not: Since some fighting styles are better suited to particular opponents, some of the battles steep up in difficulty depending on whom you are fighting (requiring a change in technique). More work could have been put into the training system; missed opportunity.

It's been a long time since I've really gotten in deep with a new fighting game, probably since SoulCalibur. But back in my college heyday, I was known as the "fighting game guy" as about 100 hours playing Street Fighter Versus X-Men on our arcade cabinet can attest to. However, like most modern fighters, Street Fighter IV nearly slipped under my radar. Thankfully I had one of those last minute situations before a game was released when I knew I just had to grab a copy at retail.

Diving straight into the arcade mode, you find the standard 16 fighters from the Arcade Cabinet version of the game (12 of them returning from the original Street Fighter II and 4 new challengers). It uses the nearly standard fighting game design philosophy of having you unlock the additional nine bonus characters through the completion of the various fighters' storylines. Thankfully almost all of them can be done by playing through on the easiest difficulty level in single round matches (take a look here).

The fighting system present here is simple, but with a surprising degree of depth. When you first play, you'll see the computer doing a number of moves you'll have little idea how to pull off yourself. But through just enjoying the game and trying out various characters and challenges, you'll quickly find yourself picking up the more advanced maneuvers. It's also especially helpful if you play some matches against friends who already know the system and can easily walk you through it.

The only part that's taken me some time to learn is the focus attack, which involves holding down both medium punch and kick at the same time. This effectively makes you immune to the next standard hit you take and if you then release the buttons and strike your opponent it will reflect the damage back on to them. It's especially useful when fighting against opponents who love to "spam" projectiles at you. Taking focus attacks into the mix, you've got a semi rock-paper-scissors effect where throws beat focus attacks, focus attacks beat standard attacks and standard attacks beat throws. Meaning that whatever technique your opponent comes at you with, there's the potential to turn the tables on them if you can anticipate their play style.

There's also your EX and ultra meters along the bottom. EX can be used to boost standard attacks for varying bonuses, to absorb damage while countering, or to pull off "super" moves. EX builds through each blow you land on your opponent and some of it carries between rounds. The ultra meter is built up by the damage you take and once full allows you to pull off your most damaging move (if you can pull it off and it lands on an non-blocking opponent).

The graphics in this game just look fantastic. The art style and game engine are great looking, still with an animated feel and wide and bright colour spectrum. The backgrounds aren't distracting but still full of details and humour if you take the time to look. Character models work well, especially the various faces the fighters take depending on the situation. Audibly the music works quite well and doesn't distract, but instead compliments the gameplay while sounding great. This is true except for the main menu theme, which while somewhat catchy, does seem a little out of place (though you can change it between English or Japanese, depending on your taste). Regarding the language tracks themselves, you can customize the voices specifically for each fighter (Chun-Li just sounds more proper in the Japanese voice to my ears, for example).

One great addition to the game Capcom has made is a ton of unlockable content. Whether you're playing the time trial or survival challenge modes to unlock new colours for your costume or just playing multiplayer matches against your friends for new titles and icons, you're continually getting a feeling of "earning" things in game while becoming more practiced at it. The only weak spot to this is that the additional costumes are not unlockable in game and are being sold as DLC (even though they're on the disc) for 320 MS points ($4 USD/$5 CAD) a pack. While I normally detest this type of nickel and diming, I'll be damned if Cammy doesn't look great in her new costume...

The multiplayer is well polished. Whether you're just leaving yourself "open" while playing arcade mode and getting new challengers appearing from across XBL or just directly having private games with friends, it's a good time. Latency seems to have no effect on the gameplay (I've had a single bar and didn't notice any change), it plays just as it does locally. Many of the achievements and unlockables are not dependent at all upon ranked matches or even winning. It's obvious Capcom designed things to simply encourage you to keep playing, not punish you for failure.

Some final things relating to the controls. While Street Fighter IV is quite playable with the standard 360 controller, many people seem to prefer the analog stick as the 360 d-pad is known for having issues tracking between diagonal positions. Rest assured there are other options. First, you can modify your d-pad through this simple technique, which will do wonders for the accuracy. Alternatively you can pick up one of the Madcatz Street Fighter IV fightpads. Or if you're looking for what quite possibly may be the best option (and arcade flavour), Madcatz is doing another run of their SF IV Arcade Tournament Edition joysticks in April (which from reviews, is considered the best retail arcade stick for the console).

Street Fighter IV is hands down the best fighting game I've played in years. It hits on all the right cylinders. Games on Xbox Live seem to work perfectly despite latency. It's a title that just keeps on giving back to you for your time investment and when playing with friends is one of the most fun experiences this console generation. If you have any interest in this genre at all, this is the one to get.

CoG Says: "Worship It!" (5 out of 5 Cogs)




*Note - Review based upon the 360 version of the game

[Karmakin]

That sounds about right.

It really is the best 2d fighter probably ever. They didn't do too much, but IMO the really refined it in a very positive way.

[Mike Kelehan]

Somebody needs to send MS a memo that the d-pad just isn't good. At all. There's no excuse for them not to have fixed it yet.

[total]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

Somebody needs to send MS a memo that the d-pad just isn't good. At all. There's no excuse for them not to have fixed it yet.

Yeah good luck with that.

Capcom did a great job with it. SF4 did just about everything right. They made it simple enough to bring new players in and they made it deep enough to keep their fan base content.

[Aggort]

It felt like it was honestly a throw back to the golden days. Every positive thing they had ever done to the series just seems magnified in this title. Still hate the cheezy characters though. It was like the game didn't know whether to be serious or not. The new 4 characters; Only Abel and Crimson made any damn sense!

Oh and Finger, don't feel bad. I'm not particullarly great at many 2D fighters the only exceptions being Guilty Gear, Marvel VS Capcom 2, and occasionally a King of Fighters title. But even with that being said I wasn't horrible when taking this online especially after I learned a few good combos and started linking them together. I, by luck, landed a 8 hit combo with Ryu and finished it off with a Metsu-Hadoken, but never again.

[Adam Blue]

If you want a gamepad, grab the Madcatz SF gamepad. The d-pad is excellent and the 6 face buttons are awesome. Also very good for XBLA games.

[Ancalagon]

Originally Posted by Aggort

I, by luck, landed a 8 hit combo with Ryu and finished it off with a Metsu-Hadoken, but never again.

I would have loved to have seen your opponents face when that happened. Or heard his screams.

So you did an 8 hit combo and then immediately chained it into the metsu hadouken?

[DeathtollWRX]

Great write up! I'm hoping this will entice those people who are on the fence about getti g this game to step up. I could always use my friendly opponents to test my mettle with.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by DeathtollWRX

Great write up! I'm hoping this will entice those people who are on the fence about getti g this game to step up. I could always use my friendly opponents to test my mettle with.

Yeah, I think I got a challenge or two from you and Lekon last weekend when I rented the game.

I'll say that while I can appreciate the game and absolutely ADORE the art style, this game just isn't for me. It doesn't help that I was at best a dabbler when it came to Street Fighter 2 (and the franchise in general). For the two hours or so that I played SFIV, I just felt as though I was playing a game where there was some other control scheme that the computer and EVERY OTHER PLAYER was using that I just could not access. Yes, there's a move list and everything, but even trying things out in there, I could barely pull off a punch or kick... EX and Fusions? HA!

I think that if I were more versed in Street Fighter in general, I'd have loved the game. As it was, I was getting my ass handed to me on Easiest and Zangief spelled my doom... Sigh.

[DoctorFinger]

Oh, I don't feel bad at all that I suck. I just wanted to put it out there. To be honest, I'm a lot better at the 3D fighters than I am at the 2D ones at the moment.

[JayVe]

Maybe this game isn't for me. We had a bunch of friends over last night to play. After about an hour of Vs mode, someone asked if I had Soul Calibur. I dropped in a backwards compatible copy of Soul Calibur II on the Xbox, and we played for hours.

I'm glad that some people really enjoy the game, but I wouldn't give it 5/5.

[bapenguin]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

Somebody needs to send MS a memo that the d-pad just isn't good. At all. There's no excuse for them not to have fixed it yet.

Import the european red controller. That has the new d-pad. Due to some stupidity with manufacturers or something - the US ones don't have it.

[Mike Kelehan]

Originally Posted by bapenguin

Import the european red controller. That has the new d-pad. Due to some stupidity with manufacturers or something - the US ones don't have it.

I'd import the EU green one, but they're hard to find for any sort of reasonable price. I'm fine with sanding down my controller to make it work, but Joe Consumer certainly isn't going to do that.

Since the sanding mod works so well, one has to wonder why MS doesn't just fix it. It'd be so easy.

[JayVe]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelehan

I'd import the EU green one, but they're hard to find for any sort of reasonable price. I'm fine with sanding down my controller to make it work, but Joe Consumer certainly isn't going to do that.

Since the sanding mod works so well, one has to wonder why MS doesn't just fix it. It'd be so easy.

Sanding Mod?

Do you have a link to a How-To on this?

[TrackZero]

Originally Posted by JayVe

Sanding Mod?

Do you have a link to a How-To on this?

Heh, I swear you and Adam didn't read my review......

[total]

Originally Posted by JayVe

Sanding Mod?

Do you have a link to a How-To on this?

http://www.instructables.com/id/DIY-...ntrol-pad-mor/

Or as posted in the article: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6x5knRrd-UU

[Xerxes]

Originally Posted by DoctorFinger

Oh, I don't feel bad at all that I suck. I just wanted to put it out there. To be honest, I'm a lot better at the 3D fighters than I am at the 2D ones at the moment.

I'm better at 3D fighters as well, but it doesn't stop me.

[Mike Kelehan]

Originally Posted by JayVe

Sanding Mod?

Do you have a link to a How-To on this?

This is the original, in one page and easy to follow:

http://www.ufighterx.com/guides/vide...360dpadfix.htm

[torrefaction]

I may be alone on this, but I really didn't have much fun with SFIV. I guess I'll still be waiting for Tekken 6.

[Spigot]

Originally Posted by torrefaction

I may be alone on this, but I really didn't have much fun with SFIV. I guess I'll still be waiting for Tekken 6.

You are not alone, as post #9 clearly indicates...