Super Street Fighter IV - PlayStation 3

Super Street Fighter IV Review

Dan Ryckert — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:38:00 GMT

When Capcom announced Super Street Fighter IV, many gamers were instantly reminded of buying multiple versions of Street Fighter II back in the early ‘90s. These fans complained that this new release was only an excuse to “trick” gamers into buying the same game twice. No matter how much skepticism its release has generated, Super Street Fighter IV includes far more content than any previous Street Fighter iteration.

Whereas the SNES updates added only a handful of new characters each time around, SSF IV comes out swinging with 10 additions to the original SF IV roster. Of the new challengers, Juri is my personal favorite. She features multi-level projectiles, a punishing cartwheel kick, a sneaky air combo, and a brutal Ultra Combo. In terms of sheer weirdness, newcomer Hakan is the standout of the bunch. He’s a hulking, bright-red beast who refers to himself as the “Oil King of Turkey.” Almost all of his moves revolve around oil, including one “attack” in which he pours two bottles of olive oil all over himself. It’s not just for giggles, however – the oil increases his damage and defense, and extends the reach of certain attacks like his oil slide.

Not all of the extra fighters are brand new – several are veterans from Street Fighter III and the Alpha series. Fans of Adon, Makoto, and Ibuki will feel right at home thanks to how these characters are handled in SSF IV, with updated moves that feel faithful to their original incarnations. All of the playable characters, new and old, fit perfectly within Capcom’s classic fighting universe and are welcome additions to the series’ rebirth.

For all the praise Street Fighter IV received, one universal complaint revolved around how online play was structured. Modes were scarce, and the ranking system left much to be desired. A free DLC update didn’t do much to remedy the situation, so a total overhaul has been introduced in SSF IV. Endless Battle is a new mode that allows several gamers to join a lobby and watch the action, and it operates on a “winner stays” system. If you’re on a tear, you won’t stop playing until one member of the lobby finally topples you (leaving you to sit back and watch the action until your turn comes around again). Team Battle allows you to pit two teams of up to four players against each other, and you can even set up lopsided 1 vs. 4 bouts if you’re feeling particularly cocky. Standard ranked matches are always an option, and an enhanced Replay mode gives you the opportunity to study other world warriors’ tactics. Online play on the whole is far more robust in Super Street Fighter IV than it was in the original, and significantly increases the replayability.

When it comes down to core gameplay mechanics, there’s no denying that Super Street Fighter IV resembles the original in almost every way. However, the numerous new characters and greatly improved online options make the game worth a purchase regardless of whether or not you owned IV. Capcom has said all along that there was simply too much content here for it to be released as DLC, and my time with the game has convinced me of this. I put nearly 100 hours into IV, and I can easily see myself pumping dozens more into this update. If you haven’t played IV at all, then $40 is an absolute steal for the ultimate version of the best fighting game in recent memory.

Hands-On With Super Street Fighter IV

Dan Ryckert — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 20:40:00 GMT

We've been spending some time with Super Street Fighter IV over the last couple of days, and all signs point to it being a worthy followup to last year's return to form for the series. Those who were concerned about this edition being a mere cash-in shouldn't have much to worry about, as it features plenty of new fighters, modes, and moves...basically everything you'd want in a new edition of Street Fighter.

Longtime fans know that the series is known for these "updates" in lieu of full-fledged sequels, considering that the SNES Street Fighter II was released twice more as SFII Turbo and Super Street Fighter II Turbo. Both of those titles were big hits, and they didn't feature nearly as many improvements as this update to IV. Each of the SNES updates only provided gamers with four new characters, while SSFIV introduces ten new fighters to the mix. Some are returning characters and others are completely new, but they all fit perfectly into this new era of Street Fighter.

Those who spent time with IV last year will feel right at home once they pick up this edition, as the core gameplay mechanics are virtually identical. Each character has their standard special moves and Super/Ultra combos, but now they can select one of two Ultras at the beginning of the round. Fighters from the first edition of IV will each feature a new and devastating Ultra II combo. Some fighters like Sagat and Gouken unleash massive projectiles, while M. Bison settles for two gigantic flaming fists to the gut.

Five new stages are available, including a Metro City skyscraper, an African plain during a solar eclipse, and a busy street in India. Each of these features plenty of animated onlookers and animals, and rival any seen in IV.

Many fans of the series were thrown off by the insane difficulty of IV's trials, and SSFIV doesn't budge much in this regard. The trials are laid out more specifically, with each section requiring you to perform a single move or combo instead of a gauntlet of them. Later challenges are almost as difficult as the notorious ones from its predecessor, but it's easier to jump directly to a combo that you want to attempt.

Street Fighter II's re-releases on the Super Nintendo were full-priced and didn't offer nearly what Super Street Fighter IV does. With ten new characters, five new stages, dozens of new Ultra combos, and much improved online support, any claims of this being a quick and easy cash-in for Capcom will be hard to take seriously.

Take a look at the video below to check out almost eight minutes of direct-feed gameplay. If you missed yesterday's look at the opening cutscene and bonus rounds, click here.

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Exclusive Super Street Fighter IV Videos

Dan Ryckert — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:02:00 GMT

We're only a couple of months away from the release of Super Street Fighter IV, and we recently had a chance to check out a preview build of the Capcom brawler. Take a look below for a teaser of the game's opening cutscene, followed by footage of the car-smashing, barrel-breaking bonus rounds.

Opening teaser:

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Bonus stages (warning...I suck at the barrel part):
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New Warriors To Join Ryu And Company Next Spring

Dan Ryckert — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:20:00 GMT

Many fighting fans (myself included) played Street Fighter IV until their fingers were sore, and Capcom is giving them reason to come back for more. Super Street Fighter IV has been officially announced as a standalone title, and will be released in the spring of next year. Details are scarce, although we know it will feature eight new characters and will retail for a reduced price.

So far, the only character reveals have been the returning T. Hawk and DeeJay from Super Street Fighter II, as well as the new female fighter Juri. The remaining five will be a mix of characters from other games in the series as well as brand new fighters. Now that they've brought back every single fighter from Super Street Fighter II, it'll be interesting to see which games they pull other characters from. Street Fighter III has a small and loyal online following, but the Alpha series has seen more mainstream success. SFIV featured Rose, Sakura, Dan, and Gen from the Alpha series, but none that were initially introduced in III.

This new installment will also balance existing characters based on fan feedback from SF IV. Online communities have almost unanimously agreed that Sagat is overpowered, while others like Vega and El Fuerte were woefully underpowered. These returning characters will be receiving brand new Ultra Combos and tweaks to their existing movesets. In addition, their stages will feature new background animations that weren't seen in the original. While nothing was officially announced, it's probably safe to assume that new stages will be accompanying the new warriors.

One of the biggest complaints about the original SF IV was the online matchmaking system. A patch introduced the generally well-received Championship Mode, but no spectator mode or lobby system has ever been implemented. Capcom hasn't released specific details about what changes will be made, but the press release gives the vague promise of "more advanced online gameplay."

Some may be surprised that these new additions will be offered as a retail disc rather than DLC, but Capcom insists the amount of changes made to the game necessitate this release method. One significant downside to SSF IV is that it cannot be played online against owners of the original SF IV. While disappointing, it shouldn't keep the millions of Street Fighter fans from looking forward to this new installment. Street Fighter IV did a fantastic job of balancing nostalgia with rock-solid gameplay, and was rewarded with critical and commercial success. If the price is right for Super Street Fighter IV, Capcom can bank on another solid release for the storied franchise.