Street Fighter IV Review

Some of the greatest moments in video game history continue to live on in the muscle memory of gamers. Who could ever forget the Konami code or where to get the first hidden 1-up in Super Mario Bros.? Among these classic motions burned into our minds is the Hadoken: A simple quarter-circle forward (plus punch) introduced a new era of precision combat to the generation of gamers crowded around Street Fighter II arcade cabinets. Street Fighter IV remembers those days just as fondly as you do. Even if years have passed since your last fireball, the knowledge will come rushing back to you the instant you start playing. With a harmonious balance of nostalgia and innovation, Street Fighter IV triumphantly recaptures the competitive excitement responsible for so many spent quarters in the early '90s.

Bringing together old and new elements is one of the greatest successes of SF IV, and nowhere is it more apparent than the roster of playable fighters. You'll see all 12 classic members of the Street Fighter II crew, each one with a few new tricks to master. This provides an excellent entry point for gamers who have played the series before, since familiarity with a character's moves will ease the transition into the new mechanics. After you learn the difference between a super combo and an ultra combo, check out the four new challengers to see how they stack up to the competition. They are pretty stupid characters, but I love the way they fill combat gaps and force you to learn new techniques. Playing as Abel (a grappler) is much more interesting than another re-skinned Ryu.

Additional characters contribute some depth, but most of Street Fighter IV's longevity comes from its rock solid mechanics. The controls feel fluid and responsive on the analog sticks, whether you're executing a precisely timed combo or pulling off a Shoryuken. If you're more of a button-masher (or have never played the series before), SF IV is an excellent place to hone your skills. A set of character-specific training challenges start out by teaching you basic moves, but you'll soon graduate into more complicated techniques like combos and cancels. I particularly like the addition of focus attacks, which are essentially strategic counters that figure into many advanced maneuvers. Thankfully, you don't need to master the upper tiers of combat just to enjoy the game; the fighting system accommodates various skill ranges, so a newcomer can have just as much fun as an experienced veteran -- providing they aren't fighting against each other.

You could spend hours mastering the moves and mechanics in single-player, and you would only be experiencing a fraction of what Street Fighter IV offers. Staying true to the series' arcade roots, the new characters and techniques ultimately just facilitate outstanding head-to-head battles. With so many other multiplayer games focusing on teamwork and tactics, I love the pure competitive spirit SF IV fosters through its online offerings. You can fight in ranked matches, set up bouts with friends, and even allow other players to interrupt your single-player game to challenge your skills mid-battle. The result is a near-perfect replication of the arcade experience, complete with all of the glory and humiliation that can bring.

Fighting games can be intimidating. Many are littered with impossible final bosses, overwhelming character selections, and complicated mechanics, but Street Fighter IV is a distillation of everything the genre does right. It delivers the intensity of competition and the thrill of victory, all through elegant techniques that are easy to learn and difficult to master. Street Fighter IV is more than mere nostalgia -- it's the best thing to happen to fighting games in years.