Editorial: Street Fighter IV

By Vortex
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To think that it was some fifteen years ago that I first started playing Street Fighter 2 Turbo on the newly released Super Nintendo console!  It would be some time before I found a fighter that could keep my attention like that game. It might not be such a shock to find that the game which could was a Street Fighter with the number IV.

Street Fighter IV is shining example of how a game can be made in 2009 whilst remaining true to the original game play style. The game also brings a lot of new ideas to the table and remains very true to the game released fifteen years ago. It brings in a few new mechanics that only enhance the game and make it even deeper than it already was.. The exciting thing about these newer mechanics is that while they are present, they are not needed to have a lot of fun. The game contains twenty-five fighters in total with a few to unlock along the way. Classic characters such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Blanka are here, along with new characters which players will soon learn to fight with, learning the skills needed to fight against them.

Ryu about to unleash an ultra.

Ryu about to unleash an ultra.

I hope to have a review done very soon. This is meant as a quick heads-up on what the game has made me feel so far. I have played the game for a total of nine hours, played online in a total of ninety-six games, and unlocked all but two of the characters.  I would like to think that I will be playing this game for a long time to come.

I do have some complaints against the game. The final boss, Seth, is an example of how it is possible for developers to make you feel cheated when playing a game. Seth is just random and broken, in that no pattern exists in what he does. On very easy he can beat the player within fifteen seconds; the next time he is fought on hard he can be taken down in fifteen seconds. This pattern repeats. As of yet, I have found no sure way to beat him with ease. I hope this skill will come with time.

Look forward to a review soon. For other thoughts of mine on the game, listen to episode two of the Megaphones Ahoy! Podcast.

7 Comments

  1. Master Chief
    Posted 2009.02.26 at 22:27 | Permalink

    Pretty spot on. Though I imagine after almost 100 matches online, you’d be able to review the game outright. Speaking of online, I must say that I’m impressed at how well the game handles even on two bar signal strength. The online coding Capcom uses has gone a LONG way from Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live Arcade. Amazing stuff.

  2. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.02.26 at 22:30 | Permalink

    Nintendo could certainly stand to take some lessons from Capcom about how to implement netplay in 2D fighting games.

  3. Master Chief
    Posted 2009.02.26 at 22:33 | Permalink

    In assuming that Nintendo even cares, Lusi, you’re assuming a lot.

    Looking back at the article, though, I noticed something strange. The SNES had been out for a while when SF2 Turbo came out. The original Street Fighter II was a bit closer to the release of the system. Of course, you’d eventually see Super Street Fighter II (with a speed setting) during the system’s twilight.

  4. Lee
    Posted 2009.02.26 at 23:06 | Permalink

    It was a launch title if I am correct.

  5. Lusipurr
    Posted 2009.02.26 at 23:45 | Permalink

    The original Street Fighter II was released in N.A. in July of 1992, with Street Fighter II Turbo being released here in August of 1993. I’m not sure what the Euro. release dates for these are, but the SNES was released in Europe in April of 1992, so SF2 Turbo couldn’t have been a launch title (it would not be released, even in Japan, until more than a year later.)

    The original Street Fighter II might have been near the SNES launch in Europe, presuming it came out at roughly the same time as the N.A. release. (Even then, July is far enough after April to make it fairly clear that SF2 was not available on SNES launch day in Europe.)

    * * *

    And Nintendo should care, but apparently they now make enough from Oprah and her cretins that they do not have to. If the next system is anything like the Wii has been to this point, I won’t buy it.

  6. SiliconNooB
    Posted 2009.02.27 at 03:07 | Permalink

    I would like to see opera burn in a firey pit…Yoichi Wada also.

  7. Oyashiro
    Posted 2009.02.27 at 17:28 | Permalink

    Looking forward to the review. I also feel its a little to easy to get your Ultra bar up, getting it about 2 times ever round. When it takes the whole match to get a full Super.