I wept when Capcom told us that they where abandoning the Streetfighter series to move onto new projects just before the release of Capcom Fighting Jam. For 10 long years i contined to play those games that i grew up with, Street Fighter 2, Street Fighter Zero/Alpha, Street Fighter 3 and of course Capcom Vs SNK. Finally Capcom caved and produced what is one of the most perfect visions of the series to date!
To those who follow the series closely you will be aware of several subtle yet game changing mechanics in each iteration of the game. Super Streetfighter was the first game to give us super moves, Alpha gave us counter attacks and air blocking, SF3 gave us the parry and Capcom have done it again with the Focus attack in SF4. The focus attack allows the fighter to absorb a hit (pressing both medium attacks) without getting knocked down with the oppertunity to pull a reversal attack of your own. There is a price for this, 1/4 of your super gage is forfeit so unlike the parry system in SF3 you will need to be carefull how and when you use it.
Also new to the series is a second super meter named the revenge meter, this gradually fills as you take damage and once completely full can be used to pull off a devastating powered up version of your characters super attack. This can lead to many suprise come backs and means that no matter how much punishment you lay on your opponent, they can always pull one last move out that can turn the tables.
So how does the game look? In a word, fantastic, you will have no problem with identifying your character as Ryu still looks like Ryu, though the amount of animation used on facial expressions alone will show where a lot of the designers work has gone. Using Bison it was fanastic to see his demonic looking grin turn to a look of horror when Ryus super came hurtling towards him. The 3d backgrounds do a good job of looking pretty without actually getting in the way, you will see many similar themed stages that will remind you of previous games but are fresh and so full of life that you will enjoy staring into the crowds to see the spectators react. At the start of each fighters journey through arcade mode you will be presented with a short anime sequence and then again at the end after defeating the final boss. These are very high quality and all link together to form one over arching story.
The sound is a bit of a mixed bag, the intro song is one of those really annoying pop songs that will remain stuck in your head for hours after hearing it and the background music for each stage is typically generic tekken-esq techno music. The game really shines with the voice work, regardless of whether you chose to activate the Japanese track or the English one you will be treated to spirited voice work that help to emote each of the fighters the way you would expect. For fans of the series you will also hear remixed and redone compositions of previous games music but this will only occur during rival fights, end sequences or at online lobbys. It would have been nice to have the option to set the music per fighter to these original tracks but it is a somewhat minor flaw that will only really annoy those who are huge fans of the series (like me).
The controls are typical for a 2d style fighting game, 3 punches and 3 kicks will be mapped to whichever controller you prefer to use. The PS3 and Xbox 360 pads do an admirable job of allowing you to play the game but if you want to play online against others an investment in either an offical Mad Catz joystick/joypad or Hori stick is recommended. I struggled hard to play using the default 360 pad but eventually i had to put the cash down for a stick and the difference in playing is incredible.
So overall this is the game 2d fighting fans have been waiting for, its deep, layered and will swallow your freetime an hour at a time. There is a lot of fun to be had for a more casual player too and simply learning one characters attacks and how to use a focus attack should put them on a good footing to enable them to take on more experianced fighters. There are over 20 characters to choose from and each one of them fights differently enough to warrent thier inclusion, the fighting can be as fast and furious or as calculated and drawn out as the users desire. What Capcom have created is the most accessable game of the series so far, and at the same time a game with more layers than an onion. Whether you enjoy fighting games or are looking for a place to start this is the game for you, there is a reason the series is still running after 20 years afterall.
Kagato
