Super Street Fighter IV is the game that Street Fighter IV should have been—although the earlier game was pretty damn good. Featuring new characters, more faces from the past, new tweaks to balance, and an expanded online mode, this latest installment wipes away nearly every complaint gamers had about Street Fighter IV.
Capcom sent us an early build of the game, and it's been a welcome excuse to delve back into the world of Street Fighter. Why is this game, which is a retail release that will go for $40 at launch near the end of April, such a step forward? Let's take a look.
Less stress
Super Street Fighter IV features all the fighters from Street Fighter IV, as well as DeeJay, T. Hawk, Guy, Cody, Adon, Ibuki, Makato, and Dudley. The two new characters are Juri, a female master of Tae Kwon Do, and Hakan, a hulking brute from Turkey who covers himself in oil to slide around the levels. It's as crazy as it sounds, but the shiny nature of his skin gives the character model a somewhat plastic appearance.
What's even better than such a broad range of fighters is the fact that none of them are locked; the first time you put your disc in your system you'll be able to choose from any of the characters. It's good that there is an Arcade Mode, and we'd complain if it were taken away, but the lack of unlockable characters means you can jump right into the action without grinding your way to arbitrary goals to get this or that fighter. Thank God.
If you play the Arcade Mode, however, you'll be treated to new versions of the car smashing arcade game, as well as the barrel breaking game from the arcades. You're also now given the ability to choose new Ultra Combos for a little extra variety. These are minor additions in the scheme of things, but if you grew up with Street Fighter it's great to see them back; this is part of what made the series so special.
Gameplay has also been balanced to try to knock down some of the more dominating characters, and to give a boost to those characters who didn't seem very competitive out of the gate. Right now the game feels better, but it's going to take a wide release and the community putting the game through its paces online before we can judge these tweaks.
Online has been given an overhaul
Online play has more options, and things are much friendlier now. You can set up Team Battles with up to eight players, but the real fun is the Endless Battle. Up to eight players can compete in an elimination match that never ends. The winner stays on, the loser waits their turn, and all the players can chat with each other and watch the matches.
It may sound like a little thing, but this mode recreates the feeling of hanging out with a bunch of friends at the arcade, talking trash and trying new moves and strategies. Even better, when you dominate someone, your friends are there to share in the glory. A replay channel will also allow you to upload videos of your matches or watch other players compete. This is another way for players to learn high-level strategy and to see how others are treating the characters.
Street Fighter is, above all else, a social game. These new modes drive that point home, and they should inject some new life into the online community.
The question is...
If you already own Street Fighter IV, is it worth the $40 to upgrade? Ten extra characters, new online modes, two new minigames, new levels, some new outfits—there's a good amount of content here. Whether it's worth buying a new game is a decision you'll have to make when the game is released for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on April 27.
