Street Fighter IV

By Matt Edwards Published 5 January, 2009

A new challenger reappears.

Playing Street Fighter IV on Xbox 360, we're trying to recall the last time we were so hyped about the release of a fighter. Enthusiasm grew during the build-up to Soul Calibur IV, as did our anticipation for Virtua Fighter 5 a year prior, but it's an age since a fighter has been so prevalent in actual office banter. With the console release of Street Fighter IV weeks away, the trash talk about who's going to rush down who has started to turn nasty. How we've missed it.

Street Fighter IV is in some ways a step back to the basics of Street Fighter II - i.e. no air blocking and a single Super. But it also takes many aspects that made the latter games so exceptional in their own right, including the return of EX Specials. If anything, it has the potential to be the superlative Street Fighter experience, whether you're a Third Strike diehard or long-since Alpha 3 deserter. We're also impressed by how Capcom has taken its iconic Street Fighter roster and revamped it into the third dimension. All the characters retain the personality and edge that made them a hit in the early 90s, but are done in such a way that you forget Street Fighter EX ever happened. Street Fighter IV is for everyone - it just needs to finally Dragon Punch into everyone's living room.

Visually, the near-complete Xbox 360 port we've played is seamless from the arcade original, and on a worthy setup impresses in equal measure with its unique cel-shaded styling as Hadokens and Flash Kicks are all executed with flair and fluidity. It's hard to see how Capcom could have done this better. As for controls, Capcom and Dimps have wisely kept the classic six-button setup rather than opt for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom's four-button approach. The 360 pad isn't the most intuitive interface for a 2D fighter, but with decent sticks already available this isn't a huge issue, and if you're not partial to sticks you can always look into a Street Fighter IV FightPad from Mad Catz, set to coincide with the release of the game. The closer this is to the Saturn Pad the better.

'Street Fighter IV' Screenshot 1

The other characters confirmed for the home release include Fei Long, Cammy, Dan, Gen and Rose.

Handling wise, Street Fighter IV will be immediately familiar to anyone who's ever pulled off a Shoryuken. Virtually all the Special moves are executed as you'd expect, with the staple charge and half-circle motions and everything in-between, and each character has access to a single, stock Super, and EX Specials, all accessed via the four-tiered Super gauge. Capcom also has a stab at a Rage gauge, here in the guise of the new Revenge gauge. Taking damage fills this meter and when it's over half full it can be used to execute an Ultra. These uber-Specials are usually accessed with the character's standard Super motion, but with three button presses rather than one. As both combatants often have a stocked Ultra as even bouts climax, things remain gritty and intense right to the finish - exactly as they should be in a good mind-games fighter.

Anyone who's been following the build-up will also know that the console version retains all the playable characters from the arcade version: all eight original World Warriors, all four Street Fighter II bosses and the new bloods; Abel, Crimson Viper, El Fuerte and Rufus. Our build also gave us access to fan-favourite Akuma (unlockable in the arcade), Ryu and Ken's master Gouken, school-girl Sakura and boss Seth - the metallic CEO of Shadaloo's weapons division, apparently.

Akuma, master of the Dark Hadou, has always been about pure Shotokan rush down. In Street Fighter IV he plays similarly to his Third Strike self, complete with his rolling jump attack and juggle-heavy Specials. He can now change the trajectory of his air fireballs depending on which punch is pressed and unlike Third Strike, he now has the ability to EX some of his Specials. He can still teleport out of danger in the normal manner but perhaps his most interesting change is the dual Raging Demons.

'Street Fighter IV' Screenshot 2

The Ultra Combos are truly spectacular in their ferocity. Special mention has to go to Vega's Bloody High Claw and Bison's Nightmare Booster - vicious indeed.

A full Super gauge allows the mix-up master to use his signature death move the usual way, but should you fill the Revenge gauge enough, he now has access to a more deadly Demon. By pressing back instead of forward during the classic Shun Goku Satsu combination, Akuma teleports more swiftly and across nearly the entire screen. Should he catch his opponent off-guard, he drags them to hell for nearly double the standard Demon's hits. The problem is that the Raging Demon, even with effective Kara Cancelling, has always been a nightmare to connect against a pro, so initially it seems odd that Capcom's given players two versions of Akuma's trickiest Super - but with the Demon now executable in a fraction of a second and with a pair of options, players may have to consider that evasive jump or counter Super more carefully.

When we first picked Gouken, we were concerned he'd just be another Ryu clone (we're aware of the irony) in an already overcrowded character style. Fortunately this isn't the case. As the polar opposite and brother of Akuma, following a non-lethal form of Ansatsuken, Gouken's fighting style looks like true mastery of a martial art compared to his students'. Whereas Ryu and Ken's fireballs look like an effort in chi manipulation, Gouken's come out in an effortless one-handed motion. Depending upon the button pressed, he can throw them straight ahead or vertically upwards - catching out a jumping opponent - while his EX version throws out forward and horizontal fireballs simultaneously, which is harder to evade.

His Hurricane Kick would also have you believe that Ryu and Ken are far from mastering their art. Instead of acting as a horizontal combo-finisher, Gouken's Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku appears to have more use as an effective anti-air. It arcs straight upwards and can juggle with multiple hits, but does seem to lack the range and priority of the classic Dragon Punch.

So if Gouken already has an anti-air, does that mean he's without a Shoryuken? Nope. Effectively he has two versions for his Super and Ultra. The Super version comes out fast with multiple hits and makes for an effective combo finisher, or an appropriate punishment against a predictable jump. His Ultra version, on the other hand, is pure Third Strike Ryu Super Art II - make that first hit connect and it's an immensely satisfying Shin Shoryuken for the win. Savour every agonising slow-motion hit.

Our time with Sakura was brief, but she's reminiscent of her Alpha guise - complete with a dashing in, multiple-hit Dragon Punch and arcing Hurricane Kick. The EX version of the latter launches her opponent into the air and can be Focus-cancelled out of in order to connect her Ultra, should your fingers be up to the task.

Seth on the other hand is a mixed bag of cheap tricks. He rips off other fighters' moves, including Dhalsim's arm extension, Bison's teleport and Guile's Sonic Boom. He also has his own tricks including a multiple-hitting machine-gun kick and the ability to draw his opponent closer to him. But his most annoying trait is his cheap Ultra. Pull this off against an opponent with their guard down and they'll be sucked into Seth's singularity and fired out against the invisible wall for considerable damage - and, if this wins the round, a quite comical pressed glass expression. Still, at least Seth isn't quite Gill chip-tastic cheap.

'Street Fighter IV' Screenshot 3

Story-wise Street Fighter IV sits in-between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. Ryu's turned up for something honourable, no doubt.

If the online play of Street Fighter IV turns out to be as lag-free as the bouts in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, then fighter fans have good reason to be excited. We haven't got access to that yet, but aside from online play, perhaps the other most-anticipated aspect of Street Fighter IV from the perspective of the fighter hardcore is the chance to get to grips with the new Focus system in the obligatory practice mode, which we have done. It's Street Fighter IV's most crucial aspect in terms of longevity and tournament play - effectively replacing the parrying system from Third Strike.

For a Street Fighter novice the Focus attack is a strike performed by pressing both mediums, and has three levels of charge: reflex, stagger and unblockable. During the Focus charge the player can absorb a single hit from most attacks - still taking the damage but not being stunned out of the Focus attack. Health lost while Focusing will return gradually if follow-up hits are avoided, but will still fill the Revenge gauge as normal.

For a 2D fighter aficionado, however, Focus is exponentially more versatile. It can be used to cancel out of certain Specials at the expense of half your Super gauge, and on top of this the Focus itself can be cancelled with a dash. Losing half your Super sounds bad, but when you consider that Ultras are accessed via a separate gauge, the possibilities open up. Use a Special that launches your opponent into the air, immediately cancel into a Focus and then a forward-dash to avoid any follow-up frames, and then connect your Ultra before they hit the ground - perhaps even cancelling into the Ultra from another attack. The timing and accuracy is precise and will take time to master, but it's worth remembering that those who bothered to learn Street Fighter III's parrying system reaped the benefits despite the apathy it initially attracted.

'Street Fighter IV' Screenshot 4

In terms of balance, Street Fighter IV is a more level playing field than most. We just hope online play doesn't result in a giant Ryu and Ken orgy of Hadoken tennis. But of course it will.

The beauty of it, of course, is that you don't need to know every intricacy of Street Fighter IV to have fun. Master the basics and you'll be a formidable player in your own right, and should it succeed in holding the average console owner to this, Street Fighter IV will be a crucial step in the future of the 2D fighter on the home market. Many excellent fighters with 2D mechanics, including BlazBlue, Battle Fantasia and the hotly anticipated King of Fighters XII, are keeping the scene alive, but have limited appeal among the wider gaming audience. For a fundamentally 2D fighter, Street Fighter has the same level of prestige as Soul Calibur and Tekken - and the capability of going toe to toe with these 3D fighter juggernauts.

There are many who would complain that Street Fighter is becoming more stagnant, with too many Shotokan clones and little variation in play mechanics, but to us the Street Fighter series represents a continuing refinement of the 2D fighter, with Street Fighter IV perhaps the most accessibly deep Street Fighter ever on this evidence. Complaints of only four new characters and an increasingly samey roster will probably be made, but if you don't want to play as Ryu, then don't! If you're any good, then you should be able to take down a Dragon Punch-spamming scrub with ease anyway. So bear that in mind, because Street Fighter IV in your house is just around the corner, and we've already practiced our trash talk.

Street Fighter IV is due out for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 20th February 2009.

Picture of Matt.

About Matt Edwards

Matt describes himself as a player of games, a rider of motorbikes and a wearer of hats. He's also a Fighting Mania master. "Omae wa mo shindeiru!"

Read more articles from Matt by visiting the Matt Edwards archive page.

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Comments (73) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mmmmmm #1 3 years ago

    how does a new challenger reappear? /o\

  • citizenHUNTER #2 3 years ago

    First. Lol, I saw the opportunity, had to take it. EDIT: Dammit, he beat me by seconds!

    Not much into fighting games outside of Soulcaliburr, but this might change my mind, as long as it's fairly simple to learn the basics and I don't get beaten endlessly by 5 year olds over Live...
    Edited by 1 at 04/01/09 @ 23:53

  • DarthCheesiest #3 3 years ago

    BooHoo I thought I woz first.
    I ordered the special edition of this game and really hope this becomes the new fans favourite SF.
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 00:03

  • frostcircus #4 3 years ago

    I can't not see that front page pic as Chun Li calling me (or someone slightly to my right) a wanker

  • DarthCheesiest #5 3 years ago

    Oh no, you're right.

    'and if you're not partial to sticks you can always look into a Street Fighter IV FightPad from Mad Catz'

    Oh no again, does that mean no madcatz sticks for us.
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 00:08

  • Rodney #6 3 years ago

    its funny, I never played street fighter when I was a lad. I remember, as an 9 year old, arguing with my school mates
    that Mortal Kombat II was the more realistic fighting game....Im not quite sure how I reasoned Mortal Kombat II was realistic but there you go.

    Its seems the Street Fighter series has aged a lot better. maybe I should put my 15 year long MK fanboyism aside and give this one a go.
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 00:13

  • FenderMaster #7 3 years ago

    In terms of balance, Street Fighter IV is a more level playing field than most. We just hope online play doesn't result in a giant Ryu and Ken orgy of Hadoken tennis. But of course it will.

    Tragically true... This is why I don't play ranked matches on SSF2T HD Remix

    Really looking forward to this game and the accompanying anime

  • Rash' #8 3 years ago

    is the anime only with the special edition? it's lame if it is. any news on whether they're planning a separate release for it?
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 00:32

  • Slipstream #9 3 years ago

    Sorry to dissapoint you you EG but Hadoken spamming is all part of their game, which of course varies depending on who tey're fighting.

    Anyway this is a very positive preview, I have absolutly no doubts about this game, I've been watching the arcade vids, my excitometer shattered long ago.

  • butler` #10 3 years ago

    Thinking about getting this on the PS3 (LOL!????????????) for once as the 360 dpad is so dire.

    Either way I can't fucking wait.

  • coderkind #11 3 years ago

    Anyone know if they're using the netcode from HD Remix for the online of this game? HD Remix is fantastic online so I hope the same goes for SF4...

  • Velios #12 3 years ago

    I have literally been waiting for YEARS to play this game, and now its finally here! PLEASE capcom, get the netcode right so that battles are as good and lag-free as in HD Remix, it ALL hinges on that as to how enjoyable this game is!

    Otherwise, omg, pleasure overload.

  • ilmaestro #13 3 years ago

    coderkind: No, they were "too late" to include GGPO in SFIV, the online code is all bespoke (well, as far as anything like that can be), but should be "solid", according to Ono.

    Crispy: TvC has A (light), B (medium), C (heavy) and D (assist) buttons, but why anyone would ever have worried that SFIV would be anything other than a traditional Capcom six button fighter I don't know.

    disc: The "nerdery" made the article worth reading, as with Matt's reviews it's nice that EG doesn't just hand off these things to any old staff writer and have let someone who appears to know what he's talking about write the article. Although I hope he appreciates the thin ice you're skating on whenever you use the word "cheap". ;)

  • convercide #14 3 years ago

    So Akuma's dual Raging Demon is like Shin Akuma's from Capcom VS SNK 2 then?

    Old.

  • Daikon #15 3 years ago

    @citizenHUNTER

    Welcome to my ignore list.

  • TONYgr #16 3 years ago

    sfhdremix made me to remember why sf2 is the best sf ever.i hope this will be even better.

  • Razz #17 3 years ago

    LOL @ Pic of Chung Li on the front page xD It looks like she's about to call someone a wanker! :D
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 03:04

  • Gradius #18 3 years ago

    Hmm..Decisions..Do I spend Ł100+ on the 360 version and two new pads or do I go for the PS3 version which will no doubt suffer from jaggies (or something worse)...

  • uiruki #19 3 years ago

    Gradius:

    The 7900GS in the SF4 cabinet is a fair bit less powerful than the RSX so it should be possible to add AA without impacting performance, assuming that all the graphical frippery doesn't preclude it on a different level. That said, even without AA, it is very hard to pick holes in the graphics even when you are a foot away from a 32" LCD like you are in the arcades. You definitely won't notice and it is not really worth the extra cash. That said, it would be a much better idea to let your friends list make the decision for you if you're likely to play online.

  • Gradius #20 3 years ago

    @uiruki

    Yeah, you're probably right, I'll probably have to fork out on the 360 version + pads anyway because of friends list :(

  • bad09 #21 3 years ago

    I forgot this was so close! nice preview EG.

    "In terms of balance, Street Fighter IV is a more level playing field than most. We just hope online play doesn't result in a giant Ryu and Ken orgy of Hadoken tennis. But of course it will."

    Of course it will look at SSF2HDR, nearly every other match is Ryu or Ken or Akuma. Still it's been a problem with the game since the original game in the arcade, hell every Beat em up ever has the problem, so it will never go away.

    / glares at the one move wonder fools on DOA4 that only ever used Hyabusa and THAT cheesy move!

  • coderkind #22 3 years ago

    ilmaestro: cheers for the info.

  • TonyB #23 3 years ago

    Can anyone translate this article for those of us who don't speak StreetFighterese?

  • Ranger101 #24 3 years ago

    Matt wrote that article for me :D

    I'm still not convinced Capcom/Matt - Parrying was the best new feature for any fighting game ... since Blocking!

    I't's all good and well having 'balanced' characters, but those fireball tennis matches on youtube I've already seen don't fill me with hope.

    Then again, I do own 3 copies of sf3 in it's various guises and machines.

  • thelatestmodel #25 3 years ago

    "All the characters retain the personality and edge that made them a hit in the early 90s, but are done in such a way that you forget Street Fighter EX ever happened."

    Why the hate for Street Fighter EX? The first one was fantastic, in fact we dug it out over Christmas and couldn't believe how well it's aged. Wish I could say the same for the PS2 version, however.

  • The-Bodybuilder #26 3 years ago

    I was actually looking forward to this, but the unknown and mythical streetfighteresse language has scared me off. I though this was return to old-school simplicity & balance, ala ST2T, but its old-school as in all those crazy Street Fighter 3-EX+ Omega 3 Red 6 Minus 7 beta.

    I think I'll back away.

  • butler` #27 3 years ago

    I thought Matt achieved a nice balance between the (incredibly necessary) Street Fighter/fighting game terms and more generic description.

    In the same way as an MMORPG, a fighting game requires a certain amount of abstract terminology.

  • Gearskin #28 3 years ago

    10!

  • Matt_Edwards #29 3 years ago

    @ CrispyXUK

    I must admit to not having played it yet :( But as far as I’m aware Tatsunoko vs. Capcom has a Light, Medium, Fierce and Assist button layout. So unless that’s changed, it’s a four button fighter.

    @Rodney
    “Its seems the Street Fighter series has aged a lot better. maybe I should put my 15 year long MK fanboyism aside and give this one a go.”

    For the love of god, yes!

    @converside
    “So Akuma's dual Raging Demon is like Shin Akuma's from Capcom VS SNK 2 then?”

    Sort of... CVS2 Shin Akuma as I recall just had an uber Raging Demon that like 33 hits. But in SFIV Akuma effectively has his standard Demon and his more powerful one. I don’t think he’s had access to two Demon’s in a match before, although I could be wrong...

    @thelatestmodel

    “Why the hate for Street Fighter EX? The first one was fantastic, in fact we dug it out over Christmas and couldn't believe how well it's aged. Wish I could say the same for the PS2 version, however.”

    To each their own I suppose. I just wasn’t ever much of a fan of the Street Fighter EX series, but it's good to hear there are people out there who enjoyed it :p

    @STKD, disc, TonyB, N@, The Bodybuilder

    Sorry guys. Maybe I get a bit carried away with the fighter jargon sometimes, especially something like SFIV that I just can't wait to finally come out. I always try to keep a balance between accessibility and depth in my writing, but with fighters it can be a tricky business :s

  • Akari #30 3 years ago

    Having played the arcade version a fair few times while I was in Japan, I can say that it plays more like SSF2T than the Alpha games or SFIII. So if you played any of the original versions of SF2 then you shouldn't have problems with SFIV. Don't let a few technial terms in an article put you off what is a very, very good game.

  • shamblemonkee #31 3 years ago

    Maybe you need two articles, one for the people who know all the jargon and another for people like me who like a good fighter but have no idea what the jargon is and haven't learnt the terms but can see the depth?

  • Quine #32 3 years ago

    What shamblemonkee said.

    I haven't played SF since it was on the SNES and would be well up for something to fill in the post VF5 gap but am none the wiser after reading that piece other than the fear of 12-yo-pwnage.

  • Pod #33 3 years ago

    In terms of balance, Street Fighter IV is a more level playing field than most. We just hope online play doesn't result in a giant Ryu and Ken orgy of Hadoken tennis. But of course it will.
    Tragically true... This is why I don't play ranked matches on SSF2T HD Remix

    Maybe you've been unlucky but on player matches then its usually a very good mix of characters. There are good players out there who can play pretty much all the characters. I've seen more ryu and kens on ranked matches for sure but its still quite varied.
    Anyway, in terms of balance Ryu and ken aren't top tier anyway. Most people on shoryuken seem to think blanka and sagat are the top two. Its all rather minmal even then, this version of sf2 is the most balanced I've ever played and the pros agree! A good player with any character should beat a worse shoto player. If it annoys you to see so many then beat them down with zangief or balrog. It'll make you feel great (it does for me :) )

  • convercide #34 3 years ago

    @ Matt_Edwards

    "Sort of... CVS2 Shin Akuma as I recall just had an uber Raging Demon that like 33 hits. But in SFIV Akuma effectively has his standard Demon and his more powerful one. I don’t think he’s had access to two Demon’s in a match before, although I could be wrong... "

    You're right. He's never had access to two. With the super specials are they set like SSF2, choosable like SF III or do you have access to more than one super special like the Alpha series? For example, does Ken have access to his Shōryū-reppa and Shinryūken right off the bat or can he only take one into the fight?

  • black2 #35 3 years ago

    I personally couldn't wade through the jargon either, but these sorts of comments don't materialise for the arcane gibberish surrounding Warcraft and other MMO articles. They are equally indecipherable... should the journo 'dumb down' for people not so into these games?

  • Santino #36 3 years ago

    this looks and sounds the absolute business. this and VF5 (hopefully R will come to consoles) are the only fighting games i will need for probably the next decade.

  • Gnort #37 3 years ago

    "All the characters retain the personality and edge that made them a hit in the early 90s"

    I'm afraid that Street Fighter's cast is certainly iconic, but it's also pretty rubbish, which is one of the reasons why everybody plays Ryu or Ken. Unfortunately, if they aren't part of the SF hardcore (who tend to be very hardcore indeed), many people tend to only want to play one of the shotos, or possibly Guile or Chun-Li. Capcom have done it to themselves with their character design.

    I'm not trying to troll here, I actually like Street Fighter, but I play Ken, which makes me part of the problem everyone always complains about.

    Also, I have no idea what a kara cancel is.

  • The-Bodybuilder #38 3 years ago

    >"but these sorts of comments don't materialise for the arcane gibberish surrounding Warcraft and other MMO articles. They are equally indecipherable... should the journo 'dumb down' for people not so into these games? "

    These sort of comments don't materialize because people like me or those who aren't hardcore MMOs don't read it. End of.
    Yes SF has become more hardcore, but once upon a time it was a game for the masses, who could enjoy the depth and balance without knowing super shitsu-koto cancel or whatever. Guys like me were lured into reading this article because we were under the illusion it was back to old-form.

    And I accept your apology, Matt.
    No one is saying that the game is bad or even that it should be for the masses (certainly not me). It can be whatever it wants to be, and if capcom want to satisfy the fans, they have all right to, just as how I got pissed when sega decided shenmue should got the way of the MMO.
    What it does mean is that the game will unfortunately still be beyond me and guys like me.

    And I know Matt and other say that a very good player who knows the basics can still hold his own against anyone, but I'm sceptical.

  • BillyBrush #39 3 years ago

    Looking forward to getting this for a laugh with a few friends, but the huge amount of jargon heavy - knowing every move inside outness is one of the reasons for me that fighting games can be a bore and a chore online....SF is the best for this as you've been able to be a shithead and just hundred hand slap some uber timing kid to the wall...but the more it allows for subtle timing and deep moves, and terrible jargon like this the worse it becomes for the average punter, Virtua 5 was fairly tragic online because it was Hori stick only zone after a while.....FPS games have a 360 degree world that you might not be looking at, hence you can sneak up behind, do all this cool stuff, not fixed together and just about timing....i predict this will be a rep ruiner too should you actually be decent at it

    best with people in the same room, then pals, can't see the 'community' being much fun though,unless you like practicing and doing rote moves time and time again

    still it looks nice and colourful, and fun, and the anime bits look good too

  • Onny #40 3 years ago

    Hmmm. Some weird comments on this.

    I don't understand why anyone is criticising SFIV for having some depth. Being able to pick up the basics quickly and being good at a fighting game are two very seperate entities. If you don't play the game a lot, you cannot be expected to win against people who take the time to study the moves. Is this such an alien concept?

    For what it's worth, I thought it was a great hands-on. Matt, can you still kara-cancel overhead into raging demon?

  • Onny #41 3 years ago

    "knowing every move inside outness is one of the reasons for me that fighting games can be a bore and a chore online....SF is the best for this as you've been able to be a shithead and just hundred hand slap some uber timing kid to the wall...but the more it allows for subtle timing and deep moves, and terrible jargon like this the worse it becomes for the average punter"

    You're right. In fact we should make all FPS games "one-button-press = kill" as well, just for the noobs, making victories totally random and not at all about individual skill.

    /rolls eyes

  • BillyBrush #42 3 years ago

    Well....things like this

    For what it's worth, I thought it was a great hands-on. Matt, can you still kara-cancel overhead into raging demon?

    I should imagine if someone can kara-cancel overhead into raging demon, and avg punters can't really be arsed to even investigate such a possibility, that it'll be one of those games where it becomes too hardcore. Put it this way, a pad vs a Hori arcade stick is not a level playing field can we agree? how many people playing SFIV will use a Hori fighting stick? quite a few i should imagine.

    It's not that it doesn't look a good game for your casual and hardcore player, but super focus specials and things like that are there to give an edge to someone playing well (and why not, otherwise it'd just be random) and in a 2vs 2 fixed view game that makes it crushingly limited and is one of the reasons this kind of game has become marginalised (though this one should fare well). Bring back IK+ i say, 3 players, split kick in the face, now that's FUN

  • BillyBrush #43 3 years ago

    @Onny

    FPS games aren't random though are they, what i was trying to say is they're less limited, which they are

  • patchbox360 #44 3 years ago

    my best game of all time

  • Gnort #45 3 years ago

    @BillyBrush
    Put it this way, a pad vs a Hori arcade stick is not a level playing field can we agree? how many people playing SFIV will use a Hori fighting stick? quite a few i should imagine.

    Hardcore SF players don't use Hori arcade sticks, they build their own from genuine Japanese arcade parts. I read a thread somewhere where people were saying how useless the Hori stick was by comparison, and it is that discussion which best illustrated to me the yawning chasm between the SF hardcore and regular gamers (even those like me who are huge fighting game fans).

  • Onny #46 3 years ago

    Again, I fail to see your point. "One of those games which becomes too hardcore"?? What does that even mean? Surely this is a problem with EVERY online game? Could you reasonably expect to play a game of Halo and not run into some hardcore players? Or COD4? Or Bomberman? :)

    The game rewards practice and diligence, which is as it should be.

  • Ranger101 #47 3 years ago

    I'm going to wade in and defend Matt - This specific series of games has been around for almost 2 decades. That's almost Twenty Years of lexicon - older than many people posting here. Just wanted to throw that in the mix. Scrubs :D


    (Also, technically Akuma had access to 3 different supers at any time in SF3, although of course, only one of them was the Raging Demon - if you unlocked the dipswitch on the DC or Xbox version, he technically had access to 5 supers at any one time!).
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 17:46

  • Ranger101 #48 3 years ago

    I was at the arcades 2 weeks ago on a SF3 versus machine - the guy I played against didn't know how to parry and it took out all the fun. So when he put more money in after I showed him how to play ;) I let him win and left. This system works easier online - at least it did when I used to play SF3 on Live.

    If you don't like your opponent online, finish up the match and quit - then find someone else - that's the fun part of Versus play.

  • ilmaestro #49 3 years ago

    Onny: I think the best thing is that people think that IV will be too hardcore but seem to think that SSFIIT or IICE are in some way not! :D

    Matt: You should totally play Tatsunoko vs Capcom, great fun.
    Edited by 1 at 05/01/09 @ 17:57

  • Gnort #50 3 years ago

    Despite my previous comments, I am actually happy that Eurogamer has someone like Matt Edwards who really understands fighting games to review them, even if I found that a lot of this hands-on went right over my head.

    I don't think having depth in a fighting game is a bad thing at all, in fact I think oversimplifying them makes them too random and misses the point of the genre, as long as you don't need to know how to dash cancel a super into an ultra EX desperation move to be any good at the game. I have no doubt that SF4 will be very playable at a far lower level than is being described in this article.

    In fact, I think for me SF4's biggest problem won't be how hardcore it is, but that the cast of characters still doesn't appeal to me (although it does seem better than SF3's, couldn't really be worse, could it?). Tekken 6 is a long, long way away, though, so I will definitely be picking it up.

  • Pod #51 3 years ago

    Thing is, jargon like kara cancels and a lot of the other stuff here that most people wont get are quite high level and you wont see them in most of the matches you'd play. If you come up against someone who knows them and you don't then chances are you'd get spanked even if they didn't use them. They tend to give a slight edge over equally ranked players of high skill levels.

    The ranking systems should hopefully match you against players of your level anyway (even if the ones in sf2hd are broken at the moment) so that wont be so much of an issue.

  • Rash' #52 3 years ago

    i don't care for sticks. my days of spending ludicrous cash on one game are long gone. i just want to play the game and witness the revival of one of the greatest and longest running series in gaming history. i know i'm not alone in this so all you hori stick nerds can take your self righteous attitudes and stick it. good luck to all you 360 owners with your "superior' pads.
    Edited by 4 at 05/01/09 @ 19:17

  • Onny #53 3 years ago

    Yeah especially the guy who talked about the "simple" Alpha 2.

  • The-Bodybuilder #54 3 years ago

    Why are people comparing the FPSs with this?
    With FPSs, there's the opportunity for team play, meaning you can instantly have a great social experience, even if you loose. Also, its entire framework, allows for moment of thrills, even if you loose. So you can loose a team game in gears2, yet reminisce of how you took out that guy with a blind-fire sniper headshot. In fighting games, even you if you pull out great moments of combos, if you loose it was pointless.

    And yes, FPSs were in the realms of the hardcore (ironically enough, the fighters belonged to the mainstream), but console gaming brought in an even controlpad for everyone, meaning less dependancy on technology or specialised abilities, and more on the gross skills of reaction, awareness and concentration.

    Those seeing this as somekind of attack on fighting games need to chill, because it isn't. However, you too need to understand that there are many outthere who loved and grew up with SF2 and still want ot connect with the franchise, but can't anymore.

  • The-Bodybuilder #55 3 years ago

    Also, none of this is an attack on matt. Its good to have someone who's passionate about what they are reviewing, and for readers to be able to relate to such a person.

    I hate it when people who don't like football, review football games. Sure they are capable to playing (possibly to a high degree), and can decipher any small increment changes, but any fan wants another fan to review the game, as they can relate to them.

  • The-Bodybuilder #56 3 years ago

    >"Sorry, why can't they? Most of the terms talked about in the article are from SF2, so I'm not really getting where these people are coming from. "

    My bad. I wasn't aware akuma was playable in SF2, with between 2-5 demon attacks (apologies, still getting to grips with the linguo), are that there were super attacks or super cancels that took out half of the guage thingy.

    In all honesty, how the heck can you lay claim that all these terminologies were in SF2? Don't try it, you know most of them did not develop until post-SFIIT. Heck, there weren't even freakin combos in SF2, which was what made it popular when people started realizing they could chain moves together.

  • ilmaestro #57 3 years ago

    The BB: If people just want to "have fun" with SFIV and play their like-minded friends, they will still be able to go about their business just playine the game "simply" and not understanding what is happening is they play someone online who knows and is proficient with higher level techniques (although, as Crispy said, in this case the other player very possibly wouldn't need to use them to win the match).

    However, this is no different to SFII, Aplha, III, *or in fact most other popular fighting games*.

    It case it really doesn't come across well in the preview, *you will not need to be a tournament-level player to enjoy the game*. However, you will get more enjoyment out of it if you understand these extra depths, even if you aren't at that level of play yourself.

  • Rash' #58 3 years ago

    crispy, that vids shit. 4 hit combo was what it was about with ken. flying punch, standing punch and finsh with two hits off ken's dragon. awesome!

  • The-Bodybuilder #59 3 years ago

    >"Combos were in Street Fighter 2."
    As far as I'm aware "combos" were not in SF2. Its only when people started put moves together, making them into sets of COMBINATIONS did they come into existence. But they only officially became part of the gameplay mechanic after SF2.
    Same too for cancel as far as I'm aware. There was no "cancel" feature (and your claim that it was probably in the manual is absurd. Please don't be smug just because you're some sort of skilled SF master or something), all you could do was "stop" an animation by performing another move. That was initially not a design, was a glitch (a glitch that then on became a mechanic).
    All you've done is given labels and names to things that were never the intention of the first SF2 in the first place. Ironically, it was these things that made SF2 fun, as because they were never intended, it made the game like a "pandoras box", whereby being creative enough and manipulating the limitations allowed people to do things that were never intended, combos and cancels. It was part of the magic of the game, as people found out different combos. Breaking the game became just as fun as the fighting itself. A creative person would have a chance at someone who practised, so long as they were creative enough to think of "combos (glitches) in their head as the game went along.
    However, you could still stand toe-to-toe with those who had broken into new combos so long as you were competent in fighting the way the creators initially intended for it to be played.

    But later iterations made these "glitches" if you will the sole purpose of the game. It wasn't about being creative anymore but about persistance. All the magic of figuring out combos by ourself was now replaced by endless lists of combos, each more intricate, complex and more effective than the last. Meaning to get the best out of the game, you had to read and study the manual (or the moves list on the screen). Creativity be gone (not that I'm claiming the creativity was completely gone, but now you had to wade through a list of combo-lists to get there).

    I think a better example would be either football games of boxing games (fight night 3). I don't know the ins & outs of the controls of pro evo or even FIFA09, but I can still hold my own against a better veteran, simply because I know how to read the game as in real life & how to pass & move. Same goes for fight night, I may not know all the ins & outs (mainly because there isn't a huge fighting move list), but I know how to read a fight.

    Infact, I think fight night is the best example. The last iteration has probably sold more than any other fighting game. Is it because its a boxing game? No, seeing as the others never sold THAT great, and boxing popularity is at its lowest in 20 years, but because its gameplay was perfectly balanced, accessible. But a good fighter in real life would probably beat them in the game, just by reading the fight.

    I'm not sure I've expressed my point sufficiently, as I'm tired & sleepy.

  • Matt_Edwards #60 3 years ago

    @ The Bodybuilder & CrispyXUK

    Don't have time to go into this in any depth but this Wiki quote should clear up what you're discussing quite well:

    "The combo notion was introduced with the fighting game Street Fighter II from Capcom, when skilled players learned that they could combine several attacks that left no time for the computer player to recover, if they timed them correctly.

    Combos were a design accident; lead producer Noritaka Funamizu noticed that extra strikes were possible during a bug check on the car-smashing bonus stage. He thought that the timing required was too difficult to make it a useful game feature, but left it in as a hidden one.

    Combos have been since a design priority in almost all fighting games, hardening significantly the learning curve of fighting games. The first game to count the hits of each combo, and reward the player for performing them, was Super Street Fighter II."

  • ilmaestro #61 3 years ago

    TheBB: solid proof that you're wrong in your "you just have to persist and 'learn' everything that's put into the game" opinion is provided by every decent fighting game, ever. The highest level techniques and stategies always evolve over time, as players become more adept at "breaking" the system as you like to put it.

    All top level play in SSFIIT, MvC2, 3S, Guilty Gear, *anything* that has survived for any length of time has been adapted and moulded, bettered and bettered again to find which moves combo into others, and to find the real nuances in the game - the canned combos or special moves that are in the manual are rarely the be-all and end-all unless the game is a bit shit. Moreover, the truly important aspects of high level play are the fundamentals, such as controlling space and knowing character match-ups inside out.

    What you seem to be moaning about is that people are more aware of these things these days, whereas no-one knew that this level of in-depth analysis would even be possible at the time of SFII's release.

    (As an aside, your point about "endless combos in move lists" seems to be more appropriate for Tekken or some other 3D fighters, which give you such move lists. It's no more valid as a negative criticism, of course).

  • The-Bodybuilder #62 3 years ago

    @ Matt

    Thanks for the wiki quote, that's exactly what I mean. Maybe crispy needs to read wiki before calling someone a "nonce". Combos were never designed (so claiming they were in the manual ws ridiculous), but a glitch.

    "What you seem to be moaning about is that people are more aware of these things these days, whereas no-one knew that this level of in-depth analysis would even be possible at the time of SFII's release. "-ilmaestro.

    Its weird to claim I'm wrong about my opinion (considering there is no definitive, objective answer to this), atleast say you disagree with me.
    But that quote is partially true. People are now more aware of it because these things have been heavily emphasised on all further games. Fight Night 3 (as in boxing in real life) gives you a basic but balanced mechanic, but allows the player to be creative with thinking up of their own combos.

    I guess may issue is not that there are hardcore players (as there will always be a fanatical following for anything popular), but that the creativity is (mostly) gone. Now all the moves are there for you to learn and master, rather than to create, learn and master.

  • Matt_Edwards #63 3 years ago

    @ilmaestro

    “Although I hope he appreciates the thin ice you're skating on whenever you use the word "cheap". ;)”

    Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to be winning any tournaments somehow. Although I held my ground okay when going up against some of the NeoEmpire guys early last year - playing an SFIV build before the Japanese arcade release.

    “Matt: You should totally play Tatsunoko vs Capcom, great fun.”

    Yeah I’ve been itching to play it. I read somewhere that if you have a Wii with older firmware then you can play TvC with a Freeloader on a Pal system. Don’t have the funds to buy a Japanese one :s

    @convercide

    “With the super specials are they set like SSF2, choosable like SF III or do you have access to more than one super special like the Alpha series? For example, does Ken have access to his Shôryű-reppa and Shinryűken right off the bat or can he only take one into the fight?”

    They’re set like SSF2T. Each character has access to one Super and one Ultra. Ken’s Super is the Shoryureppa and his Ultra is the Shinryuken.

    @Onny & BillyBrush

    “can you still kara-cancel overhead into raging demon?”

    I don’t have access to the beta at the mo to check, but I’m pretty sure you can. A friend of mine also suggested that in the Raging Demon input; LP, LP, Forward, LK, SP – you can now just press the last 3 inputs at the same time rather than sequentially (which I think wasn't possible before). If this is true then Kara Cancelling the Forward + MP overhead might be simpler than ever :)

    @STKD, The Bodybuilder, etc

    “It's because it was so often talked about as `back to basics` SF that coming into an article that shows it to be loaded with the same things that have driven the masses away was a bit of a disappointment to many of us.”

    This really isn’t the impression of SFIV that I wanted to convey. Yes, there is a lot of tech in SFIV that is intended for top level play – with Focus Cancelling perhaps being the most fresh and interesting. But Capcom and Dimps have clearly tried to craft something that will appeal to the hardcore, but at the same time be accessible to those who haven’t played a SF for years and just want to have a bit of fun.

    You can play SFIV with a basic knowledge of SFII – you can’t block in the air, you only have access to a single Super Move and you can pick from all the original World Warriors with their classic move-sets. Initial play is very intuitive to anyone who’s ever pulled off a Dragon Punch. And if you want to gradually step up your game you can start to think about zoning, pokes and EX Specials – but none of this is necessary.

    Don’t expect to beat someone who has invested more time in a fighter than you, usually that isn’t likely to happen. But if you’re idea of fun isn’t sitting down for two hours trying to get the timing right on a particularly tricky combo sequence, then no worries. Just play a like minded individual and have some fun. Street Fighter is still about having fun... right...?!? :p

  • Velios #64 3 years ago

    Looking forward to Matt's review of the game when it's launched. Seems like he is actually qualified to review it properly and point out it's virtues from the perspective of the casual gamer, who will get a lot of fun out of this game AND the more experienced players that will want to explore the subtleties and high end strategies which the game has to offer.

    I play SF HD to a decent level, and there is ALWAYS someone out there who will eventually kick my ass. But that just makes me want to take the experience and learn from it. A lot of the way people play street fighter is pure psychology, and often bouts between two equally matched players of high skill levels are won before a punch has even been thrown. THATS what makes SF a GREAT game for me, it's huge depth and rewards for those who wish to really get into it. And even then, it's still massive fun for the guy that just knows a few special moves.

    Can't wait for the full game! (I think their box set offering is a bit crap though...)

  • fragpig #65 3 years ago

    I will definitely be buying this, i have bought streetfighter II, must be about 10 times in various forms, and i'm still crap at it....i have the hori stick and have only won a couple of HD remix ranked games...even with my Ryu fireball tennis antics.

    I hope this is a big seller, and has a massive online audience, so i'm somewhere mid-field, otherwise online, getting whooped every game will get boring, i don't have the time (like i did 20years ago) to practice and be able to beat the streetfighter elite or at least not embarrass myself.

  • BillyBrush #66 3 years ago

    I think people confuse saying something may have a frustrating online environment with saying it's not good...i think this will probably be exceptional for a 2d fighter but don't beleive 1 on 1 fighting games are that great as online games. VF5 i think is a good example, it's a sublime game but go online and there are plenty of people who are hardcore fans, have hori sticks, and make the online a bit too compettetive for it's own good in my opinion. I'd like to see such a game use things like trueskill so if you're just on for a play about you don't have to play a bunch of wannabe Daigos, but play someone else who just plays once in a while, it makes Halo great online imo....maybe SFIV has this, who knows....maybe you can't discuss such things amongst those versed in streetfighterese without offending.

  • fragpig #67 3 years ago

    @Billybrush

    yeah i'd much rather play this online if there was some sort of match making, so i could play with someone of equal ability

  • ilmaestro #68 3 years ago

    TheBB: And that's what I'm saying isn't true. People spend large amounts of time when a new fighter comes out trying to create and find new combos that are possible within the game's systems, but not explicit in move lists etc. This is fact proven by experimentation, not opinion. What I won't disagree with you on is that the old games still hold their charm; this is why they are still played today, but, by the same token, 3s is still being played and is ten years old this year. And I'll bet that SFIV is still being played a few years from now, too.

  • The-Bodybuilder #69 3 years ago

    I see your correction, and accept it.

  • ilmaestro #70 3 years ago

    That's fair enough, the main thing I wanted to emphasize was don't give up on SFIV before it's even here. :) I'm sure it will be excellent, and the more people from EG to play against, the better.

  • Matt_Edwards #71 3 years ago

    I'll drink to that!

    :D

  • ASHBERY76 #72 3 years ago

    Chung Li has legs big!

  • StewCurrentTV #73 3 years ago

    I love street Fighter IV, I think Capcom got it excatly right, from the basic defense to the simplicity of the focus attack you can get stuck straight in, and it feels like the closest SF release to the original SF2 yet. The super combo's and focus cancels give the game a more skillful side for anyone that wants to go down that route and they're complex enough to satisfy serious gamers but not essential to the game - everyone's a winner. This is the number 1 dispute settler and 10 minute break of choice in the office at the moment and i think it will be for quite a while.