Street Fighter IV 3DS has Download Play

Street Fighter IV 3D Edition lets you send a versus demo of the game wirelessly to a friend - which they can then use to play versus matches without the full game.

Using a combination of what's called Nintendo 3DS Download Play Support and the 3DS' Street Pass function, owners of the game can send a cut down version to other 3DS units and engage in versus matches against them.

The download version includes moody series star Ryu and a single stage. "Of course if the download version was the same as the full version then Capcom would go bankrupt," producer Yoshinori Ono joked at Nintendo's 3DS preview event in Amsterdam last night. "But there's a technical limitation on how much data we can provide via 3DS Download Play."

Once downloaded, versus battles are possible even if the host player drops out, meaning those with the downloaded version can continue to play Ryu versus Ryu matches against each other.

The idea, of course, is to expose the fighting game to as many people as possible. Ono said he hoped it would help convince those who do not plan to buy the game to pick it up.

"If you're not going to buy the game, please take your Nintendo 3DS and go somewhere close to someone who has the game and is playing the game," he said.

"Let's say I send the download version to multiple people and I go home. The special thing is the people will be able to continue battling.

"When we created this feature, we had in mind we wanted a lot of people to enjoy Street Pass on Nintendo 3DS and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. This feature will allow a lot of people to give it a try and see what it does.

"Once you've done that and tried it out, I think you'll also buy the game. So if you play and think, I want to play as Chun-Li, then I'm sorry, you're going to have to buy the game."