Fighters are a tricky genre to review in video games. Some people love the genre, others absolutely despise it. I land in the middle. I’ve enjoyed my fair share of fighters (DOA4, Super Smash Bros Melee, Marvel vs Capcom 2), but I wouldn’t call myself a fighter fan. I feel I can now safely add Street Fighter IV to that list.
The easiest way to sum up SFIV is to simply point out that it’s Street Fighter II enhanced. If you love(d) Street Fighter II, you will instantly love this game. In fact, most of the moves and the button presses to pull them off are identical. Want to Sonic Boom someone with Guile? Simply hold back to charge for 2 seconds, then forward and punch. Want to use hundred hand slap? Just tap punch as fast as you can (except this time, you won’t be able to move forward while you do this move). This means it has the same Rock-Paper-Scissor dynamic as the original. It’s not about learning how to pull off moves, but when to pull them off.
That said, this is a much better game than it’s predecessor. It’s deeper (with the addition of the Super & Ultra meters, along with focus attacks) and more balanced. It’s also beautiful and runs really smooth.
There is an arcade mode for single player (along with an annoyingly difficult boss), but like all fighters, the fun is in multiplayer. Nothing beats Player vs Player combat on the same console, but the online play also seems lag free. The only complaint I have is there currently isn’t a quarter mode, but hopefully that is on the way with the free update next month.
My only other complaint is the game plays the same awful pop song in the menus. The rest of the music in the game is great, but this song is awful to hear on repeat when you are looking thru leaderboards or updating your profile. Overall, this is currently battling Super Smash Bros Melee as my favorite fighter of all time. Until I figure it out, I’ll be online shocking people with Blanka.
