Platforms: PS3, XBOX 360, PC
Street fighter—a truly iconic game that has cemented its place in gaming culture as well as pop culture. Personally, having never owned a copy or even played it extensively, the characters and the game’s unique face-paced gameplay still somehow is embedded in my subconscious. It will always have a special place in my heart. The go-to game when waiting for the ol’ fish’n’chips at the scummy-yet-charming local. Poppin a few pingers into the arcade machine, and pretending to be living in 1987… Aahhhh, total 80s throwback man! Ryu was always my fave, I don’t know why. Maybe it was his all round skuxness, but out of all the fighter game characters, Ryu to me will always have that br00t4l but humble swagger.
Nostalgia aside, the recent release of Street Fighter 4 by Capcom has brought along a heap of hype and expectation. It’s a game with a history of over 20 years. ‘Retired’ gamers of the 80s came out of the woodwork to relive their glory days before being pussy-whipped out of gaming. But did it live up to the hype? Will it satisfy both new gamers and the seasoned fan? Or will it be another tragic Metallica Death Magnetic type attempt at trying to relive the good old days?
Fortunately, unlike Metallica, Street Fighter is still badass. Staying true to the Street Fighter formula while injecting a tiny bit of edgyness. You could say, Street Fighter is the Slayer of the gaming world. Consistently badass, while not deviating too far from its roots.
One of the most distinct new features is the multiplayer mode. This feature allows players on the PSN/XBOX Live/Windows Live network to connect and enter into your arcade mode match. All very dope but I was n00b as and didn’t want to embarrass myself, publicly destroying my e-cred like fps_bob (refer to last week’s game review). So I turned it off…LOLZ. This is where Street Fighter’s gameplay really shines. On the surface, it could just be another button-bashing beat’em up. But behind that is a complex array of ‘focus attacks’, combos and ultra-combos. All require many hours of intense training. Sure you can be n00b and jump into an online game, but that just ain’t in the spirit of gaming. Besides, the satisfaction of unleashing a spectacular zillion hit combo on your opponents is sooo epicly gratifying. It will be like gaining access to Hansmoleman’s ebooks folder and finding all the pRon you’ve ever wanted, and then some.
But it could be a turn off to many newcomers who lack the hax0r skillz, general 1337ness and patience. I played it on the medium difficulty setting and still was getting pwned. However I persevered, I entered the training mode and was dominating before I knew it. I’ve been told by fellow gamers that to gain that competitive advantage however you may need those arcade style controllers. Personally I don’t think its necessary unless you wanted to be one of those wanky elitist gamers. Otherwise I think the well-toned fingers and thumbs of regular gamers, with that gentle finesse touch will do the job. However, for the neglected PC gamer, Capcom has not forgotten you. The game is released for the PC but playing it on a keyboard will not do the game any justice. Add a contoller to the ‘more shit I have to buy for my computer’ list!
For the long-time fan, you will be happy to know that graphically it pays homage to the Street Fighters of the past. Many will recognise the characters from past Street fighters, with the addition of new characters Abel, Rufus, El Fuerte, and my fave, Crimson Viper. With a name like that who couldn’t like him! Each has their own life story that in itself is lol. The type of story that wouldn’t go amiss in a b-grade straight-to-DVD action movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme. All this adds to the retro and over-the-top vibe which fucken r00lz. It definitely sets it apart from the other fighter games. So for a genuine beat-em-up, grab a copy and have a blat.
The others are just cheap imitations!
8.5/10