Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter IV is a game that falls under the fighting game genre, produced by Capcom and developed together with Dimps. It was released on February 12 2009 in Japan, February 17 2009 in North America and February 20 2009 in Europe under the genre of fighting games with an ESRB rating of T for Teens. The game was designed by Yoshinori Ono and Daigno Ikeno for the PlayStation 3 platform. Street Fighter IV is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom since 1999. It includes a single player mode and a competitive multiplayer mode. Street Fighter IV is part of the Street Fighter Series.
Review
Street Fighter IV features models and backgrounds rendered in 3D although its gameplay remains on a traditional 2D plane. Besides that, it also features the traditional six-button control scheme, although there are additional new features such as the “Focus Attacks” or “Saving Attack”. There are also special moves integrated into the input system, mixing classic gameplay with additional innovations. This version of the Street Fighter series feels much similar to Super Street Fighter II Turbo as the designer intended it to, with a few features from Street Fighter III 3rd Strike. The controls include pressing both light attack buttons for throwing, and both heavy attack buttons for personal action or taunts, while both medium attack buttons can be pressed for focus strike. In addition to that, the game also features dashes and quick standing. Other than that, there are also bonus rounds that involve car-smashing from earlier Street Fighter games. The characters in Street Fighter IV include the traditional Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, E.Honda, Blanka, Zangief, Guile, Dhalsim, Balrog a.k.a. M. Bison in Japan, Vega a.k.a. Balrog in Japan, Saga, and M. Bison a.k.a. Vega in Japan. Additional new characters include Abel, the French mixed martial artist amnesiac; Crimson Viper, the female America spy wearing sunglasses, leather gloves and a form-fitting suit; Rufus, a Kung Fu fighter with a rather rotund appearance seeking to prove himself the best fighter in the United States, and El Fuerte (which means “The Strong One” in Spanish), a Mexican luchador and aspiring gourmet chef. In addition to that, there are also bosses and hidden characters in Street Fighter IV, including Seth (also known as “The Puppet Master”), a new boss character who is the Chief Executive Officer of S.I.N. which manufactures weapons; Akuma, a recurring hidden character that appeared in the arcade version as a secret final boss in the single-player mode as well as a secret time-release playable character available; and Gouken, Ryu and Ken’s sensei and the elder brother of Akuma, who also appears in the arcade version as a secret computer-controlled challenger in the end of the single-player mode. Other home version additions include Dan, Fei-Long, Sakura, Cammy, Gen and Rose. Critics have commented that Street Fighter IV has a gameplay that is very much like a purified, simple fighter with the addition of several modern enhancements to enrich the combat. Street Fighter IV is designed for both veteran players and those who are new to the series as well. Although the game’s roster has evolved over the years, the core components remain the same to this day as Street Fighter IV allows you to select a character and square off against another warrior in the ring. Gameplay requires a balance between raw physical skill and the mind games that play out between players in between the variety of normal attacks and Special Moves.
“Street Fighter IV will welcome you with open arms, whether you’re a lapsed fan concerned that you’ve been out of the loop for too long or you’re dipping your toes for the first time. Amazing presentation, intricate and enjoyable fighting gameplay, and long-term appeal with online play make this a must-have. Street Fighter IV is undoubtedly one of the finest examples of the fighting genre in this generation.” (GameSpot, 2009)
