I just got in my mail a copy of Street Fighter 4 for the PS3. I was initially feeling lukewarm about this purchase because I was never a huge fan of fighting games. I would always get creamed playing them and all I could manage to do was button mash, which doesn’t take skill. However, that was the extent of the skill that I had in regards to fighting games. The last incarnation of Street Fighter that I played was Street Fighter Alpha 3 (SFA3). That game was overly complex for me. Lets just say I thought that it didn’t really cater to the newbie fighting crowd.
Street Fighter 4 is a departure from all that convoluted nonsense that I encountered from SFA3. The introductory sequence borrows heavily from Japanese-themed shows/games. If you’re not a fan of Japanese anime and the themes that come with it, you WILL find the intro sequence a gimmick, a pain in the ass to hear, silly, funny, and stupid. I on the other hand, just chuckled at it. It’s very campy and goes along with the nature of the horrible anime cutscenes that are found before and after a character’s story in arcade mode. The main menu really flows and is very user-friendly. I have yet to explore the other features that the game has as I instantly dove into the arcade and the versus modes of the game - the meat and potatoes of any fighting game. Period.
He wants your balls guts.
You are initially treated to a selection of 16 characters with 9 more to unlock bringing the total to 25. While to some, choosing from 25 characters may seem limiting in terms of variety, but each character is totally different in terms of game play (aside from the Ryu clones). You can go to other fighting games and learn a character and you’ve essentially mastered the game. The same cannot be said for SF4. You may be the master of a certain character (Ryu) and know all his moves, but that knowledge won’t help you when you choose Sagat or Dhalsim or any of the other 24 characters.
Characters and their moves are easy to learn and hard to master. However, the system isn’t deep or convoluted (enough) that it may turn off newbie players Ala SFA3. There are focus attacks, ultra and super specials, your standard grabs, and your plethora of SF attacks. Focus attacks are done through pressing both medium punch and kick at the same time. This allows for a chargeable attack (3 varying levels) that can absorb damage (just the first hit) and attack at the same time. Again, easy to learn, hard to master.
Magic Sponge
Art-wise, the game is a beauty to watch. 3d backgrounds and characters still hide the fact that its actually a 2d fighting game. The art style is simply hysterical and phenomenal to look at. Eyes pop out when you land a hit. Mouths open in awe/pain, etc. There are of instances when you can take notice of the opposing player’s character’s look when you charge up an ultra special. Very comical indeed.
There is also an optional install feature for the PS3. A godsend because I really hate the moment when I first get a game and I pop it in the PS3 and I’m welcomed by a 15-20 minute install screen. After the initial couple of bouts and my giddiness went down, I was patient enough to install the game and that really killed the loading times in between matches.
I have yet to dive into the online mode primarily for one reason – Pride. I do not want to ruin the game when the moment I first go online I get beaten to a pulp by a technically proficient opponent that has been playing SF before I was born.
This is a must-play and a must-buy. Now I have to rest my thumbs because they are sore from playing too much SF4.
Posted in Games
Tags: PS3, Street Fighter 4
