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Published February 23, 2009

For many, Capcom's Street Fighter franchise is the fighting genre. It was Capcom's flagship franchise that opened their eyes nearly twenty years ago to the thrill of competitive fighting games. Its sublime game design led them to arcades, bowling alleys, and local convenience stores, quarters jangling in their pockets as they awaited their ceremonial place below the arcade cabinet screen.

Looks even better in motion.

Since that time, the franchise has continued on with countless variations, the introduction of the Alpha series, and a true sequel with Street Fighter 3.

Street Fighter IV still plays exclusively on a 2-D plane,
much to the delight of purists and casual fighting fans alike.

Nothing though has quite matched the hype and anticipation for Street Fighter® IV, a game that bridges the gap between old school and contemporary fighting, a game that blends the rapid-fire, chess-like tactics of the original with new layers of depth embellishing the game's delicate balance.

Old Friends, New Faces

Street Fighter IV was envisioned as a spiritual successor to Street Fighter II, and so longtime fans can look forward to all twelve original fighters, including Ryu, Ken, Zangief, Chun Li, Blanka, M. Bison, Balrog, and more. While mechanics have been tweaked and new features added, you should feel right at home with the look, feel, speed, and tactics of every one of the classic characters.

New characters include the fleet, lucha libre wrestler and cooking master El Fuerte, the rotund, whirling dervish Rufus, the flame-footed female super-spy C. Viper and finally Abel, a burly grappler eager to uncover a past he's lost to amnesia.

Doesn't get any more classic than that.

Of course, it just wouldn't be Street Fighter without a litany of unlockable characters. These are Fei Long, Akuma, Gouken, Cammy, Sakura, Dan, Gen, Rose, and Seth. Every character but Seth (SFIV's new boss character) has appeared in previous Street Fighter games. You can unlock these characters by playing through Arcade mode.

Tactics, Not Combos

Street Fighter IV continues a series tradition of sidestepping long combo chains in favor of quick-hitting tactics. This takes the onus away from button memorization and puts the fate of the fight squarely on the player's skill. Sure, expert Street Fighter IV players may appear as if they're unleashing a lengthy combo, but really they're using individual moves or very short combos one after another in rapid succession.

In the end, this approach helps enormously with the game's accessibility. Anybody can learn each player's move set in a short time, but learning when to use each move, how to connect one move into another, and determining how best to counter an enemy's suite of attacks with your own arsenal all take dedication. Minutes to learn and years to master is the mantra here.

2-D Plane

It's worth noting too that while the character models and backgrounds are rendered in gorgeous, heavily stylized 3-D, Street Fighter IV still plays exclusively on a 2-D plane, much to the delight of purists and casual fighting fans alike.

Ultra, EX and Focus

While standard attacks and supers like Hadoken fireballs, dragon punches, blade kicks, and more make up the game's classic foundation, it's through the additions of Ultra and Super Combos, as well as EX and Focus attacks that Street Fighter IV achieves remarkable and often subtle strategic depth.

• Ultra, Super: Every character boasts both an Ultra and Super Combo attack, which, when executed, play out from a cinematic camera angle as the aggressor unleashes a flurry of powerful attacks, dramatically reducing their opponent's health. The Super Combo meter is filled dependent on the quality of your play, whereas the Ultra Combo meter fills based on how much damage you take. In effect, you won't gain access to Ultras unless your health is quite low.
• Focus: The new Focus attack system works as a counter mechanic. Hold down Medium Punch and Medium Kick, and, when timed with an opponent's attack, you can absorb the damage from that attack and stun your opponent. Quick-witted players can then dash into another attack while their enemy is stunned, including Super or Ultra Combos.
• EX Attacks: While you can trigger your Super Combo when your Super meter is full, you can also power up standard super attacks using one unit of your Super meter to power a more potent version of that attack.

Ultra time!

Challenge Time

While Street Fighter IV has a number of worthwhile modes, including classic Arcade (fight your way to the boss), Versus, Practice, and, of course, the much looked-forward-to Xbox LIVE battles, it's Challenge Mode that's worth taking a closer look at.

In Challenge Mode, you can participate in grueling tests of your skill through Time Trials and Survival, where you'll need to beat out a series of fighters in a set amount of time or defeat a set number of fighters in a row, respectively. New titles, icons, and colors for your character's outfits can be unlocked in each of these modes.

The most important Challenge for Street Fighter fans is Trial mode, which essentially teaches you how to use your character effectively. You'll run through the basics initially, but where this mode pays off is in instructing you on how to execute short combos, cancel moves into other attacks, and understanding the Focus attack system. If you want to master your character, you need to be in Trial mode.

With a full complement of new and classic characters, a return to the balance and pace that made the Street Fighter series so popular, eye-popping new visuals and silky smooth online play via Xbox LIVE®, Street Fighter IV is a celebration of the franchise as a whole and a commitment to innovation without sacrificing tradition. There's only one question. Who will you fight with?

Article by Ryan Treit