With new Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games appearing every six months or so, and with fighting games as a whole regaining relevance in a gaming field that favors first-person shooters, it’s starting to feel like 1993 all over again. I, like many, was obsessed with fighting games during the ’90s. Whether I was trying, with much frustration, to pull off the newest fatalities in Mortal Kombat or attempting to learn the best combos to defeat Guile in Street Fighter, I always had my next quarter ready for the machine’s slot. I spent hours turning through the pages of the newest video game periodicals, thirsting for knowledge of the next update to my favorite franchise.
Things have obviously changed quite a bit since then, with these arcade favorites now readily accessible for your home consoles. I bought Street Fighter IV, then Super Street Fighter IV, and spending money on more of the same is something to consider with the latest installment, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition. But if you love the Street Fighter series, this Arcade Edition is easily the best version around. And for those who have not yet gotten around to picking up the previous incarnations of Street Fighter IV, the Arcade Edition is the best option considering that Super Street Fighter IV is actually included on the disc. Both versions of the game are great and the new characters are fun to play. Evil Ryu is more of the same, which isn’t a bad thing. Oni is a new version of Akuma with some added Gouken-like traits, and the twins, Yun and Yang, play as great as they did in the Street Fighter III series.
Added content such as character balancing and new outfits round out the package. I do wish some more obscure characters like Eagle, Skullomania and Rolento could be added, or maybe more fan favorites such as Alex, Hugo and Elena. These are some of the best characters in the Street Fighter universe and it is a shame to see them sparsely used.
While it may seem like more money spent on something you’ve already played, this Arcade Edition is definitely the best version of Street Fighter IV thus far. Though it does seem a bit excessive for Capcom to continue releasing new versions of the same game every few months, as long these updated versions keep offering significant improvements at affordable prices, gamers like me will keep buying. Another improvement here is the thorough instruction manual, a rarity in today’s gaming world where most games come with about eight pages of instructions. Capcom continues to offer a full package with each successive release, and I look forward to seeing what is added to the next Street Fighter game, as well as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, scheduled to be released this November.
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition is available for Games for Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Rated T. www.streetfighter.com.
Review by Jason Von Stein