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Street Fighter IV

EMAILPRINTxbox360

Street Fighter IV
93
7.9 User Score:

Game Info

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Genre(s): Fighting

Players: 2

ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Release Date: February 17, 2009

Summary

Street Fighter IV features a mix of returning favourites such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and Guile along with new characters created exclusively for this game such as Crimson Viper, Abel, El Fuerte, and Rufus. Characters and environments are rendered in high definition 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the input system. Street Fighter IV also incorporates state of the art online match making and worldwide online gameplay. Mixing classic genre-defining game mechanics the franchise is known and loved for with all-new, never-before-seen gameplay systems, Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over. With the inclusion of Capcom's latest advancements in new generation technology, Street Fighter IV promises to deliver an extraordinary experience that will re-introduce the world to the time-honoured art of virtual martial arts. New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus attacks, Super Combos, and the revenged-fueled Ultra Combo system. Classic Street Fighter characters recreated for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II. New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more. New gameplay elements provide new challenges for both newcomers and the most seasoned Street Fighter pro. Online gameplay features, including instantaneous online challenges, versus mode, tournament mode, and world wide online gameplay. [Capcom]

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

GamePro

At the end of the day, that's really what this Street Fighter is: it's a title that's built for newcomers, yet tweaked for old school vets from the arcade and console days. [Mar 2009, p.75]

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100

Eurogamer

This is, in almost every way that matters, the perfect Street Fighter.

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100

Games Radar (in-house)

It will be like playing "SFII" for the first time all over again, only with the years of love and experience you've since gained already built in. To long-term Street Fighter fans, everything old is new again. To the new players, we simply say welcome to the party. You're going to have a hell of a good time.

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100

X360 Magazine UK

Don’t let the lack of a third dimension fool you. Street Fighter IV is possibly the best beat-’em-up ever made. A must-have.

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100

DarkZero

Street Fighter IV is not just a top notch next-gen version of Street Fighter, it is in essence what Capcom always wanted the Street Fighter franchise to be.

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100

Giant Bomb

Street Fighter IV combines old and new in powerful ways, resulting in a game familiar enough to bring retired fans back into the fold while being different enough to appeal to the players who have stuck with the genre since day one.

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100

D+PAD Magazine

It's this blissful sense of nostalgia that makes Street Fighter IV the runaway success that it undoubtedly is. Street Fighter hasn't changed per se – at heart, it's still the very same game you played all those years ago - but it's been tweaked and enhanced to within an inch of perfection.

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100

Gaming Nexus

It's updated graphics, awesome animation, and great fighting makes Street Fighter IV a great pick up.

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100

Kikizo

This isn't just a prettier SFII - it's the absolute king of fighting games.

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100

1UP

Capcom and DIMPS have done an amazing job with Street Fighter 4. It's obvious from front to back that the people working on this game knew the legacy they were contending with, and found the guts to finish this project with conviction. This is no mere copycat; this is a proud new addition. It's a bold, confident fighter that celebrates its heritage while bringing fresh, new ideas to the table, arriving in a remarkably complete package that -- if this were the last Street Fighter to ever be created -- earns its rightful place in the series' canon.

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100

G4 TV

Even if you haven’t touched a fighting game since the 16-bit era, one match of Capcom’s new masterpiece will remind you why you spent so many hours at those now long-shuttered arcades.

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100

Eurogamer Portugal

SF IV represents the best tribute that could ever be made to the series, but it also found, in an apparent easiness, a way to spread perfume and charisma, opening perspectives for modern fighting games.

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100

ZTGameDomain

This game deserves a place on everyone's shelf, from the most casual fan of fighting games to the most hardcore. No matter your personal skill level, you owe it to yourself to buy this game. SFIV's incredible art style, rock solid gameplay, and infinitely compelling multiplayer make it stand out as one of best games of this generation.

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100

Telegraph

A brilliant touch is the option to turn on a feature that allows Live/PSN players to challenge you even when you’re playing the singleplayer modes. In this era of home entertainment, it’s the closest you can get to someone coming up to challenging you in an arcade. The competition is likely to be ferocious and the fight for online supremacy is likely to continue for many, many years.

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100

360 Gamer Magazine UK

Street Fighter II was great. Street Fighter III was great, but for different reasons. But Street Fighter IV… well, it’s great. Or, to be more specific, GREAT carved in 300-foot high letters into the side of a mountain for all to see. True, it’s taken over fifteen years for Capcom to get it right but now, finally, we have a beat-’em-up that truly lives up to the name it represents. Perfection achieved, Capcom – best quit while you’re ahead, eh?

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97

GamingExcellence

But overall this is an incredible package that is without a doubt already a contender for game of the year.

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95

Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

For scrubs, for masters, for everyone: SFIV is the best beat-'em-up you'll play. [Apr 2009, p.72]

95

Hardcore Gamer Magazine

If this were 15 years ago, I wouldn’t have to write 2,000 words explaining why Street Fighter is awesome, but since we’re here, stop reading this review and, for God’s sake, go out and buy this thing.

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95

MS Xbox World

Street Fighter IV is certainly a grand entry for the series this generation. Although we have had some of the older games appear on the XBLA, this new game undoubtedly provides an unadulterated fighting experience that has been worth the wait.

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95

InsideGamer.nl

Right now, Street Fighter IV is pretty much the best fighting game out there. There's a wide array of balanced characters to choose from and more that enough challenges to keep you off the streets for weeks. Whether you're a walking Street Fighter library or a newcomer to the series, this game is recommended for everyone who loves inviting some friends over for some quality time ass-whoopin'.

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95

Games Master UK

Make no mistake: this is the finest fighter ever made. A glorious reworking of a classic that leaves the pretenders to the console fighter crown picking up their teeth with shattered fingers. [Mar 2009, p.62]

95

Gameplayer

Street Fighter IV has returned from a nine year hiatus (man, that makes us feel crusty) to successfully wrest back the crown of ‘most awesome fighter on the market’. It is a shining beacon of quality and hope in an otherwise dying, largely forgotten genre of video gaming. Recognising this, Capcom has wisely kept it accessible to newcomers, sufficiently evolved for veterans, and chock full of the chess-like depth that made the series so infinitely playable in the first place.

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95

Meristation

Capcom reincarnates the essence of the classic Street Fighter II in this fourth chapter: a tribute to the old school 2D fighting genre embodied with outstanding visuals and online capabilities. Street Fighter IV should be considered a new climax among beat-'em ups: perfect in its execution, solid gameplay, addictive as a masterpiece, and extremely fun. It is only weakened by a few pale scenarios and uncharming tunes, not to mention Capcom's decision to charge for the alternate costumes.

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95

Official Xbox Magazine

If you're a novice, a training mode and eight levels of difficulty will help you find your way. If you're a pro, SFIV contains all the depth you've ever loved about the series, without compromise. Capcom simply got the feel of Street Fighter perfectly right. [Feb 2009, p.76]

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95

IGN UK

Street Fighter IV is no less than the new standard for beat-‘em-ups. It's a triumphant return for the series after an eight year hiatus and is a seamless blend of the old and new, at once accessible to lapsed pugilists while being nuanced enough for the dedicated core to wallow in its depths.

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94

Vandal Online

Street Fighter IV is a very welcomed arrival of a classic that returns stronger than ever. Its adaptation to current times, making the most of the current graphical capacity to enhance the experience without taking unnecessary risks, and keeping the same gameplay which made it triumph, yet with interesting changes, is an example of how a franchise can be resurrected and led to present without losing its essence.

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94

Cheat Code Central

The extensive character list, tried-and-true mechanics, gorgeous graphics, and quality play modes (including online battles) have updated this franchise in such a way that it feels both fresh and familiar. If you own a PS3 or Xbox 360, you simply have to go out and pick up Street Fighter IV - it will be remembered as one of the marquis fighting experiences of this generation of gaming.

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94

MEGamers

With an artistic look and an intense 3D-like graphics, SF4 still manages to maintain it’s 2D style gameplay, which is new, as well as classic for fighting games. It has been a while since a 2D fighter has been played and the Street Fighter series believes it is best to maintain that “Charisma”.

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94

Worth Playing

I'm playing the 360 version, and it's as if this control pad was designed from the ground up to be nearly worthless for this kind of game. There are a handful of other games that have highlighted the 360 controller's awful d-pad, but most of them are using it as a quick-select menu or something. When you're actually trying to input something like a dragon punch motion or any of the EX attacks, it's worse than useless. There is no point in buying SFIV unless you're going to drop the extra money for a better controller.

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94

Console Monster

For all you Achievement whores out there don’t expect an easy ride in this game, as most of your rewards will be given to you once you have completed all arcade modes and challenges, through to unlocking all characters and pulling off a set number of combos, moves and finishes.

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94

Play.tm

Despite a few incredibly minor niggles, Street Fighter IV arguably represents a new zenith for the series and puts every other beat 'em up in the shade. Visually and technically superior in every conceivable way, Street Fighter IV revives a much loved franchise and is unquestionably something genuinely special that will be appreciated for many years to come, much like its hallowed forebear.

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94

Xbox World Australia

I'll go ahead and say it, Street Fighter IV so far is the defining moment in the beat ‘em up genre this generation. Its technical brilliance is supported ably by a display of visual excellence and an abundance of things to do.

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93

HellBored

While it’s a little buggy in places, and even though Capcom have not acknowledged the existence of a third dimension, there’s nothing wrong with SF4 that cannot be quickly patched out, and even the most distractible of gamers will find it hard to put the controller down for long.

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93

GameZone

Street Fighter IV is exactly the type of Street Fighter game you’ve wanted to play for years.

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93

Gamer 2.0

On the whole, Street Fighter IV is a fantastic achievement. It has a great fighting system, excellent visuals and decent audio.

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93

WonderwallWeb

Street Fighter IV is the best fighting games you will ever lay your hands on. Pure Quality, a classic is born.

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93

IGN

Street Fighter IV is a fantastic game overall and Capcom should be commended for designing a game that can work on so many levels by appealing to both casual and hardcore players.

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93

Game Informer

A distillation of everything the genre does right. It delivers the intensity of competition and the thrill of victory, all through elegant techniques that are easy to learn and difficult to master. Street Fighter IV is more than mere nostalgia - it's the best thing to happen to fighting games in years. [Mar 2009, p.82]

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92

GameTrailers

Fighting games have long been out of the spotlight, and Street Fighter IV basically carries the future of the entire genre. It refuses to make itself accessible, doling out tough love in place of true tutorials or simplified control schemes, but by proving to be deep and fundamentally enjoyable, the series has once again proven itself worthy of attention.

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92

SpazioGames

The Street Fighter series goes back to its origins with this new chapter. Introducing a new amazing graphical style, this is THE must-buy for everyone out there. What’s more, it could be the best way to start a Street Fighter experience for newcomers, thanks to a great control system.

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92

TeamXbox

Sixty bucks is a bit steep for a ported arcade game fighter, but you can look at it this way: You’ll be buying a reworked piece of pop culture history; similar to plopping down ducats for a hard-bound The Dark Knight Returns novel or a professionally-framed Lichtenstein print.

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92

AtomicGamer

It's hugely accessible but includes the depth that serious gamers are searching for, and all of it is viable to bring online for some great action.

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92

Computer Games Online RO

Even without the update, however, we have great graphics, new spectacular moves and the intensity with which the matches are disputed is also very good. So until the launch of King of Fighters XII, we can safely say that Street Fighter IV is the best 2D fighting game on the market.

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92

Pelit (Finland)

An excellent beat 'em up. It's pretty, fluid, surprisingly multi-layered and well-balanced. Too bad the statistics work in odd and mysterious ways. [Apr 2009]

91

GameShark

This blend of familiar gameplay and contemporary aesthetic lends incredibly well to the game, giving you the sense that it’s something wholly new, with plenty of nods to a bygone era.

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91

3DJuegos

Street Fighter IV makes difficult things look easy, and achieves one of the best fighting games in this generation. Apparently simple but plenty of possibilities, this game is accessible and deep at the same time: Capcom has done a great job once again.

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91

Planet Xbox 360

The complexities of the fighting systems are incredible to take in. Hardcore Street Fighter fans will have a field day with developing strategies and putting them into effect. It’s deep enough to satisfy tournament loving players who’d rather win by skill, but it’ll also win over the praise of casual players who love to dabble with fighting games when they have a friend to play against and button-smash without worrying about Ultra Combos and Ex moves.

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90

Official Xbox Magazine UK

The only major disappointment is final boss Seth. Given how imaginative the rest of the crew are, going toe-to-toe with a bald, blue baddie that bears more than a passing resemblance to Bioshock's Fontaine feels like something of an anticlimax.

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90

VideoGamer

The mark of a brilliant fighter, as all fighting game fans know, is a balanced roster. Having one or two characters that are by a country mile better than the rest is what you want to avoid. Capcom has done an admirable job in this respect with Street Fighter IV. No single character seems overpowered.

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90

IGN AU

Perhaps the best way to view Street Fighter IV is as the perfect complement to Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. This is classic Streeties – good pace, nice and accessible and yet with a truckload of depth. SFIII: 3rd Strike is always there if you want to delve into an intensely technical 2D fighter – and remains one of the greatest fighting games of all time, but SFIV is going to be the game that reinvigorates the series in the eyes of lapsed fans and newcomers alike.

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90

GameSpot

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.

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90

GameDaily

None of the modes - Arcade, Time Attack, Versus - scream innovation, and confusing anime-style cut scenes had us scratching our heads, but the wealth of hidden content, online play and addictive combat make Street Fighter IV one of 2009's most exciting video games.

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90

GameSpy

Street Fighter IV is Street Fighter at its best. It's not the obtuse canvas for virtuosity that Street Fighter III was, nor are its subtleties bogged down by anything like Alpha 3's alphabet soup of "isms." All the stuff that makes it go is more or less plain to see, and more importantly, easy to execute (comparatively speaking -- if double-quarter-circle motions give you cramps, expect no quarter from even this game).

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90

Destructoid

Despite its thin selection of modes, the core of the game is so remarkably solid that anyone with a passing interest would be a fool to pass it up what’s clearly solidified itself as the new standard for the future of fighters.

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90

Totally360

You’ll be utterly hypnotised by SF IV in full flight so do yourself a favour, pick it up and give your thumbs a real treat with one of the most satisfying titles seen so far in 2009.

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90

Cynamite

Street Fighter IV doesn’t have the potential to dethrone genre kings like the Smash Bros. or Soul Calibur. Still, it’s a great game and one of the best Beat’em Ups out there.

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90

Thunderbolt

While Street Fighter IV plays an expectedly brilliant game, the real surprise stems from its direction from a visual point of view that is nothing short of astounding.

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90

Gamervision

It’s an extremely tight, well-paced fighter that allows for widely varied fighting styles, but also serves as a fair and definitive test of skills for long-time fighters. Seth, the game’s biggest drawback, along with some long load times and a lack of variety in the Super and Ultra Combos are the only things keeping the game from receiving a perfect score.

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90

Game Positive

When all is said and done, Street Fighter IV establishes itself as an excellent example of what a high-quality 2D fighter is capable of.

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90

Gameplanet

Overall, Street Fighter 4 doesn’t bring a lot of new ideas to the table but it does do everything better than any previous incarnation, which is exactly what we wanted.

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90

Everyeye.it

Street Fighter IV is probably the best beat’em up of this generation. The gameplay mechanic can entertain who seek immediacy, but surely fulfills even the hardcore gamer needs, thanks to a deep system which involves Focus Attack Dash Cancel and impressive Juggle Combos. Technically speaking, the game is awesome. Maybe some players would not like the character design (gothic and grotesque), but it is perfect to revitalize the brand (following the post-modern artistic wave). A game developed with passion and method; probably the best “fan service” ever seen.

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90

Total Video Games

Although it's unlikely to rekindle the impact of Street Fighter II, there's little denying that Street Fighter IV is a return to the joyful simplicity of the game that spawned an entire era.

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90

ActionTrip

This title restored our faith in the genre and it rises high above the competition. Capcom deserves credit for this one. It's been a long time since we felt this kind of vibe and the best part is, it's a good slice of gaming even for those who are unfamiliar with previous releases.

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90

MondoXbox

Street Fighter IV is an 18 years jump back in time, firmly keeping a foot in the present: a great technical and artistic realization couples a classical gameplay with some nice additions, making it a real next-gen game. Capcom managed to bring us one of the most challenging and entertaining beat'em ups of all times, but we suggest playing it using a Fight Pad or an Arcade Stick to exploit it to the max.

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90

AceGamez

The bottom line is that you won't find another modern fighting game out there that looks and plays like Street Fighter IV, nor one that has stayed so true to itself yet kept up with the mainstream after twenty years. Welcome back Street Fighter - we've missed you!

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90

Deeko

In many ways, Street Fighter IV feels a lot like a classic car that has been restored with a new engine, new paint and some snazzy custom tail fins.

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90

Gamestyle

Street Fighter IV is everything we could have hoped for and more, and we haven’t even mentioned the glorious visuals and excellent music.

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90

XboxAddict

Overall SFIV is a great game with a lot of depth. Plenty of combos to learn for each character, plenty of unlockables and online play should give fans of th series plenty of gameplay time.

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90

PALGN

Street Fighter IV combines accessibility, nostalgia, depth and sheer technical prowess to deliver one of the best games we will see in 2009.

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89

Gamers.at

From the perspective of a huge fan of the genre: Despite some minor flaws Street Fighter IV is nothing less than the best Beat’em-Up money can buy. The graphical style is amazing, the balancing good and if you use a decent arcade joystick the handling is great as well!

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89

Impulsegamer

At the end of the day, CAPCOM have created a true successor to the Street Fighter series with great anime inspired graphics and good old fashioned fighting fun that has probably not been seen in quite some time.

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88

Gamers' Temple

Street Fighter IV changes the series' overall look to 3-D but still sticks to its root with the normal 2-D Street Fighter style gameplay that we have come to enjoy making it quite an enjoyable fighter to play for Street Fighter purists.

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88

My Gamer

While HD Remix is definitely the better game on the whole, SF4 is still worthy of your time.

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83

Game Revolution

Street Fighter IV gives the series the slap on the back it needs to catapult into the current and shake the fighting genre to its core.

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81

Xbox360Achievements

Street Fighter IV is a more than competent fighting game, in fact, it’s great, but in order to have the package these days, you need to deliver on more than the fighting mechanism.

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80

Wired

And I fail to see how the all-important menu that lets you reassign the buttons on your controller could have been designed to be less intuitive. You'll be using that a lot, too, especially if you buy an arcade-style joystick — which I cannot recommend strongly enough, especially if you have an Xbox 360. The console's default controller is absolutely infuriatingly useless for this game.

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67

The Onion (A.V. Club)

Is Street Fighter IV the best version? Absolutely. But once fans have relived their virtual-martial-arts glory days; once they’ve defeated Seth, the poorly named final boss; once the patina of nostalgia has worn off, most will wonder whether they needed to spend $60 on a game they already own.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 7.9 (out of 10) based on 125 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

J. S. gave it a5:
Another re-release of Street Fighter. Stiff controlls and very little to distinguish it from Street Fighter II. Badly acted, random cartoon clips have to be shown before every single player battle to embarrass you. I'm pretty sure the other Street Fighter cartoons aren't anywhere near as lame. Big disapointment. I'd stick with Mortal Combat vs DC.

Mark R gave it a4:
A huge let down to anybody that is a fan of the series. The characters are terribly unbalanced, as the game takes a few characters (Ryu, Zangief, etc), dips them in gold, and props them up on a petistal while shunning the rest and giving no chance. The game has been simplified significantly since the likes of II and III. Also, the difficulty curve for arcade mode is completely out of whack. Online play could use a lot of work as well. The ranking system is terrible, and hit recognition can be annoying as well. For long time fans, I'd recommend renting it, because as soon as the nostalgia wears off, the glaring weaknesses permeate the entire game leaving you feel frustrated. For gamers new to the genre, look for better alternatives. They're out there.

Alex gave it a6:
I was excited about this game after reading so many high reviews, but after actually playing them, I believe it's entirely the result of nostalgia. The CPU fights are some of the most comical and annoying in the game (during the boss fight I sat crouching in the corner blocking while the boss did literally performed the same move over and over for 5 minutes). The graphics are pretty nice. The new characters' character design are boring at best. Everything else about this game is entirely average.

Sablicious ... gave it a6:
Street Fighter IV is a disappointment if only for the reason it's so damn 'casualized'. Sure, the game has SOME depth if one can implement the 'Focus' system in canceling et cetera. But when compared to the parry system in SFIII, the Focus thing is, like the rest of the game, too n00b/scrub friendly for hardcore players (ie. those that put the series where it is today in the fight-game pantheon). Off-line is token, as expected. Once one's unlocked the characters (provided your 'main' isn't available from the get-go and you're not a Achievement ho) - I did this in like 1-2 hours! - there's nothing there worth a gamer's time. The AI on a whole is cheap, NOT challenging, and abuses the game's poorly implemented/balanced throw/special throw mechanic. On-line, although addictive to begin with, becomes a bore and a 'while intoxicated/drug addled ONLY' proposition once you realise how skewed the game is in favor of certain characters *cough'GIEFcoughSAGATcough* ...! -_- The ranking system for on-line is utterly meaningless as it does not incorporate GAMEPLAY in its apportionment of points, only wins and loss. And as alluded to, pick a certain character and, except in the most extreme cases of skill disparity, the bout is decided before it begins. Couple that with a 'Championship mode' where players can hand pick their opponents (exacerbated by a deceptive ping indicator where 1/5 connection is often more stable than 5/5!), a mode that is comprised of only 3-round bouts (making for a lottery in a game as damaged scaled as SFIV), and you've got a pointless on-line ranking system. As far as gameplay is concerned, despite what some uninitiated types will tell you, is far dumbed down from earlier iterations of the franchise. Although very accessible for the 'Wii generation', moves in actual fact are harder to rely upon for advance techniques due to a 'short-cut' command input system where moves only need inputs negligibly close to what's prescribed to pull off. This leads to 'move clashes' aplenty for even the most dexterous SF veteran. Moreover, the game lacks content up the ying-yang; has curious character omissions (WTF's T.Hawk/Dee Jay but Dan? SETH?? o_0 ... -_-); is plagued by a messy, imprecise command input engine; has some glaring character imbalances; poor hit-box implementation (moves wiff consistently); an on-line mode that really only serves as piss-up/party mode... In summation, SFIV is well playable. But if you're a SF veteran, you'll cringe at the 'kiddified' nature of the game. The on-line is serviceable, but is throw-away in terms of determining player skill. As with most fighters, off-line is for training mode only. The presentation is pretty (with exception of the intro theme! -_-), but lacks in terms of character-specific stages/music. The EGM homage 'Gouken' being the only positive in this respect. An okay fighting game in its own right, especially for non hardcore/weekend gamers. But care must be taken not to heap praise on a game that has very little in terms of competition this console generation. SFIV's definitely a disappointment for the fans who elicited its development in the first place.

Grass Hopper gave it a10:
At first when I played this game is didn't think much of it, but as you go into the game. If it truly worth the money, I can't up it down.

yarkiebrown gave it an8:
Disappointed at first play through, but after a week or so was hooked. Really enjoy the new championship mode too. Would have probably given a higher score but capcom charging for alternative costumes annoyed me a lot.

cr0nt gave it a9:
This game is freaking awesome. The 0 score is particularly strange - I found the normal trials easy for all the characters, and yes, I use the 360 pad (up to 830GS on it), and as for 'good' players succumbing to a spreadsheet Ken? Please. This game is not easy, but if that's what you want, go buy Avatar. The graphics are amazing, there is an excellent system of trials to give you the basic combos for your character, the other trials let you practice these and string together a few of your own. Put the time in and you will be rewarded. Now, Capcom, give us the update for Quarter mode.

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