Street Fighter IV

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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'.

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]

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.

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

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.