Developer: Backbone Entertainment Publisher: Capcom Release Date: 11/25 – PS3, 11/26 – 360
IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT. POLISHING IT UP IS PERFECTLY FINE HOWEVER.
Well, it’s about time. Street fighter II: Hyper Fighting is one of my long-standing favorites of all fighting games. It’s now been officially replaced by this lengthily named Super Street Fighter II update.
The Street Fighter series has gone through its share growing pains like every other long standing property (Street Fighter was released in japan in 1987). But as you can see from the screen shots, a lot has changed. And while the jump into 3D (EX) was widely viewed as bad idea (with Alpha releases a close second), Capcom has taken its time and done its homework.
So before we see the highly anticipated Street Fighter IV, the developers wanted to show us that they can one-up their own best efforts and perfect the basics.
The result is one of the best downloadable games of the year. Get some.
The way I see it, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting really doesn’t need much improvement. My friends and I still fire-up the ol’ SNES and see how our skills have held up. But SFII:HF has been showing its age for some time now (released in 1992), making it more of a novelty for many people – yeah, I know it sounds shitty, but hey, what do you want?
Knowing this, Capcom had taken the only logical step: make it new again – have your loyal fans swoon while simultaneously bringing new players into the fold. Now that the ‘everything must be 3D’ wave is finally starting to break, a return to 2D is once again acceptable. Even edgy. The only catch is that since 2D is still viewed as old-hat, any game using it must be done to perfection.
‘No problem’ says Capcom.
Everyone knows that this game was gonna be pretty. And with the Anime-style 1080p HD makeover from UDON Entertainment, it most certainly is. But the extra mile was put in when the controls, hit detection and timing were tightened up. Balancing between characters is also really improved. And that I was not expecting. The choice is also available between Classic and Remix gameplay and music – though I do enjoy the fact that the new additions in these areas aren’t too new. The updated graphics are accompanied by the classic animations and the sounds aren’t overdone – leaving everything perfectly familiar, yet new. Online multiplayer with an eight-person tournament, in-depth stat tracking and worldwide rankings/leaderboards arranged by character and country make an appearance. And the Voice chat, training mode and hit box display also rear their heads. For a lot of purists playing on an HDTV, a display mode that fits the game into a 16:9 aspect ratio without screwing with the gameplay is a friggin’ godsend (myself included). Those same purists however, may disapprove of the slight change in characters move lists. Some classic moves’ damage has been tweaked for balance, while some entirely new moves make an appearance (the fake Hadouken is great for people who take things a little too seriously). But honestly, if this gets you really fired-up, do yourself a favor: calm down. All these things have been done for a reason. So relax.
With all that being said, I’ll say this too - If you have a choice between systems, go with the PS3 version. The D-pad is much more suited to fighting games. And I know that pisses off you 360 fanatics, but even you can’t argue that the first-party D-pad is atrocious. So if you have a 360 and nothing else, go find a third party controller with a proper pad right quick. Like now. Before you even download the game.
And there we have it. If you’re a person who likes fighting games but never really ‘got into Street Fighter’ here is a reason to check it out. For $15, it’s a no-brainer. This is a game for anyone who enjoys the fighting game genre. Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix builds on perfection rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. Kudos is due for that.
Oh and just to save you some trouble – press up on Guile during character select to access Akuma (up on E. Honda for Training Mode).
You’re welcome.
Durka!
Overall: 10 out of 10
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The street game fighter II seems to be a very serious sucking game. Very soon I will play this game. By doing this, I might learn something to do at the same time like learning the fighting skills. Thanks a lot. Please inform me when update the new games. Very favorite!
I will be getting this one soon.
And I as well am very serious at sucking the fighting monkeys during the fighting of the skills.
With my weener.
[...] upon it in past months. Capcom had successfully whet our appetites with the outstanding Super Street Fighter II: Turbo HD Remix. They now stand poised to show us what a real current-gen fighting game is supposed to look and [...]