Street Fighter IV

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:27 am

I'm on the fence about picking this game up but an unbearable wave of nostalgia is pushing me towards grabbing a copy tomorrow. I like the new graphical style and the throwback gameplay but fighting games are hit and miss with me. The absence of DJ (and T.Hawk) is a bit of a downer but not a deal breaker.

Is anybody else getting it? Maybe we could set up a DSP tourney.

IGN Review
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Zlax45 · Post by **Zlax45** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 3:43 am

Fighting games for me ended with the SNES/Sega games...

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:19 am

It's on my gamefly queue. I want to give it a try, but I don't anticipate it sticking around for long.

I loved SFII back in the day, but most of the fun was just hanging out with friends and playing for hours. Given that I'm not 14 anymore, I just don't see the same appeal playing online with faceless (and probably annoying) strangers. Yeah there's singleplayer, but that has rather limited appeal.

WillHunting · Post by **WillHunting** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 11:22 am

Looking forward to it. I traded in 5 games so I can pick this up cheap, hopefully it will be here this week. I think this game will have a large community playing online for good competition, or play with the regulars so I hope some of you will pick it up (360).

DrCosta · Post by **DrCosta** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 1:15 pm

I picked up my copy today, SF just brings me back to my youth, and now I can battle against my son.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Tue Feb 17, 2009 8:18 pm

Now THIS is how a throw back game should be done! I guess if you're into Street Fighter you'll love this game otherwise I don't think there is much here to get players who aren't already fans into the game. It looks amazing, sounds amazing, plays just like SFII only you're going to have a tougher time counting frames because its runs silky smooth. I don't think the anime cutscenes are all that bad It is typical Street Fighter though so you really have no idea what the point of the whole competition is unless you search around for half-assed explanations. Its a truly dedicated fighter game through and through. The online play is nicely implemented and allows you to receive XBL challenges as you play through the single player akin to the old "A New Challenger Has Arrived!" message you'd get if someone picked up a second controller and hit start. Overall its a tight package and a great game.

Cons (I like to start with the cons )
- Ghosting happens a bit too frequently. I would've liked to have seen more interaction between each fighter when you walk into one another.

- Online matching is a bit hit and miss. I've only been able to create games for people to join or been challenged by online opponents during Arcade Mode. I haven't been able to join a game that I searched for (Ranked Match).

Pros
- Amazing to look at. Gorgeous looking "inky" characters that are just oozing style. The fighting is awesome. The mini-cut scenes during each fight are just long enough without dragging on and on.

- Sounds brilliant.

- The stripped down SFII style gameplay is appreciated as I'd gotten really sick of all the over-the-top flashing combos and seizure inducing light effects.

- Online is lag-free in my experience. Some mild character and online customization in the form of "tiles" and "icons." Its fluff but still fun to mess around with.

DookieMowf · Post by **DookieMowf** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:11 pm

I am on the fence as well. I loved these games when I was younger, but as I got older I just quit playing fighting games. I am thinking about asking for an early birthday present and not get the pad or arcade stick until I know I am going to really enjoy it.

Feanor · Post by **Feanor** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 3:38 pm

Ryu is a one syllable word.

I might get the PC version an an arcade stick later this year.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 5:57 pm

My copy of the game is on the way.

I understand the online, while minimizing lag, is relatively spartan and isolated.

How cool would it have been if they created a tournament mode where a bunch of people join at once and played through a tournament tree, all the while watching each match (assuming you weren't actually fighting that particular match) and chatting as a group. Now THAT would be the classic SFII experience.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 6:25 pm

Naples39 wrote:My copy of the game is on the way.

I understand the online, while minimizing lag, is relatively spartan and isolated.

How cool would it have been if they created a tournament mode where a bunch of people join at once and played through a tournament tree, all the while watching each match (assuming you weren't actually fighting that particular match) and chatting as a group. Now THAT would be the classic SFII experience.

That is an awesome idea. The XBL SFII release has something like that but you have to be in a party to really be discussing the fight while watching it. I haven't played around online enough to have really fleshed out all the bells and whistles but it does seem a bit bare. Strange considering all the hype behind that game and the huge tournament community.

I'm not sure that there is enough interest to set-up a DSP tourney but maybe it'll gain some momentum once other people start playing it. If you enjoyed Street Fighter as a kid (and who didn't) I think you'll love this new version.

DookieMowf · Post by **DookieMowf** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 11:58 am

macsomjrr wrote:
Naples39 wrote:

I'm not sure that there is enough interest to set-up a DSP tourney but maybe it'll gain some momentum once other people start playing it. .
I would be up for a tourny, although I would get killed.

If you enjoyed Street Fighter as a kid (and who didn't) I think you'll love this new version

I think that's all I needed to hear. I haven't owned a fighting game in years, but I loved SF as a kid. I will probably pick it up today and depending on how hard it is with the 360 controller I might go back and get a fight pad.

btmmayor · Post by **btmmayor** » Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:28 pm

I never enjoyed Street Fighter and am not a big fighting game fan in general.

That said, I went over to a friends house last night and played some Street Fighter IV...............Wow!! Graphics, gameplay, presentation....just wow.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:19 am

Is anybody else having a really tough time against the final boss Seth? He is pretty easy to take down the first time but then he becomes insanely difficult. WTF?

Glad to hear that those of you who've tried it have enjoyed it. Its an awesome game.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:11 pm

Great review from Gamespot. I can't wait until they expand this game with all the tournament options and replays...

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DrCosta · Post by **DrCosta** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:56 pm

macsomjrr wrote:Is anybody else having a really tough time against the final boss Seth? He is pretty easy to take down the first time but then he becomes insanely difficult. WTF?

Glad to hear that those of you who've tried it have enjoyed it. Its an awesome game.

I play on easiest difficulty and 1 round so the end boss is very easy. I do this b/c I just want all characters unlocked. They should be unlocked from the begining for people who dont have all the time to complete the required tasks. All in all though the game looks amazing and it feels right, esp with a fight stick

DookieMowf · Post by **DookieMowf** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 1:37 pm

I picked this up yesterday and it's pretty fun. I didn't pick up a fight pad, although I did almost get the last Blanka pad at Best Buy.

Still wondering I should pick up a fight pad or not

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:53 pm

DookieMowf wrote:I picked this up yesterday and it's pretty fun. I didn't pick up a fight pad, although I did almost get the last Blanka pad at Best Buy.

Still wondering I should pick up a fight pad or not

After much deliberation I'm going to grab a fight pad. Playing with the LS just doesn't feel totally right and the D-pad is... well crap.

Is the fight pad that much better?

DookieMowf · Post by **DookieMowf** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:21 pm

From everything I have read, reviews, message boards etc... everyone seems to think the fight pad is a lot better then the standard 360 controller.

I have called all my Gamestops, Gamecrazy and a few others and no fight pads in stock. Best Buy had one, which was a Blanka one (I think it looks the best), so I am hoping when I make the drive there at lunch they still have it.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 4:29 pm

I've had the same luck...

Can't wait for this

Hopefully we'll be able to watch and save the replays online.

DookieMowf · Post by **DookieMowf** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 5:50 pm

Got the last fight pad at Best Buy, which was the Blanka one. I hope it was worth it.

Naples39 · Post by **Naples39** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:00 pm

I finally broke out my copy last night.

I have to admit, it took me a while to warm up to it. Excessively cheesy voice-overs and characters and all that crap, and some of the newer characters with whom I am not familiar were pissing me off. I also hate the concept of charging meters and super combos in fighting games, but they all do it now.

I beat the game with Ryu first on medium, then ran through it again with Ken. On that second play through with the more aggressive Ken I breezed straight through to Seth, where I would inevitably win round 1 and lose rounds 2 and 3 while Seth constantly teleported around like a dickhead.

I was warming to the game by then, but I'll have to start branching out with some other characters and try some online before I can decide what I really think of the game.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:14 pm

Feeling some nostalgia for this, even though I was never that big into the series.

GWJ podcast made a good point about this though. Online, without a lobby, it's not the same feel as the arcade days, when people were watching two players go at it.

For casual fight fans, may be best to wait awhile for price of this to go down.

Of course, people may have moved on to something else and not play it as much online by then.

btmmayor · Post by **btmmayor** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 6:58 pm

wco81 wrote:Of course, people may have moved on to something else and not play it as much online by then.

Fight pads and sticks are sold out everywhere. I went to pick up the game at Wal-Mart and both stores by me are sold out. I went to Gamestop and there was a group of about 6 guys gathered around the demo playing. There is no doubt that this game is huge and should be around for a while thanks to some solid net code.

Naples39 wrote:I beat the game with Ryu first on medium, then ran through it again with Ken.

Good grief I suck. I can't even get 4 to 5 matches in on medium. I also get absolutely spanked on-line (1 ranked win in about 10 matches). I have better luck with player matches so I will be sticking there for a bit. This is my first experience with a Street Fighter game though as I was more into Mortal Kombat at the time. Speaking of, I would LOVE a 2-D Mortal Kombat game done in the same style as SFIV, with the garbage characters cut out that were introduced in the 3D games.

wco81 · Post by **wco81** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 7:16 pm

They were saying it was easier to do the dragon punch with the controller than with the fighting stick.

MK vs. Marvel came out a couple of months ago. Previews looked good but that looked like it faded quick.

macsomjrr · Post by **macsomjrr** » Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:15 pm

Naples39 wrote:
I beat the game with Ryu first on medium, then ran through it again with Ken. On that second play through with the more aggressive Ken I breezed straight through to Seth, where I would inevitably win round 1 and lose rounds 2 and 3 while Seth constantly teleported around like a dickhead.

I was warming to the game by then, but I'll have to start branching out with some other characters and try some online before I can decide what I really think of the game.

Seth can be, no wait, IS an absolute beast. I've read that the difficulty can reset itself (to a higher level) if you lose against any fighter prior to facing him. I've certainly experienced this (i went something like 0-20 against him me first time around).

I still haven't been able to find the controllers yet... I also haven't played anyone "in real life" yet which is always a blast. XBL is too sterile for SFIV.