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If you want a video game revolution you need to look no further than 1991's 'Street Fighter II'. For almost 20 years, game developer Capcom has essentially been following the same formula. Sometimes though, a classic formula can't be topped. Rather than redo, Capcom has decided to redux the thrills of the early 1990s brawler for 'Super Street Fighter IV'. The results are nothing short of fantastic. I enlisted the help of a friend who has played every 'Street Fighter' incarnation since the days in the early 1990s when I used to blow my bus fare at the local convenience store getting schooled by the local arcade kingpin. After an all-afternoon marathon, both of us agree that this is a worthy upgrade to last year's 'Street Fighter IV'. The focus of 'Super Street Fighter IV' is less on making changes and more about what works. The original 'Street Fighter II' was a seminal game, because the fighting was even, in the hands of evenly matched players, no playable character was superior and usually matches came down to the final blow. That battle engine remains at the heart of this game - even the original controls from the 1991 version are still there, so when we hosted a mini-tournament amongst friends, people who hadn't played the game since SNES, were able to pick up a control and compete with astonishing skill. The in-game renderings are stunning. It's a colourful eye-popping kaleidoscope of anime artwork and seamless movement make this a showpiece for HD TVs. The frenetic combination of cheesy 90's techno and non-stop colour give this an almost post-modern art appeal. For additional retro-appeal, the game adds many of the bonus levels from the 1991 version. Smashing a sports car with bicycle kicks and fireballs has never been this much fun. For good measure the game has thrown in a creepy paparazzo dressed as teddy bear. It's bizarre and oddly awesome! Add in some trash-talk via X-Live's headset and you have a potent combination that will coax-out your inner 12-year old. The game shines on X-box Live, especially the team matchup and Endless Fight mode - where winner keeps fighting - prolong the play of this game past the single-player campaign mode. Single-play is exhaustive with well over 30 characters, including a handful of new and older characters from previous chapters of 'Street Fighter' added for this iteration . Technically you could play the game 30-plus times, aside from some duplication, ie: Ken and Ryu, each character has a coterie of completely unique moves and ultra-combos. In my opinion, the best new character is Hakan, a demonic looking Turkish oil wrestler who uses special moves tend to utilize his family's special olive oil. Some classic favorites such as Dudley, the upper-crust British boxer or Deejay the jive-talking kick boxer are also fun additions. Back stories of the characters - or any stories for that matter are meaningless. The poorly translated dialogue is dreadful, however in a strange way it seems to add to the game's retro-console appeal. It's easy for first time players to get the hang of the basics and a few special moves, but the learning curve is steep to be able to hold your own online. It took about 20 online matches before we started to hold our own against other players from around the globe. The ultra-combos are a great feature in particular, they can only be executed after your character has taken a beating. A well executed ultra-combo can snatch the match from defeat against a complacent opponent. Pros: Classic platform fighting engine meets state of the art graphics rendering Comprehensive library of classic and new characters $39.99 price-tag makes it a bargain-buy for anyone who didn't pick up last year's 'Street Fighter IV'. Fun and competitive online modes Cons: Steep difficulty curve to be anything more than pathetic Inexplicable plot and incomprehensible dialogue     Super Street Fighter IV Format: Xbox 360 Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom ESRB Rating: Teen Official Site: http://www.streetfighter.com/ Rating: 9 / 10

 

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About G4 in Canada
G4 Canada (formerly TechTV Canada) launched in September 2001. G4 is the one and only television station that is plugged into every dimension of games, gear, gadgets and gigabytes. Owned Rogers Media Inc., the channel airs more than 24 original series. G4 is available on digital cable and satellite. For more information, see www.g4tv.ca.