Anyone who follows Capcom knows that it likes to take its sweet time when it comes to releasing a new numbered release in the famed Street Fighter series. In fact, it was nearly a nine year wait between Street Fighter III and Street Fighter IV's debut in arcades in 2008. And after making a huge splash on both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles, the company decided to give its loyal fans a little treat by adding in even more features and playable characters for its Super Street Fighter IV upgrade.
So what's a company to do after injecting new life into one of the truly legendary vs. fighting games of our time? Well, if you're Capcom, you somehow cram every bit of that intensity and playability into a portable gaming experience for Nintendo's brand new 3DS system, that's what. And while the new fully 3D presentation is easily the most striking new feature, there are plenty of other goodies for fans to sink their teeth into as well.
While many gameplay aspects of Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition stick to the tried-and-true formula that's won Capcom such a loyal following among fighting game fans over the years, there are a host of new twists to give the game a more modern feel. Every character has his/her own basic set of fighting moves, many of which can be strung together as combos if your timing and move selection is right. You can also choose to use either the D-Pad or Circle Pad, both of which are extremely effective, so it will likely come down to personal preference. And like its console counterparts, the 3DS version features the same Super Combos and Ultra Combos that will become available to your character as you fill up the appropriate gauge via dishing out and receiving damage throughout the match. Not only can these special moves be particularly devastating to your opponents, but they can even be executed with a simple tap of the touchscreen for those who have difficulty executing the moves via the standard control method.
Capcom obviously wanted to make use of many of the new features that the 3DS system brings to the table when it created the Dynamic View system. Now instead of having your characters side-by-side on a flat 2D plane, the camera swings behind your character to give you more of an over-the-shoulder viewpoint. While this is a very visually impressive novelty that needs to be seen to be believed, it's likely not going to appeal as much to more serious fighting game fans, as it can make judging the distance between characters a bit more tricky than it needs to be. At the very least, it's still a great way to show off the flashy 3D capabilities of the 3DS to your friends.
There are quite a few modes of play to choose from, both from a single-player and multi-player standpoint. The Story Mode of the game will allow you to fight your way through a host of opponents where you'll eventually square off against Seth in an effort to beat the game. And if you'd rather just square off in a quick match, you can head into the Versus mode and set up your own matches, complete with a wealth of customisation options. There is even a Training mode where you can pummel a dummy senseless in an effort to hone your fighting skills, as well as set them up for certain behaviours — always jumping, always crouching and so on. It's not only useful for practising, but also a good way to relieve stress after a long, hard day.
Of course given that this is Super Street Fighter IV, the meat of the package is obviously the multi-player modes and the game doesn't disappoint here. Not only can you compete against your opponents locally, you can also take on players from all over the world via the Internet Versus mode. Jumping into matches, both locally and online, is quick and painless, with the online play being surprisingly smooth and lag free. You can even use the same type of customisations found in the single-player mode to tweak the one-on-one matches exactly to your liking. And if you've got a friend with a 3DS system but no game on hand, you can have them download the game to their 3DS and play as Ryu, or even allow them to watch your match against another opponent on their own 3DS using Channel Live! mode.
Not satisfied with just the versus fighting modes, Capcom has also introduced the Figurines feature. Here you can earn statuettes by winning matches and earning HP points, which earn you chances to spin the wheel to win various character figurine trophies depending on where the wheel stops. This will allow you to set up a team of Figurine fighters for StreetPass mode: should you pass another 3DS owner who's done the same, your figurines and your opponent's will act out a trophy battle between the two sides. This is yet another fun way to earn more points to see if you can collect all 500 of the figurines. As silly as this feature might sound to some, it's actually a fun way to make use of StreetPass, not to mention give you some incentive to keep coming back to play more matches.
As for the main game, most of the time you'd swear you were playing the console version. The fighting engine and control response in the game are top shelf all the way and the addition of the touchscreen special moves only makes the game even more accessible to a wider audience of players. Toss in an outstanding online mode and the added special features of the 3DS system itself, and you've got what is hands-down the most feature-packed portable fighting game ever crafted and one that will keep you coming back for more.
The backdrops in Super Street Fighter IV were already works of art on the console releases, but Capcom has really outdone itself with the 3D presentation of the game. While they have done away with the animations going on in the backgrounds, leaving people frozen in time with their hands in the air and elephants standing motionless, the depth and realism the 3D brings to the table more than makes up for the omission. And as amazing as the scenery looks, the characters and their various move sets are every bit as impressive. There's no doubt that developers are just beginning to come to grips with using the 3D technology of the system, but for a first effort, Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition really shines.
The Street Fighter series has always had a knack for featuring some of the best music tracks available in a fighting game and this 3DS release is no exception. Everything from synthesised rock to the techno-infused numbers do a superb job of carrying the mood and intensity of the action taking place on-screen and features a surprising degree of stereo separation. The developers have even managed to squeeze in quite a few pieces of character dialogue for each of the 35 fighters to further liven up the audio package. Even as great as the original Street Fighter II soundtrack was, this one here might actually give it a run for its money.
Conclusion
It would be easy to sit here and pick apart all of the things that Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition doesn't do, but the truth is, Capcom has somehow been able to miraculously squeeze every bit of bone-crushing fighting action onto the portable screen of the 3DS and still managed to toss in a staggering number of added features and options to go along with it. Even losing a few frames of character and background animations is a small price to pay for the stunning 3D visuals. Video game fans have waited a long time for a portable fighting game experience that could actually live up to the standards of those found on the current home consoles, and thanks to Capcom, that day has finally arrived.
Comments 95
Already have it on XBOX 360 but will likely get this as well eventually.
INSTABUY
I'll admit that as of late I've kind of gotten away from the vs. fighters, but this game definitely re-ignited my passion for the genre and proved to be quite difficult to put down.
Nice review, Corbs. A question about the Street Pass - Do you have to have the game running or the card in the system for it to work, or is the feature installed to the system in the same way that some Wii games could install channels? It was suggested at some point that you wouldn't need the game in the machine.
Once your Figurine team is loaded into StreetPass, the battles will still happen even if you don't have the Street Fighter IV 3D game loaded up.
I still don't understand why they can't bring it to the Wii. But that's another story. Glad with the review. Was planning on getting this game on the release day and now I want it even faster. Only a couple of weeks left.
Excellent review. I'll be waiting for a demo or in-store play before I make a decision though.
Awesome review, Corbs...
Were you using the analogue stick or the d-pad? Did you try it in pro mode, without the touch screen special moves?
Could you make a thread on the forum where you discuss this "It would be easy to sit here and pick apart all of the things that Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition doesn't do"? If it is not NintendoLife's policy to put that kind of information in its reviews.
@Corbie: Content is the same to the PS360 versions? All characters and costumes? and what about DLC?
I don't use the touchscreen shortcuts myself, as I tend to prefer to use the regular control method, but I wanted to talk about the touchscreen support as many people will be using it. And I basically mentioned the things that the game was missing, like frames of character and background animations. They did cut back some of the costumes as well, but I didn't feel it was important enough to include in the review since the game still offers you several costume and color choices, especially considering there were so many other things I wanted to cover.
As for the characters, I think I mentioned that there were 35 characters, which I believe is how many the Xbox 360/PS3 games have. And if there was any DLC, I sure didn't see any.
When you do a download play fight with someone, does the game keep a record of your wins and losses? Or does it only do so for online/multi card play.
All fights are tallied on the game, no matter what mode they're played in.
Awesome Review Corbie!
You have succeeded to toss fuel on the flames of my excitement building for the 3DS release!
Sounds good so I may get this game sometime as a good online game option.
Great review Corbie. Can't wait for this game to hold out.
My first 3DS purchase for sure.
Thanks for the review. Glad to know almost every content from the console versions made it here. Even if I don't get the 3DS on launch, I'll be getting this game since I loved playing it on the arcade and I don't have it on the PS3. Also, I really can't wait to get my hands on the limited edition lenticular boxart.
Although I'm sure the game is great I find the lack of animations for the characters in the backgrounds completely disappointing and I am willing to state right now on the record that this is not a hardware limitation but laziness on the developers part.
I feel ignoring these little but significant details and areas of polish lessens the overall all-round quality of the experience imo.
As I said, I'm sure the main game and gameplay etc is still great but it leaves me wanting just a little bit more.
How come the 9 stars are green?
@uel Green for "Go." As in "Go buy this game. Right now."
Also, I would get this because I love fighters, but they also make me RAGE. I should probably get something a bit more light-hearted or relaxing so I don't end up throwing my 3DS through a wall the first day I get it.
Hmm. I'll wait for the review of PilotWings Resort before I make my final decision on which launch game to get, but this one seems pretty impressive.
My only question is, is there a way to turn the dynamic camera off and stick with the classic 2D view?
Like I said before this is the game that will get me back into fighting. I think the last fighting game I played was soul caliber for the game cube.
"Video game fans have waited a long time for a portable fighting game experience that could actually live up to the standards of those found on the home consoles, and thanks to Capcom, that day has finally arrived."
Clearly hasn't played ANY PSP port of PS3/360 fighting games.
still on the fence about this or pilotwings since I don't want to have the system and no game. Pilotwings seems a little short on content and dull (tech demo-y), and this seems great but I haven't touched a 'vs. fighter' since the original SF2 and virtua fighter 2 in arcades. This seems like a modern mashing of those two so maybe I should give it a chance for the fun of it since there's so much content.
will there be a review of pilotwings coming soon too?
@VoltSlash-Corbie has a PSP and has played his fair share on there. PSP ports tend to be pretty meh from what I've read.
still would've preferred a TvC 3D but I'll take what I can get.
Never really played much SFIV so this will be a treat.
@WaveBoy Although that would have been wonderful, Brawl is a FAR more complex game in terms of the amount of data that needs to be synchronized. The internet simply isn't fast enough.
@OB
I don't know where you heard that from, but all the ones I've played were stupendous. Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max didn't seem to lose much, nor did Darkstalkers Chronicles, BlazBlue, Guilty Gear Judgment. The only problem with the PSP ports is that they're on the PSP, which for the 1000 and 2000 models, has a pretty stiff D-Pad.
I'll be using SOME of the shortcuts. I don't want to mess up my buttons and slide pad
Great score. Im looking forward to play this game with my 3DS and i just cant wait. I wouldnt be bringing my 3DS where ever i go id bring it when im on holidays.
Laggy online is the one thing I was worried about - but I guess given that Corbs was playing mostly people in Japan at this point, it can't be too big a deal.
Not counting the touch screen shortcuts but does it feature input shortcuts to execute harder moves much more easily?
E.g
Fei Long's Flame Kick
Normal Input: Back -> Down -> Down+Back + K
Shortcut Input: Back->Toward->Back + K
This one is on my to get list!
Ew, the 3DS section color scheme is weird. Green and red? It's like... Christmas or something. And it looks like the retro section. Shouldn't the theme be cosmo black and aqua blue? ;P
Nice review Corbs. Still on the fence about this 'un. I like Brawl, but that's about the only fighting game I do like. Plus Ocarina and Conduit 2 are coming out soon after... hmm. Decisions decisions.
I'm still gutted this isn't on the Wii! Sort it out, Capcom!
This is going on my birthday list! Time to see Chun Li in 3D!
I'd be interested if I didn't already have it on the 360. Still nice to see the 3DS have a game almost as good as the console versions.
This looks by some distance to be the best launch game. Sufficed to say I've pre-ordered a copy along with my 3DS.
Seth Killian makes another great fighting game!
Two questions:
1. Do you loose your figurines if they lose in battle, is it like placing a bet?
2. I heard this title has an achievement system. Is that true?
Whatever the case, day one (and possibly only) buy.
aww now 19 days seems to far away
Looks like a good game to start with, because I don't own a single Street Fighter yet.
BRILLIANT!
That's two reliable reviewers that have confirmed my thoughts that this is going to be an excellent game. Thanks Corbs. Really in depth revw. Great read. Hope your enjoying your game time with the 3DS and hope to read some more 3DS revws soon!
@brandonbwii - I don't remember losing any of my trophies at any time throughout my playing the game, so I think you're safe there. And as for achievements, I believe the Figurines are the achievements.
Well you shall soon LEGEND MARIOID, as I'm currently working on Super Monkey Ball 3D.
Great review, I probably will get this along with PilotWings.
The "online play being surprisingly smooth and lag free" was all I wanted to hear.
This is the only game I have pre-ordered with my 3DS.
Great Corbs - as Super Monk Ball is on my pre-order list along with SSFIV! Thanks!
Hazzah for the first 3DS review!
I don't really like Fighter games on handhelds, but thanks to the updated graphics and this great review i'm probably going to get this game. Thanks Corbs.
I can only get one 3DS game at launch, depending upon the Nlife review it will be Ridge Racer 3D, partially because whenever I visit my cousin's house his competitive game of choice is always PS3 SSFIV, so I have played tons of that game recently. However, even though I am not going to buy Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition straight away I may pick it up later on, based upon how well it has been received here.
The 3DS has got off to a cracking start, I enjoyed reading the first ever Nlife 3DS review, by receiving such a high appraisal Capcom has set the bar high for the other launch games. I also think that the SSFIV artwork looks completely brilliant set in the banner with the new pillar box red colouring of the 3DS section. Great work all round!
Yes! 9/10!
Definitely the first 3DS game I'm getting.
Argh! Curse there being so many things I want to get in March! Curse it! Cries
Thats good to hear its such a great package, seeing as this will be my first 3DS game. Maybe I will finally learn to not despise Street Fighter in the process, too. XD
Looks awesome, I we would get Marvel VS Capcom 3 as well.
nintendo does it again. lazy = money. this game is old. was $40 for 360 n ps3. now its like $30 new at gamestop! and they gonna send this out for full 3ds price?? (puke!) any remake in my opinion coming to the 3ds like this, zelda, pes soccer etc games that r already should be 30 right off the bat. Resident evil mercenaries is a hold over title until revelations comes out. mercenaries is a mini game of resident evil 3,4 and 5. i can get re5 for like 10 bucks at game stop! (more puke!) nintendo is crafty but smart. ill pass on this and go for samurai warriors 3ds!!!
Already have it on PS3, but were i to get a 3DS now (instead of waiting a year for a hardware revision and price drop), I'd pick this up. I like having moves on buttons on the touch screen, because it's difficult to pull off moves consistently using the dual shock 3's dpad or left stick. SSFIV is great, but those controls just don't recognize moves consistently enough.
@nite2727: stop buying games at Gamestop; tons of stores on the internet - including Amazon - has them cheaper new. And buying new=supporting developers. Buying stuff at Gamestop=supporting Gamestop and screwing developers.
And man you puke alot:) You gotta watch that, mans!
The only thing stopping me from buying this game is the static backgrounds - it's just one of those things that I think might really bother me enough to ruin the game. Does the 3D effect lessen how lifeless they are? Can you please go into some detail on this? Thanks!
I can't describe to you what the 3D looks like as that's something you'll just have to experience for yourself. You'll honestly be so caught up in the 3D and the characters, it's difficult to notice the backgrounds. That being said, it will likely bother people to different degrees and only you will know how much that is.
Does it have a story mode like Rival Turf's?
man that looks pretty good....for all my ballyhooing i might have to pick it up
The game does feature a story mode that gives you some character development at the beginning and then allows you to play through a variety of matches until you square off against Seth at the end. Then the credits shall roll after a short ending.
I am worried my astigmatism will affect my ability to see 3D. Already I cannot see movies in theaters like I used to. Stuff used to pop out and attack my face... now it is just blurry.
Anyway, I played this game recently for 360. May get it eventually.
If I'm able to get the 3DS at launch, then it will be this and Pilotwings that fill the cartridge slot
come on just 16 more days
Every review I've read for this game is strong, I can't wait to get it when it comes in from Amazon (being in Korea, the only Gamestop is about 3 hours away, near the other Air Base; so I'm not going there...lol).
Great review Corbs!
Looks like I'm going to buy this game. I allready played it today at Rotterdam Alexandrium Shopping mall! It was awesome !
Finally, a modern Street fighter game on a Nintendo Console! Street fighter fans,rejoice!!
I just played this game a little, but I can totally confirm that it's awesome. I love the dynamic view. If I didn't already own it on a different system, I'd for sure buy it right now. Unfortunately, I'm poor and will have to wait for a price drop... hopefully that'll happen sooner than later.
9 out of 10 WOW! I'm So glad I've pre-ordered it, my copy of pilot wings has been posted and if Amazon stick to their word it will arrive come saturday. I'm really looking forward to the VC shop too, it will come in May hopefully....
After playing the game, this is a spot-on review. I loved Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival on the GBA years ago, so I knew there was a good chance Capcom could pull this off but you always have to wait for the final product. Considering it was a 360/PS3 game they were converting they did a hell of a job and the 3D effect is nice too. Can't wait to see what they can do with a game built for the 3DS like RE: Revelations, we should be in for a real treat.
Rad review Corbs, been saving up for this since, finally picked it up!
@WaveBoy 3 - I too haven't dabbled on SF since downloading it on the VC...I got some learning to do!
This game is awesome, a must buy for any fighting game fan who has a 3DS.
i used to like a lot street fighter years ago, but got lost in the hugefranchise that it became. i kinda stopped at SF alpha...
i owned one on ps1 but lacking friends that played street fighter, the game didnt have a long life.
definitively will buy it once i find used ones for cheap. cant say i would pay 45 dollars on a brawler, since im not a fan of brawlers anyway...
I've tried the demo yet again at Gamestop and it is still really fun but I think I'll get it used. It isn't the type of game I want as my first game. I get my 3DS on the 15th and I think I'll get Super Monkey Ball.
This was the game they had on demo at my local Gamestop. IT WAS EPIC. It's the first time I've had with the 3DS and a Street Fighter game, and I enjoyed both experiences fully. I think this is the game I wanna get with my 3DS.
It just shipped to my house today. The first play I got kinda bored. When I picked it up later, I played from full battery to death. I figured out all the different things, like my favorite, unlocking the titles and icons (Which reminds me of Modern Warfare 2 way too much) but I like it, haha. The 3D looks awesome when someone launches a Ultra Combo. I really like the touchscreen shortcuts as well. They help alot. Alot of people online are cowards, though. They quit when they can't win. But I'm also glad that there are all 35 characters, not just a dumb-downed version like the iPhone App. It's extremely addicting, and since I've been playing Mortal Kombat on my iPod, I've really gotten into the Arcade Fighting genre. It's awesome. I totally agree on this review, other than the "Lag Free" online you say. A couple matches I've played had some bad lag in it, but thats no stopping you from having fun with Online Multiplayer. Great game!
I love this game at first I barely played it but know I go onto internet matches as Vega and win, sometimes. It is great fighter, but I like Brawl a little bit more than this.
I will probably get this next week. The online play sounds nice but I'm sure most people will quit if I get close to winning, which will probably be rare because it's my first street fighter game.
a must buy for me
I've recently bought the game along with my 3DS a few weeks ago. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition features pretty much everything from the console editions (well, except for some online features). Capcom did a great job with the presentation; the Dynamic View is nice for showcasing to other friends, but it's kinda awkward to the point where I still played in 2D view. (Also, turning off the 3D effect enables the game to run in 60 fps). It's also neat to collect figurines and use them for StreetPass battles. As a launch title, SSFIV: 3D Edition is a very impressive package. It's a must-buy!
I love this game, I just got it with my 3DS and before, I never played SF games EVER. Now I absolutely love the series, and the graphics are just breath taking. I think this is better than that 360 and ps3 versions.
It's a great game, but after a while, the moves start to 'wear off' and you get very VERY bored...
I loved the game at first, but now I'm super bored of it, so I ended up selling it to someone.
Let me just say though. It is quite impressive.
But I guess that's just me, I get bored of the same moves over and over again, and half of the characters suck and aren't really creative at all.
Mortal Kombat would have been a better fit, but thats entirely my own opinion.
Great first 3DS review.
I'm new to versus fighting... And at first glance, there is an obvious featue missing there: a tutorial !
The ingame help gives a few commands, but no explanations on combos, no real tutorial, so it's hard to understand how to really fight.
Does anyone know a good tutorial for Street Fighter IV ?
@ Flam
I suggest going to eventhubs. Eventhubs is a REALLY good website collecting information for Street fighter and a few other fighting games.
Amazing so gonna get it
Awesome, 9/10! I've never played a Super Street Fighter game before and this looks like a good place to start. And BTW, great review.
Still haven't gotten it yet. Only 17.80 on amazon... looks tempting
THIS is the reason I got my 3DS!
I love the SF series, and I'm always looking for strong opponents!
Just bought it for 10€. Looking great!
This game is on sale for 7 or 8 bucks on the 3DS e-shop! I was almost flabbergasted at how big it was!
It's currently on sale in the UK eShop for under £5!! Probably buy it
What a time travel experience this comment section was. Here today...the end of 2020 months after final model has been discontinued, no New 3ds games in stock anywhere and gamestops used 3ds/DS section is a picked dry graveyard of Hannah Montana games. Hard to believe something so grand is being so quickly forgotten and replaced by a joycon drifting fake portable
Well not by me...
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