Review: Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition

Hadoukens Coming Right At You

        It's been a long time since Street Fighter has showed up on a Nintendo console, and the first time it's ever been on a handheld if you don't count iOS. So, can Capcom's first attempt at bringing Street Fighter to a handheld live up to the praise given to its HD brothers? Well, if you ask me, I would say most definitely.

        Now, I'm the not the biggest fighting game fan, but I do have some knowledge of what works in these kinds of games thanks to obsessively playing Soul Caliber II back in the day. What impressed me at first is that all of the content from Super Street Fighter IV makes its way to the 3DS port with almost no scaling back. All of the characters are playable, and all of the stages are available. The only noticeable limitations come in the form of static backgrounds in the stages and animations that are not as fluid as the console versions.

        The graphics are not as spectacular, but are a noticeable step up from last-generation DS games and really show off the potential in the 3DS. The 3D is taken advantage of in the form of the new "Dynamic Mode" which moves the camera to over the fighter's shoulder. Although the 3D is impressive, the game runs twice as fast when turned off.

        The game controls wonderfully thanks to the 3DS's circle pad which allows for ease in pulling off circle inputs, and the d-pad is just below the circle pad if quick transitions are needed between the two. The new "Lite" control option allows newbies, like myself, to map specific moves to the touch screen that allow them to pull off Super Combos and Ultra Combos along with Special Moves with just the tap of the screen instead of forcing them to input complicated maneuvers that they might not know how to do. The "Pro" option allows for just basic moves to be mapped to the touch screen. In addition to this, the player can search for matches online based on their skill and control preference, so things don't get unfair.

        The last new addition makes use of Street Pass. This mode lets you unlock figurines by buying them with Fight Points, and can be traded with others as you pass by them. The figurines have stats and can be used in simulation battles thorough Street Pass. This is a neat little feature, but it isn't deep enough to spend a whole lot of time on.

       I was a little concerned that I might not be interested enough in this game to justify its price, but I find myself wanting to play it more and more. For those not wanting to pay more for the console version or don't have a console, this is the perfect substitute. It's the classic fighting game formula that you can take with you. 

Final Verdict: 9/10