Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition (Nintendo 3DS)

 

 

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I'm a huge fan of Super Street Fighter IV and already own it on the Xbox 360 and the iPhone. So, originally I was unsure whether I needed another version but after watching preview videos, I was impressed with the graphical detail and smoothness of the game and decided to go for it.

And I've been glad with my purchase so far decision!

The main selling point of course is the 3D visuals, it adds nothing at all to the gameplay, but it just looks really cool to see my favourite characters and backgrounds in 3D.

However, if I'm in a frantic online battle then I will usually turn the 3D off (with a quick flick down of the 3d slider) as the 3d visuals will probably get distorted as I mash the buttons and shake the console.

There is a new "over-the-shoulder" viewpoint which you can play the game in, but I tried it for a couple of minutes and then decided not to use it again. I suppose that the viewpoint helps exaggerates the 3D even more, but it makes the game hard to play as your view is more limited.

The 3DS version has all the characters and levels, as well as the trials. You also earn icons and tags which you can set against your character, which are then visible to other players when you go for online fighting (this will be familiar to people who already have the Xbox or PS3 version).

It has an online mode which works well. I spent 3 hours playing online, and had to stop when the battery light started flashing red. If you want to fight online then the game will match you against another unknown player (or a friend, if you prefer). It doesn't have any online tournament modes, which is a slight pity, but not a big deal.

The other major factor is the controls. On the Xbox 360, I play with an arcade stick, so the controls are really fluid. On the 3DS, it's a bit awkward. You can use either the analogue control or the D-pad for directional controls, but I found the D-pad too awkwardly placed (too close to the bottom-left, so it starts hurting your hand quickly). I use the analogue pad to play, it is a bit imprecise, i.e. at times, when you want to jump forwards or do a ducking block quickly, you will press the wrong direction.

In fact, if I had to rely on the traditional way to do the special moves, let alone the super or ultra moves, then I think the game would be quite unplayable.

Luckily, the game is by default set to "lite" control mode. This means that the bottom touch screen is split into 4 virtual buttons, by default, 2 of the buttons will automatically do special moves, one will trigger that character's super move and the other his ultra move.

Some purists probably won't like this, and may think it's not really in the original spirit of the game. Myself, I have no problem with it, and think that as everyone can use these controls then it is fair.

It is possible to set the game to "pro" control mode, where the virtual buttons can only be mapped to normal buttons, e.g. a punch, kick, or combination of punch or kick buttons. And also you can specify when you play online that you only want to play other "pro" users. But I suspect that the majority of online games will be in "lite" mode as this is the default setting.

One major point about the "lite" mode is that it allows moves that were impossible before, e.g. several characters perform their special moves by having to charge up the attack first, e.g. Guile's sonic boom - hold back for 2 seconds, then forwards and punch, but when these moves are mapped to the virtual buttons they can be performed straightaway without any charging time, e.g. this allows Guile to throw a sonic boom whilst walking forwards (previously impossible), likewise you could do a standing punch comboed into Guile's flash kick.

In my opinion, this makes charge-based characters a lot more powerful, and there doesn't appear to be any balance compensation, i.e. to weaken charge-based characters otherwise, or make other characters more powerful. I don't mind this because I mostly play charge-based characters, but it's something to bear in mind if you are a Ryu/Ken etc fan.

So my final verdict is 4 stars. I find the game a lot of fun. It has all the most important features of it's bigger brother console versions, but I have to deduct a star for the controls, the developers have done well by adding the virtual buttons but the 3DS's physical controls do become a limitation since this game requires a high degree of precision when played at a high level.

This version of SSF 4 looks very close to its home console versions. It moves very fluid, it sounds great and the internet play is great.

I haven't tried the 3D mode. I've only used the standard arcade mode. The 3D is still noticeable without being distracting.

I like the fact you can play online without having to worry about friends codes.

This is a perfect fighter for the 3DS. Fans of Street Fighter shouldn't miss on this one at all.

I ordered this from Amazon when it was below a tenner, thinking I couldn't miss out on this launch title everyone had been praising to the skies. I was in two minds about the purchase, since I didn't really fancy fighting games.

Right from the start it's evident Capcom has put down a great deal of effort in this title. It has tons of trophies/achievements and data on your fighters' progress. There are several modes you can play, including online play against human opponents. That was the tipping point that made me decide to purchase this title. Unfortunately the online play is sluggish at times and it's really not that much fun spamming the same moves over and over against an opponent that does the same. It's never hard to find an opponent online though, which is good to know.

When you play against the AI you have several difficulty modes to choose, from very easy to very hard. There is an extensive gallery of different fighters to pick and all of them have different special moves. It's all well-documented in the excellent included manual to study.

Sound and music is good, it's "just a fighting game" after all, and some of the backgrounds that work as the fighting arena's backdrops are very well made.

It's a great game if you like fighting games and if you are prepared to learn/have learned some of the special moves. I suppose you receive a constant stream of ego boosts once you start to beat up opponents online. Add another star and a half if that's you. For me, it's okey entertainment for the moment.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The game
I was very happy with this game. 3d effects are smooth and clear. Alot of characters, the game runs smoothly. Read more

Published 15 days ago by pedersen

5.0 out of 5 stars Review Street Fighter
Great game, great value! Thanks for selling this game so cheap. It was a Christmas present for my son & he loves it.

Published 24 days ago by Ebbs

3.0 out of 5 stars On-line play marred
Obviously, this game was going to be affected by the fact that it would be played on a handheld, as opposed to the arcade stick it was designed for. Read more

Published 1 month ago by CO

5.0 out of 5 stars The best fighting game there is (sorry tekken fans)
This has to be the best fighting game I've ever played, the 3d and online play is flawless and it will keep you going for hours on end. Read more

Published 2 months ago by masteReviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
What can I say this game is brill on 3ds. Graphics have come so far since the dsi. Characters look brill so do all the different places to fight your opponent and it's great to... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Stubaby

3.0 out of 5 stars Best fighting game for 3ds
the graphics of the game are almost exactly like the console versions & matches are fast pace & it doesn't struggle to maintain action displayed on the console versions. Read more

Published 3 months ago by Johnny D

4.0 out of 5 stars Street Fighter
Good fun and exactly what you want and need from a portable Street Fighter. 3DS controls aren't ideal but definitely manageable. Read more

Published 4 months ago by T. J. Conlon

4.0 out of 5 stars SSf4 3d edition
The game has a great variety of game modes and it is a really deep 2d fighting game, great graphics and sound too. Read more

Published 6 months ago by Sariel82

3.0 out of 5 stars its street fighter... what more do you want
its street fighter....only difference is you have to use the touchpen and the control pad for example for normal kicks and punches it is the a/b/y/x buttons but special moves are... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Christopher

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Classic
Great fun game just like it used to be but now in 3d... the only problem with the game is that it completes too easy and quick... multiplayer is a must :)

Published 7 months ago by leon

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