Quick Hits - Super Street Fighter IV 3DS Review

Written by Phil Bruton Thursday, 26 May 2011 08:40

Super Street Fighter IV is familiar to the fighting-game community. The title has seen previous iterations on the PS3 and Xbox 360 and now it has been released on Nintendo's new handheld - the 3DS.

The game itself is largely unchanged: there's still Arcade Mode, Versus and Challenge Mode, which is SSFIV's version of training. All the characters from the console versions are here as well, in all their glory. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition looks just like it's console counterparts, dulled down just a little for the handheld. The only graphical change is that the backgrounds aren't "alive" as they were on the PS3 and 360, they're just backdrops to fight in front of.

Online fighting is very comparable with the console versions, I never had an issue with lag or with connecting to other players. It was quite simple and fast to get connected to others, which was a very nice option instead of always fighting the computer AI.

The major changes are due to the hardware that the game is on. Without the second shoulder button, it's quite difficult to pull off certain moves. Pressing all 3 kicks or punches at once can be tricky, especially if you have larger hands (as I do). Thankfully, Capcom has utilized the lower screen of the 3DS in quite the ingenious way. On the touch screen, they've placed your super and ultra moves along with 2 of your special moves as well. During combat, it's not too much of a stretch to give a quick tap on the screen to fire these off.

Another addition to the game is the 3D fighting mode. This is where the fighting, instead of the classic 2D that we're all used to, is now done in an over-the-shoulder perspective. It's actually quite jarring to play like this and it's not very functional at all. Stick to the old 2D.

Lastly, Capcom has added something for those that wish to utilize StreetPass. You can use your coins from StreetPass to buy points, with these you can purchase figurines. These are not only there in the collectible sense, but they also serve a purpose. Each of these figures has a level and along with that they all have different stats. As you unlock these figurines, you can assemble them into a team. Then, when you bump into other players on the street, your teams will fight each other. This will gain you points, but not much else. It's fun to unlock these, since it's totally random and it's a nice little diversion from the main game.

Overall, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a very solid game. It's a great handheld fighter that stays as true to the console versions as it possibly can. With the lackluster launch line-up that Nintendo gave us for the 3DS, Super Street Fighter IV shines through all the chaff. I recommend this game to any fighting game fan, as it's nice to be able to play on the go!

Overall - 8.5/10