I really miss games. I miss those games that made you sit for hours and hours trying to improve your technique or shave that 1/100th of a second off your record lap. I miss those games that remained classics, even if it was released on a console 15 years ago and the reason for that is very simple. You earned your achievement.
Street Fighter IV is a modern game with a premise like that. Your rewards when playing a game like this are not some CG rendered cutscene/ending but sheer gameplay. You take your choice of character into battle armed with a few simple combinations then you start searching for that extra hit in a combo. You work out your opponents' strategies and counter those to overcome them. I am simply loving this game for all the right reasons!!!
The programming for the most part is excellent but not perfect. Graphics and character voices are amazing! I really love of these backgrounds but still wanted each character to have their "home" stage as in previous incarnations of Street Fighter.
The characters are great! All 12 World Warriors, 2 Super Steet Fighters, Gen & Rose, 4 new characters and Akuma, Gouken & Seth once you unlock them! I do find the idea of Capcom adding T. Hawk and Dee Jay rather appealing but the roster as is is well balanced and has enough variety.
The one character who I do find slightly out of place is Seth. Cheap has a new king and Seth is he! His teleporting ability is not at home in a Street Fighter (Dhalsim's has better balance) game and neither is his ludicrous Ultra Combo! It belongs in the X-Men franchise, not here. But it does add to the sense of achievement once you beat him on the HARDEST setting. I still think M. Bison is the best final boss in the series to date.
The cut scenes to me somewhat spoil the overall sheen of the game. They really are crap. Perhaps spending time and creating endings similar to the Rival Encounter scenes would've felt better. It's a minor gripe but if Capcom release a Street Fighter IV: Championship Edition, they should look at this.
The controller is nice and does a capable job. However, this controller will not find a place as a legendary one. Sega Genesis & Saturn controllers and the untouchable Ascii 6 Button Fighting pads still remain the benchmark. It is however the only controller you should consider right now.
The Games for Windows Live is a letdown to us who don't live in a supported territory. I really don't understand how gameplay elements got built around a feature the vast majority of the world can't enjoy. Sad. But to save your progress, create an offline profile.
Ultimately, I will rate this game 9.6. It is a game of sheer beauty and depth. I place it a close second to Street Fighter II.
Average Rating:
Brand: Capcom
Edition: Bundle
Model: 99076
Release Date: 2009-07-07
Languages:
Unknown: English
Product Description:Street Fighter IV brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by taking the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, and infusing them with Capcom's latest advancements in next generation technology. The result is a truly extraordinary experience destined to reintroduce players, both familiar with the Street Fighter series and those coming to the game for the first time, to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts.
Amazon.com Product Description: The Street Fighter IV MadCatz controller Bundle brings the legendary fighting series back to its roots by infusing the beloved fighting moves and techniques of the original Street Fighter II, with Capcom's latest advancements in gaming technology and tossing in the instantly collectable MadCatz Ryu fightpad for good measure. The result is a truly extraordinary package destined to reintroduce players, both familiar with the Street Fighter series and those coming to the game for the first time, to the time-honored art of virtual martial arts. 
Ryu fight pad bundled with game.
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The old rivalries continue.
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Plenty of bosses to battle.
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New faces to reckon with.
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New Ultra Combo angles.
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Cammy showing FeiLong her stuff.
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Sakura treating Chun-Li roughly.
View larger. | The Ryu Fightpad
The Street Fighter IV Ryu fightpad is designed to recreate a semblance of the original Street Fighter arcade experience, while maintaining a comfortably familiar controller scheme for modern gamers. The fightpad is the same model as the Xbox 360 fight pad sold separately, so if player have a PC and an Xbox 360, it’ll work on both for future titles. What Was Old is New Again
Knowing a good thing when they see it, Capcom has gone to great lengths to ensure that everything that made the legendary Street Fighter II a hit in the arcades, living rooms and dormitories across the globe all those years ago has been brought back in Street Fighter IV, and this naturally starts with the characters. Fans of the franchise, as well as the fighting genre in general, will be happy to know that whether you prefer to stick with the superior abilities of top tier characters or explore the ins and outs of mid to lower level combatants, when it comes time to pick your fighter there is a wide array of choices. Also, not only will players be able to play as and against their favorite classic characters, such as Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief, Blanka, Sagat, etc., they will also be able to take on new characters. Just a few of these include:  | Abel
This young French amnesiac comes from a mixed martial arts and mercenary background and is dedicated to chasing down the remnants of Shadaloo. |  | Crimson Viper
This tough and beautiful agent assumes a businesslike demeanor, ignoring all emotion and obligation to her fellow man. She wears a high-tech suit filled with deadly gadgetry.. |  | El Fuerte
This fighter divides his time between perfecting his Lucha Libre skills and his cooking abilities, yet surprisingly his indomitable spirit is a match for even the legendary Red Cyclone. |  | Rufus
This portly fighter has declared himself America's greatest fighter and uses his own brand of Kung Fu in his decidedly one-sided rivalry with Ken for top dog in the States. | In addition, characters and environments are rendered in stylized 3D, while the game is played in the classic Street Fighter 2D perspective with additional 3D camera flourishes. Six-button controls for the game return, with a host of new special moves and features integrated into the gameplay system. Street Fighter IV brings a brand new fighting game to fans the world over. Key Game Features: - Limited Edition MadCatz Ryu fightpad bundled with standard edition Street Fighter IV for PC game (Xbox 360 compatible).
- 3D environments and characters.
- Traditional "2D" Street Fighter six-button gameplay.
- Classic Street Fighter characters re-imagined for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II.
- New brawlers: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more.
- New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus Attacks, Super Combos, and the revenge-fueled Ultra Combo system.
- Amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game.
- New gameplay elements provide challenges for both newcomers as well as the most seasoned Street Fighter pro.
- Games for Windows LIVE online support.
New Combat Features: Focus Attacks and Ultra Combos
Although Street Fighter IV is designed to draw heavily from past game features in its franchise history, it does offer some stunning new gameplay options. The first of these are Focus Attacks. These moves allow players to absorb the energy from an attack and quickly counter with their own. Used properly, Focus Attacks allow for tremendous flexibility during combat and are the end result of efforts by the game's development team to evolve combat away from the rigid memorization of set combination patterns, giving players the freedom to be creative against opponents. The other new combat feature are new powered up moves called Ultra Combos. Like standard combos their purpose is to unleash maximum damage on an opponent, but unlike the combos of old, when performed correctly these long strings of punches, kicks and moves result in changes to the in-game camera angle and quick cinematics which illustrate the strength of your skills like never before. Taken together, these two new features herald Street Fighter IV as the new king of the fighter genre and a force to be reckoned with for years to come. System Requirements: | Minimum Specifications: | Recommended Specifications: | | OS: | Windows XP SP3 / Vista SP1 | Windows XP SP3 / Vista SP1 | | Processor: | Intel Pentium4 2.0GHz or higher | Intel Core2Duo 2.0GHz or higher | | RAM: | 1GB RAM or more | 2GB RAM or more | | Disc Drive: | 8x DVD ROM or faster | 8x DVD ROM or faster | | Hard Drive: | 10GB hard disk space or more | 10GB hard disk space or more | | Video Card: | DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0 or higher compatible, NVIDIA GeForce6600 series, ATI Radeon(TM) X1600 or higher or higher, VRAM :256MB or higher Sound: DirectSound compatible, DirectX 9.0c (or higher) compatible | DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0 or higher compatible, NVIDIA GeForce8600 series or higher, ATI Radeon(TM) X 1900 or higher, VRAM :512MB or higher Sound: DirectSound compatible, DirectX 9.0c (or higher) compatible | | Input device: | Keyboard, mouse and/or gamepad | Keyboard, mouse and/or gamepad | | Other: | Internet connection required for online play |
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Features:
- New special moves that go beyond any Street Fighter fan's wildest imagination, including Focus Attacks, Super Combos, and the revenge-fueled Ultra Combo system.
- Bundle features the standard edition Street Fighter IV game for PC along with the limited edition MadCatz Street Fighter IV wired fight pad (Ryu model only).
- 3D environments and characters, traditional 2D Street Fighter six-button gameplay and amazing locations never seen before in a Street Fighter game.
- Classic Street Fighter characters re-imagined for a new generation of gamers, including the original cast of Street Fighter II.
- New brawlers including: female super-spy Crimson Viper, lucha libre wrestler El Fuerte, mixed martial artist Abel and more.
Format: DVD-ROM
Available at Amazon
List Price: USD 59.99
Lowest Used Price: USD 38.99
Lowest New Price: USD 39.99
Customer Reviews
Great game; just need a slightly higher-ended PC to run smoothyly
Street Fighter IV is overall a great game with awesome graphics and great soundtrack. The only unfortunate thing for me is that my PC can't handle the graphics requirement and therefore suffers from periods of extreme lags. So, before you get all excited for the game, check to be sure that your PC has enough power to handle it. Because of this game, I also got introduced to XboxLive/WindowsLive environment - you have to connect in order to play it seems... Can't say that I necessarily like it because I'd guess that part of the lag is due to this requirement. Wish I could just play offline.
Anyway, all that aside, 5 stars for this game! The controller is also quite suitable for the game. :)
Incredible Game and Good Controller
Street Fighter IV is a return to form for CAPCOM as they have produced a game that not only has the old Street Fighter feel but features new and evolved gameplay. First off the gameplay is still 2d but many of the characters and moves have been slightly tweaked from older versions of Street Fighter. Both the casual gamer and enthusiast will enjoy Street Fighter IV as it is the classic "easy to play, difficult to master" game.
The extra features added to the game like online play and trial modes give the game needed boosts for Street Fighter to keep pace in the new millennium. Online play is great with little lag while trial modes reward you for using every character. Gameplay and feature there is almost nothing to detract from this game. Performance wise the game runs on my 3 year old machine at max settings and max resolution with zero slowdown (even with 16x AA enabled).
The MadCatz controller that comes bundled with this game is good but could be a little more sturdy - it has held up after heavy use, but its not made of the same high quality materials as a normal 360 controller. It has a floating D-Pad and 6 face buttons like the old Sega Genesis controller - making it a lock for any fighting game. I would definitely consider it the best contoller I have for any fighting games and playing emulators (driver support is built into windows xp standard).
Overall I believe if you do not have a Fightpad and you want to play Street Fighter IV or emulators you should get this bundle as its reduced price on both the game and Fightpad make this an excellent deal.
Seems like a knockoff of earlier incarnations!
I guess I was expecting more 3d or something else looks like Street Fighter Alpha!
The ability to choose multiple characters makes this a fun game to play also the controller is nice however to pull off the difficult moves it would be easier with a fight stick. I don't like the d-pad at all have to press really hard to actually pull off the difficult moves. I have not been able to unlock the final two characters yet. I'm also very disappointed that I have to log onto windows live on startup each time. That is a real pain especially since you want to play solo at times without being bothered by this.
I also had problems playing this the first time the DRM of the disc said I didn't have DMA turned on my dvd drive, but I did so I had to turn it on and off again before I was able to play this game.
If you are on a budget I would buy the regular version without the controller and then invest in a good stick for this game.
Except for these minor qualms I am very satisfied with this game its fun and it has lots of eye candy and hidden character to make you not want to put it down. If for whatever reason you get sick of it you can accept challenges and fight anyone. As soon as I turn it on someone always wants to challenge me I don't even have time to blink when the game gets old in a couple of years the challenges will be infrequent so enjoy it now while you can.
The reasons I gave it a 4 is for all those reasons cited above plus it takes about 4 some odd gig of disk space so if you have a small drive be warned I installed this on my Windows 7 test 40 gig partition and I had only 12 gigs and now with the game installed I only have 8 now.
Just the best fighting game
I've always been a Street Fighter addict.
I like some other fighting games but none of them is as good as SF4.
It's fun, balanced, impressive!
