Street Fighter IV Preview

This is Rose, from Street Fighter Alpha, one of a number of console exclusive characters.

For the hardcore fighting game fans, those who stuck with the series' popularity decline post Super Turbo, who learnt how to parry and Super Cancel, who pour hours into improving their rank in the recently released downloadable title Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, who know how to Reversal, Meaty and Cross Up, who know about move priorities and hit boxes, Street Fighter IV is no less exciting a proposition but for different reasons. You'll notice that the game is a lot slower than recent iterations of the Street Fighter series. You'll notice that the new Focus Attack is much more than a pointless, predictable stun, and instead adds a new layer of strategy the game would otherwise lack. You'll realise that, because there's EX Special Moves, because the new Revenge Gauge, which triggers Ultra Combos, only fills up when you take damage, playing Street Fighter IV and playing it well requires strategies honed from all corners of the Street Fighter universe.

This is, for me, what's most refreshing. Simply saying Street Fighter IV is Street Fighter II with a new art style is not only wrong, but betrays a misunderstanding of the series as a whole. Yes, the foundations are built from the Super Turbo engine that is to this day considered the best fighting game engine ever conceived, but there are elements of the EX, Alpha and III series'. So, rather than Street Fighter II HD Remix, perhaps Street Fighter IV would be more appropriately named simply Street Fighter HD Remix. It is, actually, more like a greatest hits compilation than a sequel proper that tears up the Street Fighter rule book.

The combo I can't do sums this great Street Fighter marriage up neatly. First a Shoryuken, a classic, iconic Street Fighter move that knocks my opponent out of the air. Then the cancel with the new Focus Attack, which eliminates the recovery frames of the special move. Then the Focus Attack is itself cancelled with a dash. And then show-stopping finale Ultra Combo, which shows Street Fighter IV at its most spectacular. The Shoryuken is something old, the Focus Attack Dash Cancel is something new, and the Ultra Combo is both borrowed and blue (it's a big old Hadoken, if you were puzzled about that last bit). There's much more to Street Fighter IV strategy than this, of course, but I haven't got the space to do it justice. Know this, though: playing Street Fighter IV like it's 1991 won't be enough to get you by when you face off against decent players in the much anticipated online mode.

Issues? Problems? Concerns? They're few and far between, but they are there. Those looking for a revolution will criticise the game for being too similar to Street Fighter II. The Focus Attack won't be for everyone, and will only come into its own when in the hands of a skilled player. The new cel-shaded-esque 2.5D art style is genuinely beautiful in motion, with wonderfully expressive character faces and entrancing backgrounds (watching the kilt-wearing keg lugger shake his head when his hard work is undone by fighters landing hard in the Historic Distillery arena is a highlight), but it won't be for everyone. And from what I've heard of the soundtrack it's a non-entity, with nothing coming close to the killer level music we all fondly remember from Street Fighter II.

The new art style is spectacular, dramatic and wonderfully expressive.

Big boss character and Doc Manhattan lookalike Seth, an abomination from S.I.N., the weapons division of M. Bison's evil organisation Shadaloo, completely jars with rest of the roster and Street Fighter's tone and feel. Not only is he cheap (he's playable in the home console versions), since he incorporates moves from Ryu, Dhalsim, Guile and Zangief, but he looks more like a Tekken character. The four brand new characters are also underwhelming. C. Viper would be more comfortable in an SNK fighting game and El Fuerte, a Mexican luchador and aspiring gourmet chef, is as pointless as he is useless. Only the hilariously fat but fast Rufus and Zangief Fei-Long love child Abel show promise - both with interesting move sets and combo possibilities.

Sakura (Alpha), Akuma (Super Turbo) and Gouken (making his debut) are much as you'd expect them - Akuma especially will be a favourite online, although he's not nearly as potent as he has been in previous versions of the game since he takes so much damage, and Gouken is also useful, with an anti-air fireball and high power and stamina. We haven't played with them yet, but Dan (Alpha), Fei-Long (Super), Cammy (Super), Gen (Alpha) and Rose (Alpha) are welcome and, in keeping with the rest of the characters, will play very similarly to how they did in previous Street Fighter titles. Oh, and if your favourite hasn't made the cut, don't be too distraught - expect plenty of characters to be made available via post-launch downloadable content.

I've played enough of Street Fighter IV to know it's great. Not since Halo 3 came out at the back end of 2007 have I been so popular with gaming friends and family. There's an excitement here that's special, that's unique. Is it the best Street Fighter game ever made? That's a tough one. For me, Super Turbo is not only the best Street Fighter game ever made, but the best fighting game ever made. That verdict will have to wait for the review, by which time, with any luck, I'll have successfully juggled Ryu's Shoryuken with his Ultra Combo. If not, well, I may just cry.

Street Fighter IV is due out on PS3 and Xbox 360 on February 20.