Super Street Fighter IV has already rocked our socks off on home consoles, so the idea of being able to play the game on the move sounds almost too good to be true. Does this portable edition manage to capture the magic, or is it a pale imitation? Join us as we find out in our exhaustive review.
Street Fighting Man
As regular readers of Electric Pig will know, we rather liked the Xbox 360 version of Super Street Fighter IV. With a dazzling array of combatants, stunning visuals and a solid online mode, it marked the zenith of one-on-one brawlers. Transporting this epic scrapper to the more humble hardware of the 3DS is a brave move for Capcom to make, but we’re pleased to report that on the whole the transition has been a success.
The first thing that strikes you when you see Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition in motion is how close it looks to the home console version. Although the character models boast fewer polygons and the backgrounds don’t feature any animation, the difference is slight. When you throw in the impressive 3D effect granted by the autostereoscopic display of the 3DS, the game looks even more appealing.
Of course, mimicking the visuals of the home edition is one thing – a successful port needs to play the same way, too. Thankfully Capcom has been no slouch in this department, and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition feels identical to its big brother. All of the tactics, combos and techniques you slavishly mastered on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will work here too, and the gameplay is just as fluid and nuanced.
Out of Control
The one area where the 3DS port really struggles is control. While home console owners can trade in their pads for dedicated arcade joysticks to get the authentic coin-op experience, 3DS players are stuck with the analogue Circle Pad.
It’s not a terrible interface, but it’s not as precise as digital control and makes some special moves trickier than they should be. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the 3DS D-pad – which is placed below the Circle pad – would present the perfect solution, but it’s positioned too close to the bottom of the console and promises terrible hand cramps to anyone brave enough to use it.
All is not lost however, as Capcom clearly suspected the 3DS interface would be less than ideal for playing Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. To smooth out the control headaches the developer has included canny touch-screen shortcuts, which allow you to execute special moves and tricky ultra combos instantly and effortlessly.
Show me a Shortcut
Although it might seem like cheating, you quickly factor the shortcuts into your playing style. They become part of the experience, and unquestionably aid the game’s move to the portable arena.
The other upshot is that players that are absolutely crummy at one-on-one fighters will be able to join in with the action without having to memorize a list of moves that veteran players have had indelibly etched in their minds for the past two decades.
The More the Merrier
This point is important, because Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition’s multiplayer modes stand to benefit from as many people playing them as possible. Local matches are a breeze to set up, but it’s the WiFi online battles that truly impress. They’re totally lag-free, which is quite an achievement when you consider that you can play Japanese challengers on the other side of the planet.
The final piece of the puzzle is the support for Nintendo’s much-hyped StreetPass concept. In the case of Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, the allure of using this feature is the desire to collect all of the character figurines available in the game.
This is achieved by randomly unlocking figures by using Player Points accrued from other modes, or by venturing out into the world with your 3DS in sleep mode. If you encounter another player with their console in the same state, an automatic WiFi battle will occur. Collecting largely redundant statues isn’t the most convincing use of the StreetPass feature, but it does at least hint at the tantalising potential of the service.
The Verdict
While Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition doesn’t use the console’s 3D effect in the most innovative fashion, it’s arguably the best 3DS launch title. Aside from some control concerns – which are easily overcome by using the touch-screen shortcuts – this is a perfect copy of the home version. Fans shouldn’t hesitate to pick it up, and the touch-screen shortcuts will ensure that rookies get a gentle introduction to one of video gaming’s most enduring franchises.
