OK so where the EFF is the Review right?
It's been over a week since I last updated. I bought Street Fighter IV and I have a few things to say about it. But first a few things...
Getting it was difficult as all FUCK. I know I said I preordered it but to read up on that you'll have to follow the cuts. Yes I am cutting this entry into about... 4 pieces or so... I'm guess maybe three... (I know, inconsistency with the numbering)
My review for this game is definitely gonna contain some exposition. It's for ease of understanding. I know that about... 90% of people who read my journal actually could give 2 Fucks less about games, but if they ever got curious this would be a good push off point.
*THIS JUST IN* My name is Bruce is now on sale for all the deadites who love Bruce Campbell. (LIKE ME!)
Ok... so first...
So I cancelled my reservation. Why? Because I realized what I was doing. Paying nearly $100 for a videogame? What is this 1993 and I own a NEO-GEO? On second thought, it's not that bad considering NEO-GEO systems were $300 and the games $500. Yes you read that right... the games COST MORE THAN THE SYSTEM ITSELF. In addition, Amazon is located in Washington so the cost of Tax goes up. Then the shipping is ridiculous. TO get it on the super saver it would have arrived TODAY. Yes that's right... TODAY. So next day shipping and taxes puts it over $100. Finally, the lag time is BAAAAAD. Even with next day shipping it would have come in that SATURDAY from a TUESDAY release.
After realizing all that, I finally got pissed off. Cancelled my shit and went to BEST BUY. They had some collectors sets in the morning but then they ran out. SHIT. I went to about... 5 different stores on my lunchbreak and took and extra 30 minutes to get back. DAMN YOU WASHINGTON ROAD CONSTRUCTION!!!! Why the fuck are they always tearing up the roads around here? Once they're done nothing has changed! What was the FUCKING point of doing construction if there are no noticable changes?
I wasn't bummed actually. After some deep contemplation I finally realized that perhaps I didn't need the special editions. I mean I have a few special editions and they're great. But mostly they sit there on my shelf doing nothing. And what am I gonna do with it? Resell it later? Nope. Not that kinda guy.
I will always fork out a bit more for things like UNRATED editions, or limited editions that aren't OVERLY expensive. It's like... I dunno... selling a porn film rated R at a discounted price than the XXX version. Why would you do that? It just seems... kinda stupid to do that unless the movie really rocks
So I finally made it to my LOCAL Best Buy and begged the game guy a few questions. I then proceeded to use 2 giftcards to buy my game free O Charge. No Collector's Edition. Just a normal PS3 version.
But alas...
It is not over...
I learned a lesson... but unlearned another. I also picked up... a reservation for RE5 Collectors Edition. The saga will continue...
So I have had this game for about a week. First and foremost I gotta say... Fighting Games are a genre. Some people like them and some people despise them. I can't stand sports games but my brother LOVES them. On the other hand, he hates ANYTHING 1 player and I've always loved campaign modes of play such as Resident Evil, RPGs, and Metal Gear. It's just hard to make a cinematic game (or at least it hasn't been done yet) with two players involved. Yeah Yeah I know... OUTBREAK. LEFT4DEAD. RE5. I know... but these are not even close to being on PAR with things like Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, or Metal Gear Solid.
For example... this guy and I would not be able to play games together.
(Seriously... watch these clips. They're REALLY FUNNY. There's even some political commentary. Also, notice the names he gave the characters. It will take about half an hour if you wanna watch.)
Some terms
Tier System ~ A system invented to show how one character can be used to dominate over other opponents using data from their characterstics OR utilizing data from tournaments and in depth play matches using professional players. (IE Character A wins 25% of the time again Character C. However, Character A wins again Character B 90% of the time. Character C wins over Character B 92% of the time. Therefore The ranking is Character C, Character A then Character B.)
Priority ~ Character attacks have priority over other character attacks. For example, if Ken comes in with a hurricane kick, a properly timed Dragon Punch from Ryu will stop the attack with damage to Ken and Ryu will take no damage. However, if Sakura were to try to knock him out of hurricane kick using a simple high kick, she might stop him but she'll take damage too. Improperly timed attacks lose their priority. So if she were to try again and not do it at exactly the right time, Ken's attack would cause damage, the move will continue, and Sakura will be open to be combo'd. High priority attacks are the signature of overpowered or boss characters.
OK so onto the meat and potatoes.
Look-
Graphically this game is BEAUTIFUL. The characters are well done and the animation is smooth and refined. Plus the Japanese inkbrush effect does subtle wonders to the perception.
However, people have criticized that this is a new look called the Steroid Look. Capcom seems to be pretty pre-occupied with this current look. Even Chun-Li has got some real buffness going on. It's not noticable until you realize how big her legs are compared to her upper body.
I didn't really notice it myself until later but she does have a SLIGHTLY disproportionate leg to body ratio throughout the series. I had to watch her evolution video to notice that. Minus the Alpha and Vs. Series she does have huge legs in comparison to other characters. However, this is VERY apparent in Street Fighter 4.
Which goes to show how the STEROID LOOK works. I'm not even going to talk about ZANGIEF.
Gameplay-
The gameplay is what sets the game apart. OK so I'm into the fighting game genre but I HATE overly complicated fighting games. I play them to bash the living SHIT out of people on a screen. I don't play fighting games to play virtual chess matches. If I wanted to do that I'd play a puzzle game. As games progress in their series they usually pick up more and more complex controls. WHICH BLOWS.
I mean come on... really? Using fighting moves as a chess like format? Sounds so... uh... Floppy Disc 90s Software.
Here's an example...
Virtua Fighter 4. You play as Akira. Combo starts with the initiator move. Then proceeds with a certain set of buttons for linking combination. For the most devastating you have up to 8 move inputs. Yes that's 8 move inputs. So provided that you can get it right... it looks like this.
-> Forward, Forward + Square, Down + Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle, X, (Short pause) Back, forward + Triangle. (not a real combo but you get the hint)
Now in real life only a true freak of a fan would even attempt to master such a combo to the point where they can do it at will with an over 90% success rate. Not to mention actually remembering the button inputs.
But that's one facet... Here's facet 2.
Countering.
Supposing that your opponent is doing said combo above to you. Wait no... that's a bad example. This is an air combo. So let's say he's bashing you around with Jacky (which is a guy). So in retaliation you input a certain counter input when he does a certain technique to counter his move. OK so knowing what the counter is... memorization. Guessing which move he'll execute, Memorization (of the highest levels of YOU HAVE NO LIFE) or dumb luck. Recognizing the technique, remembering the counter, and then successfully inputting the counter? YOU HAVE NO LIFE!
BUT WAIT!
There are counter COUNTERS. And COUNTER COUNTER COUNTERS! AND...
COUNTER COUNTER COUNTER COMBOs!
Needless to say Virtua Fighter IV is not for the weak or those who have lives.
As for Virtua Fighter 1... Only a few fighters have counters and they counter only two different types of techniques. High and LOW. And there is no COunter to the Counter. Combos only go up to 5 moves MAX.
Simpler and easier. MUCH MORE FUN.
Here's where SFIV gets things right. Okay so there are normal moves, special moves, EX attacks, Throws, Focus attacks, Super Combos, and Ultra Combos. Sound complex?
As a matter of fact... IT ISN'T!
OK so using normal moves is easy. Push a button and you attack. Good enough.
Special moves are those signature attacks such as Dragon Punches, Fireballs, and Spinning Piledrivers.
EX attacks are special moves performed with two attack buttons. They are stronger and have higher priority but take a segment of the special gauge.
Throws are your basic grabs. Push jab and low kick together. You grab if you're near. Push this when you are grabbed and you counter.
Focus attacks are performed by pushing medium punch and kick. You absorb one hit and hit the opponent once released. Hold it longer to make it unblockable.
Super combos are used once the special gauge fills up completely. The special gauge fills up as you hit your opponent (Hence winning).
Ultra Combos (or revenge techniques) are performed when the Revenge gauge fills up. The revenge gauge fills as you GET HIT (AKA LOSING).
As you can tell it's all about balance. If you're getting royalling pummeled, your revenge gauge fills up and you can even the odds by executing said technique and taking nearly 1/2 of their life gauge (provided it connects). If you're in the second round and you're still losing, by now your special gauge would have filled up along with your revenge gauge. Execute one then the other. Guaranteed victory.
Focus attacks help by allowing you to interrupt someone's advances and punish them for getting too close. A good example is the jump kick spammers. They use a jump kick everytime they want to start a combo. Which is understandable because it's a great way to advance and it chains easily into other attacks. However, some people ONLY use this way to beat you and it gets annoying. So if they jump attack in, use a focus attack to knock them on their ass. When they get up, pummel them or throw them to show how annoying it is.
Characters-
As usual you got your stock characters. There are a LOT of Shoto Fighters in this mix. Shoto fighters are ones that use quarter circle motions for special techniques. They also have a stereotypical moveset which consists of a rising attack with HUGE priority, a fireball, and an advancing kick that usually involves them spinning in a circle mid air.
Exceptions to the rule make it a valid rule.
The original Shotos that made the style of play famous were Ken and Ryu. Ken is morely based on using multiple hits and combos. His legs do the talking and his dragon punch hits too many times to count. However, his power is lacking when compared to Ryu. Ryu's fireball is always superior in the canon series. His dragon punch needs to only hit once and it flattens you out. Ryu's moveset sometimes lack combo ability but his attacks are more powerful and stun opponents more.
Shoto fighters are good to start with for the beginner due to ease of the moveset, ease of execution, and overall balance of the characters.
Other examples of these guys from other universes include Terry Bogard (Fatal Fury), Ryo Sakazaki (Art of Fighting), Kyo Kusanagi (King of Fighters), Ky Kisuke (Guilty Gear), and Ray (Fighter's History).
Obviously the gameplay was shifted to make things more friendly to newcomers so they put 7 of them into the roster. Each having different quirks to appeal to certain gameplay styles. The names go in descending order of rank on the Tier System (via the Japanese game networks). Sagat, Ryu, Ken, Gouken, Akuma, Sakura, and Dan.
There are a few grapplers. The most powerful being Zangief. Grapplers have a disctinctive advantage in this kind of game because they can take hits but receive less damage. Grapple moves are usually devastating on damage and in addition, their grapple moves can't be countered or blocked. However, most of them lack a fireball or means to counter a fireball so they can be kept at a distance. The combo ability is usually lacking as well.
On the subjective side of things... I LOVE GRAPPLER CHARACTERS. Nothing feels better than getting hold of a little bastard whose been fireballing your ass the whole match and giving him the most devastating special move in the entire game. SPINNING PILEDRIVER! Three fireballs equals one spinning piledriver. However, 3 spinning piledrivers equals victory.
Finesse fighters. These guys can be used well but I hate some of them with a fiery passion. Guys like Rufus who take a long time to wind up their attacks. Guile, who has to charge every attack for at least 2 seconds. C Viper (who looks like a cross between Angelina Jolie and Kishidan) who takes a MASSIVE amount of damage, doesn't deal a lot of it out, has some moderate priority attacks, and must combo to deal any serious damage to her opponent (especially if she's facing a grappler). Chun Li is like a hybrid shoto, charging, and finesse character. Which is fine because you used to be able to tap any of the three. But now you gotta mix it up for all these to be expressed all at once. Constantly charging for the next attack while initiating a finesse built combo and then finishing with a Shoto style end is just one example of how to mix it up.
Boss Characters a plenty. Bison makes his return. OF COURSE! The original bosses from Street Fighter make a well received return. The new boss is a real cheesemeister (more on him later). Finally, two secret bosses that can only be unlocked with certain requirements.
Notables-
Here are some character notes for a few select people.
Dan - Not to be taken seriously. He's a parody of Ryo Sakazaki and is intentionally made as a joke character. Truly a weak fighter. Some are quite proficient with him though and I can see why.
Sagat - Top ranked character in the tiers. Here's why. Two fireballs. One high and one low, both are SUPER FAST. Tiger Uppercut is high priority. Tiger Knee is fast and quickly closes gaps. Standard kicks and punches have higher than normal priority, long reach, and high damage. Super attacks hit fast and hard. Ultra Combo practically deadly if opponent is below 1/2 health. Cheap character but always a good choice. Also can take more damage than average.
Balrog - The Mike Tyson ripoff. Always under estimated but I like him. His punches hit HARD. He can take some serious punishment. Turn punch goes through fireballs. All special moves are high priority. Even if blocked, his ultra and super combos do a chunk of damage. Good for just not caring about perfects and wanna just pummel your opponent into the ground.
Seth (Final boss) - CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Fireball is fast to pull off. Gauges fill RAPIDLY. All moves at MAX priority and high damage. Can spinning piledriver even in the middle of being hit. Ultra combo is unblockable. Did I mention he can teleport? Dragonpunch is highly spammable. Has a suction technique that pulls opponent to him and stuns them to allow a free hit. I like this quote about him... "Cheaper and Gayer than a bag of free gay tangerines"
Akuma - Secret boss from a lot of the games. Retains all the same old moves. Two versions of the raging demon and both are devastating. However, Akuma cannot take a lot damage. Best to play keep away and striking up hard when the opponent leaves themselves open. Teleport moves work very well here. Don't get into slug matches.
GOUKEN - Secret boss. The master of Ryu and Ken long thought killed by his brother (AKUMA *SHOCK*). Rumored to have been in at least 4 street fighter games but makes his first appearance here. Powerful, high priority attacks at his disposal. Moves are very different from typical Shoto Fighters but the twist on them allows more versatile gameplay. Intermediate character that requires some practice.
ABEL - So far I've taken a liking to this French MMA Mercenary Amnesiac. Yes that's actually how you could describe him. Obviously based off of Fedor from professional fighting rings, Abel plays like he looks. He has few anti-air techniques but he does have some pressure moves that keep the opponent on their toes. What is lacking is more than one grapple technique. Good damaging moves with moderate priority. Not for the beginner.
El Fuerte - Yes a Luchadore is here. AND HE SUCKS! Too much running around. He can't take a hit. His moves take a while to wind up. Low priority techniques. Plus, how does a pro wrestler NOT have a single special move grab? All of his grab specials require him to run backwards or forwards first and then jump on his opponent's head. I want a move that I can use while standing still! there's no need to jump off of walls to execute a technique that does minimal damage!
Capcom really needs to work on this guy. He is currently ranked either bottom tier or 2nd to bottom tier.
The Verdict -
I like this game. It's not too complex but there's depth to spare. It's easy enough for even a complete newcomer to pick up a controller and get started. However, people have gotta start understanding that there's a specific timing to the moves and that mashing the buttons in order isn't going to let the combo fly. You actually have to time it to what's happening on the screen.
Combos aren't overly complex and a few good 3 and 4 hit ones will suffice for some good victories against computer controlled and human contolled opponents alike.
Each character is well thought out and each one will appeal to a certain person depending upon playing style.
Story is lacking but who cares? It's Street Fighter! We all ready know what's going to happen! Number 4 is an interquel between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. So we know what happened after Street Fighter II and we also know what happens in Street Fighter III so there's no reason to fret the story. That's a good thing. King of Fighter's storyline is actually 5 interbranching main stories with 2 alternate worlds and each game has roughly 10 different side stories going on as well. If you don't believe me, check wikipedia on it. Only a real game freak would know anything about that... shit like...
Orochi Saga comes to a head which leads to Ash Crimson Saga but between these was the NESTS Saga and the Korea Saga had a one shot and an additional other world 3d saga started with different characters and... *FANBOY SHIT CONTINUES*.
But anyways... play it? At least give it a try if you have the system. If you're new, try the challenge mode with Ryu until you get to about challenge 3 or 4. Then play practice mode with a few characters who appeal to you. Then put them game on EASIEST and fight it out with the computer.
For the vet, you know what to do. Plug in, push start, pick a character, and start Rumbling.
Is it a buy? For me it is. For the non-fighting game fan? A rent at best. I seriously doubt this will be a mind changer for some people but it is worth a try to see if it changes your mind about the often complex fighting game genre.
Work sucks a big fat donkey dick. But I'm trying to find better work. I don't think my associate will last much longer. He's all ready being flown out to Kentucky to do a job interview with Nestle. I say he needs it. Nobody deserves this shit.
Plus I didn't know what his deal was until yesterday. Now I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. His girlfriend of 12 years can't work anymore. Back injury. Her medical bills are piling up and she needs someone who can take care of her. Her brother lives in Australia so she's going to move there. She told my associate that he can barely support himself so she's gotta go somewhere she can get the financial support she needs. So he's been so desperate to find better work that this job offer must seem like a godsend to him. I don't blame him.
I told him to go and not look back. Get his shit straight. He's old, I'm young. I can take the shit storms for a while longer. I just got a few more months anyways until I get my two years experience. Man, I could have been spending all this time in PA school. Oh well. I practically do diagnoses on a weekly basis for people.
Fuck this job.
Getting it was difficult as all FUCK. I know I said I preordered it but to read up on that you'll have to follow the cuts. Yes I am cutting this entry into about... 4 pieces or so... I'm guess maybe three... (I know, inconsistency with the numbering)
My review for this game is definitely gonna contain some exposition. It's for ease of understanding. I know that about... 90% of people who read my journal actually could give 2 Fucks less about games, but if they ever got curious this would be a good push off point.
*THIS JUST IN* My name is Bruce is now on sale for all the deadites who love Bruce Campbell. (LIKE ME!)
Ok... so first...
So I cancelled my reservation. Why? Because I realized what I was doing. Paying nearly $100 for a videogame? What is this 1993 and I own a NEO-GEO? On second thought, it's not that bad considering NEO-GEO systems were $300 and the games $500. Yes you read that right... the games COST MORE THAN THE SYSTEM ITSELF. In addition, Amazon is located in Washington so the cost of Tax goes up. Then the shipping is ridiculous. TO get it on the super saver it would have arrived TODAY. Yes that's right... TODAY. So next day shipping and taxes puts it over $100. Finally, the lag time is BAAAAAD. Even with next day shipping it would have come in that SATURDAY from a TUESDAY release.
After realizing all that, I finally got pissed off. Cancelled my shit and went to BEST BUY. They had some collectors sets in the morning but then they ran out. SHIT. I went to about... 5 different stores on my lunchbreak and took and extra 30 minutes to get back. DAMN YOU WASHINGTON ROAD CONSTRUCTION!!!! Why the fuck are they always tearing up the roads around here? Once they're done nothing has changed! What was the FUCKING point of doing construction if there are no noticable changes?
I wasn't bummed actually. After some deep contemplation I finally realized that perhaps I didn't need the special editions. I mean I have a few special editions and they're great. But mostly they sit there on my shelf doing nothing. And what am I gonna do with it? Resell it later? Nope. Not that kinda guy.
I will always fork out a bit more for things like UNRATED editions, or limited editions that aren't OVERLY expensive. It's like... I dunno... selling a porn film rated R at a discounted price than the XXX version. Why would you do that? It just seems... kinda stupid to do that unless the movie really rocks
So I finally made it to my LOCAL Best Buy and begged the game guy a few questions. I then proceeded to use 2 giftcards to buy my game free O Charge. No Collector's Edition. Just a normal PS3 version.
But alas...
It is not over...
I learned a lesson... but unlearned another. I also picked up... a reservation for RE5 Collectors Edition. The saga will continue...
So I have had this game for about a week. First and foremost I gotta say... Fighting Games are a genre. Some people like them and some people despise them. I can't stand sports games but my brother LOVES them. On the other hand, he hates ANYTHING 1 player and I've always loved campaign modes of play such as Resident Evil, RPGs, and Metal Gear. It's just hard to make a cinematic game (or at least it hasn't been done yet) with two players involved. Yeah Yeah I know... OUTBREAK. LEFT4DEAD. RE5. I know... but these are not even close to being on PAR with things like Final Fantasy, Legend of Zelda, or Metal Gear Solid.
For example... this guy and I would not be able to play games together.
(Seriously... watch these clips. They're REALLY FUNNY. There's even some political commentary. Also, notice the names he gave the characters. It will take about half an hour if you wanna watch.)
Some terms
Tier System ~ A system invented to show how one character can be used to dominate over other opponents using data from their characterstics OR utilizing data from tournaments and in depth play matches using professional players. (IE Character A wins 25% of the time again Character C. However, Character A wins again Character B 90% of the time. Character C wins over Character B 92% of the time. Therefore The ranking is Character C, Character A then Character B.)
Priority ~ Character attacks have priority over other character attacks. For example, if Ken comes in with a hurricane kick, a properly timed Dragon Punch from Ryu will stop the attack with damage to Ken and Ryu will take no damage. However, if Sakura were to try to knock him out of hurricane kick using a simple high kick, she might stop him but she'll take damage too. Improperly timed attacks lose their priority. So if she were to try again and not do it at exactly the right time, Ken's attack would cause damage, the move will continue, and Sakura will be open to be combo'd. High priority attacks are the signature of overpowered or boss characters.
OK so onto the meat and potatoes.
Look-
Graphically this game is BEAUTIFUL. The characters are well done and the animation is smooth and refined. Plus the Japanese inkbrush effect does subtle wonders to the perception.
However, people have criticized that this is a new look called the Steroid Look. Capcom seems to be pretty pre-occupied with this current look. Even Chun-Li has got some real buffness going on. It's not noticable until you realize how big her legs are compared to her upper body.
I didn't really notice it myself until later but she does have a SLIGHTLY disproportionate leg to body ratio throughout the series. I had to watch her evolution video to notice that. Minus the Alpha and Vs. Series she does have huge legs in comparison to other characters. However, this is VERY apparent in Street Fighter 4.
Which goes to show how the STEROID LOOK works. I'm not even going to talk about ZANGIEF.
Gameplay-
The gameplay is what sets the game apart. OK so I'm into the fighting game genre but I HATE overly complicated fighting games. I play them to bash the living SHIT out of people on a screen. I don't play fighting games to play virtual chess matches. If I wanted to do that I'd play a puzzle game. As games progress in their series they usually pick up more and more complex controls. WHICH BLOWS.
I mean come on... really? Using fighting moves as a chess like format? Sounds so... uh... Floppy Disc 90s Software.
Here's an example...
Virtua Fighter 4. You play as Akira. Combo starts with the initiator move. Then proceeds with a certain set of buttons for linking combination. For the most devastating you have up to 8 move inputs. Yes that's 8 move inputs. So provided that you can get it right... it looks like this.
-> Forward, Forward + Square, Down + Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle, X, (Short pause) Back, forward + Triangle. (not a real combo but you get the hint)
Now in real life only a true freak of a fan would even attempt to master such a combo to the point where they can do it at will with an over 90% success rate. Not to mention actually remembering the button inputs.
But that's one facet... Here's facet 2.
Countering.
Supposing that your opponent is doing said combo above to you. Wait no... that's a bad example. This is an air combo. So let's say he's bashing you around with Jacky (which is a guy). So in retaliation you input a certain counter input when he does a certain technique to counter his move. OK so knowing what the counter is... memorization. Guessing which move he'll execute, Memorization (of the highest levels of YOU HAVE NO LIFE) or dumb luck. Recognizing the technique, remembering the counter, and then successfully inputting the counter? YOU HAVE NO LIFE!
BUT WAIT!
There are counter COUNTERS. And COUNTER COUNTER COUNTERS! AND...
COUNTER COUNTER COUNTER COMBOs!
Needless to say Virtua Fighter IV is not for the weak or those who have lives.
As for Virtua Fighter 1... Only a few fighters have counters and they counter only two different types of techniques. High and LOW. And there is no COunter to the Counter. Combos only go up to 5 moves MAX.
Simpler and easier. MUCH MORE FUN.
Here's where SFIV gets things right. Okay so there are normal moves, special moves, EX attacks, Throws, Focus attacks, Super Combos, and Ultra Combos. Sound complex?
As a matter of fact... IT ISN'T!
OK so using normal moves is easy. Push a button and you attack. Good enough.
Special moves are those signature attacks such as Dragon Punches, Fireballs, and Spinning Piledrivers.
EX attacks are special moves performed with two attack buttons. They are stronger and have higher priority but take a segment of the special gauge.
Throws are your basic grabs. Push jab and low kick together. You grab if you're near. Push this when you are grabbed and you counter.
Focus attacks are performed by pushing medium punch and kick. You absorb one hit and hit the opponent once released. Hold it longer to make it unblockable.
Super combos are used once the special gauge fills up completely. The special gauge fills up as you hit your opponent (Hence winning).
Ultra Combos (or revenge techniques) are performed when the Revenge gauge fills up. The revenge gauge fills as you GET HIT (AKA LOSING).
As you can tell it's all about balance. If you're getting royalling pummeled, your revenge gauge fills up and you can even the odds by executing said technique and taking nearly 1/2 of their life gauge (provided it connects). If you're in the second round and you're still losing, by now your special gauge would have filled up along with your revenge gauge. Execute one then the other. Guaranteed victory.
Focus attacks help by allowing you to interrupt someone's advances and punish them for getting too close. A good example is the jump kick spammers. They use a jump kick everytime they want to start a combo. Which is understandable because it's a great way to advance and it chains easily into other attacks. However, some people ONLY use this way to beat you and it gets annoying. So if they jump attack in, use a focus attack to knock them on their ass. When they get up, pummel them or throw them to show how annoying it is.
Characters-
As usual you got your stock characters. There are a LOT of Shoto Fighters in this mix. Shoto fighters are ones that use quarter circle motions for special techniques. They also have a stereotypical moveset which consists of a rising attack with HUGE priority, a fireball, and an advancing kick that usually involves them spinning in a circle mid air.
Exceptions to the rule make it a valid rule.
The original Shotos that made the style of play famous were Ken and Ryu. Ken is morely based on using multiple hits and combos. His legs do the talking and his dragon punch hits too many times to count. However, his power is lacking when compared to Ryu. Ryu's fireball is always superior in the canon series. His dragon punch needs to only hit once and it flattens you out. Ryu's moveset sometimes lack combo ability but his attacks are more powerful and stun opponents more.
Shoto fighters are good to start with for the beginner due to ease of the moveset, ease of execution, and overall balance of the characters.
Other examples of these guys from other universes include Terry Bogard (Fatal Fury), Ryo Sakazaki (Art of Fighting), Kyo Kusanagi (King of Fighters), Ky Kisuke (Guilty Gear), and Ray (Fighter's History).
Obviously the gameplay was shifted to make things more friendly to newcomers so they put 7 of them into the roster. Each having different quirks to appeal to certain gameplay styles. The names go in descending order of rank on the Tier System (via the Japanese game networks). Sagat, Ryu, Ken, Gouken, Akuma, Sakura, and Dan.
There are a few grapplers. The most powerful being Zangief. Grapplers have a disctinctive advantage in this kind of game because they can take hits but receive less damage. Grapple moves are usually devastating on damage and in addition, their grapple moves can't be countered or blocked. However, most of them lack a fireball or means to counter a fireball so they can be kept at a distance. The combo ability is usually lacking as well.
On the subjective side of things... I LOVE GRAPPLER CHARACTERS. Nothing feels better than getting hold of a little bastard whose been fireballing your ass the whole match and giving him the most devastating special move in the entire game. SPINNING PILEDRIVER! Three fireballs equals one spinning piledriver. However, 3 spinning piledrivers equals victory.
Finesse fighters. These guys can be used well but I hate some of them with a fiery passion. Guys like Rufus who take a long time to wind up their attacks. Guile, who has to charge every attack for at least 2 seconds. C Viper (who looks like a cross between Angelina Jolie and Kishidan) who takes a MASSIVE amount of damage, doesn't deal a lot of it out, has some moderate priority attacks, and must combo to deal any serious damage to her opponent (especially if she's facing a grappler). Chun Li is like a hybrid shoto, charging, and finesse character. Which is fine because you used to be able to tap any of the three. But now you gotta mix it up for all these to be expressed all at once. Constantly charging for the next attack while initiating a finesse built combo and then finishing with a Shoto style end is just one example of how to mix it up.
Boss Characters a plenty. Bison makes his return. OF COURSE! The original bosses from Street Fighter make a well received return. The new boss is a real cheesemeister (more on him later). Finally, two secret bosses that can only be unlocked with certain requirements.
Notables-
Here are some character notes for a few select people.
Dan - Not to be taken seriously. He's a parody of Ryo Sakazaki and is intentionally made as a joke character. Truly a weak fighter. Some are quite proficient with him though and I can see why.
Sagat - Top ranked character in the tiers. Here's why. Two fireballs. One high and one low, both are SUPER FAST. Tiger Uppercut is high priority. Tiger Knee is fast and quickly closes gaps. Standard kicks and punches have higher than normal priority, long reach, and high damage. Super attacks hit fast and hard. Ultra Combo practically deadly if opponent is below 1/2 health. Cheap character but always a good choice. Also can take more damage than average.
Balrog - The Mike Tyson ripoff. Always under estimated but I like him. His punches hit HARD. He can take some serious punishment. Turn punch goes through fireballs. All special moves are high priority. Even if blocked, his ultra and super combos do a chunk of damage. Good for just not caring about perfects and wanna just pummel your opponent into the ground.
Seth (Final boss) - CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP. Fireball is fast to pull off. Gauges fill RAPIDLY. All moves at MAX priority and high damage. Can spinning piledriver even in the middle of being hit. Ultra combo is unblockable. Did I mention he can teleport? Dragonpunch is highly spammable. Has a suction technique that pulls opponent to him and stuns them to allow a free hit. I like this quote about him... "Cheaper and Gayer than a bag of free gay tangerines"
Akuma - Secret boss from a lot of the games. Retains all the same old moves. Two versions of the raging demon and both are devastating. However, Akuma cannot take a lot damage. Best to play keep away and striking up hard when the opponent leaves themselves open. Teleport moves work very well here. Don't get into slug matches.
GOUKEN - Secret boss. The master of Ryu and Ken long thought killed by his brother (AKUMA *SHOCK*). Rumored to have been in at least 4 street fighter games but makes his first appearance here. Powerful, high priority attacks at his disposal. Moves are very different from typical Shoto Fighters but the twist on them allows more versatile gameplay. Intermediate character that requires some practice.
ABEL - So far I've taken a liking to this French MMA Mercenary Amnesiac. Yes that's actually how you could describe him. Obviously based off of Fedor from professional fighting rings, Abel plays like he looks. He has few anti-air techniques but he does have some pressure moves that keep the opponent on their toes. What is lacking is more than one grapple technique. Good damaging moves with moderate priority. Not for the beginner.
El Fuerte - Yes a Luchadore is here. AND HE SUCKS! Too much running around. He can't take a hit. His moves take a while to wind up. Low priority techniques. Plus, how does a pro wrestler NOT have a single special move grab? All of his grab specials require him to run backwards or forwards first and then jump on his opponent's head. I want a move that I can use while standing still! there's no need to jump off of walls to execute a technique that does minimal damage!
Capcom really needs to work on this guy. He is currently ranked either bottom tier or 2nd to bottom tier.
The Verdict -
I like this game. It's not too complex but there's depth to spare. It's easy enough for even a complete newcomer to pick up a controller and get started. However, people have gotta start understanding that there's a specific timing to the moves and that mashing the buttons in order isn't going to let the combo fly. You actually have to time it to what's happening on the screen.
Combos aren't overly complex and a few good 3 and 4 hit ones will suffice for some good victories against computer controlled and human contolled opponents alike.
Each character is well thought out and each one will appeal to a certain person depending upon playing style.
Story is lacking but who cares? It's Street Fighter! We all ready know what's going to happen! Number 4 is an interquel between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. So we know what happened after Street Fighter II and we also know what happens in Street Fighter III so there's no reason to fret the story. That's a good thing. King of Fighter's storyline is actually 5 interbranching main stories with 2 alternate worlds and each game has roughly 10 different side stories going on as well. If you don't believe me, check wikipedia on it. Only a real game freak would know anything about that... shit like...
Orochi Saga comes to a head which leads to Ash Crimson Saga but between these was the NESTS Saga and the Korea Saga had a one shot and an additional other world 3d saga started with different characters and... *FANBOY SHIT CONTINUES*.
But anyways... play it? At least give it a try if you have the system. If you're new, try the challenge mode with Ryu until you get to about challenge 3 or 4. Then play practice mode with a few characters who appeal to you. Then put them game on EASIEST and fight it out with the computer.
For the vet, you know what to do. Plug in, push start, pick a character, and start Rumbling.
Is it a buy? For me it is. For the non-fighting game fan? A rent at best. I seriously doubt this will be a mind changer for some people but it is worth a try to see if it changes your mind about the often complex fighting game genre.
Work sucks a big fat donkey dick. But I'm trying to find better work. I don't think my associate will last much longer. He's all ready being flown out to Kentucky to do a job interview with Nestle. I say he needs it. Nobody deserves this shit.
Plus I didn't know what his deal was until yesterday. Now I can't help but feel sorry for the guy. His girlfriend of 12 years can't work anymore. Back injury. Her medical bills are piling up and she needs someone who can take care of her. Her brother lives in Australia so she's going to move there. She told my associate that he can barely support himself so she's gotta go somewhere she can get the financial support she needs. So he's been so desperate to find better work that this job offer must seem like a godsend to him. I don't blame him.
I told him to go and not look back. Get his shit straight. He's old, I'm young. I can take the shit storms for a while longer. I just got a few more months anyways until I get my two years experience. Man, I could have been spending all this time in PA school. Oh well. I practically do diagnoses on a weekly basis for people.
Fuck this job.