Street Fighter IV Xbox 360

Released on 20/02/2009

• Street Fighter IV Preview

  How do, Ken?

  For a long time it was but an old-skool gamer's pipe dream. Then, almost out of the blue, it was announced – Street Fighter IV was on the way!

  Initial excitement soon turned to trepidation as the stunning teaser trailer gave way to real footage. 3D footage. Street Fighter's last 3D outing, the EX series, failed to capture the charm and flow of the pixel perfect 2D originals – so naturally, fans were worried.

  Top of the tree

  They needn't fear; with Street Fighter IV Capcom has made a conscious decision to rewind the series back to its populist heyday. With a cast that fans will remember, and a move back to the more simplistic combat of SFII, Street Fighter IV is looking to retake its place at the top of the Beat ‘Em Up tree.

  A cast that fans will remember, and a move back to the more simplistic combat of SFII.

  Sitting down with Street Fighter IV, it's amazing how quickly moves flood back to you – even if you've not played a Street Fighter game for years. Ryu and Ken are a joy to control; fireballs and dragonpunches exploding from their fists as you get back into the old flow. Chun Li and her incredibly large thighs unleash mighty volleys of kicks and flips; Guile hurls Sonic Booms; Blanka envelops himself in electricity – it's like they've never been away!

  The standard three punch / three kick system remains, with light, medium and heavy versions of each. Combining light punch and kick performs a throw, while both hard buttons execute a taunt; perfect for winding up your opponent. Medium kick and punch unleashes one of the games new features, the Focus Attack, seeing you charge up power and unleash it for a knockdown. During the charge you can absorb one hit from your opponent, although a second will halt your assault. Tricky to instigate, Street Fighter IV experts will learn to time it right, catching opponents unawares.

  While many of the more hardcore battle systems from Street Fighter 3 have been dropped, one has found its way to Street Fighter IV. The EX attack is basically a fast version of a character's special move, executed by pressing two punch or two kick buttons when an EX bar is filled.

  Souped-up

  There are four EX bars in Street fighter IV, and when all are filled you then have access to your Super. Basically a souped-up version of a special move, they can be chained in with other attacks for a devastating combo – perfect for turning the tide of a battle!

  All-new for Street Fighter IV meanwhile is the Ultra Attack. Take enough damage and you can unleash this massively powerful move, which, if left unblocked, can take over half your opponents energy in one go! There is a long animation sequence, however, so you usually have time to block them well in advance. The skill comes in firing them in when the other guy has his guard down.

  Smooth, fast and surprisingly tactical as you await a make a mistake, the perfect chance to strike, or wade in to put your enemy on the backfoot.

  Other than these refinements, Street Fighter IV is classic Street Fighter. It's smooth, fast and surprisingly tactical as you await a make a mistake, the perfect chance to strike, or wade in to put your enemy on the backfoot.

  Thankfully, the Street Fighter IV arcade machine's four new characters have all made it to the home conversion, alongside a host of Street Fighter Alpha faves. Of the arcade characters, Abel is easiest to get to grips with, employing rolls, bone crunching multi-part punches and grapples which make for massive damage. Chun Li rival Crimson Viper has potential, but strangely plays like she looks – a refugee from SNK's King of Fighters series. El Fuerte, the Mexican wrestler, is perhaps the oddest of the new inclusions. He's fast, nimble and athletic, with moves that chain from dash attacks – certainly one to watch out for in online matches! The other characters included in Street fighter IV have to be unlocked, but include Sakura, Dan, Fei Long, Rose, Cammy and Akuma. Plenty of choice to suit everyone's play style.

  Hurricane kicking

  Graphically Street Fighter IV is a joy to behold, with big bold and brightly coloured characters, beautiful animation and feature packed stages. The facial animations are brilliant, with characters responding to punches and kicks with goggled eyes and slack jaws, and the Japanese ink brush effect on Focus Attacks is very nice indeed. Sonically it's an equal triumph, with modernised remixes of classic music, crunching sound effects and ludicrous vocalisations. We never get tired of hearing "Hadouken!"

  It's not long until Street Fighter IV will be hurricane kicking its way onto home systems, and unless something goes drastically wrong in the next few weeks, we think it's going to be one of the games of the year.

  Preview by: Ian 'Tatsumakisenpukyaku' MacDougall
  Preview Published: 16.01.09

  Published: 16/01/2009

• Street Fighter IV Review

  Sonic Boom Buy!

  It's been a LONG time coming, but it's finally here – is Capcom's Street Fighter IV a New World Warrior, or just punch drunk?

  Thankfully, Street Fighter IV is an incredible return to form. Producer Yoshinori Ono's desire to create a new Street Fighter game that was simultaneously inviting for new and deep enough for the hardcore fans has resulted in a sublime beat'em-up without equal.

  Tried and bested

  Sticking with tried and tested 2D gameplay, Street Fighter IV instead chooses to modernise itself behind the scenes with some new tricks and tactics and, more obviously, in its 3D graphical spit and polish. SFIV looks incredible in motion, with chunky cartoon style fighters oozing charm and style thanks to beautiful character design, stupendous animation and bags of neat touches. Eyes and tongues pop out after a heavy blow to the gut, while chins crumple under immense uppercuts. Looks of panic spread across faces as an Ultra Combo move heads their way. Nothing beats comedy character Dan's tears though, streaming down his face after each and every blow received!

  The great animation and silly touches would be for nothing if Street Fighter IV's gameplay didn't stand up. However, it's here that Capcom have truly excelled.

  All the great animation and silly touches would be for nothing if Street Fighter IV's gameplay didn't stand up. However, it's here that Capcom have truly excelled. Fans who lost interest in the series as it became progressively more intricate will love the new simpler system, as will newcomers. With it's back to basics approach, Street Fighter IV plays much like Street Fighter II, while offering longer windows of time for special moves, and easier to pull together combos. Hardcore fans needn't be disappointed though – EX moves, cancels, Ultra Combos, Super Combos, and the new Focus Attack system all combine to create countless new strategies and styles.

  Street Fighter IV's gameplay is just as addictive as it always was – if you lose, you WILL be hitting the continue button straight away. The CPU is fairly well balanced on most levels, although Easiest setting sees the AI pretty much stand dumbly in the way of your fists and feet. Boss character Seth however seems to obey Capcom's standard boss rules – cheap, cheap, cheap! Fortunately VS play is always available, and memories of classic SNES and arcade matches will come flooding back as you and your friends go head to head to find the champion.

  Together again

  With the desire to capture lapsed Street Fighter fans a high priority, it's perhaps unsurprising that Street Fighter IV chooses to stick with the classic Street Fighter II characters for the main roster, with Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, et al returning to fight again. It's not long before you're rolling out Shoryukens and charging up Spinning Bird Kicks like it's the 90's! New Focus and Ultra attacks add depth and variety, and with the fantastic new animation and graphics it's no bad thing to have the old gang back together!

  As well as the classic pugilists, Street Fighter IV initially offers up four new fighters. Mexican Wrestler El Fuerte, CIA Agent Crimson Viper, amnesiac French grappler Abel, and burger scoffing Rufus make up the new additions. El Fuerte is perhaps the hardest to use, with his fast but weak chaining dash attacks, while Abel has a nice bag of powerful attacks and useful evasions. Rufus meanwhile, looks frankly ridiculous, with his massive stomach bobbing around in his tight outfit. Thankfully, he's a pleasure to beat up! Lastly, there's a handful of extra unlockable fighters, ranging from Street Fighter Alpha's Sakura to the boss of the new game Seth. All in all, Street Fighter IV boasts a good selection, generous enough to keep everybody happy.

  Online is the BIG thing for Street Fighter IV's home release, and it's going to be VERY competitive for a long time. Expect a solid community to build up.

  Generous too, are the game modes. As well as the standard Arcade and VS modes you'd expect from a 2D fighter, Street Fighter IV also offers up Training and Gallery modes. More interesting is the Challenge mode, which gives players multiple challenges, from Time Trials to Survival. Each has varying conditions for success, and differing degrees of difficulty requiring mastery of Street Fighter Iv's moveset, with rewards including collectible tags, titles, medals and player colours.

  Perhaps most important of all is the online mode. Allowing you to take on friends or strangers in ranked or player matches, Street Fighter IV's online play brings the vibe of a Japanese arcade into your home – take on all comers, improve your skills, learns some new ones, and have fun! You might even win a few rounds! Online is the BIG thing for Street Fighter IV's home release, and it's going to be VERY competitive for a long time. Expect a solid community of Street Fighter IV players to build up, with some incredible matches to be had!

  Up to the task-umakisenpukyaku

  With Beat 'Em-Ups having almost died outside of Japan, Street Fighter IV has the onerous task of revitalising interest in the genre. Luckily, it's more than up to the task, with bright arcade style graphics, addictive gameplay, intuitive moves, and an almost perfect balance of immediacy and depth. Can we call this the best fighting game ever?

  SUREYOUCAN!

  GAME's Verdict

  

  • Colourful graphics and animation.
  • Never-ending awesome gameplay!
  • Easy to learn, hard to master – especially with the new online play!

  

  • One cheap boss character.
  • Awful menu music.
  • 360 owners will need an alternative controller – the standard D-pad is nigh-on useless.

  Review by: Ian 'E-Honda' Macdougall
  Version Tested: Xbox 360
  Review Published: 17.02.09

  Published: 17/02/2009

• Paddy Power allowing bets on Street Fighter

  Eurogamer is reporting that the bookmaker Paddy Power has started taking bets on an upcoming Street Fighter IV contest.

  The match is a best-of-three affair, apparently, and will take place this Thursday at Capcom's European HQ, pitting 1/3 favourite Ryan Hart against 2/1 Femi Adeboye. According to the bookmaker, it's the first time public betting has been allowed for videogame competitions.

  Capcom has said that the move is an important step towards "recognising the game as a legitimate spectator event, as fiercely contested as any sanctioned boxing match", while Paddy Power has suggested it will be looking to other videogame contests in the future if this proves successful.

  Hart has won 450 of the 700 fighting game tournaments he's been involved in since 1994, and holds the Capcom UK and Capcom Europe 2009 titles. Adeboye isn't quite as famous, but should be a decent opponent.

  If you want to get your own practice in, Super Street Fighter IV is out this week for the PS3 and the Xbox 360, with new characters like T. Hawk. It just scored a perfect 10 from Eurogamer, too.

• Street Fighter IV creator to reveal new game next week

  According to Eurogamer, Yoshinori Ono, the creator of Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV, will be unveiling his brand new game at the massive Comic-Con show, held in San Diego next week.

  "I am going to be at Comic-Con in San Diego on Saturday 24th of July!" said Ono, on Twitter last week. He added that, "I finally hope to reveal a bit about what I've been relentlessly working on lately."

  This is exciting stuff, particularly in the light of the fact that Ono had previously revealed that Capcom's management had just agreed to start production on his latest game. "Super SF4 on sale!!? he announced via Twitter several months ago. ?SuperSF4 is nothing compared to what's coming!!"

  Ono has already announced that the game in question will not be another Capcom vs. SNK title, leading fans to speculate that a new Darkstalkers reboot might be on the way. Whatever Ono's cooking, if you're a fan of fighting games, you should tune in next week, as we'll be sure to have the scoop on it.

• Popcorn and Joypads

  

  With Prince of Persia returning to consoles in the same month the Hollywood version hits the big screen, what better excuse to look back at how others have fared when games and films overlap?

  Prince of Persia

  The Game: Nimble, athletic acts of derring-do played out against a colourful Arabian Nights backdrop since 1989. The graphics have changed, but gameplay still focuses on the simple pleasures of swishy swordplay and stunts that laugh in the face of physics.

  The Movie: Based on the 2003 game, The Sands of Time, this shamelessly entertaining romp captures the daredevil thrills of the game perfectly, while inserting appropriate amounts of character and story. The yummy Jake Gyllenhaal and the yummier Gemma Arterton supply the eye candy and witty banter, while Ben Kingsley camps it up as the villainous Vizier.

  Verdict: Since the original game was inspired by Errol Flynn?s swashbuckling antics, Prince of Persia was always ripe for the movie treatment. Thankfully, they got it right.

  Street Fighter

  The Game: The fighting fan's franchise of choice for over twenty years, this venerable series continues to go from strength to strength with the superbly balanced refinement of Super Street Fighter IV, released last month. Crazy characters with sublime gameplay - it doesn?t get much better than this.

  The Movies: Oh dear. The 1994 movie version is terrible, but has at least taken on a certain cheesy charm over the years, if only for the bizarre pairing of Jean Claude Van Damme as Guile and Kylie Minogue as Cammy. The laughably bad 2009 movie slipped past cinemas and went straight to DVD, more dull than demented. For a truly faithful film experience, fans should stick to the Street Fighter II anime.

  Verdict: Bizarre characters smashing each other to a pulp should be perfect B-movie fodder, but the lack of plot combined with dense backstory keeps tripping Street Fighter up.

  Ghostbusters

  The Movie: A seminal combination of action, comedy and horror, the 1984 original is still one of the most enjoyable and quotable blockbusters around. The 1989 sequel repeats the formula to disappointing effect, but the cast manage to keep things lively even as the story droops into slimy sentimentality.

  The Game: There have been several Ghostbusters games over the years, but it wasn't until 2009 that we got something that truly recaptured the movie's unique tone. Having Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis on script duty helped, but getting the notoriously reluctant Bill Murray to return was a real coup. Strip away the fan-pleasing scenarios and dialogue and it's just another corridor shooter, but a shamelessly entertaining one all the same.

  Verdict: It took twenty five years, but the result was an affectionate game that expanded and honoured its source material rather than just exploiting it.

  Super Mario Bros

  The Games: Really? You need this explaining? The most successful videogame franchise in history. A catalogue of nigh perfect game design. A series that continues to inspire and innovate, whether its New Super Mario Bros on the DS or Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii. If you hate Mario, you have no soul. That?s science, people.

  The Movie: Urgh. Look away, children! Taking the bright, inviting worlds created by Miyamoto and drowning them in an oily mess of techno-grunge architecture and smug 1990s blockbusterisms, this is one of the worst films ever made. Bob Hoskins has the moustache and dungarees, but the film bears no resemblance to the games, either in quality or intent. Horrible.

  Verdict: Burn it with fire. The perfect videogame hero, Mario simply doesn't translate to live action. Never try this again, Hollywood.

  Resident Evil

  The Games: Bombastic sci-fi horror with a parade of tough cops and military types creeping around mansions and secret labs trying - and spectacularly failing - to contain the monster-making T-Virus. Since Resident Evil 4 the games have become more about action than atmosphere, much to the annoyance of some fans.

  The Movies: Well, they've got the sci fi and horror bits, and key characters from the games crop up occasionally, but this surprisingly hardy series exists more as an alternate off-shoot from the games than a literal translation. The lack of blood and guts is the number one complaint from fans used to brain-bursting headshots.

  Verdict: Both are as daft and camp as each other, but apart from sharing a title and some characters, there's not much connection between the two. Harmless dumb fun.

  Tomb Raider

  The Games: Posh girl Lara Croft travels the globe, locating ancient relics, battling supernatural forces and shooting endangered species while wearing the very latest in bottom-and-boob hugging outfits. Some would say her appeal has dimmed in recent years, as developers struggle to find new ways to do the same old thing, but she?s still a force to be reckoned with.

  The Movies: All the pieces are there, but the fact that both the Angelina Jolie-starring efforts have been average (and that's being generous) suggests that you need more than an ass-kicking babe and exotic locations to make a good movie.

  Verdict: The movies are accurate enough in translating all the important elements of Lara to the big screen, but her exploits are inevitably more interesting when you're controlling every leap and scramble.

• Street Fighter x Tekken headed for the 3DS?

  With Nintendo eye-popping handheld hitting stores in the UK today, who up for a little bit of speculation? How this, then? Street Fighter x Tekken could be headed for the 3DS.

  The man who started the rumour is Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono, who told Eurogamer yesterday that a 3DS version of the crossover title hould happen

  "As far as fighting games are concerned, we've come a long way," he said. "It used to be that you had to go to an arcade machine, pay money and play it. Then it came to home console and you could play it in front of your TV. Now you can play Super Street Fighter IV anywhere if you've got a 3DS. I think that's an amazing thing. The next step would be to have Street Fighter x Tekken, which is the celebration of all top fighting gamers' dreams in one, to be on 3DS, where you can play anywhere you want. That's an ultimate idea. Personally speaking, it should happen. We should probably start making more noise about this. But officially, nothing has been considered yet."

  Whether it makes it onto the handheld or not, Street Fighter x Tekken is definitely headed our way: it should be arriving on the PS3 and Xbox 360 next year.

• Street Fighter and Tekken take the battle to the streets of Britain

  Fans of fisty-kicky fighting games should already be quivering in anticipation for Street Fighter X Tekken, which pits the warriors from Capcom and Namco's rival franchises against each other for the first time.

  To whet those whistles further, Capcom has just announced that it'll be taking the whole bruising affair on the road so fans can sample the game before its official release in March 2012. The tour gets off to a lavish start on August 20th at the KO Gym in Bethnal Green, London.

  Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono will be there, signing things and pretending not to be freaked out by people dressed as Chun Li, and there will also be grub and music to add to the party atmosphere. Capcom has also hinted that while the event is to promote Street Figher X Tekken, there may be ther secret thingsgoing on. The event kicks off (literally) at 7.30pm and you should get there early, as there are free gifts for the first fifty people at the door.
  
  The game will then head off to Bristol, Edinburgh, Norwich, Brighton and Liverpool. Dates and venues for the rest of the tour have yet to be confirmed in the next few weeks.
  

  In the mean time, get in some practice on either the superlative Super Street Fighter IV or the equally impressive Tekken 6.

• Popcorn and Joysticks - GAME goes to the movies!

  
  

  With Prince of Persia returning to consoles in the very same month the Hollywood version hits the big screen, what better excuse to look back at how others have fared when games and films overlap?

  

  Prince of Persia

  The Game: Nimble, athletic acts of derring-do played out against a colourful Arabian Nights backdrop since 1989. The graphics have changed, but gameplay still focuses on the simple pleasures of swishy swordplay and stunts that laugh in the face of physics.

  The Movie: Based on the 2003 game, The Sands of Time, this shamelessly entertaining romp captures the daredevil thrills of the game perfectly, while inserting appropriate amounts of character and story. The yummy Jake Gyllenhaal and the yummier Gemma Arterton supply the eye candy and witty banter, while Ben Kingsley camps it up as the villainous Vizier.

  Verdict: Since the original game was inspired by Errol Flynn's swashbuckling antics, Prince of Persia was always ripe for the movie treatment. Thankfully, they got it right.

  

  Street Fighter

  The Game: The fighting fan's franchise of choice for over twenty years, this venerable series continues to go from strength to strength with the superbly balanced refinement of Super Street Fighter IV, released last month. Crazy characters with sublime gameplay - it doesn?t get much better than this.

  The Movies: Oh dear. The 1994 movie version is terrible, but has at least taken on a certain cheesy charm over the years, if only for the bizarre pairing of Jean Claude Van Damme as Guile and Kylie Minogue as Cammy. The laughably bad 2009 movie slipped past cinemas and went straight to DVD, more dull than demented. For a truly faithful film experience, fans should stick to the Street Fighter II anime.

  Verdict: Bizarre characters smashing each other to a pulp should be perfect B-movie fodder, but the lack of plot combined with dense backstory keeps tripping Street Fighter up.

  

  Ghostbusters

  The Movie: A seminal combination of action, comedy and horror, the 1984 original is still one of the most enjoyable and quotable blockbusters around. The 1989 sequel repeats the formula to disappointing effect, but the cast manage to keep things lively even as the story droops into slimy sentimentality.

  The Game: There have been several Ghostbusters games over the years, but it wasn't until 2009 that we got something that truly recaptured the movie's unique tone. Having Dan Ackroyd and Harold Ramis on script duty helped, but getting the notoriously reluctant Bill Murray to return was a real coup. Strip away the fan-pleasing scenarios and dialogue and it's just another corridor shooter, but a shamelessly entertaining one all the same.

  Verdict: It took twenty five years, but the result was an affectionate game that expanded and honoured its source material rather than just exploiting it.

  

  Super Mario Bros

  The Games: Really? You need this explaining? The most successful videogame franchise in history. A catalogue of nigh perfect game design. A series that continues to inspire and innovate, whether its New Super Mario Bros on the DS or Super Mario Galaxy 2 on the Wii. If you hate Mario, you have no soul. That?s science, people.

  The Movie: Urgh. Look away, children! Taking the bright, inviting worlds created by Miyamoto and drowning them in an oily mess of techno-grunge architecture and smug 1990s blockbusterisms, this is one of the worst films ever made. Bob Hoskins has the moustache and dungarees, but the film bears no resemblance to the games, either in quality or intent. Horrible.

  Verdict: Burn it with fire. The perfect videogame hero, Mario simply doesn't translate to live action. Never try this again, Hollywood.

  

  Resident Evil

  The Games: Bombastic sci-fi horror with a parade of tough cops and military types creeping around mansions and secret labs trying - and spectacularly failing - to contain the monster-making T-Virus. Since Resident Evil 4 the games have become more about action than atmosphere, much to the annoyance of some fans.

  The Movies: Well, they've got the sci fi and horror bits, and key characters from the games crop up occasionally, but this surprisingly hardy series exists more as an alternate off-shoot from the games than a literal translation. The lack of blood and guts is the number one complaint from fans used to brain-bursting headshots.

  Verdict: Both are as daft and camp as each other, but apart from sharing a title and some characters, there's not much connection between the two. Harmless dumb fun.

  

  Tomb Raider

  The Games: Posh girl Lara Croft travels the globe, locating ancient relics, battling supernatural forces and shooting endangered species while wearing the very latest in bottom-and-boob hugging outfits. Some would say her appeal has dimmed in recent years, as developers struggle to find new ways to do the same old thing, but she's still a force to be reckoned with.

  The Movies: All the pieces are there, but the fact that both the Angelina Jolie-starring efforts have been average (and that's being generous) suggests that you need more than an ass-kicking babe and exotic locations to make a good movie.

  Verdict: The movies are accurate enough in translating all the important elements of Lara to the big screen, but her exploits are inevitably more interesting when you're controlling every leap and scramble.

  Published: 18/05/2010

• The Beat 'Em Up Resurgence

  
  

  

  Round 1 - Storied Reputation

  Fighting games like Tekken and SoulCalibur have enjoyed an unprecedented resurgence over the last two years. But before Mitsurugi's katana skills and Paul Phoenix's extreme hairstyle came into style, old-school gamers were playing The Way of the Exploding Fist and Yie Ar Kung-Fu on their humble ZX Spectrums and Commodore 64s. These early fighters - which were inspired by martial-arts films - then paved the way for the most important fighting game of all time.

  Street Fighter II: The World Warrior kick-started the golden era of fighting games in the early nineties. It achieved this with a cast of eight international fighters and an epic (and allegedly accidental) combo system. Street Fighter then matured into a globally adored series and inspired everything from Mortal Kombat and Killer Instinct to Virtua Fighter and Dead or Alive. But when the genre fell into decline in the years following the turn of the millennium, it seemed like the honeymoon period was finally over.

  

  Round 2 - Re-enter the Dragon Punch

  This all changed when Capcom pulled the pin on a grenade labelled Street Fighter IV in 2008 - because not only did the ensuing explosion revive the genre in spectacular style, it made it the strongest it's ever been. SFIV kept all the iconic characters and special moves from Street Fighter II, and by reworking the classic 2D controls with the new Focus and Ultra systems, it offered accessibility and depth in equal measure. But while Street Fighter IV set the benchmark, its 2010 follow-up, Super Street Fighter IV, smoothed out the kinks and offered unrivalled diversity.

  SSFIV could have been a lazy update. Instead it offered ten new faces and a choice of two Ultra Combos. This allowed each fighter to be played in two distinct styles. But Super isn't the end of the story, as it was ported onto Nintendo 3DS as Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition, and on June 7th, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition will be released. The inclusion of Yun, Yang, Evil Ryu and Oni will bring the roster up to 39, making Arcade Edition the definitive Street Fighter.

  

  Round 3 - The New (and Old) Challengers

  Street Fighter IV was the game that led the charge, and in its wake, other fighting games followed. A particular highlight was BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger in 2009. This beautiful 2D fighter was the spiritual successor to the intense Guilty Gear series, and much like its eccentric forbearer, BlazBlue was brimming with innovation. It featured a rapid tempo and an ingenuous Drive system which made each fighter unique. Then, when BlazBlue: Continuum Shift tightened up the gameplay in 2010, BlazBlue established itself as the hardcore fighter of choice. An accomplished port of Calamity Trigger is also available for the PSP.

  But the award for “most accessible fighting game” goes to the long running Vs. Series. This Capcom-developed series began in 1996 with X-Men vs. Street Fighter. After a long hiatus, it returned to Europe last year with Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on the Wii. But while Tatsunoko is massively popular in Japan, it only has a niche following in the West. So when Marvel vs. Capcom 3 launched earlier this year with its familiar cast of celestial wolves, bionic commandos, thunder gods and less-than-jolly green giants, it stole the show in style. Its rabid tag-team combat and X-Factor system also allowed for many astonishing combos.

  

  Round 4 - Fatal Fantasy

  Another classic that made a comeback this year is Mortal Kombat. This brutal fighter was on a slippery slope after switching haphazardly to 3D, but with a series reboot having just been released on the 360 and PS3, Mortal Kombat is back in the realm of 2D gameplay where it belongs. We get the classic Raiden torpedo dive and Liu Kang bicycle kick, as well as a new super gauge that allows for gory X-Ray attacks. But Mortal Kombat's crowning achievement is the variety of content it offers, because even after finishing the seven-hour Story Mode, a Tower of 300 challenges awaits.

  If a fully fledged narrative isn't surreal enough, how about a PSP fighting game based on Final Fantasy? Dissidia Final Fantasy is a 3D fighter that brought together the heroes and villains from Final Fantasy I through to Final Fantasy X. This allowed RPG fans to fight battles between Sephiroth and Squall using a unique combat system that centred on HP and Bravery attacks. The recent sequel, Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy, included more characters - including Tifa and Yuna from Final Fantasy VII and X - as well as a significantly expanded single-player mode.

  

  Round 5 - Fight for the Future

  When you add all these excellent games to the likes of Tekken 6, The King of Fighters XII, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, it's clear that fighting game fans are being spoilt for choice. But what's next for the genre?

  In the coming months we'll see the release of Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus on the Wii and PSP (May 6th), the manga-inspired Arcana Heart 3 on the PS3 and 360 (June 24th) and Dead or Alive Dimensions joining Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on the new Nintendo 3DS (May 20th).

  After that, we have the Capcom-developed Street Fighter X Tekken to look forward to next year, as well as the long awaited Tekken Tag Tournament 2 and the Namco Bandai-developed Tekken X Street Fighter. All in all, there's never been a better time to own an arcade stick!

  Published: 01/04/2012

As a valued customer we now offer you the facility to sign up to email price alerts. Please enter the price you want to be, or below, and if drops to that level we will let you know...