Street Fighter IV
| Street Fighter IV | |
|---|---|
| Street Fighter IV poster Poster for the arcade version of Street Fighter IV, depicting series' lead character Ryu on the background, and the four new characters within the roman numeral "IV". | |
| Developer(s) | Dimps/Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Yoshinori Ono (producer) Daigo Ikeno (character designer) |
| Platform(s) | Arcade[4], PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows |
| Release | Arcade PlayStation 3, Xbox 360[2] Microsoft Windows |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer |
| Arcade system | Taito Type X2[5] |
Street Fighter IV is a Template:Vgy fighting game produced by Capcom. It is the first numbered Street Fighter game released by Capcom for the arcades since Template:Vgy. The coin-operated arcade game was released in Japan on July 18, 2008 with North American arcades importing the machines by August.[7] The console versions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were released on February 12, 2009 in Japan, and are currently scheduled for a February 17 release in North America, and February 20 in Europe.[2] A Windows version will follow during the second quarter of 2009.[3]
Gameplay
While Street Fighter IV features models and backgrounds rendered in 3D, the gameplay remains on a traditional 2D plane. Producer Yoshinori Ono has stated that he wanted to keep the game closer to Street Fighter II. A new system called "Focus Attacks" ("Saving Attack" for the Japanese version) has been introduced, as well as Ultra moves. The traditional six-button control scheme returns, with new features and special moves integrated into the input system, mixing classic gameplay with additional innovations.[8]
The game has a very similar feel to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, but also has several features from Street Fighter III 3rd Strike.[9] Pressing both light attack buttons is still for throwing, and both heavy attack buttons are for the personal action or taunts. Both medium attack buttons are for the focus strike. Dashes and quick standing are also in the game. C.Viper is the only character who can perform a high jump.[9]
It was intended that bonus rounds such as the car-smashing stage from earlier Street Fighter games would return. Ono later stated that the bonus stages would not be in the arcade game, citing the reason to be that the time players spend on bonus stages takes money from arcade operators.[10][11]
Visuals
The characters and environments in the game are rendered as 3D models with polygons, similar to the Street Fighter EX sub-series Capcom produced with Arika, but use a stylized effect to give them a hand-drawn look,[8] with visual effects accented with calligraphic strokes, ink smudges and ink sprays during the fights. The art director and character designer is Daigo Ikeno, who previously worked on Street Fighter III 3rd Strike.[12]
Focus Attacks
Focus Attacks, known as "Saving System" in the Japanese version,[13] is a new system that is being introduced in Street Fighter IV. The focus attack is a move that allows the player to absorb an attack and launch a counter attack, and it is performed by pressing the medium punch and kick buttons simultaneously. There are two phases to the attack. In the first phase, the player will shift into a new stance, at which point he is able to absorb one attack from the opponent. The second phase is the counter attack. The longer the player holds down the medium punch and kick buttons the more powerful the attack will be. If the buttons are held for long enough the attack will cause the opponent to crumple slowly to the ground, allowing the player to follow up with a free hit. If the buttons are held for longer still the focus attack will become unblockable. Attacks that were absorbed during the first phase of the focus attack still cause damage to the player; however, life lost from the opponent's attack will be gained back afterward. In addition, during the first phase of the focus attack the player may perform a dash either forward or backward to cancel the focus attack. Finally, at the cost of half the super combo gauge, many special moves can be canceled into a focus attack. By executing a focus attack during the special move, the animation of the move will be cut short and go instantly into the focus attack animation. This allows players with precise timing to cancel special moves into focus attacks, and in turn cancel focus attacks into the forward dash, resulting in new combo possibilities. If a special move is blocked by the opponent, the new system allows players to cancel the blocked move with a focus attack, and then cancel the focus attack by dashing backward safely away from the opponent.
Ono has stated that this system was incorporated in order to shift the emphasis away from combos and toward a more realistic system he has compared to boxing, in which "the skill is in reading your opponent's move before he or she starts moving ... We haven't forgotten about combos and linked moves, but focus makes it so that you have to read your opponent."[14] The system aims to make ground attacks as viable a way of approaching opponents as jumping was in previous games.[14] The focus system is a core part of Street Fighter IV's gameplay.[15]
Ultra Combos
In addition to powered up versions of special moves introduced in previous Street Fighter games such as Super Combos and EX Special Moves, the game also introduces a new type of powered-up special move officially dubbed the Ultra Combo. Ultra Combos are long and cinematic moves featuring a lengthy combination of punches, kicks and other moves. Just as there is a Super Combo gauge, there is also an Ultra Combo gauge (officially known as the "Revenge Gauge"), but whereas the Super gauge fills as the player hits an opponent, the Revenge Gauge fills when one takes damage from the opponent. Along with the Super Combos, Ultra Combos are one of the only times the camera breaks from its normal fixed position to show a more dynamic, cinematic view of the gameplay.[15]
Characters
Arcade roster
Chronologically set between the Street Fighter II series and the Street Fighter III series, the playable character roster of the arcade version includes the cast of the original Street Fighter II (all twelve characters, including the four Shadaloo Grand Masters), and four new characters. Akuma from Super Street Fighter II Turbo also appears as a hidden playable character, as well as a secret opponent. Additionally, the game includes two CPU-only characters: Seth as the game's standard final boss, and Gouken as a secret opponent, for a total of 19 characters.
Returning characters in the arcade version
New characters
| Character | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Abel | Kenji Takahashi | Jason Liebrecht |
| Crimson Viper | Mie Sonozaki | Michelle Ruff |
| Rufus | Wataru Hatano | Chris Kent |
| El Fuerte | Daisuke Ono | J. B. Blanc |
- Abel, a French mixed martial artist. He is described as an amnesiac, a "man with no past" looking to defeat surviving members of Shadaloo.[16]
- Crimson Viper, a female American spy wearing sunglasses, leather gloves and a form-fitting suit.[16]
- Rufus, a Kung Fu fighter with a rather rotund appearance who seeks to fight Ken to prove himself as the best fighter in the United States.
- El Fuerte (Spanish for "The Strong One"), a Mexican luchador and aspiring gourmet chef.[17]
Bosses and hidden characters
| Character | Japanese voice actor | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Seth | Akio Ohtsuka | Michael McConnohie |
| Akuma (Gouki in Japan) | Taketora | Dave Mallow |
| Gouken | Tōru Ōkawa | Rod Clarke |
- Seth, also known as "The Puppet Master", is the new boss character. He is the Chief Executive Officer of S.I.N., the weapons division of Shadaloo. His body has been modified using advanced technology. His Special Moves are techniques used by other characters.[18]
- Akuma, a recurring hidden character appears in the arcade version as a secret final boss in the single-player mode[19][20], as well as a secret time-release playable character available.[21]
- Gouken, Ryu and Ken's sensei and the elder brother of Akuma, appears in the arcade version as a secret computer-controlled challenger in the end of the single-player mode, making his debut as a fighter in the Street Fighter series.[22]
Home version additions
The upcoming home versions of Street Fighter IV are scheduled to feature additional characters in addition to the original roster from the arcade version. The home version will feature Cammy[23][24] and Fei-Long from Super Street Fighter II, Dan[25] and Rose[26] from Street Fighter Alpha, Sakura[27] from Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Gen[28] from the original Street Fighter.
In addition, Akuma and the two computer-only boss characters from the arcade version, Seth and Gouken, will also be playable in the home versions. Along with the exclusive characters, they will be unlocked by finishing the game once.[29]
Development
Before producer Yoshinori Ono pitched the idea to Capcom R&D head Keiji Inafune, the prevailing attitude around Capcom was that a new numeric entry to the Street Fighter series would not be made. Initially, there was much resistance to Ono's pitch for a new Street Fighter game so many years after the original. However, in light of fan demand plus the positive reaction to Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live Arcade, Inafune eventually allowed the project to begin.[15] This was Ono's first take on a new entry for the Street Fighter series as a producer, although he had previously worked on Street Fighter III 3rd Strike as a "sound management director" and previously produced Capcom Fighting Jam. The experience provided by Super Street Fighter II Turbo became the main influence for the Street Fighter IV development team.[30]
The game runs on the Taito Type X2 arcade board inside a Taito Vewlix cabinet[5] and takes advantage of the Type X2's network capabilities and allows players in separate machines within the same LAN to fight each other.
Home versions
Street Fighter IV is currently scheduled to be released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows. The home releases will feature additional playable characters and online play functionality. Also featured is a choice between Japanese and English voice acting as well as animated opening and ending sequences for each character. Furthermore, the home version of the game will have a new opening cinematic scene, featuring the song "THE NEXT DOOR -Indestructible-" by Exile. The game will feature bonus stages and exclusive downloadable content,[31] as well as a "Challenge Mode" that acts as a training module for players, requiring them to reproduce indicated moves or combos with successive levels of increasing complexity. [32]
Capcom has revealed that there will be three different packages for the game. The European release, the North American standard package and the North American Collector's Edition. The contents of the Collector's Edition are near identical to those featured in the European version, and are the following:[33]
- A comic book style mini strategy guide by Prima (the same people making the full strategy guide), featuring artwork by UDON.
- A disc including the animated short film titled Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind (新たなる絆, Aratanaru Kizuna), produced by Studio 4°C[34] as a prologue for the game, and a selection of the game's trailers (a Blu-ray disc for the PS3 version and game disc with the movie in 720p for the Xbox 360).
- A soundtrack CD.
- Crimson Viper and Ryu figurines (in the US release, PS3 owners will get a Ryu figurine, while Xbox 360 owners get a Crimson Viper figure)
- Five downloadable character costumes, which is known as the Brawler Pack that includes alternate costumes for: Zangeif, E.Honda, Rufus, El Fuerte, and Abel.
Video game peripheral manufacturer Mad Catz is producing six controllers for the game, two joysticks and a game pad each for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Both consoles will each receive a basic model joystick , the "Street Fighter IV FightStick"; a heavier and sturdier stick, the "Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition'; and a six-button game pad, the "Street Fighter IV FightPad".[35] Meanwhile peripheral manufacturer Hori will also produce two joysticks for the game for the Japanese/Asian markets based on previous joystick models produced by the company.[36]
Downloadable Content
The console version of Street Fighter IV are scheduled to receive extensive downloadable content following its release.[37] The first expansion pack, titled "Championship Mode", will be free of charge and provide players with a replay mode, a new points system and an enhanced tournament matching system. Numerous costume packs will also be available in the weeks following the game's launch. These costume packs will be the ones already seen in the Arcade version.[38]
Related media
In addition to The Ties That Binds animated film included with the game, UDON will be publishing a 4-part comic book based on Street Fighter IV, with the first issue currently scheduled for February 18. The comic will focus on the new characters (Abel, Viper, Fuerte, and Rufus) and their interactions with many of the series' mainstays
Reception
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| IGN | 9.3/10 [39] |
| Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine | 5/5 |
The arcade version of Street Fighter IV was voted Best Game of 2008 in Japan by the editorial staff of Arcadia magazine in the February 2009 issue of the publication. The game also won in the categories of "Best Graphics", "Best Production", and the "Reader's Choice Award". The character Ryu took the No. 1 spot in the magazine's "Top 20 Characters of 2008" in the same issue. The February 2009 issue of PlayStation: The Official Magazine has rated the game 5/5, while the February 2009 issue of the Official Xbox Magazine has given Street Fighter IV a score of 95/100. IGN gave the game a 9.3/10, calling it an "irrevocably deep fighting game".
References
- ^ Niizumi, Hirohiko (February 18, 2008). "Street Fighter IV debuts in Japanese arcades 'late July'". GameSpot. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b "Street Fighter IV: coming home Feb. 17 (N. America) and Feb. 20 (Europe)". The Capcom blog. November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-14.
- ^ a b "SFIV PC release date at GameSpot". GameSpot.
- ^ Street Fighter 4 Confirmed For Arcades
- ^ a b 【プレイリポートその1】『ストリートファイターIV』あいつらが帰ってきた!!
- ^ a b "TAITO Type X2 特徴・仕様:". Retrieved 2008-02-21.
- ^ "Street Fighter IV Hits New York City Arcade, Other Cities, Too (Kotaku)".
- ^ a b Street Fighter IV Unveiled news from 1UP.com
- ^ a b Kleckner, Stephen (2008-02-21). "Street Fighter IV Arcade Preview, Street Fighter IV Preview:". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Street Fighter IV - Captivate 08 Interview. Gametrailers. Retrieved on 2008-06-05
- ^ Michael McWhertor. Captivate 08: New Details on Street Fighter IV's Home Versions. Kotaku. Retrieved on 2008-06-05
- ^ Capcom art director Daigo Ikeno discusses Street Fighter IV's new visual style.
- ^ GDC08: hands-on with Street Fighter IV
- ^ a b Anon. (December 20, 2007). "2D or not 2D". Edge (issue 184 (Jan 2008)). Bath: Future Publishing: p. 47−53.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|issue=has extra text (help);|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ a b c Bettenhausen, Shane. "The Big Comeback". EGM. Ziff Davis. pp. 62–72.
{{cite news}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b "One More SFIV Update" (htmll). Retrieved 2008-02-15.
- ^ Killian, Seth (March 12, 2008). "Now... Fight a New Rival!". Capcom US. Retrieved 2008-03-12.
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Capcom: New Street Fighter IV Boss Character! Concept Art For New Old Characters".
- ^ http://kotaku.com/5037397/akuma-is-here-to-whop-your-street-fighter-iv--butt
- ^ http://www.capcom-fc.com/sf4/2008/08/post_53.html
- ^ SFIV Blog (2008-08-22). 「いよいよ、豪鬼が？！」 プロジェクトマネージャー：塩沢夏希. Capcom. Retrieved on 2008-08-22
- ^ "Weekly Famitsu" (No. 1033). October 3, 2008.
{{cite journal}}:|issue=has extra text (help); Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "1UP Producer Interview August 2008".
- ^ "SDCC 08: Street Fighter IV Panel Report" (html). Retrieved 2008-07-25.
- ^ Capcom (2008-07-18). 「稼働だーっ！！」 プロジェクトマネージャー：塩沢夏希l. Capcom. Retrieved on 2008-07-18
- ^ Rose announced in SFIV at The Capcom Unity
- ^ "Weekly Famitsu" (No. 1036). October 24, 2008.
{{cite journal}}:|issue=has extra text (help); Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Kotaku.com - sfivnc".
- ^ STREET FIGHTER IV （ストリートファイターIV）:PlayStation3版/Xbox360版 追加要素
- ^ "GameTrailers interview with Yoshinori Ono".
- ^ Street Fighter IV console exclusive content detailed
- ^ Street Fighter IV Challenge Mode Demo
- ^ Street Fighter IV collector's edition contents detailed at CollectorsEdition.org
- ^ "Street Fighter IV Game to Ship with Anime DVD in Japan - Anime News Network".
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=street+fighter+IV+madcatz&x=0&y=0 Amazon.com search Street Fighter IV MadCatz
- ^ http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/information.html#5
- ^ Street Fighter IV DLC announced, detailed & dated
- ^ Kotaku.com - Hey Japan, Street Fighter IV Xbox 360 DLC is more expensive
- ^ "IGN: Street Fighter IV Review". Retrieved 2009-02-12.
Bibliography
- Editorial staff of Arcadia Magazine. STREET FIGHTER IV MASTER GUIDE 拳の書. enterbrain mook ARCADIA EXTRA Vol.69 (in Japanese). Enterbrain, Inc. ISBN 978-4-7577-4513-1.
External links
- Official English Website
- Official Japanese Website
- Official Japanese Blog by Project Manager Natsuki Shiozawa
- Street Fighter IV on Street Fighter Wiki, an external wiki
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