Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting - The full review.
Capcom have really worked their magic on this title, and every pixel of it has clearly been arduously catered to, and every frame successfully captures the original spirit and polished feel it was famous for. This game was a classic back in the day, and the talented folks who were responsible for the resurrection have ensured that its accolades were not in vain - Street Fighter II is every bit as good as it was back then.
The moment you fire this baby up you'll instantly be catapulted back to the early nineties. To say this game summons up pure nostalgia would be something of an understatement - in many ways, this is the quintessential nostalgic experience you're ever likely to run into.
All of the game's original cinematics are beautifully preserved, and have frankly never looked better. Just like very other Xbox Live Arcade title out there, this has been enhanced with sharper, more high-fidelity imagery (owing to the HD spit-and-polish applied) and you can expect the best looking - and playing, but we'll get to that in a minute - version of Street Fighter II you've ever seen.
The game, by default, plays as a 4:3 square in the middle of the screen, but this can easily be stretched out to fill every inch of your widescreen TV should you wish for it. Simply head into the Help & Options menu and use the Video Settings option to do this. Personally, I prefer to play the game in widescreen. I know many prefer the original aspect ratio, but I am a sucker for all things modern. The fact that Capcom allows you to select your preference is a nice touch, and one I am sure many will welcome.
Street Fighter II was often labeled as one of the definitive fighters ever made, and with good reason. Gameplay was rock solid, the characters and locations were literally bursting with imagination and flair the likes of which no other fighter before it ever managed, and its impact within the gaming community acted like a large stone being dropped into a calm lake. That ripple still exists today in fact, well over a decade later. And even though there have been a great many challengers to its throne, Street Fighter II still stands as one of the greatest fighting games to grace any platform.
This Xbox Live Arcade version captures all the greatness of the original, but adds so much more. The Achievements are superb, and the Leaderboards add that extra slice of competitiveness to the mix, but what really stands out amongst the crowd is the Xbox Live play itself. I can honestly say, without fear of contradiction, that this game is easily the best Xbox Live game on the Arcade as of writing. Hell, it is probably one of the top ten games on the Xbox 360, Arcade or retail.
The online matches are simply flawless, incredibly smooth and immensely addictive. What's more, the new Quarter Match system will have you hooked for months with its rapid-fire gameplay and ceaseless amount of fun. But all the fun and games don't stop there. Playing offline against the computer in Arcade mode is just as great as you remembered it being.
Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting is, in short, one of the best games to hit Xbox Live Arcade thus far. Its pitch-perfect blend of online and offline game modes has to be experienced first-hand to be believed, and at a cost of 800 Microsoft Points, this game seems like an absolute give-away. Kiss your social life goodbye. Enjoy.
Overall Score:
8.3/10