Street Fighter IV has all the heart of Street Fighter II, yet stands on it's own as a true next-gen fighter.
Street Fighter IV mixes the old with the new gameplay mechanic. The tradiotonal six-button control scheme from the classic Street Fighter titles returns, but a new system called: "Focus Attacks", which is when you hold down down both your medium punch and kick, has been introduced, as well as the all-powerful Ultra Moves. When you fill up your Super Combo Meter in the game, you can pull of your EX move which is a much more powerful version of your usual attacks, and will dramatically weaken your oppenent. Street Fighter IV approaches classic concepts with new ideas, and somehow interwines them so flawlessly in the gameplay, it feels just like the perfect wedding of opposites attract. Street Fighter IV never insults the intelligence and skill level of the player, as Street Fighter IV's boundless difficulty levels and a constructive learning curve, to when you make a victory, you really do feel like you deservered the victory. Street Fighter IV does suffer though sometimes in the gameplay merely feeling like a modernized Street Fighter II. Street Fighter IV though balances the old a new to a genius degree, feeling an old school classic bursting with a fresh flavour.
Street Fighter IV graphically could be considered digital art. The 2D side scrolling plane heavenly matched with a lucious 3D background create a surprsingly both realistic and cartoony look. Street Fighter IV creates that route of escapism that most games are in a dire need of.
Street Fighter IV does loose some quality in some small features such as the audio. The audio ranges from some incredibly standout tunes, to some blend generic Japanese vocal tracks and mundane menu themes. But, Street Fighter IV has some magical remixes of classic Street Fighter tunes, so the rarely forgettable music is easily forgiven. The anime sequences in the story mode of Street Fighter IV, are not exactly relevant, but considering anime is art, it is seemingly wasted here, but the story mode is not important in Street Fighter IV, so its a minor quibble.
Overall, Street Fighter IV is Street Fighter II at heart, but executed with such grace and passion from Capcom, its more than enough reason to say Street Fighter IV is the greatest fighter of this gen yet.