Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 to 20 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Masterpiece"

Just a perfect street fighter game.
That's it.
End of review.

No. I'm kidding. Don't run off first. :D

Over the years of street fighting on the ps1, ps2, gameboy colour, gameboy advanced, I've grown to love street fighter. Until I put down my gameboy advanced and started on computers then I gradually forgot all about this wonderful game. Until SF4 came out last year. There had been a lot of talk about this game... So eventually I decided to just go out and grab a copy.

Firstly, graphics. BIG BIG BIG improvement over all the other street fighters. Now it has a more 3D feel to it. Not flat and pixelated (gameboy colour lawl). But even if the previous PC versions do not have flat and pixelated graphics, this is truly a huge improvement over all of the rest of the street fighter series. When executing ultra/super moves, you'll be shown with a 3D (albeit really short) cutscene showing Ryu or whoever you're using (or the AI is using) charging up their attack. Then boom! All hell lets loose on whoever's unlucky enough to be fighting you. And you get a KO with a nice "Ultra Combo Finish" on your screen.

Secondly, gameplay. I really have to say that this game is quite impossible without a gamepad or a controller. I'm personally using the keyboard myself and find it really really hard to execute some moves. Some which require you to press the buttons in one circle -- left, up, right, down, left; then press your attack buttons (example), A+S+D all at once for an EX attack. I recommend you to get a gamepad if you want to get this game. For me... Sticking with a keyboard is alright till I save up enough to get a logitech gamepad to play this game properly.

Thirdly, AI might be too hard. Sentence doesn't make a lot of sense. Whatever. But the AI is really too hard. Even on it's "Normal" difficulty setting, the AI is already bashing you up like you're some ragdoll by comboing their way to victory, usually ending with a ultra or super move to kill you. I've tried the hardest mode. They're literally dodging your every single attack, moving in fast, then cracking your head on the ground (grass, wood, concrete, tarmac). But this doesn't hinder the game from being fun. At least you could still bash people up on the easiest or the easy mode. No complains down there.

Final Notes:
Get a gamepad.
Get this game.
Start bashing people up.

Don't forget to check the commands list (in any offline game, press esc to bring up the pause menu. from there, select command list. the character which you are using will be automatically highlighted in the list. press enter to access it.)

That's really the end of my review.

^^