Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition Review

Capcom’s Street Fighter title is one of the oldest and most respected brands in the fighting game genre. I mean, who can forget classic characters like Guile, Blanka, and Chun-Li? Indeed, many fighting game fans who went on to play Mortalk Kombat and similar titles first cut their teeth on Street Fighter. That’s why it’s such a treat to see Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition make it to the 3D portable game platform with its debut on the 3DS. It is by no means a perfect game but for all its flaws and hiccups, it still delivers quite a punch and is sure to satisfy any fighting game cravings you may have.

The Good News about Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition:

For the most part, Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition brings all the basic controls used in consoles to the 3DS. While there are some major changes, the simplified steps don’t take away from the functionality of the game. Strategically, the online game mode might make you want to unlearn previous Street Fighter tactics you may have employed just so you can play the game online on the 3DS. This might be challenging when switching back to console versions of this series. Also, finding opponents is very easy and a lot of fun. You have a wide range of playable characters which adds a lot of diversity to your playing experience. The special moves are easy to learn and the wide variety and many opportunities offered by online match ups gives you all the tools you need to boost your skill levels. The learning curve is quite manageable. Graphically, the backgrounds look great and deliver rich 3D settings. If you get tired of it, you can turn that 3D effect off. This game definitely packs quite a punch in the portable gaming sphere.

Credit: Capcom

The Not So Good News:

While you have a lot of opportunity to choose a wide range of online opponents, there are many preset strategies they can use. These presets change the strategic balance of the game and takes the focus from individual players mastering certain moves and playing Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition as a game of skill to playing it as a game of “pre-sets”. Very few people online want to play it in “Pro” mode – ie., focusing on your actual skills. While this can be an issue for hardcore gamers who don’t like to use pre-set moves, it is a non-issue for casual gamers and, I suspect, the vast majority who play this title. While the game is quite rich graphically, the backgrounds are static unlike the console version. This might take a bit to get used to but it doesn’t take too much away from the enjoyability and appeal of this game.

Bottom Line:

Super Street Fighter 4 – 3D Edition packs a lot of punch and can take hours of your time a day since it is quite fun and challenging. It has a great online pvp mode. While it does suffer from some game balance and graphical issues, these are more than offset by its finer points and doesn’t make this game any less worth buying.