Hadoken sucka!
Publisher: THQ
Fri, 4 February 2005
by: Mugwai
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The god of the 2D fighting genre has been shining on us often ignored fanboys of late. From out of nowhere we have been blessed with Guilty Gear X2, SNK vs Capcom:Chaos and apparently some new King of the Fighters games are on the way also. Raise your hands 2D fighting loyalists we are still catered for and now Capcom has given us Streetfighter Anniversary Collection.
SFAC (it's just easier o.k., I'm lazy and it's taking away time from my mugwai t-shirt sweatshop operation) contains every incarnation of the Streetfighter 2 series, it would have been nice to have every version, like Alpha 1, 2 and Zero 3 but I guess you dream. So we have World Warrior, Hyper edition, Super edition, champion and pimpin ho Chun Li edition.
Not only do all the versions play rock solid but now you can play against your opponent with any character from any version you prefer. Wanna play World Warrior Ryu against Champion edition Ken, super version Guile against Hyper version Bison, you can! It's all good. Play with or without a super special move, change your turbo speed and prove to your friend ( Sammy I pose a challenge) who's the best version of Ken. (I will be happy to oblige- Sammy)
Although many people can argue it's all the same game, over the years Capcom have refined and changed the game, i.e. Ken's dragon punch received more range and power, Guile's sonic boom charged quicker, Bison wasn't so cheap, smarter countering and small combos were introduced and that really only touches the surface.
The real money shot in this package (not my package, I can't even count the money) is the inclusion of Streetfighter 3 : Third Strike. This is the crème de la crème of pure hardcore, tournament 2D fighting, a truly evolved and pure game, (in fact you will probably play this more than 2). Air blocks, counters, one super special per character and the parry system. The parry system (which you can practice in training mode) involves a forward movement, perfectly timed against your opponent's attack and when successfully performed you can counter with your own attack. It's incredibly difficult but ultimately satisfying, especially when you can parry and counter your opponent's super special moves.
Even though SF3 third strike is a few years old, the animation is still colorful and superb, nothing to rival Guilty Gear X2, but nice all the same. Load times are fast, play is smooth and it's as tight and responsive (you do the smutty gag) as Streetfighter or any fighter can get. The inclusion of Chun Li is well appreciated and the new characters (Twelve, Q, Makoto and Remy) are a fresh break from the old series. (Ryu, Ken and Akuma/Gouki being the only original characters left).
Fanboys will love this and knowingly appreciate all of Capcom's subtle changes whilst 3D fighting fans will wonder what all the fuss is about. That's okay, some 3D fans are as subtle as a strap-on anyway. This is unadulterated, undistilled fighting action. There's no robotically punched out 10 hit combo sequences, no cheap moves (well hardly and none if you're a master), you need Jet Li reflexes and well honed knowledge and ability of the characters to win.
Button mashers will not be able to beat an experienced player, plain and simple (like a Bulgarian pin up). Plus to be able to master the parry system in 3rd strike (which requires many hours and much patience) will make you a true master.
No it's not 3D, it doesn't have fancy lighting effects or destructible, moving environments. Just solid, challenging gameplay, that rewards the effort you dedicate to it. Oh yeah and as the final icing on the cake, Streetfighter: The Animated Movie is also included in this fine package. The movie is quite enjoyable, with some quality animation and production, the only sore point being every character, no matter what their nationality, has an American accent.
Definitely a solid collection, though it would have been nice if Capcom had included every version.
by: Mugwai
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More articles by Mugwai
I'll just keep waiting for Marvel vs Capcom vs SNK vs DC vs Guilty Gear. Hey, I can dream! Sammy, start practicing. | |
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