I like both.
Shitting on one over the other isn’t my style. I like anything that isn’t Mortal Kombat or Killer Instinct.
In this battle, there can be no winners.
SF4 is a garbage game for garbage people.
I think pretty much everyone agrees that there has never been a “Perfect” Street Fighter game. Each individual SF game had it’s own set of features and circumstances that attributed to it’s level of popularity and success(or lack of)… which is according to and relating to the time period in which it came out. So every SF game was, and is, judged primarily by it’s own “prime” time period.
Because of that, every SF game will have it’s own unique legacy, and each game will resonate according to the feelings of players of that particular generation. (or iteration of SF)
That said, there is obviously somewhat of a general consensus amongst most “hardcore” SF players on which particular versions of SF are considered the “best”. But the term “best” is not really appropriate for use when discussing and comparing the various SF games. In fact, some people would argue that comparing all the SF games is entirely pointless altogether… but since everyone has opinions and favorites… it’s inevitable that there will be comparisons.
Personally, I don’t like to use the term “best”, rather I just say which versions are my “favorites”. And for me, there are 2 primary and critical features that I judge SF games by… GAME PLAY and FUN.
By game play, I mean the general gameplay engine of the game, which involves:
- how the mechanics work, (the fluidity of moves, the crispness/preciseness of feel and and execution, the animation and hit detection properties)
- the game specific features (special properties of each game, ex: alpha counters, CC’s, parries, cancels, supers, focus attacks, etc.)
And by fun, I think it’s pretty self explanatory:
- how well all of the gameplay features work together, and how well the end result comes out
- fun for me comes when there is a great balance of gameplay mechanics and features
- it’s hard to explain, but it’s just when the game “feels right” in SF terms
(And of course I judge all new SF games on the original “old school” SF principles of gameplay. After all, it’s still called Street Fighter… so the basic fundamentals should be about the same)
But even though I’m probably more “old school” in my thinking and style, I think I’m also pretty open and objective when it comes to accepting new versions of SF.
For example, here are my favorite SF’s:
- ST (clean, precise, technical, classic, challenging, and fun as hell)
- Alpha 2 (same as above for the most part, and it was the most fun alpha series SF game, for me)
- 3rd Strike (I totally enjoyed all of the SF3 series, innovative, new and different style, parrying, and fun as hell)
- CVS2 (new, innovative, and fun… until roll cancelling was discovered, then I lost all interest)
- SF2 HF (old school, back in the prime of SF, everyone loved it)
I’m still not sure about my feelings on the SFIV series. Although I do love the fact that the SFIV series has revived the SF genre and introduced new levels of online play… I’m just not all that enamored by the actual game itself. SFIV feels slow and restrictive to me. I feel like the characters are stuck in the mud or something, at least when it comes to movement and fluidity. Plus, the characters just don’t feel open. By that I mean that I don’t feel like the characters have the freedom to be played in many various styles or ways. For example, in almost all of the other SF games Ryu could be played very differently by so many different players. I mean of course, it’s still Ryu, so his fundamentals are the same. But different players could have so many different approaches and styles of playing Ryu… and they would all look and feel different. And that goes for many other characters as well.
But in SFIV, it just feels and seems like most of the characters have to be played in the same generic way, with less freedom… which is all based on and due to the SFIV gameplay design.
But that’s just my opinion, I’m no expert at it. All in all, I think it’s an okay game so far. But I definitely don’t have as much fun playing SFIV as I did the older SF’s. And I’ve had more fun in the 1st week of playing 3rd Strike again, than I did playing SFIV for the past year or so. (but again, that’s just my preference)
So SFIV isn’t perfect, but that’s my overall point, neither are ANY of the other SF games. Some may be closer to perfect than others, but they all have their own individual flaws or drawbacks. But those things are all relative, and subject to everyone’s own opinions. So debating and arguing over which versions are better or best is kind of pointless.
I appreciate all of the true SF games(for what they mean to the overall scene), and my hope is that we’ll soon be able to play every single “arcade perfect” version of SF online, via consoles… then everyone will be able to play their own favorites… online, against thousands of old and new challengers…
… now that will be fun as hell.
Peace
all the great street fighter games emphasize the strength and skill of proper blocking. The higher you progress in 3rd Strike, it becomes more and more obvious how the game is encouraging you to block more. The lengths you have to go just to FORCE people to block in the 4 series is nauseating.
I had the same feeling back in 2009 when i was still playing cvs2 with few buddies and than switched to sf iv.
I don’t know why people get caught up in the “3s isn’t SF” mentality when I feel like Alpha isn’t either. Alpha was poke until CC meter, then pull off unblockable setup into big damage. Even before I knew this, I didn’t look at SF2 and Alpha as SF but as their own games. I don’t understand why people can’t see it that way with really any SF game.
Like chess to checkers to GO to any strategic board game, just look at them, whether they’re a series or not, as totally new games. That’s how I’ve taken every SF game, and every fighter in general. And some games are just better than others while some are more preferable by certain crowds.
Great post cmutt, very well articulated. I am grateful to SF4 in some ways, mainly due to helping to create the Renaissance that fighting games are experiencing right now, but I wonder if Capcom’s new style will actually cause more harm in the long run. SF4 introduced more people to the genre, but also introduced lazy mentalities and gameplay mechanics that can be seen as crutches, such as heavily relaxed inputs, and Ultras/X-factors or other comeback mechanics.
I think the idea of catering to casuals is a slippery slope. You have to wonder if there comes a point in time where you just have to leave a game be, with today’s era of constant downloadable updates and balance changes. Its not just fighting games, but games in general, especially FPS’s. Don’t take players out of the equation, in other words, create an environment where skill still has to be earned the hard way. Let people take their licks and earn their stripes. Those that can’t cut it move on to some other game. Just look at Gears 3 and that darn sawed-off shotty now.
You’re on SRK, you’re not allowed to like more than one game or try to make sense.
I find this topic hard to masturbate to.
Honestly HF is the definitive SF exp. Just straight up old school zoning,rushdown,mix-ups. No meter. No super. No comeback factor. Just your skill vs your opponents.
ST is after that with Alpha 2 imo being the one true SF2 successor.
I just want to add two things here.
I also felt that awkwardness in playing SF4 and then going back to SF3 everything just clicked. But it’s mainly because of the fact that I, just like almost everybody here, is old as heck, and our brains have been wired to play SF a certain way that SF4 does not conform to. I want to emphasize that I am not a OG 3rd strike player, more of the Alpha/CvS2 type but natural “SF feel” is present in all of these games but 4. I’m sure people that grew up playing SF4 exclusively would feel that anything prior was unnatural and probably less balanced/exciting for them the same way 4 is to us.
Also I think how the characters themselves translate into SF4’s engine creates further bias between the two versions. I would say that people like myself that played Zangief and Honda are actually very happy with how their fighting style translates into 4, while I couldn’t be bothered with Cammy at all anymore. Overall I feel that Capcom did a good job of transitioning the majority of the ST and Alpha characters/players into SF4, and probably wasted time converting 3rd strike characters into SF4’s engine. It’s definitely not a shock to anybody on SRK that 3rd strike community likes SF4 the least compared to the other SF communities. In the end it’s all very subjective to the type of games we grew up with and the characters that we mained.
ST > A2 > 3S > IV
IV has some features that I really like, such as the amazing roster and graphics. However, I feel the engine is severely lacking and rewards random bullshit way too often.
both are great games and i still play both. come at me.
super turbo’s better than both these games.
I like them all. Can’t really hate SF4…I dislike many of the game’s mechanics, but I’ve had plenty of fun playing it. Just like every SF. They’re fun
I’m down for some games! ec - wc is pretty good. I was playing against Japan two nights ago and there was minimal lag (~1, 2) so I’m sure we can expect some good games. I’m sure I’m going to own you. Even with pad. 
I’ll make sure to poop before playing so I don’t accidentally shit myself.
I
I think you’re refering to the link windows, which are too damn tight. Someone please gameshare 3rd Strike with me so I can experience the greatness! Hehe
I admit that the CPS-1 engine in Hyper Fighting is smoother than the CPS-2 engine of Super Turbo. Playing Ryu/Ken, Guile, Zangief, and Blanka in HF is really smooth with a classic feel. I love Hyper Fighting but I feel that it didn’t age well and it feels like an unfinished product. Don’t get me wrong it’s fun. But get instantly dizzy with 2 or 3 hit combos and then getting redizzied again is too much. ST is well thought out because you don’t get dizzy easy with those classic three hit crossovers. I know old school Hyper Fighting players would tell me that only people who aren’t good get dizzy by two or three hits combos but that’s not the case because sometimes it feels so random to get dizzy.
Super Turbo is the best SF2. You don’t get dizzy easy and if you want that classic feel you just pick the old characters.
I know a lot of people perfect Alpha 2 over Alpha 3 but I was wondering if Alpha 3 Upper is a balanced game since V-ISM got nerfed and they have the extra characters. I know Upper didn’t get a lot of exposure but if it did I wonder if it would stand the test of time.