Excuse my blashpemy, but Street Fighter IV SUCKS BALLS!

[Jedison]

Go home and be a family man.

[megadeth078]

Boy, what a disappointment this turned out to be. Since I don’t have a console, I had to wait for months in eager anticipation for the long-awaited sequel to one of my favourite fighting series to be released on PC. Finally getting it up and running on this old laptop just filled me with a boyish delight I had not known since MVC2 was released. But after playing around with it for a few days and unlocking some of the hidden characters, I had to give in to that nagging feeling in the back of my head: Street Fighter IV is a lousy fighting game!

Okay, before I move onto the complaints, let me highlight what I do like about the game. Presentation-wise, SF4 is flawless. **The theme song by Exile is notoriously catchy **and the stage tracks are all very memorable. Likewise, Capcom did an excellent job squeezing mountains of dialogue into the game, and it’s a delight to hear all our favourite fighters speak english. Graphically, although there was a lot of controversy surrounding the style at first, I really enjoy watching the character animations and facial expressions prior to an Ultra combo. So in the audio-visual department at least, SF4 is a success.

Where it disappoints is the actual gameplay. To put it simply, it’s fifteen years old! This is Super Street Fighter II Turbo all over again. It was a great game for it’s time, but hasn’t the series evolved in the slightest after all these years? Capcom did pursue gameplay enhancements in its other fighting games, particularly regarding combos. I refer you to the superb system used in the VS. series. People say that’s it’s a totally different style from Street Fighter, but it’s not! It’s the evolution of what began with glitch combos in Street Fighter II. Capcom first included a genuine combo system in Night Warriors by cancelling a light punch or kick into a heavier one. This was later improved upon in Marvel Super Heroes with super cancels and super jumps, and eventually perfected in Tatsunoko VS. Capcom with variable moves, delayed hyper combos, baroque and more.

So while the VS. series has seen constant improvements to the gameplay, Street Fighter IV seems to have regressed to an infantile state. The combo system is shit. Punches and kicks don’t cancel into one another, so there’s little reason to open a combo with a light hit. You can’t hit someone on the ground, and hitting someone in the air can be a nightmare. Sometimes you can uppercut a falling opponent, sometimes you can’t. Somtimes a move will catch someone close to the ground, sometimes it won’t. There’s really no consistency in this game. Even the basics are messed up. The rhythm is ruined because your opponent is always floored after every Shoryuken or Somersault Kick. Dashing is useless because the characters only do a tiny hop and leave themselves open to attack. I always get confused what to do when both characters jump towards each other because there’s no air blocking and most fighters don’t have air throws. And besides, you wouldn’t get off more than one hit from the exchange anyway. Even when compared to the SFA and SF3 games, there’s a shocking lack of options. No parries, no ISMs, no Excel, fewer Ultras… In fact, moves is one thing that this game sorely lacks. Each character only has one Ultra combo! Well, okay, one and half if you consider the insignificant Super variation. And it’s alarming to see that after eighteen years, Guile still only has two moves! Two moves! TWO! What. The. Hell.

I have no idea where Capcom is going with this minimalist approach. People who would argue that it’s balanced might as well stick to Rock, Paper, Scissors. That’s a balanced game, but why the hell would you want to play that when you’ve got World of Warcraft at your disposal? Why can’t Capcom see that more moves and combos enhance the gameplay? I want multiple Ultras! I want Aerial Raves! I want tag battles! I want whatever possible move or trick Capcom can throw at us! I don’t want to see the Street Fighter series doomed to a prehistoric fighting system when there are so many better alternatives already available. There’s so much more that can be done with it!

soooo many /facepalms

[System_1]

Two pages and not one truly constructive post directed at the OP?

Where it disappoints is the actual gameplay. To put it simply, it’s fifteen years old! This is Super Street Fighter II Turbo all over again. It was a great game for it’s time, but hasn’t the series evolved in the slightest after all these years?

Before I go on, let me just put this in.

It has been so many years since the release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo, yet there are still world-wide tournaments being held for the game. While the game is simplistic in nature, that’s what makes it so great. Any newbie can slap buttons and see cool things happen, unlike other more technical games like Tekken where you’ll accidentally throw out the same move over and over until you get K.O.'d. This attracts more and more newbies. Once that newbie understands which button-slaps do what moves, though, then he’s taken the first real step into the Street Fighter realm.

The lasting effect is when those basic elements all come together in the form of precise combos, careful reversals, and amazing comebacks. All of this from SFII is what Street Fighter IV’s strives to recapture.

Capcom did pursue gameplay enhancements in its other fighting games, particularly regarding combos. I refer you to the superb system used in the VS. series. People say that’s it’s a totally different style from Street Fighter, but it’s not! It’s the evolution of what began with glitch combos in Street Fighter II. Capcom first included a genuine combo system in Night Warriors by cancelling a light punch or kick into a heavier one. This was later improved upon in Marvel Super Heroes with super cancels and super jumps, and eventually perfected in Tatsunoko VS. Capcom with variable moves, delayed hyper combos, baroque and more.

It sounds to me like the methodical style of Street Fighter just isn’t your thing. The only time a stand-alone SF game every became “crazy” was with Alpha and the custom combos. BlazBlue and Guilty Gear sounds more like something you would like, if you’re looking for lots of technical extras.

So while the VS. series has seen constant improvements to the gameplay, Street Fighter IV seems to have regressed to an infantile state.

It may seem that way, but it’s actually deeper than that. You can only mash out basic combos. Due to the way things work, you have to time your hits so that your next move lands just as your first finishes, as opposed to canceling one hit into another.

The combo system is shit. Punches and kicks don’t cancel into one another, so there’s little reason to open a combo with a light hit. You can’t hit someone on the ground, and hitting someone in the air can be a nightmare. Sometimes you can uppercut a falling opponent, sometimes you can’t. Somtimes a move will catch someone close to the ground, sometimes it won’t. There’s really no consistency in this game. Even the basics are messed up.

I don’t know what to say here, but the game is very consistent if you understand what’s going on. Yeah, if you throw out a Shoryuken when someone does a shallow jump-in, of course you’re not going to hit him. Likewise, if they jump completely over you, your move is likely to miss. The only thing I can think of that could be considered inconsistent is that Dan’s idle stance has him throw his arms around, which slightly alter his hitboxes… but even then, it’s still consistent to what you see.

The rhythm is ruined because your opponent is always floored after every Shoryuken or Somersault Kick. Dashing is useless because the characters only do a tiny hop and leave themselves open to attack.

Tapping down on the joystick or pressing any two buttons right as your character hits the ground will have them quickly bounce back up, unless you were hit by a move with a special property to keep them down. Regular Shoryukens, however, don’t have this. Dashing forward is plenty useful too, just don’t dash when your opponent is looking for an opportunity to strike.

I always get confused what to do when both characters jump towards each other because there’s no air blocking and most fighters don’t have air throws. And besides, you wouldn’t get off more than one hit from the exchange anyway.

What? Are you expecting DBZ air battles or something? Jumping is an important part of any fighter, and just like any other move in the game, it can be risky to use. If you happen to jump at the same as your opponent does, well, take action. How can you get confused if you supposedly have so few options? It’s as if you’re saying “help, this guy is standing in front of me. wth i do?”

Even when compared to the SFA and SF3 games, there’s a shocking lack of options. No parries, no ISMs, no Excel, fewer Ultras… In fact, moves is one thing that this game sorely lacks. Each character only has one Ultra combo! Well, okay, one and half if you consider the insignificant Super variation. And it’s alarming to see that after eighteen years, Guile still only has two moves! Two moves! TWO! What. The. Hell.

Have you seen what a good Guile player can do with just those two moves? It’s not like a character with a hundred specials would be a god-tier character.

The Focus Attack allows for a lot of opportunities. Dash in for a combo, throw out a few hits, and bait your opponent to retaliate. Right when you think he’s going to do a move, just Focus Attack it and stop him in his tracks. You can use it as a parry just as well as a cancel to create bigger combos.

With too many Supers, you create a “high-risk, low reward” situation. Instead of just worrying about a Shinku Hadouken and dealing with that, you also have to worry about a Shin Shoryuken and Shinku Tatsumaki. Jumping in isn’t smart, dashing in is just as dumb. You certainly can’t just wait, because he’ll come at you. What can you do?

If you go and do what 3rd Strike did, where you pick which Super you want… well, everyone’s just going to use the best one anyways and you’ve nullified your argument.

I have no idea where Capcom is going with this minimalist approach. People who would argue that it’s balanced might as well stick to Rock, Paper, Scissors. That’s a balanced game, but why the hell would you want to play that when you’ve got World of Warcraft at your disposal? Why can’t Capcom see that more moves and combos enhance the gameplay? I want multiple Ultras! I want Aerial Raves! I want tag battles! I want whatever possible move or trick Capcom can throw at us! I don’t want to see the Street Fighter series doomed to a prehistoric fighting system when there are so many better alternatives already available. There’s so much more that can be done with it!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to play MVC2…

Honestly, you may be better off there. Street Fighter is not about jumping off walls and shooting laser beams out of every pore on your being, cancel into planet-crushing, Dream Cancel into an LSD-induced coma.

[Alvien]

Boy, what a disappointment this turned out to be. Since I don’t have a console, I had to wait for months in eager anticipation for the long-awaited sequel to one of my favourite fighting series to be released on PC. Finally getting it up and running on this old laptop just filled me with a boyish delight I had not known since MVC2 was released. But after playing around with it for a few days and unlocking some of the hidden characters, I had to give in to that nagging feeling in the back of my head: Street Fighter IV is a lousy fighting game!

Okay, before I move onto the complaints, let me highlight what I do like about the game. Presentation-wise, SF4 is flawless. The theme song by Exile is notoriously catchy and the stage tracks are all very memorable. Likewise, Capcom did an excellent job squeezing mountains of dialogue into the game, and it’s a delight to hear all our favourite fighters speak english. Graphically, although there was a lot of controversy surrounding the style at first, I really enjoy watching the character animations and facial expressions prior to an Ultra combo. So in the audio-visual department at least, SF4 is a success.

Where it disappoints is the actual gameplay. To put it simply, it’s fifteen years old! This is Super Street Fighter II Turbo all over again. It was a great game for it’s time, but hasn’t the series evolved in the slightest after all these years? Capcom did pursue gameplay enhancements in its other fighting games, particularly regarding combos. I refer you to the superb system used in the VS. series. People say that’s it’s a totally different style from Street Fighter, but it’s not! It’s the evolution of what began with glitch combos in Street Fighter II. Capcom first included a genuine combo system in Night Warriors by cancelling a light punch or kick into a heavier one. This was later improved upon in Marvel Super Heroes with super cancels and super jumps, and eventually perfected in Tatsunoko VS. Capcom with variable moves, delayed hyper combos, baroque and more.

So while the VS. series has seen constant improvements to the gameplay, Street Fighter IV seems to have regressed to an infantile state. The combo system is shit. Punches and kicks don’t cancel into one another, so there’s little reason to open a combo with a light hit. You can’t hit someone on the ground, and hitting someone in the air can be a nightmare. Sometimes you can uppercut a falling opponent, sometimes you can’t. Somtimes a move will catch someone close to the ground, sometimes it won’t. There’s really no consistency in this game. Even the basics are messed up. The rhythm is ruined because your opponent is always floored after every Shoryuken or Somersault Kick. Dashing is useless because the characters only do a tiny hop and leave themselves open to attack. I always get confused what to do when both characters jump towards each other because there’s no air blocking and most fighters don’t have air throws. And besides, you wouldn’t get off more than one hit from the exchange anyway. Even when compared to the SFA and SF3 games, there’s a shocking lack of options. No parries, no ISMs, no Excel, fewer Ultras… In fact, moves is one thing that this game sorely lacks. Each character only has one Ultra combo! Well, okay, one and half if you consider the insignificant Super variation. And it’s alarming to see that after eighteen years, Guile still only has two moves! Two moves! TWO! What. The. Hell.

I have no idea where Capcom is going with this minimalist approach. People who would argue that it’s balanced might as well stick to Rock, Paper, Scissors. That’s a balanced game, but why the hell would you want to play that when you’ve got World of Warcraft at your disposal? Why can’t Capcom see that more moves and combos enhance the gameplay? I want multiple Ultras! I want Aerial Raves! I want tag battles! I want whatever possible move or trick Capcom can throw at us! I don’t want to see the Street Fighter series doomed to a prehistoric fighting system when there are so many better alternatives already available. There’s so much more that can be done with it!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to play MVC2…

Well I’ll just take a little quote from SF1…

“What Strength! But don’t forget there are many guys like you all over the world!”

And I’d like to let you know that this quote does NOT apply to you. There’s a new VS title. TatsuCap. SF is not the VS series, it’s the SF series. Deal with it.

[Madden_RobotBMX2K9]

Before this thread closes…

I would like to give a shout out to Capcom VS SNK 2, a far superior game than this POC.

[megadeth078]

Before this thread closes…

I would like to give a shout out to Capcom VS SNK 2, a far superior game than this POC.

Your opinion is important

[Madden_RobotBMX2K9]

Well if you’re a somebody in the scene like me, of course it’s important.

[megadeth078]

uh huh

[Machineking1313]

Well if you’re a somebody in the scene like me, of course it’s important.

Who are you again?

[Madden_RobotBMX2K9]

I’m blackhawkxdown baby. One of the most feared Kens on the planet, i have over 8000BP and i’m in G1.

[megadeth078]

okay

[RichL]

I read the OP and the whole time was thinking…EVO…1040 competitors…23,000+ viewers during finals…500,000 hits overall…

[Rune_Kai]

To each their own, SF4 is merely mediocre in my eyes, but I think this is just something to get their feet wet after having been MIA for 10 years. After all, they’ve always done SF in multiples, so I would be disappointed if they left it like this, or if they simply didnt change anything in the (assumed) sequal.

[mattpsx2]

lol this was obviously a joke post

[Face112]

I’m blackhawkxdown baby. One of the most feared Kens on the planet, i have over 8000BP and i’m in G1.

You’re a true scholar.

[Metroxylon]

my God, this was posted less than 5 hours ago, and it has 3 pages, and 1,000+ views… do people love complaint threads or what?

BTW; it’s a total joke you freaking dumb dumbs.

everybody’s QQing. emos.

[System_1]

To each their own, SF4 is merely mediocre in my eyes, but I think this is just something to get their feet wet after having been MIA for 10 years. After all, they’ve always done SF in multiples, so I would be disappointed if they left it like this, or if they simply didnt change anything in the (assumed) sequal.

Gonna get prem to neg you

lol this was obviously a joke post

SRK has a hard time making out joke/troll posts.

[INFINyTE]

iinnnn-dee-structible

[brokenstep]

good troll is good

[keninblack]

Awful trolling, your opinion is completly invalid since all your doing is trying to piss everyone off. I mean just reread your article, your just trolling… really badly.