Street Fighter IV: First US reviews are out, Sony beats Microsoft in duel!

[The Fake Shemp]

Sony and Microsoft recently took part in a Street Fighter 4 tournament held at the Consumer Electronics Show, and Sony took home the prize according to a post on the PlayStation.Blog. The final match took place between Joe C. (Sagat) from Sony and Josh (E. Honda) from Microsoft, and Joe won with a well-timed Tiger Uppercut. The prize was a Star Wars Battlefront PSP Bundle, which makes it appropriate enough to go home with a representative of Sony.

Of course, Sony and Microsoft weren't the only players i nthe tourney. When we reported the upcoming match, we noted that Capcom had a pretty distinct advantage, which played out in the results. Sony came out victorious over Microsoft, but Capcom's ringer Justin Wong bested them both according to a report from Kotaku. Still, Sony did win the console wars match, and no one can take that from them. Except Justin Wong, who could apparently take it by force if necessary. If you want to see more Street Fighter battles, check out the recorded version of our Street Fighter 4 Game Night, scheduled to go up tomorrow.

Well, then, you'll be chuffed to know that the first reviews for Capcom's hotly-anticipated fighter are in. And they are - as you'd expect from the first reviews - glowing.

The Official Xbox Magazine give it 9.5/10, saying that it "does the impossible: Preserves the past while embracing the future", while PlayStation the Official Magazine reckons "Street Fighter IV is easily one of this console generation’s best fighting games" and give it 5/5.

Yay!  Anyone else counting down now?

I have to, because there's an actual countdown clock in my store.  Since MAF isn't here, I expect someone to trash it in his place, though!

[The Fake Shemp]

I only pre-ordered one of the pads.  Everyone is going to have those damn pads!

Also, for folks that haven't pre-ordered it in one spot yet...

Circuit City Stores Inc. this week began offering a free $10 e-gift card with the advanced purchase of Capcom Co.'s Street Fighter IV for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360.

In the new online offer, customers who purchase the PS3 or Xbox 360 SKU will receive a $10 gift card instantly via e-mail.

[Kestastrophe]

Sony beats MS because their review mag rated their version higher? ban Willco plz

[dammitmattt]

Are the pads discounted anywhere?  They're $40, right?  I'm seriously considering one so I can actually enjoy fighting games on my 360 again.

[DJ_Tet]

Am I going to be able to walk into Walmart and get one of those pads?  I've got GCs I need to use there.

[DJ_Tet]

Does anyone know what the top of the pad looks like?  And does this pad support the Live headset?

[Andowsky]

Game looks a lot like EX+Alpha to me, and that was the greatest SF game ever.

Pads are only $40? I thought they were going for the same price as the game. Neato.

[dammitmattt]

Game looks a lot like EX+Alpha to me, and that was the greatest SF game ever.

What the fuck, dude.  What the fuck.  I liked EX+Alpha enough at the time, but it was like playing Street Fighter 2 underwater, and it didn't hold up at all a few years later.  SF4 is nothing like that.  This is rock-solid, 60 fps SF2T-style offensive-oriented combat.  The only similarity with EX+Alpha is the 3D characters/backgrounds.

[Bloodwake]

PURCHASE FUCKING CONFIRMED

[Reb]

I'm going to buy the LE in England, for the price of the regular in Holland.

[cool breeze]

Does anyone know what the top of the pad looks like?  And does this pad support the Live headset?

it doesn't look like it had any place to plug in your headset, but it might the Rock Band solution of a tiny jack with an adapter.

and the PS3 pad uses a 2.4 dongle with it, so there is a chance that might work on PC too.  I already ordered the 360 pad and would order the PS3 one if it really is wireless for PC.

[Robo]

  Justin Wong

[Mr. Gundam]

I keep going back and forth on picking this up. I don't know how much I'd really play it. 

[bork]

Haha, Justin Wong barely gets a mention.  I bet he kicked the shit out everyone there.

SF4 is like a hybrid of Super Turbo and Street Fighter III together, but perhaps feels closer to SF2.  It's a different game though.  It is NOT like Street Fighter EX.

[bork]

I keep going back and forth on picking this up. I don't know how much I'd really play it. 

Get HD Remix and see if you like playing that online.  Should be a good way to gauge if you'd like SF4.

[Mr. Gundam]

I keep going back and forth on picking this up. I don't know how much I'd really play it. 

Get HD Remix and see if you like playing that online.  Should be a good way to gauge if you'd like SF4.

I have HD Remix. I thought I could get my buddies hooked on the nostalgia of Street Fighter II, but they're not interested. Suffice to say, I don't play it much.

[Andowsky]

Haha, Justin Wong barely gets a mention.  I bet he kicked the shit out everyone there.

SF4 is like a hybrid of Super Turbo and Street Fighter III together, but perhaps feels closer to SF2.  It's a different game though.  It is NOT like Street Fighter EX.

Yeah it is. A lot of the supers are the same, gameplay looks like a faster EX+ to me, with a lot more stuff added of course since it's been over a decade since EX came out. I'm only talking about the original, I never played the sequels.

[bork]

Haha, Justin Wong barely gets a mention.  I bet he kicked the shit out everyone there.

SF4 is like a hybrid of Super Turbo and Street Fighter III together, but perhaps feels closer to SF2.  It's a different game though.  It is NOT like Street Fighter EX.

Yeah it is. A lot of the supers are the same, gameplay looks like a faster EX+ to me, with a lot more stuff added of course since it's been over a decade since EX came out. I'm only talking about the original, I never played the sequels.

Uh, considering that a sped-up EX would look kind of like SF2, I guess I can see where you are getting that (wrong) impression from, but no.  EX was all about super cancelling, mainly.  SF4's main system is its Revenge meter, which you can use like a parry to stop attacks or do unblockable hits when charged long enough (that part being somewhat like EX)  The game doesn't play like EX though.  Feels totally different.  It's like I said, a combination of Super Turbo and SF3.  It has some elements from both, like EX attacks from 3, but feels closer to the SF2 games overall.

Don't talk game play about games you haven't played yet.

[bork]

I keep going back and forth on picking this up. I don't know how much I'd really play it. 

Get HD Remix and see if you like playing that online.  Should be a good way to gauge if you'd like SF4.

I have HD Remix. I thought I could get my buddies hooked on the nostalgia of Street Fighter II, but they're not interested. Suffice to say, I don't play it much.

Oh shit mayne, are you on my PSN list?  We should play sometime!  Screw your friends, you don't need 'em for this game with online!  Get yourself into some matches!

[Andowsky]

Have you played it?  You can say you think it looks like something, but don't argue that something is something if you haven't touched the damned thing.  Jesus Christ.

I said it LOOKS like something so LOOKING at something would make one more than qualified to say it LOOKS like something else. Jesus Christ.

[Mr. Gundam]

I keep going back and forth on picking this up. I don't know how much I'd really play it. 

Get HD Remix and see if you like playing that online.  Should be a good way to gauge if you'd like SF4.

I have HD Remix. I thought I could get my buddies hooked on the nostalgia of Street Fighter II, but they're not interested. Suffice to say, I don't play it much.

Oh shit mayne, are you on my PSN list?  We should play sometime!  Screw your friends, you don't need 'em for this game with online!  Get yourself into some matches!

Yeah, you're on my PSN list.

I really like playing with friends in the same room, even if it's split-screen. It's a shame that this generation's fascination with online-only multiplayer has pretty much killed that from happening.

[Andowsky]

Uh, considering that a sped-up EX would look kind of like SF2, I guess I can see where you are getting that (wrong) impression from, but no.  EX was all about super cancelling, mainly.  SF4's main system is its Revenge meter, which you can use like a parry to stop attacks or do unblockable hits when charged long enough (that part being somewhat like EX)  The game doesn't play like EX though.  Feels totally different.  It's like I said, a combination of Super Turbo and SF3.  It has some elements from both, like EX attacks from 3, but feels closer to the SF2 games overall.

Don't talk game play about games you haven't played yet.

I didn't say the game played completely like EX I said it just looks a lot like it, imho. Yeah there are differences. Yeah there is stuff included from games that came after EX released in the 90's. I already know everything you just posted, thanks.

Sped up EX would look like Street Fighter 2?  Anyways guess I will bow out and wait for the game to arrive, since apparently you aren't supposed to form any sort of opinion until it is released   

[Herr Mafflard]

The last Street Fighter game I played was Super Street Fighter II Turbo on the Genesis. I can remember playing it alot and only ever using Ryu, but that was over ten years ago and I'm not sure if I'll still enjoy it as much today. I brought Soul Calibur IV when that came out and only played it for a few hours before putting it down - I'm not sure if I enjoy fighting games as much these days.

But perhaps I can see the light again with Street Fighter IV.

[bork]

Sped up EX would look like Street Fighter 2?  Anyways guess I will bow out and wait for the game to arrive, since apparently you aren't supposed to form any sort of opinion until it is released   

Just trying to make sense of you not making sense.     You're just digging that hole deeper, my friend.

[The Fake Shemp]

I doubt the pads will be TOO hard to find, but word is that MadCatz is already allocated out of the sticks.

[bork]

I'm always up for HD Remix with anyone.  Have it on both systems.  But shit guys, play some ranked matches or player matches against random people every now and then!

Back OT - SF EX + Alpha was fucking awesome.  I couldn't play it today, but it was damn fun back then. 

Both EX and EX2 were great games.  EX3 was totally rushed, although it did address some of EX2's flaws.  I generally enjoyed these games, and the weird thing is, so did everyone else until about the time EX3 came out, THEN the hate train started up.  These games are still quite playable BTW.  I also liked Arika's SFEX spin-off game Fighting Layer; too bad it never got a home port.  The game is like SFEX, but with an original cast (although Allen Snyder and Blair Dame return), plus new game play like dashing.  Ran on the System 12 board and looked a good bit better than EX2 did at the time.  Last time I tried it on MAME, it was playable but had messed-up sound.

[bork]

I doubt the pads will be TOO hard to find, but word is that MadCatz is already allocated out of the sticks.

I'm gonna jump on this ASAP.  I remember even Nyko's mediocre SF Anniversary PS2/XBox pads and sticks disappeared pretty quickly years ago.

[The Fake Shemp]

Yeah, the word on the mean streets is that the product quality for both the pads and the stick are superb too.

[bork]

Yeah, the word on the mean streets is that the product quality for both the pads and the stick are superb too.

If I can get the cash together before release, I'm buying four pads. But likely just one for each platform for now.

[cool breeze]

apparently the pads feel almost exactly like the Saturn pad with the only real negative being a slightly more loose d-pad.  It also has a nifty feature (sticks feature this too) that lets you switch the function of the d-pad to either the 360/PS3 d-pad or left/right analog.  360 pad was marketed as working on PC, but the wireless PS3 one has a dongle, no confirmation that it works on PC.  The Tournament edition stick is supposed to be the best arcade stick on consoles (work on PC too).  The cheaper regular stick is a bit bad according to various impressions.

I do want the TE, but it's $150.  That is a lot of money for an arcade stick when I already have a great one (VSHG).

[Robo]

Yeah, the word on the mean streets is that the product quality for both the pads and the stick are superb too.

That's reassuring -- it looks like I'm gonna have to shell out for one now that my EX2's bit the dust.  Hear anything about the regular stick versus the tournament edition?

[The Fake Shemp]

Build quality on the cheap FightStick is so-so, mainly because the frame feels "cheaper" - but the trade off is that it is lighter and smaller.  The tournament stick is supposed to be balls-to-the-walls awesome.

[Jansen]

And does this pad support the Live headset?

yep

http://www.capcom-unity.com/ask_capcom/go/thread/view/7371/5449345/Official_XBox_360_Street_Fighter_IV_FightPad&post_num=4#130258021

[Eel O'Brian]

Yeah, you're on my PSN list.

I really like playing with friends in the same room, even if it's split-screen. It's a shame that this generation's fascination with online-only multiplayer has pretty much killed that from happening.

i think a hybrid form of split-screen gaming is taking its place

witness the popularity of left 4 dead, and COD WAW has online/split-screen co-op

[MoxManiac]

  at picking Honda against Sagat

[The Fake Shemp]

Mox!  I missed you.

[MoxManiac]

Willco baby! 

[Robo]

Apathy and laziness led me to preordering one of the tournament sticks rather than fixing my broken EX2.  Shit better be good.

[demi]

this game sucks. will wait for sexy 2D HD KOF