Street Fighter IV
A new challenger reappears.
His Hurricane Kick would also have you believe that Ryu and Ken are far from mastering their art. Instead of acting as a horizontal combo-finisher, Gouken's Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku appears to have more use as an effective anti-air. It arcs straight upwards and can juggle with multiple hits, but does seem to lack the range and priority of the classic Dragon Punch.
So if Gouken already has an anti-air, does that mean he's without a Shoryuken? Nope. Effectively he has two versions for his Super and Ultra. The Super version comes out fast with multiple hits and makes for an effective combo finisher, or an appropriate punishment against a predictable jump. His Ultra version, on the other hand, is pure Third Strike Ryu Super Art II - make that first hit connect and it's an immensely satisfying Shin Shoryuken for the win. Savour every agonising slow-motion hit.
Our time with Sakura was brief, but she's reminiscent of her Alpha guise - complete with a dashing in, multiple-hit Dragon Punch and arcing Hurricane Kick. The EX version of the latter launches her opponent into the air and can be Focus-cancelled out of in order to connect her Ultra, should your fingers be up to the task.
Seth on the other hand is a mixed bag of cheap tricks. He rips off other fighters' moves, including Dhalsim's arm extension, Bison's teleport and Guile's Sonic Boom. He also has his own tricks including a multiple-hitting machine-gun kick and the ability to draw his opponent closer to him. But his most annoying trait is his cheap Ultra. Pull this off against an opponent with their guard down and they'll be sucked into Seth's singularity and fired out against the invisible wall for considerable damage - and, if this wins the round, a quite comical pressed glass expression. Still, at least Seth isn't quite Gill chip-tastic cheap.
If the online play of Street Fighter IV turns out to be as lag-free as the bouts in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, then fighter fans have good reason to be excited. We haven't got access to that yet, but aside from online play, perhaps the other most-anticipated aspect of Street Fighter IV from the perspective of the fighter hardcore is the chance to get to grips with the new Focus system in the obligatory practice mode, which we have done. It's Street Fighter IV's most crucial aspect in terms of longevity and tournament play - effectively replacing the parrying system from Third Strike.
For a Street Fighter novice the Focus attack is a strike performed by pressing both mediums, and has three levels of charge: reflex, stagger and unblockable. During the Focus charge the player can absorb a single hit from most attacks - still taking the damage but not being stunned out of the Focus attack. Health lost while Focusing will return gradually if follow-up hits are avoided, but will still fill the Revenge gauge as normal.
For a 2D fighter aficionado, however, Focus is exponentially more versatile. It can be used to cancel out of certain Specials at the expense of half your Super gauge, and on top of this the Focus itself can be cancelled with a dash. Losing half your Super sounds bad, but when you consider that Ultras are accessed via a separate gauge, the possibilities open up. Use a Special that launches your opponent into the air, immediately cancel into a Focus and then a forward-dash to avoid any follow-up frames, and then connect your Ultra before they hit the ground - perhaps even cancelling into the Ultra from another attack. The timing and accuracy is precise and will take time to master, but it's worth remembering that those who bothered to learn Street Fighter III's parrying system reaped the benefits despite the apathy it initially attracted.
The beauty of it, of course, is that you don't need to know every intricacy of Street Fighter IV to have fun. Master the basics and you'll be a formidable player in your own right, and should it succeed in holding the average console owner to this, Street Fighter IV will be a crucial step in the future of the 2D fighter on the home market. Many excellent fighters with 2D mechanics, including BlazBlue, Battle Fantasia and the hotly anticipated King of Fighters XII, are keeping the scene alive, but have limited appeal among the wider gaming audience. For a fundamentally 2D fighter, Street Fighter has the same level of prestige as Soul Calibur and Tekken - and the capability of going toe to toe with these 3D fighter juggernauts.
There are many who would complain that Street Fighter is becoming more stagnant, with too many Shotokan clones and little variation in play mechanics, but to us the Street Fighter series represents a continuing refinement of the 2D fighter, with Street Fighter IV perhaps the most accessibly deep Street Fighter ever on this evidence. Complaints of only four new characters and an increasingly samey roster will probably be made, but if you don't want to play as Ryu, then don't! If you're any good, then you should be able to take down a Dragon Punch-spamming scrub with ease anyway. So bear that in mind, because Street Fighter IV in your house is just around the corner, and we've already practiced our trash talk.
Street Fighter IV is due out for PS3 and Xbox 360 on 20th February 2009.