Return of a classic

My first Street Fighter game was the Super Street Fighter II for the Sega Genesis. Back then the gameplay of SSF II can be considered to be deep, featuring heavy, medium and light punches and kicks, and a wide variety of characters to choose from. I can still remember how I was unable to get through the Ryu stage single player stage other than using Ryu himself, and M.Bison was a real pain in the ass.

The series evolved over the years, with Capcom trying out new stuffs, such as going 3D, combining forces with Marvel and SNK to release fighting games featuring both Capcom and SNK/Marvel characters, in which the Street Fighters dominate the former's roster. However, it's been a long time since a true Street Fighter was released (the latest version of SF III, 3rd Strike, came out in 1999, nearly a decade ago).

Hence you can imagine the excitement when Capcom announced Street Fight IV late last year. Teasers featuring a pseudo-3D gameplay were shown; to be honest, it did not really capture my interest. The playable version was showcased in the current GDC, and strangely, after watching the series of GDC trailers, I suddenly am looking forward to the release of the game. Perhaps it's because it seems like Capcom's truly returning to the roots of the original Street Fighter. The characters shown in the trailer (Guile, Blanka, Dhalsim, E. Honda and Ryu) were unadulterated; no gimmicky makeover or crap. And judging from the trailers, it seems as if Capcom's removing all the over-the-top special combos that were found in the recent fighting games (Marvel/SNK vs Capcom etc.). I like it, I like how SF IV bears a striking resemblance to the old SSF II that I had enjoyed in the past. Maybe Capcom can really dish up some magic with this old franchise of theirs.

You can find the rest of the GDC trailers over here.