Super Street Fighter IV

Presentation

Deadly beauty from around the world

From its opening salvo of a striking introduction and dramatic music, Super Street Fighter IV impresses. Retaining the distinctive hand-painted appearance of SFIV, Capcom's beat 'em up features gorgeously animated visuals, flashy moves and a variation of styles in both the fighters' looks and the backdrops they battle on.

While each battler has their own distinct visual personality that comes to life during the fight, the scenery around them is also alive with detail. From the dizzying heights of Metro City (home of the popular Final Fight characters Guy and Cody, who are also playable) to the open safari complete with giraffes and hippos taking in the fight, there's always something to be entertained by, whether you're fighting or not.

There are some well thought out extras as well, such as the more dramatic presentation of rival fights, where two bitterly contested characters clash in the game's main storyline. During these bouts the rivals will constantly talk and taunt each other, adding an extra layer of tension and competitiveness to the battle.

Everything to do with Super Street Fighter IV's presentation has been designed to help ramp up the drama and fun of the game. Its polished exterior holds easy ways for newcomers to get into the action (thanks to tutorials, button mapping options and a streamlined menu), while those familiar with the series will feel right at home with the animated cutscenes and unlockable extras.

Characters

A new challenger appears

Super Street Fighter IV has bulked up a bit since its predecessor's release - and it shows from the very second the vibrant character select screen appears. There are a colossal 35 starting fighters to choose from, with Street Fighter IV's full roster making an appearance along with some new faces mixing with the familiar.

Favourites such as Ken, Guile and Chun-Li are still present, along with the fresh-faced fighters introduced in the previous game, including the rotund yet quick Rufus and quirky Mexican luchadore El Fuerte. They're joined by some of the characters which you had to unlock in Street Fighter IV, such as Akuma and Gen.

Making their SFIV debut are world warriors from previous Street Fighter titles, with the likes of Makoto, Ibuki, Dudley and Dee Jay taking a next gen bow. Capcom has also introduced two totally new combatants to the mix in the shape of the maniacal tae kwon do fighter Juri and Turkish oil wrestler Hakan. Both slot in perfectly to the game's wonderfully varied and colourful roster of fighters.

The wealth of superbly designed combatants gives Super Street Fighter IV a well rounded feel, meaning there's a style and character for everyone, whether you prefer the lumbering, tactical brute force of wrestler Zangief or the swift aerial ballet of Vega.

Gameplay

Return of the beatdown

Street Fighter IV's main strength was its compelling and measured gameplay, allowing for flowing fights and a learning curve that anyone could appreciate - and Super Street Fighter IV is equally as deep and polished. The fluidity of each battle is perfectly balanced with pixel perfect hit detection (so you never feel cheated by a punch, kick or projectile when it strikes your character), a massive move-set for each character, and a consistent sense of speed that is never overwhelming.

Playing Capcom's beat 'em up is not only about fast fingers, but rapid tactical decision making, too. While all of the fighters carry a range of effective and powerful special moves, knowing when to use them is the key to success. Many moves have counters or can be parried, leaving you prone to fight-losing consequences. At the same time, experimenting to create your own combinations unravels the secrets of your chosen fighter, making it a very rewarding experience.

There's a clear consideration for how well you play as well, through the fun Challenge mode which lets you practise with any of the characters while teaching you their moves, and the popular car and barrel smashing bonus levels have returned from Street Fighter II to nicely break up the action.

Multiplayer

Fight on

What would Street Fighter be without a sterling multiplayer mode to battle your mates with? Well, Super Street Fighter IV doesn't disappoint, as it features a pleasing range of modes, each hugely fun and addictive.

Along with the expected Versus mode to take on others offline and online, there's also the chance to engage in the Team Battle for up to eight players (in any combination you wish, such as four against four or two against six) and Endless Battle where a winning fighter can go against a continuous and rotating group of players to prove their ultimate supremacy. Then there's the Replay channel, which lets you view and save replays from battles around the world to learn from the best players out there.

If you want even more, Capcom promises a variety of downloadable content from PlayStation Store to keep you coming back, such as the Tournament mode, where you can create your own tournaments, watch matches and enjoy other customisable features.