Thoughts of a Random Gamer

Background

The Street Fighter franchise dates all the way back to 1987.  The original Street Fighter was an arcade game that chronicled the main character Ryu, as he worked his way through a worldwide martial arts competition.  After the game received mixed reviews, the brilliant minds at Capcom dedicated the next four years to making one of the most technically sound fighting games ever produced.  The result of their efforts was Street Fighter II

Released in 1991, Street Fighter II wowed gamers in arcades around the world.  Not only was the game graphically stunning for the time, but the gameplay had a level of depth that had never before been present in fighting games.  Some say that this was a game that redefined fighting games, while others feel that it was the first true entry in the fighting game genre.  No matter what your stance is, everyone can agree that this is the definitive title for a generation of arcade gamers.

Capcom knew they had a good thing going, so they decided to milk the game a bit more than some would find acceptable.  The different iterations on Street Fighter II consisted of Championship Edition in early 1992, Hyper Fighting during Holidays 1992, Super Street Fighter II in 1993 and Super Turbo in 1994.  Each version offered its own unique twists and refinements on the gameplay, but nothing substantial enough to warrant a full blown sequel.

After going dormant for over a decade, Backbone Entertainment has breathed new life into the game.  So will this inspire the memories of many a quarter lost in the arcades of old, or will fanatics of the series be left disappointed by unfulfilled potential?

The Story

As in the original Street Fighter, you are thrust into the shoes of one of the numerous different playable characters.  Your goal is to win an international fighting competition that will have the player traveling to scenic locations all over the world, in an effort to make your fighter a household name.  Like other fighting games, there is not much else to the story other than the laughable exchanges that take place between each epic encounter.

The Good

Each character sprite has been redrawn by UDON Entertainment artists, frame-by-frame.  The meticulous task has taken almost two years to complete, but seeing each combatant in glorious 1080p makes all of the waiting worthwhile.  When you throw in the amazing detail work that has been put in to completely flesh out the color palette, it is hard to imagine how you could have ever played it any other way.

Anyone who played Street Fighter II at some competitive level knows how critical frame counting can be.  The animation style of the game stays true to the arcade classic, while still bringing the High Definition flare that is expected of the current generation.  While everything seems to be more smooth and fluid, it will not be enough to change the strategies and practices of the hardcore fans.

The Bad

There are two sides to every coin and so is the case with the newly redrawn environments.  Though they are every bit the robustly colorful counterpart to the character sprites, this can also be a distraction at times.  Everything looks so good that it seems as if it is beckoning your eyes away from the action.  This is even worse in stages where there is an increased likelihood of movement in the background.

Let’s face it, in a classic arcade fighting game, a standard controller is just not going to cut it.  An Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 controller certainly has enough buttons to emulate an arcade cabinet, but to get the best experience, an arcade stick is a must.  Unfortunately accessories like this can cost in the upwards of the $100.00 range and is not practical for the casual player.  That said, if you do have said arcade stick on hand, you will be in of one of the most authentic reproductions ever made.

Veterans of the franchise know that there has never been a game that was “perfectly balanced.”  In order to address past balance issues, some move strengths, hit boxes and other characteristics were tweaked.  Taking it to the next level, there were even new moves added into the game to further help balancing problems.  Casual players will not likely notice these minor changes, but the tournament level players will surely have years of dissecting ahead of them.  It could take months, if not years, to see if the game is as truly as balanced as they think it is.

The Ugly

Despite all of the changes, tweaks and improvements, this is still a game that is over fifteen years old.  A standard consumer is going to have a hard time justifying a $14.99 purchase when they can get the non-HD version for significantly less.

Conclusion

Super Street Fighter Turbo HD Remix is the perfect mix of the retro action that we love and the next generation graphical polish that we have grown so accustomed to.  The game manages to seamlessly make the jump to High Definition, without having to sacrifice its classic roots.  At its very heart, Turbo HD Remix is nothing more than the action that you loved growing up, made appealing and approachable for your kids.  This is a little piece of history that no gamer should be without.

Score: 9.7

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