Super Street Fighter IV 3D

Overview

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, (or simply Street Fighter 3D for short as it is the only Street Fighter for the 3DS so far) is a fighting game for the Nintendo 3DS developed and published by Capcom. This version of the game is almost identical to the home-console version of Super Street Fighter IV 3D with the exceptions of a few extra features, such as 3D and over-the-shoulder gameplay (also called "Dynamic Mode"). As with most other fighting games, the main objective of Super Street Fighter IV 3D is to Knock-Out, or "K.O." the enemy by completely depleting the opponent's health meter.

Controls

In order to knock out opponents, there are a number of different kicks, punches, and special moves that are needed to be performed, and each move has different controls. To move, the fighter must move either the circle pad or directional pad. When pressing down on the circle pad or directional pad, the character will perform a block. Face buttons (A,B,X,Y) are used to perform small kicks and punches, while heavier kicks and punches are performed using the L and R buttons. Combinations of movement and these attacks can result in powerful combos; the more complex the combination of buttons, the more powerful the attack. With the 3DS version of Super Street Fighter, the touch screen can also be used. Four boxes on the touch screen can amount to up to four different special combos, if the player is playing with the "Light" control scheme. If the player is playing the "Pro" control scheme, the touch screen can be used for extra buttons when performing difficult combos.

Gameplay

In Super Street Fighter IV 3D, two fighters face off against each other; once a fighter has knocked out his opponent, the fighter wins that round. In order to win the match, one fighter must win two out of three rounds, which means that a maximum of three rounds and a minimum of two rounds can be played in a match. Fighters can duel it out in a number of different stages. Light punches and kicks do less damage, but can be executed quickly, while heavy punches and kicks require more time, but dole out more damage. Combos can take major damage from the opponent, but can be avoided, and are difficult to perform. With each successful hit on the fighter's opponent, a meter called the EX meter fills.

Once the EX meter is full, the fighter can perform a powerful EX attack; if it hits the opponent, it will cause the opponent to take a fair sum of damage. The revenge meter, when filled, can also allow the player to perform super and ultra combos that cause major damage. Focus attacks are activated when the fighter holds down the button to activate medium punches or kicks. Focus attacks come in three levels that can allow you to absorb hits while disabling opponents or even allow the fighter to exit game animations early to chain powerful attack combos.

Game Interface

There are a few icons when fighting that can change the momentum of any fight. Above the fighters and in the center of screen is a clock that will wind down from 99 seconds. Just under the timer are are two pairs of circles to the left and to the right. The amount of circles filled in represents the amount of rounds won for each corresponding fighter. To the left and right are two health meters that will deplete towards the center as each punch or kick is dealt out. At the far sides of the screens are the two dueling characters' names and their faces. The bottom of the screen contains two sets of meter; the first pair of meters are blue, and move outward. These are the revenge meters. The revenge meter fills up when a fighter manages to successfully block an attack. The second pair of meters, located at the bottom corners of the screen, are the EX Attack meters. The EX Attack meter fills up with each successful hit. Both of these meters, once filled can be used to perform powerful hits. The revenge meter will allow the player to perform super and ultra combos, while the EX Attack meter will allow the player to perform powerful EX Attacks.

Game Modes

There are three offline modes available to play in Super Street Fighter IV 3D:

Training Mode

This game mode allows the fighter to train against a standstill dummy opponent and practice executing different moves and combos. Training Mode allows for unlimited time, EX, and Revenge power, so the player is free to chain any combo in the game. The dummy can also serve as a tester to see what fighting settings the fighter prefers the dummy to have, such as the dummy's block level, stun frequency, and health regeneration levels.

Challenge Mode

Similar to Training Mode, challenge mode pits you against a static dummy with unlimited time and power, but this time the game asks you to perform special combos and attacks. Each character has its own special set of combos to learn which get increasingly more difficult to learn as more combos are learned for that character in Challenge Mode. Mastering each combo for a character allows the fighter to use them in fights, which subsequently can raise their abilities, making fights easier.

Arcade Mode

Arcade Mode, carrying the main storyline of the game, pits the character against a computer for 1-on-1 matches. In Arcade Mode, each fighter the player's character fights has its own backstory, complete with a cutscene to show the character's background. Arcade Mode can be played in multiple difficulties, from easy to very hard, and it can be played with the "Light" or "Pro" control schemes. Each match the character wins against a fighter will allow the character to advance against the next fighter. In between some fights, there will be special objectives that require you to destroy cars, barrels, or other things within a set time limit.

Wireless Features

Street Fighter utilizes StreetPass, allowing players nearby to endure small fights between figurines. 500 figurines at a time can be stored in the Figure Collection. The winner will be determined by putting 2 of each team's fighters up against each other in each round, in a series of 5 rounds. The game will also be using SpotPass to download updates for the game. Local wireless and wifi are available for up to two players.

Wireless Game Modes

Super Street Fighter is one of the only launch games to have as much content playing online as playing offline. The player can do the following online:

Versus Mode

A number of different options in Versus Mode will allow you to customize who and how you play against other humans playing the game at the same time. Battles play out similar to Arcade Mode with two player dueling it out in a number of rounds, with the first person to K.O. his opponent winning a round. A skill level will be determined based on the number of wins and losses the player has against other opponents; this skill level will be used when matching up players in Quick and Custom matches. There are a few sub-modes to play that slightly change your game experience with other people:

Quick Match

When selecting a quick match, the game will automatically find another player with similar skill level to the player. Quick matches have the game choosing all the settings of the game, so there will be no choosing whether the game will allow for "Light" or "Pro" control schemes.

Custom Match

In a Custom match, before entering a fight, the player can choose what settings the fight will have, such as whether the opponent is using the "Light" or "Pro" control schemes, the skill level of the player's opponent, the number of rounds in the match, the maximum time limit of each round, and what region the player's opponent is from. The player has to give up matching times in a Custom match, though.

Friend Match

Friend Matches, as the name implies, lets the player fight with any of its friends, given the fact that any are playing the game. Once the player requests its friends to join, the player can set up a lobby for the player's friends to join. Once a fight can be started, the manipulatable settings will be a compromise between Custom and Quick matches.

Fight Request Mode

If the player is having a hard time finding a match to fight with, the player can turn on Fight Request Mode, which alerts the player while the player is connected to the internet but playing offline that an opponent wants to fight the player in Versus Mode.

Download Play

Using a local wireless connection, player can use only one cartridge to play a Quick or Custom match with friends using Download Play. Although only one cartridge of the game is needed for Download Play, the mode is limited when playing; when using Download Play, the only fighter available is Ryu.

Figurine Mode

Using the NIntendo 3DS's StreetPass functionality, the player can stage fights when they are not even playing the game. The player can create a team of 6 out of their Figurine Collection, limited to 500. When passing another player who has StreetPass turned on and owns the game, players can participate in a turn-based fight that bases the winner on a number of different factors, such as the attack, defense, and special power of the player's figurine team. As more battles are fought in Figurine Mode, the player's team of Figurines will eventually grow stronger. Additionally, the player can trade figurines with other players and buy new figurines with play coins. Play coins are earned through the 3DS's pedometer by walking with the 3DS.

Changes from series

There are no major changes from the series, other than what was introduced in the home versions. However, there are two control schemes. "Light" allows players to map certain special moves to one of four slots on the touch screen. Tapping one results in a move being executed. "Pro" mode calls for special attacks to be entered manually, but certain buttons can be mapped out on the touch screen to make up for the 3DS's control scheme.

Characters

All thirty-five characters from the original home version have been confirmed to be playable: (Note: Characters are in order by highest to lowest tier.)

• Akuma

• Fei-Long

• Guile

• Cammy

• Chun-Li

• Dictator

• Boxer

• E. Honda

• Abel

• Ryu

• Rufus

• Dhalsim

• C. Viper

• Seth

• Zangief

• Ibuki

• Sagat

• Dudley

• Blanka

• DeeJay

• Juri

• Adon

• Ken

• Rose

• Claw

• El Fuerte

• Guy

• T. Hawk

• Cody

• Gouken

• Gen

• Makoto

• Sakura

• Dan

• Hakan

Rewards

Medals can be earned throughout the game and can be viewed in the game's statistics section. Medals can be earned for completely such as performing a specific attack 100 times, or winning three matches in Versus Mode consecutively. In retrospect, they are almost identical to the Xbox 360's Achievement system, and the Playstation 3's Trophy system. A living skill system compiled after playing a few wireless matches will also be earned, to bump the player's skill level up, the player must win more in fights.

Demo

A special trial version is to be available to download free of charge from the eShop, allowing players to test out the game. Multiplayer access is available in the demo as well as the usage of StreetPass. Limitations include only being able to use the character Ryu with one background.

However there has been no demo of the game released yet.

Reception

The magazine Famitsu reviewed the Japanese version of Super Street Fighter IV, giving it a score of 34/40. The reviewers stated that the graphics were good, the 3D versus option is a show for the system's 3D, but it can be a bit hard to see. The touch screen ("Lite") controls were also cited as useful and convenient. Super Street Fighter IV was given a score of 91% by Official Nintendo Magazine, the highest score given to a 3DS launch title by the magazine. It described Super Street Fighter IV as "easily the best fighter game on a Nintendo Handheld".

Gamespot has given Super Street Fighter IV 3D a score of 8.5/10 (great), praising the game for having to remove little- and even adding to- the console versions of the game, but marking the game down for not having online leaderboards or a tournament game mode. Metacritic, an online review compiler, currently scores Super Street Fighter IV 3D a score of 85/100, with most reviews being "positive". Most gaming sites rate a percentage of 80-89 percent "great". So far, Super Street Fighter IV 3D has been the highest critically rated video game on the 3DS since its launch in Japan on February 26, 2011. Super Street Fighter IV 3D Editions has also been the fastest selling 3DS game to date, with the game reaching a milestone of one million units of the game being sold across all regions, now that the game has been released in Australia, the final region where the game was slated to release.

Super Street Fighter IV 3D is one of the few games to launch with the 3DS in every major region and one of the most popular launch titles and was one of very few 3DS games at the time to feature online multiplayer, so it also got praise for this aspect.