Since the release of Street Fighter III: New Generation in 1997, Street Fighter IV is the first primary game in the fighting series to increase the main number in the game title. Yoshinori Ono created the game, which was released in reaction to the favorable response to Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting.
The game is set chronologically between the second and third main series and boasts a cast of well-known characters. The most noticeable difference is the visual style. Rather than going for full 3D like the Tekken or Virtua Fighter series, SF IV sticks to its roots with levels on 2D planes. The characters are rendered in 3D with polygons, similar to the Street Fighter EX sub-series, but with a hand-drawn touch of strokes and streaks, giving the visual design an ink or paint impression.
With a six-button layout for light, medium, and heavy kicks and punches, throws, dashes, rapid standing, combos, and special moves, the gameplay is reminiscent of Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Focus Attacks (Saving Systems in the Japanese version) are new to this game and are based on two stances where an incoming attack can be absorbed and thus countered. These attacks can cancel out special moves, opening up new options for combos and shifting the emphasis away from strict combinations and toward interpreting an opponent’s action. A super combo gauge can be used to power up regular special moves. There is also a retribution gauge that fills up as you take damage. When fully charged, an ultra combo can be completed, featuring a long cinematic combination of moves, frequently seen from a camera perspective that differs from the standard view.
Compared to the arcade version, the home version includes online multiplayer, new characters, Japanese and English voice acting, animated introductions and endings for all surfaces, bonus stages, a new introduction, a challenge mode that teaches players the basics, and downloadable content.
Among the selectable characters are:
Abel (recent)
Akuma Balrog Blanka
Cammy
Chun-Li Crimson Viper (recent)
Honda, Dan Dhalsim E.
El Fuerte (recent)
Fei-Long Gen Guile
Mr. Ken M. Bison
Rose Rufus (recent)
Ryu Sagat
Sakura
Vega Zangief
Gouken, Ryu and Ken’s sensei and Akuma’s elder brother appears as a computer-controlled character, and Seth appears as the new boss character.
