For as long as I can remember, I've played Street Fighter. I played the original with the giant rubber buttons at Knight Castle*. I played Street Fighter II at Diamond Jim's*, though, in retrospect, I wasn't any good at it at the time. The "versus" games distracted me for a while, so I was late on the Street Fighter Alpha bandwagon. I started playing them while I was playing X-Men vs. Street Fighter. I played Street Fighter III when it came to Diamond Jim's, although it didn't get much attention, and it was removed before Second Impact and Third Strike were released.

The reason I list this, is because I want everyone to know that I'm reviewing this as a person who likes the series. This review may very well be biased. But, if you're reading this, chances are, you're a fan too.

Graphics:

The game looks great. I won't say "amazing"--just great. The characters survived their transition into the 3D realm with style. Although, when the camera zooms in for supers or win poses, the character details don't hold up. It IS, however, a HUGE leap forward from the Street Fighter EX series.

For the most part, the effects are really nice, although some of them can obstruct your view (the smoke during C. Viper's super move) and are distracting until you get used to them (the trailers on hurricane kicks).

Sound/Voiceovers:

It's really what you'd expect from a fighting game. The game's theme is annoying. Really annoying. Imagine listening to N*Sync sing about how indestructible they are. Aside from that, the music is good, but, to me, it doesn't stand out the way the music from the Street Fighter II series does.

The Japanese voiceovers are on-par with the rest of the series, and the English ones aren't really that bad. Getting used to hearing "Flash Kick" can take some getting used to.

Gameplay:

Ah, the meat and potatoes. The gameplay is spot-on. The game, as is to be expected, is very responsive. Super and special moves are easy to pull off. Not only are they easy to pull off, but it seems as though the system may be a little more lenient when taking commands. I get Guile's super flash kick a lot more consistently than I used to, and I don't think I've missed Cammy's Hooligan throw yet.

Overall:

The game is a must-buy for any Street Fighter fans, or just general fighting game fans. It's a return to Street Fighter's roots. The EX attacks, focus attack, and EX cancels add a lot of new depth to the classic gameplay style. Crossovers and two-in-one combos are still a heavy part of gameplay. You'd be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't pick it up.

* Knight Castle was a local arcade that closed around 20(ish) years ago. The local Diamond Jim's has been gone for almost 10 years, now.

This is something I wrote a couple of years ago. It's how I felt at the time. After re-reading it, I realize I still feel the same.