Fists Will Fly!
Arcade mode returns, with players battling a succession of fighters until reaching Seth, the end boss. He doesn't seem as cheap here, which is a bonus. The much-loved barrel and car stages make a return, which adds a great touch of nostalgia. The car stage task the player with destroying a car as quickly as possible, landing punches and special moves until it's completely trashed. The barrel stage sees the player sitting under a conveyor belt, smashing crates as they come tumbling off. A score is awarded based on performance, which can become quite addictive. The Challenge mode is deeper, with around 25 individual challenges per character. These increase in complexity, rewarding each correct move with progress onto the next round. It's a much-improved way of practising combos and the difficulty curve is nicely balanced.
The online aspect of Super Street Fighter IV has received the biggest overhaul. Two new modes are available. Team battles allow for 2v2, 3v3, or 4v4 fights, whereas Endless Battle allows up to eight players to queue for a fight, with the winner staying on. The scoring system is now broken down into overall skill (player points), awarded for victories online. On top of that, battle points are character specific, translating into a rating for the fighter in use. The system feels more flexible, and no longer punishes experimentation. The Replay section allows browsing of online matches from the community, which allows the chance to learn new combos or techniques. Similarly, lobbies give the option to chat, which may not be to everyone's tastes, but gives opportunity for the community to interact.
Title music is an improvement. The animations introducing each characters story have been replaced with `anime' style static images. Survival mode hasn't made the cut, which is a shame. Nevertheless, the real strength of SSFIV is the online improvements, which extends playtime significantly.
Super Street Fighter 4 Turbo is a possibility, but this edition will be hard to beat.