Around August or so of 2006, I recall a time when I and a couple of editors were looking forward to a few matches in the recent release Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting with none other than Microsoft’s own Ken Lobb. Now, I won’t consider myself to be incredible at Street Fighter (see Capcom Resident Evil 5 Party Video for a documented beatdown of myself) but I have been pretty decent in my time (I almost managed to beat Seth Killian while he was playing one handed if that’s any consolation).
Thus, I first watched as Steve was beaten by the Klobb and after choosing Ken as my character, I was ready to challenge this worthy opponent. About 3 seconds into the match, I remembered just how terrible the D-Pad on the authentic 360 controller could be and though I kept the match close, this controller eventually led to my defeat. Not sensing any unfair advantage on Ken’s part (the Exec, not the fighter), I complained excessively about not being used to the controller’s God awful D-Pad as well as a decent amount of lag to boot. However, my loss was immediately consoled (and void) after realizing that Ken had sneakily made use of his trusty Dead or Alive fighting stick.
Two things came to mind after my experience with this title. For one, it’s still hard to understand how such a great system like the Xbox 360 could have such a pronounced design flaw as this third-party-esque D-Pad. Secondly, as a longtime fan of the series, I longed for the “perfect” Street Fighter experience on current generation consoles.
Finally both of these problems have been addressed in the 2008-2009 timeframe with Capcom’s continual homage to the hardcore gamer. Answering my second prayer (and the prayers of fighter fans alike) Capcom prepared not one but two great titles, in the recent Street Fighter II Turbo: HD Remix and the upcoming Street Fighter IV to give Street Fighter fans the experience they’ve longed for. The other prayer was addressed in joint fashion by Capcom approved Madcatz gaming equipment for the upcoming (and recent) releases including two types of fight sticks and a fight pad as well. Luckily we were given the grace of playing all three along with the most recent build of Street Fighter IV and we’d love to tell you a little about our experience.
First of all, Street Fighter IV was not much different than its recent E3 build, aside from the availability of every character for us to choose from. All of the Street Fighter II fighters were available as well as many from the Street Fighter Alpha 3 series to boot. A boss character was also in the game called Seth and there is no confusion that he was named after the legend himself. However, aside from the list of characters, the game remained just like its previous E3 build.
The more notable news about the game included the co-release of a line-up of Madcatz controllers/sticks to enhance the experience (in other words to replace the use of the 360 D-Pad for 360 users). The first of the three gameplay mechanisms, the Official Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick, was a standard stick that included the typical arcade style of button layout with low, mid, and high attack buttons for both punch and kick as well as a combination button for each. Other notable features included a turbo button, LED indicators, and the placement of start and select on the rear of the device to minimize accidental pausage. This stick played remarkably well and will be a great addition to any Street Fighter fan’s 360 or PS3 setup.
However, for the more hardcore fans, Madcatz also created a deluxe version of the stick, dubbed the Official Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick: Tournament Addition. This baby not only sports the above lineup of features but is actually built with an authentic arcade-style joystick for ultra-precise movement. Other features included screw on feet for a more stable surface and the popular (and Capcom/Madcatz approved and encouraged) ability to mod the device with your own personal touch. This deluxe version should and will be the centerpiece of the hardcore Street Fighter aficionado’s home.
Finally, for players who prefer a controller over the arcade, a special Official Street Fighter IV Arcade FightPad is the perfect touch to a trifecta of quality products. A spitting image of the Sega Genesis six button controller, this controller also featured a switch to allow players to alternate from D-Pad to analog stick. The controller itself comfortably fits the hand and the 8-way D-Pad far overshadows that of a 360 controller.
All of these three products are complete with Street Fighter decorations as well as different included memorabilia according to your purchase. February 17th looks to be a busy day for Street Fighter fans across the States; for me, this signifies the renewal of my Street Fighter passion but more importantly the revenge of my previous defeat. Until next time Klobb, “Tatsumakisenpuukyaku!”
