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Street Fighter IV Preview

• By Chris Morell
• December 22, 2008 11:53 AM PST
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For Gen, things are a little different, specifically due to his dual personalities and two distinct fighting styles. "There was some debate internally as to which version of Gen we would include in SFIV," One remembers, "but we're leaning more towards the White Gen as he's more about perfecting his techniques and focusing on being a good fighter." But he does have two different fighting styles in this game. And he's aged substantially, which will play into his story in Street Fighter IV, as will his connection with Chun Li's dead father. With Gen's SFIV fighting style, we noticed a definite influence from the SF Alpha games. But Gen has seen many upgrades as well, including an anti-air grab and an Ultra move that dashes him from side to side.

As a whole, Street Fighter IV plays like a dream, encompassing everything a fan could want in the next true Street Fighter sequel. Not only does it play a lot like Street Fighter II-we performed vintage Blanka and M. Bison combos without a hitch-but it adds a whole new layer for experts to master. And graphically, the game looks stunning: it combines lush 3D graphics and butter-smooth animation with the simplicity of a 2D fighting game.

The World Wide Web Warrior

But if you're going to release a fighting game in 2009, you better have a plan for online. And the SFIV team has been notoriously tight-lipped about its plans for online multiplayer. Yet with the game right around the corner, Ono let loose some early details for the game's network-connected multiplayer mode.

"We don't you put up hurdles...we want to make it as easy as if there was someone sitting next to you in an arcade," Ono hints. "We're going to engineer the home version of the game so you can actually play in arcade mode and you can turn on a function that would allow match-making in the background, so you could just have somebody jump in exactly as they would at the arcade," Ono says. "No one's really done this before, so it has potential to be really, really huge."

But it goes even deeper. "There's a ridiculous amount of options and filters you can turn on," he continues, "and if you prefer to not have a function on at all, you can turn it off, or choose only ranked matches or player matches." And if you want some truly strenuous practice, Ono says, "you can even set it so you only fight people that are significantly better than you based upon the battle point count." Once you set your options, you'll be able to hop into arcade mode for a few quick warm-up rounds while you wait for a challenger to join your game.

With Street Fighter IV's new online mode, Ono is aiming for something almost unheard of among shooters and fighters: creating a solid matchmaking experience that functions in the background. And it's an inventive way to seamlessly blend single-player and multiplayer modes into one cohesive experience. And don't worry about lag: The team is working hard to "cleverly hide" any lag, but the online modes are being testing across the Pacific and the game is running smoothly already.

Party Like It's 2009

With a new, potentially groundbreaking online mode and field-tested arcade versus battles, Street Fighter IV is already a huge win for Street Fighter fans...or anyone who loves the inherent fun of arcade-style fighters, for that matter. And hey, if you're lucky enough to live near an arcade, hunt down a Street Fighter IV machine and practice up. You're going to need it come early 2009.

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