• PS3 ››
• Fighting ››
• Street Fighter IV

Street Fighter IV interview

• By Chris Morell
• August 22, 2008 16:58 PM PST
• Print
• Email this!
• Share
  • Digg
  • Yahoo Buzz!
  • FaceBook
  • StumbleUpon
  • del.icio.us

Leipzig Games Convention: GamePro chats with the man behind the first true Street Fighter II sequel in 10 years at Leipzig Games Convention in Germany.

Yoshinori Ono enjoys some Mountain Dew in Leipzig, Germany.

LEIGZIG, GERMANY: Fighting games are going crazy these days. Mortal Kombat is set to battle DC comics' superheroes and villains, Darth Vader and Yoda unleash the force in SoulCalibur IV, and Solid Snake headlines a large group of co-star characters in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Street Fighter IV, however, is keeping it in the family.

"We want people who played Street Fighter II to pick up the controller [in Street Figher IV] and remember all the moves," says SFIV producer Yoshinori Ono about bringing addictive fun back into fighting games. Where brawlers like SoulCalibur IV focus on a huge cast of playable and over-the-top characters, Street Fighter IV sticks to its core and memorable group--with a few new additions of course--keeping all of the core moves and combos that Street Fighter players remember.

Recently released in Japanese arcades, Street Fighter IV is also being crafted for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and Ono wants to give console gamers their own unique experience. The fighting will essentially be the same, but with more time and money being spent on giving console players a more character-driven experience.

Crimson Viper vs. (unknown)

In terms of development, both console versions are getting the same amount of attention, but even Ono agrees that the Xbox 360 controller is a handicap. The directional pad just isn't quite up to par with that of the PS3 (or older systems, for that matter). But there are plenty of third-party joysticks and controllers that can solve the problem.

When asked about the possibility of a Nintendo Wii version, Ono responds, "If we think we can sell it, then it's a possibility." As Street Fighter IV still retains the 2D fighting engine of the series' past games, a Wii edition is certainly in the realm of possibility.

Even though Ono is keeping Star Wars and other characters out of Street Fighter IV, we did get him to admit who would be a fun addition to the Street Fighter lineup: "Superman and Spider-Man," he says. The speeding bullet versus the webbed Hadouken.

Zangief vs. Blanka

Chun-Lee vs. E. Honda