Street Fighter is one gaming’s favourite fighting series. With Street Fighter 2 still holding the crown for greatest fighter for many years now, as some 3D entries were not too favourably received by SF veterans, it’s time for Street Fighter 4 to step up to the plate and haduken it’s way to undisputed champion.

Street Fighter 4, this time around, sticks to its traditional roots and nature. While the backgrounds characters and environments appear in glorious 3D, the side-on 2D gameplay plane remains. This may please fans of the series as it uncannily resembles a feel ad style to Street Fighter 2, but Street Fighter 4 does have some new tricks up its sleeve.

All the favourite fighters are there – Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Vega and the rest of the gang. However, new fighters like French martial artist, Abel; overweight American, Rufus; a Rey Mysterio Jr lookalike, El Fuerte and Crimson Viper, a spy who has incredibly powerful kicks and air attacks. The new additions are really interesting and accessible characters who will become fan favourites in no time.

Focus attacks are incorporated into the fighting. They are strong counter-attacks that require precision timing and button combinations to launch an assault on your opponent as they finish theirs. Ultra combos can be used when a ‘revenge gauge’ is filled by taking damage from an opponent. Once filled, the player can unleash big hitting combos that completely annihilate the other fighter with kicks, punches, frying pans, you name it. These are great additions to the fighting gameplay and add a strategic depth to taking damage. A ‘practice room’ is available to attempt these, but there is no real guidance or prompts to give an indication on how and when to do them, it comes down to trial and error in-game.

A slight extension of this problem is that Street Fighter 4 contains a really challenging difficulty. Even on Easy, initial characters will give you a butt whipping with repetitive moves and combos. The only way to defeat them?Get better! This is ironically where SF4 strives though, because through the unforgiving difficulty, there is a great variety of moves and depth to the combat. Average gamers will barely scratch the surface of what’s available, and that’s OK, because you can beat Arcade mode with a handful of moves and determination.

SF4 contains an incredibly unique and stylized art direction. Although the characters are in 3D, they carry a hand-drawn look which resembles its 90’s counterpart. The moves and effects look fantastic, and there are even unique anime-styled cut scenes for each characters story. As confusing as they may be, they’re great to watch.

Online play and unlockable boss characters, along with game modes such as Versus and Time Attack provides some extended value to SF4, as playing with your friends is where the game will really shine and cater for sleepless nights of mano-a-mano brawling.

Street Fighter 4 is a marvel in every right. Fantastic graphics and visuals, enough depth to make combat accessible to newcomers and please veterans.The fan favourite gamplay and layout that has stood the test of time. One of 2009’s greats.