Written by: Alex

 

 

 

"Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition" brings the arcade fighter to handheld for the first time. With all of the costume packs and a new dynamic view this 3DS incarnation manages to offer more to content to players, but its diminutive size and a few short cuts that have been made to squeeze it all in to the tiny console leaves it slightly lacking next to its big brothers.

 

 

For those who don't know the basic concept behind the Street Fighter series it really simple, two opponents battle it out on a 2D plane. It is the quintessential arcade fighter. But the chances are slim that you do not know what Street Fighter (or more specifically what Super Street Fighter IV) is and what is more important what are the changes from last years 360 and PS3 releases.

 

 

Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition is impressive from the beginning. For those familiar with the HD version of the game, the similarities will be immediately apparent. Character models look similarly vivid and the details of the background are all present. The top screen makes the game look fantastic, with its 5:3 aspect ratio perfect for framing the action. Purists who want to keep everything 2D are then lucky enough to get 60 frames per second in combat, while those viewing in 2D get 30 fps but with backgrounds that drop away into the distance.

 

 

In the traditional side on view the 3D effect of the tiny system looks nice but it's the new dynamic view that really shows off the effect. While viewable in both 3D and 2D this new over the shoulder view is designed specifically to allow players to garner a sense of depth. With the camera just behind the fighter looking down the playing field, this dynamic view allows you to judge opponents distance with some accurately thanks to the 3D. It is not a view recommended for competitive play but to show off the 3D or just to jazz up the single player campaign it makes an interesting diversion.  

 

 

While Capcom did manage to shoehorn a lot of Super Street Fighter 4 in the 3D Edition there are some notable differences. Some filters are obviously not as prominent, with the inky and sketchy effects that were a signature of the game significantly turned down to the point they feel like a token gesture.

 

This reduction carries over to the backgrounds that are no longer the spectacles seen in other versions. Characters in the distance now stand static watching unnervingly as the action unfolds, along with other moving elements that are no rooted to the spot. It is worth noting that at first I didn't notice this. Playing on the smaller screen the lack of motion passed me by, but when put in the dynamic view it became apparent that details that should be moving were not. Switching back to the standard side view after realising this, it became hard to ignore, though during battles it isn’t really an issue, just a minor niggle.

 

Finally and most obvious among the visual shortcomings is the reduced screen size. It is a necessary loss, and one I am willing to make to carry the game in the palm of my hand but one that does distract from the experience.

 

 

One extra that Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition does bring over its big brothers is the inclusion of all of the costume DLC that has been added to the game post release. It is a small touch but it represents a fair amount of what would be paid for content (though what it really brings to the package is subject to opinion).

 

 

Of course it is unlikely that Super Street Fighter 4 3D Edition will actually receive DLC of its own. This is unfortunate because while in some ways the 3DS game could be considered the most complete out of the box, with no need for extra downloads, the recent announcement of Super Street Fighter 4 Arcade (as both DLC and as a stand alone title) for 360, PS3 and PC brings four new characters to the game that the 3DS will never receive, undermined the titles value almost as soon as it is released.