Street Fighter IV for iPhone - app review

Street Fighter IV for iPhone has been out for a little while now. Capcom just can't sit still and they have released another update to the best fighter on iPhone. What makes this game so awesome? Let's check it out.

Street Fighter IV is a faithful conversion to the arcade hit Street Fighter IV. Street Fighter has been around for years in many iterations and I am quite pleased with the iPhone version. Right out of the gate you are immediately blown away by the video opening. Very nicely done. Next you have an opportunity to tweak some settings, etc, but for now, let's just jump right into the game. First words; wow. I mean, this game is absolutely gorgeous (even if it doesn't currently take advantage of the retina display). The animation, scrolling foreground and background, this game is hot. But of course, a game can be pretty but if the controls are poor, forget about it. I am here to say that even the most seasoned and stubborn Street Fighter player will find some joy in the this game. Capcom has done a fantastic job of using the touch screen for controls.

When you boot up the game the first time, it asks you to configure the controls. You have complete dynamic control over where your buttons are located and how the d-pad looks. Without this, the game would not be as great as it is for some players. To be honest, I have gone back and forth with some of the control setups, but I always can get by on the defaults. If you are worried about control, don't, it is just like any console version less a few buttons.

Due to the limited screen real estate, Capcom has given you only four buttons; punch, kick, SP and Focus. To execute a light, medium or strong attack, it is all about positioning and Capcom has nailed it. For example: if you crouch and attack with a kick, you get a medium crouched kick. If you forward crouch and press kick, you get a sweep kick. See, it's not so bad is it?

You can choose from 12 of the world warriors with the latest additions being E. Honda and C. Viper. Every character has two colors available to choose from and currently you can download additional alternative colors for Chun-Li and Ryu for $0.99 each.

Even though this game has some omissions, namely the online multiplayer, I still play this game a couple times a week against the computer. For this reason alone, it clearly has value. 5.0 stars.

[$9.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

  • Fantastic graphics
  • Awesome controls
  • Great selection of Street Fighter characters
  • Wide array of individual player games (tourney, sparring, practice, dojo, etc)

Cons

  • No retina display for iPhone/iPod Touch :-(
  • No online multiplayer
  • Maybe a few more characters... where's T-Hawk!

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Software trainer, blogger and mobile technology enthusiast living in the suburban Midwest.