Yesterday, I made a pilgrimage of sorts, though not for any particular religious beliefs. No! This was truly out of curiosity and self-indulgence: to go play the new highly talked about Street Fighter IV over at the Chinatown Fair arcade.
Let's back up a bit. I used to spend countless hours in arcades growing up. I went through a phase in my early teens where Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat II were not just games, they were part of my culture. Everyone was talking about it, playing it at home, working on their skills and swapping moves. I could probably tell you where I was the first time I saw and played these classics, but that's getting off the topic.
So yesterday I finally got to experience the newest of them all, which aims to return fighting games back its roots. My first play was very short lived, as I somehow confirmed one of the new fighters, who I had no idea how to control. My opponent had clearly spent some time on the game, no else would even play him. Forget that match! Second time in, I chose my ol' trusty sidekick Ryu for some bashing, and took the first round. Round 2 got me in some trouble, and it was over before too long. I got some good early hits in round 3, but eventually my opponent pulled out some of crazy ass special move, which pretty much did me in. I would have gone again, but at $1 a pop, I decided to back off. Damn overpriced cabinets!
The game itself was completely amazing. The graphics are very vibrant, and the cabinets are in vein with the traditional Japanese fighter style: each player gets their own gorgeous 37" LCD display. (Here, all four cabinets are lined up side-by-side) The visuals of the game are extremely fluid, and there's so much minor details going on in the background that its hard to take it all in, especially mid round. Though my experience was brief, I will definitely be returning to play this some more before the home console versions start showing up.
And yes, I feel like I'm 12 years old again!
Check out a trailer here.
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