Review: Super Street Fighter II …

… Turbo High-definition Remix. What a long name that is. Why couldn’t they just call it Super Street Fighter 2 Remixed? It’s one of the few times where even the acronym of the name is too long. Anyways, this is a game I have been looking forward to since I heard about it – I sure do say that alot don’t I?

Anyways, for me it was going to be a great trip to the past … back when I was about 11 or 12 and I opened up my Super Nintendo with Street Fighter 2 and Home Alone as well. And how the game had eaten up hours of my time and had given me ideas on how to make little tournaments with my friends before the game had actual tournaments. Now, this game had new music, updated graphics and it had online play, so this was going to be a steal at $15!

Well, I guess you can kind of say that …

I will say this right off the bat – I’m kind of dissapointed in this game. And I think think there’s two reasons for it to be honest. The reason is that I’m expecting Street Fighter II despite the fact that there are definite changes. I’m expecting to relive the memories I had when I was younger so when I don’t … it tarnishes my expectations of the game. I think that’ll always happen when I get my hands on a game I haven’t played in a long time. That’s why I’d be really iffy about a re-release of Final Fantasy VI. You just can’t expect to feel the same way you felt when playing a game the first time versus playing it again ten or twenty years later.

The other reason? Things have changed – and not necessarily to my liking either. First is that I notice a definite increased difficulty in the game – even on easy mode. Infact, my last fight in easy mode pitted me against Akuma. I was faced with multiple fireballs on the ground and in the air … shadow teleports and sweeping Dragon Uppercuts. Include that with the feeling that the game knew your planned moves and immediately countered it before you execute it and you can’t help but feel cheated. I fought Akuma about five times, and never defeated him in one round and most of time they were perfect victories.

I ended up just quitting because I was terribly frustrated. Mainly because I felt very cheated. When all my moves are immediately countered and I’m hit with special moves that hit me before I can recover my choice is either keep dealing with it or just quit. And if I keep dealing with it, a controller will get tossed.

My gaming friend commented on how terrible the controls were. His experience sounds terrible, and I just don’t experience the same thing. He comments on how many attempts at special moves failed but I found that a lot of the special moves I tried went off without a problem. Sure, sometimes my attempt at a fireball was met with a Dragon Uppercut, but that even happened on the SNES version. Overall, I found that the controls were pretty responsive. The D-Pad is different than the SNES version – obviously – so after adapting from that change you’ll probably be good to go.

The graphics were updated, like they said it would for high-resolution output. But the animations seem to have kept with the original. The characters don’t run smoother and the background animations ar just as jerky as they were in the Super Nintendo version. Considering how long this game was in development you’d figure they could have made the game run a little smoother … but that’s not the case. It looks like the only graphic update was the main screen and the ability to make it look pretty on a big high definition television.

The sound was done by a group from a Web site I was very familiar with back in the early 2000s, Overclocked Remix. It was really weird to read the credits and see people that I talked to back then. Do I think they did a good job? Yes – but at the same time I can’t remember the old music. I could try playing the original game that came with this game – but I’d rather stick to the Remixed stuff. Nevertheless, I’m a big fan of game music remixed into high-paced techno, so I approve of it. The sound effects haven’t changed and bring back many memories. There’s nothing like the sound of all your fierce hits connecting through.

Online play can be fun, and aggrivating. You face three kinds of people – the people who played religiously and know exactly what moves to do and have an idea of all the strengths, weaknesses and combos that they can do to prevent you from getting a move in. Then there’s the people like me, who are playing to play a game that they played a long time ago. Rusty with your skills but still good enough that you can put up a fight if you’re not fighting the kind of players who know all the moves. Then there’s those who rely on a very select choice of moves to win. Infact, I had one of those today where I was backed into the corner and the guy kept doing the same move over and over again. So … online multiplayer can be really fun or really frustrating. BUT, it’s free online multiplayer – so I like it.

Is there a lot of replayability in this game? Sure, depending on your experience with it. It sounds like my friend has damn-near deleted the game off his hard drive but I’ll probably go back to it a few times every week because I do seem to have a better experience with it than he did. Will it eat up my time like the SNES versions did? Definitely not.

Overall, I like Street Fighter II HD Remix. I don’t like it as much as I thought it would, but it’s not a terrible game. I think the AI is super-cheap at some points, considering I had a hard time with easy mode, but the game did bring back a nice little feeling of nostalgia. And for the price and online multiplayer and with the reputation of the series, you have a game that’s going to last for quite a while.

So, let’s wrap up the review.

Graphics. The graphics got an overhaul but the animations seem like they got skipped over. At least it won’t look pixelated when looking at it on a high-definition television. The menu screen has nice artwork. 7/10.

Music & Sound Effects. The music was remixed by the people from Overclocked Remix, and they did a damn-fine job. The sound effects stayed the same, but that’s fine. Like I said in my review, the sounds of your fierce attacks connection is pretty gratifying. 10/10.

Gameplay & Controls. The game has a cheap AI. They seem to know what you’re planning on doing and prevent you from doing it. The game had a pretty high difficulty even on Easy mode. I was unable to get past the fourth guy on medium and couldn’t get past Akuma on easy mode. Infact, that battle was so one-sided and felt so cheap that I just quit. Had it not been for multiplayer, I may have just dropped the game entirely. 10/25.

Story and Presentation. The story was pretty simple back in 1992 and it’s no different today. It’s very cut-and-dry. No back story and a very quick ending when you finally clear the game. I think they could have given us a more enjoyable ending considering this is a HD remix, but if they’re staying true to the game then it makes sense to me. 15/20.

Fun Factor. The game’s single player mode has an AI that feels very cheap. If I’m having a difficult time doing easy mode, then medium will be a challenge, hard will be impossible and expert won’t be imaginable without tons of practice. The game can be very fun when you play the game with someone who is on the same skill level as you and very frustrating if you play against someone who knows the ropes all too well. 15/25.

Replayability. With numerous characters with their own endings and with free online multiplayer, you can be going back to this game for a long time. Considering the popularity of the series, you won’t be waiting for an opponent very long when doing online multiplayer. 7/10.

Total Score: 64 pts., giving this game 3/5 invaders.