Screenshot
No.1
Screenshot No.2
Screenshot No.3
SCENE
GENRE
GRAPHICS
SOUND
PLAYABILITY
VALUE
OPINION
REVIEW
INDEX |
| Setting
the Scene |
Ki-Ya!
Arguably the best 2D fighting game franchise to date -Street
Fighter- is now available in a 3 in 1 package. Capcom has decided to
release two 99.9% arcade perfect ports and one previously unreleased
SF version in the US, all in a two CD set for your mass consumption
pleasure.
Now you can experience the larger characters, vibrant colors
and animation's, the arcade sounds (for the most part) and the pure
speed that you remember (maybe) from the arcade originals right here
on the Playstation.
|
| Genre |
2D
Fighting at it's best. Street Fighter, the grandaddy of fighting
games is finally here for the Playstation!
|
| Graphics |
The
graphics in Street Fighter Collection are a pleasing, hand-drawn
blast from the past. I really love what they are doing today with
Polygons, but the artwork that the old Street Fighter games
exhibited was always highly detailed and colorful. Better than
polys? No. Not really. Different and pleasing to the eye?
Definitely!
Of the three titles presented on this "best of" CD I
like the detail and movement of Super Street Fighter Turbo the best.
The character art and animation are top notch. In fact all of the
titles looked to be "arcade perfect" ports in the graphics
department. The characters are larger, better defined and move
better than the old 16-bit conversions.
The background design and animation are excellent as well. Take
SF Alpha 2 Gold for instance. There is always something going on in
the background enemy aircraft moving about, etc. While I didn't
really like the character art as much in SSFA2G, the backgrounds are
certainly more active than the other two fighters on the disc.
Overall, the graphics are refreshing and vibrant if not just a
bit stiff when compared to their polygon cousins.
|
| Sounds
and Effects |
All
of the classic Street Fighter sound effects have been duplicated
from the arcade. All the grunts, character comments and attack
sounds are faithfully reproduced and as enjoyable as I remember
them. The 32-bit processing power of the Playstation has really done
these conversions justice in the sound department.
The music is also well done, but I seem to remember the opening
and some of the character scene tunes to be different from what is
presented here. Maybe it's just bad memory on my part, but I recall
the music being a bit more engaging on the arcade versions. This is
not to say that the music isn't good, it's just that it is not 100%
the same.
|
| Playability |
I
was never a really big fan of the old Street Fighter games. The
movement was never fluent or realistic enough to grab hold of me and
convert me into a big fan of the series. I don't mean to say that I
didn't like it at all, that would not be true, I just wasn't as
fanatical about it as some of the devotees out there.
Well, guess what? After not having played a 2D Street Fighter
game for a good number of years now, I was pleasantly surprised by
how much enjoyment this package brought to me.
First of all the games are FAST! I had totally forgotten how
much of a challenge it was to put together a string of hits all
while trying not to get pummeled by the opponent (human or
computer). Yeah, the 2D movement is a bit dated now, but it doesn't
mean that it isn't fun to play. Instead of being so critical of the
realism, I was now able to look at the moves with humor and
enjoyment. What happened? Who knows, but I do know that the games
are a blast to play, especially with another human opponent.
The games offer the player options galore. The first two,
Street Fighter II and SF II Turbo give players the option of the
wonderfully translated Arcade mode, a Vs. mode and of course the
game configuration mode.
In Arcade mode, it's you against the computer in an attempt to
reach the finals and be the ultimate Street Fighter champion. On the
Turbo game, if you have the Speed option set to "free" you
can even choose between 3 levels of Turbo speed once you have
selected your character. Of course, a second player can join in the
fun at anytime by just pressing the Start button on their
controller.
Vs. mode is your standard two-player fighting fare. Once again
you can select 3 levels of Turbo speed in the SF II Turbo game. New
characters can be chosen at the end of each match if so desired.
The Option mode allows players to customize the game a bit.
Here you can set the difficulty level (8 selections!), the time
limit of each bout, speed, quick start mode (labeled Shortcut),
button configurations can be changed and screen adjustments made.
You can also sample the various music and sound effects for the
games.
Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (where do they come up with these
names anyway?), gives you a few more options.
In the Arcade mode you now have a choice between Manual and
Auto modes. In manual you must perform all of the blocking functions
yourself. In auto, your character will automatically block unless
you are attacking,
The Vs. mode is your two-player fighting game.
Survival mode is a one-player mode, which will really challenge
your survival skills. You fight a successive string of opponents.
After each battle the number of hits and time it took you to
dispatch your opponent is added to your recovery bar and carried
into the next match.
Akuma mode is pretty neat. Here you battle the character Akuma
in all of the different battlegrounds from SFA2G. If you are
victorious you get to have a final showdown with Akuma on his home
turf
The Option mode lets you set the difficulty of the game from 1
to 8, the time limit for each round, the number of rounds you wish
to play, damage handicapping, turbo settings, controller button
configurations and sound configurations.
This is standard, very well executed Street Fighter fare here
ladies and gentleman. So depending on your love (or hate) for this
series will ultimately dictate the necessity to purchase this title.
Personally, I believe that for any fighting fan, this is a must add
to your library. It's truly a timeless work of art and a damn fun
fighting game to boot!
|
| Value
for Money |
From
a pure blast from the past perspective, you can't beat the deal you
are getting here. Three Street Fighter games on two discs in one
package (phew!), all for the price of one game. There are over 20
characters to choose from some you may never have seen before, and
fighting options galore should keep any gamer coming back for more.
|
|
Opinion |
| TOM |
|
|
|
|
|
GRAPHICS: |
Very
Good |
An
excellent idea on Capcom's part to bring this series home to the
32-bit consoles. To date, it is the most accurate home conversion of
the Street Fighter series. Lots of options, loads of characters to
choose from and beautifully rendered artwork make this a very
attractive bang for your buck. A must have for any self-respecting
Street Fighter and a game that is enough fun to play that anyone
should really check it out! |
|
SOUND: |
Very
Good |
|
PLAYABILITY: |
Very
Good |
|
VALUE: |
Very
Good |
| OVERALL
|
85% |
|
