Early Preview of Street Fighter IV

It may be difficult to believe, but it's been over 10 years since the last "numbered" Street Fighter sequel, SF3, was released to the public. Since then, only remakes and spin-offs of the once-cherished series have been released by cornerstone gaming company Capcom, the publisher and developer of the hit fighting-genre franchise that single-handedly changed the face of the 2D fighting era nearly 20 years ago. So unlikely had the prospect of another real Street Fighter title been, that even the most hardcore of fans had all but given up on the series. Now, at the dawn of the 20^th anniversary of what could very well be the most influential fighter series in the history of gaming, fans and critics alike gasp at the reality that is now upon us: Street Fighter IV is not only in the works, but is starting to come to fruition. The few of us that have been fortunate enough to play the very first demo of what could be the biggest and most anticipated sequel of the decade, can only comment on the vast potential that has already been shown in these early stages.

SF4 Producer Yoshinori Ono has taken the helm in creating the next installment of the genre-defining, standards-setting Street Fighter franchise. Many critics are already predicting that SF4 could be the game to bring some popularity back to fighting games, harkening back to an era long since ended. For many fans, Street Fighter II was their last real game in the series. Subsequent titles in the franchise, including those of the Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, and Street Fighter EX series, have not been nearly as successful. However, Capcom believes that SF4 is destined to bring the series back into the spotlight. Not only does the game incorporate most, if not all, of the vastly recognizable characters that made Street Fighter II a breakout hit 15 years ago, but unlike recent installments, SF4 does not include any of the convoluted gameplay that turned off many fans from the SF2 era.