So, late to the SF IV party...

[marurun]

Finally played SF IV via Steam. The control seems pretty good, given I'm using a 3rd party Xbox360 pad. I just can't get over the poor voice acting and, well, truth told, poor graphics. I mean, sure, they use some neat effects, but I really don't like the graphical style. The characters designs just look dumb. After just a couple rounds I miss 2D.

[mjmjr25]

Dude, there's a new game coming out, Mortal Kombat (Combat..with a K, which is Ciller on its own).

SF IV is an absolute boss game - wish our old group still played it. Top 5 fighter all-time for me and w/online play factored in...probably my #1

[the7k]

I personally can't stand SF4. While ST, A2 and 3S all still have players, once SF5 has been around for at least a year, I'd be surprised if any version of SF4 can even match CE or A3 numbers.

They tricked me into coming back to it a few times by adding characters I liked, but I realized after they finally added my absolute favorite SF character that no amount of character love was going to get me to enjoy this game. I just can't do it.

The horrid netcode didn't help anything. Maybe I'd have been willing to suffer through the game just to be able to play something with online friends, but I don't care how much I like you, I'm not dealing with that Fisher Price netcode ever again.

I know no one likes a negative Nancy, but I just really have tried to like that game God knows how many times and I just can't.

[CD AGES]

^
I agree 100% and I know exactly the feeling. My friends who are fairly experienced players at it keep trying to convince me to go back to it but simply can't. I just don't like the Meta-game in 4 at all.
I rather much play 3S, CvS2, HF, A2 and Vsav which I've recently started learning and playing seriously. Really great fighter!

[BoneSnapDeez]

You're late to the party? I've still only played parts 1 & 2. Couldn't even tell you what systems 3 is on.

[Exhuminator]

Street Fighter IV plays excellently, very responsive and snappy for a 3D fighter. The graphics have a lot of pizazz. On a technical level they were very impressive for their time, especially in regards to cel shading and interpolative animation. The backgrounds are fantastic, full of wonderful details. That said, I do think the character models are too "thick", even the men look like they're overly "big boned", and the women all have thunder thighs. I would have preferred slimmer character models.

(These opinions are based on Ultra Street Fighter IV for 360. I also own the game on 3DS, but I haven't tried that version yet.)

[noiseredux]

you're also late to the party where half the forum loves SF4 and half hates it. We do this tug-o-war about once I year I think.

I'm on the former team. Hit me up on Steam if you want to play sometime.

[Luke]

SF IV, and Super Street Fighter IV are forgettable. It's not a game that should have that cell shaded look and it relies too heavily on the popularity of the previous games. It brings nothing new to the genre, and it's a bit ugly.

The controls are great, the music is great, the backgrounds are great, but I'd still rather play Street Fighter II. Not for nostalgic reasons, but for me it's a lot, lot more intense and fun than IV. "Been there, done that" and such.

[marurun]

I think I will come to dig the gameplay OK, even though I have a pretty shitty controller for fighters. I've never been great at fighters. But the character graphics, especially their faces and facial animations, are hideous. Whenever they do a closeup of one of the faces with the lips loosely flapping I just want to turn away from the screen.

I think my PC fighter faves are still KOF XIII (despite the shit netcode) and Skullgirls (despite the fact that that's not my favorite fighting style).

[Exhuminator]

but I'd still rather play Street Fighter II

I'd still rather play Super Street Fighter 2 or Street Fighter Alpha 3.

The point being the best 2D games in the series just have that super tight "feel" that the 3D ones lack.