One the best selling and most influential fighting games of all time has finally hit Apple’s little soul stealer.  Street Fighter 4 has finally graced the App store with its awesomeness. So how does a hardcore console game transfer to a mobile device with no physical control pad? Surprisingly well. The iPhone port is a simplified version from the console.

The Controls are a 4 button interface. Before you get all up in arms about that, hear me out. It is a 4 button interface but with a small screen and no physical control pad to play with, what did you expect? With this control scheme we get one button to punch, one button to kick, one for special and one for focus attacks. You don’t have to worry about complex button combos, for example to do a Hadouken all you have to is tap the “special” button. This simplicity adds an inadvertent awesome factor do the game, Instead of fumbling with the controls to try and get the upper hand on your opponent, you instead just have to worry about perfect timing.

The Graphics. We are talking good old fashioned Digitized goodness. Street Fighter iPhone uses sprite animation but still maintains that 3D model feel. For being sprites, the animation is seamless. The Ultra Combo mini cut scenes are still 3D which translate very well onto the small screen. As far as the back drops that you’re fighting on, they are all from the original console version. The only downer is that they are as stagnant as a green puddle of water in an empty backyard pool. Ooooo that was a bad joke and I apologize for that, It’s understandable that the iPhone has its limitations but when it comes to the environments in the game, there is no background movement what so ever. It actually feels like I’m fighting on a panoramic photoshop background. Besides the stagnant backgrounds, Street Fighter 4 on the Iphone for lack of a better word, looks great.

Street Fighter 4′s character roster is the classic 8 character line up, minus the Russian wrestler. Instead of Zangief we get Abel, We still get Ryu, Ken, Chun-li, Blanka, Dhalsim, Guile, M. Bison. For all you Sagat, Vega, E-Honda and Balrog fans, they are MIA, that’s a good thing. Yes I hate those spammer characters. I cant understand why there is no Cammy. At least give me Akuma. I do hope they add them in an update or something.

Game play is solid. iPhone Street Fighter offers the standard game modes, Tournament is the Single Player experience with a little added twist. The game actually challenges you to complete it in the fastest time possible, if you’re quick enough you get treated to an awesome cut scene from Super Street Fighter 4 where Chun-Li and the British stinger Cammy are fighting Juri. Its a real treat for anyone excited for the new game. You can practice up your skills or if you just want to get used to the control scheme you can hop in the Dojo. There is a multiplayer option but it has no online, instead we get a Bluetooth option. C’mon Capcom COD Zombies gave us online co-op, it can be done! On a positive note the Blue tooth has practically no lag. Since you pretty much are playing right next to each other it comes to be expected. Side by side Multiplayer takes me back to when I would have friends over to play Street Fighter 2, Its a trash talk fest for the nostalgic.

All in all Street Fighter iPhone is a solid game for any fan of the franchise. It is one of those App store gems that deserves a strong following in hope that more updates can come along. A few minor complaints should not deter anyone from enjoying a Street Fighter you can play on the crapper.  Just next time Capcom give me more characters and online.

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