Wednesday, August 20, 2008

I played Street Fighter IV!!



Imagine my surprise when I found out that there was a Street Fighter IV arcade in machine, just a stone's throw away from work? O.M.G.W.T.F.B.B.Q (in every sense of the word). Needless to say, it was imperative that I make a pilgrimage to the shrine of all fighting videogames, to sit up upon its steps, to drink in its wisdom and to learn the ways of the World Warrior.

Hyperbole aside, I really was extremely excited to get my hands on the game. I've always had a soft spot for Street Fighter, even though I was never any good at it. I've read each character's backstory, watched the anime and even the movie as well. So I dropped by Galactic Circus this evening after work, filled with anticipation.

And boy, did I get a pay off. First off, seeing the game in motion was an absolute treat; the graphics looked sharp, the art direction paid homage to the original game (which, as we all know, really was Street Fighter II), with a layer of crispness that heretofore was unmatched. The sound effects were a pleasure to listen to. Everything about it was great. And it played great too. The controls were responsive, and the moves weren't prohibitively hard to pull off; in fact, one would argue that the controls were a little more forgiving this time round.

I played about 5 games (which cost $2 each!) with a few other guys gathered there. They were a good friendly bunch, and we conversed a bit in-between matches. Everyone was quite gentlemanly about taking and giving turns, which was cool. Funny thing was that there was a guy there who read about the game through the same article as I did today. I guess I really shouldn't be that surprised; I'm not the only one to read Kotaku.

Now my hands are itching for more still, and I can't wait to get back there and try another game or two.

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