Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Update to popular fighter has violence, mild sexuality.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition has content that might be deemed inappropriate for young eyes and ears. Expect violence in the form of fierce hand-to-hand fighting, though without blood or gore. Women and men often show a lot of skin, and the camera sometimes zooms up close on female fighters' body parts. There is one visual reference to alcohol and some mild profanity, too. Parents should note that gamers who play online can verbally chat with other players, a feature Common Sense Media does not recommend for pre-teens.

  • Fighting games generally don't have positive messages as the goal is to physically defeat your opponents before they can defeat you, and this game is no different. Players spend virtually all of their time engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Plus, many of the women in this game are dressed suggestively and the camera sometimes zooms in on their breasts or buttocks.
  • This is a fighting game. Consequently, you won't find out much about the personalities and motives of its 39 playable characters. Instead, you'll simply see them fight. Some -- such as the two new characters -- outwardly profess to be evil.
  • These games aren't easy to pick up for beginners, but at least there are varying difficulty levels when playing against computer-controlled opponents. This "Arcade Edition" is more of an enthusiast purchase for players looking for a competitive, arcade experience.
  • Violence is the core gameplay mechanic, but there isn't any blood or gore -- unlike games in a series like Mortal Kombat. Players use punches and kicks to defeat enemies, as well as some special powers, like fireballs and over-the-top aerial moves. Characters sometimes groan or yell when struck.
  • Many of the female fighters are dressed suggestively and show a lot of skin. The camera often focuses on overly large and bouncing breasts and there are close-up shots of female buttocks. Male fighters are often topless, too, and show exaggerated muscles.
  • There is some mild language in the game, such as "damn" and "hell." Players may hear more when playing online and chatting with others. We didn't hear any online opponents using profanity during our evaluation.
  • Not applicable.
  • One scene is in a distillery, of sorts, and there are casks and crates of alcohol labeled as "scotch" and "whiskey."

What's it about?

The third iteration of Capcom's best-selling game for consoles and the PC (including the recent Nintendo 3DS version), SUPER STREET FIGHTER IV: ARCADE EDITION is considered the "definitive" version of this now classic fighting title. Along with the 2D fighting action –- which pits two unique characters against one another in a handful of arenas -– this new disc features 39 characters, including four new ones: Hong King twins Yun and Yang (first introduced in Street Fighter III), the tough-as-nails Oni, and Evil Ryu. It also offers tweaked balancing for all the characters, as well as a few enhancements to the online modes pertaining to viewing and sharing replays. If you already own Super Street Fighter IV, this "Arcade Edition" can be downloaded as a free update. A beefier $15 update offers online matchmaking options to connect with other Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition players.


Is it any good?

 

This is a great buy -- assuming you like fighting games and don't own a previous version of Super Street Fighter IV. If you do, just download one of the updates rather than buying it again on a disc for $40. The new characters will be a treat for long-time Street Fighter fans. Plus, the balancing issues discussed (and debated) in online forums should be addressed in this version. Those who like to play online will find a new Replay Follower (follow up to five separate player replays) and you can now distribute your recorded replays to up to 50 players. On a related note, the new Elite Channel lets you watch replays from elite players who have a rating of 3000PP or higher. Be sure to also read our Super Street Fighter IV review, which discusses the more fundamental elements of this classic fighter.

The game plays the same on all three platforms, but the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version might be more comfortable than a PC because of their controllers (unless you have a gamepad for your computer). Alternatively, you can pick up a licensed Street Fighter controller to make it feel like you're in the arcades.


Explore, discuss, enjoy

  • Families can talk about violence in fighting games. This genre typically features knock-outs rather than kills, and often lack blood or gore. However, the one-on-one battles can also be longer than in other games, and take place close to the camera. In terms of violence, how does a fighting game stack up against a first-person shooter? 

     

  • Families can also discuss value in game purchases. Is there enough new content in this "arcade" edition to justify its price? Would you have gotten more from a completely new game? Do you consider these factors when making game purchased?


This review of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was written by
Teen, 15 years old
July 10, 2011
 
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition; xJustifiedd's Review
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition To be honest, I've never played a better arcade game than Super Street Fighter IV. Amazing things that your characters can do, I've played it once on a couple of rounds. It is super intresting to see where winning in the game takes you. You get to higher levels and opponents get harder to beat. BAD BITS - -The game has horrible graphics. (Cartoon like graphics) -Controlling the character is kind of difficult but you could get used to it. -Super moves are hard to do, unless you practice on the 'Practice' mode in the Main Menu.
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Adult
July 28, 2011
 
My first observation.
I know that this isn't a very well reviewed game, but I am new hear and wanted to put my foot on some very common ground. I have always been a big fan of the Street Fighter games ever since I was young, which is a bit hypocritical on a site like this, I understand, but I believe times were fairly different back then. Regardless with how impressionable and "protected" most children are today I believe this game is only truly suitable to the average state wide consenting age of 16. Simply for the face of the scantly clad women and excessive violence.
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Adult
October 16, 2011
 
Good for teenagers and above, tough to learn
The main reason why most children would not like this is the learning curve, rather than violence or language. Street Fighter has always had a steep learning curve, and this game is no exception. It will take a while to learn how to play the game effectively. Once you do learn how to play well, the game will be very fun. Due to this, I recommend starting with Ryu or Ken to learn the game mechanics. -- The violence is fantastical and the body portrayals are not too bad (although they are still very unrealistic). Arcade Edition managed to unbalance the game, unfortunately. A patch will be released in December 2011 to try to fix the damage Capcom did, though. -- Those wishing to pursue serious and/or tournament play should use an arcade stick.

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Kid, 11 years old
October 29, 2011
 
ssf4 arcade edition broke down before you could press start
Single dips are fine with me, double dips get a little uncool, but triple dips are the last straw. This game is revisiting SSF4 all over again with only four fighters included, three of them revived. This game is very repetitive and not that fun, as there is not much added to the game to make it stand out. This game should've been best as an update, and not a cash-stealing standalone.
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Adult
August 1, 2011
 
A good game for your teens
This game is the latest incarnation of the Street Fighter series. It focuses on players winning a set number of rounds, the default is two but can be changed, against various adversaries in one-on-one combat. The majority of the combat is hand-to-hand, though different characters have the ability to do various special moves that range from extremely quick strikes to throwing energy balls, to using weaponry. Unlike Mortal Kombat, there is no blood in this game. Despite any attack the character sustains, he or she will not bleed, and there are no 'finishing moves' or 'fatalities', which happen after a character is beaten and the winner of the match is given an opprotunity to kill their rival. As with most obviously-not-for-children video games, the physiques of the characters are not typical of what a real person would look like. The men are almost all heavily muscled and defined while the women are mostly lithe and curvaceous. The women's gear is tight and revealing, the camera sometimes focusin and zooming in on such things on purpose. This game also features the ability to play against, and speak to, people all over the world. As with anything that lots of people can access, you'll have those who would use it for nefarious purposes or just to harrass and tease, degrading and insulting those who loose, or using various means to cheat. All in all, it's a pretty good update of the game, but should only be played by those who understand the difference between fantasy and reality, and for the girls to know that those body types and styles of dress aren't meant to be real. Also, anyone can feel free to contact me for advice on other games, or just about anything. I'm not far out of my teen years, so I can help both kids and parents talk and relate. Feel free to contact me.
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Teen, 16 years old
January 20, 2012
 
a perfect game for kids 8 and up
well I didn't see sexuall content and the fighting isn't bad. compared to mortal kombat this game is appropriate the fighting in mortal kombat is like murder the fighting in street fighter isn't half as bad and it is not bad at all

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Kid, 10 years old
January 9, 2012
 
Hadoken! Metsu Shoruken! Tyger! Sonic Boom! *Punch* *Kick* Why Dan? I want Fei Long!
This game is the best Street Fighter 4 along with 3D 'cause in that it's easier to pick up and play but this one has a few more fighters like Evil Ryu and Oni. I don't own this game but I have played it as a friends house and we think it's one of the best fighters since Mortal Kombat II one SNES with a Super Advantage or two because that made the freaking ESRB. Now, the language, the only swear word I heard is the judge of the fight or whateves said "This is going to be one h*ll of a fight!" This game and clothing, lots of cleavage shown on women in here but a good game.
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Parent
May 19, 2013
 
good its a great game for kids 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 all ages
its for kids
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This review of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was written by
Platforms:Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Fighting
Developer:Capcom
Release date:June 28, 2011
Price:$39.99
ESRB rating:T for Alcohol Reference, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence (PlayStation 3, Windows, Xbox 360)

This review of Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was written by

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