Street Fighter IV Coming to the iPhone

It’s fairly common these days for classic games to appear on the iPhone, but the reveal of Street Fighter IV for the iPhone may come as a shock. IGN says Capcom’s powerhouse fighting franchise will be released for the iPhone and iPod Touch in March. As you can see from the screenshot, a virtual thumbstick will control movement, while attacks are stripped down to one punch and one kick, plus new “SP” and “S” buttons. IGN isn’t clear on what these buttons do; I’m guessing one allows for easier execution of special moves, while the other replaces the “Ultra” maneuvers from the console version of Street Fighter IV, which required you to press all three punch or kick buttons simultaneously.

Street Fighter IV for the iPhone will also include multiplayer over Bluetooth and a Dojo for practicing the new controls, whose layout and transparency can be customized. Ryu and Ken are the only confirmed characters so far. I can’t imagine the transition to the iPhone’s touch screen will work out well for devout Street Fighter IV fans, but that’s probably not what Capcom’s going for. Instead, I think this game will attract casual players, recalling those early fighting game years where most of us didn’t know what we were doing. [IGN via USA Today]