Street Fighter IV Out for the iPhone: A Mini Review Round-Up

The nice thing about iPhone games, like the newly released Street Fighter IV, is that the hype cycle is so short. We only heard about Street Fighter IV for the iPhone less than a month ago, and now it’s here for $9.99. But you’re probably wondering how it plays, what with the lack of physical buttons, and your thumbs taking up some of that valuable screen real estate. I’ve got two conflicting opinions for you.

Here’s Ben Kuchera of Ars Technica, who tried Street Fighter IV on the iPhone at the Game Developers Conference:

After playing for about 15 minutes, the verdict is in: this is about as good as you can expect from a fighting game on the iPhone.

…

I was able to pull off the dragon punches and fireballs after a while, but the game never felt good to me. It never felt like a game I could sit down and play for hours. The iPhone just isn’t set up for this kind of game, and Street Fighter IV felt like someone trying to prove that it could be done.

But hold on, the folks at FoneHome also played the game, and absolutely adored the controls, wishing only for more content (there’s only one tournament mode, and no unlockable characters):

This control method has caused loads of problems on iPhone in the past, leaving the few fighting games that have made it to iTunes feeling like disappointing compromises. We’re pleased to say that Street Fighter IV is the best traditional fighting game we’ve ever played on iPhone.

Hrm. Well, what do the people say? A brief glance at the game’s user reviews shows 112 ratings and 96 actual reviews, with an average of five stars. Say what you will about the control scheme, but buyer’s remorse is tough to find. [iTunes]