Street Fighter X Tekken STORY: The story of Street Fighter X Tekkenbegins with a mysterious meteor that crash lands in the Antarctic. Within themeteor is a strange box-shaped object that researchers have nicknamed 'Pandora',which is beyondhuman comprehension. It cannot be opened by conventional means, but gives off astrong response when it detects violent confrontations. Characters from theTekken and Street Fighter universes form teams of two and search for Pandora,each with their own motivations. REVIEW: I grew up playing both Street Fighter and Tekken at arcades in the early90's, and needless to say, Ihave a special place in my heart for both franchises. For over 15 years, Street Fighter 'VS' Tekken has been the #1crossover title that I've wanted to see. It's a dream match of sorts,especially since the two universes seem like they could easily intertwine underthe creative direction of either of the 2 most successful fighting gamecompanies. Thanks to a twist of fate (and after a few alcoholic beverages between SF producer Ono& Tekken producer Harada), us old schoolfighting game fans are finally living the dream! SF X Tekken (properlypronounced'Street Fighter Cross Tekken') is developedsolely byCapcom. Namco gave Capcom the rights to use their characters, but wasn't at all involved with thegame's development. Because of this, Capcom was given total creative freedom overthe Tekken characters that they decided to include in the game. Namcowill have their turn next with Tekken X Street Fighter, but right now..let's see how Capcom's version of this epic crossover stacks up.
As far as crossovers go, SFXTcan most closely be compared to the Capcom VS SNK series. Like SNK characters, thecast of Tekken already have defined fighting styles and iconic mannerisms.In CVS, Capcom's 2D artists kept the SNK characters'traits closely intact, and also used their talents to fleshout the characters even further in some instances. In SFXT, the creative directionseems very different, and understandably so, since Tekkencharacters are 3D fighting game characters (with movesets ranging anywherefrom 80 to 200 moves). Since SF characters have moremodest movesets, Capcom obviously had to streamline the Tekken sideto balance the game. They did, however, give most Tekken characters significantly moremoves than their SF counterparts, including some in-your-face chain combosthat come in handy after dodging those pesky fireballs. While I have to praise the dev-team for creating innovative & balanced 2Dmovesets for the Tekken cast, I think they went a bit 'wild' onseveral of them. On top of a decent selection of recognizable special moves &chains.. Capcom also gave Tekken fighters a hearty dose of unfamiliar moves & animations. Forstarters, a few signature moves & stances definitely look different. Capcom evengave some of them 'new moves' entirely, all whileleaving out staple techniques that you might expect them to have (Heihachi withno Hell Sweeps? Steve with no Snake Charmer?). This is a very controversial move from Capcom, since Tekken characters already have tonsof moves Capcom could've integrated into their play styles. Seeing just how Tekken's finest translatedinto the SF4 engine is nonetheless very interesting,but I think Yoshinori Ono and the dev-team took a few missteps along the way. Take Steve Fox for example..In my opinion, the strength of Steve's designis all about his articulate and dynamic boxing style. In Tekken games, Stevereally doesn't throw any 'sloppy' punches, and he hits his targetswith a certain finesse that really makes you believe he's a professional boxer.Steve's SFXT incarnation impressively keeps all his signature dodges &stances (and adds some interesting projectile & zoning moves to his arsenal), but Capcom'sexecution on some of Steve's animations just doesn't cut it. I'mopen-minded to Capcom's creative input on the character, but many of Steve's 'sloppy'punches in SFXT (especially his Super Art) mirrors that of some generic boxer from Super Punch Out..and that's not what Steve Fox is about. In a lot of cases, Capcommissed the mark with those 'key' animations.. that extrafinesse or 'oomph' Tekkencharacters put behind their moves. Taking the incredibly fluid Tekkencharacters out of their element and into SF4's 'choppier' animation styleis coarse at times. I wish the current Capcom motion capture team would'vetaken a closer look at some of Tekken 6's animation, because a perceptive Tekkenfan can easily claim: 'He doesn't punch like that..' or 'She doesn'tkick like that..' While they got a few right, others look spastic, and strike me as rough drafts that made it to the finalcut due to time constraints. This 'rushed-looking' and quirky animationstyle quality really puts me off at times. I previously brought up this subject inmy original SF4 review, as many SF characters presented far morefluidity with their moves in their earlier 2Dincarnations. And to be honest, some of SFXT's animation even makes SF4'sanimation look a lot better. SFXT's Super Arts fare better for the most part, but even then, some supers just seem half-hearted. So I'm sure some of you mightask.. 'Is animation really that important?' Yes, Idefinitely think so. You might think I'm being 'too critical' on Capcom's creative input on the Tekkencharacters, but I've been playing fighting games for 25 years.. which possiblymakes me oneof the most critical fans you'll ever meet. You won't see these kinds ofdetails mentioned in some generic mainstream review, and I suppose that's whyyou're on TFG, reading this review. In continuation, character models have their moments oflooking cool, and Capcom did a solid job translating the Tekken fightersvisually, buta few of them (particularly their faces) look kinda ugly and/or funny.. I guess the'cartoony' SF4 graphics style just cant help butlook gawky at times. Due to SFXT's solid gameplay and awesome character roster, imperfectanimation & graphics can be put aside. One of the reasons that theidea of SFXT works in 'gameplay terms' is that many Tekken move commands are very similar to (and some were inspired by) those from StreetFighter. For instance, Kazuya& Heihachi can still wave dash into their trademark Electric Wind God Fist (and even cleverly dodge fireballs as they do so).The very basic play styles of most Tekken characters translatedfairly well, even though they're used very differently now.Personally, after configuring my buttons the way I use them forStreet Fighter, it actually becomes a bit disorienting when using characters thatI'm familiar with in Tekken.. but expecting to use Tekken charactersthe way they're used in Tekken is just unrealistic. At the end of theday, it's much morelike learning 'new' Street Fighter characters. Returning SFcharacters have also received a new technique or two, and have quite a few newcombo possibilities as well! Contrary to what some may think, SFXT's gameplay engine is actuallyvery different fromSF4's, with aslew of new mechanics headlining the action. Actually, SFXT has the most gameplay systems out of any SF game to date. Just to name a few: Cross Rush (achain combo system enabling Light-Medium-Fierce style combos), Super Charge (eachcharacter can charge up a special move for a more powerful version, or unleash aSuper Art if charged up long enough), Tag Cancels (for awesome 'on the fly' combos), Launchers(after a character knocks their opponent up into the air, their partner can tagin and continue the combo), CrossArts (allows both characters' Super Arts to connect in one flashy combo), Pandora (alast resort and risky 'comeback' system that can be activated when you have 25% health or less), andfinally, Cross Assault (both of your teammembers can fight on screen at once, similar to the original MVC!). On top of all of that, SFXT's ultra controversial Gem System allows fighters toactivate variouspower-ups during battle, including: Added damage output, increased movement speed,and vitality restoration. Beginners can even use gems that allow easy inputs, auto-blocking,and auto throw escapes (but those abilities aren't overpowered, in caseyou're wondering). There are over 300 gems in the game, allactivated in different ways, such as: Attacking, blocking, or getting hit byspecial moves a specific number of times. The Gem System definitely introduces someinteresting strategy to the gameplay. Ipersonally think SFXT would've been just fine without the Gem System, but theadded complexity to SF's classic formula is a nice touch, andcan even be fun *gasp*. However, from an 'overall design standpoint,' I think the Gem System seems'tacked on'. It doesn't have any sensible relation to either SF or Tekken,but may bring back some fond memories of Super Gem Fighter.. lol.
Visually, when gems activate, they cause a weird 'glowing' effect around thecharacters, and it usually looks tacky. Somehow you get used toit though. I wonder why Capcom didn't takea page out of Namco's book and go with something more like the 'aura'effects from Tekken 5/6 instead (which would've looked a hell of a lotbetter). Or.. they could've just made a part of the character glow (liketheir gloves), instead of the whole freaking character model. It doesn't look terrible always (actually with some color combinationsit can look cool).. it just looks gimmicky (always). The good news is.. you can fight without gemsif you truly despise them. The combo system isn'tquite as strict as SF4's, which is something I actually like.Thenew Tekken-esk juggle system integrates exceptionally well into the SF4 engine, and I must say there are some incredibly fun combos in thisgame. Thanks to the 'if you hit them whilethey're in the air, it connects' combo framework, there seem to be morecombo possibilities & mix-ups than in SF4.. and I do love my creative combo mix-ups (oneof my favorite things about Tekken's juggle system). With so many teamcombinations, it would seem that the potential for new combo possibilities is nearly infinite.And speaking of infinite, there were quite a few infinite combosfound by players.. which actually isn't surprising for a game with such an open-ended and'new style' of combo system. Thankfully, Capcom has patched them up. I was actually hoping Capcom would include a Tag mechanic in a pure StreetFighter game of this era, because it hasn't been done in such a long time (since EX3?).With the same basic system from Tekken Tag Tournament, players can tag betweencharacters at any time, but if one of them is KO'd, the match ends. SF X Tekken offers a few different waysto play the game with a human partner, and it's actually a lot of fun (even funwith girlfriends). Taking on thecomputer AI with a friend in Tag Mode or Scramble Mode (4 players on screen atonce until K.O.), is automatic good times, even if your friends aren't asskilled as you are. In the PS3 version, you can even fight against onlineopponents with a friend in Tag or Scramble (sorry Xboxers). Overall, SFXT's online mode is fairly solid, minus an annoying sound bug. Onlinefeatures include the staple matchmaking options, as well as replay sharing. Newto the online setup is the briefingroom, an online training mode where you can practice with friendsor train while using Fight Request. SF X Tekken's presentation is one of the game's stronger points. Whenyou start up the game for the first time, you're treated to an intense opening movie, and then tossedright into a Tutorial Mode featuring none other than Dan Hibiki. Dan runs through the game's laughable abundanceof gameplay systems, all while shamelessly attempting to humor you alongthe way. The Arcade Mode presents cool team prologues featuring unique artwork,music & special dialogue between team members following each victory. Also worth mentioning, every character has a specificwin quote after defeating each individual character in the game (some of which arehilarious)! The 'rival fight' interactions in Arcade Mode are also veryentertaining.. I only wish there were more. Unfortunately, the story itself isfar too ambiguous for its own good, and isn't nearly an attempt at anything'great'. I'm glad they incorporated the Mishima Zaibatsu & Shadaloo intothe storyline, but they could've done soooo much more with it. I personally would've liked tosee the Devil Gene and the Dark Hadou cross paths, but again.. nothing. Thecharacter-specific CG endings arecool-looking, but all take place in the Antarctic near Pandora's box (whichdefinitely getsold), and many of which are pretty stupid in terms of story.
SF X Tekken's music selection is a mixed bag. As soon as I knew Final Fight characters were goingto appear in the game, I had my fingers crossed for some badass Final Fightsoundtrack remixes. Capcom granted my wishes to a tee, andactually dished out several remixes on the Final Fight themedstage (complete with cameos by old school Final Fight bad guys)! Aside from that, most of the other new BGMS are a bittoo 'upbeat techno-ey' and 'clangy' for my tastes, but themodest selection of SF & Tekken remixes are pretty good.. I just wish there weremore. Thankfully, SFXT does support the basic feature of adding your own soundtrackfrom your system's library (so if you want old school music in the game, you canadd it yourself). As far as stage designs go, most manage to be exciting at least, butalso a bit goofy and loud. I really wish Capcom put more emphasis on reintroducing'classic' environments, instead of completely new ones that hardly suit the game.Additionally, SFXT's background characters are officiallythe most annoying background characters of all time. Seriously, 90% ofall background characters seem to be 'spazzing' or jumping around likefools, annoyingly trying totake your attention away from the fight. However, there are a few cool cameos likeAlex (Tekken), Kunimitsu, Ganryu & Mech Zangief, but can weget at least one background without a ton of random shit going on (besides thetraining stage)? How about a nice beach stage, overlooking the ocean and acalming sunset.. yeah, that'd be really refreshing. Lastly, therearen't nearly enough stages in the game, which really shows a lack of heart fromCapcom if you ask me. Other details I like about SF X Tekken? Like in UMVC3, I lovehow partners shout out each other's names as they tag in.. it's a subtledetail, but it goes a long way. The overall voice acting is pretty solid for the most part, and thankfully the English/Japanese voiceoveroptions from the SF4 series have returned! Thedefault setting is even halfway decent for the most part.. as characters like Kazuya& Heihachi speak Japanese right off the bat (as they should). Some of theEnglish voices are actually done fairly well, but others are just horrible (as expected). The Tekken-inspired camera anglesduring throws are pretty cool, and many of them add some solid 'ouchfactor'. However, quite a fewof them end up'jolting' the camera a bit too harshly (Rolento's forexample), making it not very pleasingto the eyes at all. In fact.. a few of them mange to hurt my eyes a little. A fully functional Customize Mode finally made its way to a Street Fighter game, andis one of SFXT's best extras. Customizing characters is fun & all, but I think Capcomactually gave players too much 'creative freedom' in this mode. Forone, being able to make acharacter's skin color 'any color of the rainbow' is just ridiculous..and takes away from the integrity of the character. The 'neon glow' colors they addedas DLC are particularly obnoxious. I'mtired of running into people online who decided to make their character looklike a 'walking glow stick'.. Gross. On the bright side, for people who aren't trying to 'troll,' some pretty unique & badasscolor schemes are waiting to be created. Additionally, most of the DLC alternate costumes featuring Tekken & SFcharacters dressed similar to characters from the opposite franchise are simply tacky.I can't imagine any true SF or Tekken fans actually wantinganything like this in the game. In fairness, a few of the 'cross'costumes are actually cleverand look alright, but many are beyond hideous. Some of them aren't worth much more than a cheap laugh.. and awkwardly seem to be a parody ofthe game itself. I wonder why Capcom didn't use that time and space to reate some actual decent alternatecostumes; like2P outfits for Tekken characters or old school costumes?!? I think Yoshinori Ono needs to take it easy with the happy pills. With a nice selection of modes, SFXT feels like a pretty solid package from the start. Whether you're makinga cool color schemein Customize, learning staple combos for characters in Trial, knocking outtough challenges in Mission, or having crazy battles with 4 friends in Scramble Mode,there's plenty of ways to enjoy the game. Although, I was hoping to see some minigames or bonus stages also make an appearance.. for one, an updated Tekken Ball Mode would've beenstellar (sinceit's played on a 2D plane anyway). Sadly, my hopes didn't come true. |
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