The
historical signifigance of Street Fighter 2 cannot be ignored. Not only
did it set a standard that has yet to be matched, the game went on to
spawn 10+ versions across different consoles during it's reign.
Though it may have appeared across numerous platforms (including a Game
Boy version!), none come as close to the arcade original as the 3DO
incarnation, ironically also the last version of the game to be released.
While it may have taken forever to happen, a perfect home version of the arcade game had to happen eventually. At least they chose the right time to do it. The arcade version was flawless in every area and by this point Capcom had reformed their art to the highest level of perfection. The 4 new characters added a fresh new take on the series and this was the first version to have the "super" meter, allowing for massive chained combos. The speed was also ramped up from the previous Super Street Fighter II with the 3DO handling all of these features with no problem whatsoever.
There's really very little to say about a game that does so many things right, plus one that every gamer reading this has played. The graphics are absolutely spot-on and all the backgrounds feature every piece of animation. All the new moves are included on the disc, as is a completely remixed soundtrack. All of the memorable tunes from the arcade game are instantly recognizable, but amped up to an entirely new dimension thanks to the advent of CD technology. (Wonderful invention, huh?)
Of
course, no matter how good something is, there's always
something wrong with it. Though it's no fault of the programmers,
the 3DO's controller was not meant for a game as complex as Street
Fighter II. Trying to play the game with a standard controller could be
looked at as torture. One of the many 6-button controllers produced
for the system is an absolute must for any serious fan. With the
proper controller, there are no control faults at all.
Being that this was the final and definitive version of Street Fighter II (before the series went off on other tangents) and it's an arcade perfect port, you can't go wrong. However, with the 3DO being a slighty obscure console, many people will find comfort in one of the SF collections released for the PSX and Saturn which also contain perfect ports. Neither of these collections however feature the enchanced soundtrack of the 3DO version, making this one game highly sought-after (Of course, this could also be attributed to the fact that this is one of the best games ever made for the console too).
