Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix is a 2D, 2008 remake of the last original iteration of the Street Fighter 2 game. Released as a download-only game for the Xbox 360 Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network by Capcom, it retains the gameplay of the original with updated visuals and an interesting musical score made an Internet community. As you can see above, high definition visuals were brought to the game, drawn by UDON Entertainment in 1080 pixel resolution. The game started out as port of "Super Street Fighter II X for Matching Service", a Japan-only Dreamcast game which included an online multiplayer mode, and underwent a "19-month development cycle" [1]. To best test the network capabilities of the game, a beta version was released online to allow players to log errors, a much more stream-lined way of testing a game with the advent of broadband and Xbox Live/PSN. The game was very well received by critics and fans alike.
I believe the really interesting fact about this re-imagining of the game however is the audio. Hailed as Game Audio 2.0, Capcom took a chance to mix things up and contacted game-music-remix-community OverClocked Remix to create the soundtrack for the game. Well known for their diverse collection of homemade, individual remixes of game music, Capcom found the community's "Blood on the Asphalt" album, a number of remixed songs from Street Fighter 2, and contacted the site in hopes of them creating the soundtrack for the new game. This turned into a very successful venture. Not only did a high-class soundtrack be created, Capcom engaged something that had rarely been seen before. By allowing a community of fans to actually participate in the creation of a part of the game, Capcom delved into a very interesting participatory culture outside of their company and franchise, right at the grass roots level of fandom. I think this is very commendable and also very successful, the soundtrack as a whole is a joy to listen to, both for the nostalgia and to see how such well-known themes have evolved through the use of modern technology. It hints at the direction of which the games industry may be headed, with increased participation by the audience, helping create the game they want to play. With such iconic music, which many of the composers of the community grew up with, there was an immediate font of memories to draw from, "Zangief's theme is pretty much lodged deep in the part of my brain that connects to the spine." - Shael Riley [2].
You can download the whole album for free, here.
Street Fighter 4 was a critical and commercial success and has been branded as the game that has saved the franchise. Even rival games have praised its success, noting its part in the resurgence of the fighting genre. "I was very happy to see it make a comeback – especially with that new look it returned with while staying true to the original formula." - Tekken 6 director Katsuhiro Harada [3]. There were higher than expected sales of the game, with 2 million shipped copies in the first few months, regardless of the heavy piracy of the game that hit before release [4]. So in true Capcom style, it was decided to create an updated installment of the game, named Super Street Fighter 4, much in the same vein as the updated versions of Street Fighter 2.
While it was original thought that Super Street Fighter 4 would be released as downloadable content for the original game, instead it was decided to release it as a standalone disc at a reduced price, with perks for people who already owned a copy of Street Fighter 4. Following the feedback of the fan community, Capcom listened to what was wanted and has included the characters that were missed from the Street Fighter 2 roster (T.Hawk and Dee Jay) and have included a brand new character, Juri, the franchise's first Korean warrior. On top of this, like the original course of action with the Street Fighter 2 installments, gameplay balance has been carried out [5]. It seems that Capcom hopes to repeat the success they found with Street Fighter 2 with this new series. The franchise has come full circle in a way, Street Fighter is repeating the same plan it used to success almost 20 years previous with essentially the same game, rebooted and remade with modern technology. Personally, this raises questions of whether or not the franchise has truly moved on since the glory days of the early nineties.
[1] Ryan Scott, Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo: HD Remix Postmortem, retrieved 02/01/10
[2] Ben Kuchers, Fans go pro: how OC ReMix put its stamp on Street Fighter II HD Remi, 17/07/08, retrieved 02/01/10
[3] Neon Kelly, Tekken 6 boss pleased by SFIV success, 03/07/2009, retrieved 02/01/10
[4] Street Fighter IV Hits the Two Million Unit Mark, 24/02/09, retrieved 02/01/10
[5] Ricardo Torres, Super Street Fighter IV Impressions - First Look, 29/09/09, retrieved 03/01/10
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