Street Fighter IV

If the original Street Fighter represented Ryu’s quest to climb the metaphorical mountain of martial arts mastery through willpower and multi-disciplined training, then Seth, Street Fighter IV’s boss, is the antithesis, an engineered creation that technologically combined the moves of the greatest fighters to leap straight to the top. By SFIII, the series’ core evolved into a deep combat model with flowing hip-hop style, but its complexity made the climb nearly insurmountable for new players at a time when gaming was going through dramatic changes. What was needed was a break until new tech could re-evaluate the series’ design and still capture its artistry. Street Fighter IV returned to the canvas nine years later, able to balance traditional gameplay elements from throughout the series to help fighters at any skill level reach the martial arts’ stunning, stylish summit.