Ever play a 2D fighter in 3D? Me neither — until PAX East, that is.
The 3DS isn’t equipped with most of the things that modern fighting game enthusiasts revel in, like a large HD display or tournament-ready fight sticks. But based on what I played of Super Street Fighter IV 3D Remix at PAX East recently, the one thing that it does have is a seemingly full version of Super Street Fighter IV — in 3D.
Upon picking up the 3DS, I was able to choose between a classic and dynamic view mode. The classic view, with the slider turned down, more-or-less gives you what you would see on a console version of SSF4. Turning the slider up makes the background sink backwards, behind the screen. To really do the 3D justice you want to choose dynamic mode. The mode puts the camera behind your character to give you an over-the-shoulder view of the arena. Although disorienting at first, it was a great way to play Street Fighter with the 3D slider cranked up. Instead of judging my opponent’s linear distance from me in the classic viewpoint, with the plane of battle coinciding with the screen, I was now able to look at depth as the fight waged on in the third dimension. Fireballs now moved towards and away from me.
Another impressive thing about 3D Remix is that all of the characters make their way from the console versions of SSF4 and into your hands. The 3DS made a big statement when I picked it up and saw the character display screen packed full of fighters.
I didn’t walk away from the Nintendo’s booth without a few concerns about 3D Remix, though. 2D fighting fans will have a few complaints about the controls. Many gamers have always had issues with first-party controllers when playing their 2D fighters. The 3DS does little to remedy this. I mainly used the D-pad, but the analog stick felt strange when I tried it. Moreover, a Capcom fighter requires a lot of use of the shoulder buttons. Handhelds are so thin these days that using those buttons so often felt weird.
Capcom does do a few things to help the controller issue (or to make things friendly for casual fighters) by introducing a Simple Mode. The lower screen is made up of four quadrant buttons which allow you to trigger ultra, super, or special moves with one press. This option can be turned off for certain online fights, but online mode wasn’t available for us to try at PAX East.
Super Street Fighter IV 3D Remix has all the makings of a complete version of SSF4 on a handheld; this will probably 3D Remix’s second greatest accomplishment. Capcom’s greatest accomplishment in 3D Remix could be presenting a 2D fighter to gamers in 3D. Dynamic mode is a really simple and elegant solution to the “2D fighter in 3D” oxymoron. If online play does work well, 3D Remix will be a highly competent version of SSF4 (controller issues aside).
By bringing a component of the battle perpendicular to the screen, gamers will literally be given a fresh, new way of looking at Street Fighter.
1 Comment