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Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Review for Switch

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Review for Switch

One More Hadoken for the Road

Nearing the thirtieth anniversary of Capcom’s highly acclaimed fighting series, Street Fighter remains in every debate as the greatest franchise in the genre. And while the newest iteration, Street Fighter V , has made progressive strides into the realm of esports, there is still a large audience from various generations who hold Street Fighter II closest to their heart. When originally launched way back in 1991, its critical success and fan base cravings prompted Capcom to integrate new features, characters, and gameplay overhauls. Of course, this was well before the emergence of downloadable content, thus entire new physical media had to be created and released to add all the updates. We’ve had Champion Edition, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Anniversary Collection , and I’m sure a handful of other variations I’ve missed. Now we have Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers exclusively for the Nintendo Switch, a fully loaded version with plenty of options for enthusiasts of every age and preference. The menu screens offer a variety of modes and extras, some that satisfy the need for fast-paced fighting, but others that seem either ill-conceived or lacking expected features.

Diving right into Arcade mode and working your way across a random selection of computer controlled opponents, the up tempo combat is pulled from the Super Street Fighter II Turbo template. It is right on point with tight controls and simplified, yet strategic, move sets and combos. You’re given a few choices before the campaign begins, choosing difficulty levels, round length, total rounds, the ability to record replays, and allowing other players to drop in and take over a match. You can also pop on over to the Color Editor mode and tweak the paint job of every character, using the entire spectrum of colors as your palette. In Arcade, you jump right from one match to the next without any story filler, however each character has their own unique conclusion upon completing the campaign, giving you a taste of their personality and ambitions. For those who like to soak in every inch of Street Fighter lore, the Gallery holds nearly three hundred pieces of artwork to inspect. Add in robust statistics and a replay viewer in the Player Data section, as well as sifting through personal titles to tag to your profile that are collected as you play, and there are tons of diversions for when your cramping fingers need a break from the action.

The titular reference, The Final Challengers , introduces Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. These are alternate versions of Ryu and Ken corrupted and plagued with dark desires. However, apart from a couple of exclusive special moves, these two play identical to their heroic counterparts, merely sporting malevolent skins and shadowy colors. Along with them, the full roster is unlocked and available from the start, including Akuma, who is no longer relegated to being a hidden character.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Screenshot

The best addition to Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is the Buddy Battle mode, an expanded version of Street Fighter Alpha ’s Dramatic Battle mode. It pits two players in co-op combat against a single computer-controlled opponent. It opens up a completely new set of tactics, allowing you to flank your enemy, perform dual combos, and hang back and taunt to recover vitality. It forces you to watch your defense as well, since both players share a single health bar. The biggest disappointment is that there is no option to play against another human opponent. A two vs. two addition would have also been a fantastic tag team upgrade, but sadly there is nothing like that to be found.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Screenshot

The biggest head scratcher is the Way of the Hado mode. Taking control of Ryu in a first-person perspective, you use motion controls to perform his special moves to dispatch M. Bison’s goons as they pop down in continuous waves. There are three difficulty levels in either Stage Battle or Endless Battle mode. At the end of each match, you are awarded experience points which can be spent to beef up offensive and defensive attributes, allowing you to last longer in combat. Not only do the motion controls respond poorly and cause arm cramps from thrusting forward to perform Hadokens, but the mode itself feels tacked on and designed to appeal to the few people still swayed by motion controls. The upcoming ARMS may breathe new life into motion controls, but Way of the Hado is just a clunky addition designed to cram in more content in an attempt to justify the game’s hefty $40 price tag.

I do appreciate the ability to adjust the graphics style of Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers . You are able to choose between the nostalgic design of the original Street Fighter II and the brightly colored and smoothly animated style reminiscent of the visuals used in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix . I found myself swapping between the two often, enjoying the variations of each, both in visuals and sound. The only snag is that you have to go back to the Options in the Main Menu to switch between them. I would have liked a more accessible option, either in the pause menu while in a match or assigned to controller button, to quickly switch between styles. Like the illustrations in the Gallery, the backdrops in the menu screen don’t yield to one particular artist and mixing up the artwork showcases many different creative strokes.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers Screenshot

Outside of combat, there’s little praise that can be given to the sound department. The subdued and redundant elevator music on the menu screens doesn’t instill much hype, though it does harken back to the original score. The voice acting also lacks vigor and the brawny tone you would expect for a fighting game. During a match, though, everything is pitch perfect, from Ryu’s shrieking calls to the round winning groans as a defeated character is thrust to the ground.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is getting a lot of attention as a release for the Nintendo Switch and for good reason. It adds a solid fighting game to the system’s slowly growing roster and highlights the partnership of two gaming giants, Capcom and Nintendo, which will hopefully flourish as the console continues its strong launch. The game does carry a few glaring omissions, however, and the highly-touted Way of the Hado mode feels thrown together and out of place. The price is also a sticking point for what is essentially a glorified port of a decades old game. It has its appeal, but I’m sure many will skip this match and wait for the next round.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.2 Graphics
Everything looks clean and classic, and the varied artwork in the Gallery is a delight to peruse through. The Way of the Hado style, though, looks like a cheap VR design. 4.2 Control
Fast and tight, just what you would expect from a Street Fighter game. Again, Way of the Hado brings down the score with clunky motion controls. 3.7 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
Stay in combat, where everything packs the perfect audio punch. Manu music and voice acting is nostalgic, but weak. 3.6 Play Value
There are a lot of modes to sink your teeth into, however some are more exciting than others, and despite the breadth of content, it’s a little too high priced at $40. 3.9 Overall Rating – Good
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Features a stellar line-up of characters, including all of the original fighters and bosses, the characters added in Super Street Fighter II, plus the first new roster additions in nearly 20 years: Evil Ryu and Violent Ken!
  • Choose between classic pixel-art graphics for a retro nostalgia trip, or enjoy a refined new modern look.
  • Utilize the motion controls of the Joy-Con in “Way of the Hado” mode, a new first-person single player experience where players attempt to defeat the Shadaloo army using signature Hadoken and Shoryuken special moves.
  • Team-up with a friend to take on the CPU opponent in a new co-op mode. Create new two-character combos and attack the CPU on both sides!
  • Battle it out with a friend in local multiplayer or take the fight online in Ranked and Casual matches.

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