Street Fighter X Tekken Mobile Review
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Street Fighter X Tekken Mobile Review

Our Review by Carter Dotson on September 24th, 2012
Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar :: CROSS MY HEART
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Street Fighter X Tekken is another fantastic mobile port of a fighting game from Capcom, even if it is a bit short on characters.

Developer: Capcom
Price: $2.99
Version Reviewed: 1.00.01
Device Reviewed On: iPad 2

Graphics / Sound Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar
Game Controls Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Gameplay Rating: starstarstarstarblankstar
Replay Value Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

Overall Rating: starstarstarstarhalfstar

Capcom's back with a new fighting game for the wandering pugilists out there: Street Fighter X Tekken, a cross-over between Capcom's Street Fighter and Namco's Tekken franchises, styled as a 2 on 2 fighter. However, it's less like the Vs. games in Capcom's catalog because only the health of the main fighter matters. The secondary fighter can be called in temporarily, but once their health meter is drained by time or damage, they are swapped out with the main character. As well, the secondary character can be sacrificed and the main chracter can go into a hyper-powered mode where they gain health and a stat boost through the "Pandora's Box" stat.

Because there's so many ways to delay the defeat of the main character, fights can take a while, so expect a lot of matches to be decided by time outs. Many of the other rules are similar to Street Fighter IV, with a three-segment super bar that can also be used for EX special attacks. For those who aren't familiar with the Tekken cast of characters, the good news is that they all control like Street Fighter characters, which is good because I haven't played Tekken in years.

Like the previous Street Fighter IV releases, this is a great adaptation of a console fighting game to mobile. The coontrols are still surprisingly accurate for a touch screen, and most importantly, the heart of the series is preserved. It's not just like playing the console version, but it is very close. Street Fighter X Tekken finally brings one of the most-requested features to Capcom's Street Fighter games for iOS: iPad support! The game is universal, and while the controls could use size options, the game just feels so much better on the bigger screen. I can actually see what's going on! It's a revelation! The graphics are far, far improved from the previous Street Fighter IV incarnations as well. While Marvel vs. Capcom 2 was universal, having the controls actually be tuned for the game makes a huge difference. Plus, there's the great online play of the other Street Fighter games; while lag does come into play because it's all wireless, it's otherwise a great return.

There is a lack of content here: only 10 characters are initially available, and the single-player mode only lasts about 4 matches or so. The replay value will come from multiplayer. There are some IAP added to the game for consumable currency to upgrade the Pandora's Box stats and for additional Ranked credits, but they seem largely benign at first glance. I rarely see opponents using the Pandora's Box elements at all, and Ranked credits only decrease on defeats, not on victories.

For fans of fighting games that want some new portable pugilism with projectiles, Street Fighter X Tekken is a great choice, if only because it's the best looking entry yet, and it supports the iPad! Hallelujah!

iPhone Screenshots

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STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 1 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 2 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 3 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 4 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 5

iPad Screenshots

(click to enlarge)

STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 6 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 7 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 8 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 9 STREET FIGHTER X TEKKEN MOBILE  screenshot 10
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