Street Fighter Extravaganza

Sick of the holidays already? Then look past them, and towards February 17, 2009, when one of the biggest game releases of the year is coming—known as none other than Street Fighter IV. Since 99% of American gamers were never able to experience Street Fighter’s wonder in the arcades, this is good news. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 users will soon have another game to argue over console comparisons.

With previous news coverage placing the release during the winter, gamers need to consider that the winter fiscal year for some companies run until the end of February. Consoles will also receive extra playable characters in Fei Long, Sakura, Dan, Cammy and more interestingly, Sheng Long: the master of Ryu and Ken.

The upcoming Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li movie is opening on February 27, 2009, ten days after the release of Street Fighter IV. Since all the hype is attached to the game, it is obvious that 20th Century Fox is hoping for a little extra money by just being loosely associated to SFIV. Additionally, Universal is going to re-release the original Street Fighter movie on February 10, 2009 as an “Extreme Edition” DVD and Blu-ray. It looks like February will be Street Fighter month–at least in the United States.

On the gaming side, Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix’s release before the year’s end will spark extra interest in the series. Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3 were rated recently by the ERSB and wait approval by Sony to enter the PSN. Capcom is working hard to keep Street Fighter in the minds of gamers, especially those who have played the series since Street Fighter II.

Gamers now have a date to look forward to in the next year, for what will likely be one of the biggest releases for 2009. In the meantime, however, gamers have a lot to keep them busy in the form of other Street Fighter canon. Capcom should announce a limited edition of Street Fighter IV soon and give fans another reason to spend more money after the holidays!