Whether if it was at the arcade mashing buttons or sitting at home training for the next tournament,  you can’t deny that Street Fighter and Tekken were one those games that defined our gaming youth. Street Fighter X Tekken finally brings both worlds together and while the PSVITA version brings nothing new to the table it’s still a worthy port & recommended for anyone looking for a fun brawler on the go. 

Street Fighter X Tekken adopts a 2D fighting style approach that practically mimics Street Fighter 4. If you are a Tekken veteran player who is used to a 3D free fighting style, then this may impact your choice heavily. All the moves and animations have been tailored to work on a Street Fighter style approach so if you can looks past that and accept for what it is then you can definitely find a fighter worthy of your time. In fact, Street Fighter X Tekken can be played by nearly anyone. The combos, cross assault, and specials are incredibly easy to pull off which is a complete opposite from Street Fighter’s “hand dancing” combos. So, while from the outside it may look like your typical Street Fighter rehash (charge meter, anyone?) you shouldn’t be fooled by its cover. There are A LOT of new things here. Besides tagging your partner in/out, you can use also use cross assault which allows you to bring both characters in the ring for some crazy hadouken spamming. If you don’t like that then you can always stick to your specials which can be used for both characters or one. Another devious special, which I personally find cheap, is the Pandora special. Once the character drops to 25% you can sacrifice one teammate to get a timed boost of energy before koing.  After that we arrive to the infamous GEM System which, for better or worse, makes the game unique. GEMs come in two flavors : Assist GEMs (blocks grabs, boost speed, etc.) & Boost GEMs (stronger attacks) both of which still use the charge meter. These two elements contribute heavily to the outcome of each match and can easily turn the tide. Aside from GEM, quick combos are also a major game twister that players can activate by simply tapping two buttons. New GEMs and Quick Combos can be unlocked or downloaded via DLC (some that require a small fee) and there are a lot to collect. I personally didn’t find these to be very necessary; it just ends up feeling like a “gotta catch em all” idea that can make matches feel unpredictable and unbalanced. The game also sports different game modes that you are mostly common in your typical brawlers. Arcade mode lets you play the obscure story mode with your favorite characters but if you really want to enjoy it you have to make sure that you pick the default partner otherwise you will get a generic ending that is literally a bunch of white text on a black screen. The next Arcade mode is Burst Kumite which lets you do endless battle with CPU opponents that include those you fought on network mode. The complete online mode is also available on the PSVITA with the ability to play over 3G, wifi (with 3G being a big plus). The PSVITA also offers special connectivity with the PS3 through cross play and Cross controller. Cross controller turns your PSVITA into a PS3 controller which is useful if you want an extra controller or try the useless casual mode on the big screen. It also disables wifi which is a major downside. Cross Play on the other hand is pretty useful that lets you play against PS3 players giving you more opportunities at getting matches on the Vita and visa versa for the PS3. With this being a 3G enabled title, I’m guessing the lobbies will be getting real busy after launch.

Off cam footage of SFXT Gameplay on the PSVITA

Let’s make one thing clear. The PSVITA version is a port & not a new version, so those expect new game modes will be disappointed and to top it off all the regular modes play the same so nothing new gets add to the mix. But it’s not all bad; you will be getting 12 new exclusive characters above the regular 43:

• New SF characters: Blanka, Cody, Dudley, Elena, Guy, Sakura
• New Tekken characters:  Alisa, Bosconovitch, Bryan Fury, Christne Moneteiro, Jack, Lars Alexandersson, Lei Wulong

If you also own the PS3 version then you’re getting all the new DLC characters completely free* which should definitely add more bang to your buck. You will also have the ability to transfer* all your profile’s stats, costumes, and gems. The gift feature can make you swap character colors with our players via Playstation Near, which is an interesting feature but it would have been better to have something similar to trophy battle from SF4 3D Edition.

*Make sure both games are shared on the same PS3 account. Otherwise you’ll get jack.   

The PSVITA’s touch screen can be a nice touch but it mostly feels tacked on. Features like Casual Mode allows you fight with your finger while the characters blocks and jumps automatically. In other cases, the touch screen can be downright forced. For example, when managing your character’s GEM Units you will have to navigate the menu via touch screen. This can be very tedious and annoying, especially with the text and rows being so small. You will also be forced to use the touch for these menus as well: Quick Combo, Character Color, Battle Profile, Trophy Viewer, and Gallery. So if you’re planning on using these a lot then you better get your touch practice on. The touch screen commands can be intuitive in some cases. Playing the game in normal will mode will lay out readymade moves such as grab on month the front and back touch screens. The touch screen commands are also completely customizable and while that’s a big plus, I still feel that touch screen don’t really do fighting games justice. There’s just no comparison to the all mighty button.

Touch screen controls for SFXT on PSVITA

Graphics and performance hold really well on the PSVITA. I was skeptical during the character select screen with the framerate being slow and shoddy. But as soon as I began a match, I was greeted by an outstanding performance of 60 FPS that made my eyes wide and my mouth wet. I experienced a slight frame drop during the Pandora stage and I noticed few visual effects and filters missing here and there but otherwise it’s a beautiful game that deserves a spot next to Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

If you heard the SF 4 soundtrack then you’ll get the same deal here with the noisy loud punch electronic music you’re used to. It’s a shame because I really loved Tekken’s (particulary 5) trance/ house soundtrack. Character voices can also be customized to have Japanese or English which is something I always liked in SF4.

Street Fighter X Tekken isn’t a professional game by any means. It tries too hard to show off its rich features and just end up feeling like a messy big box meal from Taco Bell rather than just a regular tasty Taco (yes, I LOVE Mexican food). Even its 4v4 Scramble Mode destroys all fighting game logic turning a simple match into a messy “WTF is going on?” scenario. But you know what? That’s actually what makes it fun. There’s really only one word that could describe a bear teaming up with a cat to fight an angry old dude and his son other: Ridiculous. And yea, fat Mega Man. I mean, the whole game is honestly just a giant parody of Street Fighter (which is already a parody on its own) with the inclusion of Tekken characters and other cameos.  It’s not professional fighter, sure, but we already have Street Fighter for that. Capcom wanted to make sure this game had identity and I think they did a good job with making it stand apart. I also consider the PSVITA port to be the superior version for adding all the DLC and selling the entire package at a budgeted price. So, if you’re the kind of gamer looking for a good brawler on the go then Street Fighter X Tekken is highly recommended. Just don’t take it too seriously.

Who should get this?

• Fighting fanatics looking for fun brawler on the go
• PSVITA users looking for a good multiplayer that runs on 3G
• Players who enjoy collecting and customizing