Cop-Out

SFV is powered by the Unreal Engine 4 - and, don't get me wrong - it's great. We've already seen what the engine is capable of, and we will surely see more as it reaches beyond the success of its predecessor. It is great in its own right, and there is the high possibility that it could become the standard platform for the new generation of Capcom fighting games. In so many words, it has even been announced that future Capcom titles would be powered by the Unreal Engine 4. Like SSBWU, SFV is expandable, and will get additional characters. This will likely warm reception over time across the board. Since the game released to lukewarm reception, Capcom's future plans for SFV can only make it better. There are many paths Capcom can take, but let's just hope that there's not an obligatory emphasis on Street Fighter III - 3rd Strike. Unless, of course, we want the game to have no soul or personality...

Between Dead Rising 3 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, I'm happy with that Capcom goodness combo. There are, of course, some good things about Street Fighter V, but nothing that beats my co-op combination of Dead Rising 3 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. Some may disagree, but I chose these two knowing that it would be in exchange for Street Fighter V. The decision came becasue I've always been a bigger fan of side-scrolling fighting games than head-to-head fighting games. I've always been a bigger fan of co-op because there's not as much tension between friends, thus making the experience more enjoyable. There's still nothing quite like outsmarting each other at fighting games that play out like chess matches, but it still doesn't beat the cooperative experience of teaming up with friends to beat bad guys! I'd even go so far as to say that Dead Rising 3 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U have more fan service in them than Street Fighter V.

The Forgotten

Dead Rising 3 already pays tribute to Capcom side-scrolling fighters of old in various ways, but the Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha version takes it to a whole new level. To such a different level that the whole game seems like Capcom's tribute to itself, with a host of new characters brought in from all reaches of the Capcom universe. We're seeing characters brought in here from IPs loved by fans, but that Capcom itself has long forgotten; Captain Commando, Final Fight, Rival Schools, Power Stone, and even Dino Crisis! When the surprise reveal was made for this game, I was immediately sold on it. I knew I would love it, and I do. Regina from Dino Crisis?! Haggar from Final Fight?! My boy Shoma from Rival Schools?! Captain Commando?! Falcon from Power Stone?! Classic brawler gameplay and with retro-styled graphic filters applied? Amazing! As a company with such a rich history in IPs, it is expected of Capcom to actually use those IPs in crossover efforts that deepen the universe they've created, and that's just what they've done with Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha. Though Street Fighter V has the long-standing tradition of the series behind it, along with long-time fans worldwide, Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha somehow pays more tribute to those fans that Street Fighter V does.

While Super Ultra Dead Rising 3' Arcade Remix Hyper Edition EX Plus Alpha does the IPs it represents -and Capcom as a whole- justice, Street Fighter V struggles even to make a mainstay character like Ken recognizable. Instead of celebrating Capcom's legacy throughout the years, Street Fighter V seems to hesitate. The inclusion of Karin and Birdie are nods to longtime Street Fighter Alpha fans, but the same longtime fans will probably wonder why more of those characters will be glossed-over in favor of obligatory Street Fighter III characters. Few games are perfect, but what we're talking about here is a game that was made out of love, and another that was made out of obligation. I don't think I have to tell you which is which. I thought I'd have more fun with my investment in Dead Rising 3 before I had invested in Street Fighter V, and after playing both, I had no regrets.