The Nintendo Switch is slowly building up its library with third-party games. The latest comes from Capcom in Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers.
Ultra Street Fighter II for the Nintendo Switch is a port of the classic arcade game with high definition graphics and a few changes. The big changes are the addition of Evil Ryu and Violent Ken, which are beefed up versions of the classic Street Fighter characters, and the implementation of a “Way of the Hado” mode (which I’ll get to later) that fully utilizes the motion controls of the Switch.
And while Ultra Street Fighter II gives Nintendo Switch owners their first fighting game and Street Fighter fans a way to bring the fight on the go, it’s hard not to question the price of the game.
Let me get this out of the way now. Ultra Street Fighter II for the Nintendo Switch is being sold for $40, which is asking a lot for a port of a 25-year-old game. While the nostalgia trip this game gives is great, and the small changes are neat, I’d be hard-pressed to justify the price unless you are a HUGE Street Fighter fan.
GAMEPLAY/GAME MODES
Ultra Street Fighter II has a decent amount of game modes, including the classic Arcade mode where you fight around the world. This is the mode you’ll spend most of your time playing, and features a sizeable roster of fighters. Each character has their own ending, so you’ll want to do it over and over again. Arcade mode’s difficulty is respectable even on Normal, so don’t be surprised if you lose a match or two.
Local multiplayer is present and there’s an actual co-op battle mode where you and a friend can team up to face opponents in two-on-one action. This bit is particularly fun as the two of you just beat down opponents one by one.
Co-op may seem like a mismatch but the CPU has increased power and a lot more health. Also, you have to defeat them twice, while they only have to beat one of you once, so the stakes can get high if one of you is low on health. However, even with all of this, it is waaay too easy when you’re playing on normal mode.
There’s an online mode, which is great when you don’t have a buddy to play local with, but this wasn’t open during the review period, so we couldn’t test how strong the connection was.
As for the “Way of the Hado,” this mini-game lets you take control of Ryu in a first-person mode that utilizes the Nintendo Switch motion controls. By performing certain moves, you can perform Ryu’s signature attacks to defeat wave after wave of enemies.
It’s a great way to use the Switch, and it is fun at first but quickly gets repetitive. The Joy Cons also aren’t as responsive as I would have liked. Perhaps it’s the left Joy-Con issue, but when the enemies are moving so fast and you can’t keep up because of the controls, there’s an issue.
HOW DOES IT FEEL ON SWITCH?
Being the first fighting game on the Nintendo Switch, I was very curious how it would feel in all of the console’s different modes.
I first tried it out in portable mode and it feels surprisingly good. You can use either the analog or the control pad to move. I’d recommend using the analog, as it’s easier to move your character and input attacks.
Next, I tried it with the Joy Cons detached from the system and playing with one controller in each hand. Again, I was surprised by how well the game responded to my inputs and it didn’t feel weird to play a fighting game with what is essentially two controllers.
And finally, I used the pro controller: this is easily the best way to play Ultra Street Fighter II . Not only is the pro controller comfortable, but it’s sturdy enough to take a beating from mashing the buttons and the analog stick. I definitely recommend playing like this if it’s an option for you.
VERDICT
Overall, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is an impressive port for fighting game and Street Fighter fans. This addition to the Nintendo Switch library is much-needed and proves that the Switch can handle the rigors of a fighting game, especially in portable mode. It’s going to be great to get more fighting games in the future on this platform.
Classic arcade modes and local multiplayer provide an awesome nostalgia trip and Capcom does have a promising idea for how to use the Switch’s motion controls with the “Way of the Hado” mode, I just wish it was a bit more precise.
However, the price of this game is its main downfall and something that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. When new Nintendo Switch games are $60, it’s hard to ask players to shell out more than half of that for a port. Capcom could have probably got away with $30, but since it’s at $40 I would only recommend if you are a big Street Fighter fan.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is available now for Nintendo Switch.
