Photo by William G Chandler Jr
Nintendo and Street Fighter 2 go together like peanut butter and jelly. It has a history of great, and not so great, moments as shown in this article at Polygon by Matt Leone, but it always draws attention.
Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers, for the Nintendo Switch, is a necessary game for your library. The Nintendo Switch gets you to play with games, from Neo Geo, like The King of Fighter ’98, The King of Fighter ’99, or Garou Mark of the Wolves. These are not just games to pass the time. It is all fight preparation. In a way, Nintendo Wii U made this happen. You see Injustice: Gods Among Us, Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition, and Super Smash Brothers for Wii U left excitement for more. You can go back to the Wii U’s Virtual Console and play games like Street Fighter Alpha 2 or Art of Fighting. However, you did not have a place to go redirect classic game play hours into a new game offering. For example, you play Street Fighter Alpha 2 and could hope they released Street Fighter 4 or some newer version of a Street Fighter game on Nintendo Wii U.
This did not happen. The Nintendo Switch and Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers establishes a steady change in Nintendo’s thinking. There are a lot of fighting games already on the console. In the future, you even see ARMS, a unique take by Nintendo, on the fighting genre.
Currently, Capcom and Nintendo join forces for this specific experience. It has a variety of modes. There is Arcade mode. You battle the artificial intelligence. In Versus mode, fights happen in any combination of player versus player to computer versus computer battles. Training mode lets you improve on your fighting skills. Buddy Battle is that opportunity for two players, or you and the computer to defeat a series of great enemies.
Way of the Hado is a side quest. It asks you to take your Nintendo Switch’s motion controls, play a first-person game with a series of enemies, and test yourself on three challenge levels. It works. However, it could be better. In a way, it reminds me of Sega’s House of the Dead. It needs minor control scheme tweaks, some different levels, with newer designs, and just a little story to give it that full arcade feel. Gallery is a beautiful mode. The “250+” digital art book just allows you to enjoy Street Fighter’s history. The book is a series of drawings that are crisp and unique in every way. Color Editor lets you thoroughly customize your favorite Street Fighter 2 characters. Options mode allows you to customize the game completely. You can keep the classic sounds of Street Fighter, but give the game the look of a fine animation. In the same way, you can put older graphics on the game with newer sounds.
The online game play is strong when the internet connections are sturdy. Everyone is on a similar level, for now. More online players will make the game more competitive over time. The online game replicates an experience that is similar to an arcade competition. I will say everyone needs to learn combinations with their favorite characters. The local two-player game is competitive. The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controller, and holder, works, but it is best to get the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller if you plan play over a long period on time, in most modes.
Overall, the controls are precise. This means your special moves have to come with purpose. What else is left? You play this game on the small screen and expect to get close. In the end, the game works well and in most settings.