As far as crossovers go, SFXTcan most closely be compared to the Capcom VS SNK series. Like SNK characters, thecast of Tekken already have defined fighting styles and iconic mannerisms.In CVS, Capcom's 2D artists kept the SNK characters'traits closely intact, and also used their talents to fleshout the characters even further in some instances. In SFXT, the creative directionseems very different, and understandably so, since Tekkencharacters are 3D fighting game characters (with movesets ranging anywherefrom 80 to 200 moves). Since SF characters have moremodest movesets, Capcom obviously had to streamline the Tekken sideto balance the game. They did, however, give most Tekken characters significantly moremoves than their SF counterparts, including some in-your-face chain combosthat come in handy after dodging those pesky fireballs.
While I have to praise the dev-team for creating innovative & balanced 2Dmovesets for the Tekken cast, I think they went a bit 'wild' onseveral of them. On top of a decent selection of recognizable special moves &chains. Capcom also gave Tekken fighters a hearty dose of unfamiliar moves & animations. Forstarters, a few signature moves & stances definitely look different. Capcom evengave some of them 'new moves' entirely, all whileleaving out staple techniques that you might expect them to have (Heihachi withno Hell Sweeps? Steve with no Snake Charmer?). This is a very controversial move from Capcom, since Tekken characters already have tonsof moves Capcom could've integrated into their play styles. Seeing just how Tekken's finest translatedinto the SF4 engine is nonetheless very interesting,but I think Yoshinori Ono and the dev-team took a few missteps along the way.
Take Steve Fox for example.In my opinion, the strength of Steve's designis all about his articulate and dynamic boxing style. In Tekken games, Stevereally doesn't throw any 'sloppy' punches, and he hits his targetswith a certain finesse that really makes you believe he's a professional boxer.Steve's SFXT incarnation impressively keeps all his signature dodges &stances (and adds some interesting projectile & zoning moves to his arsenal), but Capcom'sexecution on some of Steve's animations just doesn't cut it. I'mopen-minded to Capcom's creative input on the character, but many of Steve's 'sloppy'punches in SFXT (especially his Super Art) mirrors that of some generic boxer from Super Punch Out.and that's not what Steve Fox is about. In a lot of cases, Capcommissed the mark with those 'key' animations. that extrafinesse or 'oomph' Tekkencharacters put behind their moves.
Taking the incredibly fluid Tekkencharacters out of their element and into SF4's 'choppier' animation styleis coarse at times. I wish the current Capcom motion capture team would'vetaken a closer look at some of Tekken 6's animation, because a perceptive Tekkenfan can easily claim: 'He doesn't punch like that.' or 'She doesn'tkick like that.' While they got a few right, others look spastic, and strike me as rough drafts that made it to the finalcut due to time constraints. This 'rushed-looking' and quirky animationstyle quality really puts me off at times. I previously brought up this subject inmy original SF4 review, as many SF characters presented far morefluidity with their moves in their earlier 2Dincarnations. And to be honest, some of SFXT's animation even makes SF4'sanimation look a lot better. SFXT's Super Arts fare better for the most part, but even then, some supers just seem half-hearted.

So I'm sure some of you mightask. 'Is animation really that important?' Yes, Idefinitely think so. You might think I'm being 'too critical' on Capcom's creative input on the Tekkencharacters, but I've been playing fighting games for 25 years. which possiblymakes me oneof the most critical fans you'll ever meet. You won't see these kinds ofdetails mentioned in some generic mainstream review, and I suppose that's whyyou're on TFG, reading this review. In continuation, character models have their moments oflooking cool, and Capcom did a solid job translating the Tekken fightersvisually, buta few of them (particularly their faces) look kinda ugly and/or funny. I guess the'cartoony' SF4 graphics style just cant help butlook gawky at times.
Due to SFXT's solid gameplay and awesome character roster, imperfectanimation & graphics can be put aside. One of the reasons that theidea of SFXT works in 'gameplay terms' is that many Tekken move commands are very similar to (and some were inspired by) those from StreetFighter. For instance, Kazuya& Heihachi can still wave dash into their trademark Electric Wind God Fist (and even cleverly dodge fireballs as they do so).The very basic play styles of most Tekken characters translatedfairly well, even though they're used very differently now.Personally, after configuring my buttons the way I use them forStreet Fighter, it actually becomes a bit disorienting when using characters thatI'm familiar with in Tekken.. but expecting to use Tekken charactersthe way they're used in Tekken is just unrealistic. At the end of theday, it's much morelike learning 'new' Street Fighter characters. Returning SFcharacters have also received a new technique or two, and have quite a few newcombo possibilities as well!
Contrary to what some may think, SFXT's gameplay engine is actuallyvery different fromSF4's, with aslew of new mechanics headlining the action. Actually, SFXT has the most gameplay systems out of any SF game to date. Just to name a few: Cross Rush (achain combo system enabling Light-Medium-Fierce style combos), Super Charge (eachcharacter can charge up a special move for a more powerful version, or unleash aSuper Art if charged up long enough), Tag Cancels (for awesome 'on the fly' combos), Launchers(after a character knocks their opponent up into the air, their partner can tagin and continue the combo), CrossArts (allows both characters' Super Arts to connect in one flashy combo), Pandora (alast resort and risky 'comeback' system that can be activated when you have 25% health or less), andfinally, Cross Assault (both of your teammembers can fight on screen at once, similar to the original MVC!).
On top of all of that, SFXT's ultra controversial Gem System allows fighters toactivate variouspower-ups during battle, including: Added damage output, increased movement speed,and vitality restoration. Beginners can even use gems that allow easy inputs, auto-blocking,and auto throw escapes (but those abilities aren't overpowered, in caseyou're wondering). There are over 300 gems in the game, allactivated in different ways, such as: Attacking, blocking, or getting hit byspecial moves a specific number of times. The Gem System definitely introduces someinteresting strategy to the gameplay. Ipersonally think SFXT would've been just fine without the Gem System, but theadded complexity to SF's classic formula is a nice touch, andcan even be fun *gasp*. However, from an 'overall design standpoint,' I think the Gem System seems'tacked on'. It doesn't have any sensible relation to either SF or Tekken,but may bring back some fond memories of Super Gem Fighter. lol.

Visually, when gems activate, they cause a weird 'glowing' effect around thecharacters, and it usually looks tacky. Somehow you get used toit though. I wonder why Capcom didn't takea page out of Namco's book and go with something more like the 'aura'effects from Tekken 5/6 instead (which would've looked a hell of a lotbetter). Or. they could've just made a part of the character glow (liketheir gloves), instead of the whole freaking character model. It doesn't look terrible always (actually with some color combinationsit can look cool). it just looks gimmicky (always). The good news is. you can fight without gemsif you truly despise them.
The combo system isn'tquite as strict as SF4's, which is something I actually like.Thenew Tekken-esk juggle system integrates exceptionally well into the SF4 engine, and I must say there are some incredibly fun combos in thisgame. Thanks to the 'if you hit them whilethey're in the air, it connects' combo framework, there seem to be morecombo possibilities & mix-ups than in SF4. and I do love my creative combo mix-ups (oneof my favorite things about Tekken's juggle system). With so many teamcombinations, it would seem that the potential for new combo possibilities is nearly infinite.And speaking of infinite, there were quite a few infinite combosfound by players. which actually isn't surprising for a game with such an open-ended and'new style' of combo system. Thankfully, Capcom has patched them up.

I was actually hoping Capcom would include a Tag mechanic in a pure StreetFighter game of this era, because it hasn't been done in such a long time (since EX3?).With the same basic system from Tekken Tag Tournament, players can tag betweencharacters at any time, but if one of them is KO'd, the match ends. SF X Tekken offers a few different waysto play the game with a human partner, and it's actually a lot of fun (even funwith girlfriends). Taking on thecomputer AI with a friend in Tag Mode or Scramble Mode (4 players on screen atonce until K.O.), is automatic good times, even if your friends aren't asskilled as you are. In the PS3 version, you can even fight against onlineopponents with a friend in Tag or Scramble (sorry Xboxers). Overall, SFXT's online mode is fairly solid, minus an annoying sound bug. Onlinefeatures include the staple matchmaking options, as well as replay sharing. Newto the online setup is the briefingroom, an online training mode where you can practice with friendsor train while using Fight Request.
SF X Tekken's presentation is one of the game's stronger points. Whenyou start up the game for the first time, you're treated to an intense opening movie, and then tossedright into a Tutorial Mode featuring none other than Dan Hibiki. Dan runs through the game's laughable abundanceof gameplay systems, all while shamelessly attempting to humor you alongthe way. The Arcade Mode presents cool team prologues featuring unique artwork,music & special dialogue between team members following each victory. Also worth mentioning, every character has a specificwin quote after defeating each individual character in the game (some of which arehilarious)! The 'rival fight' interactions in Arcade Mode are also veryentertaining. I only wish there were more. Unfortunately, the story itself isfar too ambiguous for its own good, and isn't nearly an attempt at anything'great'. I'm glad they incorporated the Mishima Zaibatsu & Shadaloo intothe storyline, but they could've done soooo much more with it. I personally would've liked tosee the Devil Gene and the Dark Hadou cross paths, but again. nothing. Thecharacter-specific CG endings arecool-looking, but all take place in the Antarctic near Pandora's box (whichdefinitely getsold), and many of which are pretty stupid in terms of story.

SF X Tekken's music selection is a mixed bag. As soon as I knew Final Fight characters were goingto appear in the game, I had my fingers crossed for some badass Final Fightsoundtrack remixes. Capcom granted my wishes to a tee, andactually dished out several remixes on the Final Fight themedstage (complete with cameos by old school Final Fight bad guys)! Aside from that, most of the other new BGMS are a bittoo 'upbeat techno-ey' and 'clangy' for my tastes, but themodest selection of SF & Tekken remixes are pretty good. I just wish there weremore. Thankfully, SFXT does support the basic feature of adding your own soundtrackfrom your system's library (so if you want old school music in the game, you canadd it yourself).
As far as stage designs go, most manage to be exciting at least, butalso a bit goofy and loud. I really wish Capcom put more emphasis on reintroducing'classic' environments, instead of completely new ones that hardly suit the game.Additionally, SFXT's background characters are officiallythe most annoying background characters of all time. Seriously, 90% ofall background characters seem to be 'spazzing' or jumping around likefools, annoyingly trying totake your attention away from the fight. However, there are a few cool cameos likeAlex (Tekken), Kunimitsu, Ganryu & Mech Zangief, but can weget at least one background without a ton of random shit going on (besides thetraining stage)? How about a nice beach stage, overlooking the ocean and acalming sunset. yeah, that'd be really refreshing. Lastly, therearen't nearly enough stages in the game, which really shows a lack of heart fromCapcom if you ask me.
Other details I like about SF X Tekken? Like in UMVC3, I lovehow partners shout out each other's names as they tag in. it's a subtledetail, but it goes a long way. The overall voice acting is pretty solid for the most part, and thankfully the English/Japanese voiceoveroptions from the SF4 series have returned! Thedefault setting is even halfway decent for the most part. as characters like Kazuya& Heihachi speak Japanese right off the bat (as they should). Some of theEnglish voices are actually done fairly well, but others are just horrible (as expected). The Tekken-inspired camera anglesduring throws are pretty cool, and many of them add some solid 'ouchfactor'. However, quite a fewof them end up'jolting' the camera a bit too harshly (Rolento's forexample), making it not very pleasingto the eyes at all. In fact. a few of them mange to hurt my eyes a little.
A fully functional Customize Mode finally made its way to a Street Fighter game, andis one of SFXT's best extras. Customizing characters is fun & all, but I think Capcomactually gave players too much 'creative freedom' in this mode. Forone, being able to make acharacter's skin color 'any color of the rainbow' is just ridiculous.and takes away from the integrity of the character. The 'neon glow' colors they addedas DLC are particularly obnoxious. I'mtired of running into people online who decided to make their character looklike a 'walking glow stick'. Gross. On the bright side, for people who aren't trying to 'troll,' some pretty unique & badasscolor schemes are waiting to be created.
Additionally, most of the DLC alternate costumes featuring Tekken & SFcharacters dressed similar to characters from the opposite franchise are simply tacky.I can't imagine any true SF or Tekken fans actually wantinganything like this in the game. In fairness, a few of the 'cross'costumes are actually cleverand look alright, but many are beyond hideous. Some of them aren't worth much more than a cheap laugh. and awkwardly seem to be a parody ofthe game itself. I wonder why Capcom didn't use that time and space to reate some actual decent alternatecostumes; like2P outfits for Tekken characters or old school costumes?!? I think Yoshinori Ono needs to take it easy with the happy pills.
With a nice selection of modes, SFXT feels like a pretty solid package from the start. Whether you're makinga cool color schemein Customize, learning staple combos for characters in Trial, knocking outtough challenges in Mission, or having crazy battles with 4 friends in Scramble Mode,there's plenty of ways to enjoy the game. Although, I was hoping to see some minigames or bonus stages also make an appearance. for one, an updated Tekken Ball Mode would've beenstellar (sinceit's played on a 2D plane anyway). Sadly, my hopes didn't come true.

Page Updated: February 5th, 2020 Developer(s): Dimps, Capcom Publisher(s): Capcom Designer(s): Taisaku OkadaDirector Taketoshi SanoDesigner Yukiko HokaoDesigner Tetsunosuke SekiDesigner Artwork By: Kazuma Teshigawara, Akira Toba Platform(s): PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, PC, iOS Release Date(s): Mar. 6th, 2012 PS3 / 360 Mar. 8th, 2012 PS3 / 360 Mar. 9th, 2012 PS3 / 360 May 11th, 2012Steam Oct. 23rd, 2012PS Vita Jan. 29th, 2013 Ver. 2013 patch Characters: Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Cammy, Guile, Dhalsim, Poison, Hugo, Rolento, Ibuki, Abel, Sagat, Zangief, Rufus, Balrog, Vega, Juri, Elena, Guy, Cody, Sakura, Blanka, Dudley, Akuma, M. Bison, Jin Kazama, Kazuya, Heihachi, Nina, Yoshimitsu, Paul Phoenix, Marshall Law, Ling Xiaoyu, Raven, Hwoarang, Steve Fox, Lili, Asuka, Marduk, King, Bob, Julia Chang, Kuma, Lars, Alisa, Christie, Jack-6, Bryan Fury, Lei Wulong, Ogre, Cole MacGrath(PS3/Vita), Toro the Cat(PS3/Vita), Kuro(PS3/Vita), Pac-Man(PS3/Vita), Mega Man (PS3/Vita) Featured Video: Related Games: Namco X Capcom, Street Fighter 4, Super Street Fighter 4, Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition, Ultra Street Fighter 4, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition, Tekken 6, Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Marvel VS Capcom, King of Fighters 13, Capcom VS SNK 2, Super Gem Fighter: Mini Mix, TEKKEN 7 GameplayEngine 8.0 / 10 Story/ Theme 6.0 / 10 OverallGraphics 7.0 / 10 Animation 7.0 / 10 Music/ Sound Effects 7.5 / 10 Innovation 8.0 / 10 Art Direction 7.5 / 10 Customization 8.5 / 10 Options / Extras 8.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation 7.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun 6.5 / 10 'Ouch' Factor 8.0 / 10 Characters 9.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE 7.6/10 Review based on PS3 / PSVita version Final Words: Out of any 'new' 2D fighting game Icould play, there's something about throwing Hadokens & Shoryukens that never gets old, and never fails to be the most fun. Istill enjoy StreetFighter's classic gameplay after all these years, and Capcom's innovationsnever cease to make things interesting at the least. While SFXThas its fair share of flaws, one thing Capcom definitely nailed is theroster. In case you haven't noticed, SF X Tekken is packed with characters thatTFGhighly approves of. Regardless of what you think of the game as a whole, there should be a handfulof characters you'll enjoy using in SFXT. In my opinion, such an epic crossover deserves 3rd Strike qualityanimation and brilliance, but I suppose that's being a bit unrealistic. IfCapcom actually set out to create SF X Tekken with hand drawn 3rd Strike quality 2D sprites, we'd be lucky to have 12 characters in the game.Considering the vastness of the SF and Tekken rosters, that's why this'3D thing' isn't so terrible at the end of the day. but in thecase of SFXT, the 3D visuals don't come without flaws. Capcom gota bit sloppy in some areas. As a hardcore Tekken player, it's all too easy to be remindedthat Tekken characters are missing 80% of their movelists. It's cool thatthey retain some of their alternate stances & movement abilities, but the amount ofattacks they can perform from those stances is painfully limited incomparison. Furthermore, someTekken characters seem like they were given amore 'thorough' translation to the 2D engine (Kazuya, for example). I really wish Capcom would've respectedthe integrity of some of the other Tekkencharacters' a bit more, and not rushed them. Some character movesets also received a bit too much'creative input' bythe SFXT dev-team if you ask me, but due to the respectable character roster, it's all somewhat forgivable (kind of). Whenit comes to gameplay, SFXT is a simple and 'old school style' 2D fighter at heart, even though the engine has tons of bells & whistles.While it can be fun, I have some issues with some of the basic gameplaymechanics. Firstly, the blockstun that simple jabs create can be irritating,especially when fighting against characters with strong poking abilities. Insome cases, I also don't like how 'foolproof' it is to connect ultra-powerfulSuper Arts or Cross Arts, and it seems like 'easy-to-do' moves &strategies are usually more effective than more complicated ones. Time Outs also occur way too often. Overlooking the flaws, there are somecool strategies, mix-ups, and combos that highlight and define SFXT'sunique gameplay experience. Despite its quirks, SFXT is a fairly decent, exciting, and fun 2D fighter.with 'fun' clearly at the forefront of the game design. Like SF4, SFXTisn't short on comedic value. However, I'm starting to miss the days when SF games weren't sofacetious. In the earlydevelopment stages, producer Ono stated that the theme for this crossover series wasmeant to be'festive'. but making a Street Fighter game 'festive' is like making aperfectly tasty cake extra sweet, and 'too sweet' can indeed be a bad thing. Since the release, I really tried to like SF X Tekken. (That begsthe question - should one really have to try to like a fighting game?) Any old school 2Dfighting game fan like myself had HUGE expectations from Capcom with thisproject (especially after all those epic trailers they released). While some core aspects are enjoyable, unfortunately, Yoshinori Ono and the team took quite a few missteps thistime. Overall, SFXT doesn't feel like 'Street Fighter integratedwith Tekken'. but more so, a 'super-happy version of Street Fighter integrated with someone'simprecise and lackadaisical interpretation of Tekken'. Still, SFXTisn't nearly the worst fighting game I've ever played (although somedrama queens out there make it out to be). Thankfully, I can enjoySFXT casually with friends, butI can't seem to forget all the missed opportunities. Perhapsthat's where Namco will come in when they step up to the plate with theiriteration of the crossover (Tekken X SF). I'd bet my last dollar that Namcowill drop a good chunk of the 'silliness factor' and deliver a more straight forward,serious fighting game. ~TFGWebmaster On Disc DLC & 12 New Characters As you probably know, there are 12 additional characters that appear in the portable, Playstation Vita version of the game. These characters were later released as purchasable DLC for the console versions on July 31st, 2012. The fact that the data for the characters, alternate costumes and colors was previously discovered on the disc (by hackers) stirred up quite the conspiracy, and the 'Capcom hate machine' bandwagon of 2012 was born. I didn't join the hate bandwagon in the mid 90's and, once again, I'm not joining it. On that note, I'd like to give my two cents on the matter. . . Some gamers felt 'cheated' that this content is already on the disc, because to access it, they have to purchase a small file that simply 'unlocks' it when it becomes available. They feel entitled to the content from the start, since they bought and 'own' the physical disc. Capcom explained that the information is on the disc in order to 'save hard drive space and to ensure for a smooth transition when the DLC is available'.The data also allows people to play against the 12 new characters & see the alternate costumes when they're released if they choose not to purchase them. Personally, nothing about this format bothers me, but some gamers out there seem to have a 'false sense of entitlement and expectation'. Something that the rabid complainers fail to realize is that this DLC was originally developed withthe intent of being DLC. That means it potentially wouldn't even exist in the first place without the DLC distribution process. Believe it. It doesn't matter if it's locked on-disc DLC, day 1 DLC, or month 6 DLC. I wholeheartedly agree that a product should be complete when it's released, but the thing is. SF X Tekken could've very easily been called 'complete' at around 25-30 characters. Fans should be thankful that the dev-team took the extra time & effort to create 12 additional characters. (Too bad that 'effort' didn't show up in some other areas of the game, though). SF X Tekken includes 43 iconic characters from the start (PS3 version). That's far above the standard for a new fighting game. Gamers complaining about not being able to use the other 12 characters right off the bat (which weren't even finished at the time), are being a bit greedy I think. I understand their point of view, and they have a right to feel that way if they choose. I can only speak for myself. and I don't feel cheated. I'm glad I didn't have to buy a new disc-based 'Super' version of SFXT. I agree Capcom could've made better decisions on the business front, but as a long time fan, I think we're lucky to have this many characters in the game. The fact that Capcom continued supporting SFXT with 12 additional characters after the initial release (superb choices at that), only sweetens the deal. The full selection screen on PS3 / PS Vita. 55 characters! In continuation, I think some of the 'new' fighting game fans need to take a step back and get some perspective. In the early 90's, many of us used to play Street Fighter 2 (among many other games) at arcades, religiously. putting in 50 cents, with each play, to use a few of those 8-12 characters over and over (and over times 1000). Even after I bought several variations of the home versions of SF2 (at $70 a pop) I still put money into those arcade machines. and you know what? If for some reason you weren't a 'good' player at your arcade, you had to pay MORE money. AND LIKE IT. or you could go home as a sore loser and play your SNES or Genesis version by yourself and pretend to have friends.YEAH. I SAID IT. History has repeated itself many a time. Over the course of a decade, I must've spent 100's of dollars on MVC2 in the arcades. Then I bought the Dreamcast version when it came out, and guess what. I still put gas in my car, drove to the arcade, and put countless dollars into that MVC2 machine for many years to come. I did the same thing when Tekken 5 came out in arcades and on PS2. I even traveled to distant arcades (hours away) simply because they had better competition. So I guess that's why I can't relate to gamers who are raging about an optional $8-$20 DLC to unlock new characters/content in a game. something that no one is forcing them to buy. If you like the game, what's the problem with spending a few extra bucks on it and supporting the company that made it? In my book, the DLC is reasonably priced (not to mention color packs & other updates are free). Plus, if you own both the PS3 & Vita versions, all 12 DLC characters are completely free. which isn't a bad deal. Finally, let's not forget about 'time release' characters that both Namco and Capcom previously used in arcade games like Tekken 2, Tekken 3 and MVC2. Many months after the original release of those games, additional characters became playable to keep the game fresh and exciting (and it worked). It would appear that Capcom simply wanted players to first enjoy the 'vanilla' version of the game and let a little suspense build up. so give'm a break. Besides, what's the fun of having everything unlocked at once? Are you really going to master 55 characters at once? No. you're not. Put down the torches, people. There are more important things to worry about in life. In closing, gamers of this generation are able to sit on their asses at home, play a next-gen fighting game with players all over the world (for free), and some of them have the audacity to sit behind their keyboards and complain about optional DLC that costs them around the same price as lunch? Uhh. to those people, I say go out and buy yourselves a damn Happy Meal, you cheap, cheap bastards. (& STFU). Just kidding. But seriously, stop whining. ~TFG Webmaster