Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting - Xbox Live Arcade review

Ken, Ryu, Chun-Li and the rest of the World Warriors established fighting games in the early 90s, and with the release of Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting on Xbox Live Arcade, they're back to stir up more trouble. Not that they had to do much to attract attention. For whatever reason, the fanbase has been frothing for a chance to play old-school SFII on Xbox 360, which is probably as big a compliment for Street Fighter II as it is an insult for the glitzier Dead or Alive 4. Those fans will be happy, though - this looks, sounds, and feels like the 2D classic everybody fell in love with, right down to boss character M. Bison's legendarily cheap attacks. You'll earn your Achievements the hard way.

You expect the old stuff, but the new perks show that some thought went into making Street Fighter II fit Xbox Live. Quarter Matches let two people brawl it out while two more wait and watch, their virtual quarters up on the marquee to signify that they're ready to challenge the winner. Even Spectator mode acknowledges the non-players, giving them a chance to comment on the match they're watching. If you're playing with friends, it's trash-talkin' fun.