Ultra Street Fighter II Nintendo Switch review - The ultimate version of the ultimate Street Fighter?

Ultra Street Fighter II is a Nintendo Switch reimagining of The World Warrior with a bit of Turbo thrown in for good measure, alongside a bunch of new features and balance changes.

Now, I'm not going to remind you that Street Fighter II is a great game. You know that already from playing any one of its countless iterations.

Instead, I'm going to look at what this, the Switch version, offers that the others don't to help you determine whether or not it's worth sticking in your library.

What's new?

The biggest addition here are two new characters Violent Ken and Evil Ryu, which brings the total roster to 19. That includes all of the characters from Super Turbo.

Then there's Way of the Hado, a first-person motion-controlled mode in which you play as Ryu and have to defeat as many Shadaloo fighters as possible within a time limit. As you progress, you can level up Ryu to increase his abilities.

You can play local multiplayer with friends and online, which uses a ranking system to pit you against players of similar skill. A new Buddy Battle mode lets you fight a single CPU opponent alongside a friend.

When playing solo in the arcade mode, a cool new feature allows a friend to invade your battle and take control of the CPU opponent you're fighting. Seems like Capcom's been playing Dark Souls.

Rounding up the additions are high res visuals, remixed music and the voices from Street Fighter IV, the ability to switch to classic visuals and sound, and customisable colour palettes for every character.

How does it play on Switch?

Just as you remember - aside from a few changes. While the button placement and combos are all the same, some balance changes and new features might throw you off a bit. For example, you can now break a grapple and combo timings have been adjusted.

The best part of the Switch version is just how easy the multiplayer is. You can play with a friend locally right out of the box, and you've got a wealth of options when playing online.

It's also very playable on the TV, in handheld mode, or huddled over the Switch with a friend in a coffee shop. Sure, that's a positive of the system more than Street Fighter, but this is a game that takes advantage of it really well.

Way of the Hado, while a nice addition, certainly isn't worth grabbing this for though. The motion controls are badly implemented and imprecise. A vast majority of the time you'll aim to perform one move, but Ryu will perform another entirely.

It's a fun way to kill a few minutes though, and the levelling up system is a nice incentive to keep on playing.

Should I get it?

If you're a fan of Street Fighter, then this is a great package that lets you relive a part of the franchise's history, play with your friends or online with ease, and take it all with you no matter where you are.

But there is a caveat: the price. There's just not enough new content here to justify paying retail for it - particularly if you've already played Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix.

This is basically the same game with two new characters, a weak Switch-exclusive mini game, and admittedly more expansive multiplayer options.

Ultra Street Fighter II is far from a no brainer purchase then. But if you really want to play some multiplayer Street Fighter no matter where you are, you certainly won't regret it. Though we'd recommend the rest of you wait for a price drop.

Ultra Street Fighter II Nintendo Switch review - The ultimate version of the ultimate Street Fighter?

Ultra Street Fighter II does a great job of providing the signature fighting experience on the go, but falls short of being a no-brainer due to iffy exclusive Switch content and a hefty price tag
Score
Chris James
Chris James
A footy game fanatic and experienced editor of numerous computing and game titles, lively Chris is up for anything - including running Steel Media! (Madman!)