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Super Street Fighter IV Arcade
 
 
It might be unsurprising to hear this from me, but the best fighting game on the Xbox 360 is Super Street Fighter IV. My last review was pretty glowing, but after putting in 3 months with game, I am sure this is the best fighting game of the current generation. The online features, the re-playability, and the community that has sprung up around the game are all unmatched by any other fighting game.
 
Playing this game on Live is a treat. Capcom put a lot of effort into the online modes and, as more players have stumbled on the game, online has become a lot more fun. Gone are the long waits for players that I discussed in my previous review. Out of the 4 modes, the best is Endless Battle. This is where I have consistently had the most fun. In fact, late last week my brother called me and mentioned that he finally got his own 360 and that he was going to beat me (he didn't). When we got to play, despite the 3000 miles between us, there was no lag, no spikes, no slow down, no missed anything. It shot me back to when I used to beat him up and down the room as a kid. When more people came into the lobby and the conversation got rowdy, the matches and the viewing stayed silky smooth. With moments like this, Endless Battle has remained and will probably be my favorite online mode of any game.
 
Play as Ken

If you ever get tired of playing online (is that even possible?), Capcom has put a lot of effort into creating unlockable titles, icons, and colors that pop up for playing thought the game’s arcade and trial modes. For replayability, trial mode takes the cake. If I’ve stepped away from the game for a couple weeks because of work, Chun-Li, or moving, the first thing I do is launch up those Ken trials and get my dragon punch back in working order. Outside of that, the training mode’s replay and record functions always make dealing with difficult match-ups a lot more fun. I know a lot of people hate playing through the game’s Arcade mode, but I’ve gotten a little addicted to unlocking all of the movies, rival battles, and colors, so it’s been giving me something to do.
 

[embed:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shrLBshSva0 ]

(This doesn't happen without community)

Even with all of this, the strongest part of the game is probably the most unintentional: the community. Whether it is stopping by Shoryuken.com to talk about the games, fightsticks, watching Evolution as it’s streamed online, or just beating my co-workers during office parties, the fun people can have picking up the game, mashing out fireballs, and talking about the game makes it a winner. It’s always great to watch someone who hadn’t played since 10 years ago pick Hakan and get frustrated. Moments like those bring me back to the days when I played Champion Edition in a local 7-11 and repeatedly lost to friends, older kids, and my allowance, while having the best time of my life.

Until Capcom finishes Marvel vs Capcom 3, I just don’t see any game topping this one.