Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers

It might sound strange to call an anniversary repackaging of a decades-old title a “must own” for a new system, but Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is just that well produced. If you own a Switch and love Street Fighter II, then you quite simply need to have this in your library.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is perhaps the best version of one of the best fighting games to date. The new visuals and audio take the presentation to the next level, and playing with the creepy-cool alternate characters is great. Moreover, the Switch’s biggest draw is its portability, so there’s finally a way to play Street Fighter with a friend on a single unit, anytime and anywhere. It might not be enough to win back players who have no desire to revisit this classic, but this reviewer does not count himself among that group.

All in all, I’ve been really enjoying my time with Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. If you aren’t a fan of the genre, this won’t be a game that changes your mind, and while some feel the $39.99 price tag is a bit too high for the game, I’ve gotten a ton of enjoyment from it thus far. As a Street Fighter veteran, this is a nice package that you can bring with you anywhere you want, and the additional content makes one of the greatest fighting games a bit more modern for Switch owners. It’s not for everyone, but if you love 2D fighters or retro games, this is a must own for your Nintendo Switch.

Ultra Street Fighter 2 is a very good game, and the Switch port is quite a success if you stick to the versus mode. Otherwise it's not a breakdown, the visuals are from 2008 and the Hado voice mode is simply a disaster thanks to very poor motion controls. But the core of the game is just perfect.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers for Nintendo Switch is a great tribute to a perfect videogame, probably the greatest beat 'em up of all time.

Quotation forthcoming.

Familiar territory but with better graphics, plus a few nice-to-have but non-essential extras...My biggest concern are the controls, since the Switch clearly isn't built for fighting games. The Switch Pro controller is an effective fix, but it's expensive. If you don't already have one and invest in one just for this game, you're looking at £95 – which is quite steep for a game that's nearly 30 years old. This is no reflection on the game itself, however. I had a blast.

The idea of bringing a Street Fighter game on the go is great, specially when you have the possibility to share the experience with someone else. While not perfect it offers a fun an addictive experience while playing with friends.

It adds a solid fighting game to the system’s slowly growing roster and highlights the partnership of two gaming giants, Capcom and Nintendo, which will hopefully flourish as the console continues its strong launch. The game does carry a few glaring omissions, however, and the highly-touted Way of the Hado mode feels thrown together and out of place. The price is also a sticking point for what is essentially a glorified port of a decades old game. It has its appeal, but I’m sure many will skip this match and wait for the next round.

Quotation forthcoming.

Ultra Street Fighter II retains all that made the original SFII a classic: solid gameplay, charismatic rooster... that now you can enjoy and share everywhere. It's as fun as it was 25 years ago, but at the same time, it feels like a missed opportunity: the new modes don't add anything new or interesting enough (and its price isn't cheap).

A great addition to the Switch’s library. But at $40 it won’t be for everybody on day one. I think hardcore Street Fighter fans will find the content included pretty enjoyable, and young kids who may not have had the opportunity to experience those games will find it a lot of fun too.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challenger brings fresh air to the Switch games. Great for playing online and with your friends, but this game had more potential that has not been exploited.

This should've been a better revision of the classic, but at the end of the day, it still is one of the best fighting games in the history and it's never too late to rediscover it.

The game is not “perfect“, but it's still a very good versus game for Nintendo Switch. It lacks game modes and new features. Anyway, if you like Street Fighter, the formula is awesomely alive.

Despite having few novelties and being the most complete version of Street Fighter II to date, the specific additions for the occasion just do not excite us.

Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers is a solid addition to the still thin game library of the Nintendo Switch. Sadly though, the new game modes feel sluggish and even flat-out mediocre due to the lack of emotion, making gamers wonder if paying $40 bucks for the experience is actually worth it.

The Switch version plays great, but Capcom could have included more ways to customize the gameplay, visual, and audio settings. Street Fighter fans who have always wanted a way to play the game at any locale will love having the game on a super portable system like the Switch. As a single-player experience though, this version of Street Fighter leaves a lot to be desired and you might be better off downloading a NeoGeo fighter.

Capcom is definitely onto a winner with Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers. Taking a Super Nintendo classic and sprucing it up just a touch retains enough nostalgia-factor so as to appeal to older gamers, yet has enough re-balancing, shiny new paint, and extras to ensure newcomers can enjoy the ride, as well. Hardcore or not, there is something for every level here in The Final Challengers. It may suffer when using Joy-Con, but crack out the Pro Controller and this feels as good as the series did in the past.

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.

In the end, I was a little underwhelmed with Ultra Street Fighter II The Final Challengers on the Nintendo Switch and given the technological advancements in fighters since this game was released, it did feel like it was stuck back in the day. Sure there are some new modes and new control systems for the Nintendo Switch but it just felt dated at times. Overall, this game is definitely one for the purists and although not a bad game per se, it doesn’t offer anything new either which is a shame. However, if you’re looking for that classic fighting experience, then Ultra Street Fighter II The Final Challengers delivers in that area!

A lack of a current alternative and bags of nostalgia may see you go for Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers and both outlooks will probably be satisfied by what's here. However, releasing it at a premium is shocking, and Way of the Hado is pretty rubbish. If you MUST have it, wait for it to go on sale.

Each stage has been updated substantially to properly fit modern TVs and has a nice, smooth, cartoon-like look.

The Way of the Hado minigame is awful and the two new characters are a let-down. But, Street Fighter 2 is a classic and it fits the philosophy behind Switch perfectly.

If playing Street Fighter II anywhere you go sounds like fun, Ultra Street Fighter II isn’t a terrible version of it, and playing with friends brings back fond memories of when fighters were less intimidating. It may even kindle a newfound love for a game that has aged beautifully. But as a package, Ultra feels like the version of Street Fighter II we’re stuck with for now (since it’s otherwise not available on modern consoles), when it could have been the one we’ve been waiting for.

Visually the game is great and can be switched between the original arcade graphics and the newer higher resolution versions. The same is true for the audio but I prefer the newer sounds, especially as hearing Norio Wakamoto voice M. Bison never gets old. So if you want arguably one of the best iterations in the Street Fighter series on the Switch, then Ultra Street Fighter II is definitely worth getting but bear in mind that it is definitely overpriced.

Just about everything in Ultra Street Fighter II that isn't 25 years old is divisive at best, and at worst seems outright lazy. None of these features take anything away from the excellence of the core game though. The portability of the Switch and its instant two-player chops means not only can you defeat M. Bison on the train, but you can bring out the machine to settle a grudge match with a friend absolutely anywhere, at any time.

Although Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers uses the same graphics from HD Remix, it’s got enough content to stand on it’s own. But we wonder why they included the atrocious Way of the Hado mini game instead of putting those resources to the main game.

Ultra Street Fighter: The Final Challengers is a new version of the game that defined the fighting game genre in the 1990s. It has some new features, but most of them are dispensable. However, it's still a classic with solid, fun and addictive gameplay.

Street Fighter II is still a classic, and it remains amazingly fun to play today, even with vastly superior fighting games on the market. Ultra Street Fighter II, though, can only partially capture its magic, due to some questionable changes in the main mechanics of the game, and curious balance choices.

As an exercise in nostalgia, or an introduction to one of the most seminal fighting games, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is great. Its new modes, characters, and features are ultimately disappointing though, making the definitive edition of Street Fighter II less meaningful than it should be.

Street Fighter 2 remains a good game, whatever incarnation it appears in, but the new modes add nothing (and are bad) and it's far too expensive. A conundrum, then, and one only you can decide if you're willing to pay out for.

Ultra Street FIghter II is truly the ultimate version of the game. It has a new look, a lot of fan service, tons of modes, and new characters. It is a shame the Switch controller just was not made for fighting games.

Meet the new Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, mostly the same as the old Street Fighter II. Beyond the veil of some visual wizardry and a few rote fleeting fluff modes, this is the old school foundation that a lot of folks built their fighting game careers on.

Ultra SF2 is still a frantic and skilled beat'em up, but it lacks options and single player modes.

We're not exactly crazy about the new Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers: although the fights are well balanced, the "new" characters don't have much personality, and the whole package seems a little sloppy, with dull secondary game modes and some recycling of assets.

While the basic core mechanics are as good and spot on as they were over 20 years ago, this new iteration of a beat-em-up classic has problems to make its mark.

As I stressed above, the question of Ultra‘s worth is hard to peg. Some might be thrilled to have yet another iteration of Street Fighter II to tool around with, while others will be less than pleased to play this decades-old game once more. In my opinion, Ultra is a solid experience, boasting gorgeous visuals, tight controls, and some fun pickup-and-play multiplayer, whether online or off. Hardcore tournament competitors will most likely get the least amount of enjoyment from Ultra, but for everyone else this is an excellent entry point for newbies and a fine return for old school players. Though the extras on the cartridge are hit or miss, this is an overall wonderful addition to Switch’s library.

The gameplay of this timeless classic hasn’t aged a bit but the game itself deserves a Switch version much, much better than this disappointing, hurried and cheap attempt. [08/2017, p.64]

While I don't think that Ultra Street Fighter II will set anyone's world on fire, I got some enjoyment out of it. [Issue #28 – July/August 2017, p. 73]

There's no argument that the gameplay in Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is timeless. It strikes the right balance between technical flash and grounded mechanics to provide an experience that captivates all types of fans, whether they're jumping into fighting games for the first time, stopped playing from Street Fighter III onward, or never stopped playing fighting games. The various extras, however, feel half-heartedly done. From the Buddy Battle mode to the abysmal Way of the Hado, few things feel fully fleshed out, while parts of the presentation fare worse than the work Backbone Entertainment did almost 10 years ago. At least the online works fine this time around, which may be enough to entice some players. With a price tag of $40, the game represents a very steep cash grab, so unless you're adamant about getting Street Fighter II on the Switch, it's best to wait for a sale or a price drop.

The quality of Street Fighter II is unparalleled, and it is still one of the most balanced fighting games ever created. The addition of Violent Ken and Evil Ryu doesn’t do much to the roster, and Way of the Hado is a diversion at best. However, the $40 price tag stings. Yes, we have all heard of Switch tax, but this feels like Switch robbery. This game should have launched at $15-$20 at most. This is a very solid game, just not one worth its current price of admission.

I walked away from Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers surprised at how much fun I could still find in the game, even when playing on the less-than-adequate controls the Switch offers by default. Still, that enjoyment doesn’t change the fact that Capcom was off the mark on this release—we either should have received the game as a cheaper digital download, or as a more expansive collection.

Ultra Street Fighter II - The Final Challengers packs the punch of the 1991 original arcade release, and the inclusion of two new modes and all the SFII characters helps make the experience unique, but the price doesn’t justify the package. There’s just not enough here worth the asking price for the release.

A fun fighting game with interesting new mechanics and touted as the definitive version of Street Fighter II, but it comes off as lazy and overpriced, padded with a lackluster buddy mode and an unnecessary and almost broken “Way of the Hado” mode reminiscent of the worst of the Wii era.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers keeps the classic gameplay that has become the hallmark of this timeless 2D fighting series and boasts a competent online component. Unfortunately, the lack of innovations, two additional modes that make no difference at all and a completely disproportionate price tag mean that it cannot be considered as the ultimate version of Street Fighter II.

At the end of the day, I have to wonder who Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is really for. If you just want a competitive multiplayer game on the Nintendo Switch, there are better options.

It needs to be said once more that Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers isn’t a bad game – it really isn’t. But it’s a game that’s been making rounds since the early 90’s, with a port that feels eerily familiar to a version that first arrived roughly nine years ago on Xbox 360 and PS3. Then there’s the price point of $39.99 USD, which feels more like a gouging than anything nearly reasonable.

The Final Challengers isn't the deluxe reissue that it should've been, but it's still a solid enough version of Street Fighter II that lends itself well to portable play.

The gameplay is as tight and enjoyable as ever, and there's a simplicity to the game engine which makes it incredibly appealing – while it lacks some of the improvements seen in recent fighters, this simplicity somehow makes for a purer experience and one which is more accommodating to genre newcomers to boot. Sadly, Capcom's attempts to add value to this likeable yet aging template fall totally flat.

If you'd told me 20 or even 10 years ago that we'd get a better-than-arcade port of one of Street Fighter's best entries that's playable on a portable, I'd have been thrilled. But we've come to expect a lot more from fighting games these days, ironically by Capcom itself, and Ultra Street Fighter 2 just doesn't do enough to justify its price tag or overshadow its shortcomings.

Beyond its core, though, The Final Challengers’ value prop is pretty bad, and with no real modes outside of Arcade to makes this edition particularly appealing, there’s little reason to need it. It’s true there’s online play, which does feature a clever point-based ranking system, but the former is not new and the latter is not so compelling as to drive player investment. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers will make a fine gift for a youngster or acquaintance Street Fighter celibate, but it’s probably not worth your time until the price goes down otherwise.

Ultra Street Fighter II is an admirable effort; a pitch-perfect version of Street Fighter II on the Nintendo Switch. Capcom has re-balanced the game from its Super Turbo release, thrown in the Super Turbo HD Remix art, and added some additional Switch-only modes. Unfortunately, the whole package just feels adequate. Ultra Street Fighter II doesn't feel like it goes above and beyond for the series' 30th anniversary and the asking price is steep for what's there.

While this is the complete version of Street Fighter 2, it does not come with enough additions to justify its expensive price tag and players are better off with the previous HD version.

Although Way of the Hado is ultimately fluff, a lot of Ultra Street Fighter II's problems in the core game could be solved simply if the Switch had a dedicated, six-button fighting pad with a precise D-pad. As that's not an option at this point, we're left with what feels like a brilliantly presented version of a hugely important and impressive game, that no one can really get the best out of.

A lackluster remake in every way. A lack of new content and poor presentation calls the price tag into question, while the game's one attempt at something new – a hardware gimmick mode – is outright embarrassing. Turbo HD Remix is still the superior remake of Super Street Fighter II.

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is nice for fans of the series, but anyone else might feel ripped off paying full retail price for a game with so little new content. Great for online play, bad for basically everything else.

While Way of the Hado feels tacked on and ultimately a pointless gimmick, this is still a great version of Street Fighter II and currently the best way to experience the classic game on today’s hardware. The additions to the main game are minor at best for the astonishing price tag, with Evil Ryu and Violent Ken just being amped up clones of existing fighters, but it still plays like the classic arcade fighter. Just don’t expect anything revolutionary.

Ultra Street Fighter II tries to add a robust package around its tried-and-true Arcade mode, but much of that package doesn't pan out. All that leaves is the Arcade and Versus modes and for as great as Street Fighter II is, it's a game that also shows its age after a while. Fighting games have come so much farther since SF2 pioneered the genre, so it's hard to imagine going back and especially for a hefty $40 price tag. Thanks for memories, Street Fighter II, but I'm hoping that this is indeed the Final Challenge.

It’s still amazing that such an old game can remain so playable after all these years, although it’s equally incredible that Capcom still insist on charging full price for it.

The price point is still tough, in my opinion, and while I don’t think I’m the target demographic, I think it’s going to be an uphill battle at the $40 price. Ultra Street Fighter II would have been a monster hit for Capcom at $20 and unless you're a die hard Street Fighter II fan, I would wait until it hits that price point.

An overpriced package that offers little new content, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers isn't a marvelous return for this venerable series. Being mobile is great, and the game looks good, but everything else about this release is skippable for all but the most die hard SF fans.

While SFII itself is obviously still brilliant, there's nothing about this bare-bones package that even nearly does Capcom's classic justice. [Issue#189, p.83]