John may have had a premature prophetic dream about Street Fighter IV at the Chinatown Fair arcade last month, but it's sure as shoryuken there now. How do I know? Because we just so happened to be in the arcade at the precise moment that the Street Fighter IV cabinets were brought out of the closet and into the game room. Check out this hastily captured cell phone camera evidence:
Video music, the decidedly appropriate Cool Kids' "A Little Bit Cooler".
A crowd quickly gathered and we watched as wires were pulled, screws were twisted, and buttons did absolutely nothing while the devoted staff of Chinatown Fair broke the fourth wall, exposing the raw Hori joystick under little more than a plank of wood. Sadly, we had to get back to our real jobs before the cabinets were ready for the head-to-head, but I can say that trailers and internet video do the game no justice. Even watching an immobile Ken get his ass handed to him by the computer's Abel looked gorgeous on the hi-def Samsung screen.
John managed score a few choice quotes from some of the gathered onlookers, primed and ready to school the masses in a game none of us had ever played before. I'm sure he'll share his thoughts on the occassion soon enough, but for now, take comfort in knowing that Street Fighter IV is officially here and – we assume by now – playable.
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Trailer Review: Street Fighter 4