So it appears that Street Fighter IV has been making their way into select Arcades in the United States.  I was thinking this was only a pipe dream to be added into the ever-expanding list of Japan-only-Arcade exclusives.  However I was proven wrong to find that the Narrows Plaza Bowl
 in Tacoma, WA had, not one… but TWO! Street Fighter IV cabinets gloriously displayed on 32″ HD LCD monitors.  I grow green with envy knowing that such an arcade is 45 minutes away from my home, and not at my town’s Gameworks.  But I will be patient for the console release.  The big turn-off (aside from the long distance to get there), is that the game will cost $1.00 per play.  And they take only dollar bills.  It’s a bit of an outrageous price if you ask me, this is also probably why it would not ever show up at Gameworks (whom I have recently stopped by again here and there to see that they are sporting the $0.50/play idea).

I can remember how skeptical I was when I first saw this game, and seeing the artwork take a turn “for the worse”.  As more and more footage and clips have been released, I believe that the artwork DID take a different turn from the original series (with the exception of the horrible Street Fighter EX on the PS2), but in a good way.  Team CAPCOM has done an excellent job maintaining the original vibrant colors that the beautifully done Street Fighter III: Third Strike series has done.  I am definitely willing to give this game a try, and so should you!