Do as the good book says
Brady’sUltra Street Fighter IV Biblewas a near-perfect send off forStreet Fighter IV. It works as both an in-depth analysis of nearly every inch of the game’s systems, and a permanent record of what the final iteration ofStreet Fighter IVcame to be. It was released at a moment when it was unlikely thatUltrawould ever be patched or upgraded again, as Capcom was already full swing into development ofStreet Fighter Vby that time.
Prima’s newStreet Fighter V Collector’s Edition Strategy Guide(headed up by the lead author of Brady’sUltra Bible) is in the opposite position.Street Fighter Vas we know it won’t be around for much longer. New characters will be added. Patches that may apply vast changes to how characters play are on the way. This wouldn’t have happened back inStreet Fighter II‘s heyday. For better or worse, the games didn’t grow or change. They remained forever frozen in time on the cartridges and CD-ROMs they were burned on.
These days, the only media that is guaranteed to never be changed after the fact is fully analog work like the printed page. While today’sStreet Fighter Vwill surely disappear, Prima’s 463-page essay on the game will always be there for future generations who want to see what the game was like in its infancy.
The guide follows a similar format as theUltra Street Fighter IV Bible, starting off with a lengthy glossary of terms. If you’re new to the FGC, this section will likely be essential to you, but even old pros will likely have some fun chewing on relatively obscure terms like “Okizeme” (Japanese for mix-ups) and “Meaty” (to intentionally time a strike so it connects with later frames in the attack animation, often used in wake-ups). For the most part, these are all terms that didn’t appear in theUltra Bible, which goes to show just how deep the language ofStreet Fightergoes. I wouldn’t be surprised if the pros at Prima were able to put out a 500-page dictionary ofStreet Fighterterminology that was solely focused on the language that has sprouted up around the series over the years.
This ever-expanding passion for the source material is woven into every page of theStreet Fighter Vguide. It goes into even greater detail on both technical information and expert opinion on strategy than theUltra Bible. Seeing as theUltra Bibleis 608 pages long, that’s saying a lot. Deep analysis of frame data, multiple perspectives on the best use of move sets and combos, an entire section dedicated to match-ups, and almost 20 pages dedicated to production art and unused character designs (like Yeti-F.A.N.G. and Man-Laura) make for an almost overwhelming amount of information.
While some of the details won’t apply to future updates ofStreet Fighter V, there is more than enough quality information and fighting game philosophy here to warrant a purchase for anyone interested in competitive play. Thoughthe eGuidewill be “patched” to reflect any changes toStreet Fighter Vplanned for the coming months, I hope that Prima will also commit those changes to print as well. I’d be more than happy to pay full price for another 450-page guide dedicated to even more glossary terms, production art, changes to the engine, new modes, and details onupcoming additions to theStreet Fighter Vroster like Alex and Ibuki.
As someone who still whips out hisNight Warriors guide to compare it’s contents to the book onJedah’s Damnationevery now and again, I’m more than confident Prima could keep churning outStreet Fighter Vbibles that would provide fun reading for years to come.
