More than just fighting

Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition isn't just about the 35 characters, online multiplayer and touchscreen controls – its StreetPass figurine battle mode is a potential ace up the sleeves of its gi, and Japanese site Andriasang recently nabbed more details on the violent statues.

Playing the game in any mode will accumulate Figure Points, which are used to play a slot machine that spits out a figurine into your collection. You can also purchase Figure Points with the Game Coins collected as you walk around in the real world using your 3DS console as a pedometer.

There are seven figures for each character, making a total of 245 statues to collect, each with their own unique statistics. You can trade figures with other players too, and judging by the number of times producer Yoshinori Ono referenced Pokémon in his speech in January's Amsterdam 3DS event Capcom is keen to get players trading to complete their collections.

When it comes to battling, you have to set up a team before you can take on any opponents. Each statue has a level from 1 to 7, and when choosing your five fighters the combined level total must be 20 or less, so don't think you can set all your top-level fighters to win every time. After selecting your combatants, you can boost their attack, defence and speed statistics with a preset number of points, making up for any weaknesses or piling them on top of a strong character to blitz your opponent.

This strategic element could bring extra longevity to the title, which already looks to be one of the 3DS's must-haves upon release. We played it in Amsterdam and came away very impressed, so be sure to read our First Impressions: Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition for more details.

[source andriasang.com]