IT has been more than 15 years now since the first Street Fighter was released. Street Fighter has always been a classic beat 'em up, rivalled by the likes of Soul Calibur, Tekken and Mortal Kombat.

Capcom have released a treat for fans of the series with Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection. This consists of the original Hyper Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, exclusive to the XBOX.

Although the graphics are far from perfect, Street Fighter II is still as enjoyable as ever. Gamers can take control of legends such as M Bison, Blanka and E. Honda, and even choose from five different fighting styles.

Street Fighter is not as fast paced as Tekken but, considering the age of the title, it's surprisingly playable.

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike is an improvement graphically on its predecessor although the soundtrack is inferior consisting of little more than a few hip hop tracks. Unfortunately a lot of the classic street fighter characters are no longer present in third strike, being replaced by more futuristic combatants.

Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection also includes the original 1994 full-length anime Street Fighter II: The Animated Collection.

Overall Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection is recommended to fans of the series, with a reasonable retail price of £29.99 and a good few weeks worth of entertainment.

One should, however, think of this game as a novelty or collectable as opposed to a rival to the likes of Tekken and Soul Calibur.

Michael Wilson

PRICE: £29.99

AGE RATING: 15+

GENRE: Beat 'Em Up

FORMAT: XBOX

GRAPHICS: 12/20

SOUND: 12/20

GAMEPLAY: 19/25

LIFESPAN: 20/25

ORIGINALITY: 5/10

OVERALL: 68%

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6 Burnout 3: Takedown

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10 Lord of the Rings - The Third Age

UPCOMING

Half-Life 2; Disney Move; Mario VS Donkey Kong; Mortal Kombat: Deception; Singstar Party