Conflicting package. Obvious Pro here is just the pure nostalgia. But then you are up against the 'coin munch' settings the games have here by default and boy are they absolutely brutal. Now i don't mind trying to figure out my way against superior enemies but there is a limit to how much beat down you want to take and checking into how to take it down a notch leads you eventually to a more satisfactory settings where there is more point in trying to learn (or re-learn more like it) the ropes. But still there is none of the really easy modern enhancements here that you will find in latest SF or KOF games. I guess i am fine with that. I play this for nostalgia anyways. I dont really know what words i could write here to get the younger gens to be interested enough to buy. History? i guess, but you can get that from a youtube video as well.

Technically there is also the thing with the screen. Pure pixels as they are is not that good looking but there are decent filters here to smooth things up nicely so in the end you can just enjoy the old graphics quite well without having to wonder if you should have a big tube to play from.

A basic practice mode included and it has the special moves list and otherwise works well so the basics are there to get you ahead in your play.

Tad expensive pack even on sales considering the age of the games but if you got the time to invest into learning the ropes the game gives good satisfaction eventually. A good history lesson basically why this game series got so popular the way it did.

Good library of legacy SF titles with savestates, achievements and an artwork gallery, although I recommend Fightcade instead of this if you intend to play online. No GGPO

TLDR: A dusty ghost town of nostalgia. Packed with content for hardcore fans, but plagued by sluggish controls, unfair AI, and modern DRM chains. Capcom’s corporate decisions weigh heavy on what could’ve been a great collection. Great for die-hards, but casual players will find themselves caught in a trap.


The air was thick with dust when I pulled into the quiet town of Street Fighter . It wasn’t much. Old buildings, faded signs, and whispers of what used to be. The kind of place where you expect to find ghosts—memories of the past, haunting the streets. The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection was supposed to be my ticket back to those halcyon days, the arcades that once buzzed with the sound of clashing fists, blaring music, and the promise of glory. But what I found wasn’t a warm welcome—it was a ghost town. The kind of place where memories have started to decay, and you can feel the weight of every step you take.

The controls were stiff, like an old man’s joints, creaking and groaning as I tried to pull off a simple move. The AI? It was like a specter, always a step ahead, reading my every move like a detective cracking an old case—except, instead of helping me solve the mystery, it just left me flat on my back. It was a cruel trick, a dance I couldn’t lead, and I was too slow to catch up.


Pros:

A Relic From a Forgotten Time
When you open this collection, the ghosts of arcade glory rise. Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li—they’re still here, locked in a timeless dance of punches and kicks. The sound of that familiar theme music plays, and for a brief moment, you feel like you’ve stepped into a time machine that’s come straight from the good ol’ days. It’s a bittersweet reminder of a time when quarters actually meant something, and your victory felt earned.

A Treasure Chest, But You’ve Got to Dig
The collection packs a heavy punch in terms of content. 12 games, each one a relic from a different era of Street Fighter . The evolution of the franchise is here, tucked away like forgotten treasures in a dusty vault. It’s a lot to chew on—each game offers a different slice of history. If you’re a historian of the series, this is the jackpot. It’s a labyrinth of memories, full of dead-end streets and hidden alleyways, but if you know where to look, you might just find something worth holding onto.

The Fight Ain’t Over Yet
The online play’s there for the brave, if you’re ready to step into the ring. The competition’s fierce—like a wild west showdown where only the strong survive. But be warned: If you’re not ready for a fast draw, you’ll find yourself looking at the ceiling while your opponent takes the belt. It’s not for the faint of heart. But if you can hang, the multiplayer still holds that spark of danger.


Cons:

The Controls: Stiff As a Corpse
It was like fighting with one arm tied behind my back, a cruel joke played on me by the spirits that haunt this place. The controls? Sluggish, like trying to run through quicksand. Every move felt delayed, like the ghost of a fighter from a bygone era, still twitching but unable to respond when I needed it. Trying to pull off a special move was like asking an old prospector to hit the jackpot—by the time you land the punch, your opponent’s already put you in the dirt.

AI: A Phantom Who Knows Your Every Move
Then there was the AI. It didn’t just fight—it read me. It knew my every move before I even thought of making it. It blocked my attacks like a seasoned brawler, countered my every attempt to fight back, and made me feel like a child trying to wrestle with a ghost that was miles beyond my abilities. It wasn’t challenging—it was cruel, like a shadow that won’t leave you alone, beating you down with every encounter. And no matter how hard you try, it’s always one step ahead.

Modern DRM: Chains on the Ghosts of the Past
And then there was the kicker. Capcom—the great architect of this ghost town—decided to slap on DRM, locking the doors to the very treasure they promised. This wasn’t the benign lock-and-key some might tolerate; no, it was Enigma, the kind of DRM notorious for leeching system resources and shackling players with its unnecessary complexities. It wasn’t there when the collection first arrived. But as time went on, like a criminal reappearing after the crime, Enigma came to haunt the game. Retroactive chains on a product that once felt free.

To make matters worse, Capcom has been trying to kill modding for years, as if the ghosts of creativity were too much for them to handle. The shackles of corporate greed tightened, and the freedom that modders once had to mold the collection to their liking slowly evaporated. With Enigma in place, even legitimate players were caught in its web, battling login issues, slow authentication, and an ever-lurking sense that they didn’t truly own the game they had purchased.

Slow Pacing: Stumbling Through the Dust
When I tried to fight, everything felt slow. The pace of each match dragged, like the echo of footsteps in an empty town. There’s no urgency, no thrill. It’s like the whole thing is dragging its feet, leaving me to wonder if I’ll ever land a good hit. It’s as if the ghosts of the past are trying to remind me that maybe I don’t belong here anymore, that my time has passed, and it’s better to move on.


This collection is a twisted ghost story, a tale of nostalgia gone sour. For the hardcore Street Fighter fan, it’s a treasure trove of history, a deep dive into the franchise’s evolution. But it’s not for the casual traveler. The sluggish controls and unfair AI will make you feel like you’re fighting a battle that was never yours to win. Capcom’s decision to retroactively add DRM and stifle modding feels like a betrayal—like the town was once free, and now it’s shackled by corporate hands.

It’s a collection of ghosts—some of them still fight strong, but others are long dead, their spirits trapped in a time they can’t escape. It’s a bittersweet look back at a franchise that once defined an era, but now feels more like a relic, stuck in a loop of nostalgia with its future uncertain.

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[/h1]A Street Fighting Farce[/h1]

Oh, Street Fighter, a saga so grand,
Thirty years of punches, pixelated hand.
A collection hailed, “It’s perfection, no less!”
But let’s dig deeper; we’re not here to impress.

The menus creak like an old arcade stool,
With UIs that scream, "We tried to be cool!"
Online modes, a desync delight,
Lag so bad, even Ryu might lose the fight.

"Relive the classics!" they boldly declare,
But quarter-circle inputs? Handle with care.
You’d think in a world of remasters and such,
We’d get smoother combos—not clunky as much.

Fans scream, "But it’s history, how dare you hate?!"
I guess nitpicking a legacy seals your fate.
Yet nostalgia goggles, tinted just so,
Can’t blind me to flaws, as clear as they show.

Sixteen versions of the same damn game,
"Now THIS one’s different!"—oh sure, okay.
But hey, who needs variety when you’ve got Ken?
Clone city fighters strike again and again.

Still, bow to Capcom, kings of the grind,
Who milk retro love and leave nuance behind.
Street Fighter 30th, you’re more cash than class,
But hey, for your fans? You’re a S-tier pass.

Oh, but don’t you dare suggest a flaw,
The fans will Hadouken you into the maw.
"Respect the legacy!" they shout with zeal,
As if criticism could shatter its steel.

So here’s to nostalgia, both sweet and bitter,
A love letter wrapped in a laggy transmitter.
Street Fighter 30th, you’re a curious brew,
Half history, half hustle—but hey, we still kinda appreciate you.