I hate bad days. I think the whole reason why I got into videogames in the first place was to let off steam. Come to think of it, I've actually been playing games since I was five. If relieving tension is why I started playing videogames, then I must have been one stressed out kid! Think about it, though: you ever have to pay a bill for something you don't even remember buying? You ever misplace something you really, really like? Oh, how about this one? You ever get a ticket!? Those are the kind of jacked up days where I wish the world was a basketball hoop and I was Shaquille O'Neal! I know it's bad when my wife actually has to say, "Babe, you look pissed. Play a game or something."

It's cool, though, and I'll tell you why. This month I got to check out Afro Samurai, F.E.A.R. 2, a couple of underground games -- Big Bang Mini and DJ Max Fever -- and everyone's favorite fighting game Street Fighter IV. If you had to give this "Press Start" a theme, it would definitely be something about putting together an outstanding game. Every one of these titles has come out with the intention to really dazzle and entertain -- and they do! I wouldn't be showing off crappy games this month, especially considering the mood I'm in. Anyway, check out the games we offer in this month's edition of "Press Start." And by the way, I really don't use a mouse and keyboard for fighting games. I use a dance mat.

Street Fighter IV will give early '90s arcade gamers an updated thrill. © Capcom.

Street Fighter IV for the Sony PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360; Publisher: Capcom; Developer: Capcom; Release Date: February 17, 2009; ESRB Rating: T for teen; Genre: fighting; Players: 1-2; Support: arcade joysticks; Online: ranked and player matches

Show me a gamer who used to hang around the arcades during the early '90s and I'll show you a Street Fighter fan. Show me a gamer who says that they don't really like Street Fighter and I'll show you a liar. You can't go wrong with this franchise; even non-gamers will recognize the signature characters Ryu, Guile and Chun Li. The last real Street Fighter title was Street Fighter III: Third Strike; every other Capcom fighting game after that was a spin-off from the core Street Fighter series and, believe me, Capcom certainly knows how to create spin-offs. Twenty years after the release of the first Street Fighter with more than two dozen iterations of the series and we're only at Street Fighter IV. Mind you, I'm not knocking Capcom for making any bad fighters, because almost all of them have been great, I'm only knocking Capcom for how long it takes them to count to four.

The story of Street Fighter IV actually takes place in between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. All of the original SF2 characters, including the bosses, have made returns with the exception of T. Hawk and Dee Jay -- and so begins the griping of bitter Dee Jay players. New to the Street Fighter cast are Rufus, C. Viper, El Fuerte and Abel. I think it's hilarious that our Japanese friends over at Capcom actually developed the two American characters, Rufus and C. Viper, in honor of North American gamers. Rufus is a seriously overweight, American martial artist, so I think to myself, "Is this really how the Japanese see us? As fat, martial arts wannabes? "I mean, c'mon! Sure, that's probably the conclusion that you'll come to if you've ever attended Comic-Con but that's not the point! Alright, alright, I'll let it go. A new, and very weird final boss by the name of Seth also makes his debut along with the return of Akuma and the first-ever appearance of Gouken, Ken and Ryu's master, who supposedly died at the hands of his brother Akuma. Gouken is kind of like Big Foot -- you know he's around, you know he's awesome but you've never really seen him. El Fuerte is actually not even a fighter; he's a chef with a penchant for Mexican-style, lucha libre wrestling. Abel is a French grappler who has lost his memory and is searching for clues to his past. He's a great fighter to use but his character is extremely soft-spoken. He's like a totally chilled-out version of Alex from Street Fighter III.

Since this is the first attempt at a 3D fighting system since the Street Fighter EX series, it has actually turned out great; it kind of feels like Street Fighter Alpha 3, only slower. Things have been simplified; every character still has an arsenal of three punches, three kicks, throws, special moves and a few unique moves. Special moves can be powered up into EX special moves the same way as in Street Fighter III. The super meter charges up to only one level whereas in past Street Fighters it could charge up to three levels. All characters have one Super move and one Ultra move. Super moves and EX moves, obviously, are charged up by attacking your opponent while Ultra moves charge up by taking damage. The Ultra moves have been added to Street Fighter IV to even the playing field so that guys who are being utterly worked can hit their Ultra and do some massive damage to their opponent and make a serious comeback. I found that Ultra moves cannot be connected from regular attacks, specials or EX attacks the way Super moves can, but it is very possible to connect an Ultra after knocking an opponent into the air and catching him in the Ultra move; this is called a juggle. Ultras can also be connected after stunning an opponent with a Focus Attack. Let's talk about the focus attack a little bit.