Super Street Fighter IV is heading to the 3DS bringing the 23-year-old beat-em-up series into the crazy world of handheld 3D action.

And although we've known that the title was going to launch on the 3DS for a while now, this is the first time that we've been able to get our paws on it.

Luckily, playing Street Fighter is like riding a bike, you never forget those special move combos.

Name

Super Street Fighter IV 3D

What platform is it on?

Nintendo 3DS

When's it out?

During the "launch window", which is 25 March - early June.

What other game is it like?

Dead of Alive: Dimensions

Does it use any new tech?

3D action aplenty and also SSFIV taps into the StreetPass and SpotPass aspects of the console to let you do battle with your buddies, even if they don't have the game.

"Of course if the download version was the same as the full version then Capcom would go bankrupt", joked Capcom's Yoshinori Ono at the launch event in Amsterdam.

Instead the free version lets non-owners play as Ryu and they can even Dragon Punch the crap out of other demo version holders in Ryu v Ryu matches.

There are also bonuses to collect in the form of approximately 500 figurines which do battle with other 3DSers when you're not actively playing the game.

The pitch 

Super Street Fighter IV includes all the original 25 characters from the home version of Street Fighter IV, as well as 10 new characters, making 35 in total.

Capcom is saying that the game is "exactly the same" as its HD counterparts, which is nice.

The storyline 

Super Street Fighter IV 3D is based on the 2010 beat-em-up produced by Capcom. It is an updated version of Street Fighter IV and has been said to mark the definitive end of the fourth instalment of the Street Fighter series

Our first impressions

Yep, yep. yep - this definitely works with 3D and feels much more than a novelty. The camera sits high up and you not only get a good view of the action, but a very deep sense of your location and surroundings.

When you pull of a combo, the animation looks fantastic as it bursts out of the top screen. Combos are made all the easier as well with the bottom screen allowing you to map special moves and the like. There is a pro-control setup too, for people who like to pull off the moves themselves.

The gameplay, however, is a little trickier than its console equivalents as the 3DS' button layout doesn't really suit the 6-button config. However, you may well get used to the setup after a longer gaming session.

This looks a sure-winner in the early 3DS beat-em-up market. For our money's worth it just has the edge over Dead or Alive: Dimensions.

Please note

The Nintendo 3DS launch in Amsterdam was a fantastic chance to see the new titles due in the launch window, letting us get a glimpse into what are going to be the big titles and the ones to avoid like the plague.

The big problem however, is that for most of the titles that glimpse is, well, just that. At the event we got to play a level here or a multiplayer map there.

So with that in mind we present you with our Quick Play.

What we've done is broken down the key facts you need to know and then given you our first impressions based on around 15 minutes of gaming. For us that 15 minutes isn't enough to do a First Look review. How can you rate a game that offers over 30 hours of gaming on just 15 minutes of play? However, it should hopefully give you an idea, a feeling, a notion, of what to expect come launch day.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D - 3DS quick play preview