The once-unthinkable crossover between Street Fighter and Tekken, the most popular 2D and 3D fighting games in the world, will actually be made twice, though Namco Bandai's half of the equation, Tekken X Street Fighter, remains without a release date.

In the meantime, it's up to Capcom to work out how best to combine Street Fighter's quarter-circle and charge motions with Tekken's directional taps and it's pulled it off in style. The Capcom cast is a natural fit and the Tekken characters feel so at home they could have been designed by Capcom in the first place.

While fighting games have long been perceived as a hardcore pursuit, Capcom is actively courting newcomers as it seeks to expand the genre's audience. That means simplified control schemes and a gem system that helps level the playing field while also providing plenty of tactical options for advanced players. It's fast, fluid and an enormous amount of fun. Capcom has set a high standard for Namco to follow.