While fighting games don’t always make a smooth transition over to a handheld system, Street Fighter X Tekken might just be one of those titles that bucks that trend.

Having spent some time with the game last week in San Francisco, I can honestly say that it’s shaping up to be one of the better experiences on the PlayStation Vita.

The game isn’t actually a straight port from its console counterparts, but rather it was built from the ground up for the Vita, that includes 12 additional characters, bringing up the total to 55.  In addition, alternate costumes for the core characters are also included with the game and any DLC downloaded for the PS3 version, will be unlocked on the Vita game, at no extra charge.  This of course also helps out with the game’s Xross Play support, letting PS3 and Vita owners of the game battle it out online.

Players will also get a KO Monument that will let you take a pic of your defeated foe (online) and post it in your gallery.  You can also use augmented reality to put your favorite characters out in the real world, while players can also share custom costumes using Near.

In addition to the single-player mode, Capcom has also added a new Endless Mode, where you take on an endless amount of opponents to see how far you can go.

And while the little extras are a nice bonus, what stood out for me the most was the ultra smooth controls and slick looking art that actually rivals what you see on the PS3.

I engaged in a couple of battles, mixing in some Street Fighter and Tekken characters to my tag teams and found that regardless of who I used, the controls were spot on.  I didn’t once become uncomfortable using the Vita and pulling off complicated moves were a cinch; something I feared about the translation to the handheld.  Luckily, I was able to pick up and play quite easily and felt more arcade-y than playing on the PS3.

Not only were the controls fantastic, but the game ran very smoothly and I wouldn’t be exaggerating when I say that I enjoyed the gameplay on the Vita more so than on the PS3 or Xbox 360 for that matter.  While I personally didn’t use the touch controls that much, they are certainly there, letting you swipe on the rear touch panel to pull off launching strikes, or using the touch screen to pull off other moves, if you’ve turned on the game’s casual mode controls, which lets the game do some of the movements for you.

Regardless of how you play, the game is a blast and it will surely give the struggling Vita a nice shot in the arm, when the game releases on Oct. 23.