Street Fighter IV was the fighting game for a new generation. Not only has it fleshed out the idea of what a 2.5D fighter can be, but it has sparked a revival of the genre. It is only suitable that Capcom, the father of 2D fighters, be the one to lead such an ambitious journey. Much like their previous installments, SSFIV is an expansion on the foundations laid in Street Fighter 4. Some gamers may be taken aback by the idea that they have to procure another disc. Let me assure you: this is a new game.
First and foremost, the character selection screen is initially completely unlocked, and a few new characters are available. Some are from the original Super (Dee Jay & T-Hawk), others from the Alpha series (Guy, Cody, Adon), and still others from Third Strike (Dudley, Ibuki, Makoto). Rounding out the 10 are some new faces with Hakan and Juri. This article will focus on the new characters, since the existing are similar to their predecessors.
Juri - Is primarily an offensively oriented character, with few defensive moves. Most of her attacks are kicks and her fireball technique can be charged. If you choose to charge, she does a high kick first and can unleash her fireball at any time after that by releasing the button. She has a counter move in which she taunts her enemy into hitting her. If she is hit; she can move backwards, jump into the air, or appear behind her opponent. Combined with her aerial dive kick, this counter is especially painful for her opponents. Her super unleashes a flurry of fireballs and juggles the opponent, ending with a fireball that hits the opponent as they are falling. The first Ultra is the Feng Shui Engine, which is a timing move that allows her to do combos at ease. The second Ultra is the Kaisen Dankairaku, a devastating attack in which she kicks her opponent up, then down where the opponent lands on her foot. She taunts them before slamming them into the ground.
Hakan – An oil wrestler whose technique revolves around the application of oil to his body. The primary move is called the Oil Shower, but the overall move set remains the same regardless of the presence of oil. The difference made by applying oil shows in the strength and agility of the character. Moves like the slide attack, will reach further with oil applied. Since he is more of a grappler, his throws are also more powerful with oil. Applying the oil also makes him "glow" for a short amount of time, acting as a timer of sorts for his current oiling. His super involves grabbing his opponent, sliding back and forth across the floor of the stage. The first Ultra is the Oil Coaster, which is like a more powerful version of his Oil Rocket move. He grabs, then pops the opponent up into the air, and slides them into a wall. The second Ultra is the Oil Combination, where Hakan lays down on the floor and waits for his opponent to fall into him. Once an opponent does, calamity ensues and they will wish they had not executed that last jump.
Additionally, all characters have been given a second Ultra. You choose which Ultra to use before the round begins, much like Third Strike. The game also features a few additional online modes: Team Battle (up to 8 players), and Endless Battle (winner plays against a rotating group of up to 8 players).
Another great feature is the Replay Channel, which allows players to save and view replays from around the world. It provides users some excellent footage, despite the lack of any character specific filters, which would help in finding a match up you may be struggling with. Fans of the series will notice the return of the car and barrels bonus stages. I found these to be fun bits of nostalgia to remind people of Capcom’s roots. Rival battles are still prominent from the previous game, which feature a unique dialogue sequence whenever a certain pair of characters face-off against each other.
A downloadable Tournament Mode is scheduled to be released on June 25, 2010. This will allow people to create their own tournaments, with victory belts. This will be cool if only for bragging rights and Capcom has mentioned sanctioning a few tournaments of their own DLC is limited to a number of costume packs for the various characters. These are not essential, but certainly add some variety to the already numerous costumes and color combinations. The game itself is at a price point of $40. If you don’t already own a fighting game, it makes Super Street Fighter 4 essential for any console owner.
*note: all pictures are coutesy of a Google Image search
