Super Street Fighter IV

Overview

Super Street Fighter IV is a standalone update to Street Fighter IV, with new characters and backgrounds as well as re-balances to the original fighters move sets. All twenty five characters from Street Fighter IV return. Ten additional characters join the game, eight from Street Fighter games and a pair of all new entrants. The added characters are T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Adon, Cody, Guy, Ibuki, Dudley, Makoto. The two new characters to the Street Fighter series are Juri and Hakan. All characters are playable from the start meaning there is no need to go through the arcade mode to unlock any characters.

Super Street Fighter IV also adds additional costumes for each character, many of which are drastically different to their two costumes in the previous game. Zangief, for example, has a metallic "Mecha Zangief" costume. Cammy's third outfit is what she wore as a brainwashed assassin for Shadaloo. Dan's third takes on a Blanka-like look, signifying the two characters' friendship.

Fighting is significantly tweaked with many of the existing characters seeing the properties of their moves changed in the interest of balance. Each fighter now has two Ultra Combos. Like Street Fighter III before it, players can select which of the two Ultras they want to use when selecting a fighter. Also like SFIII, the Ultras are denoted as Ultra I and Ultra II.

New game modes have been added to further flesh out the game's online options. These new game modes include a new replay channel, team battles, quarter matches, and a new Tournament mode which was released via free DLC.

New Characters

Adon

One of the most "OG" characters in the history of Street Fighter, Adon made his first appearance in the original Street Fighter, along with Gen and Sagat. He's a student of Sagat, and shares the same Muay Thai kickboxing background as him. After three years of training to become the "God of Muay Thai," Sagat lost to Ryu. Adon, claiming Sagat could not uphold Muay Thai's honor, challenged Sagat for the title of "God of Muay Thai" and won.

1. Ultra I: Jaguar Revolver: Bunch of overhead kicks into a sick air juggle.
2. Ultra II: Jaguar Avalanche: Launches into the air with some kicks, then rests his knees on their shoulders, and proceeds to pound with his fists. Ends with a kick to the ground.

Cody

Cody is one of the few Street Fighter characters that wasn't introduced in an actual Street Fighter game, but instead made his debut in the original Final Fight. In Final Fight, he is searching for his girlfriend Jessica with the help of his two friends, Guy and her father Mike Haggar, who is the mayor of Metro City. Cody makes his official Street Fighter debut in Street Fighter Alpha 3, in prison garb and handcuffs. In Super Street Fighter IV, he is bored out of his mind, and is looking to fight just to kill time.

1. Ultra I: Final Destruction: Cody scraps with his enemy in the form of strong axe-handle style punches, ending it with a hurricane punch.
2. Ultra II: Last Dread Dust: Activates at very close range, Cody launches his opponent into the air, and plays baseball with the help of a steel pipe.

Dee Jay

The only character in the Street Fighter series designed by Capcom USA, Dee Jay is a Jamaican fighter who first appeared in Super Street Fighter II. He's somewhat of a music star, and his fight style involves moving to musical rhythm. Dee Jay's move properties have changed a lot since his last entry in SSF2, but he can still prosper playing by his old tactics.

1. Ultra I: Sobat Festival: Dee Jay goes on a rampage and kicks his opponent a bunch of times, ending the juggle combo with a big MAX OUT wave.
2. Ultra II: Climax Beat: He pulls out his maracas and does a little jingle before unleashing punches like a machine-gun on his opponent.

Dudley

This gentlemanly fighter originated in Street Fighter III: New Generation, and is a British boxer who fights to defend honor and dignity. He fights with a faster and more refined technique of boxing than the other boxer in the game, Balrog. He always behaves like a perfect gentleman and his signature taunt involves the throwing of a red rose. In Street Fighter III the taunt actually did damage, but in Super Street Fighter IV it only causes a short amount of hit stun, and no damage.

1. Ultra I: Rolling Thunder: A vicious combination of punches that ends with an uppercut, launching your opponent into the air.
2. Ultra II: Corkscrew Cross: This involves a powerful punch that sends your opponent spinning, and Dudley seals the deal with one more punch.

Guy

Cody's partner in crime (not literally,) made his first appearance in the original Final Fight as one of the three playable characters. He made the jump to Street Fighter in the original Street Fighter Alpha. A master of the art of Bushin Ninjitsu (and air throws,) he used this on his quest to save Cody's former girlfriend along with Metro City mayor, Mike Haggar in Final Fight. In the Alpha series he was involved in a storyline headed by M. Bison.

1. Ultra I: Bushin Goraisenpujin: This is that Naruto-style bounce off the walls ultra and do a diving suplex into the ground thing. Dope.
2. Ultra II: Bushin Muso Renge: A grab ultra in the vein of Raging Demon, Guy unleashes a flurry of attacks over a slick white background.

Hakan

Hakan is one of two completely new characters created for Super Street Fighter IV. Hakan travels the world looking for the best oil recipe, as he owns a cooking oil company. He practices the Turkish wrestling art known as Yağlı Güreş, which translated roughly means "wrestling with oil." Hakan possesses an "oil up" move where he drenches himself with it, changing the properties of his normal and special moves. Depending on which strength of oil up you use, the special properties will last for different durations. He also loves his daughters, they are so pretty!

1. Ultra I: Oil Coaster: 720 motion grab. Hakan throws his opponent in the air, and spins him/her around his oily body then throws them into the wall.
2. Ultra II: Oil Combination Hold: Hakan quickly oils up, lies on the ground, Hakan grabs on and builds up pressure before releasing his opponent. The opponent is sent flying into the wall.

Ibuki

Ibuki first appeared in Street Fighter III: New Generation. Raised in a small village, she is a teenager who is a member of a ninja clan. Despite her extensive ninja training, she appears to have the mindset of a normal high school girl -- being a fan of pop idols and just having a basic carefree nature. Her fighting style is most reminiscent of Taijutsu, as she attacks swiftly with objects such as the kunai.

1. Ultra I: Yoroi Doushi: A powerful hit followed by an even more fiercesome elbow to the abdomen, shooing out some crazy ninja laser beam.
2. Ultra II: Hashin Shou: A series of punches and kicks launch the opponent into the air, where Ibuki sends a flurry of kunai at her opponent, then kicks them to the ground.

Juri

Juri is the second of two completely new characters in Super Street Fighter IV, and is a Street Fighter first, being the first South Korean character who practices Tae-Kwon Do. She has an artificial left eye made by S.I.N., the weapons manufacturer that Seth is a part of. The artificial eye serves as a chi booster and is called the Feng Shui Engine, which is coincidentally one of her ultras. The Feng Shui Engine is the first "custom combo" type ultra to be employed in the Street Fighter IV series of games.

1. Ultra I: Feng Shui Engine: A timed-ultra that looks similar to custom combos or V-ISM from Alpha 3. Top tier?
2. Ultra II: Kaisen Dankairaku: That fantastic time-stopping whispering in your ear ultra that you've seen 1,000 times.

Makoto

A young martial artist who is the master of her own dojo, Makoto practices the art of Rindoukan Karate. Ever since the death of her father, her attendance to her own dojo has been lacking. Her fighting style is very strong and quick, although a lot of her offense is generated off of guesses. In Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, her goal was often to get a couple random command grabs which would quickly stun the opponent, although in Super Street Fighter IV it seems many of her properties have changed. She can kara her command grab, however it is extremely difficult.

1. Ultra I: Seichusen Godanzuki: A series of punches beginning in the groin region, the last punch to the chin sends her opponent flying.
2. Ultra II: Abare Tosanamikudaki: Beginning with a jumping kick off the wall and ending with her infamous vertical punch, 3rd Strike players will enjoy this.

T. Hawk

T. Hawk (Thunder Hawk) was part of the last batch of Street Fighter II characters, appearing in Super Street Fighter II alongside Dee Jay, Fei Long and Cammy. A member of the Thunderfoot Clan, his homeland was taken over. Thirty years prior to the events of Street Fighter II, his father, Arroyo Hawk, was killed by M. Bison. T. Hawk entered the second World Warrior tournament to reclaim his people's land and free them from the clutches of M. Bison. T. Hawk's normals still have immense reach, which will let him lead a solid pressure, as well as defensive (combined with command grab.) The ex version of his new move, the horizontal condor spire, goes through fireballs.

1. Ultra I: Raging Typhoon: A giant cyclone-style grab where he throws you on the ground and then sits on you, INDIAN STYLE!
2. Ultra II: Raging Slash: Catches you in the air, power bombs you, smacks you to the floor like a rag doll, spins you, and slams you down on the ground. HARD.

Returning Characters

Abel

First introduced in the original Street Fighter IV, Abel has amnesia and is trying to chase down the remnants of Shadaloo. In the SFIV storyline it is revealed that he's just a clone from the same DNA as Seth, which explains the similar facial features and the lack of memory. He employs a fighting style similar to mixed martial arts and is well-suited to his background of mercenary. He appears to be a misanthrope upon first glance, although this is just a side effect of his earnestness. He cannot remember anything about his past.

1. Ultra I: Soulless: A invulnerable start-up makes it great for punishing projectiles, it begins with a big punch to the gut and has a super-long animation.
2. Ultra II: Breathless: A grab that tosses his opponent into the air, Abel catches them then throws them. Can be delayed, has hyper armor.

Akuma (Gouki in Japan)

Trained under the wing of his master Goutetsu along with his brother Gouken, Akuma was taught Ansatsuken, a life-threatening martial art. Gouken soon left Goutetsu to begin his own dojo, as he was unable to accept the violent nature of Ansatsuken. Akuma continues Goutetsu's teachings and vowed to use the art as it was intended. Akuma would later kill his master, and almost kill his brother, in pursuit of mastering Ansatsuken. Ryu upon learning that his master Gouken was killed, began a life-long search for Akuma, which would explain their rivalry in Street Fighter IV. Akuma's fighting style incorporates that of a traditional shoto character, but possesses other unique elements such as air fireballs, a teleport, and severe mix-up techniques.

1. Ultra I: Wrath of The Raging Demon: A more powerful version of the famous Shun Goku Satsu is a grab move that blacks the screen out and does a long series of damaging hits to the opponent.
2. Ultra II: Demon Armageddon: Looks ridiculous and hilarious, Tazmania Tornado or something. Heard it can be canceled from a teleport.

Balrog (M. Bison in Japan)

This boxer, who was expelled from the realm of professional boxing due to violent tendencies, teamed up with the organization run by M. Bison, Shadaloo. Always with the interest of getting paid, Balrog will take a win by any means necessary. It helps that he's one of the most well-rounded characters in the game, having solid options for almost every type of offense and defense.

1. Ultra I: Crazy Buffalo: A series of five strong punches that can be modified (straight punches or uppercuts), this is his comboable ultra, he can do it after a headbutt with no meter required.
2. Ultra II: Dirty Bull: A 720 Command Grab, Balrog steps on your toe like an ass. Not much damage, but 700 STUN!

Blanka

In Blanka's youth, he experienced a harrowing plane crash the left him for dead. Alone in the Amazonian jungle, Blanka had to survive by any means necessary, and live on his own. This experience granted Blanka unique survival skills and an extraordinary set of characteristics. Now known as "Jimmy," he fights with the single intent of earning the respect and love of his mother. Blanka's fighting style is all over the place, incorporating beast rolls and the power of electricity, to out-trick the opponent.

1. Ultra I: Lightning Cannonball: One of the strongest ultras in the game, this attack is tricky as it hits low and then high, although it's difficult to actually combo into.
2. Ultra II: Shout of Earth: Guile-style charge, two versions of ultra. One is Anti-Air, and one is Anti-Ground. Sends a burst of electricity toward the opponent.

Cammy

Cammy is a deadly fighter and a member of a paramilitary group located in Britain, known simply as Delta Red. At one point she was brainwashed by the M. Bison organization Shadaloo so that evil bidding could be done, as Cammy was used as a living weapon. Not letting the past hold her back, she now fights alongside familiar comrades on a dangerous new mission. Cammy's fighting style consists of many low hitting special moves and some deceptive attacks and setups are incorporated surrounding this. She has relatively low stamina but isn't afraid to rush her opponent down.

1. Ultra I: Gyro Drive Smasher: A long version of a spiral arrow, this attack can be combo'd into off of a cannon spike FADC backdash, although it sacrifices a bit of damage that way.
2. Ultra II: Cammy Quick Combination (C.Q.C.): A counter-type ultra, She performs CQC-maneuvers on her opponent, snapping limbs and all that.

Chun-Li

At the age of 18, Chun-Li became an Interpol detective to help in the search of her missing father. Currently she's dealing with a case involving Shadaloo's re-emergence, along with Guile. Her fight style incorporates an arsenal of deadly kicks and long-range pokes, to pester and keep out her opponent.

1. Ultra I: Housenka: She can combo into this off EX legs, although this ultra has a nasty habit of dropping opponents on the ground when it shouldn't.
2. Ultra II: Kikoshou: It's a giant fireball with many hits.

Crimson Viper

Assuming a business-like demeanor, this powerful and beautiful agent is undergoing a secret investigation in Street Fighter IV. She ignores petty things such as human emotion and obligation to fellow man in favor of her own aspirations. Her true goals as well as her identity are unknown at this time, but she is supposedly the mother of a child that she is very protective of. She uses high-tech powers with the use of a special suit, which allows her to control electricity and other deadly gadgetry. Her playstyle involves a lot of quick ambiguous movement all over the screen, catching her opponent when they least expect it.

1. Ultra I: Burst Time: It starts with a ground pound maneuver, after which she goes into a bunch of flaming kicks upwards. This can be combo'd into but it's difficult.
2. Ultra II: Burning Dance: Air activated, she rides the opponent like a surf board on fire, kicks 'em in the air and shocks them.

Dan Hibiki

While his fighting moves are often weaker and less-impressive then most other characters, Dan Hibiki incorporates an excessive amount of taunts into his game plan. He has trained with Gouken, the master of Ryu and Ken, but he diverged from that path long ago. His move style is more based upon his own super technique, which he dubs Saikyo Style. He feels the need to prove to the world the usefulness of his style at every given opportunity.

1. Ultra I: Shisso Buraiken: A rightfully ridiculous looking ultra that hits the opponent in a flurry and ends with Dan posing with a thumbs up and a smile.
2. Ultra II: Haoh Gadouken: A giant Gadouken that is charged up like a kamehameha wave. The force is so powerful it launches Dan away, making it relatively safe. The move, much like Dan himself, is a direct parody of Ryo and Robert's Haoh Shokoken fireball from SNK's Art of Fighting and King of Fighters series.

Dhalsim

Dhalsim has a compassion for human life more than any of the other characters in the Street Fighter roster, as he is reluctant to harm any opponents unless absolutely necessary. Although a pacifist at heart, threaten his family or his village and he will go yoga on that ass. As this is the case in Street Fighter IV, he ventures into the world once again, steeled for combat and ready to combat against evil. Dhalsim's limbs are the major target of his gameplay, with the ability to zone out opponents with his arms and legs from all the way across the screen. He also has an assortment of special moves involving fire.

1. Ultra I: Yoga Catastrophe: This ultra is much like Urien's Aegis Reflector in 3rd Strike, it has a lot of "trick-your-opponent-into-getting-hit-by-it" setups.
2. Ultra II: Yoga Shangri'la: Air activated, only hits grounded opponents. Looks like it can be used with air-teleport mix-ups.

E. Honda

A practitioner of the art of Sumo, E. Honda has attained the rank of Oseki, though he's generally considered worthy to take on the title of Yokozuna. His vision is to travel around the world to spread the appeal of Sumo, and he's known for having a particular taste and a very stout opinion regarding foods. He fights with conviction, making every normal attack count, and breaking down the opponent methodically with his large damage output.

1. Ultra I: Super Onimusou: This is a headbutt-style ultra that has a lot of start-up and is only useful in a couple situations.
2. Ultra II: Orochi Breaker: 720 command grab that is like a epic Oicho Throw, obviously more useful than current ultra.

El Fuerte

El Fuerte is not only a fighter in the lucha libre wrestling style, he also spends a fair amount of time cooking and coming up with new recipes. His unwavering spirit is only matched by the Russian wrestler Zangief. Fuerte travels the world in search for the greatest food recipes. El Fuerte's gameplay is very fast and sporadic, incorporating a run command that has many options out of it, putting his opponents in a deadly guessing game. The best Fuerte players are often those who guess right a large percentage of the time.

1. Ultra I: Flying Gigabuster: El Fuerte can catch any jumping normal with this ultra, and can even psych out the opponent into jumping by running right at them and then stopping suddenly.
2. Ultra II: El Fuerte Ultra Spark: Seems to be a ground-to-ground command grab. Spins around opponents head to launch them like a helicopter, then hits 'em.

Fei Long

First introduced in Super Street Fighter II along with Cammy, T. Hawk and Dee Jay, Fei Long is a Bruce Lee look-a-like that like the late Lee, makes his fame in Hong Kong cinema. Training in the art of Kung Fu, there is not a single soul in Hong Kong who can match his strength. Fei Long has a shoryuken-like flame kick, signature-three-hit rekka punches, and the flipping kick maneuver, often referred to as the "Chicken Wing."

1. Ultra I: Rekka Shin Geki: The "Enter the Dragon" ultra looks phenomenal, but can't be combo'd full off of anything but a Focus crumple. It's just too darn slow to start up!
2. Ultra II: Gekirinken (One Inch Punch): A counter attack similar to the classic Bruce Lee-style ONE INCH PUNCH.

Gen

Don't let his old appearance fool you, Gen is an assassin whom enjoys legendary notoriety in the underground. He suffers from leukaemia, and is therefore obsessed with a fight to the death. He is constantly searching the world for a worthy opponent to kill him in battle. He has a strange connection with Chun-Li due to knowing her father, as well as having trained her in martial arts at some point in her youth, as such there is a complex chemistry between them. He found a worthy opponent in Akuma, yet Akuma broke off the fight because Gen was weakened from his sickness, and Akuma could not end someones life that was in such a feeble condition. Gen is a master of two distinct Kung Fu styles, the Mantis style and the Crane style. He has the ability to utilizes both styles through stance changes in the game, as a result Gen is known as the "most difficult character to use" in Street Fighter IV. He possesses extreme complexity in his move properties and combos, and as such he has a hardcore following.

As a result of Gen having two stances, he effectively has four ultra combos, but they are grouped into two sets.

1. Ultra I: Zetsuei / Ryukoha: One of the ultras is a weaker anti-air style grab. The other is Gen darting across the ground very fast, striking his opponent multiple times in the blink of an eye, which has various comboable setups.
2. Ultra II: Shikentetsu / Teiga: The first is the dreaded "touch of death", a series of precise attacks to the opponent's body's pressure points. The second ultra is activated in the air, and is a bunch of oga-style dive kicks with a white backdrop, similar to Guy's Ultra II or Akuma's Raging Demon.

Gouken

The famed "Sheng Long" finally gets a name and appearance in Street Fighter IV. Gouken is Ryu and Ken's master, as well as Akuma's brother. He practiced with his brother under their master Goutetsu, and learned the art of Ansatsuken. Gouken would splinter away from this violent path, and develop his own righteous fighting style to differentiate himself from his past. He fought to the death against his brother Akuma and was presumed dead for decades. Now that he's re-emerged and is alive and well, there are many questions left unanswered. Gouken's playstyle is full of tricks and huge, damaging combos. He possesses angled fireballs, demonflip tricks, and even a counterattack move, that functions somewhat like a parry from Street Fighter III.

1. Ultra I: Shin Shoryuken: This does major damage, and is commonly combo'd into with goofy corner fireball setups or that gosh darn backthrow into the air thing that he does.
2. Ultra II: Denjin Hadouken: Much like Ryu's Denjin Fireball in 3rd Strike, Gouken can charge this for a while -- it's not unblockable though. It does however, do a lot of chip damage and stun even when blocked.

Guile

Guile is a Major in the American Air Force, and has dedicated his life to seeking out M. Bison to exact revenge. Bison has supposedly killed his best friend Charlie many years ago, a man very much in the same vain as Guile. Guile's fighting style is a combination of traditional military grade martial arts and other techniques Guile has implemented in the field that prove useful to him in combat. Guile partners up with old friend Chun-Li when a series of incidents comes to light, with Shadaloo's involvement at the bottom of it. Guile incorporates a fast-recovering projectile and other defensive normal attacks to keep his opponents at bay, as such he's able to pester his enemies from almost any position on the stage.

1. Ultra I: Flash Explosion: This ultra doesn't have too much use outside of a focus crumple, it just has a weird hitbox and often misses hits when used as an anti-air.
2. Ultra II: Sonic Hurricane: A giant sonic boom that should ultimately improve Guile a bunch, seeing as it's able to be combo'd from a FADC Flashkick.

Ken Masters

A long-time friend and rival of Ryu, Ken Masters was Ryu's sparring partner for a better part of his life. Now running a financial group that bears his own name, Ken is eager to get on with his new life and get a family of his own up and running. With his wife Eliza and a child on the way, he is reluctant to take his climb back into the arena with Ryu and company, but with a little push from Eliza, he decides to give it one more go. Ken is popular for his flaming uppercut, but also possesses a fireball and hurricane kick much like the other shoto characters.

1. Ultra I: Shinryuken: This ultra is tricky to land the full amount of damage in a combo, unless done by counter-hit. Still, it's definitely flashy.
2. Ultra II: Guren Senpukyaku (Crimson Kick): A million flaming hurricane kicks, followed by a big boot in midair. Looks great, can be fully combo'd into after a fireball FADC.

M. Bison (Vega in Japan)

The front-runner in the foul organization of Shadaloo, M. Bison has committed crimes involving drug trafficking, human experimentation, and weapons dealing. His power involving purple chi energy is commonly referred to as "Psycho Power," and it's his prime methodology to striking fear into the hearts of those who oppose him and helps further his own agenda. Though Bison was thought to have perished during the fall of Shadaloo, he obtained a new lease on life via a replacement body, and he now seeks to usher in a new age -- one of terror and intimidation the world over! Most of Bisons playstyle revolves around frame traps involving his great normal attacks and his light kick scissor kick.

1. Ultra I: Nightmare Booster: Not many ways to combo into this, other than an air-to-air medium punch juggle. Starts with a psycho crusher, ends with a big ol' stomp into the ground!
2. Ultra II: Psycho Punisher: A purple version of Shang Tsung's soul steal, looks like something from Rival Schools. It's primarily a punish move, works like a headstomp but is activated from quarter-cirlce forward motion, making a charge unnecessary (In Arcade Edition, this was changed to a charge motion ultra, but given increased damage).

Rose

A beautiful fortune teller by the name of Rose, she has set up shop in Genoa, where she is quite well known. She has mastered the art of Soul Power, which instead of focusing on physical technique to vanquish opponents, is an energy source drawn from her very own life-force. Her story in Street Fighter IV is heavily tied to Ryu and the power of Shadaloo returning. Her playstyle has a variety of things, including some good pokes, a fireball, an air grab, and even a move that reflects fireballs.

1. Ultra I: Illusion Spark: This ultra will grab an opponent almost anywhere on the screen with her shamwow, making it fairly useful. It can be combo'd into via some pretty tough combos.
2. Ultra II: Soul Satellite: Seems like an oro-style 3S super, two soul orbs orbit Rose and protect her from damage, not much damage is dealt but it has crazy combo / juggle potential.

Rufus

Some of the comic relief in Street Fighter IV comes from Rufus, but don't let his portly appearance fool you. A practitioner of his own brand of kung fu, he has declared himself to be the greatest fighter in America, and as such he has a deep, one-sided rivalry with Ken Masters. He fights with the sole intention of showing how much better than Masters he really is, and he frequently mistakes other fighters for being Ken. He's widely known for his gigantic win quotes, and his 1,000 ways to combo into his Ultra I. He incorporates dive kick mixup and high damage output into his gameplay, and it also helps that he has a ton of stamina.

1. Ultra I: Space Opera Symphony: This is the ultra to end all ultras. It can be combo'd in so many ways: jumping roundhouse, target combo, messiah fadc, corner galactic tornado. Raise the Rufus!
2. Ultra II: Big Bang Typhoon: An epic version of a Galactic Tornado, he can control the momentum forward or backward, works as anti-air.

Ryu

The definition of world warrior, Ryu is the most iconic fighter in the Street Fighter series. First appearing in the original Street Fighter, Ryu's selfless approach to life and the art of fighting has made him one of the best fighters on the planet, and it's in thanks partially to his master Gouken. He has a nomadic way of life in that he takes nothing that he would not give, and lives truly on the soles of his feet. This is appealing to admiring challengers, one that seeks the path of a true warrior. Due to his lofty goals, the path of evil organizations have often crossed with Ryu. Ryu's fighting style is the definition of a shoto, having the textbook fireball, uppercut, and hurricane kick. He is often considered the most balanced character in fighting game history.

1. Ultra I: Metsu Hadouken: Another ultra that lends itself well to combos, most commonly seen after an uppercut fadc, or an ex tatsu throwing the opponent into the corner.
2. Ultra II: Metsu Shoryuken: Big ol' Shoryuken like Gouken, does a bunch of damage -- but doesn't have the same combo potential as Ultra 1.

Sagat

Sagat is called "The King" for a number of reasons, the most apparent being that he is exalted as the King of Muay Thai. Also known as the "Invincible Tiger," his legendary kicks are said to be more painful than anything imaginable. During a battle with Ryu, he was left in defeat -- and with a giant scar across his chest. This caused Sagat to train more intense than ever before, and he hopes to reclaim his crown in the fighting world. Sagat has a devastating fireball game consisting of high and low tiger shots, both of which recover blazing fast. add to that an extreme reach advantage, a giant uppercut that can be kara'd for extra range, and safe block string setups involving the tiger knee, and you have one hell of a beast.

1. Ultra I: Tiger Destruction: This ultra does a bunch of damage, and is the prime candidate for the famous combo, tiger uppercut, fadc, forward roundhouse.
2. Ultra II: Tiger Cannon: A fireball ultra in a similar vain to Ryu's Ultra I, Sagat can combo into this in much the same way, and it also strengthens his zoning game a bit.

Sakura

A high school girl who idolizes Ryu, she has followed him into the world of street fighting tournaments. Enjoying every moment of life, Sakura is energetic and bright, and she never misses a chance to do battle against a strong opponent. She has been a training partner with Dan Hibiki for some time, though she's oblivious to Dan's deep-seeded jealousy in her fighting talent that he himself lacks. Sakura's gameplan in Street Fighter IV is ridiculous mix-up and reset tricks, and she can often catch opponents sleeping at the wheel do to underestimating her.

1. Ultra I: Haru Ranman: This ultra can be hit though it's very particular, it starts with a low kick and goes into hurricane kick stuff.
2. Ultra II: Shinku Hadouken: Can be angled upwards or straight depending on if you use 3K or 3P, looks to be very useful for her.

Seth

The CEO of the trading company known as S.I.N., Seth has collected data on many of the fighters entering the Street Fighter tournament and has such assimilated techniques from all over the world into his own fighting style. Originally developed to be a replacement body for M. Bison, he has ambitious plans of his own, plans to take down Bison and his goons and claim Shadaloo for himself. As part of a series of DNA-cloning experiments, he has many failed clones that look just like him, including Abel. Seth's fight style is truly chaotic, possessing a move for pretty much every situation, which Capcom tried to balance out by giving him horribly low health and stun values.

1. Ultra I: Tanden Stream: This ultra hits absolutely anywhere on the screen, and is a good punisher for fireball-happy opponents. Doesn't do much damage, though.
2. Ultra II: Tanden Typhoon: Flips over backward like something from the exorcist, and a big ol' typhoon thing comes out of his yin yang. Great for corner juggling, has a very wide area of effect.

Vega (Balrog in Japan)

Vega puts beauty before all other values in life, and he wears a mask to protect his beautiful face in battle due to his narcissistic views. He was recruited into Shadaloo's loving embrace purely to improve his own aesthetic senses. He wields a claw on his right hand that beautifully compliments his speedy poke-and-run playstyle. He is overly flamboyant and as a result his opponents are often thrown off their game as they splendor in his flawless execution of character. In battle, a few successful strings of attacks can cause him to lose his claw or mask, both which modify the properties of Vega. Losing the claw makes him lose range and damage output, while losing the mask causes him to lose some stamina, but gain damage output.

1. Ultra I: Bloody High Claw: New and improved, the bloody high claw is great for punishing unsafe projectiles, and hits the opponent on the way up much like his EX Wall Dive.
2. Ultra II: Splendid Claw: Starts with a slide that hits low, then he does a flip kick to launch opponent, and ends with a flamboyant slash upward.

Zangief

This man is often referred to as the "Red Cyclone," and is a wrestler of Russian decent. Zangief is always up for a challenge, and has even wrestled bears in the past simply because no human opponent could put up a reasonable challenge for him. Inside that large hair-ridden chest of his beats the heart of a true patriot, and he'll tell you himself when he declares Russian wrestling as number one. He is the iconic grappler of Street Fighter, and his playstyle reflects that. He takes damage getting in close, but once he's there he's going to piledrive the heck out of his opponent!

1. Ultra I: Ultimate Atomic Buster: A 720 grab that is absolutely devastating. Gief players have a couple gimmick setups to land this without jumping as well, so be on the look out!
2. Ultra II: Siberian Blizzard: Airborne 720 grab that has a painfully long animation, but looks great aesthetically. This makes it so any time Gief jumps, fear overcomes the opponent.

Arcade Edition Characters

Yun

This young, kung-fu expert prides himself on being as formless as Water when he fights. Yun is exclusive to the arcade edition of Super Street Fighter 4, for the time being.

1. Ultra I: You Hou: Yun starts with a punch angled upwards, then delivers some devastating blows to the opponent, the final hit launching them high into the sky. Works well on both grounded and airborne opponents.
2. Ultra II: Sorai Rengeki: Starts with a few quick blows, then Yun launches his opponent into the air, flips them around like a skateboard, and finally he delivers several swift kicks to the opponents back, sending them flying into the ground.

Yang

Yang is also a kung-fu expert (like his brother, Yun) but prides himself on being as fast as Wind. Yang is exclusive to the arcade edition of Super Street Fighter 4, for the time being.

1. Ultra I: Raishin Mahhaken: Yang reaches out infront of him, and if it connects, he performs multiple slashing strikes to the opponent, and finishes it off by rushing straight through them.
2. Ultra II: Tenshin Senkyutai: Yang rolls towards the opponent, and when he gets close, he does a rising kick, follows it up with multiple spinning kicks, and finally he launches the opponent high into the sky with three more rising kicks.

Evil Ryu

The first glimpse of Evil Ryu was seen during Ryu's championship fight with Sagat during the Alpha series. When Ryu was losing, his desire to win consumed him and he tapped into Satsui no Hadou, which lead to him throwing a Metsu Hadoken that left Sagat with a massive scar on his chest. According to canon Ryu repressed his desire and so Evil Ryu is a potential version of Ryu had he given into Satsui no Hadou. The hole on his chest is thought to be a reference to Ryu's battle with Akuma where his chest was punctured, almost killing him.

1. Ultra I: Metsu Hadoken: Similar to Ryu's fireball ultra with the exception that it can be charged for about 2 seconds.
2. Ultra II: Messatsu Go-Shoryu: The move starts like Ken's Shoryureppa super, but in the full animation (achieved after both shoryukens hit) Evil Ryu flies over his opponent, briefly gathers some energy into his hand and finally comes down to plant the still airborne opponent's face into the ground.

Oni

Oni is a "what if" character, showing what Akuma would be like if he fully gave into the Satsui no Hado. He's completely lost his humanity and become something completely different.

1. Ultra I: Meido Gohado: Oni charges up and throws a fireball at his opponent. If it hits he goes into the full animation where he throws another fireball that hits the opponent again and then explodes through their back into the kanji for Oni. The move can also be performed in the air, but it will not go in the full animation.
2. Ultra II: Tenchi Sokaigen: Oni throws his hand in the air to charge up energy. He then brings it down to the ground to ignite a pillar of energy before him. If the move hits he goes into the full animation where Oni chases the now airborne opponent and hits them in the back with a Shoryuken.

Stages

Super Street Fighter IV features all the stages from Street Fighter IV, and some of them have been reworked to look different and include additional elements. In addition to this, completely new stages are included.

New Stages

Solar Eclipse (Africa)

This stage is set in the countryside of Africa, and features animals such as the giraffe and hippopotamus, the latter of which will occasionally fall down while the fight is going on in the foreground. While the stage is very bright, a solar eclipse happens as the fight continues.

Exciting Street Scene (India)

While there are no "character specific" stages in Street Fighter IV, this stage seems heavily geared towards Dhalsim, seeing as he is from India. His wife and staple elephants from his original Street Fighter II Stage make an appearance in the background, and the elephants will fall down if a large impact is made in the fight.

Festival At The Old Temple (Korea)

Since there is finally a character from Korea (Juri), Capcom felt it a good idea to create a stage set in that location. The stage takes place on the crowded streets of a Korean market, full of interesting onlookers and vibrant colors. The most notable of the background characters are a large man holding a briefcase, and an old couple holding hands enjoying the fight. There are even actual vendors on the streets, akin to the Chinese Market stage in SFIV.

Skyscraper Under Construction (North America)

With the several of the new characters making their original appearance in Final Fight, the new stage Metro City is a proper home court for them to battle in. Set atop an oil rig/construction site area with a nice view of Metro City in the background, you can make out important landmarks such as the Mike Haggar statue holding up the city's name. Other characters make a cameo appearance in this stage, such as Hugo (from Final Fight and Street Fighter III), donning a construction hat and a large beam over his shoulder.

Crumbling Laboratory (Unknown)

An updated version on S.I.N.'s secret base of operations. After the first round is won, the center console explodes and begins to... well... crumble. As the fight goes on, an alarm is heard in the background. As the winning blow is executed, the center console explodes again. This stage's music is the music played at the end of the "New Features" trailer released in February 2010.

Returning Stages

Airfield (Africa)

The airfield is set in Africa, but takes many cues from Guile's old Street Fighter II stage. It features several onlookers that appear to be of military origin, bearing guns. A plane also begins to roll into sight somewhere between the first and second round. The plane wing can be broken off if a special move is performed in the general area of it. The plane door opens to reveal Balrog (M. Bison/ Boxer) in the plane, but if Balrog is in the fight it will be Vega (Balrog/ Claw). If Balrog AND Vega are fighting, M. Bison (Vega/ Dictator) will appear in the plane. This is amusing since these are the three characters which have the name confusion, since they swapped names from the Japanese to English version of Street Fighter II, and have carried them on since.

Beautiful Bay (Vietnam)

Beautiful Bay is set on a boat in a body of water, located in Vietnam. The sun is setting on the horizon which creates a good scenery for a battle to take place. There is also a weird monkey/man hybrid sitting on the left side of the stage, which some have joked as to being the "missing link" for humanity.

Crowded Downtown (China)

Originally thought to be a character-specific stage, this stage takes many cues from Chun-Li's original Street Fighter II stage. The developers have gone on to say this was a remake of the stage in question, but since stages in Street Fighter IV / Super Street Fighter IV are no longer tied to one character, it has taken on life of its own. A lot of things are happening in this stage, from the street vendor, to the man falling down on his bicycle, to the camera man taking pictures, to the chicken being choked in the background.

Cruise Ship Stern (Europe)

Unlike any stern of a ship you've seen, this stage features theater-style seating for onlookers to enjoy the fight. There's a giant screen in the background projecting a blown-up image of the fight itself, and giant tanks behind the spectators that shoot off their cannons in-between rounds. Some one or two of the people can actually fall off the viewing area and into the arena if a big force is unleashed in the fight.

Deserted Temple (Japan)

One of two temple stages, this one is considerably more torn up. It features giant statues "guarding the temple," and is the location of one of the hidden boss battles from Street Fighter IV's arcade mode. There is more dust that kicks up and there are holes in the ceiling and walls that shed light into an otherwise dimly-lit temple.

Drive-In (U.S.A.)

While the glowing lights painted across the night sky may remind you of Balrog's Street Fighter II stage, this is in fact a completely original affair. Set in a Drive-In Diner in the U.S.A., there are plenty of spectators inside and outside of their cars cheering on the competitors. The cars vary from pimped-out escalade styled vehicles, to old-fashion hotrods and lowriders. The cars jump up and down between rounds, and some onlookers can fall off their cars and into the fighting area.

Historic Distillery (Scotland)

The Distillery is located in Scotland, and features a man stacking barrels on a rack, with the Shadaloo logo imprinted on the top of them -- hinting that this location is owned or under watch by M. Bison and his henchmen. There is some typical distillery-type equipment that can only be described as large yellow Hershey Kisses, a man asleep at a control panel, and a field with some sheep far in the background (which looks an awful lot like a Tekken 6 stage, conspiracy?). The best part is that after a huge move like an ultra finish, you will knock all the barrels off the rack, forcing the man to re-stack them.

Inland Jungle (Brazil)

Although Blanka is from Brazil and is no stranger to the jungle, this is an original Street Fighter IV stage and not a remake of a classic one. The fight takes place on a wooden bridge/plank, sprawled across a pond/lake/swamp area, with all sorts of animals in the background. Monkeys do backflips and other goofy things upon the end of a round, flamingos flock about in the far distance, there's toucans sitting on a tree to the left corner of the stage, and a cheetah / leopard sitting up in a tree on the right corner of the stage. This stage is very lively and colorful, making it a joy to play on.

Morning Mist Bay (Vietnam)

This is the same bay/boat stage set in Vietnam, but taking place in the morning when the sun is just rising. As the name implies, there is a fog or mist spread across the top of the boat, which rests at the combatants feet as they fight. This definitely is pleasing to the eyes, and creates nice yet subtle imagery for you to fight in.

Old Temple (Japan)

The Old Temple is the other area where you fight one of the hidden bosses in Arcade Mode, and features statures of guardians similar to the Deserted Temple. There are no holes in the roof or walls, but you can knock down the door on the left side of the stage, revealing the outside scenery a bit.

Overpass (Tokyo)

One of the stages introduced in the console version of Street Fighter IV, the fighters do battle under an overpass in Tokyo, Japan. The area is filled with junk, including a broken-down vehicle with old tires in it. There is a bicycle against a supporting structure of the overpass, and many Japanese children spectating, presumably from a school near by. It's not known if school had finished session at this point, or if they were playing "hooky" to watch these two warriors fight.

Pitch-Black Jungle (Brazil)

This is the nighttime version of the Inland Jungle, and features much less in the way of animals or colors, since it is dark out. There is a snake coiled around one of the tree branches on the right side of the screen, who slithers about as the rounds go on.

Run-Down Back Alley (China)

The nighttime version of Crowded Downtown, this is completely devoid of onlookers with the exception of a bum out on the street, stumbling about with his presumably alcoholic beverage in hand. A stark contrast to the daytime version for sure.

Secret Laboratory

Sin Corporation's base of operations, and also home to the final boss fight in Arcade Mode. There is a lot going on in this stage, from the reactor in the background that begins to go haywire when you are inches from completing the game, to the men and women in lab coats running back and forth, working on science and data stuff.

Snowy Rail Yard (Europe)

While Snowy Rail Yard is generally accepted to be in Russia, it is only billed as being in Europe. The fight takes place outside at night, under a starlit sky. Many onlookers on the right side of the screen surround around a flaming barrel, to keep warm as the fight progresses. there are two men in soviet-style winter hats on the left side of the screen, whom stand beside a train, living true to it's name "snowy rail yard." At multiple points either of these men can be knocked down if a powerful blow is dealt to one of the combatants.

Training

The stage that accompanies the training mode included in Street Fighter IV, Training is very basic and offers a set of guidelines across the floor and walls, most likely to test out range and distance when developing techniques and strategies for your game. It is notoriously known for it's mind-numbing basic music track that loops every 20 seconds or so with the same rhythm.

Volcanic Rim

Believed by some to be the worst fighting game stage in history, the battle takes place on a rock formation not far from a pool of lava and a live volcano, which erupts between rounds. This stage is mostly avoided due to it's largely red color-scheme, and can be blinding to some peoples vision, making it hard to pull characters out from the background, especially if one of the players is color blind. Interviews have stated that they've toned down the background's color to make it easier on the eyes in Super Street Fighter IV.

Game Modes

This video shows that Super Street Fighter IV has an assortment of gameplay modes for you to choose from, whether it be single player or multiplayer.

Arcade Mode

Battle against the artificial intelligence in this one-player game mode. The arcade mode is where the player is fed cut-scenes pertaining to the characters story that you've chosen. There are typically a set number of stages, followed by a boss battle at the end. In addition, if hidden requirements are met you may be able to fight secret boss characters, however it has not been confirmed that these in SSFIV. Bonus Stages appear in arcade mode, to break up the action at specific times. The bonus stages included in SSFIV are beating up a car within the time limit, and destroying as many descending barrels within the time limit.

Versus Mode

This is your primary option for player vs. player matches in offline environments. You can set various options such as time, rounds, and handicap from here. The battling is 100% Street Fighter, and puts your skills to the test against a live opponent in the same room as you.

Ranked Match

Ranked matches make a return in Super Street Fighter IV, but not without its share of changes. There are two types of points to obtain in this mode, which are both tied to your wins/losses. In SFIV, Battle Points (BP) were your overall skill level as a player, but in Super they are character specific. This will better gauge how good someone is with a particular character, and allow you to experiment with characters you are less familiar with, and not have fear of stronger ranked characters defeating you easily. Player Points (PP) replace the old Battle Points, and represent the culmination of your skill level as a player in general. You may upload a replay of a ranked battle after three wins in a row.

Endless Battle

Super Street Fighter IV's version of the "quarter match", Endless Battle allows you to gather seven other players (for a total of eight) into one online game lobby, and take turns playing in 1 on 1 battles, while the other players wait for their turn and spectate the match that is underway. Voice chat is available to all in this game mode, allowing for you to discuss strategies and offer tips simultaneously as two fighters go at it. The winner of the battle will stay in the fight, the loser will go the the bottom of the list and will have to wait for his turn to arise again, against the current champion. This mode is strictly for casual play, and as such there is no end (as the name implies), and games have no effect on battle or player points.

Team Battle

This mode once again utilizes up to eight people in a lobby, but lets you organize teams and play tournament-style battles against one another. The teams can be organized in any fashion, such as 4v4, 5v3, 6v2, or even 7v1, but can be started with smaller teams such as 2v2. Players can set up teams manually, or have them sorted out automatically based on player points (the new point system that is being implemented into the online mode of Super Street Fighter IV). The two teams are Team Red and Team Blue, and like Endless Battle you can chat amongst teammates while waiting for your turn to fight. This is actually be one of the modes available to you in the "arcade request" feature that was also in Street Fighter IV.

Replay Channel

This channel is for viewing replays, which you can filter by specific categories. You can invite up to seven other viewers to your own replay channel, and watch specific replays together and comment on the match taking place. You can save your own replays at any time in Super Street Fighter IV, and these will go under "My List." You cannot have spectators in replay channel while viewing your own saved replays, since they are on your harddrive. The replays also have a built-in rating system, in the form of a 5-star scale.

Tournament Mode (DLC)

This mode shares many similarities to the tournament mode in Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. It was released as DLC on June 15th, 2010. You can get up to eight other players together in this mode and host custom tournaments, making for a total of 9 people in a tournament (since one is the tournament organizer). You can spectate all the tournament matches, and even save them as replays, you don't even have to be participating in the match to save the replay. Rounding off the experience is visual tournament brackets and results, and awards given to the player who win a tournament (in the form of titles and the like).

Gameplay changes

• Modifications have made for improved balance between characters; for example Ry's Dragon Punch now has the potential to hit twice.
• A new "wall bounce" mechanic has been implemented.
• Every character has 2 separate Ultra moves, some that are executable in the air.
• Focus Attacks still have levels like they do in Street Fighter IV (1/2/3) but, according to Capcom's Seth Killian, they now charge faster. Speculation is that the levels build faster leading to quicker crumples.

"Dojo" Edition

Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions retail for $79.99 and include:

• Super Street Fighter IV Game Disc

• Super Street Fighter IV "Dojo" Edition Gym Bag
• T-shirt featuring a picture of Dudley tossing his rose
• 24 oz aluminum water bottle featuring Ibuki
• Super Street Fighter IV "Dojo" Edition head band
• 1 GB USB drive featuring a picture of Juri which contains character art, wallpapers, comics, and more

Most recent Tier List

On January 5th, 2011, iPLAYWINNER.com released the most recent tier rankings.

A: Akuma, Fei-Long, Guile, Cammy, Chun-Li, Dictator, Boxer, E. Honda, Abel

B: Ryu, Rufus, Dhalsim, C. Viper, Seth, Zangief, Ibuki, Sagat, Dudley, Blanka, DeeJay, Juri, Adon, Ken

C: Rose, Claw, El Fuerte, Guy, T. Hawk

D: Cody, Gouken, Gen, Makoto, Sakura, Dan, Hakan

"Super" Costume Packs

In addition to the costume packs released for the original Street Fighter 4 being available, Capcom began releasing alternate costume packs (5 costumes per pack) for the 35 characters on May 4th, 2010. Each pack costs 320 Microsoft Points on the XBOX Live Marketplace and $3.99 on the Playstation Store. The "Super Complete Costume Pack" costs 1440 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live and $18.00 on the Playstation Network.

The release schedule is as follows:

• May 4: Super Challengers Pack 1 (Hakan, Makoto, Dudley, Guy, Dee Jay)
• May 11: Super Shoryuken Pack (Ryu, Akuma, Ken, Gouken, Dan)
• May 25: Super Beauty Pack (Chun-Li, C. Viper, Sakura, Rose, Cammy)
• June 8: Super Challengers Pack 2 (Juri, Ibuki, Cody, Adon, T. Hawk)
• June 15: Super Brawlers Pack (Zangief, E. Honda, Abel, Rufus, El Fuerte)
• June 22: Super Shadaloo Pack (Vega, Sagat, Balrog, M. Bison, Seth)
• June 29: Super Classic Pack (Guile, Blanka, Dhalsim, Gen, Fei Long)
• July 27: Super Complete Pack (All 35 costumes in one bundle)

"Ultra" Costume Packs

On October 1st, 2010, Capcom announced the new schedule and pricing for the upcoming costume packs. As with previews costume packs, each pack will contain 1 new costume for 5 characters. The price will remain 320 Microsoft Points on XBL, and $3.99 on PSN, for each single pack. The price for the complete pack will be 1440 Microsoft points and $18.00 on PSN.

• 10/26/2010 - Hakan, Makoto, Guy, Dudley, DJ
• 11/02/2010 - Ryu, Ken, Akuma, Gouken, Dan
• 11/16/2010 - Chun-Li, C. Viper, Sakura, Rose, Cammy
• 12/07/2010 - Juri, Ibuki, Cody, Adon, T. Hawk
• 12/21/2010 - Zangief, E. Honda, Rufus, Abel, El Fuerte
• 01/11/2011 - M. Bison, Sagat, Balrog, Vega, Seth
• 01/25/2011 - Guile, Blanka, Dhalsim, Fei Long, Gen
• 04/26/2011 - All 35 Alternate Costumes

The schedule was originally a lot more spread out between the months of October 2010 and April 2011, basically only seeing 1 pack a month for a couple months. Capcom reacted to the cries from fans regarding the 6 month waiting period and on November 5th, 2011, they revised the release schedule for the individual packs. Fans will still have to wait 3 months from the day the last individual pack is released until the Complete Pack comes out.

Getting the latest costume packs to everyone

Unlike the first set of alternate costumes to be released for Super Street Fighter 4, these sets of costumes are not on the disc. Therefore, they are not available for everyone to see with the original game disc. Capcom has remedied this by releasing a mandatory patch that will enable users to see costumes they have not purchased, provided they have downloaded the "Catalogue" items for their system.

The "Catalogue" download item essentially puts costume packs in your game so you can see costumes you have not purchased while other players use them. If you do not download the "Catalogue" pack, a short message will appear saying that the user is using a costume that you do not have access to. It will then default to an original costume. There wil be 2 "Catalogue" packs. The first will be released on October 26th, 2010 and include the first half of the costumes being released. The second will be released on December 21st, 2010 and contain the second half.

Arcade Version Controversy

In an interview given around the time of the game's announcement, Yoshinori Ono had stated that Super Street Fighter IV would not see an arcade release, and would instead be an Xbox 360 / Playstation 3 exclusive. The tournament scene was split if the lack of an arcade version was an issue, with petitions created to show fan support for an arcade version.

The debate was finally squashed when Ono himself announced the arcade version of SSFIV at the Street Fighter IV Nationals in Japan.

Arcade Edition

Yun and Yang

During the localization testing for the Super Street Fighter 4 arcade edition, a screenshot was leaked revealing 2 extra character slots to the left of Juri and right of Hakan. This only helped fuel the speculation of DLC Characters for console versions. In September of 2010, the rumored character additions were confirmed to be Yun & Yang from Street Fighter 3.

Evil Ryu and Oni Akuma

At the end of the Super Street FIghter 4: Aracde Edition trailer released on December 2nd, 2010, it was revealed that Evil Ryu and Oni would potentially make an appearence in Arcade Edition.

Some time after the release of Arcade Edition some codes weere leaked that allowed the arcade owners to pre-maturely unlock Evil Ryu and Oni (confirmed names). Capcom was not happy and only a couple Arcades in the U.S have these two characters unlocked. Capcom anounced Evil Ryu, officially, on March 23 and he was unlocked on March 25.

Balance Changes

Basically all of the characters from Super Street Fighter IV have received some tweaks in the Arcade Edition.

The Arcade Edition has been out in Japan, USA and some few areas around Europe for a couple of months and even the developer blog has confirmed a lot of changes for characters, here are some examples:

• Zangief's EX Greenhand cannot knock down opponents and Ultra 2 has increased range
• E. Honda's damage has been toned down and his Ultra 2 command has changed from Double Full-Circle, to Double Half-Circle Back
• Ryu and Akuma's air Hurrican Kick cannot be used to escape anymore
• Guile's damage on his Ultra 2 has been toned down
• Seth's ability to do Dhalsim's jumping Fierce Punch is gone
• Blanka's blocked rolling ball recoils at different distances depending on the button used to perform the rolling ball.
• M. Bison's Ultra 2 is now a double-charge command

There are many more changes in Arcade Edition that have all been confirmed by players and Capcom.

"Arcade Edition" Console Version

On April 7th, 2011, consoletech.net posted a trailer for the upcoming A.E. DLC coming to Super Street Fighter 4. The trailer was quickly removed by Capcom. Along with the balance changes, the 4 new characters ( Oni, Evil Ryu, Yun & Yang), some new features were revealed:

• Players will be able to send replays to friends
• Elite Channel will allow you to browse the replays of players with over 3000 Player Points
• The ability to follow players and be notified of their latest replays

The DLC was officially announced on April 12th, 2011. PS3 and 360 owners will be able to download the update at the cost of $15. The game will also be released as a stand alone product for those who do not own Super Street Fighter 4. The downloadable version will be released June 7th, 2011 and the disc will be released on June 28th.

Arcade Edition Costume Pack

On July 5th, 2011, Capcom announced that they would release a costume pack that included 2 new costumes for the 4 new Arcade Edition fighters.

3DS Port of Super Street Fighter 4

On March 27, 2011, a 3DS port of the game was released as a launch game for the console. Aside from the obvious addition of 3D visuals, the port added an optional behind-the-back camera angle, four hotkeys for special moves on the touchscreen, and a Streetpass figurine battle system.

The hotkey system was controversial amongst veteran players because it would allow characters to perform charge moves, such as Guile's Flash Kick, immediately, without having to wait for the charge. While this skewed the balance of the game, it was arguably necessary in order to streamline the game for a new audience of portable players. Additionally, players could adjust the hotkey functionality so that this was less of an issue, and filter online matches based on player's hotkey usage style.

Streetpass battles occurred when two people with 3DS's in sleep mode passed each other. No player input would be required to win a battle. Instead, players could unlock different figurines using their accumulated Play Coins, each with different stats, and based on these stats, a winner would be chosen. Upon opening up your 3DS, you would be greeted with a notification that a Streetpass battle had taken place.

Arcade Edition on PC

In an interview with 4gamer.net, SSF4 Producer Yoshinori Ono said there are no plans to port the latest Street Fighter to PC due to piracy.

Street Fighter 4 for PC had strong sales worldwide, but it was also number 1 in piracy. Since the Arcade version of Super Street Fighter 4 runs on Taito's Direct-X-based Type X2 hardware, a PC version was practically 99% done. But in order to protect the Street Fighter IP, they could not make the game "free" for some people.

He didn't completely rule out the possibility at the time though. He said that if developers could find a powerful solution to the problem, it could change the status on a PC version.

Eventually, it was revealed on April 12th, 2011 that a PC version of Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition would be released on June 28th. People would have to buy the new version, they would not be able to update their copy of Street Fighter 4.

Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition V2012

At Evolution 2011 series producer Yoshinori Ono announced that there would be a further update to Super Street fighter 4 and that it would be released by December 2011.

Balance Changes

A Full list of balance changes were released on the developers blog but here are the most notable:

• Ryu: Ultra 2 is now a more effective anti-air and can now combo from a counter-hit EX fireball.
• E. Honda: Upper body invincibility returned on light punch headbutt.
• Zangief: Light punch SPD and EX green hand do more stun.
• Balrog: Ultra 2 now does 399 damage up from 300.
• Fei Long: Overall damage decreased.
• Hakan: Begins the round oiled up.
• Evil Ryu: Health and stun increased to 900 from 850.
• Oni: Health and stun increased to 1000 from 950.
• Makoto: Health reduced to 950 from 1000.
• Yang: Overall damage decreased.
• Yun: Overall damage decreased, higher dive kick height restriction, Gen'ei Jin time limit is now a second shorter.

System Requirements for AE on PC

Minimum

• OS: Windows XP/Vista
• Processor: Intel Pentium 4 2.0 GHz
• Memory: 1 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0
• Video: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 and up (except for NVIDIA GeForce 7300), VRAM: 256MB
• Hard Drive: 4.5 GB free hard drive space
• Sound: DirectSound, DirectX9.0c Compatible Audio
• Other Requirements: Online play requires software installation of and log-in to Games For Windows - LIVE

Recommended

• OS: Windows Vista
• Processor: Intel Core2 Duo 2.0 GHz
• Memory: 2 GB RAM
• Graphics: DirectX 9.0c/Shader3.0
• Video: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 and up, VRAM: 512MB and up (operation sharing with main memory is not guaranteed)
• Hard Drive: 4.5 GB free hard drive space
• Sound: DirectSound, DirectX9.0c Compatible Audio