Many fighting fans (myself included) played Street Fighter IV until their fingers were sore, and Capcom is giving them reason to come back for more. Super Street Fighter IV has been officially announced as a standalone title, and will be released in the spring of next year. Details are scarce, although we know it will feature eight new characters and will retail for a reduced price.
So far, the only character reveals have been the returning T. Hawk and DeeJay from Super Street Fighter II, as well as the new female fighter Juri. The remaining five will be a mix of characters from other games in the series as well as brand new fighters. Now that they've brought back every single fighter from Super Street Fighter II, it'll be interesting to see which games they pull other characters from. Street Fighter III has a small and loyal online following, but the Alpha series has seen more mainstream success. SFIV featured Rose, Sakura, Dan, and Gen from the Alpha series, but none that were initially introduced in III.
This new installment will also balance existing characters based on fan feedback from SF IV. Online communities have almost unanimously agreed that Sagat is overpowered, while others like Vega and El Fuerte were woefully underpowered. These returning characters will be receiving brand new Ultra Combos and tweaks to their existing movesets. In addition, their stages will feature new background animations that weren't seen in the original. While nothing was officially announced, it's probably safe to assume that new stages will be accompanying the new warriors.
One of the biggest complaints about the original SF IV was the online matchmaking system. A patch introduced the generally well-received Championship Mode, but no spectator mode or lobby system has ever been implemented. Capcom hasn't released specific details about what changes will be made, but the press release gives the vague promise of "more advanced online gameplay."
Some may be surprised that these new additions will be offered as a retail disc rather than DLC, but Capcom insists the amount of changes made to the game necessitate this release method. One significant downside to SSF IV is that it cannot be played online against owners of the original SF IV. While disappointing, it shouldn't keep the millions of Street Fighter fans from looking forward to this new installment. Street Fighter IV did a fantastic job of balancing nostalgia with rock-solid gameplay, and was rewarded with critical and commercial success. If the price is right for Super Street Fighter IV, Capcom can bank on another solid release for the storied franchise.
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