Super Street Fighter IV

Last year the real king of fighters returned in the form of Street Fighter IV and now just as I’ve mastered every move and tactic (yeah, right I can barely FADC), Capcom are ready with more, in the form of Super Street Fighter IV. So, what do you do at a time like this? You ring Capcom’s UK PR Manager Leo Tan, that’s what you do.

So let’s start with a quick rundown, we have 10 new fighters, a few new stages, new ultras, new bonus stages, new online modes and new trials. Did I miss anything?
I think that covers the new bits pretty adequately. There’s also changes to the old bits, like character rebalancing and different intros and endings for all the characters. And Guile can put his shades on in the middle of a fight now. That’s probably the biggest change actually. Putting on shades in the middle of a fight adds a whole new dimension to the game. You could almost say that for Guile players, Super Street Fighter IV is actually in 4D and not 3D. I’m pretty sure Stephen Hawking would back me up on that, and he’s a world class physicist.

And the price! Let’s not forget this is going to be cheaper than the original. I can remember paying £85 for Super Turbo when it came out on the SNES. Adjusting for inflation that would have been over a million pounds today! So this really will be the best value Street Fighter, pound for pound, ever.

I really am sorry I made that pun.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Alpha series so seeing Cody, Guy and Adon make a return is a real treat. Who were you most pleased to see on the new roster?
Makoto obviously! Cody is the coolest, there’s no doubt there, but Makoto is the most exciting to play. I would say she’s upper mid tier at best, so you really need to work hard for wins and take big risks to close in, since her main damage-dealing weaponry requires you to be toe-to-toe with your opponent. She’s pure rushdown, and I love that. When I win with her (which is not very often) I really win. When I win with Ryu, sometimes I’m not even paying attention.

How does she play compared to her 3rd Strike incarnation, will players feel at home with their returning favorites?
She’s different, but the same, kind of. The biggest change for her is that a successful Hayate usually pushes you outside of Karakusa range. Which felt crazy at first, but now I’ve adjusted. I quite enjoy playing 3S players who don’t know the new Makoto yet and watching them jump after a successful Hayate. It’s a free Fukiage! I won’t be able to cash that in for much longer, though.

We’ve seen a few new game mechanics for some of the new fighters. How do Cody’s Knife, Juri’s Feng Shui Ultra and Hakan’s Oil effect the flow of a match?
I’ll be honest, we don’t have any serious players in the office for those characters. Cody’s Knife seems to mostly come in to play near the end of a round, when chip damage can decide it, but I’m sure that’s not the summation of its effect. Juri’s Feng Shu Ultra seems to be mostly about flair at the moment, but I think it’ll take a while for the true extent of its power to be understood. Hakan’s Oil – I don’t know what to say here. We’ve only just got a build with a finished Hakan recently, so I can’t make any judgement calls but it’s hard to play a single round with or against Hakan without laughing constantly. We’re still at that phase, so really it’s about who can keep the straightest face when he does any of his moves. I definitely won’t comment on our internal Hakan fan fiction either.

On the subject of the newly announced Hakan, people expecting the rumored sexy oiled up hunk may be in for a shock, what’s the low down on this oily beast?
He is “for the lulz!” So far in the European office we’re playing him kind of like a super aggressive Zangief, but that’s because it’s early days for us so we just use things we know. It’s a voyage of discovery!

With all the existing fighters getting a new Ultra do you think anyone of them now has a surprisingly different game they can play?
Some of the charge characters have a non-charge Ultra now, which has quite a significant impact on how they play. Some of them are just plain cooler (like Ryu’s), and some are more for fun than tournament play. Usually, though, the new Ultra makes up for something in a poor match up.

And to finish up, why should people buy Super Street Fighter IV, WHY??
Because I need a new car. Just kidding! I can’t even drive.

Because we’ve improved what was there before, added loads more new stuff and made it cheaper than ever. Because it’s the best fighting game ever, and is the only one you can put on when you come home from the pub and everyone in the room will understand and know how to play. Because you can put Guile’s shades on in the middle of a fight. Because MAKOTO. Because you didn’t get the last one. Because if you don’t, I’ll come round your house and fight you.

Super Street Fighter IV is released on April 30th 2010 for Xbox 360 & PS3. Keep an eye on Ready Up, fight fans for an exciting SSFIV announcement coming soon!