Aptly titled Super Street Fighter IV, the new entry is supposed to mark a return to the roots of the series. Fan favorites Dee Jay and Thunder Hawk are slated to make their glorious returns to the franchise. Producer Yoshinori Ono has also confirmed the return of the classic car smashing bonus round. With so much nostalgia packed into the title, it’s hard to believe that the team has also planned a total revamp of the online mode, as well as the inclusion of six additional characters not including Dee Jay and T Hawk.
While information about the additional characters has been scarce, the team has revealed a Korean Tae Kwon Do practitioner named Juri. Given that she is the first Tae Kwon Do practitioner in the Street Fighter series, her moves will be strikingly different from the other characters in the game. Juri also has a strong affiliation to the SIN organization, which is headed by Seth, the nefarious last boss from Street Fighter IV. As a result, there’s no doubt that she’ll figure heavily into the story (which coincidentally will be getting a lot more love and attention from the developers). Ono has publicly expressed his disappointment with opening and closing cut scenes for each character, so I think it’s fair to expect something more robust for the next installment.
Taking a cue from BlazBlue, Super Street Fighter IV will feature eight player lobbies. Lobbies will feature party chat and the ability to watch replays of top players together. Online matches will also be streamlined, including 2v2 and 4v4 modes. It’s obvious that the team is taking large steps to augment the overall community aspect of the game.
Thanks to Street Fighter IV and other stellar games, the fighting game scene has been totally reinvigorated. Let’s hope that Super Street Fighter IV can improve on a great formula and deliver the kind of game fans have been calling for when it hits shelves in Spring 2010.
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