Well, it was bound to happen: http://streetfighterblog.blogspot.com/

T. Hawk and Juri are the only confirmed new characters. The rumors state that there'll be another 8: Dee Jay, to complete the SSF2 roster; Ibuki, Makoto, and Dudley from SF3; Adon, Guy, and Cody from SFA; Hakan, another original character. There are also a host of gameplay additions rumored, some of which have seemingly been confirmed by the screenshots.

My OCD can rest easy if we finally get a complete SSF2 roster, but I was hoping they'd finish adding the rest of the Alpha cast before moving on to SF3. And Juri seems like an odd name for a new character. How are Japanese players supposed to distinguish her from Juli? Or is that the point?

I'm one of the idiots who spent $60 bucks on Street Fighter II and then another $60 on Super Street Fighter II (thankfully I managed to bypass Turbo), so I'll be mighty pissed if they don't make this available for a low price. Given that Capcom charged $12 for alternate costumes, however, I wouldn't be surprised if they sold this at full price. Still, I'll probably get this just for the return of Chun-Li's Kikou Shou, woot!. But we all know they'll screw us over again with the eventual release of Super Street Fighter IV Turbo EX Plus alpha Third Strike Dash Double Upper.

That reminds me; I totally want Skullomania and Pullum Purna in SFIV.

Then I must be downright moronic, because my Street Fighter buying history went something like this: SNES SFII = $65 / Super Famicom SFII Dash Turbo = $150+ / Super Famicom SSFII = $130 / SNES SSFII = $60.

Juri looks like an interesting new addition.  Judging by the screenshots, she's clearly inspired by Kim Kaphwan's Tae Kwon Do style of fighting.  A first for the Street Fighter series, if true.  Also, I'm all smiles if..... Adon, Guy, Ibuki, and Dee Jay really do come to pass.  Especially.... Dee Jay - had no idea how much I missed him from HD Remix. 

I guess the question on everybody's lips is: DLC or full retail disc?  On top of which, how much of an effect is this going to have in terms of splitting the online community down the middle?

lol Capcom.

The answer is neither. It'll be a retail release, but Ono promises it won't be full price ($59 instead of $60?). They're planning something special for owners of the original, too. And by special they probably mean some form of disc swapping to make sure you don't dump your original disc.

GameSpot says there'll be "roughly eight" new characters, which is sort of in line with the rumors of ten. In addition to T. Hawk and Juri, Famitsu confirms Dee Jay.

Okay, but did you pay $65 for the load-time-laden SNES port of SFA2? At least you spent money on the good games.

Still, I was damn impressed they were able to pull that game off on the SNES in the first place.

Happy to see some SF3 and Alpha love, even if the Alpha picks aren't the ones I'd have gone with (Fuerte has a serious crush on R. Mika in the comics, and I'd have liked to see that translated, and I'd rather have Maki than Guy because her CvSNK voice is just plain awesome). On the other hand, T, Hawk and Dee Jay can go fly a kite. Worst SF characters ever.

more info and pics here: http://www.capcom.co.jp/blog/sf4/

It's nice to see the Capcom tradition of many iterations of one game to come. Reinstating the "SUPER" license sure brings back the memories especially during my youth, days at the arcade playing as Fei-Long, yearning for SUPER SFII to release on the SNES and then SUPER Turbo releasing on 3DO and me wanting one just for that game.

T.Hawk was a given but Juri? How about Mike Haggar and Cody already! Come on!

Maybe they'd like to release SFIV first on Dreamcast or perhaps Saturn on that 4MB cart...

I hope they bring back Karin from SFA3.  I know that El Fuerte is the evolution of her play style, and I sure can't use him for shit, but I always liked her and her great theme music.

New trailer and interview:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tgs-0 … 0?type=wmv

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/tgs-0 … reet/57019

Here's the bullet-point version of the interview, taken from SRK:

---

New openings and endings, the Street Fighter team are "man enough" to admit the quality wasn’t there the first time around, and has promised they will be improved.

Different or changed rival/pre-match dialog.

Along with new Ultras and tweaks, older characters will be getting new specials or normals.

Indestructible will be gone. Ono has "learned his lesson".  (Boo!)

As for the final boss, people who hated Seth, will hate him even more now. He will be harder but not "unfair hard."

New stages will be added, but certain older ones will receive new elements or details.

No fighters will be locked, everyone will be accessible from the start.

Looking to strengthen the online component.  Spectator Mode and Lobbies a la HD Remix are being looked into.

No form of World Tour mode from Alpha 3 planned anytime soon. If enough people request it for a sequel, it's possible.

Frame data has been changed on certain character's FA, to better balance out certain things. The FA system will NOT see any major changes.

----

Judging by early gameplay videos, it looks like they'll be aiming for character specific themes for the new characters.  In this video, you can clearly hear the new arrangement of  T. Hawk's theme.  I'm hoping they'll put in an option where we can hear the character themes outside of Rival matches.  Once story mode is complete, we pretty much never get to hear them again.

I can't be the only one who thinks Juri's sadistic little tongue flick before launching into her Ultra is total awesome sauce, am I?

What, why? What did they think was wrong with it, I wonder?

you can hear the character themes in the lobbies online.

Those who have no taste in music -- a large percentage of the population, it seems -- never quite took to it.  Pfft, I just hope they don't change the ever-addictive Character Select Screen theme as a result.

I meant during fights.  I've been using the Custom Soundtracks feature on the PS3 version, but it's unfortunate the option is disabled during online matches.

You're writing off anyone who doesn't like Indestructible as having no taste in music? Really?

Don't jump on that. I'm pretty sure she was being facetious. Or at least half facetious. ;P

Damned straight.  Cuz the fight inside of me, it's waiting to come up now.

Nah, I was being facetious.  I admit I was probably coming off more literal than I originally meant, but my underlying implication was that when something is deemed so universally bad, especially by the mainstream, then there just HAS to be something good about it.

So, yeah.  Half facetious.

Ah, okay. It read literally to me, which is why I was surprised by it, coming from you. I've never been a fan of Indestructible, but I will give you that the character select theme is catchy and I hope it remains, too.

I just don't think the boy-band vocals of Indestructible belong in a Street Fighter game, though I am with you, Angie and Virtual Boot, on the instrumental versions.

It might just as much be a licensing issue of them not wanting to re-pay for the rights to the song.  If that's the case then, sad to say, the instrumental versions will probably be gone, too.

I'm happy that you won't have to unlock all the characters again (that took way too long), but why does he want us to hate Seth more?  What's the point in that?  So we never play the single-player mode?  As for Juri, I think she's a bit over the top right now, but I'm not too concerned.

Holy crap, look at the size of Dee Jay's fireball

Juri looks to have an interesting enough move set, and that Ultra looks extremely painful, but I can't get past her awful, awful hair. Interestingly, her name is pronounced with a hard 'j,' so I guess she's not Juli after all. I wouldn't put it past them to make her Julia, though.

Put me in the camp that likes "Indestructible." They lyrics are at least fitting, and it's not like it's played during the actual gameplay. I'm looking at you, "This Is True Love Makin'." Although, really, I like that song as well.

Adon, Guy, and Cody join the SSFIV roster:

http://kotaku.com/5411575/super-street- … e-fighters

Here's hoping they include Cody's Final Fight outfit as an alternate costume.  Also, sharp-eyed fans have noticed what it appears to be a kunai being tossed in one of the shots.  Ibuki confirmed?

Exactly what I said on Kotaku. We've been answered: http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/29 … _super.jpg

That is BOSS.  I really love these ink-bleed character profile pieces, though it's surprising that Cody's Final Fight rendition is the official piece instead of his Alpha 3 prison garb.

Or maybe not.  The argument can go both ways as to which one should generally be believed as the original outfit in a Street Fighter setting.

I'd sure say his Final Fight outfit is the "original" outfit, that came out way before Alpha 3 ya know... 

Just curious, how the hell could it be argued the other way??  He was fighting on the streets in Final Fight... 

Plus, being that I don't even remember him ever being in prison garb, the Alpha appearance must not have been all that memorable.

I was really referring to the Street Fighter standard.  He only ever wore his prison garb in a Street Fighter title, so the question was whether or not Capcom would consider that to be his original outfit in a STREET FIGHTER setting -- or if they would choose to retrofit his Final Fight one.

It really wasn't.  Truthfully, I don't even remember him as being a memorable character to use.  I'm hoping they'll punch up his moves list and technique for SSFIV.

That felt good, didn't it? The new trailer shows off all the announced new characters, including some of their ultras. Cody's movelist seems to be the same, knife and all.

I think that was just (really good) fan art. He's indeed in his prison getup in the official art: http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/35905/su … 14902.html

The new character theme remixes are awesome, especially Guy's.  Assuming this is still Hideyuki Fukasawa at work, it appears that he's continuing to do a bang-up job on these classics. 

But c'mon guys, make these themes available for listen OUTSIDE of the Rival fights.

I'm certain in accordance with the Capcom canon, Cody ends up in jail after Final Fight thus his post-breakout prison garb appearing later in ZERO/Alpha 3. According to the story, I think Cody is still imprisoned. I think his original look from Final Fight wasn't considered in SSFIV because it was a) painfully generic (white t-shirt, jeans) and b) too easily reminiscent of Streets of Rage and Terry Bogard's look.

While I don't think the prison outfit represents *the* Cody, it has more personalty than the generic t-shirt/jeans look. I have no doubt the original Cody will be his alternate costume. As a huge Final Fight fan, I liked the direction they took with hot-headed Cody in ZERO/Alpha 3 but was hoping it was just a phase in storytelling for the purpose of Alpha 3.

Did anyone else notice the car bonus game in SSFIV is modeled after Final Fight with the car at the gas station? Heck, the scenario was modeled after FF when they threw it in Street Fighter II.

But seriously, where's Mike Haggar already (yeah I know about Zangief's alt. costume)?

Cody is in the background of Guy's SFA2 stage in his classic gear. As far as I can tell, that's actually his first appearance in a Street Fighter game.

Isn't Haggar giving a gang member a noogie in that background as well?

I'm more use to the SNES version of the game where the backgrounds took a hit in animation frames and detail. Like all the spectators outside one missing from Bridie's stage.

That's right. Haggar is there too. And he appears in Guy's SFA3 stage too.

Ibuki! Makoto! Dudley!

The trailer for the introductions of Ibuki, Dudley, and Makoto was pretty cool (especially the opening sequence).

I haven't really kept up with the versus fighting games on the current generation consoles, but I did keep some tabs on the Street Fighter IV versus King of Fighters XII debates that occurred prior to the release of either game. Man, how opinions of both games have changed since then.

Here it is, for those who've yet to see it.  The way they used the original SFIII announcer to start off the trailer was a nice touch.