Oh yes, it’s that time for some more news on the Omega characters coming your way soon. Continue on to see what Ayano-san has to say about the characters and the crazy new moves added to their repertoire.

Hey everyone, Tomoaki Ayano here!

I’ve been working pretty hard lately, going to the tournament in Singapore, attending national tournaments here in Japan, and so on. I haven’t even had time to rest on Saturdays and Sundays. This past weekend, though, was a three-day weekend here in Japan, so I finally had a chance to kick back and relax…

…But now it’s time to get back to the grind with part three of the Ultra SFIV Omega Edition introductions! The theme this week is “Newcomers,” so we’ll be looking at Abel, C. Viper, Fuerte, Rufus, Cammy, Dee Jay, Fei Long, and T. Hawk!

Abel

Shoulder Tackle: Yup! Just as the name says, it’s a shoulder tackle. You can hold the button down to charge it—charge it to the max and you’ll get an increase in parameters, as well as armor break properties. You can cancel the charge by pressing a punch button, which also makes this effective as a feint move.



The EX version will send the opponent flying for a wall bounce, which sets up some combo opportunities afterwards!

Abel has seen a lot of changes—while he’s lost Change of Direction, he’s gained new command normal and special moves. Abel now fights like a mixed-martial artist with a focus on throws. I believe that Abel fans will get a kick out of this new way to play him!

My inspiration: What you see is what you get!

C. Viper

Burst Heel: A new special move that’s similar to Guile’s Flash Kick. It’s got a lot of priority, so I see it being used like a psychic DP.

The EX version has invincibility, giving Viper a new anti-air option. She can also cancel the second hit, like she can for her Thunder Knuckle, which lets her combo into various options. This not only gives her new ways to attack, but also opens up combo possibilities as well.

She also gets Thunder Fist, a strike-move that expands her combo options.

My inspiration: A more mature Viper who has further refined her fire and lightning abilities!

El Fuerte

EX Habanero Dash: Fuerte now has options for all six buttons during his EX Habanero Dash. This is his FP option, the Fajita Buster.

This version, performed from the EX Dash, is done on the ground without Fuerte jumping into the air. Get a good read on your opponent and choose wisely!

Fuerte also gets a new special move, the Flying Nachos. Hmm…I’m not sure I would call the body part he’s hitting them with a Nacho but this move certainly seems familiar, doesn’t it?

Fuerte’s movement specials have been improved and he has also gained a high jump. If you thought he was hard to catch before…!

My inspiration: A Mexican luchador running wild on you!

Rufus

Dynasty Dash: A special move performed with the punch buttons that moves Rufus forward, changing up his attack style.

He slides forward—check out that low profile!

The LP version ends with the Mach Back Knuckle. It’s fast, but it doesn’t hit crouchers.

The MP version ends with the Peerless Palm.

And the FP version ends with the Premium Tackle. It starts up slow but has armor break properties.

Rufus has some pretty funky moves names and these three are no exception, don’t you think?

Heh heh. We’ve also changed up his existing special moves, taking into account how Dynasty Dash changes his game. Together with his new target combos he’s changed quite a bit—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he’s a completely new character (a new, new character?!).

My inspiration: The portly speed bug, reborn!

Cammy

Killer Bee Stinger: A new special move that launches the opponent up in the air with a kick.

Cammy can follow up on the airborne opponent with combos.

This special move takes advantage of Cammy’s excellent mobility.

She also has a special version of her Cannon Strike, Target Strike, that will cause a hard knockdown from the air, and we’ve completely reworked her Hooligan Combination too. I’ll tell you more about that if I get another chance. Heh heh.

Just as her “Killer Bee” nickname implies, we’ve modified Cammy to be a character that primarily attacks from the air.

My inspiration: Dance like a butterfly, sting like a bee!

Fei Long

Ryuogeki

This, to put it simply, is a super-powerful backfist! It leaves Fei Long wide open if it misses, but it deals plenty of damage and has armor break properties. It’s a move that really showcases the “shaking fist” kung-fu image we’ve come to expect from Fei Long. The EX version will wall-bounce your opponent for extended combo opportunities.

Syoenryu is a flaming uppercut that stops opponents in their tracks and launches them up into the air. Of course, he can follow up afterwards with combo attacks.

We wanted to give Fei Long more one-hit moves and so move him away from being a character that revolves around his Rekkaken game. I’m sure you’ll have fun with him if you give him a try.

My inspiration: A hot-blooded kung-fu master!

Dee Jay

Air Slasher

You can’t tell just by looking at the picture, but in Omega we really wanted to emphasize Dee Jay’s dancing, which is why we’ve changed him from a charge character to a command one. That’s right, all of his moves—from Machine Upper to Double Rolling Sobat—are now command moves.

Waning Moon: Dee Jay goes airborne and comes down with a crescent-moon kick. This gives Dee Jay a new move for getting in.

He’s also got new command normals and target combos, which really makes him feel like a kickboxer. The change from a charge character to a command one is enough to make Dee Jay feel like a brand new character in Omega Edition.

My inspiration: Dee Jay getting back to his Jamaican roots!

T. Hawk

Earth Rage

This move strikes the ground, sending out a shockwave. It’s very similar to Viper’s Seismo Hammer. The EX version sends out three blasts, ranging from close to long range. T. Hawk has always had problems with characters playing keep-away, but now he has a new tool to help him fight better at distances!

Thunder Bird: An EX version of the Mexican Typhoon that uses two bars of meter. Grab your opponent, use a Tomahawk Buster to launch them into the air, and…

…grab them from mid-air and slam them on the ground with the Mexican Typhoon! Since it uses two bars we’ve made it just as powerful as it looks!

We’ve also adjusted the inputs for his existing special moves to make them more intuitive and easier to use. In Omega Edition, T. Hawk differs from his regular Ultra version in that he has both close and long range options. Will this make the gentle giant a force to be reckoned with in Omega?!

My inspiration: A Hawk who’s a danger up close and from afar!

That wraps things up for the third installment of our Omega character introductions! Before moving on though, I’d just like to say a few words about our methodology for adding new moves.

We do give careful consideration to the moves we add, and we also try to retain the functionality of the existing moves. We’re aiming to make a game where all of the moves are viable in one way or other, and that’s as difficult as it sounds. Of course, if we get too cautious, then Omega will lose some of its “Omega-ness”! So here on the Omega team we’re always going back and forth with our discussions about what’s best.

Next week we’ll be covering Sakura, Rose, Dan, Guy, Cody, Adon, and Rolento. The theme? You guessed it—the Alpha series fighters!