The time for giving is upon us! That said, allow me to give you the latest Ayano blog, where he further explains what changes you can look forward to when the Omega Edition characters come your way.

Hey everyone, Tomoaki Ayano here!

Christmas will soon be here! I know a lot of you will spend the day with family and loved ones…but maybe some of you will spend it with the warm glow of a TV screen as you take on opponents online in Ultra SFIV! As for me, I’ll probably be hard at work.

Today we’ve got a lot of ground to cover with part six of the Ultra SFIV Omega Edition introductions. The theme this week is the New New Challengers, which means we’ll be covering Hakan, Juri, Evil Ryu, Oni, and Poison.

…Yes, I know the theme name is uninspired, but it’s something I came up with on the fly. Do you really care about it that much?! Haha.

Anyway, today’s blog includes two of the characters I use, Hakan and Poison, so I’m especially psyched up!

Juri

Jyafuten

Juri uses the power of the Feng Shui Engine to gather power at her feet. From here she can perform a couple of move variations.

Press forward and release the button for Fusatsusen. This is a kick move that varies depending on the button pressed.

The fierce version results in a double rising kick. It deals a lot of damage and can be used as a follow-up move in many different situations.

Press backwards and release the button for Shotenha, a kick-launcher move. Of course, you can follow up afterwards too.

It’s a great set-up for her super!

Jyafuten gives Juri new options for her mid- and close-range attacks. I feel like this update really solidifies Juri’s fighting style: Tae Kwon Do expertly mixed with the unique Feng Shui Engine.

My inspiration: The explosive Feng Shui Engine!

Hakan

Hakan Launcher: A new move that lifts the opponent into the air.

After the opponent is launched, you can cancel into an Oil Shower. Once you get the hang of this move, you can even hit the opponent with follow-up attacks! The EX version turns into a hit-throw, and once the opponent has been sent crashing to the ground, Hakan automatically follows up with an Oil Shower!

Hakan Splitter: Hold fierce punch for a knockdown attack. It starts up slowly, but it’s an overhead attack that’s good for toppling your opponent.

In Omega, Hakan will also be able to cancel his existing moves. This feature, combined with his new moves, gives him a whole lot of chances to oil up. He’s also got new feint variations to throw his opponents off their game. I think Hakan’s a really interesting character and I love the Omega take on him.

My inspiration: The slippery king.

Evil Ryu

Rakuyo Hadoken: A fireball that goes straight up, and then flies down at an angle!

We wanted to give Evil Ryu a Zanku Hadoken he could use without having to jump. This move leaves Evil Ryu pretty open, but it can be a very powerful tool: knock your opponent down and then use this to help set up your offense. This is a new type of fireball for the SF series, so it’s going to be interesting seeing players try it out.

Ryukosai: A stronger, multi-hitting version of Ryusokyaku that uses two bars of super meter. The first hit breaks armor and hits overhead, making this a great move for breaking through your opponent’s defense!

Evil Ryu also has new target combos that can combo into Ryukosai.

Man, has this guy got some cool-looking combos or what? With new command normals, new target combos, and new special moves as well, he’s a fun character that leaves you left wanting for nothing!

My inspiration: A new way to use the Satsui no Hado.

Oni

Mu: A powerful Shoryuken-like move that uses two bars of meter.

What goes up…

…must come down! Hard!

The first hit has armor break properties and locks them into the move, so you don’t have to worry about the opponent falling out and you eating big damage for it.

Kyoseijin: This move starts off with the same jump that his Sekisei Jiraiken uses, but after that he can go into Tenma Rakuseikyaku (a dive kick), Zanku Hadoken, or use his Sekisei Jiraiken. This gives him a lot more options for his aerial assault.

With more attack patterns and new moves that deal big damage from the air, Omega Oni is a fun character that’s easy to use.

My inspiration: A demon dancing through the sky.

Poison

Honey Trap

This is an anti-air projectile move. This blown kiss does very, very little damage, but in return dishes out a lot of stun. That’s very Poison-like, wouldn’t you say? After connecting in mid-air, you can follow up with an attack, giving you a good chance to land another one of her high stun-dealing moves. The EX version uses two bars and…well, I’ll let you figure out what happens on your own.

EX Whip of Love: You no longer have to do the additional inputs for the full move. After it hits, it’ll connect automatically; the final hit is quite electrifying!

You know, the important thing about this move is…that it just looks cool! And that’s as important as anything else!

Poison’s regular projectile, Aeolus Edge, has undergone some heavy changes. That, together with her new Honey Trap, makes Poison more of a projectile character. I’m going to continue repping her in Omega edition, of course!

My inspiration: Sparkling pink!

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That’ll do it for this week. We’ve covered almost all of the characters. So next week’s theme is…well, there’s only one character left actually: Omega Decapre!

See you next time!