Super Street Fighter IV – Decapre may look like the same old thing but she’s not

The game is five years old now but the Street Fighter IV updates are still coming, as GC also finds out the truth about Power Stone 3.

Attending a press event for a fighting game involves some very difficult decisions. No one wants to look like a novice so you have to pick your opponent with great care: obviously you don’t want one much better than you are, but ideally you do want someone that’s slightly worse. ‘When was the last time you played it?’ is a good opening question. ‘Do you reckon you’re any good then?’ a risky follow-up.



All over the packed room you could see the same uncertain propositions going on, as we all turned up to see Ultra Street Fighter IV – the latest, and perhaps last, update to fighting game classic Street Fighter IV.

The update introduces five new characters and rebalances the entire roster of what is now 44 unique fighters. Many of the new additions are aimed at the game’s hardcore fans but a retail and digital download version will be released in August which includes the original game and every piece of downloadable content so far for just £19.99, which is quite the bargain. (Or you can down the new content as a digital upgrade in June for £11.99.)


At the event we got to speak to European Street Fighter community manager David Hinds about some of the more detailed changes, but in short Ultra Street Fighter IV will have a new team battle mode for 3 vs. 3 fights, an online training mode, and expert-only alterations such as being able to wake up later from a hit on purpose or using your super meter to absorb attacks.

There’s also six new stages: Pitstop 109, Mad Gear Hideout (a reference to Final Fight), Cosmic Elevator, Blast Furnace, Half Pipe, and Jurassic Era Research Facility (we’d like to think an acknowledgement of rumours of a new Dino Crisis, although it’s far more reminiscent simply of Jurassic Park).

There’s also a range of alternate versions of existing characters but the headline addition is the five brand new fighters, the first four of which were also in Street Fighter X Tekken. There’s Poison (originally from Final Fight), Hugo (from Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact), Elena (from Street Fighter III) Rolento (a former Final Fight boss and Street Fighter Alpha 2 veteran), and Decapre (a brand new character only previously alluded to in Street Fighter Alpha 3, who’s an evil clone of Cammy).

Obviously we didn’t have much time with any of them but despite seeming a fairly dull choice for a new character Decapre is perhaps the most immediately accessible of the new quintet. She plays nothing like Cammy and instead is the closet of the set to Ryu, so if you’re a lapsed player you’ll know a few of her special moves straight away.



Rolento is also very easy to pick up and his nightstick attacks make him a great close quarters fighter and give him a decent amount of range. Hugo is even easier to play as, but although extremely powerful he’s so slow you either need to be an expert or be playing someone that’s really rubbish to get anywhere with him.

Elena’s use of capoeira has always made her one of the more technical fighters, since it’s only her leg attacks that are really powerful, but she’s nicely animated and enjoyably unique. Poison is easier to get to grips with though, and her use of a riding crop means she has considerable range – although she’s quite slow, particularly her projectile attack.

As an added bonus at the event we also got to see the trailer for Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist, a Kickstarter-funded movie from the same people behind the super popular Street Fighter: Legacy video. The full trailer we saw doesn’t seem to be online yet but you can see a teaser below of Ryu and there’s another one here for Ken, plus some behind the scenes footage here.

It looks like a lot of fun, and far more authentic than any of the Hollywood movies, proving once again that it’s the fans more than anything that keep Street Fighter alive. And if Ultra Street Fighter IV is aimed primarily at them then we suspect they’ll be extremely happy with the end result.


Formats: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC

Price: £11.99 (digital upgrade) or £19.99 (retail)

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom and Dimps

Release Date: June 2014 (console digital upgrade), August 2014 (retail and PC)

GC: So I got a couple of good dragon punches in there an I was immediately taken back to…

DH: Street Fighter II!

GC: To playing Street Fighter II in the video shop at lunch time, yeah.

DH: That’s good to hear to be honest, that’s exactly the sort of nostalgic feel that is so special about the Street Fighter franchise. I feel it’s something you can’t really get with new fighting games, you don’t really have that bond with the characters that you had when you were younger. Especially, like you say, when you land that dragon punch you think, ‘Yeah! I did the dragon punch!’

GC: Yeah, yeah. I was so pleased I could still do it.

DH: It’s actually a little bit easier to do now, we’ve made the controls a little bit easier.

GC: Oh, right. Great. Thanks.

DH: [laughs] They didn’t need to be so difficult originally and now they’re just a little bit more lenient. So it’s nice to see people sit down and go, ‘Bloody hell, I couldn’t do that 20 years ago!’.

GC: But how old are you? You don’t seem quite old enough to have been skiving off from the sixth form block to play it?

DH: I’m coming up to 30.

GC: So where did you play it originally then? In the maternity ward?


DH: [laughs] Well, it’s exactly 25 years old so I was really young and they had it in the arcades. I only ever got to see it when we’d go on holiday with the family, in the arcades on the pier. So I would be eight or nine and that’s where I learned about Street Fighter.

GC: But presumably now you’ve got plenty of fans that weren’t even alive when Street Fighter II was originally a hit.

DH: Yeah, a lot of them, they never played Street Fighter II. A lot of them, Street Fighter IV is what they know as Street Fighter. So for them this is what Street Fighter is all about. They’ve heard of Street Fighter II, and they’ve maybe played it now, but they never grew up with it.

GC: I don’t say this of many games but Street Fighter II, and maybe IV, are one of the few perfect video games out there. Not necessarily in terms of features but in terms of the central idea. You can fine tune and play around the edges but any significant change would mean transforming it into something completely different. Which puts Capcom in a difficult position when they want to make a new game. Are you involved in those sort of discussions?

DH: Ah, you could say. Possibly. It’s not something I can really comment on.

GC: Oh. I’m not asking you to confirm a sequel or anything, I’m curious as to what input you have on the series development and what kind of access you have to Japan.

DH: Oh well, I kind of represent Europe on that front. We have a guy over in the US who does what I do over there and we kind of share information to and fro from our respective communities, of gamers and fans, constantly trying to improve Street Fighter and tailor it to what the masses want.

GC: Are you talking about the masses though, or is it just the fans?

DH: It’s a mixture of the two really. People are really vocal about what they want in the game, whether it’s a particular character they want to see return or they want new stages… things like that.

GC: I find it hard to imagine even the hardcore fans asking for a clone Cammy before some of the others that haven’t yet returned from the earlier games.

DH: [laughs] People ask for new characters in general, they always want to see new characters.

GC: Do you mean new old characters or new new characters?

DH: Either or to be honest. The initial reaction to Decapre was, ‘She looks like Cammy, she’s probably going to play like Cammy’. But that’s wrong, she doesn’t actually play anything like Cammy. And the funny thing is one of the top players, Ryan Hart…

GC: Oh please tell me his nickname is the ‘The Hitman’.

DH: No, his nickname is ‘The Prodigal Son’ [laughs]

GC: I’m just appalled.

DH: [laughs] He actually put it in a good way, he said ‘I’d much rather have a character that plays completely differently and I don’t care if they look a little bit similar, as part of the storyline’. There have been fighting games in the past, that I’m not going to name, that have made characters that look completely different but actually play exactly the same as another character.

GC: Sure, but you could have both though.

DH: You can, and we’ve got a lot of crazy new characters in there. For instance, we put in Hakan. He’s a Turkish oil wrestler and he’s nuts.

GC: Yeah, I like him.

DH: There’s already a huge variety of characters in this game and we’re always going to reach a limit in terms of what we can do with budgets that are associated with said title. To come up with completely new characters that are completely fresh and new… we can’t do that with every single update.

GC: It seems to me a general problem you have is that with each upgrade you’re only appealing more and more to the hardcore audience. So it becomes a niche of a niche of niche.

DH: Yeah, that is true.

GC: So a casual player will just look at this and see nothing for them and simply ask, ‘When’s the next proper one coming out?’ I’m not suggesting there’s an easy answer to what you do about that, but it must be a concern.

DH: Well, this is the thing. With Ultra Street Fighter IV we’re doing it purely based on, as you say, the hardcore niche fans. They really did want an update, there’s two things that they really wanted: they wanted something new in terms of new characters to play as and they wanted a new character balance, so the existing roster. And believe it or not it’s really simple things like changing the frame data – the way certain moves actually operate and animate – ever so slightly that they want. Differences that the average Joe is not going to know, understand or even care about.

But these guys, it’s what makes them play the game at tournament level, they practise and invest so much time into it. For them these changes are crucial, and like you said we are appealing to a really niche audience with this update. However, that’s why we’ve decided to make the retail version, which comes with all the previous DLC we’ve released for the game with everything on it.

And you know why we’ve done this? Just like because, like you said, there are people out there who are going to be potentially interested in the retail version because they didn’t buy Street Fighter IV or the Arcade Edition version or the 2012 version.

GC: But wouldn’t a better idea for that sort of person be some sort of purposefully simplified addition with maybe even a smaller roster? Because I can see the sheer volume of content actually being very intimidating to new players. So something that was called a ‘Beginner’s Edition’ that focused more on training your skills?

DH: That’s a good idea, actually. But I think where Street Fighter IV is at the moment we definitely can’t remove characters. So as far as what we can do with this game and how we can update it I would say we only added a few more, just a few more characters. [laughs] And I think more than anything it’s good value for money.

If you’re looking for a fighting game and you didn’t buy any of the previous games this is really your chance to catch up completely in one big swoop and get the ultra ultimate edition that has everything on one disc. I think that’s how most people will look at it, if they are interested.

GC: So since you can really only do a full sequel once or maybe twice a generation is there any thought to formalising the yearly appearance of these updates? Because if you think about it you’re really in the same position as something like Call Of Duty, where people are happy with the same basic game but with some new wrinkles to the multiplayer on a regular basis.

DH: I wholeheartedly agree. And if you look at Street Fighter IV, we originally released it in 2009 and I think it was 2010 we released Super Street Fighter IV. Which is kind of like Call Of Duty, where just releasing new content in the form of an update… I think the way we do it is almost a little bit better value for money, I feel. Just purely because – I don’t really play Call Of Duty too much, my friend does and he buys a brand new one every year, which is a lot of money.

GC: Call Of Duty can at least do a new single-player every year, that can be quite different, but Street Fighter isn’t really in that position.

DH: That’s true, and I think if we released a full-priced Street Fighter every year people wouldn’t want to buy that. Like you said it’s all about just refreshing the content, making sure it’s still playable. People, when they play Street Fighter they’re actually investing into it almost like a hobby.

You don’t just play Street Fighter for 10 minutes and then that’s it. You pick a character and that’s an investment in itself, learning all their combos, what they’re good at, how to play other people. And when you play against your friends it’s like an ongoing battle, it’s like a rivalry that doesn’t just last for one year – it’s ongoing.

GC: So given all that, is this the last update or not?

DH: All I can do is say, as myself and not officially as Capcom, ‘Never say never’. I know that sounds really annoying to say that, but I’m not the decision maker on this.

GC: No, that’s fine.

DH: I think it’s just one of those things where we’ll adapt to what the fans want.

GC: In terms of the general state of the fighting game market, where do we go from here? Now that there’s been a resurgence for the genre and every prominent franchise has had a reboot how do you stop it becoming niche again? I can’t believe it took so long for tutorials to become a standard feature, it was like you were all physically trying to prevent new fans from playing.

DH: [laughs] It did take a while. But I think Street Fighter paved the way for many fighting games and eventually somewhere down the line people managed to improve on it in different ways. And I guess we all learn from each other in a way.

GC: I’d love to have been in the meeting where everyone went, ‘You know what? I think it might be a good idea if we tell people how to play the game’.

DH: It’s funny, I remember when Street Fighter EX2 Plus Alpha on the PlayStation came out…

GC: I can’t believe that’s a real name.

DH: [laughs] It had a really good… almost like a tutorial where it broke down combos for you, and that’s the first time I saw anything like that. But we’re very much aware now I would say, as a team, that tutorial modes are are core part of the game now. We really took that into consideration when updating the characters and listening to the fan feedback.

It’s kind of like, ‘Why do people want to play the game?’ and ‘How can we make it so it’s accessible to them and how can they get better at it?’ That’s why we added things like online training mode, which sounds weird but it means you can now train with your friends rather than being stuck on your own for hours.

GC: That is a good idea. But Street Fighter II was the most popular multiplayer game when I was a kid and I don’t see any reason why it shouldn’t be now. But how do you get back to that level of acceptance again?

DH: I think as times change strategies develop and adapt to what’s going on…

GC: But punching your friend in the face is always fun, surely? You’ve just got to make sure people know your game is the best place to do that.

DH: If you’re asking my opinion you’ve got to maintain the balance on a couple of things. First and foremost it’s got to have a really good single-player mode nowadays. It’s got to have a really good story mode. And online has to be perfect, with these fighting games there’s no room for lag latency and things like that. Online net code has to be immaculate.

That’s so important, that enables people to play with each other online and have a really positive experience. It means they’re not going to leave feeling frustrated and cheated. So you’ve got to have a really engaging, interactive way of playing online; almost replicating how it used to be in an arcade where you went and put your money down and played with other people.

GC: Exactly, you used to chat and talk with people while you were waiting for you go.

DH: And that’s kind of what’s happening now with lobbies, where they’re waiting too and it’s winner stays on. And you know if you lose you’ve got to go back to the queue and watch everyone else play their matches. It’s actually replicating that and I think that’s one of the successful elements of it too.

So there’s the story mode, the single-player mode, the online, and you brought up a really good point: making the tutorials accessible to newcomers. Not everyone’s played Street Fighter II and as you said a lot of them are born into an era where the only fighting games they know about are the ones coming out today. And so a lot of people are really put off by how complicated these games can be, so having a fully-fledged tutorial mode is going to be really important.

GC: The prime example for a good single-player mode in a fighting game has always been SoulCalibur II, but that’s never really been equalled or even attempted again.

DH: Do you know what it is? I think every company has an idea of what makes a fighting game a good fighting game, and I guess they get fixated on what they do best.

GC: But that was what they do best!

DH: It was quite unique at the time, I remember. You’re right.

GC: Is that the sort of route you see for single-player in the future, I don’t even mean necessarily just Street Fighter?

DH: I think the one thing the fans do like about Street Fighter is the story behind it. For instance, we have the Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist live action thing.

GC: I saw that, that was great.

DH: For the first time ever it actually looks like a good Street Fighter movie, I shouldn’t go on record saying that! [laughs]

GC: Surely you’ve seen The Legend Of Chun-Li?

DH: I haven’t actually and that’s part of the problem.

GC: You’re fine as you are I think.

DH: [laughs] I feel because everyone loves the characters in Street Fighter, they love the Street Fighter universe, I think a story mode that portrays this in a really fun and interesting way, and isn’t just arcade mode where you’re battering through 12 opponents to get to M. Bison… it needs to be a proper story to go with it.

GC: So that’s obviously an area of expansion you’re looking at for the future?

DH: Well, I’m hoping this isn’t the end for Street Fighter, so obviously if we get to work on a new one I’d like to see an expanded story mode, better tutorial, you know there’s loads of things we can expanded. You said Street Fighter IV was perfect, but it is only in terms of concept. There’s always more we can do.

GC: I’ve probably missed a memo here but how is Yoshinori Ono [the Street Fighter producer who had to withdraw from the limelight after collapsing during a promotional tour – GC] nowadays? Is he involved in this?

DH: Oh yes, Ono-san is always involved with every Street Fighter product. He’s so passionate about it, hence the dressing up as Blanka…

GC: I saw that at Gamescom!

DH: You have to really love the brand to go on stage in front of thousands of people dressed as Chun-Li! I remember when I first got the job and at one point I had to get on a stage at Las Vegas and I told him I was really nervous and he went, ‘It’s okay, you don’t have to dress up as Cammy. That’s my job!’

GC: [laughs]

DH: But yeah, he’s very much involved. He’s got loads of things he’s working on at the moment.

GC: Has he, by Jove? Well speaking of secret projects, whenever I meet someone from Capcom I always ask about Power Stone 3…

DH: Oh my god, I get loads of feedback regarding that game. It’s one of those ones that crops up every once and while.

GC: I love those games, both of them are so unique and so fun.

DH: I queued up outside Electronics Boutique at midnight to get my Dreamcast with Power Stone, the very first one, and then I just ran home to play it.

GC: The thing that annoys me is that the characters are never even in crossover games like Marvel Vs. Capcom. I haven’t see one reference to them in a game since the PSP compilation.

DH: It’s funny. I’d have to imagine it’s based on licensing, but I can’t really comment on it officially. Like a lot of people wanted to see the characters from the Street Fighter EX games, the kind of pseudo 3D ones, in Street Fighter IV but we’re not able to use a lot of those because the designs belong to the original artist.

GC: Oh, I never imagined it was something like that.

DH: I might be completely wrong, maybe it’s just a choice not to use them…

GC: Well, sorry it’s just you’re the first person I’ve met in a while that might actually know. But just on that note, given Disney’s current disinterest in home console games is that it for the Marvel Vs. Capcom franchise?

DH: I don’t want to say no, definitely not. But there’s no reason as to why that’s the end of all Marvel games with Capcom. I’m not present in those meetings but we’ll just have to wait and see I guess.

GC: That’s fine, that’s very interesting. Thanks for you time.

DH: No problem.

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