G4TV

You know your day is off to a great start when Capcom's Seth Killian stops by with a playable build of Super Street Fighter IV. Yesterday I got a chance to get a little hands-on time with T. Hawk, Dee Jay, and Juri, three of the “around eight” new characters coming in the overhauled version. It should be noted, however, that the game is still in development and the details and balancing are subject to change before the game is released in Spring.

First up, Dee Jay! One of the fan favorites from the Super Street Fighter II era, Dee Jay has retained most of his moves and is a very powerful charge character. Playing a lot like Guile, but faster, Dee Jay is very versatile in both countering and rushdown. Unfortunately, he’s received a bit of a nerf according to Seth. In the current build, his EX Dread Kick crumples and can be chained with more EX Dread Kicks in a 1-frame link. It was also possible to chain these into his ultra combo. No longer! I can’t speak to his current state, but I will say that a lot of Balrog and Guile players might defect to Dee Jay. He’s very satisfying to play.

T. Hawk is a nice surprise. His Condor Dive makes him a little more useful than Zangief for closing the distance. Additionally, he now has a horizontal dive that allows him to rush down without having to jump first. Additionally, his Tomahawk Buster returns giving T. Hawk some nice anti-air. His power, however, still comes from his piledriver and his ultra is devastating, especially with a full ultra bar. I foresee a good amount of Zangief players trying out T. Hawk, but his slow style might turn others off.
 

Juri, a completely new character, is a nice addition and has a decent moveset, focused on kicks and speed. One of her best moves is a dive kick that can break armor as well as traverse the screen quickly. Juri is one of the most dangerous characters in the air. I get a very strong Gen vibe from her, though she is not a stance fighter. Definitely a lot of finesse involved in chaining her moves together.
 

Overall, the new characters fit in nicely and the new systems should add a lot to Super Street Fighter IV along with the new multiplayer modes. Throw in the fact that the game will priced lower than a full $60 and you’ve got the makings of a solid revision to an already amazing fighting game.
 

Look for more on Super Street Fighter IV in the coming months.