Scouting Report: "Ultra Street Fighter IV"

Image via Complex Original

There's a lot of power hungry people in the Street Fighter universe, but no one reaches the straightforward, paramilitary insanity of Rolento. Originally from Final Fight, Rolento debuted in the Alpha series. He has an assortment of unpredictable weapons—grenades, knives, and of course, his signature staff, which can poke an opponent from a distance. If you want a potent combination of offense and evasive roll maneuvers, Rolento's your man.

Is she or isn't she? Please stop—it's getting a little old at this point. Yes, she's a post-op transgender character. Yes, she's got curves for days. Deal with it, people—it's 2014. Also from the Final Fight series, Poison is armed with her riding crop, her handcuffs, and her skimpy, revealing cutoffs. She's got a well rounded, S&M-inspired fighting style to go with them, and those long legs have got some reach. Look for Poison to heat up the competition and continue those pointless Internet debates.

The third and final Final Fight original, Hugo brings cartoonish fun to Ultra. Just look at that face. Hugo is massive and awkward—he shakes the ground when he walks, and his moves are Zangief-esque in their appearance. Current reports place Hugo in the bottom tier next to Dan, but no matter. We were never meant to take him seriously, and there's nothing wrong with a little levity.

Fun-loving, unpredictable, and limber, Elena is Street Fighter's resident Capoeira master. The native Kenyan predates Eddie Gordo in Tekken 3 (albeit barely), and although she lacks a projectile, her flying feet make up for it. Let's hear it for those multi-hit combos—always done with an ear-to-ear smile, of course.

Decapre is playable for the first time in Ultra. The young Russian, like Cammy, is another one of M. Bison's 'Dolls'—bodyguards brainwashed by the Shadaloo to carry out assassinations. Like E. Honda, Balrog, and Guile, Decapre is a 'charge' character, which places her in a defensive, turtling position. It'll be interesting to learn Decapre's story and find out where her true loyalties lie.

The Ultra update will feature six new stages—well, sort of new. All six were included in Street Fighter vs. Tekken, so if you're a fighting game buff, you've seen them before. So, this is a sort of bonus—it's not really a main selling point. The six 'new' stages are Blast Furnace, Cosmic Elevator, Half Pipe, Jurassic Era Research Facility, Mad Gear Hideout, and Pitstop 109.

This is a minor change, but it's an important one for more experienced players. You've always been able to execute a Quick Recovery, which allows you to get up quickly after being knocked down. Ultra now allows for the opposite—you can execute a Delayed Standing, which allows you to get up more slowly than normal. It's a small timing tactic, designed to improve the 'wake-up game' and make it even less predictable.

Possibly the most controversial change, the Red Focus Attack is a charged version of the current Focus Attack. A Focus Attack absorbs damage from a single hit, but a Red Focus Attack absorbs the damage of multiple hits. This extra durability, however, will cost you your Super Meter. The Red Focus Attack is no minor tweak, and it has the potential to completely change Street Fighter IV's meta-game. Look for it to make a huge impact at this year's EVO tournament.

Ever since the Super Street Fighter II update, it's become an important decision—which Ultra Combo do you select on the character select screen? Do you go with the ground Ultra Combo? Or do you go with the anti-air Ultra Combo? They're both so contextual, and you never know which one will prove most useful.

Well, with the Ultra update, you won't have to choose. You have a third option of selecting both Ultra Combos—at the cost of damage—to give yourself more flexibility in a fight. Casual players will definitely notice the difference, and it adds an additional mind game. Whether attacking you from the air or attacking you from the ground, your opponent will feel threatened.

Thankfully, Capcom is not making us buy a full-price, standalone game. The DLC is available today on the Playstation Store, and tomorrow on the Xbox Marketplace, for $15. It requires either Super Street Fighter IV or Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. A standalone, $40 physical disc will be available for the PS3 and Xbox 360 on August 5. Lastly, a $30 digital release for PC will be available on August 8. With those kinds of prices—particularly if you have an earlier edition of the game—it's hard to say no.

Still, it's aggravating to watch Capcom release their flagship game in dribs and drabs, and greedily charge us for the privilege every step of the way. They're lucky they have such an incredible product—anything less, and the consumers would never stand for it.

Cop or drop? Cop it—but do it with a reluctant scowl on your face.