Without a doubt, the big news about Ultra Street Fighter IV is the addition of five characters, four of which we've seen before. But that doesn't mean that we'll get the same old versions of the remaining thirty something characters. Capcom has begun releasing a number of videos detailing the various changes coming to the original roster. Here, we'll be looking at the electric greenie Blanka.
Endings for Ultra Street Fighter IV's Rolento, Poison, and Elena Hit YouTube
The somersaulting Brazillian wildman has always been a bit unusual. Even his basic movement setup allows him to easily duck under or hop over projectiles since the early games in the series. For Ultra, he's been blessed with nothing but improvements:
* Increased advantage on hit for Crouching Medium Kick - allows for new combos and easier links
* Hard Rolling Attack knocks down on hit at all distances - players will no longer be punished for making the correct reads versus their opponents
* Vertical Ball can now be Focus Canceled
* Increased hitbox for Shout of Earth Ultra Combo - Anti-air version of Shout of Earth is now much easier to connect in a variety of situations
Street Fighter Dragon Punches Into the Art World With Museum-Grade Prints
Capcom's Community Manager Peter "The ComboFiend" Rosas walks details the changes a bit more thoroughly in the video below.
In addition to character specific balances, the biggest change coming with Ultra will be the addition of five additional characters. Four are Capcom favorites who've appeared in quite a few games before -- Hugo, Rolento, and the gender bending Poison all made their debut in the arcade classic beat 'em up Final Fight. Rolento would cross over into the Street Fighter world alongside fellow Final Fight alumni Sodom, Cody, and Guy in the Alpha series, and Hugo and Elena would appear in Street Fighter III. In Ultra, they'll all be joined by newcomer Decapre, a Shadowloo Doll along the lines of Cammy, and Juni and Juli from Street Fighter Alpha 3. More info on each fighter at their respective links.
Apart from the new characters and balances, players will also get new stages, all of which featured in Street Fighter X Tekken: Cosmic Elevator, Mad Gear Hideout, Jurassic Era Research Facility, Blast Furnace, and Pitstop 109.
Ultra Street Fighter IV is set to release in a few different forms this summer for both PC and consoles. On June 3, gamers can get a digital upgrade (provided they already have Street Fighter IV) for PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 for $14.99. A full disc / full digital bundle will follow on August 5 for $39.99. PC gamers get access to the same bundle on August 8 for the reduced price of $29.99.