Ultra Street Fighter 4 is finally available, and alongside of the five "new" characters, developer Capcom has been beefing up the dozens of other fighters as well. Capcom has been releasing videos detailing the various changes Ultra brings to the original roster. Here, we'll be looking at hundred hand slapping sumo, E. Honda
What the Reviewers Are Saying About Ultra Street Fighter IV
Street Fighter's resident sumo has been known to be able to hold his ground, but given his size, hasn't been much of a hard hitter of late. In SSF4, Honda was considered one of the better characters due to his damage output, but not so much in versions that followed. For Ultra, his damage has been juiced back up. Here's how:
* Slight damage increase to Standing Heavy Punch - now more effective
* EX Sumo Headbutt recovers closer to the opponent - players will have to be more careful when performing the move, or face punishment
* EX Hundred Handslap increased advantage on hit - will lead to more combos and higher damage output
* Increased range on Orochi Breaker, helping players land it more often
Endings for Ultra Street Fighter IV's Rolento, Poison, and Elena Hit YouTube
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 available now as an upgrade on 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.