Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition Version 2012 is the fourth version of Street Fighter 4 in as many years. It has no new characters, and the developer’s notes read like a foreign language even to other gamers. But even as newer titles arrive, SF4 remains one of the most popular series in the fighting-game community. The graphics may have stayed the same over the years, but each update has changed the fortunes of 39 characters and the players who pour hours into making them great. Read on to see how SF4 became what it is today from the perspective of the World Warriors who appeared in it.  

Street Fighter 4

The first Street Fighter 4 premiered in arcades in 2008. After almost a decade of ignoring the genre, publisher Capcom and co-developer Dimps decided to keep the basics close to the franchise's greatest success, Street Fighter 2. They used that game’s cast along with four brand-new characters and demon warrior Akuma to create SF4's roster. The game introduced two new mechanics to the franchise: the powerful Ultra Combo that the player gained by taking damage and the Focus Attack, which will absorb one hit of most moves.

Ryu

It's best to start with Ryu, as both beginners and experts favor him because of his fundamental tools that help him handle any situation. The lone traveler benefited from an easy-to-connect Ultra Combo and the ability to make his powerful Shoryuken safe using a Focus Cancel. If he uppercuts his enemy, he can stop the move with a Focus Attack, rush forward and keep attacking. If the opponent blocks, then he can dash back to safety.
 

Sagat

The Muay Thai king had many of the benefits Ryu had along with terrific fireballs, amazing damage, and high health. Sagat placed at the top of high-level players' character rankings or “tier lists” and was dominant at Japanese arcades, where the nation’s best trained. Many players say, however, he wasn’t as overpowering as previous “top tiers” in the series.

Chun-Li

Still, Sagat posed problems for other fighters. Chun-Li could handle him at close range with her superior normal attacks, but she couldn’t match the comeback potential his Tiger Destruction Ultra gave him. The First Lady of Fighting Games can dominate most of the round only to lose because of one mistake.

Vega

Other contestants like Vega had a rougher time. As one of the worst fighters in the game, the Spaniard relied on stabbing foes one strike at a time, had poor mixups, and didn’t have a reliable reversal move like the Shoryuken. A strong reversal can’t replace good blocking skills, but it makes people more wary of pressing their advantage.

Zangief

Vega also had another problem: Zangief. The Russian grappler terrorized weaker foes with his nasty Double Lariat and life-crushing Ultimate Atomic Buster. Zangief was a strong force, but lost badly to Sagat. But towards the end of Street Fighter 4’s lifetime, Sagat did have someone to fear.
 

Akuma

As a "glass cannon," Akuma has ton of great moves but little health. His Demon Flip special move had several variations that allowed him to create a never-ending “vortex” of guessing games, and later people found an effective combo loop involving his long-reaching Heavy Kick. Some theorized that Akuma was the only one who had an even or advantage match-up over Sagat.

Balrog

But Street Fighter 4 wasn’t all about projectiles and uppercuts. Balrog plowed through the competition with his beastly jab, great normal attacks, and his ability to deal with fireballs using Turn Punch and EX moves that powered up a special at the cost of some super meter.
 

Rufus

The pudgy Rufus was also a standout from the four new characters. He had trouble against fireballs, but his divekick let him quickly get in and pressure foes. His Space Opera Symphony Ultra could also combo off a variety of situations. Rufus, Ryu, and Balrog remained contenders throughout the series.
 

C. Viper

Following behind him is C. Viper, an example of how tier lists change over time. She was originally thought as one of the weaker combatants, but as time went on, dedicated players learned her powerful mix ups. The spy grew in prominence as more people attained the execution needed to master her unorthodox play style.

Gouken

The original arcade version only had 17 characters, but the console release added a group of favorites from Super Street Fighter 2 and Street Fighter Alpha and made bosses Seth and Gouken playable. Fans enjoyed seeing their favorites, but they were rarely seen in high-level play. They weren’t bad – Gouken dealt brutal damage and had an effective fireball game – but they lacked the little things that top warriors had.

Next Page: Street Fighter 4 gets a major upgrade that gives fans different Ultras and new challengers.