Translation of Famitsu's interview with Ono

All about Super Street Fighter IV: 'Super' Interview

Development is finally underway on Super Street Fighter 4. We've attacked Super's Producer, Yoshinori Ono, with our questions. This off-the-record stuff is a must-read for all SF4 fans.

When we first saw the title of the followup to Street Fighter 4, we were quite surprised that it's called 'Super' and not 'Dash' (Champion Edition).

Ono: Originally, when we decided to start working on an update to Street Fighter 4, we were planning on calling it Street Fighter 4'. However, since the original Street Fighter 2' was called, "Champion Edition," overseas, we felt 'Dash' wouldn't have the same impact. Well, 'Super' it is then! Some of the staff felt Super sounded really old fashioned, but we kept discussing it; "Super was the most exciting, wasn't it? After 'Dash' and 'Turbo', don't you remember the excitement for 'Super'?," and so on.

Yeah, I remember the excitement about 'Super'. New characters were added and a lot of changes were made.

Ono: That's right. The gameplay changed, 4 new characters were added, the graphics were improved... it was really exciting, wasn't it? With this game, we went back and forth about what the title should be, but since we're not stopping at mere balance tweaks, but also adding a lot of stuff, we felt that 'Super' conveys this idea better than something like SF4-2.

I see. To fans of the series, 'Dash' sounds like nothing more than balance tweaks. But 'Super' seems like it would have more new content. Can you tell us more about this new content?

Ono: With this game we are focusing on the things we have heard the most requests for from fans, so you can expect a lot of great things. In the arcades, people are holding a lot of team tournaments and such. I think that kind of excitement really unites the fans across the world. Speaking of which, we want to revisit the online mode in the home version. The arcade experience is really the best, so we're trying to recreate that experience in people's homes.

It sounds like you're bringing back something that's familiar to arcade fans...

Ono: Last time, there were some things that old Street Fighter 2 fans really wanted to see, but we weren't able to include. This time, the development team can really feel those fans breathing down their necks saying, "You guys better include it this time!" (laughs).

Please give us a concrete example!

Ono: I can't give any specifics yet, but maybe there will be things like... rolling objects falling down from above, and such.

Could it be...!

Ono: If someone asks if this stuff is necessary for a fighting tool like SF4, well, no, it's not necessary. But you can think of it as the one teacher you would hope to see at your class reunion.

We've seen 3 new characters now, but how many newcomers will there be in total?

Ono: There will definitely be 8 new characters. We will introduce newcomers and bring back old characters for a total of at least 8.

At least 8?! Are there any more original characters like Juri?

Ono: Maybe (laughs).

How many of the new characters will be brand new?

Ono: Well, if I tell you that, you'll have nothing to write about (laughs). But we're trying to pick the most popular characters that we can.

Please give a hint to our readers!

Ono: Since we're developing this game completely based on fan input, maybe we will include the character that's most requested on our official blog.

Finally, please give a message for our readers.

Ono: I'm almost tired of saying it, but thank you so much for making your voices heard! It's thanks to the countless requests from fans that we could make Street Fighter 4, and because the requests keep on coming, now we're here again making Super SF4. Even though our development time is limited, we really want to answer the fans' hopes and expectations. We want to keep the price for the game low as well, but if it ends up being not very different, I'm sorry (laughs). Finally, to the arcade fans who supported us the most, I'm sorry that I can't give a conclusive answer. It'll be my homework for next time.

Ono's comments part 1

Actually, [Juri] is the first Korean character in the history of Capcom fighting games. When we were making the arcade version of Street Fighter 4, the CEO of Capcom Korea said, "Aren't there any Korean characters?" At that time, I just said, "Well, we have a location test this week (laughs)," and that was the end of it.

Later, at the Korean Super Battle Opera (Tougeki) qualifiers, Korean players and fans would tell me "Why are there still no Korean characters? Games like King of Fighters and Tekken have them," and well, that's true. Not only that, at the same event a Korean games journalist sent us a petition from Korean fans.

Since the design philosophy for Super Street Fighter 4 is, "listen the voices of our fans," with this kind of support from our Korean fans, I felt that we had to include a Korean character. That's how Juri was born.

By making her a Taekwondo character, we hope that players who use Taekwondo characters in other fighing games can enjoy the addition of Juri to Street Fighter 4's roster. However, even if her moves feel similar, this is Street Fighter 4, so it's not just about pushing the right buttons, but rather reading the opponent to win.

So with that in mind, we didn't want to create a character that goes against what fans of the series are expecting. In my mind, she's kind of like a Fei Long-esque Viper. Right now, if you hit with one attack, you can basically string together attacks for as long as you want, so she's way too strong. This is no good of course, but that's why we're still tuning it.

Another of Juri's trademarks is, well, she's kinda sexy (laughs). When you connect with her Ultra Combo, she stabs her left foot into her opponent's back and lifts them up, and the way she then slowly caresses their face, that's hot. We've never had a character who does things like that in Street Fighter before. We're creating her to be a really "exciting" character (laughs).

Ono's comments part 2

Finally, we've been able to include the two characters we had to leave out last time, and with that the characters from the Street Fighter 2 series are all accounted for.

But actually, when we released SF4, people seemed to be a lot less disappointed than I had expected. Even though we at Capcom were bracing ourselves for comments like "Why the hell aren't those two in the game!?" (laughs).

But when you see them in motion, they are both really fun characters. When using Dee Jay, people aren't used to the way he moves, so it's pretty easy to win. You know like, "that sliding kick is broken!". Dee Jay and T. Hawk were the most technical characters in Street Fighter 2, so their gameplay will be very deep this time around as well.

They are tricky and complicated characters, so I think of them as characters for advanced players who are well accustomed to the previous game. I think this is the perfect timing for these two to join the fray. Although it wasn't really planned like this (laughs).

Famitsu notes

Lots of new pictures

As we reported earlier, the followup to "Street Fighter IV", "Super Street Fighter IV", will be released in spring 2010 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Today, we'll be looking at the new screenshots and illustrations we have received.

The producer of Super Street Fighter 4, Yoshinori Ono. He has been involved in the Street Fighter series since 'Zero' (Alpha), where he did sound design.

Will Juri's beautiful kicks revolutionize fighting?!

This is Juri, the Street Fighter series' first Taekwondo practitioner. Speedy and spectacular kicks is the trademark of Taekwondo, so Juri's moves are mostly based on kicks. Her Focus Attack and special moves all seem to come from those beautiful leg techniques as well. You can also see moves clad in a purple aura... is this the result of her "Feng Shui Engine"!?

Super easy to play, Super strategic

With their incredibly destructive force and spectacular visuals, the "Ultra Combo" took fights to a new level in SF4. Are those Ultra Combos going through a big change!? The Focus Attack and other systems of SF4 may also evolve. With the addition of new fighting systems, the battles will be more intense than ever.

Changes to the Revenge Gauge?

The Revenge Gauge, needed to unleash the Ultra Combos, has been redesigned. There's an indicator character on the gauge! C-could this really mean... !?

Existing characters are powered up, too

The 25 existing characters awaiting the new challengers will be rebalanced. With this, the game will be even deeper than the last one.

Those two men join the fight

The last two fighters from the Street Fighter 2 series, Dee Jay and T. Hawk, will finally join the fight! These two have got some tricky and exciting moves. How will they fare on this new stage?!

Dee Jay
Jamaican Kickboxer. A colorful fighter who's also a million-selling musician. With tricky normals, charge based projectiles and anti-air attacks, you won't get far trying to attack him from the air.

T. Hawk
Hero of the Thunderfoot tribe. M. Bison killed his fathered and took his holy land from him. A gentle man who loves animals, he is determined to reclaim his holy land. The trademarks of his fighting style are his long reach and his ability to perform his Mexican Typhoon and other powerful throws from out of nowhere.