In the era of DLC. Capcom went for an old-school approach to expanding Street Fighter IV
These days, games have DLC to extend their lifespan. Capcom took another route in creating Super Street Fighter IV. It may look like the same game on the surface. There's a world of difference in this game. In the past, they re-release SFII with new characters, arenas, balance tweaks and newer gameplay mechanics. SSFIV is no different.
There are an extra 10 characters in addition to the 25 characters from SFIV.
The majority of the characters are from past titles such as the powerhouse T.Hawk and the rhythm-loving Dee Jay from SSFII. The fallen hero Cody, the Nike-wearing ninja Guy from Final Fight and Street Fighter Alpha 3, the smiling Muay Thai fighter Adon from Street Fighter I. Ibuki, Makoto and Dudley from 3rd Strike and two brand-new characters in the human pinwheel Juri (first Korean world warrior in taekwondo) and the Turkish oil wrestler Hakan. I'm glad that the SFII cast can mingle with the SFIII cast. I wish Alex and Rolento made the cut. If characters can come via DLC that would be great and I wouldn't have to buy another version to get them.
Some new arenas such as a Indian street, a Korean street, a Metro City construction site and an African eclipse is a standout. I wish for some character-specific arenas. But i'm not complaining
Gameplay-wise, each character has 2 ultras and they are selectable a la 3rd Strike. Some are cool (Ryu's Ultra II will shatter your jaw and Balrog's Ultra II screams KTFO) and some are funny (Hakan's Ultra is very funny).
The character roster's balance is far improved, Sagat's godlike strength has dwindled and some of the low-tier characters such as Vega and Dan have been buffed as a result. The characters don't get newer moves however there are tweaks to make them better.
The anime cutscenes (a gripe from SFIV) have been mildly improved. I was hoping that Gonzo (the production company behind the SSFIV anime film) would do them. I saw a trailer for the film and the animation looked awesome.
The storylines for some of the fighters are pretty paper-thin.
The online has stepped way, way up from SFIV. I have encountered lag in some matches but they are once in a blue moon. They also added some new modes such as Endless Battle where players can play each other and the loser goes to the back of the line whereas the winner stays on. It's as close to an arcade experience in the comfort of your own home.
There is a team battle mode where 2 teams of players watch their teammates play each other while they wait their turn. I need to try that. A Replay System is now implemented. It's an excellent feature to study your opponent and see some mistakes in your playing in order to improve. it's another way than searching YouTube for some Daigo vs J-Wong matches.
Bonus stages return after being suspiciously absent from SFIV. This time they are in HD. A special feature for the characters is if you have a SFIV save you can get 2 extra colors, these are merely shader effects and they are purely cosmetic.
The best part is with all those features is that it's not a full-priced game
This is a total steal and your wallet won't take a huge hit. Super Street Fighter IV is another example of an already awesome game made even better and it solidifies it's place at the top of the fighting genre.