For the most part, all of the fighters retain their signature moves like Ryu's Hadoken fireball, E. Honda's Hundred Hand Slap and Zangief's Spinning Piledriver, but Street Fighter IV's new maneuvers add a much needed dramatic flair. Its Focus system enables you to knock opponents to the ground with a well-timed strike, but you may also use it to absorb attacks, making it both an offensive and defensive weapon; you can even pretend to charge up and then cancel the move to fake out an opponent. In addition, there are two meters that charge over time: The Super and Ultra meter. Street Fighter IV's Super Meter gains energy with each successful attack. Fill it, and you can bust out bone-crushing Super Combos. On the flip side, the Ultra Meter fills as you take damage. This lets you execute a character's Ultra Combo, a flashy move that'll destroy an opponent's health bar. While it's a cheap way to get back into a fight, knowing when and how to use it separates the novices from the experts.

As you pummel fools into oblivion, you'll enjoy the game's outstanding graphics. All of the fighters sport remarkable detail, from Ryu's rippling muscles to Chun-Li's gorgeous legs. During fights, you'll see clothing flutter in the wind, humorous facial expressions and plenty of slick special effects from fireballs, lightning-fast Super Combos and various explosions of color. Even the stages look incredible, as you square off in front of a live volcano, amidst a crowded marketplace and our own personal favorite, Blanka's jungle stage, a board with animated monkeys, bats and other creatures in the background.

A catchy soundtrack compliments the stylish visuals, merging old school tunes with new themes that perfectly capture the essence of Street Fighter. We chuckled at the boy band style intro as well as the cheesy English voices, but unlike most fighting games, you can change individual languages per character, allowing you to make Sagat speak Japanese while leaving Dan his old corny self.

Similar to its competition, Street Fighter IV has standard issue modes. Arcade (or Story mode) forces you to defeat a series of opponents, including the selected character's rival and the boss, Seth. It also includes individual anime style intros and conclusions for each brawler. While a nice touch, they're too ambiguous to figure out and don't look nearly as good as the opening cinematic. As for the rivalries, Capcom never explains why certain characters (Ryu and Sagat, for example) hate each other. You'll need to do some investigating.