It may not be obvious when you look at screen shots, but the Street Fighter games have more in common with chess than they do with less accomplished beat ’em ups. Stratagems are executed in split seconds, while individual frames of animation mark the difference between a successful attack and risible failure. Ultra Street Fighter IV adds the ability to trigger two ultra combos at once and time your character’s wake-up after being knocked down, along with a wealth of minuscule alterations to every fighter in the roster. For less obsessive fighting game fans most of these tweaks will be undetectable, but for those who have never put away their tournament joysticks, this is the definitive edition of the game. New players may find the complexity and subtlety overwhelming, but for seasoned Street Fighters this is as good as it gets.
