When is another installment of Street Fighter IV not just another installment of Street Fighter IV? When it's something more – when it's something very much more. Though you've surely already played Street Fighter IV and Ultra doesn't do much that Super or Arcade Edition doesn't, it does add some great features that fans of the series have been craving for quite some time. The series may be showing it's age and fans may be clamoring for Street Fighter V, but Ultra blurs the line between appealing to casual fans and hardcore fighters alike, making this the definitive version of the game and a treat for fighting game fans.

"Moves have also been tweaked..."

The biggest improvement that Ultra Street Fighter IV brings to the table is balance. Each character has been tweaked, and though some are on a more minor level, they go a great distance in making even the previously lower tier characters more viable for serious competition. Moves have also been tweaked to make them more powerful and useful and the result is a much more varied roster of fighters that are all possible and even valuable choices. I can't tell you the last time I used a character like Dudley or Rufus but here I'm more inclined to use them.

Five new characters join the world warriors this go-round, though only one of them is actually new (and even that's debatable). Poison, Rolento, Elena and Hugo make the jump from Street Fighter X Tekken, with their move-sets and abilities slightly tweaked to better fit the Street Fighter IV style. Decapre is the only brand new fighter for Ultra and while she's essentially just a masked version of Cammy, her moves-et feels fresh, unqiue and new. I actually found myself using Decapre pretty frequently as her move-set was both powerful and easy to master.

Additionally, Ultra Street Fighter IV adds a slew of tweaks and improvements that fans have been asking for, for quite some time that add to the depth and strategy of the game. The biggest addition is easily the ability to take both of your character's Ultra combos into a match rather than having to choose just one. Though the damage the combos inflict is lessened compared to previous games, the amount of strategy it adds, being able to have both attacks in your back pocket changes the flow of a match dramatically. No longer having to choose between your more speedy and powerful attacks could change the way you go into a lot of your matches.

"...allow for greater balance than in previous releases."

Other features, like delayed wake-up and red focus allow for greater balance than in previous releases. More casual fans may not notice some of the depth that delayed wakeup allows but it gives you the freedom to plan and strategize against opponents that are spamming you and keeping you from getting up in any point in battle. It was very rewarding to get backed into a corner and then mount a comeback by strategizing.

Nearly every feature from previous iterations of Street Fighter IV has been included here, with some new ones for good measure. You can now record offline matches, which fans have been asking for since the release of Super Street Fighter IV. Also added is the ability to train while waiting for online opponents; another requested feature. By far, the biggest addition to the game is the ability to pick any version of any character throughout the entire Street Fighter IV lineup and take them into battle. This is a huge addition for fighting game vets who have taken their time to get used to and perfect a certain character in a previous edition.

Ultra Street Fighter IV doesn't do much to give the franchise the overhaul it feels like it needs but it does deliver an impressive amount of tweaks and improvements that fans of the series have been asking for, for quite some time. You've undoubtedly played Street Fighter IV before, and this is sure to feel very familiar but it's the definitive version of the game for both casual and hardcore fans alike.