12 tiny details we love in Street Fighter IV

Dhalsim's stretchy dash move

We didn't catch this one on video, but watch for it. Street Fighter's resident plastic man looks impressively rubbery now. And while we were prepared for screen-length kicks and punches, our favorite Dhalsim detail was his dash. Instead of running, he coolly stretches one leg a yard or so forward, plants it, and then slides the rest of his body up as well, like some kind of man-amoeba hybrid. It's creepy-cool.

Blanka's bulging eyes

As formidable as this semi-feral fighter's appearance may be, it's clear his olive-hued frame has at least one big weak point. Slam one in his gut (or maybe lower - it's hard to tell) and his eyes bug out of their sockets almost like a Tex Avery cartoon. Blanka may be too comedic to be taken seriously by some, but we love the big, green, electric monkeyman.

Skinny dog in East Asia, Crowded Downtown level

There are several attractions worth noting in this busy environment: the chicken stand, the sleepy old man whose umbrella you dislodge, and this poor beast, who trudges by looking like he hasn't had a full meal since Britney Spears was a sexy pop tart instead of a tragedy. Hang in there, skinny dog! And maybe eat that chicken that fell off the vendor's cart.

Zangief's neck crack

Face it: if a bear magically became a human, he'd look just like Zangief. And nothing quite brings this concept home like the animation in which this man-mountain puts his hefty paw on the back of his neck and tilts his head until you can practically see it crack. This is a man who has so much muscle, it's actually hindering his ability to move. Incidentally, this is also a man whom you want to stay far, far away from if he starts glowing yellow and lumbering slowly toward you. You'll see why.

Eric Bratcher
I was the founding Executive Editor/Editor in Chief here at GR, charged with making sure we published great stories every day without burning down the building or getting sued. Which isn't nearly as easy as you might imagine. I don't work for GR any longer, but I still come here - why wouldn't I? It's awesome. I'm a fairly average person who has nursed an above average love of video games since I first played Pong just over 30 years ago. I entered the games journalism world as a freelancer and have since been on staff at the magazines Next Generation and PSM before coming over to GamesRadar. Outside of gaming, I also love music (especially classic metal and hard rock), my lovely wife, my pet pig Bacon, Japanese monster movies, and my dented, now dearly departed '89 Ranger pickup truck. I pray sincerely. I cheer for the Bears, Bulls, and White Sox. And behind Tyler Nagata, I am probably the GR staffer least likely to get arrested... again.