2008 will see the return of such Capcom franchises as Bionic Commando and possibly Resident Evil in one form or another. Joining this impressive roster is Street Fighter, a series that has not seen an original entry since 1999's Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Street Fighter IV looks to be a very surreal game. It has the essence of the older games in the series, but has something new going for it as well. Fighting fans should thoroughly enjoy what it has to offer.

Very few details are available about the game. A couple of videos are up and running around the web, showing long-time rivals Ryu and Ken duking it out in their trademark red and white outfits. They have their traditional moves intact, including the ability to throw fireballs and rise into the air with mighty dragon punches. Making their return alongside these two brawlers are the fierce, sexy-legged Chun-Li and the fire-breathing, limb-stretching Dhalsim. The final roster will include a mixture of both fresh new faces and classic warriors from previous games. It would be awesome to see Blanka, Vega and Zangief back in action.

Street Fighter IV takes a similar approach to the Street Fighter EX Alpha games made by Arika a few years ago. It features a 3-D fighting engine combined with classic 2-D gameplay. However, instead of utilizing the stone-age first-generation visuals that the Alpha games possess, Street Fighter IV utilizes surreal graphics that breathe fresh new life into the series. Only one stage is in action thus far – Chun-Li's small-town marketplace – but the way it unfolds on-screen is very classy. The scene is much more alive this time around, with people running about in a more realistic manner and the ability to fight up and down the street, rather than just the one pre-programmed section. Background interactivity is also a possibility, although Capcom hasn't confirmed this just yet.

As far as gameplay goes, Street Fighter IV won't stray from what makes the series click. The traditional control scheme returns, allowing players to use joystick movements and six attack buttons – three punches and three kicks. These punches and kicks vary in strength and speed, so that you can create combos and attacks that will dwindle the opponent's power meter very quickly. The game also introduces a new "saving system", in the place of the popular parrying system from the Street Fighter III games. That doesn't mean you won't be able to parry in Street Fighter IV, but there's a slightly different approach to it. Again, Capcom's still pretty mum on this, but expect details to arise as the game gets closer to release.

Finally, Street Fighter IV will offer some form of online play. Although the official specs aren't available just yet, fighters should have no problem linking up in ranked and unranked matches. This means you'll be able to seek out an opponent of equal skill, or just hop into a random fight. This should also bring back "quarter mode", where you can wait in line to fight a specific player just like you would in the arcades.

With only one completed stage and a limited roster, Street Fighter IV still has many surprises up its sleeve. GameDaily will have more details in the months ahead, including a breakdown of the new "saving system" and hands-on impressions. In the meantime, warm up your hands and prepare to unleash insane, bone-shattering combos.