As the release date for the newest addition to the Street Fighter franchise draws closer, new screenshots have been released of the newest character to be announced. The blonde brawler who looks like a mix of Balrog and Guile goes by the name of Abel and has no past due to a case of amnesia, a trend used quite a bit in past Street Fighter games.

Video footage courtesy of 1up.com from the AOU 2008 Amusement Expo, which kicked off recently in Japan, shows Abel fighting another new character Viper. The video shows off a few of Abel’s moves but the one to really watch is Viper who appears to be a mix of Vega and Ryu using fireballs, acrobatic kicks, and a serious electrical finishing move.

In another video on 1up it shows a match between Chun-Li and Viper which is, to say the least, stunning. The artistic style of the game is utterly incredible and beautifully stylized with a fantastic hand painted style for the characters. The character design has moved away from the typical 3D models and strived to maintain the same look of the older Street Fighter titles.

Street Fighter 4 is slated for June 15th, 2008 release on the 360 and the PS3, as well as a simultaneous release in arcades around the world.

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