Ah, so yesterday’s Street Fighter IV teaser wasn’t just about a new warrior, or even new warriors - it was about a whole new game...

Super Street Fighter IV was actually leaked late yesterday afternoon, some hours before Capcom’s specified deadline expired. French website jv247.com was first out of the gate, although Gamespot has been quick to follow up, filling in a few blanks and even getting a word or two from the game’s producer.

So here’s what’s what: Firstly, Super Street Fighter IV is not a downloadable add-on for the existing game, it will be sold as a standalone disc. That’s due to unspecified compatibility issues, but SFIV owner are advised not to chuck their old game away just yet as Capcom apparently has a special bonus lined up.

Secondly, Super Street Fighter IV boasts eight new playable characters on top of the regular roster of 25. The final selection may yet change, says SSFIV’s producer Yoshinori Ono, although old faces T. Hawk and Dee Jay are already set to return, alongside new girl ‘Yuri’. She’s a badass Korean Tae Kwon Do expert with a fondness for swift kicks, projectiles and a particularly bone-crunching special move.

Next up, each of the existing characters will be tweaked and tuned based on feedback from SFIV’s vocal fanbase and the experience of the development team themselves. This is set to include new Ultra moves for all, thus experienced fighters will need to rethink their brawling strategies. The online game is due for an overhaul too, with Ono talking about considerable enhancements and hinting at some kind of lobby system. On the downside Super Street Fighter IV’s online game will not be compatible with regular SFIV’s.

And that’s about all there is to know right now, barring the crucial price/release date details. Fortunately it’s good news on both counts – Super Street Fighter IV will be a budget-priced release for Xbox 360 and PS3, and it’s currently slated for a spring 2010 release. Expect much more soon, this side of Xmas with any luck.