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.