IPW: “We moved the numbers into different boxes.”

After the initial backlash discussion over the original iPlayWinner Super Street Fighter 4 tier list, Haunts has posted a new tier list with significantly fewer head-scratching results.

This new list, part of an initiative to use “Match Up Consultants” to crunch numbers every month, now places the Super Street Fighter IV roster into 6 tiers (though I can’t figure out why there isn’t a C+ tier). As we saw in both the original IPW and the JPN Wiki list, familiar faces populate both the top shelf and the bottom floor:

A+: Rufus, Akuma, Guile, Abel, Sagat
A: Dictator, C. Viper, Ryu
B+: Boxer, Chun Li, E. Honda, Dhalsim, Ibuki
B: Zangief, Blanka, Seth, Dudley, Cammy, El Fuerte, Ken, Juri, Rose
C: T. Hawk, DeeJay, Guy, Fei Long, Cody, Gouken, Claw, Adon, Gen
D: Hakan, Makoto, Sakura, Dan

Looking at the actual matchup data, it seems to me there should also be a C+ tier that contains T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Guy, and Fei Long, as these characters all place a few notches higher than those directly below them. That said, this iteration does seem to be much more reasonable than the first go-around. Hopefully, with monthly updates, we can expect the IPW tier list to turn out to be a fairly accurate account of the standing of the game’s roster.

I would like to note that, despite there being 6/7 tiers in SSF4, if this list is correct, the game is noticeably more balanced than its predecessor. In SF4, the highest tier character (Sagat) had nearly a 50% matchup point margin over the lowest tier character (Dan).  In Super, Rufus has only a 31% margin over Dan. While that’s still nothing to scoff at, it means a much larger number of the cast will probably be competitive this time around, which is good for everyone.

Well, everyone except Dan players.