It's been over an hour since I found out that Sakura was included into the Street Fighter IV lineup.  While I haven't, by any means, been active in the petition to get her into the game, I am a fan of the character and am very happy she made the cut.  However, I have to admit, my initial impression wasn't one of joy but more along the lines of, "Whaaaaa~?"

Before reading anything official I saw the screenshots of Sakura sporting her old school uniform.  Of all the characters in Street Fighter IV I was expecting her to change the most.  Over a few years have passed according to the official canon and, if my math is correct (which it usually isn't but I get close), she should be 21 years old.  I couldn't help but scratch my head an' raise an eyebrow to her SFIV design.

But, I believe it's still too early to come to any conclusion, especially considering all we're going on are a handful of screenshots and assumptions.  One thing I will note, her legs look damn fine - I have no complaints with the short skirt at all.  She is also the first Street Fighter character, aside from the original World Warriors and newbies, to make it into the game.

At this point there're only a couple of items I'm interested in regarding Sakura.  What her alternate costume will be sparks some interest in my mind, naturally, but my primary concern is how well she'll play in SFIV.  I'm primarily an aggressive Sagat user when playing SFIV an' my consistent win streaks suggest I'm not too bad.  With the inclusion of an Ansatsuken-hybrid I can't help but feel that little bit of anxiety.  I can't wait to see how she plays an' stacks up against the rest of the cast.