Making their debut on the arcade-entertainment scene at Chiba's Makuhari Messe exhibition venue on Saturday were Crimson Viper, a redhead with a predilection for cross-dressing and ultraviolence, and Abel, a Teutonic blond whose rippling physique seemed to bear the hallmarks of some serious steroid abuse. Hordes of gamers gathered for what proved to be the main draw of this year's AOU Amusement Expo, prepared to tough out a two-hour wait in order to get their sticky mitts on the controls for the latest arcade version of Capcom's seminal fighting game "Street Fighter."

The Expo is the industry's equivalent of a coming-out ball, where game fans get a tantalizing glimpse of the year's upcoming releases. Children cuddled up and had their picture taken with their favorite furry characters, while older gamers grabbed a photo opportunity with glamorous models sporting scanty costumes (cuddling up was strictly off the menu).

In addition to checking out costumed characters and stage shows, it was also possible to try the latest releases before they hit arcades later in the year. Of course, the most important question of the day was whether it was worth queuing up to play "Street Fighter IV."