Thirty years ago, Capcom released one of the most influential video game franchises ever. You were able to select who you were and travel the world in a worldwide fighting tournament. Each person you played as had their own reason for entering the tournament. Some it was for revenge, some for personal glory, and some out of pride for their own country. That video game is Street Fighter.
The very first Street Fighter game debuted in arcades in Japan in 1987 and was designed by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto. You played as Ryu, a wandering martial artist that competes in a worldwide tournament. The second and arguably most popular Street Fighter iteration is the follow-up game Street Fighter II: The World Warriors. In Street Fighter II, you select from eight playable characters (updated to 12 and then 16 in subsequent updates) traveling around the world using special techniques and moved unique to each fighter to become the victor of the martial-arts tournament.
The franchise has spawned numerous sequels such as Street Fighter III, Street Fighter IV, Street Fighter Alpha (a prequel series of games), Street Fighter EX (a series of early 3D-polygon games), and numerous crossover titles with Marvel characters including such titles as X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. It has revolutionized what would become the fighting game genre in video games. After Street Fighter, there would be numerous games taking inspiration from Street Fighter, including games like the Mortal Kombat, Fatal Fury, Guilty Gear, and King of Fighters to name a few.
There have also been an animated series, movies (including a live-action one starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Kylie Minogue, Ming-Na Wen and the late Raul Julia), and numerous comic books based on the hit game. Street Fighter has endured for thirty years due to its mix of interesting characters, exotic locales, and deep gameplay.
You must defeat Sheng Long to stand a chance!
By Chris Murdock
