As mentioned in a previous article (
click here) the video game that sucked me into becoming a gamer was
Capcom's
Street Fighter II, released back in 1991. Its first incarnation, subtitled
The World Warrior, was a revelation above and beyond what people had come to expect from video games. Compared to any of the games that had come before it Street Fighter II was in a whole other league. Graphically the graphics of the game were larger and so much more detailed than even the splash screen art of the leading games at the time. In terms of audio SFII's library of voice samples alone were of better quality than most games two-tone attempts at a soundtrack. Where SFII really excelled though, was in its gameplay; not only was the game finely tuned and balanced, it was controlled using an intricate control system, the likes of which had never been seen nor implemented before.
Before SFII video games, especially arcade games were simple, jerky, and clunky. Often viewed as a child's toy designed to alleviate boredom on a rainy day. Yet SFII required dedication and commitment, and then there was the competitive aspect, with any player able to challenge another for the small price of a 'credit' (usually between 20p-50p in the UK at the time). So when
Nintendo released their 16-bit console, the
SNES ( Super Nintendo Entertainment System), it was SFII that most people played. Yes, there was
Super Mario World and
Super Mario Kart; classics in their own right, but SFII offered a much deeper, competitive and strategic experience.
For me, I had to wait until the SNES (
Super Famicom outside of Europe) was packaged with the
Turbo Hyper Fighting Edition of the game; considered by many to be the definitive version of the game. So engrossed in the game that my pinnacle achievement was, after much, much practice to complete the game on the hardest difficulty setting winning every round perfect - which is no mean feat in itself.
Of course, I have revisited the series in the twenty plus years since. Specifically enjoying
Street Fighter Alpha 3 and
Ultra Street Fighter IV the most since, but I have also played most of its iterations, including the series first unofficial foray into 3D; Street Fighter EX (developed by Arika). I have always considered that Capcom should release the whole range of SFII's (
World Warrior, Championship Edition, Turbo Hyper Fighter, Super, and
Super Turbo) using the same graphics engine (Unreal Engine 4) as their latest instalment Street Fighter V (see the rendition of E.Hondas stage above by Deviantart's
Webcat). Either that or a complete collection with all the fighters from all the Street Fighters in one game. Until then I will have to contend with
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers, once it gets released onto the
Xbox One, that is...
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