Street Fighter (Video Game)

Street Fighter (ストリートファイター Sutorīto Faitā^?), commonly abbreviated as SF or スト, is a series of fighting games by Capcom. The game's playable characters originate from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style. The franchise has enjoyed significant success all around the world.

Street Fighter
Genres	Fighting game
Developers	Capcom
Publishers	Capcom
Platforms	Arcade, various home systems
First release	Street Fighter August 30, 1987
Latest release	Street Fighter X Tekken December 17, 2012
Spin-offs	Street Fighter EX series, crossover games, animated and live-action films and animated series, stage show, traditional games, manga and comics

Video games

Street Fighter (1987)

Ryu vs. Retsu in Street Fighter

Street Fighter, designed by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto, made its debut in the arcades in 1987. In this game, the player takes control of martial artist Ryu, who competes in a worldwide martial arts tournament, spanning five countries and ten opponents. A second player can join in at any time and take control of Ryu's rival, Ken.

The player can perform three types of punch and kick attacks, each varying in speed and strength, and three special attacks: the Hadouken, Shoryuken, and Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku. These are performed by executing special button combinations with the controls.

Street Fighter was ported to many popular home computer systems of the time, including PC. In 1988, it was released on the NEC Avenue TurboGrafx-CD console under the new name Fighting Street. Street Fighter was later included in Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

Street Fighter II series (1991)

Guile defeats Ken by using his Flash Kick in Street Fighter II

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, released in 1991, was the first true sequel to the original Street Fighter. This release followed an unsuccessful attempt to brand the 1989 beat 'em up game Final Fight and officially commissioned spin-off Human Killing Machine on the ZX Spectrum, Amiga, and other home computers as Street Fighter sequels. It was one of the earliest arcade games for Capcom's CP System hardware and was designed by Akira Nishitani and Akira Yasuda, the designers responsible for Final Fight and Forgotten Worlds.

Street Fighter II is the first one-on-one fighting game to give players a choice from a variety of player characters with different moves. The choice of multiple available characters allow for more varied matches. In this game, each player character had a unique fighting style with approximately 30 or more moves, including then-new grappling moves and throws, as well as two or three special attacks per character. In the single-player mode, the player's chosen character is pitted sequentially against the seven other main characters before confronting the final four boss opponents, who consist of CPU-controlled characters not selectable by the player. As in the original, a second player could join in at any point during single player mode and compete against the other player in competitive matches.

The original Japanese version of Street Fighter II introduced an African-American boxer boss character, a parody of real-life boxer Mike Tyson. In order to avoid any likeness infringement lawsuit from Tyson, Capcom rotated the names of three of the boss characters for international versions of the game. The final boss, named Vega in the Japanese version, was given the M. Bison name, the talon-wielding Spanish warrior, named Balrog in the Japanese version, was renamed Vega, and the boxer became Balrog.

Street Fighter II eclipsed its predecessor in popularity, eventually turning Street Fighter into a multimedia franchise. The release of the game had an unexpected impact on gaming and was the beginning of a massive phenomenon. By 1993, sales of Street Fighter IIexceeded $1.5 billion in revenue.

The first official update to the series was Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, pronounced Street Fighter II Dash in Japan, as noted by the prime notation on the logo. In this game, players are allowed to play as the four computer-controlled boss characters and two players are able to choose the same character. In this case, one character wears an alternate color pattern. The game also features slightly improved graphics, including differently colored backgrounds and refined gameplay. A second upgrade, titled Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, called Street Fighter II Dash Turbo in Japan, was produced in response to the various bootleg editions of the game.Hyper Fighting offers faster gameplay than its predecessors, different character colors, and new special techniques.

Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, the third revision, gives the game a complete graphical and musical overhaul and introduces four new playable characters. It is also the first game for Capcom’s CP System II arcade hardware. The fifth and final arcade installment, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Street Fighter II X in Japan, brings back the faster gameplay of Hyper Fighting, a new type of special techniques known as "Super Combos", and a hidden character, Akuma.

In 1997, Capcom released the Street Fighter Collection for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This is a compilation that includes Superand Super Turbo as well as the newer Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, Street Fighter Zero 2′ in Japan. It was followed by Street Fighter Collection 2, Capcom Generation Vol. 5 in Japan, also released for the PlayStation and Saturn, which includes the original Street Fighter II, Champion Edition, and Hyper Fighting. In 2000, Capcom released Super Street Fighter II X for Matching Service in Japan for the Dreamcast. This version of the game features an online two-player versus mode. In 2003, Capcom released Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition for the arcades in Japan and Asia to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the series. This game is a hybrid version of Super Turbo, which allows player to select between versions of characters from all five previous Street Fighter II games.Hyper was released in North America and the PAL region via its ports for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, released as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection along with Street Fighter III 3rd Strike. In 2005, the three games in Street Fighter Collection 2 were included in Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A version of Super Turbo, along with the original Street Fighter, was later included in the 2007 compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2, also released for the PS2 and Xbox. Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter II are also available as downloadable games for select cellular phone services.

An updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo came to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade service in November 2008. The game, titled Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, has fully redrawn artwork, including HD sprites 4.5x the original size, drawn by artists from UDON. This is the first time the Street Fighter characters have had new sprites, drawn by Capcom, since Capcom vs. SNK 2 in 2001. The game has several changes which address character balancing issues, but also features the original arcade version gameplay so that players can choose between the two.

Street Fighter Alpha series (1995)

Guy performing an Alpha Counter onCody's attack in Street Fighter Alpha 3

The interquel, Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, Street Fighter Zero in Japan and Asia, is the next game in the series. The game uses the same art style Capcom previously employed in Darkstalkers and X-Men: Children of the Atom with settings and character designs heavily influenced by Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Alpha expands on the Super Combo system from Super Turbo by extending Super Combo meter into three levels, allowing for super combos to be stored up, and introducing Alpha Counters and Chain Combos, also from Darkstalkers. The plot of Alpha is set between the first two Street Fighter games and fleshes out the back stories and grudges held by many of the classicSFII characters. It features a playable roster of ten immediately playable characters and three unlockable fighters, comprising not only younger versions of established Street Fighter II, but also characters from the original Street Fighter and Final Fight, such as Adon and Guy.

Street Fighter Alpha 2 features all-new stages, music, and endings for some characters, some of which overlap with those from the original Alpha. It also discards the Chain Combo system in favor of Custom Combos, which requires a portion of the Super Combo meter to be used. Alpha 2 retains all 13 characters from the original and adds five new characters to the roster along with hidden versions of returning characters. Alpha 2 is followed by a slightly enhanced arcade release titled Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha and was released in Japan and Brazil, ported to home consoles as Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, Zero 2′ Dash in Japan.

The third and final Alpha game, Street Fighter Alpha 3, was released in 1998 following the release of the original Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact and Street Fighter EX. Alpha 3 introduces three selectable fighting styles and further expands the playable roster to 28 characters.Console versions of the three games, including the original Alpha 2 and the aforementioned Alpha 2 Gold, were released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, although versions of specific games in the series were also released for the Game Boy Color, Super NES, Dreamcast, and even Windows. The home console versions of Alpha 3 further expands the character roster by adding the remaining "New Challengers" from Super Street Fighter II. The Dreamcast version of the game was backported to the arcades in Japan under the title of Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper. A version of Upper, simply titled Alpha 3 outside Japan, was released for the Game Boy Advance and added three characters from Capcom vs. SNK 2. A PlayStation Portable version titled Alpha 3 MAX, 'Zero 3 Double Upperin Japan, contains the added characters from the GBA version and Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Jam.

Street Fighter EX series (1996)

Ryu fighting against Darun in Street Fighter EX 2

In 1996, Capcom co-produced a 3D fighting game spinoff titled Street Fighter EX with Arika, a company founded by former Street Fighter II planner Akira Nishitani. It was developed for the PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware. EX combined the established Street Fighter cast with original characters created and owned by Arika. It was followed by an upgraded version titled Street Fighter EX Plus in 1997, which expanded the character roster. A home version with further additional characters and features, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, was released for the PlayStation during the same year.

A sequel was released in 1998, titled Street Fighter EX2, developed for the ZN-2 hardware. Custom combos were reintroduced and the character roster was expanded upon even further. EX2 also received an upgraded version, Street Fighter EX2 Plus, released in 1999. A PlayStation version of EX2 Plus, was also released.

The third game in the series, Street Fighter EX3, was released as a launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. This game included a tag team system, a mode that let a single player fight up to three opponents simultaneously, and another mode that allowed players to give the new character, Ace, a selection of special and super moves after purchasing them with experience points. The cast included many characters from the previous game.

Some of the Arika-owned characters from the series were later featured in other games developed by the company. The Namco-distributed arcade game Fighting Layer featured Allen Snider and Blair Dame from the original EX, while Skullomania would reappear in the PlayStation game Fighter Maker and the PlayStation 2 music game Technictix.

Street Fighter III series (1997)

Ryu using Shin Shoryuken on Ken in Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact

Street Fighter III: New Generation made its debut in the arcades on the CPS3 hardware in 1997.Street Fighter III discards most of the character roster from previous games, keeping only Ryu and Ken, introducing several new characters in their place. The most notable of these is the grappler Alex, who was designed to be the new lead character of the game, and Gill, who replaced Bison as the game's main antagonist. Street Fighter III introduced the "Super Arts" selection system and the ability to parry an opponent's attack.

Several months after its release, it was followed by Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, which made adjustments to the gameplay, added two new characters, and featured the return of Akuma as a playable character. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, released in 1999, is the third and last iteration of Street Fighter III, brings back Chun-Li and adds four new characters.

The first two Street Fighter III games were ported to the Dreamcast as a compilation titled Double Impact. Ports of 3rd Strike were released for the Dreamcast as a stand-alone game, then included in the compilation Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Gill also became secretly playable on the console version, although he can still be played on the arcade version by using Twelve's X.C.O.P.Y. super move. In 2010, Capcom announced Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Online Edition.

Street Fighter IV series (2008)

Abel attacking Ryu in Street Fighter IV

The original Street Fighter IV game concept, Street Fighter IV Flashback, never made it past the proposal stage.On October 17, 2007, more than eight years since the release of Street Fighter III 3rd Strike for the arcades, Capcom unveiled Street Fighter IV at a Capcom Gamers Day event in London. Conceived as a direct sequel to the early Street Fighter IIgames (particularly Super Street Fighter II Turbo), Street Fighter IV features the return of the original twelve world warriors and recurring hidden character Akuma, along with four new characters (as well as a new boss character) in a storyline chronologically set between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. The gameplay, while still 2D, features cel-shaded 3D graphics inspired by Japanese sumi-e paintings. The Super Combo system, a Street Fighter mainstay since Super Turbo, returns along with new counter-attacking techniques called "Focus Attacks" ("Saving Attacks" in Japan), as well as new "Ultra Combo" moves, similar to the Rage Gauge seen in games from SNK Playmore.

The arcade version, which runs on the Taito Type X2 hardware, was distributed in Japan on July 2008, with a limited release in North America and the United Kingdom in select arcades in August. A home version was released in the USA and Europe in February 2009, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and in July 2009 for Windows PC. This features an expanded character roster, as well as all-new animated segments that show each character's backstory, and a training mode similar to the Expert Challenges in Street Fighter EX. The cast includes six characters new to the Street Fighter series. Yoshinori Ono had hinted that the only two Street Fighter II characters absent from the game, Dee Jay and T. Hawk, could be available in the game at a later date. Instead, they were to be included in a whole new version of the game.

On September 28, 2009, Capcom announced Super Street Fighter IV. The game includes ten additional characters including two characters new to the franchise: Korean taekwondo fighter Juri and Turkish oil wrestler Hakan. Capcom implemented character balance adjustments and added second Ultra moves for each character. The game features an improved online experience with new modes of play. The game was released on April 27, 2010 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at a discounted price point. If a Street Fighter IVsavefile is detected on the system of play, two additional character colors (ink and sketch effect) are available.Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition was released on December 16, 2010 containing all content from the console release, and featuring four additional characters: Yun and Yang from Street Fighter III, and Evil Ryu and Oni, an alternate version of Ryu and Akuma respectively. Seth Killian of Capcom said Arcade Edition was to be the last update to the IV series.On June 15, at E3 2010, a portable conversion of Super Street Fighter IV was confirmed for the Nintendo 3DS. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition features 3D stereoscopic technology, multiplayer, and all thirty-five characters from the original Super Street Fighter IV release.At Evo 2011, Ono announced that a balance patch for Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition had been approved by Capcom. The patch was free of charge.

A new update for Street Fighter IV titled Ultra Street Fighter IV was announced July 14, 2013 at the 2013 Evolution Championship Series. The new edition will be released in 2014 as an arcade machine, a DLC add-on for existing console versions of Super Street Fighter IV, and as a stand-alone game containing DLC from previous iterations. Along with various tweaks and additional modes and stages, the update adds five additional characters, consisting of Rolento, Elena, Poison and Hugo, who previously appeared in Street Fighter x Tekken, plus an all-new character. Many of the gameplay changes are based on feedback from fans and Capcom community employee Peter Rosas, best known in the fighting game tournament scene as ComboFiend, is involved with the development.

Street Fighter V

In 2011, former Capcom employee Seth Killian suggested that Street Fighter V would arrive before 2019, saying "If I have anything to say about it, and I do, you will not have to wait ten years for Street Fighter 5." In July 2013, Ono commented that while he desired to make a Street Fighter V for an eighth-generation console, such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, a next-generation game would require a large staff and a large budget. He also stated that making the game a free-to-play title was an option, though he was not fully open to it, and confirmed that the game was currently not in development.