Street Fighter - Gaming

An extremely popular series of fighting games developed by Capcom that got its start in the arcade and then subsequently went on to populate a variety of console systems. Street Fighter pits characters from around the world in competitive street matches, combining special attacks, combo moves, and team play.

The original Street Fighter made its debut in 1987. Players took control of Japanese martial artist Ryu in his lone quest to be the greatest fighter in the world. A second player could also join in and play Ryu’s American friend, Ken. These two characters would go on and become a central part of the Street Fighter franchise appearing in virtually every sequel. The second game, Street Fighter II, would go on to be an even bigger sensation than its predecessor and is generally credited with starting the fighting game boom of the 1990s. When it was eventually ported to home systems, fans scrambled to wait in line overnight to buy their copies. Increasing fame only brought more sequels and more creative ideas. In 1996, Capcom in collaboration with Marvel Comics would release X-Men vs. Street Fighter, a game pitting the Street Fighter cast against Marvel’s X-Men. With more powerful console technology on the horizon, Street Fighter seems destined to expand further.