Street Fighter II; one of the most famous video games of all time. Just what made it so great?
Overview
In 1991 Capcom released a fighting game on the unsuspecting world that would change the face of video gaming forever. Arcade technology had finally reached the point where it could deliver an experience which had the player controlling the action, rather than the action controlling the player, and Capcom boldly used that technology to create a benchmark in both single and multi-player gaming. Versus fighting games weren’t altogether new, with titles such as Konami’s Yie Ar Kung Fu and Capcom’s own original Street Fighter having come some years before, but the genre was yet to produce a game good enough to really make it’s mark. Capcom’s new title grabbed the attention of arcade gamers everywhere, drew them in with it’s impressive graphics and tight gameplay, and soon took the entire video gaming world by storm. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior had arrived.
Graphics 9/10
Graphically, Street Fighter II impressed with large detailed sprites, colourful backgrounds and multi-frame animation. Earlier versus fighters had failed to even approach the level of detail offered here, with scrolling beat-em-up’s like SNK’s Street Smart and Capcom’s own Final Fight amongst the few titles from recent years to produce comparable graphics. Character animation was excellent across the board and most backdrops were visually engaging without being distracting, with only a couple being a touch bland or overly psychedelic. Large background objects like Guile’s jet fighter and Dhalsim’s animated elephants made for memorable stages, complete with interested passers-by or cheering crowds. Background animation gave each stage character and depth. This was complemented by well drawn character selection and victory screens, not to mention ending sequences for each of the game’s eight playable characters (the game also features four single player game bosses which are not playable), to deliver a highly accomplished overall visual experience.
Gameplay/Controls 9/10
Despite the excellent graphics, the real star of the Street Fighter II show was the gameplay. Never before had so much control been given to the player in a fighting game, with earlier versus fighters rarely offering more than one punch and one kick. Street Fighter II gave the player three different balances of speed and power, with both fist and feet, with which to assail the enemy. This alone created a level of unprecedented tactical depth, before you even consider the special moves available to each character. The original Street Fighter had been the first versus fighter to employ special attacking techniques, and as such they were considered secrets, secrets which many players had never even found out about. Street Fighter II gave each character two or more special moves with which to batter their opponents, from projectile attacks to multi-hit attacks and even special throws and grapples. Mastering the joystick moves needed to execute these attacks was the key to more advanced play, and whilst some were quite hard to learn, most players could manage to pull them off with a little practice.
Player versus player combat was another huge factor in Street Fighter II’s success. Being able to defeat a human opponent was no longer simply down to faster reactions or gameplay exploits, but being able to out-think and out-manoeuvre that opponent. With eight different playable characters each fighting in very different ways, from the fast and agile Chun-Li to the slow hulking Zangief, every bout presented a totally new tactical challenge. Does my opponent expect me to follow my jumping punch with a sweep, thereby allowing my standing kick to catch him out? Will my fierce fireball connect in time, or should I use a light one to stop my opponent quickly jumping back in? Some characters may have been stronger and easier to use than others, but Street Fighter II’s excellent, responsive game mechanics meant such thoughts were the bread and butter of each and every encounter.
Sound/Music 8/10
Street Fighter II’s background music is as memorable today as it was the day the game was released. From the intro and character selection jingles, right through to the themed stage tunes, you are treated to music which sets the scene perfectly. Many tunes have an almost epic quality to them, looping as the combat continues endlessly, whilst others pick up the pace and get the adrenaline pumping. It’s a sign of good background music that when a player hears it, fond memories of the game it comes from immediately come flooding back. Such is the case with Street Fighter II.
The background music is well complemented by an arsenal of appropriate slaps and whacks in stereo, as each attack connects with an opponent. On top of this an announcer introduces each bout, and characters shout the names of many special moves as they perform them. Few voice actors may have been used, and the speech is far from clear and crisp by today’s standards, but at the time it was released Street Fighter II delivered a thoroughly respectable audible feast.
Replay Value 10/10
Another area where Street Fighter II really shines is it’s replay value. Much like a sports game, the concept of a versus fighting game means it would be easy to create a gameplay experience which quickly becomes stale. After all, we’ve only got a limited number of characters and stages here, not like a level based game which can constantly throw new things at you. However, Street Fighter II’s superb tactical depth and diverse character list give the game an excellent level of replayability. Most gamers could play Street Fighter II for dozens of hours without getting bored of the gameplay or learning all the subtle tactical strategies, whilst even the most accomplished grand master can still reap plenty of enjoyment from taking on each new challenger. Street Fighter II is the kind of game which is just as good the 100th time you play it as it is the very first.
Overall 9/10
Street Fighter II is one of those genre defining titles that all developers hope to produce. With it’s excellent level of presentation, deep challenging gameplay, superb tactical depth and nearly endless replay factor, especially in two player mode, this is an all time classic. Sure, it’s not totally perfect, what game is, and it may have been improved upon in the later Champion and Turbo editions which addressed some of the character balance issues and fixed the smattering of bugs, but for originality and all round brilliance nothing less than a perfect 10 is appropriate. Street Fighter II: The World Warrior is a big slice of gaming history.
- By Spectre
