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Page 4 of 6
Guile vs. Vega in Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
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So
before we explore the Street Fighter games in specifics, let it be said that Street
Fighter II did not create a genre. It defined and popularized one that had its origins in
Karate Champ, Yie Ar Kung Fu, and Street Fighter itself, and it brought new life and
energy to arcades and home consoles. Having said that, Street Fighter II's importance can
hardly be overstated.
When several years had passed and arcades had again filled with
clones - this time of Street Fighter II - everyone prayed that Capcom would appear once
more as the industry's white knight,
Ryu vs. M. Bison in Street Fighter II Turbo
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emerging with a Street Fighter III that was as
profound in its impact and unique in design as had been its predecessor. Three-dimensional
graphics had emerged in arcades, and they seemed a no-brainer for use in a Street Fighter
sequel; perhaps Capcom would be ready to do for action games what Sega and Namco had done
for racing and flying games in recent years.
Fei Long vs. Blanka in Super Street Fighter II
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Frankly, though, with one exception, each Street Fighter II-related product that came
out diminished Capcom's credibility. After the successful SF2: Champion Edition, a
re-balanced SF2 with new color schemes and 12 selectable player characters, Capcom
released three more SF2 games based much too heavily on the preceding two - SF2: Turbo
Hyper Fighting was a response to ROM counterfeiters who had hacked faster versions of SF2
with mid-air special moves and Chun Li fireballs, amongst other "features," and
Dee Jay vs. Fei Long in Super Street Fighter II Turbo
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then the re-designed CPS2 game Super Street Fighter II was rushed to market before
completion, adding four new characters, re-drawn artwork and enhanced Q-Sound audio to the
original game. Capcom's team then released Super Street Fighter II Turbo, which had
features that had been "left out" in the rush, including selectable speeds and a
hidden character. Mainstream audiences were tired of the new-upgrade-every-six-months
phenomenon after the third title. People wanted Street Fighter 3.
Next: More on the History of Street Fighter
Street Fighter, Dark
Stalkers, Final Fight, Star Gladiator, and all related characters and likenesses are TM
& © Capcom Entertainment 1997. All rights reserved. Marvel Super Heroes, X-Men, and all related characters and likenesses are TM & © 1997 Marvel Characters, Inc. All rights reserved.
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