This is it: The original, the first, the grand-daddy of the competitive fighting game. Since 1991, Street Fighter II has been considered a classic of arcade goodness and a mentionable milestone in video-game history.
Its formula is simple: two characters out of a colorful and mildly racist cast 8 (or 12, or 16) World Warriors duke it out on a 2d plane. Utilizing a variety of punches, kicks, and unique special moves, both attempt to reduce their opponents energy bar to zero. First to do so twice wins the match.
Apparently, people liked this enough to continually pump quarters into the game's machine at the 7-Elevens and arcades across the country, inspiring continued updates and expansions (4 more, in fact), merchandise, and a terrible movie with Raul Julia as the all-awesome M. Bison, master of Shadoloo (and totally sweet shin guards). Sadly, people would have to wait until 1997 for Street Fighter III (the Third Strike edition in 1999 being my favorite fighter of all time), and by then people had stopped caring, this being a combination of the decline of arcades as a whole and rise of 3D competitors like Tekken and Virtua Fighter.
though basic by today's genre standards, Street Fighter II brought untried complexity for its time. You had around 36 special moves per character, 8 of them playable and unique, and the whole thing could be learned and enjoyed on different levels. Though the balance of power may have rested with the first of your friends to discover the mighty projectile attacks, others will soon follow. The high jumping attacks of Chun-Li countered by the anti-air Shoryuken, the cheapness of constant defensive blocking undone by the realization of throwing (that's forward and a heavy punch or kick, for those who don't know). This system of checks and balances within the game proves incredible to those who take the time to notice it. Even with the increased complexity of fighting games over time, Street Fighter II has remained relevant specifically because of its simplicity, continually being played in master tournaments like EVO. No EX attacks, assists, parries, or dashes: a balance of straight offense a defense, a straight-faced game of feints and dexterity between two individuals.
It hasn't aged as well as games like Super Mario Brothers or Tetris, but when I want an excellent brawler, Street Fighter II will always be there.
Round One...
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