Go Back In Time with the Street Fighter Video Game

Anyone who spent their childhood in an arcade is familiar with the Street Fighter video game. When it comes to old games that still rock, this is one of many old games that stands proudly at the top of the list. The first one was launched in 1987 by Capcom, and followed the story of a character named Ryu. Ryu is a martial artist who, over the course of the series, competes in a series of tournaments with 10 potential opponents. He is also capable of performing a number of specialized attacks based on button press combinations, including his signature Hadouken. The game that started it all has moved from its arcade origin to a number of home-based gaming consoles including the PC.

The Street Fighter 2 series added a number of characteristics to the game, including 7 new playable characters. It was actually the first one on one fighting title that gave the character the ability to choose between fighters with different skills and attacks, as well as a series of boss characters that were not able to be selected by the fighter. This title actually became more popular than its predecessor, allowing for the creation of an entire franchise of games. It has since been played on almost every console and there is even a rumor that Street Fighter V may be created and marketed exclusively for the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One.

A series of crossover titles that have been released over the years have pitted Ryu and the rest of the gang against characters from a number of fighting franchises, including Tekken, Marvel, and a host of others, including Capcom's own robotic hero Mega Man. Even a number of arcade slot machines have been created in homor of Street Fighter. The origin of Street Fighter remains the same, however, as these companies seek to build upon it. The last was supposed to be a platform title but ended up being distributed for the PC only in 2012. There are not many series' left that can claim to have survived and thrived for the better part of two decades. Capcom excels in creating these multi-layered year spanning franchises that enthrall generation after generation of children. Even sad little arcades tucked into the corners of movie theaters still include at least one incarnation of the Street Fighter video game, and the cry of Hadouken echoes periodically across the mostly empty lobby. There is no experience quite like the thrill of dropping in a quarter, standing next to a friend, and using 16 bit characters to beat the crap out of each other.