As we anxiously await Street Fighter 30 ^th Anniversary Collection, we thought we should discuss each of the 12 games’ history to give more insight to these past three decades of Street Fighter. Going in chronological order, learn more about the original Street Fighter, Street Fighter II series, and Super Street Fighter II series in our retrospective video narrated by James Chen!

STREET FIGHTER

The original Street Fighter (1987) introduced players to both Ryu and Ken, the only two playable characters in the game. Adon, Gen, Birdie, and Sagat were also in Street Fighter as non-playable characters and would eventually return to future games. Hadoken, Tatsumaki Senpukyaku, and Shoryuken were unique moves that had to be performed using certain motions. Though they were fairly difficult to pull off at the time, all three moves remain an iconic mainstay to Ryu and Ken’s repertoire.

STREET FIGHTER II

The game that changed the fighting game genre forever, Street Fighter II became a worldwide phenomenon due to its new characters and improved gameplay. All eight playable characters became legends in video game history and are easily recognizable to this day, especially Chun-Li, the only female fighter in the roster. In terms of gameplay, each character also came with their own signature moves like Guile’s Sonic Boom that would remain part of their identity for years to come. Normal moves could now be linked together and also into a character’s special moves, creating the combo system that is now a staple in any fighting game.

STREET FIGHTER II: CHAMPION EDITION

Adding the four boss characters – M. Bison, Vega, Balrog, and Sagat – from Street Fighter II, the total number of playable characters became 12 in Street Fighter II: Champion Edition. In addition, both players could now choose the same character!

STREET FIGHTER II: HYPER FIGHTING

Acting as a more thorough update to Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, this version gave some characters new moves like a fireball for Chun-Li. The biggest change was the increase to the game’s battle speed, which amped up the competitive arcade scene.

SUPER STREET FIGHTER II

A dramatic re-imaging of the game from top to bottom, Super Street Fighter II features four new characters, new ending screens, sound effects, a scoring system, and more quality of life improvements across the board. Cammy, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, and Fei Long entered the ring and became superstars in their own regard. The aforementioned scoring system was used during the match and awarded points upon using certain moves. This included the first use of certain terminology like “reversals” and “first attacks.”

A special variant called Super Street Fighter II: The Tournament Battle will be recreated in the Nintendo Switch version of Street Fighter 30 ^th Anniversary Collection! This allows up to eight players to link their Nintendo Switch systems together to form local tournaments where a winner will be crowned.

SUPER STREET FIGHTER II: TURBO

Generally considered to be the final version of the game, Super Street Fighter II: Turbo introduced Super Combos to the series, which where all-new powerful moves that could turn the tide of battle. Air combos were also added, allowing players to hit opponents in the air and juggle them into other moves, including Super Combos. Finally, Akuma made his first appearance as a hidden boss and playable character. Due to his popularity, he would subsequently be a regular part of the Street Fighter series.

We’ll be returning for retrospective videos on the Street Fighter Alpha and Street Fighter III series before Street Fighter 30 ^th Anniversary Collection launches on May 29 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Steam. Pre-order on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or Steam at participating retailers to receive Ultra Street Fighter IV for free!