Street Fighter 2
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My Arcade's latest Micro Player is a 'Street Fighter II: Champion Edition' replica
My Arcade is releasing a Micro Player of iconic beat-em-up Street Fighter II: Champion Edition in partnership with Capcom.
Happy 50th birthday, Ryu!
Street Fighter's iconic world warrior Ryu has just hit the big 5-0, a Reddit post pointed out earlier today. Feel free to send him "over the hill" birthday cards and jokey coffee mugs to mark the start of his sixth virtual decade. He'd love that. A red-headed Ryu got his start in 1987's awful arcade brawler Street Fighter, overcoming clunky controls to beat Sagat and claim the title of world champion. Ryu later starred as the default character choice in the moderately more successful Street Fighter 2, and went on to appear in countless sequels, spin-offs, and side-stories alongside his brother-from-another-mother Ken. Happy 50th, Ryu! Here's hoping you're still punching that waterfall when you're 100. [Image: Capcom / kotogo]
Street Fighter 2 rock opera has famous fighters sing their hearts out
Indie music group Man Factory recently concluded their six-year battle to translate the universe and characters of Street Fighter 2 into a rock opera. No, you are not hallucinating, and yes, you did read that right: a rock opera. "Street Fight" is a series of three albums released on Bandcamp that centers its story on Chun-Li and Ken, though other characters also make appearances and sing songs. Chun-Li seeks revenge on M. Bison for the death of her father, while Ken is punching his way through feelings related to his girlfriend's tryst with buddy Ryu. Here's some of our favorite lyrics: "Blanket off I'm takin' off I'm gettin' outta here. How come she always mentions him? Could she be shy-yuken my best friend?" If it weren't referencing the wrong game, we'd call this a flawless victory.
For the truth about Street Fighter 2, ask director Akira Nishitani
Akira Nishitani recently started a Twitter account, though instead of heavily-filtered brunch photos and duck-faced mirror portraits, the Street Fighter 2 director has been doling out little-known details on the seminal fighter's creation. For instance, did you know that the periodic red hadoukens in Street Fighter 2 were not glitches, but instead easter eggs that became wildly popular among fans? Or that each pugilist was originally supposed to feature positional damaging - kicking someone in the head would do more damage than kicking them in the leg - but that the feature was cut because the game just refused to recognize hitboxes properly? My favorite bit of trivia is the controversy over Chun Li's leggings. The development team was okay with Chun Li's borderline-equine thighs, but the tights covering them were a massive point of contention. According to Nishitani, they had to be redrawn from scratch three times before Capcom finally agreed to the outfit. More insider information on the creation of the world's most influential fighting game can be found on Akira Nishitani's Twitter account. If you don't read Japanese however, Eventhubs offers an extensive roundup.
Capcom and iam8bit remember 25 Years of Street Fighter with art gallery
Last night in iam8bit's Los Angeles headquarters, Capcom opened up its 25 Years of Street Fighter show, revealing a full gallery of artists' work featuring the now classic fighting game characters and settings. In a launch event open to the public, visitors got to see (and buy) the art on display, take pictures in front of a Street Fighter background, and even smash up a car pinata in a tribute to the games' Bonus Round mechanic. Gabe Swarr was one of the artists in attendance last night - his piece in the show, a comic from his Life in the Analog Age series, was a little more personal than all of the various representations of Chun Li, Ryu, and Blanka. In it, he portrays the change that Street Fighter brought to the arcades when it debuted, from sillier games featuring monkeys and spaceships to fire punches and spinning kicks. "Right when Street Fighter started there were two different crowds at that point," says Swarr, "and I wanted to remember that shift in the arcades." Swarr says that Street Fighter as a brand has lasted so long because its characters were so identifiable. Not only are these archetypal characters easy to connect to, but "it's also an international thing," he says. "It's one of the first games where they say this guy's from Brazil, this guy's from Japan and this guy's from the US. They did a really great job of incorporating that into the game." "You could tell that that was like the basis for all the fighting games afterwards," Swarr says. "This was the template that everyone followed." Capcom's 25 Years of Street Fighter show is running at iam8bit through August 19. You can see what's on display there in the gallery below.%Gallery-161786%
Capcom and iam8bit hosting 25 Years of Street Fighter art show in LA
The iam8bit art gallery/collective in Los Angeles' Echo Park is teaming up with Capcom for a "25 Years of Street Fighter" gallery show. "Combo Attack" is a two-week exhibition of art of over 50 pieces celebrating the classic fighting game series, featuring different artists' takes on characters, backgrounds, and other media from the long history of Street Fighter.The show is kicking off with a free-to-the-public opening night party on August 3 at 7pm. It will have art pieces on display, and feature a real-life Street Fighter 2 "bonus round" (a car to wreck, we'd guess), and several other special installations. The art itself will be up in the iam8bit gallery through August 19, so even if you can't make opening night we're sure Jon Gibson and gang would appreciate you stopping by.
Street Fighter 2 turns 20
Before the Super Turbo Hyper BBQ HD Ultra Mega Remixes there was just plain ol' Street Fighter 2, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this month. Capcom posted a birthday reminder for its classic fighter, which was born two decades ago in the arcades (remember those?). Since 1991, Street Fighter 2 has seen six arcade iterations and near countless ports across consoles, PCs and handhelds (Tiger even!). Chances are you've played the game a time or two ... and had your pixelated butt unceremoniously handed to you.
Capcom launches free-to-play iPhone arcade app
The Capcom Arcade iPhone arcade app, containing emulated versions of Street Fighter II, Commando, Ghouls 'n Ghosts and 1942, launched today, offering a Game Room-style structure for its offerings. You can purchase "tokens" to play each of the games for $.99, or you can pay three bucks for unlimited access. That much was announced when the game was first revealed last month. However, what we didn't know at the time is that you get three free plays per day. Even if you don't feel like paying anything for the app, you can still play the games. Free seems like an okay price for touch-controlled arcade games.
Capcom Arcade to bring retro thrills and clever pricing to your iPhone
Capcom has announced that in early November an App Store near you will be graced with Capcom Arcade, featuring at launch arcade classics Street Fighter II, 1942, Commando, and Ghouls 'n' Ghosts. IGN has a positive writeup of a preview it played, saying that the touch-based controls worked fine but it was disappointed by the lack of online play or leaderboards. Capcom is promising these features in updates down the line, as well as an additional game every month. Personally I find Ghouls 'n' Ghosts horrendously difficult with a proper joystick, let alone a touch interface. Still though, our own Mike Schramm was impressed by iPhone version of Street Fighter 4, and the games will offer the option of adjusted (read: easier) difficulty levels for iPhone play to reduce the number of expensive devices thrown against walls because of the first boss in GnG. Anyway, touch screen controls aren't the clever bit. The clever bit is how you'll be paying for this slice of retro goodness. The app itself will be free, and come with a few tokens you can use to play the games a few times for free. If you run out, you can buy more tokens, or just wait because you'll get a few free ones each day. Eventually Capcom hopes you'll tire of the drip-feeding and pay out for unlimited play of one or more of the games, although exactly how much you'll be paying for this privilege it isn't letting on yet.
Five of XBLA's top six sellers are Japanese
Make all the snide jokes you like about the Xbox 360's less-than-stellar sales in Japan, it's hard to dispute that the country's development community is helping to fuel the console in a different way. As Microsoft just brought to attendees' collective attention at its TGS presser, five of the six top-selling games on Xbox Live Arcade originate in Japan. Great news for the Land of the Rising Fun, but it sort of casts the service in a less-than-flattering light considering that the games (Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Street Fighter 2, Super Street Fighter 2 HD Turbo Remix, Bomberman Live and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night) are all either ports or remakes of fairly old games. Oh, and before you ask: We're not sure what the lone US holdout is, but we're pulling for either Yaris or Soltrio Solitaire.
NintendoWare Weekly: WiiWare demos, Pokemon Rumble, Indiana Jones' Greatest Adventures
This week, we get our first taste of Nintendo's new WiiWare demos. Surprisingly, it didn't take Nintendo that long to flip the switch for North America, considering the company revealed the long-overdue feature -- and day-one annoyance -- only earlier this month. And on top of the free trial versions of select WiiWare titles (five total this week!), there are also two new Virtual Console titles to enjoy, as well as three new DSiWare games. Hit the break for the full list.
Microsoft's latest inexplicable picks for the Arcade Hits collection
You remember the Arcade Hits collection, don't you? It's the selection of discounted XBLA titles offered by Microsoft. Ostensibly, these are titles that were popular enough that they can now be offered at a reduced price. Now, we have a task for you: We want you to think of three games that you think should be given the honor of becoming an Arcade Hit. Nope, it's not that one. Not that one either. That one isn't even close. Nope, the three titles that have now entered the hallowed halls of the Arcade hits are Brain Challenge, 3D Ultra MiniGolf Adventures and Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting, all of which will be permanently knocked down to 400 ($5) this Wednesday. That's right, a Brain Age clone, a game you forgot even existed and a game that has already been remastered and made better in every way. Also on sale this Wednesday, for free, no less: Utter bewilderment.
Deconstructing Street Fighter II
Capcom's marketing machine sure did a number on us. If you need proof, just look at how terrible Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix looks in this video (after the jump)! Wasn't it supposed to be über sexy? Oh, wait. We've just been informed that this isn't HD Remix, but a deconstruction of the SNES version of Street Fighter II. Our collective bad. Using various programs -- including one horrendously named "Tile Molester" -- Rom hacker/bender Dylan Hayes has reduced SFII to nothing more than hit boxes, a few birdies and one giant fish. By breaking the classic down, Hayes shows off the game in its most basic -- yet, still completely playable -- form. Capcom, it looks like we just spotted your big E3 XBLA announcement: Street Fighter II Blocky Mess Remix. [Via Offworld]
Cutest thing you'll see today: Street Fighter kids
The rough-and-tumble Street Fighters enjoying their youth is likely the most adorable thing we'll see all week. Kei Acedera, an illustrator and art director at Imaginism, has just such a drawing in her portfolio on the company's website. If you click the image above, you'll be treated to the full work, which also includes the rest of the Super Street Fighter II Turbo cast cheering in the background (Dhalsim's long arms were a nice touch).Acedera's work includes illustrating books for Harper Collins and design work for Disney and Sony. Her bio also states she makes t-shirts for her guinea pig, Tobi. We wonder if she puts little pants on Tobi and dyes him so he looks like the little Blanka in the picture ...[Via ThreeSpeech]
Street Fighter II HD breaks records, over 250K sold
Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, according to associate product manager John Diamonon, has sold in excess of 250,000 copies and is "on its way to becoming the highest grossing digital title ever." Diamonon states that the game has already broken both day one and week one records -- the game debuted November 25 and 26 on PSN and XBLA, respectively -- and he adds that the game is likely to best the 30 day record as well. Diamonon proceeds to thank everyone involved, stating that the game was "a labor of love for everyone involved" and then thanks the fans themselves for keeping the title "relevant" for well over a decade.There's a lesson here, kids. Nostalgia sells, but high definition nostalgia really sells.
Street Fighter 2 HD coming 'very soon,' says Capcom
click to enlarge As if sensing our growing impatience, its size nearly eclipsing that of Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix's elaborate title, Capcom has sent out an e-mail assuring -- nay, promising -- that the graphically remade brawler would arrive on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network "very soon." And when is that, exactly? Well, perhaps it'll be out by the time you've finished perusing the twenty new screenshots, featuring Cammy, Zangief and Blanka landing high-definition blows, below. %Gallery-34986%
VC Monday Madness: Secret of Mana and Street Fighter II Champion Edition
What a week for the Virtual Console, eh? We've got some classic 2D rumblin' and one of the greatest games ever made. Can you guess how I feel about Secret of Mana yet? Well, if you're looking for a clue, hit up the video above, then cruise past the break for more on this week's Virtual Console releases.
Collectibles cast Street Fighter in plastic, ink
If there's one thing we enjoy as much as playing games, it's collecting various odds and ends that reflect our passion for the hobby. Whether it's a Lunar Ghaleon puppet on the mantel or the Varia Suit statue on the coffee table, there is never any question where our loyalties lie. Now UDON Entertainment has added another collectible to our radar in the form of a limited edition art book dedicated to the numerous brawlers who have thrown down in Capcom's storied Street Fighter franchise. The hardcover will feature the artistic styling of such artists as Penny Arcade's Gabe and pin-up style comic cover artist Adam Hughes, among several others. The book is available for pre-order now, with orders placed today dropping you in the running for Capcom's IGN-branded Okami for the Wii. At $80, the book isn't cheap, but really, when it comes to the things we adore, what price can do love justice?And while we have Street Fighter on the brain, we'd be remiss not to mention an interesting blog post over at Camp Capcom, as the company is apparently entertaining the idea of creating a collection of figurines based on the upcoming Street Fighter IV, and as such are looking for input on which characters deserve to make the cut. So, of the faces we know, both old and new, who would we most like to see make the leap from polygons to plastic? E. Honda? Vega? El Fuerte? Hit up the poll on Capcom's blog and let your voice, albeit anonymously, be heard.%Gallery-22939%
New Street Fighter IV screens punch out classic bosses
While Capcom's Street Fighter IV wowed us in February with its new fangled graphics and animation, it was the game's decidedly retro feel that grabbed us by the neck and assaulted our head like a barrage of Yoga Noogies. As it turned out, for all its 3D charm the fighter played like a sexed up Street Fighter II, which to be fair is just fine by us.Now Capcom has released screenshots of Street Fighter II's bad guy quartet, Balrog, Bison, Sagat and Vega, all of whom make a return in the upcoming sequel. We can hardly wait to face down Vega's (or M. Bison for those of you with a name hang up) ever-annoying Psycho Crusher, something judging by the above pic has Ryu equally enthused.%Gallery-21918%
Capcom explains lack of SF2HD beta on PSN
If you're wondering why there's no PlayStation 3 beta for Super Street Fighter II Turbo Remix HD, Capcom Senior Director of Strategy Christian Svensson has offered an explanation via the official forums. What it came down to, he said, was resource constraints, and it was easier to use Xbox Live for global tests. The test will "absolutely help the PS3" and, while he would ideally like a test on both platforms, it would've caused a delay of the game.Svensson concluded with a challenge, of sorts. "When you show me someone running a cross platform beta... I'll be impressed, because that's a hell of an investment," he said. "Lastly, keep it civil. If this thread turns to threats or hyperbole, I'm closing it." As it turns out, he did end up closing the thread. So it goes.%Gallery-9066%
