Just Another Game

I’m not a big fan of fighting games, but Street Fighter 2 made me buy a Super Nintendo almost 15 years ago (From the countless incarnations, I think I got the Turbo edition). The game was and still is a representation of what all 2d or 3d fighters are being compared to. Biggest quarter muncher of all time? I don’t have any figures to support this claim, but I would think so.

What’s worth noting about the game is the frustration the international gaming industry had to endure until Capcom finally decided to learn to count to 3. Aside from Will Wright’s the Sims, Street Fighter 2 probably had the most number of incarnations of any game. And to think the other editions aren’t even expansion packs. When Street Fighter 3 was released, it somehow drowned during the 32-bit console wars. Fighting games such as Toshinden, Tekken, and the blocky Virtua Fighter were more appealing to a market that was looking to jump on the 3d bandwagon. Not even Streetfighter EX was able to salvage the franchise.

Is there any reason to get excited about the 4th installment? I believe so.

For one, gamers have learned to look past the eye candy, and are looking for gameplay more than anything else. Worldwide figures of the Nintendo DS vs the PSP say so. Secondly, the online component of Street Fighter was never possible — until now. Imagine the millions of gamers around the world who will fight for online prestige once the game goes online.

These are truly exciting times.