Developer: Capcom Publisher: Capcom Release: 07/15/92 Genre: Fighting
Street Fighter II is one of the biggest phenomenon’s the gaming world has ever seen. You do not need me to tell you that. It was not the first in the genre but it more or less codified the elements that still persist today. So it stands to reason that the Super Nintendo port was a big deal on many levels. First, the fact that it was even possible and two that it was so god damn good. The SNES version of Street Fighter 2 brought the fighting game renaissance home and is still an incredible game to this day.
To say that Street Fighter II coming to the then new SNES was a surprise is an understatement. Of course there were many ports of popular arcade games on every console prior. But the scope of this one seemed beyond the 16-bit platforms. That it turned out so well is the greatest shock. This is not a case of the port capturing the spirit of the original arcade game; this is Street Fighter II. It is not arcade perfect but close enough that it did not matter. The year long exclusivity Nintendo enjoyed with Street Fighter no doubt sold many systems in every region. But more than anything the success of Street Fighter II would inspire other developers and publishers to bring their arcade efforts to the 16-bit consoles and gamers would reap the benefit.
Street Fighter II stars the original classic lineup of eight characters. While that is a small roster compared to the juggernauts of today the diversity cannot be denied. Hailing from countries around the world each fighter offers something different and caters to certain play styles whether it is the zone style of Dhalsim, grappling of Zangief or corner traps like Ken. That is one of the keys to why the game is so great. The match-ups these styles create give the game near infinite possibilities. Is it any wonder that most fighting games to this day still design their cast around Capcom’s archetypes?
What also made Street Fighter II so great aside from the variety of its cast (both in design and move set) was its revolutionary combo system. In the original Street Fighter the timing of button inputs was too precise and frustrating. Capcom made the timing looser and the unintended consequence was that attacks could skip animations and flow together. This happy accident changed the genre forever. Up until that point the genre was similar to brawlers. But seeing two-in-ones and insane six hit re-dizzy combos was electrifying. The genius of the combo system is that it is optional. But let’s be honest: once you have landed a perfect three hit jumping light kick, medium punch into a shoryuken there is no going back. From the juggle heavy Tekken to the dial a combos of Killer Instinct every title since owes a debt to Street Fighter II.
One of the most important aspects of this home port and what makes it so great is its controls. The SNES controller with its default 6 buttons is a natural fit for the arcade’s six button setup. You would almost think it was designed for this game. It may be a little awkward having to use the shoulder buttons but considering other console owners needed to go out and buy new controllers just to play the game it does not matter. Control is fast and responsive and I have never had any problems executing any moves in the thirty years since the game’s release. For those that are more accustomed to the general speed of the later iterations the game’s slower pace may come as a shock. But every game has to start somewhere.
Beyond the controls the quality of the conversion is stellar for the time. As the first 16-megabit cartridge between the SNES and Genesis Capcom had a lot more room to work with. All eight original characters are here as well as their special moves and stages. There is some loss of animation but only a perfectionist would notice. It is in the smaller details that you will notice items missing. The arcade intro and the barrel breaking bonus stage are gone. Certain background elements are missing such as the moon in Ryu’s stage and the foreground chains in Russia. Some stages have less background characters as well. The biggest difference is in the music. Because of the different sound hardware Capcom’s composers re-orchestrated the soundtrack. Some are faithful to the originals while others are different and even sound better. However your appreciation of it will come down to personal preference.
The only knock against Street Fighter II is that it is a port of the original version of the game. By the time of SNES Street Fighter II Champion Edition had already been in the arcade for months. Given development timelines it was unrealistic to expect them to incorporate that game’s features but the disappointment was still palpable. That did not stop millions from using different cheat devices to try to play as the bosses however. With a code you can unlock mirror matches and the alternate character colors from Champion Edition but that was little solace for the feature players really wanted. Ah well.
In Closing
What more needs to be said? Street Fighter II is an amazing port of a seminal arcade game and is an incredible technical achievement. Capcom went above and beyond to deliver an awesome conversion of the arcade game of the decade to the delight of millions of new SNES owners. That legacy still holds up today.
