Street Fighter II

"World Warriors Give Nintendo Instant Credibility"

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior was ridiculously expensive when it first came out on the Super Nintendo. It was the first ever home console release of the popular arcade fighter and truly is a masterpiece and a classic. This game made the Super Nintendo a powerhouse system, catapulting it from behind the Sega Genesis into the lead single-handedly. I have never seen such an incredible game do so much for a video game system as Street Fighter II did for the SNES. It was an exclusive release of Capcom's biggest hit, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System laid claim to the game first and never looked back. Sure the game isn't perfect, there are things wrong with it here and there, but for the most part it is exactly like the arcade version. The SNES really does this game justice, the stages are beautiful, and the characters look very detailed and highly animated. Instantly, overnight this game became a hit and sold millions of SNES consoles. The Super Nintendo definately had the power to duplicate this classic, and did so fairly well. This game is still a mainstay in my stable of games to play, and will stay there forever. Easily the best SNES game in 1991, Street Fighter II made the dreams of millions of arcade-goers come true when it arrived on the most powerful 16-bit machine on the market.

(gameplay - 9)
The game is easy to pick up and play. The special moves are easy to pull off and the characters are responsive and tight in their control. Unfortunately this game is slow, but it was in the arcade too. If not for the speed problem, this game would receive a 10. Because this game controls like a dream. The gameplay is easy and the animation is great. You'll find it easy to pull off all the Sonic Booms, Dragon Punches, Yoga Flames, and Spinning Piledrivers that you can throw at your opponent. Really this game is spot-on control wise, and the game engine is completely intact. I challenge you to find a game that controls better anywhere. This game just plays flawlessly.

(story - 9)
Eight warriors from around the globe have gathered to compete in a tournament to fight M. Bison of the Shadoloo crime organization. In the tournament you must defeat your seven opponents plus four unplayable boss characters. There is an army colonel, two karate masters, a sumo wrestler, a Yoga master, a hot Chinese babe, a man turned beast, a Russian wrestler, a boxer, kickboxer, Spanish bullfighter and of course the final kingpin, Major Bison. Each character is distinctively different from one another and have their own personal reasons for joining the tournament.

(graphics - 10, sound - 10)
These graphics are excellent. The stages are faithfully re-created, the warriors are colorful and lifelike. I love these graphics. Plenty of obstacles are in the stages for you to fall into, and the backgrounds are colorful and highly animated. From the wind blowing Ryu's shirt and hair after his victory, to the combing of the hair by Guile, everything is translated perfectly. Sure there are some animations cut here and there, but for the most part this is the arcade experience. The sound is as good as it gets. The voice samples are of high-quality and the music in the stages is awesome. I love these tunes, and it's all so clear and concise. The voices sound crisp and clear, and the sound effects sound realistic and are true to the arcade.

(replayability - 9)
With a friend Street Fighter II is great fun. Without one, it's still a blast to play. The fact there are only eight characters to choose from hurts a little bit, but for 1991 this game was revolutionary. I've played Versus Mode with a friend all the way up to 300 matches... it was a marathon. And we didn't get bored of it. This game is truly a fighting fans dream come true. The controls are excellent, the game is visually stunning and the bottom line is its just fun to beat the hell out of your opponent whether it be the CPU or your buddy Joe. I keep coming back to this game even now, and I know why, it is a masterpiece and a pure thrill to play.

(recommendations)
Buy this game. Buy it today. This is awesome, and is one of the finest SNES games ever made. This is a true classic, a faithful re-creation of the arcade version and it looks great, plays great, and sounds great too. I have had a long-time love affair with this series and this game in particular is one of my favorites. It definately beats the Genesis version (even though the bosses are playable in that one)... the Turbo-Grafx 16 version is the only one I'd recommend over this one, unless of course you want to buy Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers which is a different story for another day. I must say there are few games that have provided me with as much joy as this one has. I love Street Fighter II and I love the Super Nintendo. If you're like me, you will too.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/04