Celebrating 25 Years Of Fighting With Street Fighter II!!

On February 6th the original Street Fighter II arcade game would celebrate its 25th anniversary and like nostalgia always loves to do, it starts to float memories to the surface. Many of us have that first fighting game where we experienced that one on one competition that got us completely enveloped in the characters on screen as we externalized our game play using our controller of choice.

For me, Street Fighter II was that introduction and it was a day that I will never forget. A field trip to the bowling alley would eventually lead to an impromptu moment with this new game that I gravitated toward among the others surrounding the arcade area. I had no clue what I was in for as I was met with the character selection screen and a decision to make. 

Enthralled by the martial arts wearer of the red karate gi Ken Masters, I made my choice and waited patiently for my first opponent which was none other then the very monstrous ball of electricity Blanka. Having no clue about any of the controls, I frantically mashed as many beginners do some how pulling out a win and facing my next opponent, the guy with the funny do, Guile. 

He proved to be a little more challenging. Despite the loss, I was mesmerized by the astounding attention to detail during the match as I watched my character get tossed into a near by wooden crate only to have it be destroyed on impact all the while the background is populated with cheering on lookers and music setting off a tone which let's you know it's time to get busy(did I just say get busy?). 

By this time other classmates started to take an interest in the game as well and before I knew it I was facing off with one classmate in particular who I've, needless to say, traded a few punches with in real life. He went with Dhalsim who to my surprise had an uncanny ability of almost stretching his limbs the entire length of the screen to hit his opponent. I managed to pull out a victory sending my classmate into salt as he no longer had the will to fight and left dejected..I took much satisfaction in his defeat.

It was moments like these that would continue going into the home console version of the game. Despite the change of venue, the fight was the same. He who won the match kept the controller and when facing my overconfident pal among a group of friends, I once again felt extreme adulation after defeating him very convincingly even pulling off a combo during the fight.

While the Street Fighter series was not the game that I would eventually identify with the most, there is no forgetting the foundation that it laid for me and many others. From webpage creators(like myself) to game developers, legendary players, tournament organizers, and more, Street Fighter II has spawned a generation of inspiration that will never be forgotten. 

As with Ryu the next challenge is all that matters and I feel it my duty to make sure that where there is a will to fight their is a challenger to meet with them any where, any place, and I have Street Fighter II to thank for creating the spark in me that has lead to this point in my life.