On August 30, 1987, Capcom released the very first Street Fighter game which means the series turns 25 today. The fighting game series sales of home software tally 33 million and arcade cabinet sales of over 500,000 that generating more than $1 billion in revenue. The sequel Street Fighter II exceeding $1.5 billion in revenue.
So to celebrate I am going to name five of my favorite Street Fighter combatants...
5. Blanka
Jimmy Blanka is a green-skinned and orange-haired feral savage, who calls the jungles of Brazil home. He is more beast than man and has the ability to send an electrical current through his body. He is one of the original eight characters featured in the first version of the Street Fighter II games. When Blanka was a small boy his plane crashed into Amazon Rainforest and he was exposed to electric eels, mutating his appearance and giving him electric powers. He loves to bite his enemies and curl-up into a ball. His beast like nature and ability to fly across the screen easily makes him a fan favorite.
4. Vega
Vega is a part Marvel's Wolverine and part ballerina. It doesn't sound that cool at first, but once you roll across the screen and claw your opponent, you will be hooked. Vega wears what appears to be a Jason Voorhees' hockey mask, has a claw and utilizes a personal fighting style combining Japanese Ninjutsu, French Savate, American Zipota and Spanish Bullfighting. If it wasn't for his obsession with beauty he would probably be the best fighter in Street Fighter. His claw is also useful for both stabbing and slashing attacks, and gives him a very longer range than other characters.
3. Ken
Ken Masters is one of the few characters to appear in all of the Street Fighter games along with his best friend and rival, Ryu. He and Ryu trained under master Gouken. Ken comes off as a cheap knock-off of Ryu, but his hurricane kick is better. Well maybe not literally, but at least in my mind. One of the best match-ups in arcades during the Street Fighter II days was Ken versus Ryu.
2. Chun-Li
Chun-Li is the first female playable character in a fighting game making her the first lady of fighting games. Chun-Li has one of the noblest reasons for fighting in the tournament. She is an undercover Interpol agent seeking to avenge the death of her father at the hands of M. Bison and his criminal organization. Her plethora of assorted specialty kicks made her one of the toughest characters to beat in the game.
1. Ryu
Where is the champion? Ryu was an orphaned child andwas adopted by a man named Gouken. Ryu is the lead character of the Street Fighter series and is the first champion of the series having defeated Sagat in the first tournament. But what really makes Ryu the best character in Street Fighter is his move set. The dragon punch, fireball and hurricane kick have become legendary in fight games. He is constant warrior and true martial artist. He reminded gamers of Bruce Lee, before Street Fighter had Fei Long.
Watch the Street Fighter IV trailer here...
