Street Fighter II

For the animated film, seeStreet Fighter II: The Animated Movie.

"SFII" redirects here. For other video games with the same initialism, seeSF2 (disambiguation).

Street Fighter II: The World Warrioris a 1991fighting gameproduced byCapcomforarcades,and their fourteenth game to use theCP Systemarcade system board.It is the second installment in theStreet Fighterseries and the sequel to 1987'sStreet Fighter.Street Fighter IIvastly improved many of the concepts introduced in the first game, including the use ofspecial command-based moves,acombosystem, a six-button configuration, and a wider selection ofplayable characters,each with a unique fighting style.

Street Fighter II
Japanese arcade brochure featuring the original eight main characters. Clockwise from top: Zangief, Ken, Blanka, Dhalsim, Ryu, Guile, and Honda. Center: Chun-Li.
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Producer(s)	Yoshiki Okamoto
Designer(s)	Akira Nishitani Akira Yasuda
Programmer(s)	Shinichi Ueyama Seiji Okada Yoshihiro Matsui Motohide Eshiro
Artist(s)	Eri Nakamura Satoru Yamashita
Composer(s)	Yoko Shimomura Isao Abe
Series	Street Fighter
Platform(s)	Arcade SNES,PC Engine,PlayStation,Amiga,Atari ST,Amstrad CPC,Commodore 64,ZX Spectrum,DOS,CPS Changer,Game Boy,Master System,Java ME
Release	March 7, 1991 Arcade JP:March 7, 1991 WW:March 1991 SNES JP:June 10, 1992 NA:July 15, 1992 AU:October 23, 1992 UK:October 1992 EU:December 17, 1992 MS-DOS EU:July 10, 1992 NA:April 26, 1993 Amiga EU:November 15, 1992 UK:December 15, 1992 Atari ST EU:December 20, 1992 Amstrad CPC EU:December 31, 1992 Commodore 64 EU:August 20, 1992 ZX Spectrum EU:September 14, 1992 CPS Changer JP:July 14, 1994 Game Boy JP:August 11, 1995 NA:September 1995 EU:1995
Genre(s)	Fighting
Mode(s)	Single-player,multiplayer
Arcade system	CP System

Designed byYoshiki OkamotoandAkira Yasuda,who had previously worked onFinal Fight,Street Fighter IIis regarded asone of the greatest video games of all timeand the most important and influential fighting game ever made. Its launch is seen as a revolutionary moment within its genre, credited with popularizing the fighting genre during the 1990s and inspiring other producers to create their own fighting series. Additionally, it prolonged the survival of the declining video-game arcade business market by stimulating business and driving the fighter genre.It prominently features a popular two-player mode that obligates direct, human-to-human competitive play, inspiring grassroots tournament events, culminating inEvolution Championship Series(EVO).Street Fighter IIshifted the arcade competitive dynamic from achieving personal-best high scores to head-to-head competition, including large groups.

Street Fighter IIbecame the best-selling game since thegolden age of arcade video games.By 1994, it had been played by an estimated 25 million people in the United States alone. Worldwide, more than 200,000arcade cabinetsand 15million software units of all versions ofStreet Fighter IIhave been sold, grossing an estimated$10 billionin total revenue, making it one of the top three highest-grossing video games of all time as of 2017and the best-selling fighting game until 2019. More than 6.3 millionSuper Nintendo (SNES)cartridgesofStreet Fighter IIwere sold, making it Capcom'sbest-sellingsingle software game for the next two decades, its best-selling game on a single platform, and thehighest-selling third-party gameon the SNES. Due to its major success, aseries of updated versionswere released with additional features and characters, starting with 1992'sStreet Fighter II: Champion Edition;its major successor wasStreet Fighter IIIin 1997.

Gameplay

GuiledefeatsKenwith his Flash Kick on the arcade version.

Street Fighter IIfollows several conventions and rules established by its 1987 predecessorStreet Fighter.The player engages opponents in a series of timed one-on-one, close-quarters combat matches. In order to win a round, the player must either completely drain the opponent's health bar by landing attacks, or have more health left than the opponent when the timer runs out. Neither fighter wins the round if they have equal health when time expires or if they simultaneously knock each other out. The first fighter to win two rounds is declared the victor of the match.

While a single-player game is in progress, a second player may join at any time, immediately starting a head-to-head match. The winner continues the game in single-player mode.

The originalStreet Fighter IIallowed up to 10 rounds per match; this maximum is reduced to four rounds starting withChampion Edition.If there is no clear winner by the end of the final round, either the computer-controlled opponent will win by default in a single-player match or both fighters will lose in a two-player match. After every third match in the single-player mode, abonus stagegives a chance to earn additional points by smashing a car, wooden barrels, or metal oil drums. After each match, the location for the next one is selected on aworld map.

PlayingStreet Fighter IIon an arcade machine

Like inStreet Fighter,the controls are an eight-directional joystick and six attack buttons. The joystick can jump, crouch, walk left and right, and block. A tradeoff of strength and speed are given by three punch buttons and three kick buttons, each of light, medium, and heavy. The player can perform a variety of basic moves in any position, including new grabbing and throwing attacks. Special moves are performed by combinations of directional and button-based commands.

Street Fighter IIdiffers from its predecessor due to the selection of multipleplayable characters,each with distinct fighting styles and special moves including combos. According toIGN,"the concept of combinations, linked attacks that can't be blocked when they're timed correctly, came about more or less by accident.Street Fighter II's designers didn't quite mean for it to happen, but players of the original game eventually found out that certain moves naturally flowed into other ones. "Thiscombosystem was later adopted as a standard feature of fighting games and was expanded upon in this series.

Plot

The leader of the Shadaloo organization, M. Bison, in his global domination plan sets up a world fighting tournament, to select the best fighters to work in his Shadaloo organization through brainwashing.

Characters

The originalStreet Fighter IIfeatures a roster of eight playable characters. This includes Ryu and Ken—the main protagonists fromStreet Fighter—plus six new international newcomers. In the single-player tournament, the player fights the other seven main fighters, then the final opponents—a group of fourCPU-only opponents known as the Grand Masters, which includes Sagat fromStreet Fighter.

Playable characters:

• Ryu,a Japanese martial artist seeking no fame or even the crown of "champion", but only to hone hisAnsatsukenKarateskills with the inner power of Chi. He dedicates his life to perfect his own potential while abandoning everything else in life such as having no family and few friends; his only bond is with Ken. He is the winner of the previous tournament. He is not convinced that he is the greatest fighter in the world and comes to this tournament in search of fresh competition.
• E. Honda,asumowrestler from Japan. He aims to improve the negative reputation of sumo wrestling by proving to competitors that he is a legitimate athlete.
• Blanka,a beast-like mutant from Brazil who was raised in the jungle. He enters the tournament to uncover more origins about his forgotten past.
• Guile,a former United States Air Force special forces operative seeking to defeatM. Bison,who killed his best friendCharlie.
• Ken,Ryu's best friend, greatest rival and former training partner, from the United States. Ryu's personal challenge rekindled Ken's fighting spirit and persuaded him to enter the World Warrior tournament, as well as feeling lackadaisical in his fighting potential due to spending too much time with his fiancée.
• Chun-Li,a Chinese martial artist who works as anInterpolofficer. Much like Guile, she does not enter the World Warrior tournament for any personal glory except proving that she can defeat any man who challenges her. Chun-Li's ambition in the past was tracking down the movements of the smuggling operation known as Shadaloo. Her goal now is her trail being led to the tournament by seeking to avenge her deceased father by holding theGrand Master'sleader of the crime syndicate responsible.
• Zangief,a professional wrestler andsambofighter from the Soviet Union. He aims to prove "Soviet Strength" is the strongest form of strength, particularly by defeating American opponents with his bare hands.
• Dhalsim,a fire-breathingyogamaster from India. Even though he is a pacifist, he uses the money earned from fighting in order to lift people out of poverty.

CPU-exclusive characters, in the order of appearance:

• Balrog,an Americanboxerwith a similar appearance toMike Tyson.Called M. Bison in Japan. Once one of the world's greatest heavyweight boxers, he began working for Shadaloo for easy money.
• Vega,a Spanishbullfighterwho wields a claw and uses a unique style ofninjutsu.Called Balrog in Japan. He is vain and wishes to eliminate ugly people from the world.
• Sagat,aMuay Thaikickboxer from Thailand and former World Warrior champion from the originalStreet Fighter.He was once known asThe King of Street Fightersuntil he got demoted asThe King of Muai Thaiin his own tournament due to a narrow defeat at the hands of Ryu'sshoryuken(rising dragon punch) which left a deep gash across his chest. Ever since that moment he felt disgrace, and will do anything to have a grudge match with Ryu to get his title back, even if it takes joining forces with Shadaloo.
• M. Bison,the leader of the criminal organization Shadaloo, who uses a mysterious power known as Psycho Power, and the final opponent of the game. Called Vega in Japan.

Takayuki Nakayama stated in an interview that many character design ideas were trialled and dropped along the development process. Rejected character designs forStreet Fighter IIincluded anotherbullfighterand an American amateur wrestler.

Regional differences

With the exception of Sagat, the Shadaloo Bosses have different names in the Japanese version. The African-American boxer known as Balrog in the international versions was designed as apasticheof real-life boxerMike Tysonand was originally named M. Bison (short for "Mike Bison", with "Mike" being one of the American opponents faced inStreet Fighter). Vega and M. Bison were originally named Balrog and Vega, respectively. WhenStreet Fighter IIwas localized for the overseas market, the names of the bosses were rotated, out of concern that the boxer's similarities to Tyson could have led to alikeness infringement lawsuit.

The characters in the Japanese version have more than one win quoteand if the player loses a match against the CPU in the Japanese version, a random playing tip will be shown at the bottom of the continue screen. While the ending text for the characters was originally translated literally, a few changes were made due to creative differences from Capcom's U.S. marketing staff. For example, the name of Guile's fallen friend (who later debuted as a playable fighter inStreet Fighter Alpha) was changed from Nash toCharlie,since a staff member from Capcom USA said that Nash is not a natural sounding English name.

Development

Although the original punching-pad cabinet ofStreet Fighterhad not been very popular, the alternate six-button version was more successful, which began to generate interest in a sequel.Capcom began to make fighting games a priority afterFinal Fightwas commercially successful in the United States.Yoshiki Okamotorecounted: "The basic idea at Capcom was to reviveStreet Fighter,a good game concept, to make it a better-playing arcade game. "

Development ofStreet Fighter IItook about two yearsand about 35 to 40 people, withNoritaka Funamizuas a producer, andAkira NishitaniandAkira Yasudain charge of the game and character design, respectively.The budget was estimated at$2,450,000(equivalent to $5,480,000 in 2023).

Funamizu notes that the developers did not particularly prioritizeStreet Fighter II'sbalance;he primarily ascribes the game's success to its appealing animation patterns. The quality of animation benefited from the developers' use of theCPS-1hardware, with advantages including allowing different characters to occupy different amounts of memory. For example,Ryucan occupy 8megabitsandZangief12 megabits.

Thecombosystem came about by accident:

While I was making a bug check during the car bonus stage... I noticed something strange, curious. I taped the sequence and we saw that during the punch timing, it was possible to add a second hit and so on. I thought this was something impossible to make useful inside a game, as the timing balance was so hard to catch. So we decided to leave the feature as a hidden one. The most interesting thing is that this became the base for future titles. Later we were able to make the timing more comfortable and the combo into a real feature. In [Street Fighter II] we thought if you got the perfect timing you could place several hits, up to four I think. Then we managed to place eight! A bug? Maybe.

— Noritaka Funamizu

The vast majority of in-game music was composed byYoko Shimomura.This is ultimately the only game in the series on which Shimomura worked, as she left the company forSquaretwo years later. Isao Abe, a Capcom newcomer, handled a few additional tracks ( "Versus Screen", "Sagat's Theme", and "Here Comes A New Challenger" ) forStreet Fighter IIand became the main composer on the subsequent versions. The sound programming and sound effects were overseen by Yoshihiro Sakaguchi, the composer onStreet Fighter.

Location testing began in Japan.It was then exhibited in the United Kingdom at London'sAmusement Trades Exhibition International(ATEI) in January 1991.The same month, Capcom held a two-week location test in North America, before unveiling the game at Capcom's distributor conference on February 1, 1991, held atMarriott Harbor Beach,Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Capcom introducedStreet Fighter IIas its "greatest video game ever".

Ports

Release date	Platform	Media	Developer	Publisher	Notes
JP:June 10, 1992 NA:July 15, 1992 EU:October, 1992	SNES	ROM cartridge	Capcom	JP:Capcom NA:Capcom EU:Bandai	Re-released on theWiiandWii UVirtual Console.
1992	Amiga	4floppy disks	Creative Materials	U.S. Gold	Released in Europe.
	Atari ST	4 floppy disks
	Commodore 64	Cassetteor floppy disk
	Amstrad CPC	Cassette or floppy disk (unreleased)
	ZX Spectrum	Cassette or floppy disk	Tiertex Design Studios
	PC(DOS)	3 floppy disks	Creative Materials	EU:U.S. Gold NA:Hi Tech Expressions	Released in North America and Europe.
	Tiger Electronics	Custom LCD hardware (handheld)	Tiger Electronics	Tiger Electronics
1994	CPS Changer	ROM cartridge	Capcom	Capcom	Released exclusively in Japan.
1995	Game Boy	ROM cartridge	Sun L	Capcom Nintendo
1998	Sega Saturn	CD-ROM	Capcom	Capcom	Included inCapcom Generation 5.Released exclusivelyin Japan.
	PlayStation		Capcom	Capcom	Included inStreet Fighter Collection 2.
2004	Mobile	Online distribution	Capcom	Capcom
2006	PlayStation 2	DVD-ROM	Digital Eclipse	Capcom	Included inCapcom Classics Collection Vol. 1.Based on the PS1 version.
	Xbox
	PlayStation Portable	UMD	Capcom	Capcom	Included inCapcom Classics Collection: Reloaded.Based on the PS1 version.
2018	PlayStation 4	BD-ROM	Digital Eclipse	Capcom	Included inStreet Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.
	Xbox One
	Nintendo Switch	Flash based ROM cartridges
	Windows	Online distribution

Super NES

Street Fighter IIwas released for theSuper Famicomon June 10, 1992, in Japan, followed by a North American release for theSNESin August and a European release in December. It is the first game released on a 16-megabit SNES cartridge. Many aspects from the arcade versions were either changed or simplified in order to fit into the smaller memory capacity. This version has a secret code allowing both players to control the same character in a match, which is not possible in the original arcade version. The second player uses the same alternate color palette introduced inStreet Fighter II: Champion Edition.The four Shadaloo Bosses are still non-playable, but the code enables theirChampion Editioncolor palette. Tatsuya Nishimura, who had recently joined Capcom fromTOSE,arranged the soundtrack with assistance from Shimomura, Abe, and Sakaguchi.

The American SNES cartridge was re-released in November 2017 as a limited edition item to celebrate the anniversary of theStreet Fighterseries.

Home computers

U.S. Goldreleased versions ofStreet Fighter IIfor varioushome computerplatforms in Europe, namely theAmiga,Atari ST,Commodore 64,PC(DOS), andZX Spectrum.These were all developed by Creative Materials, except the ZX Spectrum version byTiertex Design Studios.The PC version was also published in North America byHi-Tech Expressions.These versions suffer numerous inaccuracies, such as missing graphical assets and music tracks, miscolored palettes, and lack of six-button controls due to these platforms having only one or two-button joysticks as standard at the time. Though officially advertised by US Gold along with the C64 and ZX Spectrum conversions and anticipated in magazines, theAmstrad CPCdevelopment by Creative Materials was canceled.

Tiger Electronics

This standalone handheld machine was missing Chun-Li and Dhalsim.

Game Boy

The Game Boy version ofStreet Fighter IIwas released on August 11, 1995, in Japan, and in September 1995 internationally. It is missing Dhalsim, E. Honda, and Vega. The graphics, character portraits, and stages are based onSuper Street Fighter II,although some moves (ex: Blanka's Amazon River Run) fromSuper Street Fighter II Turboare included. Because the Game Boy only has two buttons, the strength of punches and kicks is determined by the duration of button presses.

Compilations

Street Fighter II,Champion Edition,andTurboare in the compilationCapcom Generation 5for thePlayStationandSega Saturn,which was released in North America and Europe asStreet Fighter Collection 2.All three games are inCapcom Classics Collection Vol. 1for thePlayStation 2andXbox,and inCapcom Classics Collection Reloadedfor thePlayStation Portable.In 2011, all three games were released oniOSdevices as theStreet Fighter II Collection,though the compilation was later delisted from theApp Store.In 2018,Street Fighter IIwas one of the many games included in theStreet Fighter 30th Anniversary Collectionfor thePlayStation 4,Nintendo Switch,Xbox OneandWindows.

Updated versions

Street Fighter IIspawned a series of revisions, each refining the play mechanics, graphics, character roster, and other aspects of the game. The first update wasStreet Fighter II: Champion Edition,released in arcades in March 1992. It rebalances characters' power levels, allows both players in two-player matches to select the same character (distinguished by alternate costume colors) and allows players to choose the four previously computer-only boss characters. It was followed by a second update,Street Fighter II Turbo:Hyper Fighting,released in December 1992, increasing the playing speed and giving some characters new special moves. It was Capcom's official response to a wave of unauthorized modifications for arcade cabinets ofChampion Edition,such as the so-called"Rainbow Edition"

The third update isSuper Street Fighter II:The New Challengers,released in September 1993, using the more advancedCP System II,allowing for updated graphics and audio, and introducing four new characters, but relieving the speed increase ofStreet Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting.It was followed by the fourth update,Super Street Fighter II Turbo,released in February 1994, combining the improvements ofSuper Street Fighter IIwith the previousTurbo (Hyper Fighting)edition. It allows for a selective game speed, introduces powered-up special moves called Super Combos, and adds a new hidden character.

All arcadeStreet Fighter IIgames have been ported to various platforms, as individual releases and in compilations. In 1995, Capcom released a prequel successor,Street Fighter Alpha,and then a full sequel in 1997,Street Fighter III.Despite this,Street Fighter IIcontinued to be popular and Capcom has released further home versions revising or expanding the game years later: namelyHyper Street Fighter IIreleased in December 2003 (later given an arcade release);Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix,released in November 2008 and a remake of 1994'sSuper Street Fighter II Turbo;andUltra Street Fighter II:The Final Challengersreleased in May 2017, adding three characters who previously debuted outsideStreet Fighter IIupdates.

In addition to official updated versions, numerous counterfeit modified versions ofStreet Fighter IIwere in wide circulation. For example, nine different counterfeit versions were available on the Super Famicom in Japan by December 1992.

Reception

Commercial

By 1994,Street Fighter IIhad been played by an estimated 25 million people in the United States alone, across arcades and homes.All versions ofStreet Fighter IIare estimated to have grossed a total of$10.61 billionin revenue, mostly from the arcade market. As of 2017,it is one of the top three highest-grossing video games of all time, along withSpace Invaders(1978) andPac-Man(1980).

Arcade versions

Street Fighter IIwas not immediately successful in Japan, as most arcade players were initially playing it solo, rather than multiplayer as originally intended. Yoshiki Okamoto was disappointed with its initial performance, and was told he should have produced another solo beat 'em up likeFinal Fightinstead. After Japanese arcade magazineGamestbegan publishing articles informing readers about the "battle play" feature, the game began gaining considerable popularity in Japanese arcades.In Japan,Game Machinemagazine listed the game on their April 1, 1991 issue as being the second most-successfultable arcade cabinetof the month, outperforming games such asDetana!! TwinBeeandKing of the Monsters,beforeStreet Fighter IItopped the charts two weeks later.It went on to become the highest-grossingarcade game of 1991in Japan,and then it again became the highest-grossingarcade game of 1992.Street Fighter II Turbobecame the highest-grossingarcade game of 1993,withStreet Fighter II Dash(Champion Edition) at number four andThe World Warriorat number nine.

Street Fighter IIwas similarly successful in theWestern world.In the United States, the game was more immediately successful as it exceeded expectations in test markets,with individual machines earning$1,300–1,400per week,Capcom USA sales representative Jeff Walker predicted it would "become the kit of 1991" andRePlaymagazine said the game showed there was "plenty of life" left in the then struggling arcade business.By March, it had become a blockbusterand the top-grossing game in the United States,giving a substantial boost in earnings for street operators.It topped theRePlayarcade software charts from May 1991 through August 1992, for a total of 16 months.On thePlay Meterarcade charts, it was the top-grossing video game during January–February 1992and May 1992.Street Fighter IIwas the highest-grossing arcade game of 1991 in the United States,and one of the top five highest-grossing arcade conversion kits of 1992(belowChampion Edition).Its success was considered phenomenal; by 1992, it had turned around the convenience store segment of the coin-op industryand become the best-selling arcade game in ten years.Electronic Gamesnoted in its October 1992 issue, "Not since theearly 1980shas an arcade game received so much attention and all-out fanatical popularity. "It was similarly successful in Australia, where it was performing strongly after 16 months on the market, withLeisure Linemagazine noting in 1992 that not "since the days ofSpace Invaders(1978) has a game had such longevity ".

In 1991, 50,000 arcade units were sold worldwide, including 17,000 units in Japan, with Capcom reporting continued production of arcade units due to repeat orders.In the United Kingdom,Your Commodorereported in July 1991 that spectators were betting on players atLondon West Endarcades.Between early 1991 and early 1993,Street Fighter IIhad captured about 60% of the global coin-op market, including 10,000 units installed in the United Kingdom by mid-1991, with individual machines in the UK estimated to be taking between£70–1,000per week over the next two years.Street Fighter IIgenerated an estimated annual revenue of£260 millionin the UK alone for the two years between mid-1991 and mid-1993,totaling£520 million($913 millionat the time, equivalent to $1.98 billion in 2023).

The company sold more than 60,000arcade machinesof the originalStreet Fighter II,including about 20,000 to 25,000 units in the United States.It was followed byStreet Fighter II′(DashorChampion Edition), of which 140,000 arcade units were sold in Japan alone, where it cost¥160,000 ($1300) for each unit, amounting to ¥22.4 billion ($182 million) revenue generated from hardware sales in Japan(equivalent to $407 million in 2023),in addition to about 20,000 to 25,000 units sold in the United States.On the USRePlayarcade charts for July 1992,Champion Editionwas number one on the upright cabinets chart (aboveMidway'sMortal Kombat) while the originalStreet Fighter IIwas number two on the coin-op software chart (belowSNK'sWorld Heroes).Street Fighter IIgenerated$1.5 billion(equivalent to $3.26 billion in 2023) annually in 1993, making it the year's highest-grossing entertainment product, above the filmJurassic Park.In January 1994, Capcom referred toStreet Fighter IIas "the most successful video game series of the decade" while promotingSuper Street Fighter II.In early 1994, Capcom projected sales ofSuper Street Fighter IIto reach 100,000 arcade units.According to the March 1995 issue ofGameFan,the game had earned "billions of dollars in profit".

Title	Region	Hardware sales	Coin drop revenue(est.US$)		Peak chart position
			No inflation	With inflation
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior	Japan	60,000+	Un­known	Un­known	#1
	Australia		Un­known	Un­known	#1
	Hong Kong		Un­known	Un­known	#1
	United Kingdom		$913 million(as of 1993)	$2 billion	#1
	United States		Un­known	Un­known	#1
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition	Japan	140,000	$2.312 billion(as of 1995)	$5.02 billion	#1
	United States	20,000+			#1
	Australia	Un­known			#1
Street Fighter II Turbo	Japan	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	#1
	United States	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	#1
Super Street Fighter II	Japan	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	#1
	United States	1,000+	Un­known	Un­known	#1
Super Street Fighter II Turbo	Japan	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	#1
	United States	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known	#1
Total	Worldwide	221,000+	$5.31 billion+	$11.88 billion+	#1

In addition to Capcom's official arcade units, many pirated counterfeitStreet Fighter IIarcade clone units were sold across the world.RePlaynoted in January 1993 thatStreet Fighter IIhad "single-handedly re-ignited the worldwide black market in counterfeitPCBsand speed-up kits ".Many counterfeit arcade units often outsold officialStreet Fighter IIarcade cabinetsin various markets. For example, about 200,000 counterfeits were inMexicoalone, where Capcom did not officially sell the game.Bondeal fromHong Kongproduced 3,000 copied arcade units per month for markets such asLatin America,and aTaiwanesefirm produced 20,000 copied arcade units in 1991;in Taiwan, up to 150,000 clone units were manufactured by 1992.Many counterfeit units were inSouth Korea,such as a trader selling about 100Street Fighter IIPCBs by 1992.Seven different versions of the game claimed to be sequels in 1992, mostly from Hong Kong, and one namedChampion of Champion Editionsreportedly was in British arcades.Capcom and its partners took legal action against counterfeit arcade units in regions such asSoutheast Asia,North America,South Korea,andPuerto Rico.

Home conversions

The numerous home conversions ofStreet Fighter IIare listed among Capcom's Platinum-class games, with more than one million units sold worldwide.In Japan, 1 million copies of the Super Famicom version were sold in June 1992 within the first two weeks of its release,at a retail price of¥10,780(equivalent to $85.12 then, or $185 in 2023). The February 1992 issue ofGamestin Japan said that, due to low stock, the console versions were selling for much higher at ¥15,000 (equivalent to about$119.19at the time, or $259 in 2023). It topped the JapaneseFamitsusales charts from Junethrough Julyto August 1992.It was a multi-million seller in Japan by December 1992.

In the United States, 750,000 units of the SNES version were sold between July 15 and September 30, 1992,with a retail price of$74.99(equivalent to $160 in 2023).According toElectronic Gaming Monthly:"Never has a game taken the country [by] storm as this one has."It remained America's top-selling Super NES game for much of late 1992, in Augustand then October,November,and December.In 1992 in North America,2 millionunits were sold.In the United Kingdom,Street Fighter IIreplacedSuper Mario Worldas the bundled game for the SNES,and the SNES and Amiga versions made it the second best-selling home video game of 1992, belowSonic the Hedgehog 2for the Mega Drive.Worldwide, four millionStreet Fighter IIcartridges had been sold by September 1992,5 millionunits by the end of 1992,and over6 millionby 1993.The SNES version became the company'sbest-sellingsingle consumer game software, at more than 6.3 million units,and it remains its best-selling game software on a single platform.By 1993,10 millionunits of all home software versions had been sold,and11.9 millionunits for Nintendo and Sega consoles by March 1994.

The SNES versions ofStreet Fighter II TurboandSuper Street Fighter IIhad 4.1 million and two million unit sales, respectively, followed by the Mega Drive/Genesis version ofStreet Fighter II: Special Champion Editionwith 1.65 million sales. In total, more than 14 million copies were sold for the SNES and Mega Drive/Genesis consoles.The SNES version ofStreet Fighter IIwas Capcom's best-selling single game until 2013, when it was surpassed byResident Evil 5.The Amiga version was successful in the United Kingdom, where it became the best-selling home computer software of 1992, though only being available for the last 16 days of the year.Street Fighter IIalso topped the UK's Amiga sales chart in January 1993,and the UK's Atari ST chart in March 1993.In 2008,Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remixbroke both the first-day and first-week sales records for a download-only game.Street Fighter IIwas the best-selling fighting game with 15.5million units sold across all versions and platforms, until it was surpassed bySuper Smash Bros. Ultimatein 2019.

Title	Platform(s)	Worldwide sales	Japan sales	Revenue	Inflation
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior	Super NES	6,300,000	2,900,000	$1.5 billion+	$3.26 billion+
Street Fighter II': Special Champion Edition	Mega Drive	1,665,000	Un­known
Street Fighter II Turbo	Super NES	4,100,000	2,100,000
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers	Super NES	2,000,000	1,300,000	Un­known	Un­known
Street Fighter II	Game Boy	17,038+	17,038	Un­known	Un­known
Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Revival	Game Boy Advance	45,335+	45,335	Un­known	Un­known
Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition	PlayStation 2	53,000+	53,000	Un­known	Un­known
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix	PS3/Xbox 360	250,000+	Un­known	Un­known	Un­known
Ultra Street Fighter II	Nintendo Switch	500,000	100,000	Un­known	Un­known
Total sales		15,500,000	6,515,373+

Like the arcades, the home conversions were impacted bycopyright infringement.Upon release of the SNES version in 1992, thirteen different unauthorized versions were reportedly available for the Super Famicom.

Critical

Contemporary reception

Review scores

Publication	Score
	Amiga	Arcade	Atari ST	C64	Game Boy	SNES	ZX
Computer and Video Games	78%	93%
Edge						9/10
Electronic Gaming Monthly					29/40	38/40
Famitsu					21/40	35/40
GamePro						5/5
Nintendo Power						16.2/20
Sinclair User		84%					89%
Your Sinclair							62%
Bad Influence!						96%
Electronic Games						94%
Mean Machines						98%
Mega Zone				84%		95%
Play Meter		94%
RePlay		Positive
SNES Force						92%
ST Format			91%
Super Play						94%
Your Commodore		Positive

Awards

Publication	Award
GamestGrand Prize	Game of the Year, Best Action Game,Best Album,Best VGM, Best Direction, Best Characters, Best Graphics (Runner-Up)
Electronic Gaming Awards	Video Game of the Year, Best Action Video Game
Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM)	Game of the Year, Best Game of the Year (Super Nintendo), Best Video Game Ending, Hottest Video Game Babe (Chun-Li)
European Computer Trade Show (ECTS)	Overall Game of the Year, Best Action Game, Italian Game of the Year
Golden Joystick Awards	Game of the Year, Console Game of the Year, Best Licensed Console Game
GameFanGolden Megawards	Best Game, Best Arcade Translation, Best One-on-One Fighting Game, Best Character (Dhalsim&Guile)
Game Informer	Game of the Year, Best Playability in a Video Game
Chicago Tribune	Game of the Year
GamePro	16-bit Game of the Year
Nintendo Power	Game of the Year (SNES), Theme and Fun (SNES), Play Control (SNES), Best/Worst Villain (Bison)

Japan

The original arcade version ofStreet Fighter IIwas awardedBest Gameof 1991 inGamest's Fifth Annual Grand Prize, which also won in the genre of Best Action Game (the award for fighting games was not established yet).Street Fighter IIplaced No. 1 in Best VGM, Best Direction, and Best Album, and was second place in Best Graphics below the3DNamco System 21gameStarblade.All the characters except M. Bison (known internationally as Balrog) are on the list of Best Characters of 1991.

Street Fighter II Dashwas awarded Best Game of 1992 in the Sixth Annual Grand Prize, as published in the February 1993 issue ofGamest,winning again as Best Action Game. It placed No. 3 in Best VGM, No. 6 in Best Graphics, and No. 5 in Best Direction. TheStreet Fighter II Image Albumis the No. 1 Best Album in the same issue, with the Drama CD version ofStreet Fighter IItied for No. 7 with the soundtrack forStar Blade.The List of Best Characters only had Chun-Li at No. 3.

In the February 1994 issue ofGamest,bothStreet Fighter II TurboandSuper Street Fighter IIwere nominated for Best Game of 1993, but neither won (the first place was given toSamurai Spirits).Superranked third place, andTurboranked sixth. In the category of Best Fighting Games,Superranked third place again, whileTurboplaced fifth.Superwon third place in the categories of Best Graphics and Best VGM. Cammy, who was introduced inSuper,placed fifth place in the list of Best Characters of 1993, with Dee Jay at 36 and T. Hawk at 37.In the January 30, 1995 issue ofGamest,Super Street Fighter II X(known asSuper Turbointernationally) placed fourth place in the award for Best Game of 1994 and Best Fighting Game, but did not rank in any of the other awards.

The Super Famicom (SNES) version was critically acclaimed.Famitsu's panel of four reviewers gave it scores of 9, 9, 9, and 8, adding up to 35 out of 40. This made it one of their five highest-rated games of 1992, along withDragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride,Shin Megami Tensei,World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck,andMario Paint.They later gave theTurboupdate a score of 36 out of 40. This madeStreet Fighter II Turbotheir highest-rated game of 1993, and the twelfth game to have received aFamitsuscore of 36/40 or above.

International

The arcade game was well received by English-language critics upon release. In March 1991,RePlaysaid that "the graphics and sounds are tops" while praising the "solid" gameplay,and it was considered the top game at the American Coin Machine Exposition (ACME) that month.In May 1991,Julian RignallofComputer and Video Gamesgave it ratings of 94% for graphics, 93% for sound, 95% for playability, and 92% for lastability, with a 93% score overall. He criticized the originalStreet Fighterfor being a "run-of-the-mill beat 'em up with little in the way of thrills and spills" but praised the sequel for being "absolutely packed with new ideas" and special moves. He noted the "six buttons combining with 8 joystick directions to provide more moves than I've ever seen in a beat 'em up" and praised the "massive, beautifully drawn and animated sprites, tons of speech and the most exciting, action-packed head-to-head conflict yet seen in an arcade game," concluding that it is "one of the best fighting games yet seen in the arcades" and a "brilliant" coin-op.In the June 1991 issue ofSinclair User,John Cook gave the arcade game an "addict factor" of 84%. He praised the gameplay and the "excellent" animation and sound effects, but criticized the controls, stating players "might find the control system a bit daunting at first [with] a joystick plus six (count 'em!) fire buttons [but] it's not that bad really". He concluded "this is bound to appeal to you if you like the beat 'em up style of game."Jeff Davy ofYour Commodorepraised the game for its large sprites, character animation, varied opponents, character moves, and two-player mode.Computer and Video Gameslater referred toStreet Fighter IIas the "game of the millennium" in 1992.

The SNES version ofStreet Fighter IIwas very well received. InElectronic Gaming Monthly(EGM), its panel of four reviewers gave it scores of 10, 9, 10, and 9, adding up to 38 out of 40,and their "Game of the Month" award.Sushi-X(Ken Williams) gave it a 10, calling it "The best!Street Fighter IIis the only game I have ever seen that really deserves a 10! "Martin Alessi gave it a 9, describing it as" the best cart available anywhere! Incredible game play! "Ed Semrad gave it a 10, saying" The moves are perfect, the graphics outstanding and the audio exceptional. Get one of the new 6 button sticks and you'll swear you're playing the arcade version. "GameProprinted two reviews of the game in its August 1992 issue, both giving it a full score of 5 out of 5; Doctor Dave described it as "Capcom's best arcade conversion yet" while Slasher Quan stated that almost "everything's perfect in the Super NES version" and that it is "a nearly flawless conversion of the arcade original that's made even more enjoyable by new options and the convenience of home fighting."Super Playgave it a 94% score, stating that with "the inclusion ofChampion Edition's Character vs. Character select and the extra options, I would even go so far to say that this is actually better than the coin-op. "Electronic Gamesgave it scores of 95% for graphics, 92% for sound, and 93% for playability, with a 94% overall, concluding that it is the best fighting game to date.Nintendo Powerscored it 16.2 out of 20,stating that the "hottest arcade game around has been faithfully reproduced for this Super NES conversion" and that it "is just like having the arcade game at home!".Nintendo Powerranked it the best SNES game of 1992, aboveThe Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastin second place.

Computer Gaming Worldin April 1994 said that "Street Fighter IInow enters the PC ring rather late and with a touch of weak wrist ". The magazine reported that" the atmosphere and the impact of hefty welts and bone-crushing action is just not here. The usual lament of many PC gamers about arcade conversions is once again true: too little and too late ".

Entertainment Weeklywrote: "Sure, it's violent (people can be set on fire), butStreet Fighter IIoffers a depth of play (each character has more than 20 different moves) unmatched by any other video-game slugfest. "

Street Fighter IIwas named byElectronic Gaming Monthlyas theGame of the Yearfor 1992.EGMawardedStreet Fighter II Turbowith Best Super NES Game in 1993.Street Fighter IIwon theGolden Joystick AwardforGame of the Yearin 1992.Game Informergave it the "Best Game of the Year" and "Best Playability in a Video Game" awards.It wonElectronic Games's Electronic Gaming Award for the Video Game of the Year,where it was nominated along withNHLPA Hockey '93andSonic the Hedgehog 2.

The Mega Drive version ofStreet Fighter IIreceived ten out of ten for both graphics and addiction fromMega,who described it as "a candidate for best game ever and without a doubt the best beat-'em-up of all time" and gave it an overall 92% score.MegaTechscored it 95% and awarded it Hyper Game, stating "the greatest coin-op hits the Megadrive in perfect form".Edgegave the PC Engine version ofChampion Editiona score of eight out of ten.The four reviewers ofElectronic Gaming Monthly,while remarking that the Game Boy control is difficult, the game speed "lethargically slow", and it is a very old game, agreed it to be an excellent conversion by Game Boy standards.The Axe Grinder ofGameProagreed, praising the graphics and Game Boysurvival mode,but criticizing the slow controls and concluding that "The real problem here is that the game's just plain old."

Retrospective

Retrospective reception

Aggregate score

Aggregator	Score
	Arcade	C64	Game Boy	SNES	Wii
GameRankings				82%

Review scores

Publication	Score
	Arcade	C64	Game Boy	SNES	Wii
AllGame
Eurogamer					9/10
GameSpot					7.2/10
IGN					7/10

Street Fighter IIhas been listed among thebest games of all time.Game Informerranked it as the 22nd-best game ever made in 2001. The staff praised it for popularizing the one-on-one fighting game genre and noted that its Super NES ports were "near-perfect."They later ranked it the 25th-best game ever made in 2009.Other publications that listed it among the best games of all time includeBuzzFeed,Electronic Gaming Monthly,IGN,Edge,Empire,Famitsu,FHM,G4,GameFAQs,GameSpot,GamingBolt,Guinness World Records,Next Generation,NowGamer,Retro Gamer,Stuff,Time,andYahoo!Guinness World RecordsawardedStreet Fighter IIthe world records of "First Fighting Game to Use Combos", "Most Cloned Fighting Game", and "Biggest-Selling Coin-Operated Fighting Game" in theGuinness World Records: Gamer's Edition 2008.In 2017,The Strong National Museum of PlayinductedStreet Fighter IIto itsWorld Video Game Hall of Fame.

GameSpotgave the PlayStation 3 version ofHD Remixa score of 8.5 out of 10.

PC Gamerlisted the 1993 DOS version ofStreet Fighter IIas one of the worst PC ports.

Legacy

Sequels

TheStreet Fighter IIgames were followed by several sub-series ofStreet Fightergames and spinoffs includingStreet Fighter Alpha,Street Fighter EX,Street Fighter III,Pocket Fighter,Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo,andVs.series. Capcom releasedStreet Fighter IVfor the arcades in July 2008, followed by Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in February 2009 and Microsoft Windows in July 2009.Street Fighter Vwas released for the PlayStation 4 and Windows in 2016.Street Fighter 6was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S in June 2023, with an arcade version set to release in Japan later in 2023.

Other media

• The characters joined theG.I. Joe: A Real American Herolineup in 1993, as Hasbro bought their toy rights.
• An unofficial South Korean animation,Street Fighter,was produced by Daiwon Animation in 1992 and features the cast ofStreet Fighter II.The Hong Kong movieFuture Copshas a renamed cast ofStreet Fighter IIcharacters.
• Two film adaptations were released in 1994:Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie,a Japanese anime film produced byGroup TAC;andStreet Fighter,an American live-action film starringJean-Claude Van Damme.
• A U.S.Street Fightercartoon follows a combined plot of the live-action movie and the game series. An unrelated anime,Street Fighter II V,features younger characters similar toThe Legend of Chun-Li.
• Capcom sponsored IndyCar driverKenji Momotaat the1992 Indianapolis 500,providing aStreet Fighterlivery for his No. 88 car, which failed to qualify.

Impact

Street Fighter IIis regarded as one of the most influential video games of all time,and the most important fighting game in particular.The release ofStreet Fighter IIin 1991 is often considered a revolutionary moment in the fighting game genre. It has the most accurate joystick and button scanningroutinein the genre, allowing players to reliably execute multi-button special moves, and its graphics use Capcom'sCPS arcade chipset,with highly detailed characters andstages.Whereas previous games allow players to combat a variety of computer-controlled fighters,Street Fighter IIallows human combat.

The popularity ofStreet Fighter IIsurprised the gaming industry, as arcade owners bought more machines to keep up with demand.It was responsible for introducing thecombomechanic, which came about when skilled players learned that they could combine several attacks with no time for the opponent to recover.Its success inspired a wave of other fighting games, which were initially often labeled as "clones"or imitators, including titles such asGuardians of the 'Hood,Art of Fighting,Time Killers,Mortal Kombat,andKiller Instinct.Street Fighter IIalso influenced the development of the combat mechanics ofbeat 'em upgameStreets of Rage 2.However,Street Fighter IIalso received criticism for its depiction of street violence, and for having inspired numerous other violent games in the industry.

Street Fighter IIwas thebest-selling arcade video gameby far since thegolden age of arcade video games,bringing an arcade renaissance in the early 1990s.Its impact on home video games was equally important, becoming a long-lastingsystem-sellerfor theSuper Nintendo Entertainment System.Since then up until the late 1990s, numerous best-selling home video games were arcade ports.In 2005,Electronic Gaming Monthlyranked it the ninth most important game since they began publication in 1989, stating no game "did more to prop up arcades" in the 1990s and it was the first killer app for the SNES.

The game popularized the concept of "face-to-face", tournament-level competition between two playersinstead of justhigh scores.This enabled the competitivemultiplayeranddeathmatchmodes found in modernaction games.John Romero,for example, cited the competitive multiplayer ofStreet Fighter IIas an influence on the deathmatch mode of seminalfirst-person shooterDoom.

It is an innovation in revision series, with Capcom continuously upgrading andexpandingthe arcade game instead of releasing a sequel. This furthered the practice ofpatchesanddownloadable contentfound in modern video games.

Popular culture

Street Fighter IIhas been frequentlysampledand referenced inhip hop music,by artists such asThe Lady of Rage,Nicki Minaj,Lupe Fiasco,Dizzee Rascal,Lil B,Sean Price,andMadlib.This started withHi-C's "Swing'n"(1993) andDJ Qbert's "Track 10"(1994) which sampledStreet Fighter II,and theStreet Fighterfilm soundtrack(1994) which is the first major film soundtrack to consist almost entirely of hip hop music. According to DJ Qbert, "I think hip-hop is a cool thing, I thinkStreet Fighteris a cool thing ". According toVicemagazine, "Street Fighter's mixture of competition, bravado, and individualism easily translate into the trials and travails of a rapper. "The "Perfect" sample was used byKanye WestandDrakeinThe Life of Pablo(2016).UK rapincludesgrimeDJLogan Samasaying, "Street Fighteris just a huge cultural thing that everyone experienced growing up [with] such a huge impact that it has just stayed in everyone's consciousness. "According to Jake Hawkes of Soapbox," grime was built around lyrical clashes [and] the 1v1 setup of these clashes was easily equated withStreet Fighter's 1 on 1 battles. "Grime MCs such as Dizzee Rascal were samplingStreet Fighter IIin 2002, andStreet Fighter IIhas been sampled "by almost every grime MC". It became an integral part ofBBC Radio 1XtraDJCharlie Sloth'sFire in the Boothfreestylesegments, using samples such as "Hadouken", "Shoryuken", and the "Perfect" announcer sound.

Further reading

• Studio Bent Stuff (2000).All About Capcom Head-to-Head Fighting Games 1987–2000.A.A. Game History Series (Vol. 1) (in Japanese). Dempa Publications, Inc.ISBN4-88554-676-1.
• Like a Hurricane: An Unofficial Oral History of Street Fighter IIby Matt Leone (2023), published byThames & HudsonISBN9780500025932

External links

• Street Fighter IIentry at Arcade-History
• Street Fighter IIatMobyGames