street fighter 2 game review
Test: Street Fighter IIIt all started in the early days of 1987, in the arcade. Street Fighter suddenly comes to revolutionize the limits of the followers of fighting games, hitherto addicted to beat’em all. A fixed decoration, a face-to-face, two gauges of life: versus fighting 2D was born, its foundations were laid. Time passes and, from year to year, the memory of the revolution is fading in all minds. All of them? No. Capcom, aware of the infinite potential of his game, is preparing a follow-up that will forever change video games.
In 1991, first in theaters, then in 1992 on Super Nintendo, Street Fighter II had the effect of a tidal wave all over the World. The recipe, at first glance, is based on the same ingredients as four years earlier: Ryu remains the undisputed star of the game, and we find certain characters known as Ken or Sagat throughout the fighting. However, a simple glance allows you to measure all the work done, because visually the game is an unprecedented slap. First notable modification, Ryu no longer wears his vile red ballerinas, but fights barefoot. If this detail is ready to smile, at first glance, it testifies to the very particular care taken to the overall aesthetics of the game. The sprites, immense and detailed, display magnificent characters and endowed with insane animations. The decorations, rich and varied, explode on the screen in an avalanche of colors, and were conceived like living pictures: all are animated, all tell a story, from the spectators boosted to the elephants who barrage. Better still, everyone respects coherence, a logical consequence of the direction taken by Capcom: each setting corresponds to a region of the World from which the combatant to be defeated in this region comes. But it would still be too little if Capcom had only allocated an internship to each character.
What the developer wanted to give everyone is a real identity. Ryu, the Japanese warrior, vagabond and lonely; Ken, the more whimsical American who shares Ryu's fighting style; E. Honda, the sumotori eager to share his art; Chun-Li, a Chinese woman eager for revenge, the only representative of the fairer sex; Blanka, natural aberration, animal more than human; Zangief, the Russian wrestler eager to restore the coat of arms of his country; Guile, the vigilante marine, as well as Dhalsim, the Indian in search of wisdom. The table has the air of a cliché, but presents the immense merit of endowing Street Fighter II not only with a form of scenario, but also with a real technical richness. Indeed, unlike the first installment in the series, it is now possible to choose any of these eight characters, where we had to settle for Ryu in 1987! Therefore, we immediately imagine the implications of this variety of fighters. If Ryu and Ken play almost the same way, Chun-Li is faster and more aerial, while Zangief and Honda are more massive and focused on hand-to-hand combat. Blanka benefits from his status as an anomaly to endow himself with a range of completely crazy moves, while Dhalsim's bodily and spiritual mastery allows him to excessively lengthen his members, making him a character with immense defensive potential. . Guile, more defensive, completes the explosive cast of Street Fighter II, which ultimately offers nothing but eight different fighting styles.
The revolution in gameplay does not stop there, as Capcom has shown itself eager to enrich the basic mechanisms of its jewel. Thus, it is no longer two but six buttons on which the different strokes are assigned: three for the feet, three for the fists, ranging from "weak" to "strong" through "medium". Each of these terms corresponds to the power of the blow but also to its speed, a strong fist taking more life from the opponent but also running slower. You are not mistaken: it is this system which, even today, dominates the genre of the 2D fight. It must be said that the technical gain was revolutionary at the time, because with the appearance of the six buttons - which fully benefits the Super Nintendo - was born the principle of "combo", these sequences of unstoppable shots from the moment where the first one touched. Therefore, it is for the player to master as much as possible the range of moves of his favorite character, exploding the life of the title.
Regarding the blows, moreover, Street Fighter II exploits the mechanisms of its predecessor by refreshing them. If a punch is executed by a simple press of the corresponding key, a Hadoken - fireball - requires that one performs a quarter turn from the bottom to the front with the directional cross, and then only you press your fist. Obviously, depending on the strength of the fist, the ball goes more or less quickly, offering endless possibilities to trap its opponent. In terms of new features, we can note the appearance of the keying of keys, which allows for example to get out the thousand feet of Chun-Li or the electricity of Blanka, or the principle of the charge. Guile, for example, cannot send his Sonic Boom as Ryu would with his Hadoken, but must "load", that is to say hold down the second key for two seconds, then press forwards as well as a blow fist. A precision which, once again, takes on the appearance of details, but which results above all in a style of play very specific to Guile, which will inevitably be much more focused on defense.
This second version is presented in the simplest of ways: in addition to the options which make it possible to modify certain game parameters such as its difficulty or the playing time for each round, Capcom offers a versus mode to compete with friends - friendship that can be severely tested, since it is impossible for both players to take the same character. A Championship mode is also present: here it is a question of defeating the seven other warriors, before meeting the four end bosses, totally unplayable, until the final victory and the well deserved end sequence. The whole is embellished with some bonus stages in which the player can calm his nerves on a pile of bricks or even a car, to garner a maximum of points. A fun release but struggling to find meaning on Super Nintendo, where the points race is much less present than in the arcade. Whatever. Street Fighter II nonetheless remains one of these immortal titles, one of those that one did not hesitate to pay between six and nine hundred francs to have the pleasure of playing there. One of those that you must consult when you want to develop a 2D fighting game today.
The notes
Graphics 17/20
The sprites are neat and offer a flawless visual title, from the characters to the different decorations. The photos are an integral part of the characters, but they benefit from a pleasant design supported by a perfect animation.
Gameplay 19/20
The possibilities are endless, the game mechanics well thought out. Even the directional cross makes it possible to draw the quintessence of this title. The presence of eight playable fighters opens many doors to bring the opponent to the knockout.
Lifespan 19/20
Simply infinite. Street Fighter II is one of those games that, like Tetris, motivates an old console out of the closet for an impromptu game.
Soundtrack 16/20
Each character has a vocal identity in keeping with their physique, and most of the special moves are accompanied by a cry. The themes of each course, now legendary (notably that of Ken), are forever anchored in the memories of the players.
Scenario 14/20
A good effort on the part of Capcom, which has not forgotten to look into the past of its fighters in order to flesh out their identity. Admittedly, these are the beginnings of the preposterous scenario which will later mark the entire series, but everything is consistent, and we do not ask for more from a game of this kind.
Street Fighter II is an exceptional game, and it didn't take less for Nintendo to decide to market it as a bundle with its console. A commercial choice that seems oh so judicious today, as it marked its era and that of the Super Nintendo. But not only that, because Street Fighter II has above all marked future generations. It’s a monument, a myth, a legend; the exact example of what a 2D fighting game should be, the perfect inspiration for everyone who has followed it.
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