The Street Fighter series is currently gearing up for its sixth mainline installment. Street Fighter 6 looks to be incorporating elements from previous games, but there should be some new techniques, moves, and characters to liven up the newest in the series.
Street Fighter has dominated Capcom since 1987, becoming its flagship series, and defining the fighting game genre as we know it today, from arcade to console. It introduced iconic characters like Ryu and Chun-Li and each installment has had its own positives and negatives. The folks at Metacritic have weighed in on which Street Fighter is best, and which is perhaps better left forgotten.
Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection (2018) - 83
Street Fighter is typically thought of as being from the ’90s, but the franchise actually debuted in the late ’80s. To celebrate the series' 30th, Capcom released a collection of the 12 arcade versions of the fighting game in May 2018. This collection is available on all modern platforms and the Switch version even contains one additional game.
The collection spans the franchise from the 1987 original to Third Strike in 1999. Not only does it contain most versions of the original three titles, but it also includes the entire Alpha series. Behind the scenes content like concept art is also available. While this collection is expansive, some dislike the game’s online and input delay, keeping it from scoring higher.
Ultra Street Fighter IV (2014) - 84
Street Fighter IV had tons of variations. This goes back to the arcade where II famously had tons of iterations, Ultra was its last hurrah, though. The next major Street Fighter release would be Street Fighter V two years later.
The game featured new characters, to an extent but most of them were actually characters that were created for Street Fighter X Tekken. Additionally, the PS4 port of the game was incredibly buggy. While the mechanics are solid and it had tons of content, these issues prevented it from reaching the critical heights of other IV releases.
Street Fighter III: Double Impact (2000) - 84
Compilation titles were common for fighting games, even twenty years ago. The Dreamcast had plenty of great games and arcade ports excelled on the system. In terms of underdogs, the Dreamcast and the first two iterations of Street Fighter III are birds of a feather. Both underperformed but experience wistful nostalgia nowadays.
This collection of the first two iterations of III is probably the best way to play them. The arcade systems were replicated especially well by the Dreamcast hardware. Unfortunately, both of them (Especially 2nd Impact) are quite slow games and the SFIII line wouldn’t peak until its third entry which isn’t included in this bundle.
Street Fighter X Tekken (2012) - 84
Street Fighter is the biggest 2D fighter. Tekken is the biggest 3D fighter. These two titans were destined to clash at some point. Before Street Fighter’s Akuma showed up in Tekken 7, fans got to see worlds collide in Street Fighter X Tekken.
The game was controversial in its time for its on-disc DLC and its Playstation exclusive characters. But it still has an undeniable appeal as seeing the Tekken characters get 2D movesets was quite fascinating. There was supposed to be a follow-up that would translate the Street Fighter characters to Tekken gameplay but unfortunately, that never happened.
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (2011) - 86
Often still thought of by fans as the definitive way to play Third Strike, this port is immaculate. The graphics and sound have never felt crisper, and the online gameplay was also a highlight. Fans cite the rollback netcode used in this game as better than in the online games Capcom has released since.
But the real attraction is the excellent core game. The first two installments of III didn’t have great reception in arcades. Third Strike refined the slow gameplay into a methodical and strategic affair. This is combined with rotoscope animation and a roster full of unique picks that fans now call one of Capcom’s best arcade games.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (2008) - 88
Street Fighter II's focus on combo attacks, hidden special moves, and climbing a ladder of opponents changed up the Street Fighter formula. The ability to play against other players in the arcade made it a classic and in the lead-up to IV’s launch, this enhanced version was released online to just as much acclaim.
This version features redrawn graphics that look less pixelated, drawn by the comic publisher UDON and with music done by fans from OverClocked Remix. It was the love letter fighting game fans wanted after years of nothing in the 2000s.
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition (2018) - 89
When Street Fighter V launched it was in a pretty rough place. It didn’t have an overwhelming amount of content and even launched without a single-player mode. Through iterative versions though, the game ended up becoming just as loved as its predecessors. The Arcade Edition was definitely when fans took notice again.
Through costumes and other updates to Street Fighter V, Capcom won fans' hearts back. This new addition featured several new characters and characters that were DLC in the first iteration were included in this version. Also, it included the V-Trigger system, a complex buff system that boosted its competitive scene.
Super Street Fighter IV (2010) -91
Super Street Fighter IV was perhaps the most ported version of IV. Not only did it receive an arcade edition of its own, but also a version of the game on Nintendo 3DS. This game was said to be too big an update to be released as an update, which is why it became its own separate version. It’s easy to see why, as it transforms the game substantially.
The game was created to be the final version of IV, and packs in more ultra combos and other gameplay refinements like bonus stages. It also added a whopping ten new characters, including fan-favorite Juri. In general, it refined the game to be more like Third Strike, and while not the final iteration of IV, it’s perhaps the biggest update a Capcom game’s ever had.
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1999) - 93
The original Street Fighter wasn’t the most responsive fighting game, as it lacked a variety of playable characters. Once II codified that formula, developers wanted to return to the ideas of the original with the knowledge of II. Thus the Alpha series was born. This series took place between I and II, and its third entry is considered its peak.
The series innovates on previous entries with a larger roster. Alpha introduced fan-favorite characters like Sakura and Dan and brought Final Fight characters in, Its biggest success though is the wide variety of fighting styles called -isms available. The home port especially was well received for the world tour game mode and excellent tutorials.
Street Fighter IV (2009) - 94
Throughout the aughts, Street Fighter was dead and fighting games, in general, were in decline. Then, from the ashes emerged Street Fighter IV. Compared to other fighters since it isn’t the most refined or the prettiest, but it saved the genre. It was a massive success, selling over 9 million copies.
The game played like a middle point between Street Fighter II and III. It was also set between the two games, allowing iconic characters from both eras to appear. It definitely leaned more into its II influence but also introduced several iconic new characters and mechanics like the focus attack. Street Fighter IV was a monumental moment for fighting game fans, as not only was it fantastic, but fighting games would boom again following it.