Few franchises have defined a genre like Street Fighter. When the original Street Fighter released in 1987, one-on-one fighting games were a novelty. But revolutionary sequels like Super Street Fighter II Turbo and Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike demonstrated the competitive depth and technical spectacle fighters could offer.
Now, with the hotly anticipated Street Fighter 6 set to launch in 2023, there‘s no better time to look back on the storied history of the series that made fighting games a household name. We‘ve compiled rankings and reviews of every major Street Fighter release (with a few spin-offs sprinkled in for good measure)!
7. Street Fighter (1987)
It‘s only fitting to begin where the Street Fighter legacy started – with 1987‘s Street Fighter. The game introduced series mainstays Ryu and Ken, letting one or two players fight it out with a modest roster of World Warriors. Its controls were simple – perhaps overly so compared to later entries. And its single-screen stages and repetitive enemies made for limited replay value.
Yet, for all its rough edges, the original Street Fighter laid vital foundations. It established the goal of traveling the globe and fighting diverse opponents, foreshadowing the World Warrior Tournaments to come. And without its success, particularly overseas, we may never have seen Street Fighter II catapult the genre to new heights.
6. Street Fighter V (2016)
After Street Fighter IV‘s acclaim, expectations were sky-high for its sequel. But where SFIV stuck the landing, Street Fighter V faced an uphill battle. The base game lacked core modes like Arcade Mode on launch, leaving a sparse package made worse by network issues.
Still, one area SFV never compromised was its fighting system. Under the hood, it represents the most technically demanding Street Fighter ever conceived. Between its Variable System for customized movesets, lethal new Critical Arts finishers, and the risky, reward-based V-System mechanics, SFV in motion is a visual feast.
These days, after six seasons of updates, balancing, and new characters like Falke and Poison, SFV has come into its own. Major tournaments and diehard players continue to prove the depth of its combat – even as speculation about Street Fighter 6 threatens to steal its spotlight.
5. Street Fighter: The Movie Game (1995)
Okay, yes, the Street Fighter live-action film was a corny mess. And by extension, you‘d expect its companion game to be equally disastrous as a quick cash grab, right?
Well…not quite. Instead, The Movie Game leveraged digitized graphics and the likenesses of film cast like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Kylie Minogue to create a remarkably robust fighter. It featured faster gameplay than Street Fighter II, with flashy cinematic super combos added on top.
The real star here was its roster. Alongside all the World Warriors, The Movie Game debuts unique new brawlers like Sawada, Blade, and Captain Sadawa. They brought distinct fighting styles and national flair like a British commando and cybernetic Thai kickboxer. It was a rare spinoff that held its own against the main series.
4. Street Fighter EX Series (1996-2000)
When the Street Fighter EX project launched under Arika, it had a tall task – bringing the iconic 2D series into full 3D graphics. Yet on PlayStation and arcade cabinets, EX surprised many with its quality. It translated special cancels, combos, and air blocks without losing Street Fighter‘s feel.
What‘s more, EX introduced memorable characters who could follow series leads into the third dimension. Skullomania‘s wacky masquerade disguises, Nanase‘s energetic kicks, and cybernetic weapon Garuda all left their mark. And bar brawling brute Cracker Jack even cameoed in Street Fighter X Tekken years later!
While EX never reached the dizzying popularity or tournament longevity of II or Alpha, it earns recognition for taking a calculated risk into 3D fighters – one that paid off with outstanding super combos and chaotic multitier stages.
3. Street Fighter Alpha Series (1995-1998)
Set between the first two Street Fighter games, the Alpha series brought heavyweight combo artists, anime-inspired visuals, and atmospheric stages like a fiery boxing ring. On a mechanics level, Alpha introduced snappy Custom Combos and defensive Alpha Counters to bolster the strategic ranks.
And that roster? Creator. With antiheroes like Rolento and Sodom crossing over from Final Fight, along with Sakura and Dan Hibiki as wackier new trainees, Alpha attracted talent from all corners. It also saw the welcome return of forgotten World Warriors like Gen, Birdie, and Adon, reinvented for ‘90s sensibilities with slick redesigns.
But Alpha‘s number one bragging right? Introducing Street Fighter fandom to Charlie Nash – Guile‘s buddy-cop partner turned amnesiac revenant warrior in his iconic red, white, and blues. Few other franchises could make you care about a character just to break your heart with their heroic sacrifice…and Alpha pulled it off beautifully.
2. Street Fighter IV (2008)
When Street Fighter IV released in 2008, competitive gaming was still finding its feet in esports. And the FGC feared the series might stagnate as fans held onto Super Turbo and 3rd Strike. Yet SFIV single-handedly revitalized Street Fighter for a new generation.
At first, seeing 3D visuals instead of sprites raised eyebrows. But gorgeous stage backdrops like the African waterfall, with destructible walls and tiered fighting spaces, made clear the leap‘s benefits. And while SFIV amped up the pace from III and parrying, its Focus Attacks and Ultras capped combos with cinematic flair.
Most importantly, IV retained the 117 care that made Street Fighter‘s controls and mechanics a gold standard for responsive gameplay. It resonated so strongly as a competitive release that nine years later, top players still treasure its balanced roster and footsies-heavy neutral game.
1. Street Fighter II Series (1991-1994)
Ask any fighting game player to name the most monumental release, the one that defined all others to follow, and young and old will chorus one answer: Street Fighter II. The sheer scope of SFII‘s impact on the genre, games industry, and pop culture consciousness over three decades places it on a GOAT pedestal of its own.
On arcades and early 90s consoles, players were captivated by the adventures of Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile, Zangief, and other charismatic World Warriors with signature fighting styles. Its competitive multiplayer was rivaled only by first-person shooters. Dynamic stages like Chun-Li‘s Great Wall and the electrified cage invited endless rematches.
And SFII opened the floodgates for fighting game theorycraft. Eight playable characters became twelve in Champion Edition, then fifteen with Hyper Fighting and Super, culminating in Turbo‘s blistering speed and combo potential at a record sixteen. Signature Super Moves and combo openers like Hurricane Kick, Sonic Boom, and Hundred Hand Slap evolved into integral genre vocabulary.
Not only did SFII define the fighting game blueprint, inspiring countless competitors like Fatal Fury, Art of Fighting, and Darkstalkers. Its longstanding dominance at major tournaments like EVO is unchallenged. Decades later, seeing two top players duke it out in The World Warrior Tournament with pure skill and mind games captures imaginations like nothing else. Street Fighter II set the standard – subsequent great fighting games only follow the path it carved.
The Future of Fighting: Street Fighter 6
With two spin-off series, five numbered sequels, and endless ports and updates of fan favorites like Hyper Fighting, the Street Fighter series has given us thirty years of roundhouses, fireballs, and Tatsumaki Senpukyakus. Which game stands atop your personal list?
As we await Street Fighter 6 and speculate on how it will carry the FGC into the future with innovations like Real-Time Commentary, one truth remains: at its best, no fighting franchise delivers more outstanding gameplay, irresistible characters, and all-time tournament moments than Street Fighter. Hadouken!
