PlayStation 2

Street Fighter: Anniversary Collection

The big bang of fighting games is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and to pay homage to the popular 2D fighting series, Capcom bundled the game that defined a genre with the followup that redefined it into one fantastic package.

I’m going to assume several things from you the loyal GameZone reader. I’m going to assume that your life was changed, as mine was, with the Street Fighter series. I’m going to assume that Street Fighter isn’t “just a game” but it’s something much more personal then the average person will understand. But the biggest assumption I’m going to make that either you, or someone you know, knows at least a little bit about the Street Fighter series.

Capcom hit one out of the park with its PlayStation 2 translation of the old Mega Man titles in Mega Man Anniversary Collection and are looking to do the same thing all over again with its second classics compilation, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. But rather than hand this particular project off to the talented team at Atomic Planet like it did for Mega Man, Capcom has decided to handle this one internally to ensure its faithfulness to the original source material.

The most disappointing aspect of the whole package is the "bonus" Street Fighter 2 animated film. I was expecting it to come on a separate DVD, but instead it was squeezed onto the game disk and its video quality looks closer to VHS than DVD. Still, this is a fine package for fighting game enthusiasts and those who have fond memories of this classic series.

Various gripes aside, the only good reasons to take a pass on Street Fighter Anniversary Collection are if you're sure you don't like fighting games or if you're waiting for the Xbox version to come out (which supports online play). Otherwise, if you do like fighting games and you own a PS2, this disc is a $30 no-brainer.

In 1991, Street Fighter II was released in video arcades all over the world, and it became an instant classic. This one-on-one 2D fighting game featured incredibly responsive controls and unprecedented depth, what with its eight memorable and highly complex playable characters. It ushered in a new era of arcades--a decade dominated by Street Fighter II-inspired fighting games. Street Fighter II itself saw several substantial upgrades over the years, which added new characters and new moves for the returning fighters, but the core gameplay never changed, and it didn't have to--it's timeless. Now you can experience the Street Fighter II series, as well as 1999's Street Fighter III: Third Strike, in a single volume in Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. Unfortunately, the name of this volume is misleading, since it's a missed opportunity to celebrate one of the greatest gaming franchises of all time.

O jogo chega aos EUA pelo preço sugerido de US$29,99, trazendo dois dos mais significativos jogos de luta 2D da história. Apesar da idade, o game oferece excelentes incentivos tanto para os fãs do gênero quanto saudosistas. Em um mundo ideal, ele deveria ser jogado com controles estilo arcade, mas continua sendo uma ótima pedida mesmo com o Dual Shock 2.

Street Fighter II will always be recognized as the game that pioneered the 2D-fighting genre. However, despite its historical significance, the Street Fighter franchise is the Ernest P. Worrell of video games, scoring one or two mainstream hits before trailing off into obscurity with countless reiterative entries. Street Fighter Anniversary Collection captures the glory days of the series, and brings the rest along for the ride.

2004 is the 17th anniversary of Street Fighter, a mediocre arcade game that would spawn a world-changing sequel. Similarly, 2004 marks the 13th anniversary of that momentous descendant, Street Fighter II. Given those numbers, I have no idea why Capcom is touting 2004 as the 15th anniversary of anything "Street Fighter." I won't grumble, in any case, because Capcom's questionable arithmetic has resulted in the release of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection (SFAC), a celebratory compilation of two of the most fun and important games of the series' probably 17, arguably 13, but definitely not 15-year history.

Over the past eight years, Capcom's fighting games have gone from making significant changes (Street Fighter 3, X-Men vs. Street Fighter) to moderate changes (Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Capcom vs. SNK 2) to now barely any changes at all. Yes, with Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Capcom has found a way to release a new Street Fighter game with practically no effort whatsoever. And we'd be upset if the package wasn't so much fun.

I won't deny that I am being hard on the game. And perhaps it's simply the purist voice in me talking, as I've remained a diehard fan since its 1991 arcade debut. It's just difficult to shake the thought that Capcom seemed too much in a rush to get the PS2 edition out the door. Yet in spite of personal quirks, SFAC succeeds in offering avid fans the chance to relive old experiences and give newcomers the opportunity to experience one of the most phenomenal franchises ever developed.

This is a major disappointment. Sure, the games are great (still some of the best available), but there is so much lost potential. If you already own the Dreamcast version of "SFIII" and "Volume 2," there is almost no reason to buy this. You pretty much own it already. If you don't, this isn't a bad choice.

No matter how you slice it, the Street Fighter series is pretty absurd. Over a period of fifteen years and a span of nearly ninety games, it has changed the least of any fighting game series in video gaming. As a result, playing any new Street Fighter game is guaranteed dive that, at its best, merely transports the average gamer to several different adolescent spaces and times.