Capcom’s Street Fighter franchise has been captivating gamers for over 30 years but it was its second instalment that really took the world by storm. Dan Snook examines its legacy.
I CAUGHT my 13-year-old daughters throwing a “Hadouken!” (one of the most popular attacks from SFII) at each other recently. When I asked them if they knew where the action and the cry comes from, they didn’t have a clue, just that they’d seen someone at school doing it. Neither of them are gamers and they’re certainly not well-versed in video game history. Still, Hadouken-ing they were, nonetheless.
I guess it’s a measure of the impact that Capcom’s 1991 Street Fighter II: The World Warrior has had on popular culture - kids who weren’t even born when it was released are quoting it and re-enacting some of the moves.
