International Conflict

In 1991, many of the world's conflicts were comng to an end. South Africa eliminated apartheid laws. China signed a nuclear non-proliferation treaty, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Persian Gulf War ended. As peace won more than a few battles around the world, a new game was hitting the arcades that put the fun back into international conflict.

Many people credit Street Fighter® II' The World Warrior as the granddaddy of all fighting games. Although it wasn't the first, it had an enormous impact on future games and on arcade gaming in general.

"Are you man enough to fight me?"

Its popularity endures today. Within 24 hours of its release on Xbox® Live Arcade, Street Fighter® II' Hyper Fighting, an updated rerelease of the original, became the fastest selling arcade download.

Old Dawgs, New Tricks
For the past 15 years, players have returned again and again to Street Fighter II because the game is so solid and fun to play. Capcom® has reworked the graphics for Xbox 360™, taking what was a 16-bit game and making it a 32-bit game, now with HD resolution. In addition the original soundtrack has been sweetened into 5.1 surround sound. So, while the content of the visuals and sounds haven't changed, the quality has improved.

Now, play against people from all over the
globe and, best of all, have your score
recorded for the world community to see.

In the game, you can play 12 different characters. The eight world warriors from the original game are all available, and you unlock the four well-known bosses: Balrog, M. Bison, Sagat, and Vega. During play, two characters stand off against each other at a time. This part hasn't changed.

What has changed is that the gameplay goes faster on Xbox 360, thus accounting for the new title: Hyper Fighting. Let's face it. Gamers today are more savvy and better trained for this type of game. It only makes sense that a new version must be faster and more challenging.

One Hand Clapping
In the single-player mode of the game, compete against the CPU or against friends locally in Vs. Mode. The game tracks your single-player scores and feeds them to the leaderboards. Boost your Gamerscore in single-player mode by earning a few achievements based on your performance in bonus games you unlock.

"Get lost, you can't compare to my powers."

New on Xbox 360, the Training Mode provides an arena in which you can practice your fancy moves before they begin to count for or against you. If you're an old fan, but feeling rusty, or a new fan who doesn't want to be known as a newbie, this Training Mode is invaluable. No one ever needs to know how much time you spend in there, practicing.

A World of Fun
Street Fighter II has had many incarnations on many platforms, but Xbox 360 opens the doors to the world for the game's fans. Play against people from all over the globe and, best of all, have your score recorded for the world community to see. Compete against more than just the guys who live in your neighborhood. Step into the galactic Street Fighter II community.

"My strength is much greater than yours."

A number of ranked modes have been designed exclusively for Xbox Live. The standards are there, including Quick Match, Optimatch, and Create Game Mode. When you create your own game, you get to decide who plays and whether it's going to be a casual or competitive match. Play a casual match, and your score doesn't affect the leaderboards. Play competitive, and it does.

Quarter on Deck
Hop into Quarter Match Mode, an unranked game mode. Choose which players you want to challenge, and put down a "quarter" on their game. Watch while the two playing finish their game, then hop in and play the winner.

This is how it was in the arcades, back in the day. You put your quarter on a machine to let those playing know you wanted to challenge the winner. Sometimes, a number of quarters would line up, as each person marked his turn. Two people can be on deck for any Quarter Match, watching and even heckling. Don't be too rude though, because your turn's coming up.

Get your international taunts ready, because the world is now your playground on Xbox Live. If you played Street Fighter II back in the early nineties, then you'll appreciate what it's like to reconnect with this game in a world that is vastly different from what it was back then. Elements such as the Russian fight arena simply don't have the same impact they once did. And yet, that kind of nostalgia is what makes this game great.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy