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I’ve made no secret that my favourite game of all time is Street Fighter 2. So imagine my glee when Capcom announced the 30th Anniversary Collection which as it boasts is a collection of the best Street Fighter games of the last three decades. From the original 1987 classic through to the incarnations of Street Fighter 2 and 3.

Here is the full list:

• Street Fighter (1987)
• Street Fighter 2 - The World Warrior (1991)
• Street Fighter 2 - Champion Edition (1992)
• Street Fighter 2 - Turbo: Hyper Fighting (1992)
• Super Street Fighter 2 - The New Challengers (1993)
• Super Street Fighter 2 - Turbo (1994)
• Street Fighter Alpha (1995)
• Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996)
• Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998)
• Street Fighter 3 - New Generation (1997)
• Street Fighter 3 - 2nd Impact (1997)
• Street Fighter 3 - 3rd Strike (1999)

Now that is a hell of a lot of Street Fighter goodness in one package. I bought it for my Xbox One S but you can also get it on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. But apart from the games themselves what else do you get?

Well there are a few modes. There is the classic offline arcade mode with additional training option but the thing that brings it to life is the online mode. So you can now challenge other players from all over the world which for me makes it feel exactly like the winner stays on experience of playing it in the arcades in the 90s. Now I know there is no point in explaining the Street Fighter format as I am sure by now we have played at least one iteration of this classic series. Just kick the sh** out of the other players with special moves and awesomeness.

I’m been emulating these games for the last few years but there is something about an official release that makes it more tangible and the fact that you have the entire library in one place. You can select video modes. So whether you want to play the original 4:3 version or make it widescreen, the choice is yours. You can even emulate the style whether it be classic CRT TV, arcade or no filter at all, there is plenty to choose from.

You can also save your progress which is a new feature so if you don’t have time to go through a session in one go you can pick up where you left off when you have the time.

And even if you’re new to Street Fighter, depending on which game you play you can go into the options and list all of the special moves so you can perfect them. To be honest, my glory days of playing the game was on an arcade cabinet with a joystick and 6 buttons. Playing on a modern controller is a little different but the help that the game gives you means that you means that it won’t be long before you’re kicking arse in no time.

Other additions for the die hard fan is the museum section where you can find out more about the history of Street Fighter and check out exclusive content. The build up has also been great with documentaries being released on YouTube which bring that nostalgia to 2018.

I’m not going to go into how useless I felt playing it over the last couple of days but I am getting better. The thing that gets me and the thing I mentioned to my wife is the fact that I feel old in the fact that a game I love is celebrating 30 years but what a 30 years it’s been.

It's also hard to ignore the influence that Street Fighter has had on the world of eSports with players competing for huge cash bounties which is a testament to how popular and long lasting it's been and with Street Fighter 4 and 5 continuing the legacy on console there is no sign of it slowing down soon.

If you love the Street Fighter franchise then you will love this game. I think that Capcom are a little cheeky charging £34.99 for a bunch of old games, but as they are ‘these’ games I am willing to give them a pass as it’s given me a blast and I would recommend it to all fans of the original.

Author

Paul Wright

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