The punchline lands on Capcom because while I believed I held the title of the most dedicated Street Fighter enthusiast, I was clueless to the fact that it had been nearly forty years since the sequence featuring Ryu and Ken hurling hadoukens at each other was released. For all of us, time arrives for better or for worse, but SF being the sole franchise having the classic so deeply and lovingly revisited is unique to fighters and for sure, an incredible legacy.
Special account for Street Fighter from Capcom posted the phrase ‘Times may change, but some rivalries never die.’ with a great collage that shows the evolution of the franchise, starting from the 1987 classic to the modern days of SF6. The replies though…classic. The gamers were there, ready to fill the place with love, nostalgia— and of course their usual character demands as well.
But for real, can we take a moment to recognize the fact that Street Fighter has been in existence for 38 years? That’s a couple of years more than some of the players for the title. Justin W. (@the90swasmine) made us take a moment to remember with this comment “38 years? Not going to lie, that stung a little bit. It’s almost as old as me.” Same, dude. Same.
Looking at the timeline, you can tell the tea lies in player requests. If you point to one and a half people, no Dudley? Everyone and their mother has a character that they want. Tez (@MansaMusaThe7th) is out here demanding “Bring back Dudley though. I want to fight like a gentleman.” And, JCMadman (@JCMcboiz) is like “Bring Eagle back as well. They’d make great rivals” with this old school artwork that looks straight outta 90s arcade cabinet art, which is so mid 90’s.
With Andrew Farlam (@AFarlam86) you get the complete list of forgotten “legends”: “Could you try bringing back characters that are interesting? Sean? Eagle? Q?” That’s basically the entire clipped roster of characters Capcom forgot existed.
There are hot takes about the direction. Raijinmeister (@Raijinmeister) came in with “Stop making the characters look like hobos.” (which, some of the SF6 designs are… choices) But then shr0om (@shr0om_FGC) is over here loving Sagat’s face specifically? “I love the face of Sagat so much” with laughing emojis. The community is divided and passionate, for sure.
The nostalgia is strong in these. CryptnKnight (@CryptnKnight) shared “I’ll never forget my first experience with Super Street Fighter II on the SNES. I still think it has one of the most hyped intros in a game, ever.” And honestly? That intro music still slaps. You can hear it in your head right now, can’t you?
Then there’s the real ones, like BigGuyZee (@BigGuyZee) dropping the truth: “Street Fighter isn’t just a fighting game, it’s a way of life.” Preach. Paul Gale (@PaulGaleNetwork) and reel-9 (@LastEmceeAlive) had this entire thread about the impact the game had on them, with reel-9 stating, “I cannot enumerate the ways this game has impacted my life.” That’s really the joy.
Whoops, what was I saying? Oh right — the random takes. Someone (@TeacherCloudX) asked why there is no SF1 Ryu skin with red hair and shoes? Valid question, honestly. The original Ryu’s design was… something else. Lucas (@Land_Njr11) and Soixante (@lateefsanu93119) had this entire thread about how ugly original Ryu was, and Lucas straight up said, “Yep, he was ugly af.” No lies detected.
And of course there’s the movie hopes. Dirky (@713Capital) begging, “Please don’t let the movie be bad. It has to be good this time.” After that 1994 live action movie? We’re all praying, my dude.
Honestly, the asking for a Street Fighter 1 remake is the strangest. Like… the game with the car punching in it? Honorable Fighter (@RyuHonorable) decided to say “SF 1 needs a remake.” It’s a bold take but I’m here for it.
It’s remarkable how the franchise has managed to remain relevant throughout the past 40 years. The company’s flagship title began as an arcade game, then was ported to home consoles and now it’s being played at esports tournaments with millions of dollars of prize pools. Even though the franchise has evolved, some of the core defining features of the original remain. The fireballs, the “dragon punches,” the rivalries, are all still a fundamental part of the game.
Even the complaining about omission of “rivalry intros” from jjtan1984 (@jjtan1984) shows how much the players care about the details. “Too bad there are no rivalry intros” – like, the fact that people notice this stuff! Like many other details about the characters and their relationships. The players care about every detail of these characters and their relationships.
At the end of the day the reason behind the longer running time of Street Fighter comes from one single aspect: the fact that it is not just a game. It is a generational cultural icon and it is passed down the line from older generations to younger ones. Those who once played in arcades alongside sophisticated mechanics now play with their children—but the spirit remains—the quest for, as one tweet put it, “true strength” is still ongoing.
Thirty-eight years is an incredible run for any franchise, and the fact that Street Fighter has been around for that long and still has active customers is impressive. With SF6 breaking records and the community more engaged than ever, I look forward to 38 more years of hadoukens, spinning bird kicks, and yelling “PERFECT” after a no-damage round win. The heart of battle still beats strongly.
