Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers - A Retrospective

I feel like I don't play enough Street Fighter.

Netflix anime series High Score Girl is centered around Street Fighter II, a game that is still near and dear to me as I still regularly play Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers on the Switch. I will always love the series and never tire of playing, but it was still great to reconnect with the phenomenon vicariously through the anime, back when the game was new and took the world by storm. The anime does a great job of taking you back in time, reliving the birth of the fighting game phenomenon all over again and also witnessing the humble advent of the now booming competitive fighting game scene.

High Score Girl, above all else, portrays the connection gamers once shared with each other in the real world, long before the convenience of playing with complete strangers on the internet. Video games have always been accused of being an anti-social hobby, and this is strongly implied in the anime as well, but in hindsight, it really wasn't the case at all. Video games gave us a place to escape, and also gave us like-minded friends with whom to share those virtual adventures. Fighting game tournaments bring expert players from all over the world, united under the banner of virtual fighting.

Street Fighter may be on every system that has ever existed (sometimes even unofficially) but it has always lent itself naturally to Nintendo consoles. At one time the association was at its strongest, back when the best way to enjoy arcade hits at home was on the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System. For many who have been around the block for a while, our fondest memories were on a Nintendo system.

When Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers was first announced for the Switch in the build-up to the system's launch, I was over the moon, and this was despite the moaning of critics claiming how this was the 1000th edition, among other cringe-inducing hyperbole. To me, it was a celebration, and a homecoming, of the most celebrated gaming franchises that can claim to be a global household name. Although the series has taken a much different direction in this day and age, it was refreshing to see Capcom dial it back to basics on the Nintendo Switch. In a way, it invited an audience which had long been alienated by newer games in the franchise.

Years after its launch, Ultra Street Fighter II has remained active on the online circuit, leaving behind its lukewarm critical reception. Despite the middling reviews from critics mostly complaining about the price (which was well below a standard Switch RRP, by the way), the game would go on to be a commercial success. Both as a physical retail release (good luck finding a copy in stores now) and especially as an eShop release, it exceeded Capcom's own sales expectations. It is a Switch classic in every sense and loved by many gamers despite critics trying to convince everyone otherwise.

Ultimately this is the same Street Fighter II experience the gaming populace has always loved, and complaining about a new version of it won't change the fact that this is an eternally playable fighting game. Any version of this classic will always be considered a great game, whether it's among those who were fortunate enough to witness its inception and rise to video game stardom back in the '90s, or even those who are discovering it for the first time after their introduction to the franchise with Street Fighter IV or even Street Fighter 6.

No matter how many times or years you play Street Fighter II, no two matches ever feel alike, and the perfectly balanced roster of now iconic characters still, to this day, inspires modern fighting games. There's something in it for all play styles, all levels of experience, and something to keep everyone coming back. For these reasons I find myself returning to Ultra Street Fighter II, with each online battle giving me something new to remember, making me feel as if I am playing for the very first time. An observation of my own experience, in the 30 or so years I have been playing the series: I never actually used T. Hawk, perhaps less than five times to date, which may give me something new to discover about the game down the track. Speaking of rare characters, Akuma initially made his debut in the series as a secret boss character with a convoluted unlocking process, but in this Switch exclusive, he can be selected right from the start.

It surprises a lot of people that my main go-to World Warrior is E. Honda. As a child when I first started playing these games, the hundred-hand slap was an easy and fun move to execute, but now as a more seasoned player, Honda has the ability to dish out high damage and close in on opponents with unreal speed. One may assume that he has a disadvantage against projectile attacks, but this super-sumo athlete can cover distances in an eyeblink, being able to corner and pummel his opponent in a heartbeat. He also has some impressive grapples that would make Zangief shake in his boots. Everyone has their favorite character and personal history, so while there's nothing wrong with using Ryu and Ken, the gameplay gets far more adventurous when you explore other styles, particularly those that don't have the convenience of long-range projectiles.

Ultra Street Fighter II is the pioneering accumulation of versus fighting, with all the classic songs and stages intact, along with all the gameplay additions and revisions made throughout its history. The remixed visuals and soundtrack are great too, although I personally prefer the combination of classic visuals and remixed music to make a vintage game feel like a modern-day classic. The three new playable characters are a great part of the enjoyment too, whether it's the unstoppable Evil Ryu, the faster combo-focused Violent Ken, or the mythical secret boss Shin Akuma himself, who makes his first true playable debut in the mainline continuity since the Game Boy Advance spin-off launch title Turbo Revival. Granted, they're not completely brand-new characters, but they still offer fresh gameplay styles, unlike their original counterparts.

Think of it this way; the last time the game introduced new characters was back in 1993 with Super Street Fighter II, and it has been perfectly balanced ever since, so anything completely new added to an already perfectly tuned character roster is a huge deal. These enhanced versions of Ken, Ryu, and Akuma are a pretty sweet deal. Yes, they are overpowered, and they do indeed break the "fairness" of matchups, but that's part of the entertainment and appeal. It's like when the supercharged boss characters (Vega, Barlog, Sagat, and M. Bison) became playable in Champion Edition for the first time.

Much like how the Samurai Shodown reboot in 2019 went back to its roots to reinvent itself, Ultra Street Fighter II is proof that no number of systems or meters can ever replace the core, sound fundamentals of one-on-one fighting. For some of us, it was a landmark moment to revisit the magic of being a gamer in the 90s, but with better graphics! I took a day off from work, picked up the game first thing in the morning as soon as the store opened, and spent six hours just enjoying it on my own before I even got into the online multiplayer. I even had friends, who had long stopped playing video games for decades, come over to enjoy some Street Fighter (the JoyCons are functional enough).

Ultra Street Fighter II naturally lends itself to the Switch just as Street Fighter II Turbo did on the SNES decades ago. It's raw, hard-hitting, and offers endless bouts for instant combat gratification. The thoroughly tested gameplay formula is unquestionably the most polished it has ever been. Those claiming that it's more of the same need to play some of the prior titles in Street Fighter: 30th Anniversary Collection, just to appreciate how smooth and responsive the gameplay of Ultra Street Fighter II is by comparison. Classic Street Fighter has been rejuvenated here just like Namco has done with Pac-Man in recent years.

Re-tuned iconic characters, compelling variations of classic fighters (Evil Ryu, Violent Ken, and Shin Akuma), intuitively balanced and refined combat, and a thoughtfully remixed art style and soundtrack, all breathe new life into Street Fighter II. A classic that was already endlessly playable in its own right.

Moral of the story: I need to play more Street Fighter.