Top 10 Street Fighter Characters Of All-Time
Since 1987 when the first Street Fighter game hit arcades, gamers everywhere have been struck down with RSI from throwing constant Hadoukens and Shoryukens.
Over the years and through many incarnations there has been a massive roster of Street Fighter characters, some to remember and some to forget. Here are some of the top 10 best.
10. Blanka
First up is Blanka, one of the stranger creations of the Street Fighter world.
He developed his rather unusual skin colour either from being struck by a lightening bolt or because he spent to long in the jungle, depending on which back-story you prefer.
Complete with an ever-annoying ability to electrocute everything, he is a beast of a defensive character.
Deceptively fast at throwing himself across screen and with the technique of sliding lankily across the floor toward you, he is possibly the most annoying player to compete against.
That coupled with the fact he’s green, slightly feral and has the first name Jimmy despite looking like something from the depths of the Amazon places him in at ten.
9. Fei Long
Originally built in homage to Bruce Lee, Fei Long has grown to be more than that.
Over the development of Street Fighter he has become a firm favourite for his simple style and flying fists.
With a fighting style that is very true to his inspiration, Fei Long can really hammer you into a corner when he needs to with string after string of punches.
The Street Fighter series has a great tradition of creating pastiches of other characters from both real life and the virtual world, but Fei Long is the one character that stands head and shoulders above those, well, aside from Hugo.
8. Guile
A classic all American tough guy, complete with dog tags and the stars and stripes tattooed to his arms, Guile, is next on the list.
Forever fighting for his lost comrade and fellow fighter Charlie, Guile goes about his business in a very regimented way.
Balanced with attack and defence he’s not the most spectacular and over the top character (besides that hair) and goes about chopping down opponent’s health in a measured way.
Without some of the fireworks of other characters, he has the ability to have you half dead before you’ve even noticed.
It’s for these reasons that he is up here at number eight, as long as there isn’t a Belgian in sight.
7. Vega
What do bullfighting and ninjas have in common? The answer is Vega, the number seven on this list.
A man ruled by tragedy and beauty, Vega is up there as one of the top Street Fighters purely because of his flamboyance.
The ability to lose both his mask and claw, whilst annoying at times are an interesting addition to the street fighter universe, as well as being able to interact with the stage, something that has since become a massive factor in various other series of beat ‘em ups.
With impressive range and speed, as well as some of the games showier moves Vega is built for someone that likes to look good as they beat there opponent to a pulp, in almost stark contrast to Guile.
This is also represented in Vega’s vanity, wearing a mask to protect his face from any wound that might affect his looks.
He lacks defence so he’s not a character for beginners, but if you’re at the stage where you’re more concerned about how you beat your opponent rather than just grinding out the win, then Vega is for you.
6. Chun-Li
The first female of the series and of any fighting game, Chun-Li is smart, cultured and a strong symbol of femininity.
Up until her release video games were about macho men saving the girl, she showed that sometimes they didn’t need saving.
She has balanced game play, with a degree of complexity thrown in for more advanced fighters.
Slightly over shadowed in later games by some of the other lead characters storylines Chun-Li still remains a massive icon, not only for Street Fighter but video games in general.
If it wasn’t for her, female characters might still waiting for there hero to come and rescue them from their dungeon, instead of kicking the doors down and breaking out.
5. Sagat
The original boss of the Street Fighter series, Sagat, has everything a bad guy should have; eye patch, giant scar and freakish build.
Sagat has reach, strength and projectiles, making him a tough opponent and a great choice for a player looking to hand out a beating to some of the games weaker characters.
Despite being seven-foot-four he still has a fair bit of speed, unlike a lot of the game’s other big hitters.
For a boss as well he’s not all about the world domination, like a lot of the bosses later in the series, he simply just likes a good punch up to prove how strong he is.
Plus he shoots fire from his hands, so what more do you want.
4. Cammy
One part legs, one part skimpy outfit, one part British and one part kicking the crap out of you.
If that’s how you’re built up, then you’re more than likely Cammy. Fast, strong and able to attack you on various levels, Cammy is an offensive players dream.
When she appeared in Street Fighter II she became the pin up girl of the series.
Where as Chun Li represented a more reserved and intelligent interpretation of a female fighter, Cammy represents the powerful femme fatal, someone that’d crack your skull open and yet you’d still fall for her.
With Cammy it’s not just about the looks though, she has the complexity of play and depth to back it up. One question does remain though, how does she keep that beret on when she’s spinning all over the place…
3. Ryu
The original Street Fighter, tough, cool and responsible for every kid of the 90’s shouting Hadouken whilst throwing things at one another, Ryu is at number four.
Ryu represents a generation of gamers; socially awkward, determined to be the best, constantly battling and forever thinking a headband looks good.
He is an instantly recognisable icon for video games, with his minimalist design and signature moves he is the archetype that the series is built on.
Ryu plays like you’d expect a headline character to, simple, smooth and effectively.
He’s the obvious first pick of the Street Fighter virgin and his class and consistency make him a solid pick from then onwards.
2. Ken
Beating his biggest rival by one place on this list is Ken Masters.
After stepping out of the shadows of Ryu in Street Fighter II, Ken has fast become many gamers favourite character.
With slightly more speed in recent games, allowing for better closer combat and the ever recognisable and reliable Hadouken, Ken is great both for beginner and seasoned pro.
Where as Ryu is all about training and determination, Ken is more about having fun, which ultimately is what gaming should be about.
When trying to split Ken and Ryu, I asked myself “who would I rather go for a pint with?” and when it comes to that Ken wins hands down.
I mean Ryu’s not exactly gonna get a round in.
1. Zangief
Who can say no to a big, half naked, hairy Russian? The red cyclone has graced our joysticks since 1991.
Sure he might be a stereotype, but that doesn’t make him any less enjoyable to play as.
Dealing out massive damage with grappling attacks, playing against him always inspires a deep sense of dread.
Unlike playing against some characters where it’s just plain annoying, playing Zangief is more about proving your courage by stepping into his grapple range and battling him practically created the “jump in, punch, pray you don’t get thrown and jump away again” strategy.
No Russian has been as accepted by foreign audiences, until Trololo man hit YouTube a few years ago.
With his chest bigger than the sun and a beard to make Chuck Norris jealous, he tops my list of Street Fighter characters.
(source:whatculture.com)
