Street Writer: The Word Warrior: June 2018

Saturday, June 30, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #1

I'm proud to say that I was there for the first Street Fighter and was a fan of Capcom since 1984 with the debut of a shooter called 1942. It's hard to believe that I've been following Street Fighter for 30 years. I've met many great people thanks to the series. I made an awesome friend during many heated Street Fighter II battles at the local arcade. I even became the best man at his wedding. I know I'm not alone when it comes to Street Fighter building long-term friendships. I have always believed in the greatness of the fighting game community. Street Fighter is one of the reasons I've been writing online for more than a decade. It will always have a special place in my heart. I've loved the various Capcom fighting games since they debuted, Final Fight, Darkstalkers, Rival Schools, Saturday Night Slam Masters, Power Stone, and on and on. I've followed the developers and their careers once they left Capcom. The Street Fighter team assembled the roster of the greatest fighting game icons we'll ever know. When the majority of the team left Capcom they forever changed the genre. They went to other studios, notably SNK, and they created their own studios like DIMPS and ARIKA. These people built a library of characters, control systems, and game play elements still used to this day. They inspired an entirely new generation of programmers, writers, artists, animators and designers. Street Fighter literally changed the world. With all the praise I give them I know the studio can always do better.

For my final day of the Street Fighter celebration we're going to honor the one that got away. Or thinking more positively, the one that might still find his spot in the lineup. The game series has done a good job at representation. There have been fighters from every corner of the globe, male and female, of every skin color and age featured in the Street Fighter universe. Some were good guys, some were bad guys, and some were victims of circumstance. Many were fantastic but a few were not well done. To be honest every now and then Capcom fell flat on their face. It broke my heart to look at the concept art for Street Fighter IV and see a strong, young, black character in the final stages of design.This character was supposed to be an arch rival to Ken. Only we got Rufus, the joke character instead. The young black man, nicknamed King Cobra took all the elements that made Ken and Ryu unique and incorporated them into his design. He wouldn't have been the only new rival in the game. Juri took a lot of cues from Chun-Li and for some reason that worked with audiences. I have a feeling that King Cobra would have gotten the same amount of love from audiences. It hurts to look at this character this character and wonder what if?

In the planning stages of every Street Fighter not every design was a hit, some were ugly, boring, borderline racist or just horrible. Some of these characters made it into the series but many more were left out of the game. This wasn't exclusive to Capcom. Every lineup had their own growing pains. Many figures were left on the cutting room floor for a reason. At worst the designers were culturally insensitive, at best they were being lazy. Every now and then you could find discarded characters that hit all the right notes. If you saw them in the sketchbook you might wonder why they were left out the game. It's a sad realization that these fighters would most likely never appear in the series. You should always have hope. Street Fighter has made it to 30 years because the most passionate people at Capcom wouldn't let it die. It will continue growing and evolving as long as those energetic voices keep hope alive. Maybe one day we'll see King Cobra in the game. He could be the face that carries the series for another 30 years. You never really know. As always if you enjoyed this blog. Street Fighter is a series worth exploring and explaining. I hope you've revisited some memories during this lengthy series. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Friday, June 29, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #2

Street Fighter has been one of the all-time great fighting game franchises. Part of the reason for its popularity had to do with the World Warriors featured in Street Fighter II. With a hundred or so characters being added into the Street Fighter universe over the past 30 years I would argue that Chun-Li is the most popular one (with Cammy being a close second). Chun-Li is an absolute icon, not only in the fighting game community but for the video game industry as a whole. She's a role-model to women and an inspiration to men. She's a complex character with a fantastic design. A brilliant fighter with a style all her own. She didn't start out perfect in the development stages of Street Fighter II. The planners wanted a kung-fu master in the game, as Lee and Gen had represented different Chinese schools previously. Also they didn't want the new character to be a guy. The first draft of Chun-Li, then called Zhi-Li was very traditional, almost to the point of being a cartoon stereotype. Chinese characters and Chinese-inspired costumes were somewhat popular in Japan in the mid '80s. Thanks in part to the series Ranma 1/2 by Rumiko Takahashi and 3x3 Eyes by Kaoru Wada. Both of those runs debuted in 1987, the same year that the original Street Fighter was released.

It would take a few years for their influence to be felt at Capcom but once it was there the China Daughter would make her way into the Street Fighter universe. There was something missing with the original Chun-Li concept. She was a little too simple, a little too generic. The studio was playing it safe with the lineup. That was when designer Akira "Akiman" Yasuda decided to give her a radical makeover. She was turned from a prodigious girl into a grown woman. She became an undercover cop that had infiltrated the Street Fighter tournament. Her flowing costume was a disguise. She had wrestling boots on and heavy spiked bracelets to add some contrast to her blue silk uniform. She wore tights over her exposed thighs which allowed her to kick and remain modest at the same time. Akiman was a proponent of her legs being her main weapons. She was given the Hyakuretsukyaku aka Lightning Kick and the Kaitenteki Kakukyakushuu aka Spinning Bird Kick as her special attacks. Akiman would forever be known as the father of Chun-Li and the person that painted her best portraits.

Audiences fell in love with Chun-Li at first sight. She was young and energetic. Blindingly fast and able of doing things that none of the other World Warriors could. Despite being an adult she still had some hold overs to her youthful origin. She would jump and giggle with each victory. She would cry with every loss. Even her ending showed that she had a life outside of fighting, which was a stark difference to most of the male characters. After avenging the death of her father she celebrated her newfound independence and went out with her girlfriends. An alternate ending was added where instead of dating she went into police work. She set a standard that would be hard, if not impossible to beat. The best female designs in the Street Fighter universe have borrowed from Chun-Li. Cammy, Blare Dame, Pullum Purna and Juri all took cues from the first lady of Street Fighter. Whether it was costume elements, build or even back story, there was something that connected many of the designs together.

When the studio decided to create a younger version of Chun-Li for the Zero / Alpha series they changed her costume to be an homage to the jumpsuit that Bruce Lee wore in his final movie, the Game of Death. Her spiked bracelet became a weighted bracelet and her wrestling boots were turned into sneakers. It was a clever way of showing her in a more youthful light and celebrating the influences that Capcom designers used when creating the character. Chun-Li is without a doubt one of the biggest reasons why the Street Fighter series has made it to 30 and will keep on going. Do you have a favorite version of Chun-Li or game she appeared in? I'd like to read about it in the comments. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Thursday, June 28, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #3

For the 30th Anniversary of Street Fighter we've talked about Ryu, the hero of the series. We've talked about Sagat, his great rival and the template for a memorable martial arts boss. We've even talked about Vega / The Dictator as a way of redefining what a final boss villain could be. With every fighting game that's ever been and that will ever be, there is one boss that is considered the gold standard. His name is Gouki. You might know him as Akuma. He represents the peak of the mountain, the ultimate fighter if ever one existed. Designed with a frightening appearance he has elements pulled from Asian mythology, including demons, the afterlife, and even lions. His origins are part of a larger narrative. He is the estranged brother of Gouken, the master of Ken and Ryu. He murdered his master and his brother in a fit of rage. He is as complex as he is intimidating. The best renditions of the character coming from the talented hand of Bengus, one of Capcom's best artists.

The origins of Gouki are obscure, owing more to an April Fool's prank rather than clever planning. The long defunct EGM magazine invented a character named Sheng Long who was supposedly the master of Ken and Ryu. He could only be fought under certain conditions. Capcom decided that they should introduce a version of this mythical fighter in one of the final Street Fighter II upgrades for the arcade. His debut in Super Street Fighter II became the stuff of legend. He only showed up at the end of the game if certain conditions were met. He absolutely destroyed Vega before the match started. His moves were far more impressive than Ken or Ryu's. He could throw fireballs while leaping, he could even teleport across the screen. He showed that even the best Street Fighter bosses were far beneath him. His popularity really took off as he was formally added as a playable character in the Street Fighter Zero series. He had his own story and ending to help explain his purpose in the universe. Gouki wasn't the main boss for every character in the Street Fighter universe and that made sense. He wanted to fight the best ever, and in particular see if his brother's students were any good. He was reclusive and you had to work hard to find him and even harder to beat him. He embodied every quality that made for a memorable final boss.

No studio was able to recreate what Capcom had stumbled into. After 30 years we have yet to see a boss character in the series that holds a candle to Gouki. Part of the reason why is because most developers, including the current Capcom stable, have a limited approach to their villain designs. They often create one-dimensional bosses, pure evil with amazing powers and no redeeming factors. Gouki was a murderer, that would never change, but he fought with his own code. He didn't kill everybody he ran into. He was obsessed with a worthy challenge. This was best explained in a drawing by Bengus. Gouki, selling fruit, probably by the side of the road. Earning some money to buy provisions and supplies. He could take whatever he wanted but he was no thief. He only became a monster when a fight was at stake. Gouki looked supernatural, he looked demonic but the thing that made him better than every boss character was his humanity. Gouki could have been a real person with a killer's instinct and that is truly frightening. It may be 30 years before Capcom ever creates a villain as memorable. What do you think about this character? Please let me know in the comments section. If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #4

It's been 30 years of Street Fighter and nobody is talking about Gen. We have to give this grandmaster of kung-fu the attention he deserves. Gen is one of the original opponents in the series, the best fighter in China. He has popped up just a few more times since his debut. His return to the game, in Street Fighter Zero / Alpha 2 (1996), was easily his best appearance. Gen became the first character to offer players two completely different fighting styles, that of the mantis or crane. Players could alternate in between rounds their style by holding down different buttons. This meant completely different move sets, super moves and strategies. Imagine how unpredictable this made him in tournaments. Gen was a call back to the classic fighting archetypes that inspired the original Street Fighter line up. Remember how Dhalsim (#30 on my list) was based on the Yoga Master in the Master of the Flying Guillotine (1976)? Gen is a nod to the various white-haired masters from martial arts cinema, including Executioners from Shaolin (1977), Born Invincible (1978), Abbot of Shaolin (1979), and Fist of the White Lotus (1980). The ancient kung-fu techniques had been featured in cinema but rarely used in actual games until Gen.

The legend of the white haired master went back to the earliest days of the martial arts in China. Gen was derived from a number of movie heroes and villains but even those characters were inspired by historical figures. The most likely root was Bak Mei, one of the founders of the Shaolin school. He was allegedly a survivor of the Shaolin massacre during the Qing Dynasty. He was one of the Five Elders, the survivors of an assassination attempt against the monks. They eventually rebuilt the school and preserved the early martial arts. This group also began developing new schools of fighting based on predatory animals like tigers and eagles. Gen was derived from those classic heroes. He had superhuman strength and speed despite his age and made us believe that these fabled masters might still be hiding in China. He represented the last living member of an ancient lineage. Hiding in plain site, wandering in the back alleys of the oldest corners of Shanghai. Where a centuries-old market had been paved over by a modern, indifferent world. Only a few clues remained of what was once there. A few crumbling signs, posters and ads, left to fall in disrepair in the shadows like the rest of ancient China.

Gen was symbolic of the mythical martial artists. He was just like the characters written about in wuxia, or classic hero stories. These were the ones that inspired revolutions. The handful of masters that led poor people to victory over corrupt regimes using only their fighting skills. These larger-than-life characters killed tigers with their bare hands, could run over rivers and along treetops. The people that were romanticized in stage plays and films. The kung-fu characters inspired people all around the world. Especially the developers working at Capcom in the '80s. His abilities were fantastic but sadly they were out of place. Gen was the last of his kind. A holdover from the 19th century, a person that had a connection to the original masters. His time was rapidly running out and he wanted to be killed in a fight and not by the ravages of age and disease. His legacy did carry through thanks to some talented students he trained. There may never be another character as important to the history of Street Fighter as Gen. For that we salute you on this anniversary and hope that your legacy will live on.v> If you would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #5

Street Fighter is nothing without its star. Where some people may see a bland, almost generic character, I see one of the great fighting game archetypes. Yesterday we celebrated Sagat, the villain of the original game and the strongest fighter in the world. Today we look at Ryu the young star of the series and arguably the new strongest fighter in the entire universe. I say arguably because we also have to consider the strength of his best friend Ken Masters, the cursed siblings Kairi and Shirase, and of course the wrestling legend Victor Ortega. Thirty years ago Ryu was a young red-haired kid wearing slippers and wandering from town to town in the first Street Fighter tournament. Today he is a grown man, old enough to mentor several young prodigies. He is still evolving and becoming more powerful. Perhaps he has yet to reach his full potential and that is a scary thought.

Ryu began his path while still a student, his master Gouken had just been murdered and Ryu felt that he still had many lessons to learn. The only way he could continue on his path was by fighting the best masters he could find. It didn't matter what school or style they studied. Nobody assumed that he would manage to beat Sagat for the recognition as world's best. The game series, manga, comic books, anime and movies that followed all expanded on the legend of Ryu. They gave us an insight to the character. Where were his passions, who were his friends, what did he find in each battle? Fans of the series watched the fighter literally grow up before their eyes. In 30 years we saw his greatest triumphs, his biggest defeats and the hardest lessons he could have ever learned. Those that were there from the beginning felt a particular connection to the man. His most beloved story arc was on of the crown jewels of the series, Street Fighter Zero / Alpha 2. When he almost became a villain.

We discovered that the only reason Ryu was able to beat Sagat was because he fought with murderous intent. The dark hadou, an evil energy, had possessed the man and tried to turn him into a killer. Sagat survived thanks to his strength and size. But the revelation made Ryu more complex. His evil personae was just below the surface, he had to face it and defeat it if he wanted to remain in control of his destiny. It was an amazing period for the man and the series. Many fans like to revisit the character and ask themselves "what if?" The only thing we know for certain is how far Ryu has come. I look forward to growing old with the character. If you are a fan of Ryu let's hear your favorite version in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Monday, June 25, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #6

At one point in time, 30 years ago to be precise, the world's strongest fighter was named Sagat. That title didn't come with a trophy or a belt. It wasn't celebrated on television or reported in the newspapers. It was only by word of mouth that his reputation traveled. People around the globe eventually learned of the man. Those that knew their history, were familiar with underground fighting scene knew who the real world champ was. It was understood that the seven-footer was the most dangerous man on the planet. How long did he hold the reputation? Perhaps years, but more likely decades. He lost his left eye in a fight. He killed the man that took his eye in that fight. He was never the same after that, not physically and not mentally. One day a young kid from Japan beat Sagat in a fight. His reputation exploded. Sagat disappeared after his defeat. Some thought he died. He was actually recovering and training. He had become more dangerous than ever before when he returned.

When it comes to fighting game design there may never be a better template to work from than Sagat. The bald, eyepatch-wearing giant was a master of Muay Thai. It was one of the longest-lived and certainly most lethal of the South Asian fighting arts still being practiced today. Fighters can not only punch and kick but can also grapple their opponents and use knee and elbow strikes. In some versions of the sport the punching gloves are replaced by braided cord which causes massive cuts to their opponents. Matches are often very violent and very bloody. It's actually amazing that Sagat didn't kill more men in the ring based on his style. From a design standpoint there was a problem with the character. Somebody so monstrous could only be used as the final boss one time. It was shocking to see someone that big and fast in the original game. It would have however been anticlimactic if he were the final boss two times in a row. The new final villain in the game, Vega / The Dicatator was so unique that he rewrote the book on final boss design. Sagat remained in the series as the eternal rival to Ryu. He returned in Street Fighter II as a sub-boss. He had changed considerably. He had a massive scar across his torso and a new move, the Tiger Punch that he created to destroy Ryu.

By all accounts Sagat should have died after the events of the original Street Fighter. The Shoryuken or Dragon Punch that Ryu used against him was supposed to be a lethal strike. The punch was powerful enough to split boulders. It was a sacred technique known only to Ryu, Ken, and their seniors Gouken and Gouki. Sagat was almost cut in half but he survived and somehow became a more powerful in the process. It was a profound bit of storytelling and character evolution. Sagat was inspired by real world fighters and comic book characters, but somehow he rose above them to become his own legend. On the anniversary of Street Fighter I want to remind you all about the original champ. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Sunday, June 24, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #7

Darun Mister is one of the great all-time grapplers in the Street Fighter universe. He debuted more than 20 years ago in Street Fighter EX. I've already talked about Victor Ortega, the pro wrestling heavyweight champion in the Street Fighter universe. Victor dominated the competition and retired undefeated. He resurfaced years later to test out the next generation of pro wrestlers. I've also talked about the Wraith, one of the more obscure, and macabre pro wrestlers in the Street Fighter universe. Both Ortega and the Wraith were gigantic and fearsome grapplers. But neither, at least not to the best of my knowledge, have ever faced Darun Mister in or out of the ring. Darun is the Indra (Indian) wrestling champion. His championship belt is among the greatest ever designed for a game. I mean just look at the gold, silver and ruby-encrusted elephant on the belt! He dominated the competition in South Asia as much as Ortega had around the world. He also served as the personal bodyguard for Pullum Purna. The duo traveled the globe fighting other champions during the EX tournament.

Darun was such an exceptional grappler that he actively sought out masters of other disciplines. When he was defeated by the demon Garuda he swore to return stronger for a rematch. Just a reminder that Garuda killed his opponents but Darun was simply too tough to die. If the story of Darun rings a bell it's because he is a second-take on the character Zangief. The Red Cyclone set a standard that was pretty tough to beat in the Street Fighter series. The team at ARIKA had a hand in developing the original Street Fighter II cast, so when they created the EX series they made parallels in their fighting lineup. Darun was beat-for-beat a counter to Zangief and was destined to be his rival in canon. Believe it or don't Zangief was inspired in part by an actual wrestler named Victor Zangief that the Capcom crew saw on TV. I mentioned previously that Victor Ortega was inspired by wrestlers like Superstar Billy Graham and Hulk Hogan. The Wraith was inspired by The Undertaker and even Darun was based in reality. The Great Gama was a turn-of-the-century wrestling legend from India that sought out and beat the European champions. He was celebrated as a hero in his home country and was a perfect template to rival the burly Russian.

More than a hundred years has passed since the Great Gama was in his prime. The good news is that Darun Mister will always be in peak physical condition and looking for opponents to mangle. I enjoyed playing as the character in Street Fighter EX and look forward to his return in Fighting EX Layer. Today we celebrate this legend. Do you have a favorite Street Fighter wrestler? If so tell me in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Saturday, June 23, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #8

Guile is without a doubt an over-the-top G.I. Joe-cartoon character squeezed into the Street Fighter II lineup for the sake of appealing to Westerners. I should be mad but I'm not. I'm not mad about his nonsensical haircut. Or that he looks like a caveman because he's missing his eyebrows. I'm not even mad about the USA flag tattoo and camo pants that obviously every serviceman gets when they enlist. Capcom of Japan really had our number when designing the westerner. Every fiber of Guile's being was infused with military imperialism. It was a bit on the nose. That's why I can't say anything bad about it. Guile deserves to be remembered on the 30th anniversary of Street Fighter. Not because of the overt pandering but instead because of what he evolved into.

Guile's look was obtuse for a reason. The Capcom designers were heavily influenced by the stylish manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. The tall hair was pulled from Jean Pierre Polnareff, the military muscle from Rudol von Stroheim and the name taken from Jean Pierre's rival J. Geils. Despite this mix of influences Guile was a prime example of how military design worked in a fighting game. Just about every other character presented was an archetype of a school of fighting. We had the karate guys, the kung-fu girl, the wrestler, the boxer, a muay thai champ, and so on. We could more or less tell what they were about just by looking at them. Then there was this super buff American soldier. We didn't know what style he practiced but knew he could brawl. Not only could he fight but he had some very unorthodox moves. He could do an inverted head kick, a somersault "Flash Kick" and even had his own variation of the fireball called the "Sonic Boom." These moves were flashy and very effective in the game, making him a sold choice for the tournament crowd. His fighting ability was as mysterious as his personality. His origins and reason for entering the Street Fighter competition were shrouded in secrecy.

It turned out that Guile was a special forces officer. He was on the hunt for Vega / The Dictator. Years ago he lost his best friend Charlie Nash in a Shadowlaw ambush. Guile swore revenge and traveled the globe looking for clues. His obsession lead him to abandon his family. Nash was not only his best friend, he was also the one that taught him how to fight. These small details would be revealed over the events in Street Fighter II and Street Fighter Zero. As Guile's origin came into focus it made him more interesting. He wasn't just a pandering brute but an interesting archetype. He would become central to the plot of Street Fighter II and even get a prominent role in the animated movie. There hadn't been many military fighters in this series or other games that was as interesting. So to Guile we salute you on this anniversary! As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Friday, June 22, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #9

Vega / The Dictator, maniacal tyrant, master of the mysterious Psycho Power and leader of the military nation Shadowlaw might just about be the perfect fighting game villain. Think about it for a moment. When Street Fighter came out in 1987 it made sense that just about every opponent the main characters came across were martial arts masters. This was a straight-forward story of Ken and Ryu trying to prove their worth by traveling the globe and fighting the best of the best. It could have been the plot for a comic book, or a movie. It was just a traditional story. The sequel worked because it was more or less the same exact setup. Only now we could play as a bunch of other fighters with their own unique styles. The constant was different masters. The thing was in canon Ryu had already become the strongest fighter in the world. Who could he possibly fight that was more imposing than Sagat? It turned out that the series had someone very unique in mind.

Go back in time and imagine what it was like for audiences the very first time they got to the final boss in Street Fighter II. After beating all of the World Warriors, then fighting a massive boxer, a Spanish assassin and the previous world champ Sagat there was one person left. This character was standing in front of a Thai temple, wearing a cape that he tossed aside in dramatic fashion. What was he all about? He was more than a foot shorter than Sagat. Actually Vega wasn't even 6-foot-tall in canon. He also didn't dress like a martial artist, but instead like a militaristic cartoon villain. This look was interesting. The things he did as soon as round started made him unforgettable. He didn't fight like any other character and his style didn't fit any school of martial art. He could leap across the screen, stomp on the head of players or slide along the ground and trip his opponents. His special ability, the Psycho Crusher, allowed him to fly across the screen while engulfed in a weird blue flame. It was obvious that players were now dealing with a super villain. There was a reason why even Sagat was now a subordinate.

If you were trying to figure out how Street Fighter II became a smash hit just look at Vega. He demonstrated the dramatic change that had to happen between the first and second games. It wasn't enough to expand the library of playable characters and bosses. The final villain had to be more powerful than any other character, and not by a little bit but instead by a wide margin. He had to be so powerful that he could have easily served as the boss in other fighting games. You were never going to forget the Dictator, his glowing eyes, or armored costume. He was a villain that you could celebrate, like Darth Vader. His inclusion meant that Street Fighter was now a game with a deeper plot. Characters could grow and change. They could build relationships and evolve. Vega was the measuring stick that all following bosses would try to beat. I'm happy to bring him up on the 30th anniversary of Street Fighter and I look forward to seeing if his final days are upon us. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Thursday, June 21, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #10

Blair Dame is a very unique character in the Street Fighter universe. There have been many amazing women leading the charge but Blair is a real standout. She was introduced in Street Fighter EX in 1996. ARIKA developed their cast to be a balance for the Street Fighter II: World Warriors. Blair was the counter to Chun-Li. This meant that she had to be strong, powerful and confident. Her heritage was one of prestige and wealth but these things bored her. Her passion was in fighting. She wasn't a student of one style or form. She had fast hands in the game and equally fast feet. She could go toe-to-toe with a striker but was also a capable grappler. She could take down opponents and get them in a bone-breaking move very quickly. Her well-rounded ability made her the first mixed martial arts star in the Street Fighter universe. Alex from Street Fighter III wouldn't appear until a year later. The haughty billionaire Karin Kanzuki, from Street Fighter Alpha 3, appeared two years after Blair.

Blair is fun to play as in the series because she can string together punches and kicks so easily. Players can mix and match different moves to hit high or low depending on whatever is most effective. To confuse opponents she can even move from a strike to a tackle faster than just about any fighter. Blair also has the distinction of appearing in ARIKA's other fighting game, the Namco produced Fighting Layer. She, along with Allen Snider, helped expand the universe of Street Fighter into new uncharted territory. Granted most Street Fighter fans will never acknowledge the Fighting Layer characters as falling within canon. It doesn't mean they were not great characters to begin with. A good reason why Street Fighter II was a hit was due to Akira Nishitani and his team that founded ARIKA. Now that they are back in the business with Fighting EX Layer then it makes Blair one of the rare characters that has appeared in three different 3D fighting games.

Blair has been around 22 of Street Fighter's 30 years. There are many reasons as to why she is so long-lived in the franchise. She is an amazing character. Like most of her EX co-stars she has only become more interesting as time has gone on. How her relationship with former bodyguard Cracker Jack has changed will eventually be explored in Fighting EX Layer. What I do know is that her status in the Street Fighter universe is secure. Few women in fighting games have been as well rounded. We certainly could use more role models like her. What do you think about Blair or the other female fighters in the universe? I'd like to read about it in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #11

In the 30 years since Street Fighter was created there have been many characters that have come and gone. One of those that remains timeless is Guy. The origin of Guy and his friends was the stuff of legend. The short version goes like this; Street Fighter wasn't a smash hit when it debuted in 1987. Technos on the other hand had ruled arcades with their game Double Dragon. When Capcom decided to create a sequel for Street Fighter they went in the direction of making a better version of Double Dragon. With three playable characters named Guy, Cody and Haggar, who were supposed to replace Ryu and Ken as the stars of the game. This new brawler would be called Street Fighter '89. Arcade owners didn't like the shift from one-vs-one fighting game so Capcom relabeled it Final Fight and started working on Street Fighter II instead. Guy was supposed to replace Ryu, as Cody was supposed to replace Ken in the series. This time around the Japanese and US fighters would look and play completely different.

The DNA of Final Fight could be seen in SNK's Fatal Fury. Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto helped create the original Street Fighter and had a lot of notes about a radical new sequel. One which featured three main characters instead of two. They never got to start work on this new fighting game at Capcom. The duo left the studio and went to SNK where they developed the King of Fighters universe. The trio of characters they created turned out to be Terry Bogard, Andy Bogard and Joe Higashi. The reason why Guy worked in the lineup was the same as why Terry worked. These were the new fighting archetypes. Instead of looking like a character from an old martial arts movie they had cues from modern heroes. Guy looked like some sort of classical ninja until you noticed that he was wearing sneakers. It was a subtle but stylish upgrade to the classical look. It was Bruce Lee that we had to thank for this shift in thinking. Lee pulled the action movie genre into the future. He didn't have to play a master in ancient China when he could be a present-day hero. He could wear sneakers, sunglasses and ride a motorcycle while still being a realistic fighter.

Guy's red solid-color uniform and sneakers had the same level of coolness as Bruce Lee's yellow outfit in the movie Game of Death. It wasn't hard to imagine that he could easily dethrone Ryu as the main character in the Street Fighter universe. The fact that his lightning quick speed, leaping kicks and backhand punches easily made the transition from Final Fight in 1989 to Street Fighter Zero in 1995 showed that he was always ready for the spotlight. Throw in a mysterious master named Zeku that only recently became a playable character and you had all the makings of a Street Fighter Legend. Guy was just one of the many reasons why the series has lasted for 30 years. The game had now multiple generations following it and it showed no signs of slowing down. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #12

Akira Kazama is probably not a name that you know off the top of your head. She's also a character that you've probably never played as. Hundreds of characters exist in the Street Fighter universe, of those a few dozens are main characters and the rest are supporting players. Akira is a very interesting because of her role in the Rival Schools series. The game was a high school mystery featuring fighting game archetypes. They were in essence like the next generation of Street Fighter characters. In the game a Gedo High School senior and gang leader named Daigo Kazama began ordering his crew to begin attacking other schools. It was out of character for him as he mostly kept the peace at his own school. Daigo represented the classic bancho, or tough-guy gang leader that was popularized in film and manga. Most people in society wouldn't have cared that he was acting strangely, after all, wasn't fighting the only thing delinquents did?

His friends, fellow gang members and especially his family knew something was wrong. Daigo had gone missing for a short while before he returned and began orchestrating attacks on rival schools. His sister Akira was trying to find out what had happened to him and if there were other forces at play. When the game debuted audiences didn't know that Akira and Daigo were related. In fact audiences did not know that Akira was a girl until the end of the game. Capcom created a prototypical fighting badass and did a great job at hiding her gender. Akira was a neutral name and her costume of heavy motorcycle padding was androgynous. The skull motif, chains and spiked padding made her very menacing. It wasn't hard for most to assume that this gang member was just another guy.

Akira was a shining example of the Street Fighter school of design. When we looked at the lineup in a Street Fighter universe game we could right away tell that they were meant for fighting. The costumes, the colors, the details all said they were people you didn't want to mess with. None did it better than Akira. At the same time characters in the Street Fighter universe came from every walk of life. I had previously mentioned that pro wrestlers, circus acrobats, boxers, mercenaries and even demons worked within Street Fighter continuity. Akira was a schoolgirl with a heart of gold, but anime schoolgirls were a tired trope. She had to undergo a transformation so that audiences would believe that she was serious business. Anime schoolgirls were becoming a tired trope, that was why Akira looked like somebody else entirely. This motorcycle riding badass was a great brawler and could swing a mean chain. After 30 years there wasn't anyone in the series that had such a great reveal until the end of the game. That was one of the reasons why we should celebrate Akira and characters like her every time they appear. Did you enjoy the Rival Schools series? If so I'd like to hear about it in the comments. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!

Monday, June 18, 2018

30 years of Street Fighter: 30 years of Characters #13

After 30 years of Street Fighter there were few characters as fascinating as Kairi. This boss-level figure struggled with personal (and literal) demons during the events of Street Fighter EX tournament. Very few in the universe had as complex a back story. His half-sister Hokuto / Shirase was certainly one of those rare exceptions. Kairi was a mysterious figure central to the plot of the EX series. He was an exceptional fighter but was suffering from amnesia. His look was unique, he wore a dark blue uniform, more ninja-like than karate. He was covered in scars and even had a large one over his eye. His super moves caused him great pain. He was tortured by the energy flowing within him. This caused him to evolve within the series. He went from an average character to someone with boss-level power between the first and second EX titles. If this sort of evolution sounds familiar there was a reason why.

Kairi was created by the staff at ARIKA, many of whom worked on Street Fighter II. Kairi was a star character and designed to be an evolved version of Ryu. A sort of second-take on the character. By the same token Allen Snider was designed to be a new version of Ken. Both fighters had similar inspirations, and similar origins. Capcom explored giving Ryu more power and more moves by turning him evil in the middle of the Street Fighter Zero / Alpha series. This was to demonstrate that Ryu could become a villain like Gouki / Akuma. It also set up the possibility that he could assume his role in continuity. Ryu was able to overcome his dark personae by the end of the Zero series. The same thing did not happen with Kairi. He gave in to his dark power and it made him much stronger. His hair even changed from black to white to signify this transformation.

What made Kairi unique was that he didn't become a villain. Instead he became a boss-level character that wasn't necessarily good or evil. He was a melancholy fighter that sought a challenge, and possibly death in battle. In EX canon he defeated Gouki as well as the demon Garuda. Kairi became a warrior without peer, destined to walk the path alone. I certainly look forward to how the character has evolved in the next EX game as well as how his relationship with his sisters has changed. Do you enjoy characters with unique stories as much as I do? I'd like to hear about your most memorable characters in the comments section. As always if you enjoyed this blog and would like to sponsor me please visit my Patreon page and consider donating each month, even as little as $1 would help make better blogs and even podcasts!