It's Valentine's Day, but it's also the opening weekend of a certain Merc with a Mouth's movie AND the birthday of one of Street Fighter's most recognizable characters! After seeing Deadpool, I express how AWESOMELY INSANE GOOD the film was thanks to Ryan Reynolds, and February 14 also happens to be Ken Masters' Birthday! All that, plus more Shoryukens, Chimichangas, and Careless Whispers to celebrate this day of roses and red!XD
The stage is set. The fighters have assembled. The crossover of two epic franchises is here!
When Capcom and Namco Bandai announced to the world that they were going to have a crossover game between Street Fighter and Tekken during the 2010 San Diego Comic Con, my heart raced and pounded like crazy. The tech demo demonstrating the fight between Ryu and Ken vs Kazuya and Nina using a modified Street Fighter IV engine was literally candy to my eyes, and I couldn't wait for this baby to make it home to consoles and to the laps of dedicated fighters waiting to break in the game and push it to the limit. Fast forward to present time, and after almost two years of marketing, teasing, and occasional trolling/ battling between Capcom producer Yoshinori Ono and Namco Bandai Tekken lead director Katsuhiro Harada, Street Fighter X Tekken finally makes its way to the Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. After a week of release, how does the game fair in terms of performance and presentation? Find out with this short review, and see if fists collide with intensity in this brawler!
Guile. The soldier. The badass military fighter. The Sonic Blade.
I first ran into the man with "broomstick hair" back when I first tasted true fighting game goodness with the original Street Fighter II for the Super NES. My cousin picked this guy as his primary character, and unlike Ryu and Ken, he required a 2 second charging window and input to unleash two of his basic and well-known moves - the Sonic Boom and Flash Kick. Guile's story is also a cliche and tribute to the average action hero archetype - He seeks revenge for the death of his best friend and mentor Charlie (who would later become an actual fighter in the Street Fighter Alpha/ Zero series, named Nash in Japan, but later given the full name "Charlie Nash"). Guile's obsession to bring an end to Shadoloo reflected his heroism and determination as a fighter, and his theme song stands out as one of the recognizable tunes in the Street Fighter universe and beyond.
I suppose this song requires no other kind of introduction once you listen to it firsthand. The theme of Colonel William Guile is considered to be the most flexible, inspirational, and fully capable mash-up theme that has garnered a lot of "comeback videos" that you can freely look up in You Tube. This is the second Street Fighter tune I've featured in this list, and without a doubt, it's a classic that any old school gamer will recognize the instant the music hits. Go on, be a family man and click on play now.
Street Fighter II - Guile's Theme
Literally, the song goes with EVERYTHING. Oh, and Jean-Claude Van Damme's got nothing on this one.;D
For as long as I can remember, I've stuck with the fighting game circuit ever since I got into video games. My earliest memories stem back into the days of the arcade and SNES, when Street Fighter II broke into the scene and changed the way players had to brawl and settle disputes once and for all. Through the years, I've seen the series and other games in the genre grow, changing in shape and form and evolving into something that society generally accepts thanks to the intense competition these titles provide. These days the arcade business is slowly getting stale, and online competition is where it's at for most gamers of today's generation. Since I belong to the former, I still stick to my roots even as I conform to newer standards, and as the saying goes - "some things change, while others stay the same".
As a result of my Street Fighter nostalgia, I've been wondering what tune resonates with me today more than the other tracks that have clearly defined the series over the years. I have too many songs I like, and I'll probably pick others later down the line. Yet if I had to pick one for today, it would have to be Ryu's theme from Capcom and Arika'sStreet Fighter EX Plus Alpha - Rising Dragoon. Prior to the 2.5D fighting game we got with the Street Fighter IV series, this was the very first "Street Fighter game in 3D" to explode in the arcade scene, eventually getting upgrades and getting an enhanced port in the Playstation. It's an upbeat and inspiring theme mixed with Japanese ethnic sounds and instruments. This is the arranged version (which is extended and has more emphasis), and I'd definitely recommend this track for SF peeps to give a listen to.
Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha - Rising Dragoon (Extended Ver.)
To commemorate the birthday of one of the best known characters from Capcom's Street Fighter franchise, I used him as my toy photography subject for the day and featured him in a post in Pop Culture Crusader! Do take time to check the link out, and many happy returns, Ryu! Title:"Parking Lot Brawler"
Toy Featured: NECA Street Fighter IV Ryu
Location: Rockwell Power Plant Mall Parking Lot
Taken at: 7/21/11 Taken with: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W320
