Street Fighter II is a fighting game developed by Capcom in 1991. Initially released as an arcade game, Street Fighter II would soon find its way to all major home consoles (including the SNES and Genesis). Praised for its competitive gameplay and simple control scheme, Street Fighter II is regarded by many as the greatest fighting game of all-time.
One of the strongest elements of Street Fighter II is the variety of fighters the player can choose from. Each character has their own unique combat style and visual appearance. Today we are going to breakdown our favorite fighters based on: power, speed and defense. We will also throw in our favorite all-around character for good measure. We are going OG Street Fighter II here, and bosses will not be considered (sorry Vega).
NOTE: We know we are swimming in sacred fighting game waters here. These are the characters we feel are the best per each category outlined below, but we fully expect opinions to vary on this topic.
Power: Zangief
Zangief is the biggest fighter in the game, and this Russian wrestler is an absolute menace. His basic attacks deal a hefty amount of damage when landed. Zangief also has an assortment of slams, grabs and heavy attacks. But Zangief is slow. Like really slow. Even walking across the screen seems to take forever. But if he manages to get a hold of you, watch out. It is all but over. His Spinning Piledriver will empty your life bar. And his close range throws are crippling. In later versions of the game, Zangief gets even nastier with ridiculous combos. He may be slow, but don’t be fooled. Zangief has the power and wrestling move arsenal to end the match quickly.
Speed: Chun-Li
If speed and quickness is your thing, you cannot go wrong with Chun-Li. She is an incredibly nimble fighter with an assortment of quick attacks. Her basic attacks don’t deal tons of damage, but they are fast and work well when paired with special moves. The Lightning Kick and the Spinning Bird Kick are easy to pull off and extremely devastating when landed at close range. Her wall jump is effective for eluding and blindsiding opponents. Her speed and ability to traverse the screen is unmatched. Experienced players can make her dance across the screen using well-timed jumps and head stomps. Fighting against Chun-Li can be infuriating. She moves quickly, slapping and kicking you senseless.
Defense: Dhalsim
Remember going to the arcade and watching that one dude steal everybody’s quarters with Dhalsim? No matter what you did, you could just not seem to get past those super stretchy limbs. He is an incredible defensive fighter. Guile is pretty good too, but not quite on the same level. Dhalsim makes players pay in the air with his arms (or his kicks). And if you manage to get close? He can instantly torch you with the Yoga Flame. His ground slide is effective for getting out of tight spots as well. Or he could just teleport across the screen. Keeping distance is what Dhalsim does best. He is not the strongest fighter, but hands down (or hands up…or hands across the screen) the best defensive character in the game.
All-Around: Ryu
Ryu is your best bet if you are looking for a good mix of power, speed and defense. He is a well-balanced fighter with a variety of close and long range attacks. His Hadouken is legendary and does a good job of keeping opponents at a distance. Ryu’s Hurricane Kick is similar to Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird kick, and can deal a stupid amount of damage when landed effectively. His Shoryuken uppercut is a double threat, with the ability to smash opponents in close proximity and when jumping through the air. He also has a nice mix of powerful grapples and throws. Ryu is a great character for beginners. His moves are easy to learn. Ryu is serviceable fighter that can do it all.
So there you have it. Our top four fighters in Street Fighter II. Depending on your fighting style and skill level, there is something for everyone. Each character is unique and allows players to fight how they want to fight. At the end of the day, investing time in your favorite fighter will pay dividends because they are all pretty good. And that is what makes Street Fighter II so great.
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