Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
Encyclopedia
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, released in Japan as , is a competitive fighting game
released for the arcades by Capcom
in . It was the first of several updated versions of the original Street Fighter II
. The main changes consisted of the addition of the Grand Masters (the final four computer-controlled opponents in the single-player mode) as playable characters and mirror matches (same character vs. matches). The fighting techniques of the eight main characters from the original game were also further refined to allowed for more balanced competitive play.
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition was followed by Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting
, released several months later.
, Vega
, Sagat
, and M. Bison
), who were the final opponents controlled by the computer in the single-player mode, are now usable by players. However, their strength compared to the other player characters were not toned down even a bit from their computer-controlled counterparts. As a result, they became some of the most powerful characters in the game.
as their character, the other player would be forced to use one of the other characters. In Champion Edition, this was corrected by giving each character two color palettes. The characters' original color palette from the original game are selectable by pressing the punch buttons, while their alternate palettes are selectable with Start or kick buttons. If a second player chooses a character already selected by the first player, then the second player will use the palette that was not selected by the first player. The font of the player's name display also changes colors from yellow to blue if their character is using an alternate color scheme.
's and Ken
's fighting techniques in particular were changed in order to differentiate both characters' playing styles.
port of the first Street Fighter II, as it featured the barrel breaking bonus stage that was cut out from that version, along with numerous voice clips by the announcer and the elephants in Dhalsim's stage (although, these were later integrated in Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES). Although the majority of PC Engine games released during the port's production were CD-ROMs, this version was released on a 20-Megabit HuCard. A six-button controller was released specifically for the game. When Dash is played on a regular two-button controller, the Run button, along with buttons I and II, are used as switchable attack buttons, while the Select button is used to toggle between punches and kicks.
port of Street Fighter II′ was also released in 1997 for the Brazil
ian market, published by Tec Toy. This version, based on Champion Edition (hence the prime symbol), although the character designs in the player select screen are based onSuper Street Fighter II. It features only eight characters: Dhalsim, Honda, Zangief and Vega are not in this version.
, which both also included Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. In the SNES version, Hyper Fighting is the default game mode, while in Special Champion Edition it's Champion Edition. It is also included in Street Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom Generation 5) for the PlayStation
and Sega Saturn
, as well as Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for the PlayStation 2
and Xbox
, and Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for PlayStation Portable
.
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
released for the arcades by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
in . It was the first of several updated versions of the original Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
. The main changes consisted of the addition of the Grand Masters (the final four computer-controlled opponents in the single-player mode) as playable characters and mirror matches (same character vs. matches). The fighting techniques of the eight main characters from the original game were also further refined to allowed for more balanced competitive play.
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition was followed by Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting
Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting
Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting, released in Japan as , is a competitive fighting game released for the arcades by Capcom in . It is the third game in the Street Fighter II sub-series of Street Fighter games following Street Fighter II: Champion Edition...
, released several months later.
Game System
Street Fighter II: Champion Edition featured the following changes from the play mechanics inherited from the original Street Fighter II.Playable bosses
The four Grand Masters (BalrogBalrog (Street Fighter)
Balrog is a character from the Street Fighter fighting game series.Balrog is depicted as an African American boxer wearing blue trunks with white trim and a torn white shirt under a blue tank top. He wears red boxing gloves and boxing shoes...
, Vega
Vega (Street Fighter)
Vega is a fictional character from the Street Fighter fighting game series. Vega is a masked, claw-wielding warrior from Spain who uses a personal fighting style combining Japanese Ninjutsu and Bullfighting, earning him the nickname the "Spanish Ninja".Vega first appears in the original Street...
, Sagat
Ságat
Ságat is a Sámi newspaper written in Norwegian that is published in the county of Finnmark in Norway with a circulation of 2,717 ...
, and M. Bison
M. Bison
M. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
), who were the final opponents controlled by the computer in the single-player mode, are now usable by players. However, their strength compared to the other player characters were not toned down even a bit from their computer-controlled counterparts. As a result, they became some of the most powerful characters in the game.
Mirror matches
In the original Street Fighter II, players were not allowed to choose the same character without the use of a glitch. This meant that if one player chose Chun-LiChun-Li
is a video game character produced by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II, she has since appeared as a player character in nearly all subsequent games....
as their character, the other player would be forced to use one of the other characters. In Champion Edition, this was corrected by giving each character two color palettes. The characters' original color palette from the original game are selectable by pressing the punch buttons, while their alternate palettes are selectable with Start or kick buttons. If a second player chooses a character already selected by the first player, then the second player will use the palette that was not selected by the first player. The font of the player's name display also changes colors from yellow to blue if their character is using an alternate color scheme.
Refined character balance
The returning eight main characters had many of their techniques and priorities modified in order to allow for more balanced match-ups between different characters. RyuRyu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
's and Ken
Ken Masters
, originally spelled in Japanese as , is a video game character created by Capcom. As a main character, he has appeared in all of the Street Fighter games along with his best friend and rival, Ryu...
's fighting techniques in particular were changed in order to differentiate both characters' playing styles.
Single-player mode
The matches in the single-player mode was increased from 11 opponents to 12 due to the addition of the mirror matches. This also changed the order in which the third bonus stage occurred (the drum-breaking minigame): in the original game it took place after the match with Vega; wherein Champion Edition, it took place after Balrog. The endings of some of the return characters were redrawn (particularly Ryu's, Ken's, and Zangief's) and the four bosses each received an ending showing their four faces and a scrolling text specific to the player character. The special ending credits shown when the player completes the single-player mode without losing a match (or having another human player interrupt for a challenge) was also changed.PC Engine
The PC Engine version (published NEC Electronics and developed by Capcom) was released exclusively in Japan on June 12, 1993. The accuracy of this port is high compared to the Super Nintendo Entertainment SystemSuper Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
port of the first Street Fighter II, as it featured the barrel breaking bonus stage that was cut out from that version, along with numerous voice clips by the announcer and the elephants in Dhalsim's stage (although, these were later integrated in Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES). Although the majority of PC Engine games released during the port's production were CD-ROMs, this version was released on a 20-Megabit HuCard. A six-button controller was released specifically for the game. When Dash is played on a regular two-button controller, the Run button, along with buttons I and II, are used as switchable attack buttons, while the Select button is used to toggle between punches and kicks.
X68000
On November 26, 1993, Capcom released an X68000 port of Street Fighter II Dash exclusively in Japan, which consisted of four floppy disks. The port is almost identical to the arcade version, with the same exact graphics and almost identical soundtrack. However, the X68000 version forces player to switch floppy disks when loading different stages and characters (it is possible to avoid this by installing the game to the system's hard drive if the computer has more than 6 Megabyte). The game also included a joystick adapter that allowed players to use the Super Famicom and Mega Drive versions of Capcom's CPS Fighter joystick controller. On an X68300 with multiple PCM drivers installed, the music and voice quality can match that of the arcade version's ADPCM sound system.Master System
A Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
port of Street Fighter II′ was also released in 1997 for the Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian market, published by Tec Toy. This version, based on Champion Edition (hence the prime symbol), although the character designs in the player select screen are based onSuper Street Fighter II. It features only eight characters: Dhalsim, Honda, Zangief and Vega are not in this version.
Other releases
Champion Edition is included in both, Street Fighter II Turbo for the SNES and Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition for the Sega GenesisSega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
, which both also included Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting. In the SNES version, Hyper Fighting is the default game mode, while in Special Champion Edition it's Champion Edition. It is also included in Street Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom Generation 5) for the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, as well as Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
, and Capcom Classics Collection: Reloaded for PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
.