Street Fighter IV

With Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds almost upon us and sporting some of the coolest, most fan-pleasing backgrounds ever seen in a fighting game, it's high time we came up with the definitive list of the Top 7 fighting game backgrounds. After all, we know you spend ages deciding where to fight, even though it rarely affects the gameplay in any way. It's OK, we do it too. So let's get started with round 1, shall we? FIGHT!

Ask just about anyone what the best kind of punch is, and they’ll probably say “uppercut.” This is partly because “uppercut” is the only punch that anyone outside of boxing fandom can actually identify by name, but mostly because seeing one pulled off well can be breathtaking. A rising blow from the hip to the target’s chin, a good uppercut can floor an opponent, break a jaw and potentially even kill. It can also look awesome.

Unsurprisingly, nowhere are uppercuts more awesome than in videogames, which since the ‘80s have shaped our perception of them to the point where they’re no longer just power punches employed by extremely tough men. They’re finishing moves, ultra-powerful attacks and metaphorical middle fingers to the enemies we’re about to knock unconscious. At their best, they also feel great to pull off, as proved by the following examples...

What better way to learn how to fight than from videogames, the leading cause of fights? It’s true, videogames cause most of the world’s violence. Scientists have done science that proves it, so there’s no point in arguing. People sometimes tell me that things aren’t so “black and white,” but I don’t even know what that means, because I’m not racist like they are.

But if you learn from them, videogames can make you undefeatable in the ring, by the bike racks, at the grocery store, or wherever you are when the part of your brain that plays videogames gets you into a fight. Mine does it a lot so that’s why I’m pretty good at fighting. Pay very close attention because this is important...

Caesar’s Palace has been home to some of the most legendary fights in history, champions like Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield and Sugar Ray Leonard have all graced the famed outdoor arena. But a fight of a totally different kind takes over the strip this year, attracting thousands of hungry competitors to the Palace. Enter the EVO fighting game World Championships, the video game version of the WBA Heavyweight title fight, which brings together the world’s top players with one common goal—to find out which player reigns supreme.

Street Fighter can be baffling to the newcomer, especially if you’ve been raised on button mashing and joystick waggling. Learning to do basic combos and figuring out each character’s special and normal moves is a huge part of getting good at the game. VesperArcade has put up some great videos showing how to accomplish each character’s trial challenge, with picture in picture so you can watch the joystick movements (sorry to controller users, you’ll have to make due without).

This is how things used to happen back in the pre-internet day: no year-long lead-ins, no laughably overstated press releases, just hey, how you doing, so there's a new Street Fighter movie out this week. On Tuesday, teaser footage found its way to the screens of every fighting-game fan on the internet (including ours, obviously); now it's Thursday and here's the movie...

We know what you're thinking, "A book review?? In my video game website??" Cool it scooter, it's about a video game, and not just any game, it's about Street Fighter!

 While the gaming world is no stranger to rabid fanboys, Street Fighter fanboys are a special breed, hopelessly dedicated to mastering a game that’s arguably unmasterable. For this reason, there’s no shortage of official Street Fighter merchandise, art books, figures, and even an upscale clothing line.

While anyone can enjoy the universal appeal of Sakura's lively melody, it can be most truly be appreciated by those who love the character herself, because it fits so perfectly with Sakura's personality. Just like Sakura, her theme is energetic and sincere...

SFIV's Producer wants to make it. Here's what we want him to do.