Street Fighter EX 2 Plus

From our booth at E3, I could see lines of old tube TVs and what appeared to be aging game consoles. On closer inspection, said pile of ancient technology turned out to be part of the Videogame History Museum. This vast collection of trinkets popular and obscure is a labor of love for a group of people aiming to make a true, brick and mortar game museum in Silicon Valley. Undoubtedly a noble pursuit!

"Hadouken!""Shoryuken!""Sonic Boom!"Anyone who's played a game, walked past an arcade or read a comic book in the past 10 years should recognize those words immediately. They're some of Street Fighter's most well-known attacks and for years were at the heart of the game's cultural takeover. Kids mimed the attacks, gamers shouted them out loud and tournament players dreamed about perfecting combos with these moves as the killer final blow. But

Chun-Li, a Chinese crime fighting vixen with Sequoias for thighs, is the first female character ever to appear in a 1-on-1 fighter. This distinction, however, is merely a side note in the story of her rise to fame, which ultimately branded her as one of the greatest fighters of gaming, and inspired countless future game heroines.

Ken and Ryu are cultural icons. Mention their names and even someone with only cursory knowledge of 90's pop culture will know who you're talking about. Ten years after Street Fighter III, Street Fighter IV is about to cement the duo into the collective consciousness of a new generation. In celebration, we're taking a look at how the legendary duo became legends in the first place...