The Top 7... Spin-off games you've never heard of

1) Street Fighter 2010 (From Street Fighter)

Street Fighter 2010 is a NES game from 1990, appearing between the original (rubbish) arcade offering and the seminal smash hit Street Fighter II. But it's wrong like drinking sellotape. The Japanese version shares only the Street Fighter name with the actual series, mercifully distancing itself from the fighting original by featuring new characters to go with its Mega Man-esque gameplay. But the English translation goes the whole hog and tries to tie it all together. With Ken. And bionics.

This is obviously way too complex to ascertain from the gameplay, so before the game begins, it comes up with a message that says:

Let's be honest, that's very little background. That's just some white dots pretending to be space. Space of the FUTURE. Which is now the past. But you soon realise it actually means it's going to fill you in on the story, which is when you get one of the most amazing collections of words ever committed to ROM:

It couldn't be more 1980s sci-fi if it featured a "bidi bidi bidi bird kick" catch-phrase. And (surprise!) the game itself plays nothing like Street Fighter. The main sprite looks nothing like Ken. But then I suppose physical appearance is nothing some good bionics can't fix.

Above: Ken in Street Fighter 1 and his 40-something 2010 self.Recycledto come back as Albert Wesker?

Also, good to see another appearance from Firebrand. Now I've had my eyes opened to the little winged chap, he's popping up everywhere. Even in 2010.

So let's see 2010 Street Fighter doing its thing. 100 points if you can spot anything that looks like it came from the Street Fighter universe:

I think I speak for everyone when I say... what the Fei Long was all that about?

02 May, 2011

Think you've played every Street Fighter? Find out about the rare gems you missed

Painter, doctor, saviour... Mario excels at them all

What ARE they wearing?