| Street Fighter | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Fighting |
| Developers | Capcom |
| Publishers | Capcom |
| Platforms | Arcade, various |
| First release | Street Fighter August 30, 1987 |
| Latest release | Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition August 23, 2011 |
| Spin-offs | Street Fighter EX series |
| Official website | Official website |
Street Fighter (ストリートファイター Sutorīto Faitā), commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of fighting games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another. Since Capcom released the first game in August 1987,[1][2] the series had had total home software sales of 31 million units,[3] and arcade cabinet sales of over 500,000 units accounting for more than $1 billion in revenue,[4] qualifying for the list of best-selling video game franchises, with its best-selling entry Street Fighter II exceeding $1.5 billion in revenue.[5] The franchise has enjoyed significant success all around the world.
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Street Fighter made its debut in the arcades in 1987. It was designed by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto. The player took control of martial artist Ryu, who competed in a worldwide martial arts tournament, spanning five countries and ten opponents. A second player could join in at any time and take control of Ryu's rival, Ken.
The player could perform three types of punch and kick attacks (which varied in speed and strength) and three special attacks: the Hadouken, Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku. These were performed by executing special button combinations with the controls.
Street Fighter was ported to many popular home computer systems of the time including PC. In 1988, it was released on the NEC Avenue TurboGrafx-CD console under the new name Fighting Street. Street Fighter was later included in Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, released in 1991, was the first true sequel to the original Street Fighter, following an unsuccessful attempt to brand the 1989 fighting action game Final Fight as a Street Fighter sequel, and an officially commissioned spin-off Human Killing Machine on the ZX Spectrum, Amiga and other home computers.[6][7] It was one of the earliest arcade games for Capcom's CP System hardware and was designed by Akira Nishitani (Nin-Nin) and Akira Yasuda (Akiman), who were previously responsible for Final Fight and Forgotten Worlds. The release of the game had an unexpected impact on gaming and was the beginning of a massive phenomenon. By 1993, sales of Street Fighter II exceeded $1.5 billion in revenue,[5] equivalent to $2.32 billion in 2011.[8]
Street Fighter II was the first one-on-one fighting game to give players a choice from a variety of player characters with different moves, an option which created hitherto unknown levels of depth and replay value for an arcade game. Each player character had a fighting style with approximately 30 or more moves (including then-new grappling moves such as throws) as well as two or three special attacks per character.
In the single-player mode, the player's chosen character is pitted sequentially against the seven other main characters before confronting the final four 'boss' opponents, who were CPU-controlled characters not selectable by the player.
As in the original, a second player could join in at any point during single player mode and compete against the other player in competitive matches, with the multiple available characters allowing for more varied matches.
The original Japanese version of Street Fighter II introduced an African-American boxer named "Mike Bison" (abbreviated as "M. Bison") as a boss character, a parody of real-life boxer Mike Tyson. In order to avoid any likeness infringement lawsuit from Tyson, Capcom rotated the names of three of the boss characters for international versions of the game:[9] The final boss, called Vega in the Japanese version, was given the M. Bison name; the talon-wielding Spanish warrior known as Balrog in the Japanese version was renamed Vega; and the boxer became Balrog.
Street Fighter II proved to be popular due to all these factors, eclipsing its predecessor in popularity, eventually turning Street Fighter into a multimedia franchise.[10]
The first official update to the series was Street Fighter II′ - Champion Edition (pronounced Street Fighter II Dash in Japan, as noted by the prime notation on the logo), which allowed players to play as the Four Devas (the computer-controlled boss characters) and also allowed two players to choose the same character (with one character drawn in an alternate color pattern). The game also featured slightly improved graphics (including differently colored backgrounds) and refined gameplay. A second upgrade, titled Street Fighter II′ - Hyper Fighting (or Street Fighter II Dash Turbo in Japan), was produced in response to the various bootleg editions of the game. Hyper Fighting offered faster gameplay than its predecessors, different character colors and new special techniques.
Super Street Fighter II, the third revision, gave the game a complete graphical and musical overhaul and introduced four new playable characters It was also the first game for Capcom’s CP System II arcade hardware. The fifth and final arcade installment, Super Street Fighter II Turbo (Super Street Fighter II X in Japan) brought back the faster gameplay of Hyper Fighting, a new type of special techniques known as "Super Combos" and a hidden character Akuma.
Numerous home versions of the Street Fighter II games have been produced following the original game. The original Street Fighter II was ported to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. As of 2008, the original SNES game is still Capcom's best selling game.[11] It was followed by a Japanese-only version of Street Fighter II Dash for the PC Engine in 1993. Hyper Fighting received two different home versions as well in 1993, an SNES version titled Street Fighter II Turbo, and a Sega Genesis counterpart titled Street Fighter II′ - Special Champion Edition (Street Fighter II Dash Plus in Japan). The following game, Super Street Fighter II, was also ported to the SNES and Genesis in 1994. Later that year, Super Street Fighter II Turbo was released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, and also appeared in a PC version for Windows (released by the now defunct GameTek).
In 1997, Capcom released the Street Fighter Collection for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, a compilation which includes Super and Super Turbo, as well as the newer Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (Street Fighter Zero 2′ in Japan). It was followed by Street Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom Generation Vol. 5 in Japan), also released for the PlayStation and Saturn, which includes the original Street Fighter II, Champion Edition, and Hyper Fighting. In 2000, Capcom released Super Street Fighter II X for Matching Service in Japan for the Dreamcast, a version of the game which featured an online two-player versus mode. In 2003, Capcom released Hyper Street Fighter II for the arcades in Japan and Asia to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the series, a hybrid version of Super Turbo which allows player to select between versions of characters from all five previous Street Fighter II games. Hyper was released its North America and the PAL region via its ports for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox (released as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection along with Street Fighter III 3rd Strike). In 2005, the three games in Street Fighter Collection 2 were included Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A version of Super Turbo (along with the original Street Fighter) was later included in the 2007 compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2, also released for the PS2 and Xbox.
An updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo came to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade service in November 2008.[12] The game, titled Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, has fully redrawn artwork, including HD sprites 4.5x the original size, done by artists from UDON. This is the first time the Street Fighter characters have new sprites, drawn by Capcom, since Capcom vs. SNK 2 in 2001. The game has several changes which address character balancing issues, but also features the original arcade version gameplay so that players can choose between the two.[13]
Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter II are also available as downloadable games for select cellular phone services.
The interquel Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (Street Fighter Zero in Japan and Asia) became the next game in the series. The game used the same art style Capcom previously employed in Darkstalkers and X-Men: Children of the Atom, with settings and character designs heavily influenced by Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Alpha expands on the Super Combo system from Super Turbo, by extending Super Combo meter into three levels (allowing for super combos to be stored up), and also introduces Alpha Counters and Chain Combos (also from Darkstalkers). The plot of Alpha is set between the first two Street Fighter games and fleshes out the back stories and grudges held by many of the classic SF2 characters.[14] It features a playable roster of ten immediately playable characters (and three unlockable fighters), comprising not only younger versions of established Street Fighter II, but also characters from the original Street Fighter and Final Fight.
Street Fighter Alpha 2 features all-new stages, music and endings for some characters (some overlapping with those from the original Alpha).[15] Alpha 2 also retained all thirteen characters from the original, adding five new characters to the roster along with hidden versions of returning characters. Alpha 2 was followed by a slightly enhanced arcade release titled Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha and was released in Japan and Brazil, was ported to home consoles as Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (Zero 2′ Dash in Japan).
The third and final Alpha game, Street Fighter Alpha 3, was released in 1998 (following the release of the original Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact and Street Fighter EX). Alpha 3 introduced three selectable fighting styles and further expanded the playable roster to 28 characters.[16] Console versions of the three games (including the original Alpha 2 and the aforementioned Alpha 2 Gold) were released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, although versions of specific games in the series were also released for the Game Boy Color, Super NES, Dreamcast and even Windows. The home console versions of Alpha 3 further expanded the character roster by adding the remaining "New Challengers" from Super Street Fighter II. The Dreamcast version of the game was backported to the arcades in Japan under the title of Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper. A version of Upper (simply titled Alpha 3 outside Japan) was released for the Game Boy Advance and added three characters from Capcom vs. SNK 2. A PlayStation Portable version titled Alpha 3 MAX (or Zero 3 Double Upper in Japan) contains the added characters from the GBA version and Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Jam.
In 1996, Capcom co-produced with Arika (a company founded by former Street Fighter II planner Akira Nishitani) a 3D fighting game spinoff of the series titled Street Fighter EX, developed for the PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware. EX combined the established Street Fighter cast with original characters created and owned by Arika. It was followed by upgraded version titled Street Fighter EX Plus in 1997, which expanded the character roster. A home version with further additional characters and features, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, was released for the PlayStation during the same year.
A sequel was released in 1998, titled Street Fighter EX2, developed for the ZN-2 hardware. Custom combos were reintroduced, and the character roster was expanded. EX2 also received an upgraded version, Street Fighter EX2 Plus, released in 1999. A PlayStation version of EX2 Plus, was also released.
A third game in the series, Street Fighter EX3, was released as an early title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. This included a tag team system, a mode that let a single player fight up to three opponents simultaneously, and another new Character Edit mode that allowed players to give a new character Ace a selection of special and super moves after purchasing them with experience points. The cast brought back many characters from the previous game.
Some of the Arika-owned characters from the series were later featured in other games developed by the company. The Namco-distributed arcade game Fighting Layer featured Allen Snider and Blair Dame from the original EX, while Skullomania would reappear in the PlayStation game Fighter Maker, as well as in the PlayStation 2 music game Technictix.
Capcom has also produced fighting games involving licensed characters from other companies and their own properties. In 1994 Capcom released the Marvel-licensed fighting game X-Men: Children of the Atom, which featured Akuma from Super Turbo as a hidden guest character. It was followed by Marvel Super Heroes in 1995, which featured Anita from Night Warriors.
Capcom would release a third Marvel-licensed game, X-Men vs. Street Fighter, in 1996, a full-fledged crossover between characters from X-Men and the Street Fighter Alpha games that featured a two-on-two tag team-based system. It was followed by Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter in 1997, which expanded the roster to include characters from Marvel Super Heroes; Marvel vs. Capcom in 1998, which featured not only Street Fighter characters, but also characters from other Capcom properties; and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in 2000, which was produced from the Dreamcast-based NAOMI hardware.
Capcom also produced a series of similar crossover fighting games with rival fighting game developer SNK Playmore. The games produced by Capcom includes Capcom vs. SNK in 2000, which features character primarily from the Street Fighter and King of Fighters series. It was followed by a minor upgrade, Capcom vs. SNK Pro ; and a sequel titled Capcom vs. SNK 2, both released in 2001. All three games were produced for the NAOMI hardware as well. The SNK-produced fighting games of this crossover includes the Dimps-developed portable fighting game SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium for the Neo Geo Pocket Color in 1999 and SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos for the Neo Geo in 2003.
From 2003 to 2008 the Versus series of Capcom fighting games saw no new releases, though Capcom and Namco produced the crossover action role-playing game Namco × Capcom for the PlayStation 2 in 2005.
After about five years of no new entries in the Versus fighting series, Capcom released a new versus fighting game titled Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes on December 11, 2008.
Cross Generation of Heroes features characters from both Tatsunoko and Capcom properties, including Street Fighter characters Ryu, Chun-Li, and Alex as well as characters like Ken the Eagle of Gatchaman and Casshern of Neo-Human Casshern on Tatsunoko's side. Initially released only in Japan, demand from fans saw the game receive an international release entitled Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars on January 26, 2010.
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was released on February 15, 2011 and includes Akuma, Chun-Li, Crimson Viper, and Ryu. The game features completely new visuals and audio, 3 vs. 3 gameplay like previous entries in the series, and online play. The game was also intended to have downloadable content, but the content was disrupted due to an earthquake and tsunami in Tōhoku and released along with additional new content on separate game titled Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.
Capcom has announced that along with Namco, two new fighting games featuring Street Fighter characters are in development: Street Fighter X Tekken, which is being developed by Capcom, and Tekken X Street Fighter which is being developed by Namco.[17]
Street Fighter III: New Generation, made its debut in the arcades on the CPS3 hardware in 1997.[18] Street Fighter III discarded the character roster from previous games (only Ryu and Ken returned), introducing several new characters in their place, most notably the grappler Alex, who was designed to be the new lead character of the game, the popular ninja girl Ibuki, who was planned as compensation for Chun-Li as the female lead, and Gill, who replaced Bison as the game's main antagonist. Street Fighter III introduced the "Super Arts" selection system and the ability to parry an opponent's attack.[19]
Several months after its release, it was followed by Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, which made adjustments to the gameplay and added two new characters, Hugo and Urien, as well as the return of Akuma and bonus rounds. Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, released in 1999, was the third and last iteration of Street Fighter III, bringing back Chun-Li and adding four new characters. The first two Street Fighter III games were ported to the Dreamcast as a compilation titled Double Impact. Ports of 3rd Strike were released for the Dreamcast as a stand-alone game and then included in the compilation Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Gill also became secretly playable on the console version although you can also play as Gill on the arcade version by using Twelve's X.C.O.P.Y. super move.
Capcom announced in Summer 2010 that development is underway for a conversion of 3rd Strike titled Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Online Edition. The game received positive reviews.[20]
On October 17, 2007, more than eight years since the release of Street Fighter III 3rd Strike for the arcades, Capcom unveiled Street Fighter IV at a Capcom Gamers Day event in London. Conceived as a direct sequel to the early Street Fighter II games (particularly Super Street Fighter II Turbo), Street Fighter IV features the return of the original twelve world warriors and recurring hidden character Akuma, along with four new characters (as well as a new boss character) in a storyline chronologically set between Street Fighter II and Street Fighter III. The gameplay, while still 2D, features cel-shaded 3D graphics inspired by Japanese sumi-e paintings. The Super Combo system, a Street Fighter mainstay since Super Turbo, returns along with new counter-attacking techniques called "Focus Attacks" ("Saving Attacks" in Japan), as well as new "Ultra Combo" moves, similar to the Rage Gauge seen in games from SNK Playmore.
The arcade version, which runs on the Taito Type X2 hardware, was distributed in Japan on July 2008, with a limited release in North America and the United Kingdom in select arcades in August. A home version was released in the USA and Europe in February 2009, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and in July 2009 for Windows PC. This features an expanded character roster, as well as all-new animated segments that show each character's backstory, and a training mode similar to the Expert Challenges in Street Fighter EX. The cast includes six characters new to the Street Fighter series. Yoshinori Ono had hinted that the only two Street Fighter II characters absent from the game, Dee Jay and T. Hawk, could be available in the game at a later date. Instead, they were to be included in a whole new version of the game.[21]
Street Fighter IV was released for the iPhone in March, 2010. It initially featured Ryu, Ken, Guile, Blanka, Chun-Li, Dhalsim, Bison, and Abel, with additional characters added via free updates.
On September 28, 2009, Capcom announced Super Street Fighter IV. The game includes ten additional characters including two characters new to the franchise - lithe Korean female villainess Juri and bulky Turkish oil wrestler, Hakan. Capcom implemented character balance adjustments and added second Ultra moves for each character. The game features an improved online experience with new modes of play. The game was released on April 27,[22] 2010 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 at a discounted price point. If a Street Fighter IV savefile is detected on the system of play, two additional character colors (ink and sketch effect) are available.[23]
An arcade version was released on December 16, 2010 containing all content from the console release, and featuring additional characters including Yang and Yun from Street Fighter III.[24] Seth Killian of Capcom has confirmed Arcade Edition is planned to be the last update to the IV series.[25]
On June 15 at E3 2010 during the Nintendo press conference, a portable conversion of Super Street Fighter IV was confirmed for the Nintendo 3DS. Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition features 3D stereoscopic technology, multiplayer, and all 35 characters from the original Super Street Fighter IV release.[26]
At Evo 2011, Ono announced that a balance patch for Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition had been approved by Capcom. The patch will be free of charge.[27]
In Japan, an animated film produced by Group TAC titled Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was released theatrically in Japan in 1994. An English adaptation of the film produced by Manga Entertainment, which was first released on home video in 1996. Group TAC also produced an animated TV series Street Fighter II V, which first aired on Yomiuri TV in 1995; and a two-episode OVA series, Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie, released in 1999. English adaptations of both productions were produced by Manga Entertainment as well. A second OVA based on Street Fighter Alpha, titled Street Fighter Alpha: Generations, was produced specifically for the English market by Studio A.P.P.P.
An American-produced live-action film, simply titled Street Fighter, was also released in 1994, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile, this version's main character, opposite the late Raúl Juliá as General M. Bison. This film inspired an arcade game and console game both titled Street Fighter: The Movie. The film also inspired an American-produced animated TV series Street Fighter, which lasted two 13-episode seasons from 1995 to 1997.
In October 2006, Hyde Park Entertainment and Capcom announced its intention to produce a film adaptation of the game series in a joint venture, with the storyline to focus on the Street Fighter character Chun-Li. Screenwriter Justin Marks was attached to write a script for the adaptation. Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li was released in the U.S. on February 27, 2009.
Also in 2009 (12.02) OVA Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind ("Street Fighter IV: Arata naru Kizuna") was released by Studio 4°C. Street Fighter IV: The Ties That Bind is an animated movie directed by Jirō Kanai that was featured in a bonus disc included in the Collector's Edition of Street Fighter IV for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[28] The film adaptation is part of Capcom's multi-platform launch for 2008 that will also launch video games and a potential TV series in 2008.[29]
In Asia, a downloadable voucher for a Super Street Fighter IV movie featuring Juri was given in the Collector's Edition of the Xbox 360 version. The 40-minute feature serves as an origin story to Juri and a canonical precursor to the game. Although having been fully dubbed in English, the movie has not made it outside of Asia due to copyright issues.
In 2010, actor and filmmaker Joey Ansah & Owen Trevor co-directed a Live Action Short Film called Street Fighter: Legacy which stars John Foo as Ryu and Christian Howard as Ken.[30][31]
Capcom’s vice president of strategic planning and business development Christian Svensson has confirmed that there will be more Street Fighter films in development.[32]
There have been various Street Fighter comic books produced, including Masaomi Kanzaki's Street Fighter II manga (one of the few Street Fighter manga titles translated into English), and a role playing game adaptation released by White Wolf in 1994.
Masahiko Nakahira did four different Street Fighter manga series: Cammy Gaiden (translated and released in English as Super Street Fighter II: Cammy by Viz Media), Street Fighter Zero (translated and released in English as Street Fighter Alpha), Sakura Ganbaru and Street Fighter III: Ryu Final. Street Fighter Alpha, Sakura Ganbaru and Street Fighter III: Ryu Final have all been released in English by UDON. Two characters created by Nakahira, Evil Ryu (introduced in Street Fighter Alpha)[33] and Karin Kanzuki (from Sakura Ganbaru) have been integrated into the Street Fighter video games.
Malibu Comics launched a Street Fighter comic series in 1993, but it flopped, lasting only three issues.[34]
UDON had been licensed by Capcom to produce a U.S. comic book based on the Street Fighter franchise, in addition to Darkstalkers and Rival Schools. This series draws not only on the established Street Fighter canon, but also occasionally addresses various continuity retcons, and even draws from fanon and non-official sources as well. In 2005, UDON released Street Fighter: Eternal Challenge, the first Capcom series history and art book to be translated into English. Later, UDON continued from its original Street Fighter series (based on SF: Alpha and Super SF Turbo) with Street Fighter II and Street Fighter II: Turbo. Three separate Street Fighter Legends mini-series and a Street Fighter IV mini-series were also released.
On April 14, 2006 Sabertooth Games released a Street Fighter set for its Universal Fighting System (UFS) game along with a set for Soul Calibur III. This was not the gaming companies first release for UFS, that being a Battle box for Penny Arcade released in February 2006. As the name implies, UFS is to be a universal system. There are plans to incorporate other licenses into the game, slated for December 2006, being based on SNK's King of Fighters and Samurai Shodown.
The first set for Street Fighter featured cards for Chun-Li, Dhalsim, Ken, Ryu, Sagat and Zangief. A later expansion, Street Fighter: World Warriors, included the remaining characters from the original Street Fighter 2 arcade series, Blanka, Balrog, E. Honda, Guile, M. Bison and Vega. Another set, titled Street Fighter: The Next Level, was released in December 2006, parallel with the SNK release. The characters included are Akuma, Fei Long, Dudley, and Cammy. A new expansion, Street Fighter: The Dark Path was released February 14, 2007 along with the next Soul Calibur Set, Soul Arena. Characters include a new version of Chun-Li and (Evil) Ryu, along with Adon, Charlie, Rose, Sakura, T.Hawk and Twelve. A new set, entitled Street Fighter: Extreme Rivals, which was released in May 2007, features Cody, Dee Jay, Ibuki, R. Mika, and a new version of Ken.
In July 2007 Sabertooth Games will release an exclusive Battle Pack featuring a battle between Ryu and Akuma. These 2 sixty card decks will be fully compatible with the Universal Fighting System and contain 36 unique cards.
There is currently a free demo deck request form to try out the UFS CCG at Sabertooth Games Demo Deck Request Form.
Another trading card game, the now discontinued Epic Battles (released by Score Entertainment), also featured Street Fighter characters, as well as characters from other fighting game franchises, such as Mortal Kombat.
White Wolf released a storytelling game based on the series in 1994 (featuring characters from Super Street Fighter 2). The system used many of the game mechanics of the World of Darkness games. The system is now out of print but retains a small following on the internet.
In 2007, the American band Man factory released the first installment of its Street Fighter-themed rock opera trilogy, titled Street Fight!, which revolves around characters and events taken from the video games and Street Fighter storyline. In 2010, the band released the second part of the album, titled Round 2.
Irish software company CryptoLogic has released a 'Street Fighter II' slot, themed after the series.[35]
Due to the enduring popularity of the series, it has been referenced a number of times in various movies, television shows, and other mediums. Some of these include:
Hadouken or hadoken (波動拳 hadōken, IPA: [hadoːkẽꜜɴ], a Japanese neologism, literally "wave motion fist" or "surge fist"), is a special attack used by the characters Ryu, Ken, Sakura, Dan (whose version of the technique is named the Gadouken), and Akuma (Gou Hadouken), Sean (Hadou Burst), Allen (Soul Force), Kairi (Shinki Hatsudou) and Gouken (also called the Gou Hadouken). Takashi Nishiyama, the creator of Street Fighter, credits the 1970's era anime Space Battleship Yamato and a missile called the Hadouho as the origin of hadouken.[40] The hadouken and the shoryuken are the two archetypal moves of these characters. The move is achieved by the character thrusting their palms forward, sending a surge of spirit energy (or ki) flying towards the opponent (see chi blast). It is normally performed by the player moving the joystick or D-pad a quarter circle forward towards the opponent from the down position, then pressing a punch button (so, for example, a character facing to the right would execute the move by pressing ↓, ↘, →, and then "punch" in a smooth motion).
Most fighting games of the sprite-based era used projectile special moves, and while the actual type of projectile launched varies from game to game and character to character, the execution and behavior of these attacks are often rather similar to the Hadouken. These moves are sometimes informally referred to as a "hadouken", or fireball. The Hadouken can usually be performed in three different degrees depending on which type punch is used; these will affect its speed, damage caused on impact, amount of recovery frames, and sometimes its range. The Hadouken itself has many variations depending on the character in question that the move is associated with. For example, both Ryu and Akuma have used a fire-based variant of the move called the Shakunetsu Hadouken (灼熱波動拳) or "Blazing Surge Fist", which briefly engulfs its target in flames.
Later titles in the series that use super combo moves ramp up the power of the hadouken, evolving it into the Shinkuu Hadouken (真空波動拳 - Vacuum Surge Fist). This takes one of two forms depending on the game: an outsized fireball, or a blast of constant energy. Street Fighter III introduced the Denjin Hadouken (電刃波動拳), an unblockable, electrified version which could be 'stored' by holding down the Punch button, for timing purposes as well as enhancing damage and stun. In Super Street Fighter IV, Gouken can perform this technique; it is blockable, but will still inflict stun damage even if blocked. In the Capcom vs. SNK series, Satsui no Hadou Ryu used a more powerful version called Metsu Hadouken (滅波動拳), which acted similar to Denjin Hadouken, being unblockable and stunning the opponent. The latest game in the series, Street Fighter IV, brought back the Metsu Hadouken, though it instead acts simply like a more powerful variant of the Shinku Hadouken.
Interestingly, the Hadouken ability appeared in Mega Man X and its remake Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X as a secret move for X. It is only obtainable by having all heart tanks, sub tanks, weapons, and upgrades, (other requirements differ between the two games). The input is the same as in Street Fighter. This move can kill almost anything instantly, with the exception of several bosses. Even these, however, could be killed with two Hadoukens (although the final boss can be defeated with a single hit in the remake). In Mega Man X4, one of the bosses, Magma Dragoon, used the Hadouken ability. Another version of the Hadouken was created in Mega Man X: Command Mission, where if one is able to meet the secret boss(es), the Tails Clan [One-tails, Two-tails, etc. to Nine-Tails] in a battle, the Tails could throw the Annilator Hadouken at them. It is a beam-like blast that hits all characters and causes massive damage, most of the time K.O.ing most characters. In Mega Man Xtreme and its sequel, a fighting style "Shotokan" can be acquired and allows X to use the Hadouken and the Shoryuken.
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