Street Fighter II: The World Warrior Online

About Street Fighter II: The World Warrior

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) is the game that started the fighting game boom. Capcom gave players eight World Warriors, each with a home country, a fighting style and a set of special moves: Ryu, Ken, E. Honda, Chun-Li, Blanka, Zangief, Guile and Dhalsim. After defeating them, you face the four Grand Masters: Balrog, Vega, Sagat and M. Bison.

It became one of the most successful arcade games ever. The way normal attacks could be linked into special moves – the birth of combos – changed fighting games forever.

How it plays

The controls are the classic six-button layout: three punches and three kicks of increasing strength. Special moves use motions like the quarter circle (Hadouken) and charge commands (Sonic Boom). The game is slower than later versions, and some techniques that became standard later are not here yet – which makes it a fascinating piece of history.

Best characters for beginners

• Ryu and Ken – learn fireballs, uppercuts and hurricane kicks.
• Guile – a defensive style built on Sonic Boom and Flash Kick.
• Blanka – easy electricity and rolling attacks.

Tips

• Throw (forward + heavy punch up close) when your opponent blocks too much.
• Jump in with a heavy kick, then link a crouching attack into a special move for your first combo.
• Against the CPU, M. Bison's Psycho Crusher can be blocked and punished.

Want to play the bosses? Try Champion Edition, or play online with a friend in Super Street Fighter II. See every fighter in our Street Fighter 2 characters guide.