If you're a fan of
Street Fighter like I am, chances are that you may be aware that today's a pretty special day... As not only does February 23 commemorate the 20th anniversary release of
Super Street Fighter II Turbo (aka
SSFII X: Grand Master Challenge in Japan), but also the very first appearance of a certain... Hidden Character.
And here's the classic arcade intro to start things with nostalgia.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo Arcade Intro HD
As the fifth version/ update of
Street Fighter II to hit arcades then eventually consoles of the time, SSFII Turbo introduced "
Super Combos" into the franchise, forever introducing the concept of building meter and finishing off opponents in a flashy way. This game was pretty much the pinnacle of the series, and was revived again more than a decade later with the release of
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, which introduced new hand drawn sprites and graphics based on
UDON's popular
Street Fighter comic book series.
And of course, there's the introduction of
Akuma/ Gouki... Aka the brother AND man who killed
Ryu and
Ken's master,
Gouken. Fast, wily, and almost impossible to beat at the time, this hidden boss character only appeared and was fought against after the player fulfilled certain requirements. He then appears, defeats
M. Bison/ Vega, and challenges your character to a fight. He has faster moves than the Shoto brothers, and also used an air fireball and the "
Raging Demon" finisher to boot. He was also a playable character via a secret code, but was largely toned down compared to the CPU version. Eventually, the character became so popular than he appeared in succeeding Street Fighter games as a playable or secret character to use, and the legacy has continued on since.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo - Shin Akuma Boss Fight (Arcade)
Happy 20th Anniversary Super Street Fighter II Turbo... And Happy 20 years, Akuma/ Gouki!
