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.
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.
