10 Big Leaps Between Video Game Sequels
7. Street Fighter (1987) to Street Fighter II (1991)
If there's ever been a series that has tried its best to make you forget about its awkward first entry, its Street Fighter. Most people basically treat the franchise as starting from Street Fighter II (and its many revisions)... and for very good reason.
The original Street Fighter might've made plenty of money in the arcade but it was very flawed. Its control system was a mess, the sole playable character moved horribly slowly and sprite work was all over the place in quality. It had a spark of potential, being the first game to include variable strengths for punches and kicks as well as hidden special moves, but it now lives in a huge shadow.
Street Fighter II, which arrived four years later, outdid the original game in every way. The combat was tight, fluid and infinitely more satisfying. It took the original's "worldwide tournament" concept where it needed to go by including a variety of fighters from all over the globe. The artwork and character designs were stunning, introducing players to the most enduring renditions of some of the most iconic characters in gaming.
More than anything, the shined-to-perfection execution of Street Fighter II is responsible for the beginning of the fighting genre boom in a way that the first game could never be.