10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Street Fighter

1. Street Fighter I Was Heavily Inspired By Karate Champ

In its early days of development, the Street Fighter design team drew heavily from arcade game Karate Champ in many of the design choices for Street Fighter. Karate Champ featured arenas from around the world, specific button inputs and multi-player support. The multi-player mode featured the choice of one of two very similar fighters, one clad in a red gi and one in white. Street Fighter's choice of global arenas reflects Karate Champ's choice of stage, while the red and white fighters clearly serve as inspiration for the designs of Ken and Ryu. The button input system and versus multi-player paint Street Fighter as a spiritual successor to Karate Champ, borrowing many of the game's elements while drastically improving on the graphics and hardware. Had Karate Champ not existed, it's likely Street Fighter would have turned out completely differently, especially in the designs of the iconic protagonists Ryu and Ken.