I am a huge fan of documentaries that discuss bands or
video games, and through the power of Reddit, I stumbled across the gem. This
documentary about Street Fighter takes a look at one of the most pinnacle
fighting games of all time, and views it from various angles. It talks about
how the game was practically the grandfather of all fighting games, and how
people would flock to arcades to play this game and compete against others in
the local arcade scene. Since I was born in 1994, I never got to experience the
arcade scene and all of its beauty and community. It shows how people would use
their lunch money to play these stellar arcade games as opposed to buying food
for themselves, how kids would wait in line to battle the current champion, and
how everyone was just blown away by the game. People who are interviewed
explain how Street Fighter changed fighting games forever, with basic concepts
such as a two way health bar, 90 second matches, and a linear storyline; things
that sound so simple and basic, yet so revolutionary. Whilst watching this
documentary, I was consistently thinking of the Dragonball Z Series and how the
games that would spawn out of it, Budokai and Tenkaichi, use all of the
concepts that spawned from Street Fighter
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| Credits go to alvinlee on DeviantArt |
The documentary then shows the community as a whole, and
how far people would travel to play the best Street Fighter. Justin Wong would
travel from NY to NJ to play and view tournaments, and then travel to
California, across the whole country, to play an arcade game. Needless to say,
the game changed his, and thousands of others' lives. People wanted to play the
next Street Fighter, learn new combinations and interact with people in person.
Unlike modern day, where we can sit in the comfort of our homes and La-z Boy
recliner chairs, they preferred meeting in person and interacting with one
another. They would become family practically, the arcade store becoming their
second home. The documentary as a whole was fantastic, and is well worth the
one hour twelve minute watch. It opened my eyes to the gaming scene prior to
consoles and flat screen T.Vs, and quad core computers and 32inch monitor
displays. It was well put together, and it was truly a beautiful sight to see
all of these people coming together under one roof to see and enjoy something,
similar to how fans would see a band or artist. I fully recommend this
documentary, it's opens your eyes to a different kind of community, and the game that changed it all.
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