Game Boy :: Genesis :: NES :: Sega CD :: SNES :: TurboGrafx-16 :: Complete System Listings

Street Fighter II': Champion Edition (TurboGrafx-16)

Street Fighter II': Champion Edition review

Game: Street Fighter II': Champion Edition
Platform: TurboGrafx-16
Genre: Fighting Action (Versus)
Developer: NEC

Staff review by Sho

February 24, 2005

I want to make something perfectly clear right off the bat: NEC did an amazing job of bringing Street Fighter II’ over to the PC Engine, but it’s strictly for the hardcore set and the hardcore set alone. So unless you already have a Japanese system, a pair of 6-button pads, and a multitap you should just forget about it – and even then it would still make a lot more sense to stick with the ridiculously common Super NES and Genesis carts.

What, are you still here? Then let me reiterate that this conversion is AWESOME. I can’t say what prompted them to cram it onto a freaking massive HuCard instead of a Super CD, but the results speak for themselves. The graphics are absolutely incredible; they’re not quite as good as the Super Nintendo’s but they come pretty damn close. All twelve fighters made the cut intact and it’s with virtually the same amount of graphical muscle as the 16-bit systems – BOOYAH! Not only that, but they’re just as impressive in action thanks to the game’s consistently smooth framerate. (BOOYAH!) The controls aren’t just tight, they’re dead on – you can execute all the moves and link combinations together with ease, and there’s never any slowdown or sprite flicker to mar the effect.

Now if you look closely you can probably tell that the backgrounds are 8-bit, but they’re still exceptionally detailed and even include those animated spectators doing their best to distract you from the action. You know, like the boatload of dorks flailing about in Ken’s stage or the hot chicks in bikinis pounding the streets of Vegas. And speaking of pounding, you can still thump your opponent so hard that blood sprays from his mouth, just as you can still send him hurtling through the barrels and wooden crates! That’s because NEC’s design team obviously knew what they were doing, much like how they utilized the PC Engine’s robust color palette. Everything looks incredibly vibrant without going overboard like many SNES and early Neo•Geo games, which either use too many colors at once or the entirely wrong ones. The Genesis’ visuals might be a hair larger and better detailed, but compared to these they look severely washed out. On the sonic front, you get all the voices and sound effects – from Ryu’s manly cry of “SHORYUKEN!” preceding the crash of exploding lumber to Chun Li’s girlish laugher as she bounces up and down after leaving someone’s car a shattered husk – and they boom out with crystal clarity. The music, alas, isn’t as forceful. It’s good enough if you’re familiar with and actually like the console’s sound chip, but it lacks the Genny’s arcade-faithful FM and pumping drum samples. And besides, “good enough” is kind of a letdown when you consider everything else.

The only thing that’s genuinely disappointing is that this is the older Champion Edition when both the SNES and Genesis versions include Hyper Fighting. Even if you could ignore that, those two are still slightly superior overall, far more readily available, and at dirt cheap prices. So yeah, most people are going to realize that buying this one just doesn’t make any practical sense for them. But that doesn’t take anything away from the fact that NEC pulled off a small miracle to come so close with such old hardware, and if you’re a die-hard fan of the PC Engine then make no mistake – you’ll find it to be an outstanding conversion of an outstanding fighter.

More Reviews by Sho
	OutRun (Arcade) Accompanied by those all-important accessories of the '80s – a cool pair of shades and a hot beach bunny – you too can climb behind the wheel of a cherry-hued F...
	The 7th Saga (SNES) Even on a system renowned for its expansive library of RPGs, successfully completing The 7th Saga is an unforgettable experience. Unfortunately this is s...
	Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (PlayStation) Whether as a loving tribute to the series' glorious past or a striking declaration of its subsequent revival, Symphony of the Night will make any 2D enth...

Feedback

If you enjoyed this Street Fighter II': Champion Edition review, you're encouraged to leave feedback and talk about it with members of the site's community. You don't even need an HonestGamers account to get involved in the discussion. Please remember to keep your comments respectful and on-topic or they may be deleted by a moderator. Thank you for your understanding!

comments powered by Disqus

© 1998-2013 HonestGamers
None of the material contained within this site may be reproduced in any conceivable fashion without permission from the author(s) of said material. This site is not sponsored or endorsed by Nintendo, Sega, Sony, Microsoft, or any other such party. Street Fighter II': Champion Edition is a registered trademark of its copyright holder. This site makes no claim to Street Fighter II': Champion Edition, its characters, screenshots, artwork, music, or any intellectual property contained within. Opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily represent the opinion of site staff or sponsors.