Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

  Street Fighter II V is one series that may have only done better because the American cartoon really sank too hard . A rewatch of the Anime series for anyone who saw the SH*TTY Street Fighter American cartoon AND the cult classic movie Street Fighter (1994),  which earned Capcom USD 165 million at that time, might notice the movie DNA baked into the series. It seemed like a correction of sorts. But let's think about the pros and cons. Honestly, I felt that Street Fighter II V wasn't exactly faithful to the lore either. Now, let's think of the movie DNA. Note: I'll be using the international version names instead of the Japanese version, for easier reference. This is where I can name a lot. I was thinking about how Street Fighter (1994) influenced this series' formula. The series tries to focus on "near-realism," such as how projectiles aren't even used (and they're a PRIVILEGE) and have to be earned by hard work. This series somehow felt that eve...

Back in the 1990s, it was the analog age, and people simply couldn't see the difference between the U.S. adaptation and the American original. Power Rangers was also a licensed adaptation, so dislike the franchise all I want -- I understand Toei had a contract! Now, another one that came out in 1995 (the same year as Street Fighter II V ) was the American Street Fighter cartoon. It aired late in 1995 and had a second season that later introduced characters from the Street Fighter Alpha series.  Basically, the  Street Fighter American cartoon may have been a response to the Street Fighter movie. However, the Street Fighter  movie, HORRIBLE AS I THINK IT IS, actually had redeeming factors. For example, Jean-Claude Van Damme as Guile was better than the Cartoon Guile. The late Raul Julia gave his all for the performance. However, the biggest mistake for me was the dubbing and the bad writing. In fact, more often than not, the show can go so cringy. Cartoon Guile was made the...

It's known that I didn't like the Street Fighter live-action film. Adaptations will always have some form of altercation. I felt that Ken Masters, not William Guile, should've been the protagonist for an American adaptation of Street Fighter . However, the movie itself was still more forgivable than that accursed Street Fighter cartoon in 1995 -- which came out in the same year but a few months later. So yeah, Capcom was getting double royalties from Group TAC (Japan) and the American companies, Graz Entertainment and InVision Entertainment. The American cartoon ran for two seasons, which was considered the worst addition of the franchise with a very anticlimactic end.  However, it seemed that Street Fighter II V decided to follow the movie DNA in some way. The American version made Guile spam Sonic Booms as the main character and use projectiles. However, here, we don't see any projectiles and it took AN ENTIRE SEASON before Ryu and Ken performed Hadou energy moves -- ...

Street Fighter II V came out in 1995 AFTER the Street Fighter 1994 film came out. Street Fighter (1994) decided to go away from the TITLE MOLD for the G.I. Joe mold. There were Street Fighter toys by Hasbro at that time too. I was thinking that the 1994 film actually failed to incorporate Blanka in a MEANINGFUL way. The Street Fighter II Anime chose not to feature him, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, and E. Honda for a reason.  The movie plot had Blanka as Charlie Blanka -- a combination of Charlie Nash and Blanka. However, the GAME has him as Jimmy. I felt that Blanka could've been added into the Dictator's list of Super Soldier projects that could easily fit into the final scene. What if the Dictator decided to use Jimmy as a super soldier that would be forced to fight Ryu and Ken towards the finale? This would prove the Dictator to be someone who plays the deadly game of humanity against the heroes. My plot is that the use of Hadou to purge Blanka's mind rage. Blanka could be used as ...

Video game series can be full of strange retcons throughout the years -- no company excluded! I remember the Super Street Fighter II games -- the ones that introduced Fei Long, Cammy, T. Hawk, and Dee Jay. Eventually, Akuma became a hidden character in Super Street Fighter II Turbo . As a child, I had this thing for Cammy more than Chun Li. I believe it was a result of the American superiority mentality going on -- never mind I actually dislike MOST American localizations of Japanese shows (and the vice-versa can be very true).  It's quite funny how Street Fighter II V and the American Street Fighter cartoon came out in 1995. The American Street Fighter live movie was in 1994. Cammy's first non-canon adaptation was in the  Street Fighter movie. Cammy had two different adaptations. I prefer the Japanese Anime due to its better execution. Cammy was somewhat of a love interest for Guile in the American cartoon. However, Guile was canonically a family man and Ken Masters' broth...

The Marvel vs. Capcom series is built on a What-If storyline. Interestingly, Charlie was brought into the Marvel vs. Capcom series instead of Col. William Guile. Guile made his debut in the Street Fighter II series. Charlie's story was set up in the Street Fighter Alpha series -- which took place after the first Street Fighter game but before Street Fighter II series. Charlie made it into X-Men vs. Street Fighter   with a slightly modified version of his fate. Street Fighter Alpha 3 gave some interesting details such as how Cammy was made as a female version of the Dictator (which is just bad writing IMHO) and Charlie's death.  X-Men vs. Street Fighter has some what-if endings. However, Charlie's ending was confirmed canon. Charlie went missing and was assumed dead. However, it turned out that the Dictator decided to turn Charlie into Shadow. Shadow was a secret playable character in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter and a Special Partner in Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of...

Street Fighter characters get revamped in the Marvel vs. Capcom series . One of the biggest revamps done was with the Dictator (Bison in the U.S., Vega in Japan). Bison was pretty much a charge-based character in the mainstream Street Fighter games. Playing as them can be challenging unless one knew the secret of holding downwards-back instead of just holding back to effectively use them. X-Men vs. Street Fighter and its follow-up Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter introduced the M. Bison incarnation that I love the most. After playing the Street Fighter Alpha series -- I felt that Bison's usage of a special move Psycho Crusher wasn't my style. Instead, having Bison use the Psycho Shot in its place and a Psycho Crusher as a highly damaging Super Move was the way to go. Sure, later games gave Bison a Psycho Crusher as a special move and a Super Psycho Crusher as a super move -- mostly for Level 3 only. The Marvel vs. Capcom series gave us an upgraded version of Bison from th...

Zangief's probably one of the most iconic characters from the Street Fighter franchise. It gets funny how Zangief became a bad guy in some of the Street Fighter adaptations (especially in the American adaptations) while he's really a good guy in the canon. It's probably due to some war with Russia that the American production made the decision -- especially the Street Fighter movie where Balrog (Mike Bison) was made a good guy and Zangief a bad guy who's unaware he's one. Zangief was added to the Marvel vs. Capcom series. In fact, he was a character in the first crossover namely X-Men vs. Street Fighter . Street Fighter characters got adjusted for better or for worse. Certain projectile super moves got a beam-type replacement. Ryu's Shinkuu Hadoken clearly mimics the Kamehame Wave from the Dragon Ball Z franchise. Chun Li's Kikousho formed a dome and it had bad recovery time. Zangief was added to the mix. Zangief lost his Aerial Slam Super Move and started o...

The name of the Boxer in the Japanese is really MIKE BISON. It's an obvious pun for Mike Tyson . Now, it's time to discuss another name called Vega. Capcom America renamed Boxer from Bison to Balrog, Claw from Balrog to Vega, and Dictator from Vega to M. Bison. I Googled what Vega meant and it's a very common Spanish surname (which was probably why the renaming of Claw to Vega happened). However, another meaning for Vega is the brightest star of the constellation Lyra or landing eagle.  The Dictator who went from Vega to Bison The design of the Dictator was based on Wakizashi from the Riki-Oh series. Wakizashi means EAGLE CAPE. Both of them wore a cape and had the same military theme going on. It might be very noticeable that Shadaloo had the symbol of eagle wings and a skull.  It would be noteworthy that the Dictator himself has a series of aerial attacks. Early on, his Psycho Crusher was a special move. Though the Psycho Crusher was later made a highly damaging super move...

Street Fighter presents Balrog to be a bad guy - unlike the Street Fighter movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. Balrog's real name was actually MIKE Bison. Sounds very much like Mike Tyson right? Balrog's special attacks involve names like Charging Buffalo. Now, think about it that Capcom actually took note of the crimes of Mike Tyson to create Balrog (Vega's Japanese name) under the name MIKE Bison. The Crime Museum gives this detail of Mike Tyson as a crook : Mike Tyson is a former heavyweight world boxing champion from Brooklyn, New York. Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” Tyson committed several crimes in his youth, including robbing stores, pick pocketing, and mugging people. In September 1991, Tyson was indicted on one count of rape, two counts of criminal deviant behavior, and one count of confinement. He was accused by Desiree Washington, a contestant in the Miss Black America Pageant, who claimed that Tyson forced himself on her in his Indianapolis hotel room. Tyson was convi...

Right now, I ask myself, "Did I waste money with my Tekken 7 purchase?" I felt I asked myself why I even bought the game. The game had potential but it was wasted . I felt Namco was about to redeem itself or outdo itself. However, it seems that Tekken 6 (a game I felt brought Mortal Kombat Armageddon another foot down the ground beyond six feet) and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 are tough acts to follow. Right now, I feel one of the biggest reasons why it sucks is the addition of AKUMA. At first, I found it cool but later, it just feels like it jumps the shark. Sure, Namco had some projects with Capcom become such as Namco x Capcom or Street Fighter x Tekken . However, this is the Tekken universe we're talking about so why is AKUMA SUDDENLY HERE? I feel Capcom and Namco have a lot to answer for even if there's no copyright infringement. I feel everything here is just too sudden. Sure, Akuma has been depowered (to a certain extent) to make him a little more balanced. Yet, on...

Adaptations will alter certain story elements, right? I would say that I'm pretty not much of a fan of LICENSED adaptations of Japanese media. It's no secret that I really dislike Power Rangers or any American localizations (which in itself is an adaptation in a business dictionary). Another thing I dislike is the American localization of Street Fighter . Guile may be a badass colonel but I felt Ken could've made the better American adaptation protagonist. One movie called Street Fighter also came up. There were two characters who had a side change namely Zangief AND Balrog. Yes, Balrog one of the top Shadaloo enforcers was made a good guy in Street Fighter the American movie. I think the reason had to be this. Balrog's Japanese name is MIKE Bison. The name change was presumably done to prevent lawsuits with Capcom due to the character could be a caricature. Instead, Balrog, in the movie, was made into Chun Li's cameraman. This was the only time we should see Balrog...

  Back then before Street Fighter fell down to a certain extent (such as with what happened with Street Fighter V which I wonder if I'll still get it) - there was a time Capcom released better.   The Street Fighter Alpha series came and the final installment was the third game. The third game introduced a notoriously powerful version of General M. Bison (or General Vega) as the final boss. It wouldn't be your typical Bison battle as he had a UNIQUE fighting style not selectable. The game cemented his status as a final boss character with SNK stats. Granted, I only played the console version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 way back with the first Playstation. Personally. it was my favorite of the series and the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology version   slightly falls down. This version of Bison is so DAMN TOUGH that you'd probably cry a lot. What made the boss fight frustrating (for the arcade) is that once you're defeated - you really can't continue. Woah, talk about takin...

I remembered playing Super Street Fighter IV on our PS3. Before that, I remembered saving up for a PS3 some time after Mortal Kombat (2011) came out but I felt needs came first. What I didn't realize (at first) was that Gouken was actually born from something from my childhood - the rumored character known as SHENG LONG. Back then, I didn't have a Super NES or a Sega system. I only had a PS1 back in high school which I often used as an escape from reality. Yeah, high school sucks under the old system! My grades did drop badly and my parents had to monitor my gaming addiction. College came and I had my computer game addiction under control. I may have not graduated with honors (since I took a short-term computer course to learn basic skills) but I never repeated any subject. The PS1 was still there, we soon had a PS2 bought under discount, and maybe I'm thankful I didn't have all the cool stuff as a child. I decided to buy some PS2 games that contained the games I wanted...