My Love of 2-D Fighters

My inspiration for writing today's column comes from gamespot.com's review of "Capcom Fighter Evolution" for the XBOX, and is also brought to by the "Number 2". "Capcom Fighter Evolution" received a 6.5 out of 10 from gamespot.com, the same people who write EGM magazine. As any boy obsessed with video games from the age of birth, I've been reading EGM and the online site for some time. The editors there have a love for Street Fighter and other 2D fighters as well as platformers like I do. So when the rating of 6.5 for great 2D fighter emerged it appeared to me as a sign.



It was the 5th grade field trip to Cheap Skate when I first laid my eyes on it. I had to shuffle my way with skates through the arcade filled with kids who couldn't skate and didn't dare leave the arcade to the roller rink. There were was an audience surrounding the machine, as I got closer I got a glimpse and heard "yoga flame". "Jesus, that guy just spit out fire from his mouth!" And then I was hooked.
It took me a while to get a turn to play. Kids in front of me had laid down quarters on the machine marking their turn.



The next three days I couldn't get the game off my mind. After hours of persuasion my Dad brought me to Funcoland to buy Street Fighter 2 for the SNES. I remember the next day I brought the game manual and box to my school to show off. During this time my friends and neighbors would come over to play Street Fighter for hours. We would challenged each other. The winner would stay until somebody beat him, while the challengers would rotate equally. Eventually sequels came out and I would pounce on them like a hooker to crack. Every time my parents went to the mall, I would tag along just to get to the arcade to play SF. I really enjoyed playing at the arcade because every once in a while somebody would try to challenge you. I can't say I won them all, but my percentage of winning was higher then losing. My friend Godwin and I would go sometimes and then when somebody would challenge me he would become my cheerleader. It was great, although this proves that I am a total nerd. The funniest experience was when I played this younger kid, he was probably 12 and I was 15. He walked up the machine I was playing and said "are you ready for a beat down?" I just looked at him with a stupid face. My friend Nick Lingren was with me and his face could be best described as WTF? So the kid puts his quarters in and we play. 2 rounds later his player is dead. His little brother walks over, and asks if he won. I shit you not, he backed his hand up and bitched slapped his little brother. I didn't know whether to laugh or feel sorry for his brother.



The game was a way of escape for me. It would relieve stress, kill time, and actually let me think. There would be times where I would blank out while playing and think about something else and then realize I fought and match and won. I do this while shooting hoops sometimes. So to see a 2D fighting game receive a 6.5 is a show of the times. Although anybody who disregards a 2D fighter as being old or lame was either born after 1992 or is really into Dungeons and Dragons. Every time I see an old Street Fighter 2 arcade machine I'll stop what I'm doing and give it a play. I hope to one day own a Street Fighter arcade machine and put it in my basement. My girlfriend laughs at me when I say this when we are looking at houses. All I have to say to her in response is you wouldn't be able to rip away the arcade machine from my COLD DEAD HANDS. And then the rest of the day is awkward and silent. She'll probably be leaving me now, but that makes more time for street fighter! HURRAH FOR LONELINESS!