The 25th anniversary of Street Fighter II is here, and it's time to celebrate the millions of hadukens and shoryukens performed over the past two-and-a-half decades.
While Capcom's Street Fighter II is remembered for having elevated 2D fighters to a whole other level, spawning many of the fighting game franchises we are still playing today, it's also notable for one other thing: excellent music.
No matter what track it is, Yoko Shimomura's soundtrack is near-perfect. Whether you're jamming out to it as you battle your friends or listening to it during a morning workout, these songs are some of the most iconic gaming has to offer. That's why we've decided to rank each piece of stage music to help celebrate Street Fighter II's big day.
Doing so, however, is no small task. With so many classic tunes, ranking them from best to worst is a tough, painful process. Thankfully, it's also easy on the ears. Without further ado, here is how we rank each of Street Fighter II's legendary tracks.
We'll start at number 12 (least favorite) and work our way down to number one. Can you guess which tracks will be at the top?
12 — Blanka's Stage
The green-skinned, electricity-emitting Blanka is the odd-man out when it comes to Street Fighter II's roster, and so is his stage track. It's not bad by any means, but it's simply not as catchy or as memorable many others on this list.
11 — E. Honda's Stage
Japanese sumo wrestler E. Honda's song perfectly captures what the character is all about. He's a character steeped in tradition. While other fighters duke it out with fireballs and mixed martial arts, Honda has the guts (or the gut) to show up and throw down sumo-style.
10 — Dhalsim's Stage
This is the song countless to which "yoga fire" attacks have been spammed. It's one of the more unique tracks in the game, with a somewhat unnatural rhythm. It takes a minute to get in your head, but once it does, there's no escaping it, just like Dhalsim's elastic arms.
9 — Balrog's Stage
Balrog may not be the most original character in Street Fighter II's roster (he is very, very clearly Mike Tyson), but his stage track is much more sophisticated than the character's raw boxing strength would imply.
8 — Chun-Li's Stage
The stage music for Street Fighter II's poster-girl doesn't disappoint. Channeling the character's Chinese background, it's fast, precise and elegant, just like Chun-Li, which makes it a winner in our books.
7 — M. Bison's Stage
The master villain himself, M. Bison's foreboding track was enough to strike fear into more than a few players. Toward the beginning, you can almost hear the church bells that foretell your demise. Then, suddenly, the track starts moving at a relentless speed as strange, almost alien sounds are added to the melody to make for an otherworldly boss fight.
6 — Sagat's Stage
Without a doubt, Sagat is the number one badass in Street Fighter II. He knows it, too. His Tiger Uppercut is truly terrifying. Plus, he's like seven feet tall. His theme is confident and imposing, just like Sagat himself.
5 — Zangief's Stage
Muscle, boots and hair — that's Zangief in a nutshell. Add in this standout track, and you've got yourself one of the game's most beloved fighters. Just listen to those opening notes! There's nothing else like it in the game, making it one of our favorite songs.
4 — Vega's Stage
M. Bison may be the main boss of Street Fighter II, but Vega's stage and the accompanying track make it feel like Vega is the real fight of your life. Blazing fast with a distinct Spanish flare, the mask-wearing, claw-wielding villain's theme music is one of the best.
3 — Ryu's Stage
The face of the franchise, it's only fitting that Ryu's stage music is one of the most iconic pieces of gaming music ever created. More than a few players start their Street Fighter career playing as the poster boy, so this track is ingrained in the heads of gamers all over the world. "Classic" is probably the best way to describe it, and that's why it's number three on our list.
2 — Guile's Stage
Let's just get this out of the way: Guile's stage music really does go with anything. If you don't believe us, YouTube will prove it. It's a given fact of life at this point, so it's no surprise to see it take our number two spot. America!
1 — Ken's Stage
Guile's theme may be all over the Internet, and Ryu's stage music is a classic, but nothing gets you ready to street-fight like Ken's stage music. The build-up is legendary, and once it's going full-blast, there is nothing to stop you from traveling the world and letting your fists do the talking. It's impossible to get out of your head, and the longer you listen, the more you feel like you can conquer any challenge Street Fighter or life throws at you. Ken may play second fiddle to Ryu, but his stage music is second-to-none.
