Street Fighter EX
Encyclopedia
Street Fighter EX is a head-to-head fighting game
with 3D graphics, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game
for the Sony ZN hardware in . It is a spin-off
of the Street Fighter
series co-produced by Capcom
with Arika
and was the first game in the series to feature polygon graphics. It was followed by an updated arcade version titled Street Fighter EX Plus, as well as a PlayStation-exclusive home version titled Street Fighter EX Plus α, both released in .
and Street Fighter Alpha series. In many ways, EX still plays like a 2D
fighting game, but the linear plane in which characters fight often changes along a 3D battleground. The game uses special moves and super combos familiar or similar to previous games in the series. Like in Alpha and Darkstalkers, the super combo gauge, used to do Super Combos and other moves, was divided into three levels. The game introduces various new features to enhance the player's combat choices.
Aside from throwing the opponent or wearing away their life by using special moves to drain it,
another way to fight blocking is the "Guard Break". The Guard Break is a move that, if it connects with the blocking opponent, breaks the block and makes the opponent dizzy. The Guard Break can be used at any time with one level of the Super Combo gauge.
A Special Move can be done after a Regular Move or another Special Move, this is called "Canceling". In the process of doing a Super Combo, another Super Combo can be performed. This is called "Super Canceling" and can be done with Super Combos.
, an alternate version of Hokuto named "Bloody Hokuto" and two cyborgs named Cycloid β and Cycloid γ.
from Street Fighter II and Sakura
from Street Fighter Alpha 2. In addition, there was a hidden bonus stage
where the player had to smash the barrels from Street Fighter II.
The PlayStation version also includes several game modes in addition to the standard Arcade mode: a dedicated two-player Versus mode, a Team Battle mode, a Survival mode, a Practice mode, Time Attack and a Watch mode where the player gets to witness a match between two computer controlled characters. The PlayStation version also includes Arranged BGM and CG animated endings for all the characters.
, with rock
and electronic dance music
elements. Entitled Street Fighter EX－SCITRON 1500 SERIES, the complete 20-track CD album was released on 21 February 1997 by Pony Canyon
, complete with 19-track voice collection. The 13 track live band CD Street Fighter EX Arrange Sound Trax was released on 5 March 1997, with a drama CD released on 21 March of the same year.
, was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2
. The Street Fighter EX games all run at a vertical resolution
of 480 lines, which makes them the only Street Fighter games to run at a definition above 256 lines until the release of Street Fighter IV in 2008.
gave the game 8.3/10, and stated "In the video and audio departments, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha is pretty solid. Its old characters closely resemble their 2D predecessors", and that "taken as a whole, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha is a fun game with great gameplay, better than average aesthetics, and a large number of characters." They summarized as "a 3D Street Fighter game worthy of its heritage"
N4G
gave the game 7/10, praising the new features and the music, and adding "although a little sluggish compared to the 2-D incarnations, it’s still pretty fun."
Electric Playground scored the game 9.5/10, with PSX Nation giving the game 90%, Video Gamers First awarding 8.9/10, and Absolute PlayStation with 88%.
Edge
magazine commended the "multitude of console-only extras". and gave the game 80%, while GamePro
gave it 90% and proclaimed it a "worldwide fight-night favorite". IGN
gave the game 83%, stating "this is one of the best Street Fighters I've ever played, and I think it's a good switch. It's still a 2D fighter, but it looks a whole lot better"
GameRankings listed the game as the 10th best PlayStation game of 1997, while official magazine PSM
said it was the 9th best game of all time
Characters Skullomania and Jack were both featured in UGO
's list of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters, while V. Rosso was featured in their list of The 25 Most Memorable Italians in Video Games. In 2010, Blair and Pullum were listed at 4th and 3rd positions of ScrewAttack
's Top 10 Street Fighter characters. In the same year, Tekken 5
champion Ryan Hart listed Hokuto, Darun, Allen and Kairi in his top 20 Street Fighter characters
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
with 3D graphics, originally released as a coin-operated arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
for the Sony ZN hardware in . It is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
series co-produced by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
with Arika
Arika
is a Japanese video game developer. It was formed in 1995 by former Capcom employees. The name of the company itself is the reverse of the name of the company's founder, Akira Nishitani, who created Street Fighter II. Arika's first arcade game was Street Fighter EX...
and was the first game in the series to feature polygon graphics. It was followed by an updated arcade version titled Street Fighter EX Plus, as well as a PlayStation-exclusive home version titled Street Fighter EX Plus α, both released in .
Gameplay
The Street Fighter EX fighting system uses fighting systems of the Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
and Street Fighter Alpha series. In many ways, EX still plays like a 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
fighting game, but the linear plane in which characters fight often changes along a 3D battleground. The game uses special moves and super combos familiar or similar to previous games in the series. Like in Alpha and Darkstalkers, the super combo gauge, used to do Super Combos and other moves, was divided into three levels. The game introduces various new features to enhance the player's combat choices.
Aside from throwing the opponent or wearing away their life by using special moves to drain it,
another way to fight blocking is the "Guard Break". The Guard Break is a move that, if it connects with the blocking opponent, breaks the block and makes the opponent dizzy. The Guard Break can be used at any time with one level of the Super Combo gauge.
A Special Move can be done after a Regular Move or another Special Move, this is called "Canceling". In the process of doing a Super Combo, another Super Combo can be performed. This is called "Super Canceling" and can be done with Super Combos.
Characters
With a total of 18 new characters in the three games of the Street Fighter EX series, this represents the largest original set of characters introduced in a single Street Fighter series.Default characters
- RyuRyu (Street Fighter)is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
(voiced by Katashi IshizukaKatashi Ishizukais a Japanese voice actor who is affiliated with Aksent.-Notable anime and video game voice roles:*Ryu in Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom series*Yamada in Revolutionary Girl Utena*Miruki in Hunter × Hunter*Arias in Read or Die*Koji Mori in Strawberry Eggs...
) - Ken (v.b. Tetsuya IwanagaTetsuya Iwanagais a Japanese voice actor. As of April 1, 2009, he is affiliated with maxmix.-Notable voice roles:*Kensuke Aida in Neon Genesis Evangelion*Makoto Mizuhara in El-Hazard*Imaichi in Fancy Lala*Tomite in Fushigi Yūgi...
) - Chun-LiChun-Liis a video game character produced by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II, she has since appeared as a player character in nearly all subsequent games....
(v.b. Yuko MiyamuraYuko Miyamura' is a Japanese voice actress, actress, J-pop singer and director of audiography. Her married name is ', although she still works under her maiden name. Miyamura was born in Kobe, and graduated from the theater division of the Tōhō Gakuen College of Drama and Music. Her pet name is '...
) - ZangiefZangiefis a fictional character in the Street Fighter series of video games. Created by Akira Yasuda for Capcom, Zangief first appeared in Street Fighter II, later appearing in other games, media, and promotions related to the Street Fighter franchise...
(v.b. Wataru TakagiWataru Takagiis a Japanese seiyū and stage actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Arts Vision.He is best known for his roles in Detective Conan , After War Gundam X , Slayers Try , the Beast Wars: Transformers series , GTO , Hajime no Ippo (July 25, 1966 - ) is a Japanese seiyū and stage...
) - GuileGuile (Street Fighter)is a fictional character in Capcom's Street Fighter series of fighting games.-Street Fighter series:Guile made his first appearance in Street Fighter II as one of the eight selectable characters featured in the first release of the game...
(v.b. Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
)
- Hokuto (v.b. Yuri AmanoYuri Amanois a Japanese voice actor. She was born .- Films :* Soreike! Anpanman: Baikinman no Gyakushuu , Akachanman* Mobile Suit Gundam F91 , Jessica* Tobé! Kujira no Peek...
) - D. Dark (v.b. Wataru Takagi)
- Pullum (v.b. Chika SakamotoChika Sakamotois a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo affiliated with Arts Vision.-Television animation:*Baby and Me *Ashita no Nadja *Legend of the Mystical Ninja *Fighting Foodons *Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ...
) - C. Jack (v.b. Banjo GingaBanjo Ginga, sometimes credited as his real name , is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Kofu, Yamanashi. Ginga is currently affiliated with Aoni Production...
) - Skullomania (v.b. Issei FutamataIssei Futamatais a veteran seiyū who was born on March 15, 1955 in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. He graduated from Towada Technical High School. He is a member of the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....
)
Hidden characters
- AkumaAkuma (Street Fighter)Akuma known in Japan as , is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss. In the storyline of the Street Fighter video games, he is the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's...
(Gouki in Japan, v.b. Tomomichi NishimuraTomomichi Nishimurais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the narrator of YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei , Shibaraku Tsurugibe , and Jamitov Hymem...
) - Blair (v.b. Hikari TachibanaHikari Tachibanais a Japanese voice actress . Notably, she performs the voices of Princess Zelda and Tetra in the video game The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and had a minor role in two episodes of anime series InuYasha...
) - Allen (v.b. Osamu HosoiOsamu Hosoiis a Japanese voice actor.-Notable anime and video game voice roles:*JigSaw in Death Note: The Hidden Rules*John Smith in ROD The TV*Kurama in Elfen Lied*Dan Hibiki in Street Fighter Alpha*Allen Snider in Street Fighter EX...
) - Kairi (v.b. Kaneto ShiozawaKaneto ShiozawaKaneto Shiozawa , real name was a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo affiliated with Aoni Production. He had a distinctive cold, calm voice which usually typecast him in roles as villains or anti-heroes....
) - Darun (v.b. Takashi NagasakoTakashi Nagasakois a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama Prefecture who works at Arts Vision.- Anime :* Mobile Suit Gundam: The Movie Trilogy , Mayer* Fencer of Minerva , Teo* New Cutey Honey , Caeser , Leader...
)
Bosses
- Garuda (v.b. Osamu Hosoi)
- BisonM. BisonM. Bison, known in Japan as Vega, is a video game character created by Capcom. First introduced in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, he is a recurring character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games, acting as the final boss and primary antagonist of the Street Fighter II and Street...
(Vega in Japan, v.b. Tomomichi Nishimura)
Street Fighter EX Plus
A few months after the original version of Street Fighter EX was distributed to the arcades, an upgraded version titled Street Fighter EX Plus was released to the arcades on March . In this version, all the hidden time-released characters are available by default, as well as Garuda and Bison, who were exclusively computer-controlled characters in the original game. This version also adds four new hidden characters, Evil Ryu from Street Fighter Alpha 2Street Fighter Alpha 2
Street Fighter Alpha 2, known as in Japan, Asia and South America, is a fighting game originally released for the CPS II arcade hardware by Capcom. The game is both a sequel and a remake to the previous years Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, which is itself a prequel to the Street Fighter...
, an alternate version of Hokuto named "Bloody Hokuto" and two cyborgs named Cycloid β and Cycloid γ.
Street Fighter EX Plus α
A PlayStation version of the game, titled Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha and promoted as Street Fighter EX plus α was released on July 17, 1997. All the characters from the arcade version of EX Plus are featured, along with two characters exclusive to this version: DhalsimDhalsim
, is a video game character from the Street Fighter series of fighting games.Dhalsim made his debut in the original Street Fighter II as one of the games original eight main characters. In his backstory, Dhalsim is characterized as a pacifist who goes against his beliefs by entering the World...
from Street Fighter II and Sakura
Sakura Kasugano
is a player character in the Street Fighter series of fighting games. Sakura is portrayed in the series as a young Japanese schoolgirl who idolizes Ryu, whom she wants to be trained by.-In video games:...
from Street Fighter Alpha 2. In addition, there was a hidden bonus stage
Bonus stage
A bonus stage is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Often a bonus stage will have no enemies or hazards, or may contain them but the player character is invulnerable to attack from them...
where the player had to smash the barrels from Street Fighter II.
The PlayStation version also includes several game modes in addition to the standard Arcade mode: a dedicated two-player Versus mode, a Team Battle mode, a Survival mode, a Practice mode, Time Attack and a Watch mode where the player gets to witness a match between two computer controlled characters. The PlayStation version also includes Arranged BGM and CG animated endings for all the characters.
Regional differences
The Japanese versions of the games contains text-only epilogues which are displayed on-screen after the player defeats Bison in the single-player mode. The PlayStation version features new epilogues (different from the ones featured in the arcade versions) in addition to the FMV endings.Music
The themes are predominantly jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, with rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
and electronic dance music
Electronic dance music
Electronic dance music is electronic music produced primarily for the purposes of use within a nightclub setting, or in an environment that is centered upon dance-based entertainment...
elements. Entitled Street Fighter EX－SCITRON 1500 SERIES, the complete 20-track CD album was released on 21 February 1997 by Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
, complete with 19-track voice collection. The 13 track live band CD Street Fighter EX Arrange Sound Trax was released on 5 March 1997, with a drama CD released on 21 March of the same year.
Sequels
A sequel to Street Fighter EX was released for the arcades titled Street Fighter EX2. It was also followed by an upgraded version titled Street Fighter EX2 Plus, which was released for the arcades and ported to the PlayStation. A third console game in the series, Street Fighter EX3Street Fighter EX3
Street Fighter EX3 is the third console installment in the Street Fighter EX series developed by Arika and published by Capcom. The game was released in 2000 for PlayStation 2 in Japan and North America, and subsequently released in Europe in 2001....
, was released exclusively for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. The Street Fighter EX games all run at a vertical resolution
Display resolution
The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
of 480 lines, which makes them the only Street Fighter games to run at a definition above 256 lines until the release of Street Fighter IV in 2008.
Critical
The game received very positive reviews. GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
gave the game 8.3/10, and stated "In the video and audio departments, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha is pretty solid. Its old characters closely resemble their 2D predecessors", and that "taken as a whole, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha is a fun game with great gameplay, better than average aesthetics, and a large number of characters." They summarized as "a 3D Street Fighter game worthy of its heritage"
N4G
N4G
N4G is an international video game discussion forum. It relies on user submitted content, where registered contributors submit news about gaming and the industry from all across the internet, borrowing articles from established gaming news websites...
gave the game 7/10, praising the new features and the music, and adding "although a little sluggish compared to the 2-D incarnations, it’s still pretty fun."
Electric Playground scored the game 9.5/10, with PSX Nation giving the game 90%, Video Gamers First awarding 8.9/10, and Absolute PlayStation with 88%.
Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
magazine commended the "multitude of console-only extras". and gave the game 80%, while GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave it 90% and proclaimed it a "worldwide fight-night favorite". IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game 83%, stating "this is one of the best Street Fighters I've ever played, and I think it's a good switch. It's still a 2D fighter, but it looks a whole lot better"
GameRankings listed the game as the 10th best PlayStation game of 1997, while official magazine PSM
PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"...
said it was the 9th best game of all time
Characters Skullomania and Jack were both featured in UGO
UGO
UGO Entertainment, Inc. is a website providing coverage of online media in entertainment targeting males age 18–34. The company is currently based in New York, New York, United States. On July 24, 2007 it was announced that Hearst Corporation would acquire UGO Entertainment...
's list of Top 50 Street Fighter Characters, while V. Rosso was featured in their list of The 25 Most Memorable Italians in Video Games. In 2010, Blair and Pullum were listed at 4th and 3rd positions of ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack
ScrewAttack . is a video game-related website that showcases original entertainment for an audience of video game enthusiasts. Its content is also shown on GameTrailers and IGN...
's Top 10 Street Fighter characters. In the same year, Tekken 5
Tekken 5
is the sixth installment in the popular Tekken series. It also marks the tenth anniversary of the series. It was updated for the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3 as Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection and succeeded by Tekken 6.- Story :...
champion Ryan Hart listed Hokuto, Darun, Allen and Kairi in his top 20 Street Fighter characters
External links
- Shoryuken.com (the online center of competitive Street Fighter)
- Arika - the developers of the Street Fighter EX series.
- J-pop.com interview with Akira Nishitani about Street Fighter EX