Game Basic Frequently Asked Questions

#01: What version is Super Turbo?

Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo is the official fifth and definitive arcade iteration of Street Fighter II. All the games after that are just compilations, remixes, or console ports that haven't stood the test of time.

Street Fighter II The World Warrior

The World Warrior

Platform: Arcade

Year: 1991

Roster: 8 Characters

Street Fighter II Champion Edition

Champion Edition

Platform: Arcade

Year: 1992

Roster: 12 Characters (4 new characters)

Street Fighter II Raibow Edition

Raibow Edition

Platform: Arcade Knock off (Not Capcom official)

Year: 1992?

Roster: 12 Characters

Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting
Street Fighter II Hyper Fighting Alternative Version
a.k.a

Hyper Fighting

Platform: Arcade

Year: 1992

Roster: 12 Characters + Turbo speed

Street Fighter II The New Challengers

The New Challengers

Platform: Arcade

Year: 1993

Roster: 16 Characters (4 New Characters)

Street Fighter II Grand Master Challenge
Street Fighter II Grand Master Challenge Alternative Version
a.k.a

Grand Master Challenge

Platform: Arcade

Year: 1994

Roster: 16 Characters + 1 secret character + 16 secret characters from the previous version + Turbo speed

Street Fighter II The Anniversary Edition

The Anniversary Edition

Platform: Arcade Compilation

Year: 2003

Roster: All the characters of the previous versions (a lot)

Street Fighter II HD Remix

HD Remix

Platform: Console only (remake)

Year: 2008

Roster: HD mode (17 rebalanced characters) + classic mode (ST/2X)

Street Fighter II The Final Challengers

The Final Challengers

Platform: Console only

Year: 2017

Roster: 19 Characters (2 New Characters)

#02: Why are the names of the bosses wrong in the screen?

In Japanese versions of the game, the boxer character was named M.Bison (an homage to Mike Tyson). To avoid a potential lawsuit, the name of the bosses were switched around in non-Japanese versions of the game.

So to avoid confusion, the communities outside of Japan call them Boxer, Claw, and Dictator.

#03: Is it a balanced game? Why do most people prefer this version and not the others?

ST/2X is not the most balanced game since it has many 8-2 matchups. It's not the most fair either since damage and stun are calculated with a small random factor that was not present in some other versions of the game. It's not the easiest one in terms of execution due to its turbo speed and small input windows in the moves.

With that said, the game has some comeback mechanics and design features (including the many bugs in the game) that make it the most fun to play and watch. The game also seems to please a wide range of competitive players, from the ones who love fundamentals to those who like new tech, probably because of the depth in the game that has constantly evolved after so many years of play.

#04: Are there any differences between the Japanese version and the US version?

Barely any. Some players claim that some moves have different stun amounts in the two versions. The most well-known one is Zangief's vertical headbutt that can dizzy someone with just one hit in the Japanese version.

#05: What is the standard turbo speed for tournaments?

It's turbo 3 for the Japanese version and turbo 2 for the US version.

#06: Why did the community not move to games that appeared after 1994? What about the previous versions of SF2?

Although 'Champion Edition' and 'Hyper Fighting' were more popular in the arcades in the mid nineties most of the community moved to the latest arcade iteration for the reasons aforementioned. Only few places in South America and South Korea keep organizing tournaments for those versions but much smaller than ST/2X tournaments.

The compilation Hyper Street Fighter II [HSF2] (2003) had so many characters from the previous versions of Street Fighter II. Many of them were extremely overpowered, so it didn't seem like a good fit for competitive play.

The remake HD Remix [HDR] (2008) had several balance changes to many characters that didn't seem to please most of the old school players at that time. However, one of the main reasons is that there was no arcade version of the game which made it difficult for Japan to adopt. Without the Japanese community, it's harder to move all the other smaller communities in the world to the newer games.

USF2 (2017) shares the same issues as HDR, such as the lack of an arcade version. It also faces a similar problem as HSF2, where Evil Ryu and Violent Ken are considered too overpowered.

#07: What are the old characters in the game?

There are 16 secret characters, known as 'old characters', that can be selected through a code. These characters are from the previous version (Super Street Fighter II), and they are the only way to use the classic color palettes. However, only three of them are widely considered stronger than their updated counterparts: Old Sagat, Old Ken, and Old Hawk.

There's an ongoing debate about their use — in some regions, especially in Japan, they are frowned upon despite being technically allowed (a practice often referred to as a 'soft ban').

#09: How do I go from the beginner level to the intermediate level?

It's a mix of watching a ton of videos, learn the matchups of your character, and practice execution. Nowadays, Fightcade is the best place to practice online. If you are nice towards other players there will be plenty of people willing to help you which in turn will save you a ton of learning time. During the times that you don't connect online, practice execution in training mode instead of playing against the CPU.

#10: How active is the scene nowadays? Where can I play if I visit Japan?

Please check both the tournaments and events list from the main page.