When I think of Street Fighter as a brand, the first things that come to mind are either the classic SF2 series or the new hit SF6. But for my money, this is the game that embodies what I like about SF. You've got a roster full of essential fan favorites (except Cammy sadly, although the console ports do remedy that problem) including the series debut of Sakura, who has become an all time classic character in her own right. You've got a colorful and expressive art style that brings out the best in these iconic fighters. That classic Street Fighter spirit is alive and well here and is at the forefront of every battle.

Now as a fighting game nerd I gotta talk about gameplay mechanics. If you're more comfortable with the conventions that began with SF3 you might find this one a bit hard to go back to, but for me it scratches a very specific classic fighting game itch without feeling TOO stupid. I love fast walk speeds, I love normals with dedicated uses/ranges/purposes, and honestly I even kinda love popping reversal custom combo and vaporizing someone's lifebar. And for a fighting game from the mid 90s it actually controls pretty well, aside from the very tight window for CC activation. Probably my favorite SF overall, but I'm pretty open to most of them.