Street Fighter Week: The evolution of Ken and Ryu

Table of Contents
Street Fighter|Street Fighter II|Alpha series|Street Fighter III|EX series|SF: The Movie and Gem Fighter|Marvel vs. Capcom series|SNK vs. Capcom series|Misc. games|Sprite comparison|SSFIITHDR and Street Fighter IV|Comics, films, and more

SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium - 1999

Match of the Millennium is a quant Neo Geo Pocket Color game, and the first game to mash up SNK and Capcom characters. Don't let the simple art fool you, this is one of the most feature rich and popular handheld fighting games ever made.

The characters look a bit similar to the Karate Champ inspiration we mentioned in reference to the original Street Fighter.

Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001 - 2001

While the sprites in Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000 are ripped from Alpha, Capcom redrew Ken and Ryu for Capcom vs. SNK 2, and the resulting appearance is something like a combination of Alpha, SF II, and SF III. They are slightly thinner than their Alpha and SF III counterparts, and have slightly more twisted torsos in their ready stances. There's also a bit more muscle definition, and Ryu's hair is back to brown.

Trivia: Mark of the Millennium 2001 is known as "Millionaire Fighting 2001" in Japan. Why? Hell if we know.

SVC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom - 2003

SVC Chaos was not received particularly well by the media, but what interests us is that it was developed by SNK instead of Capcom, meaning Ryu and Ken take on a never-before-seen style. The characters are darker, leaner, and haven't ironed their uniforms in some time.

SVC Chaos is also known for its strange dialogue, possibly as the result of poor translation.

GamesRadarTylerWilde
Associate Editor, Digital at PC Gamer
Latest in Fighting
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Super Smash Bros. creator says instead of making more "Americanized works," Japanese devs should "seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games"
Minecraft characters Alex and Steve riding in mine carts in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, being chased by Bowser Jr..
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate villain Minecraft Steve is the star of the "best Smash clip of all time," as genius player makes a literal Trojan Horse to destroy an unsuspecting opponent
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS key art.
Masahiro Sakurai says Super Smash Bros "might have died out" if not for late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata: "There's no doubt that he influenced me in many ways"
Mortal Kombat 2 3DO
After 32 years, Mortal Kombat 2 has finally been ported to the one hyper-expensive '90s console that could actually do it justice
jinx in 2xko weilding a big hammer with a smirk on her face
The League of Legends fighting game spin-off won't be getting its big playtest, but that's so that more of you can play it later this year
Retro Gamer
Retro Gamer celebrates Capcom’s greatest fighting games
Latest in Features
Kill Team: Blood and Zeal box on a wooden surface
Kill Team: Blood and Zeal pre-orders just went live, and I wish other Warhammer games were this weird
Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman.
DC June 2025 solicitations: 10 must-have comics to pre-order this month
Flow
Flow won big as this year's Oscars underdog against Pixar and Netflix, and it's proof of the power of storytelling over dialogue
Yasuke riding through a village looking for Knowledge in Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows' prologue is the most gripping in franchise history, but I'm fixated on the tiny details
Naoe blends in among lush trees in Assassin's Creed Shadows while observing Amagasaki Castle from a rooftop perch
After 18 years Assassin's Creed Shadows cracks the ultimate stealth loop with its deliciously dense castles
Naoe perched in front of a castle in Assassin's Creed Shadows
I've spent 20 hours in Assassin's Creed Shadows chasing drip and decor, and it's proving to be my biggest source of motivation in the RPG