The Street Fighter legacy is one of Capcom's finest, a shiny gem that would eventually lead to the birth of the fighting game revolution as we know it today, paving the way for such future greats as the Tekken and Dead Or Alive series, among others. The shift really began with the 1991 arcade release of Street Fighter II, introducing a cast of eight unique characters with their own individual fighting styles and moves that would become something of folklore. Now, 14 years later, that legacy is being celebrated with the release of Street Fighter Anniversary Collection. PlayStation 2 owners have been having a good time with it since last year, but now it's time for Xbox owners to have some fun. And fun they shall have.

This collection contains two general games to choose from, but the options that are provided are so deep, you'll probably be brawling for days at a time. The first is Street Fighter II Collection, which contains the five variations of Street Fighter II through its arcade evolution- the original, the Championship Edition, the Turbo Edition, Super, and Super Turbo. With each game, a new feature is introduced that further enhances the experience. Championship let players go at it head to head with the same fighter, so Ryu vs. Ryu would be an eager possibility. Turbo sped up the action, letting the brain go to work on setting up some quick combos. Super introduced four new characters that fit in quite well with the series, especially Cammy, a slim little Aussie with some powerful moves within her body. And Super Street Fighter II Turbo would be the birthplace of the Super Move, where a maneuver could be pulled off with a complex motion of the controls to pummel your opponent into the dust.

Then you have Street Fighter III: Third Strike, the best modern day Street Fighter game on the market. The Street Fighter III series started slowly, with the release of the original and Second Impact, but soon picked up with the solidified Third Strike, introducing the legendary Chun Li and a few more characters that make the fighting more versatile and exciting. The flow remains perfect to this day, just as it was in the arcades and on the Dreamcast years ago. And, yes, the Super Moves are fantastic, with a dramatic lighting touch that can tell the balance of a match rather easily.

I'm pleased to say that both of these games are arcade-perfect, with hardly any flaws that I could notice. The gameplay is classic Capcom, with the execution of special moves and super moves coming off like a breeze, even with the analog stick. The animation is still superb, in typical 2-D fashion, with each character sporting a number of stylish attacks and looking good doing it. And I have to mention Third Strike's explosive contact animations. You hit a player, and you can see the colorful impact that you make on them. Beauty. The music is pure gold, and the sound effects fit each fighter just fine. Gotta love the "smack" sounds you make in Third Strike, too.

Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is also happily loaded with extras. Along with the opening cinemas and credit screens from Street Fighter's past, you also get access to the full Street Fighter II anime movie, which is good for a viewing and definitely leapfrogs in quality over the pitiful Hollywood attempt with Van Damme a few years back. If that's not enough, in the Street Fighter II game, you can match up different fighters from different games, pitting Street Fighter II's Ryu against the likes of Super Street Fighter II's T. Hawk. Some probably won't play around with this as much as expected, but pros will find themselves strangely accustomed to give it a go.

The biggest new addition to this version, however, would be the compatibility with Xbox Live. If you've got a good connection up and running, you'll be able to connect into a versus fight nearly anytime, no matter which game you use. The lobby system that the game utilizes is cool, as you'll be able to see which brawlers are ready to go without that much difficulty. It's really an excellent feature, and the lag time is barely noticeable during a match.

The only real flaws I can see with Street Fighter Anniversary Collection are the fact that not everyone will be eager to get into a 2-D fighting game again (especially after getting into something like the brilliant Tekken 5), and the fact that the wonderful Street Fighter Alpha games are nowhere to be seen. They may not be a significant thing to everyone, but I feel they would have been a vital ingredient to this package's success.

Oh, well, nitpicking. The general package remains just as sweet as it was over on the PS2, and the inclusion of online play makes the taste that much more delectable. Throw in a $30 price tag and you have a superb fighting experience that fans and even newcomers shouldn't resist. Street Fighter Anniversary Collection is a great marker for the Street Fighter legacy, and it makes me wonder just how great the next fifteen years are going to be.

Our Final ScoreGood

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