It's incredible to see how far the most popular fighting game ever has come in 30 years

Advertisement

Nearly 30 years ago, in 1987, the first "Street Fighter" video game was released in Japan.

Advertisement

It looked like this:

"Street Fighter"

Capcom

It was groundbreaking at the time, both visually and in terms of what you could do. 30 years later, and the concept is still wildly popular. It's also much, much prettier.

You probably know "Street Fighter," even if you've never played one of the games. It's the classic franchise where characters don't just punch and kick each other, but also throw fireballs and other such madness: the classic "hadoken" move, for instance (pictured below).

Advertisement

This is "Street Fighter 2." It's the game that turned "Street Fighter" into a worldwide phenomenon, and helped boost the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis into ubiquity: 

"Street Fighter 2"

Capcom

In 2016, the Japanese company that originally created the "Street Fighter" franchise will launch a new entry: "Street Fighter V." It looks like this:

"Street Fighter V"

Capcom

Whoa.

To say that it looks prettier is a serious understatement, as you can see yourself. This is the difference that 30 years makes in video game creation. 

Advertisement

Iconic characters Ken and Ryu are still staples of the franchise, even after all these years. Here's Ryu back in the first game, throwing his (in)famous hadoken:

"Street Fighter"

Capcom

And here's Ryu now, in 2015, looking...bigger. Much, much bigger.

"Street Fighter V"

Capcom

There's a full new trailer showcasing the game, which we've dropped below. "Street Fighter V" is heading to Sony's PlayStation 4 and PCs everywhere at some point in 2016. 

Advertisement

NOW WATCH: Facebook tried to copy Apple with its big Oculus unveiling and it failed miserably