Devil May Cry 5, so there's been growing excitement to see what it’ll do to favorite Street Fighter characters and stage designs in the new game.
This focus on design has always been a big part of the Street Fighter series. While the Fighters are important, fans also have their favorite streets. These backgrounds can bring a lot of personality with their aesthetics and music. These locations can appear in multiple games or just be one-offs, but they have just as many fans as the series’ wacky cast.
Air Force Base (Street Fighter II)
Street Fighter II was the first fighting game to introduce a lot of genre staples. There's a cast of colorful characters that can be selected and the gameplay featured combos. Finally, stages came with bright music and expressive background characters. None of these are more apparent than on Guile's stage, Air Force Base.
The stage was simply called "USA" initially to go with the game's international theme. The stage's appearance in future games would give it the name "Air Force Base" to go along with Guile's backstory and in the background are a variety of Guile's coworkers cheering him on. Of course, the most memorable thing about the stage is the song "Guile's Theme," which even became one of Street Fighter's best memes.
Skyscraper Under Construction (Street Fighter IV)
The key to a good stage is for the playfield to not be distracting while the background is eye-catching. Stages that move are a good way to achieve this, as it explains why NPCs don't run onto the playfield. The Skyscraper Under Construction from Street Fighter IV takes place on a girder suspended by a crane. This allows it to spin and rise to show more of the surrounding construction site.
The visuals on the site are top-notch. Some of the workers are cheering on the fight while others are just getting on with their work. Additionally, there are cameos of Final Fight characters in the background. Hugo appears as a worker and a statue of Haggar is seen in the distance.
Field of Fate (Street Fighter Alpha 2)
Street Fighter as a video game series got some animated adaptations. These vary in quality, but Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie was perhaps the best of them. The movie began with a sequence of Ryu fighting Sagat in a dramatic thundering field with the wind blowing. Street Fighter Alpha 2 recognized how cool the visual was and included it as a stage.
The stage is one of the more simple visually. The thunder and wind still paint an epic atmosphere for any fight despite lacking tons of background elements or NPCs. This stage is so beloved it ended up returning in Street Fighter V. It's been quite a journey for this map that began in a non-canon movie.
Fighting Barroom (Street Fighter II)
Street Fighter's stages are typically just backdrops to the exciting fights and nothing more. However, Vega's stage from Street Fighter II is the sole exception in the series. Despite taking place in a lively tavern, an ominous grate is present. This grating can be climbed by Vega, which he uses to avoid player attacks.
This grating would end up becoming one of the most important parts of Vega's character. Future games would give him attacks to mimick its functions. In Street Fighter V, Capcom brought it back to the similar Flamenco Tavern stage, but it's banned in competitive play for the obvious advantage it gives Vega players.
Over (Street Fighter IV)
Despite being called "Street Fighter," arenas are pretty common venues. The fights themselves don't always take place on or even near streets. Over from Street Fighter IV is a good example of a stage that's just a fight out in public. Bystanders flock under this random over to see the heroes and villains of Street Fighter battle it out.
The down and dirty feeling of this stage are why it's a favorite among fans. The children who've gathered to watch and the graffiti on the walls make it feel very urban. The stage also has a great theme song, featuring a robotic voice singing over a thumping track. Despite the stage's bright colors, it really gets the blood pumping for a brawl.
Metro City Bay Area (Street Fighter V)
The earlier construction site stage featured Final Fight cameos, but this stage is set in the location of the classic beat-em-up arcade game series. Abigail's home stage sees his garage in view. More breathtaking than that is the seascape to right. The sunset coming over the buildings is a real sight to behold.
The stage features remixes of classic Final Fight music and transitions from night to dawn between rounds, which is a nice touch. It also represents a new beginning for Final Fight's characters; not only did Abigail open a garage, but it's at this stage that Cody is announced to be the new mayor.
Kenya (Street Fighter III: Second Impact)
Street Fighter III was known for its smooth animations. This doesn't just apply to the characters and their excellent rotoscoping, but the stages as well. This is pretty apparent in Elena's stages, which feature moving wildlife and beautiful skies throughout all the games in the III series. Her stage in the Second Impact version is where her stage shines the best, though.
The beautiful night sky is masterfully drawn. What is less eye-catching is the bridge, but not for long. The bridge will collapse and move between rounds of the match. Street Fighter is known to sometimes have wacky transitions, and this is one of the best.
Rindo-Kan Dojo (Street Fighter III: Third Strike)
A lot of stages are bombastic and full of energy and other characters, but solemn stages can be good too. The Rindo-Kan Dojo from Third Strike is one such stage. The rustic atmosphere is sober and feels more dramatic than in other stages. The serious atmosphere is reflective of the stage's owner, Makoto.
Makoto is a practitioner of Rindo-Kan Karate and one of the characters fans want to see in Street Fighter 6. Unlike fellow high school martial artist Sakura, she's much more serious. She's set to inherit the dojo and the practice one day. The stage really sells all the history of the stage.
Kanzuki Estate (Street Fighter V)
Going from stoic to extravagant, the Kanzuki Estate is a large Japanese mansion. This stage comes in day and night varieties. The daytime version focuses more on the cherry blossoms and the natural beauty of the koi pond. Despite the Estate being owned by the wealthy Kanzukis, it comes off as spiritual.
The nighttime version of the stage is quite different. Butlers and party guests appear in the background, highlighting the wealth. A table with drinks stacked on it also appears, and it shakes when players land big blows. This stage toes the line between stoic and exciting and is one of the best in Street Fighter V.
San Francisco Bay Area (Street Fighter Alpha 2)
This stage is often called "the party boat" by fans, and it's easy to see why. The girlfriend (later wife) of Ken Masters is being thrown a large birthday party by her partner on a lavish boat. All the decorations and food show that Ken really has pulled out all the stops for his love. He even managed to invite several characters from other Capcom games.
The stage's large and ostentatious getup is half of the appeal, and the other half is the cameos. Characters from Capcom's other fighting game series, Darkstalkers, appear in the pool and at the dining table. Characters from Saturday Night Slammasters appear at the buffet. Next to the birthday girl Eliza herself is Captain Commando and Strider Hiryu, making cameos even outside of their timeline. This stage is a buffet for Capcom fans.