Although certainly not the first game of it's genre, Street Fighter II is considered by many to be the father of the tremendous movement in the 1990s towards one-on-one fighting games. It's remarkable popularity along with the money making potential of such a style of game began an avalanche of sequels and derivations of this successful concept.The game, rather than focusing on storyline, places the focus on technique and the player's ability to master the different types of fighters available. Each one of these street fighters has a variety of moves, which are executed through series of joypad movements and button combinations. Part of the innovation of this game was the button design, which allowed for three potencies of punches and kicks. This gameplay dynamic allowed for a greater amount of potential moves and forced players to develop numerous strategies for countering these various attacks. In addition, the ability to play multiple characters each with dozens of special moves gave Street Fighter II immense replay value.
The Sega version of this game in particular is considered by many to be an accurate translation of the arcade hit, with reworked sound / sound effects and special codes that can be used to play as the boss characters. ~ Paul Biondich, All Game Guide