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Beat-em-ups are big business these days, but every fighting game currently on the market owes its existence to Street Fighter II. Taking a genre made enjoyable by the simple charms of Yie Ar Kung Fu or IK+ and adding a whole new dimension of gameplay, Capcom's sequel elevated the 2D fighter to the realm of art form. Special moves, tactical depth that could put most strategy games to shame and the most enjoyable two player entertainment the SNES had yet to offer, SFII was a gaming sensation that went on to spawn more sequels and alternate editions than almost any other title in history, culminating in this year's Street Fighter IV.

Memorable for...
The level of detail. Your game may essentially be fireball, fireball, dragon punch, sweep, but for the pros SF is broken down to a microscopic level. Tournament players go so far as to count animation frames, using to-the-millisecond timing to crush their enemies, see them driven before them and hear the lamentation of their women. Or something.

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