I have nothing but love for “Street Fighter,” one of the greatest, if not the greatest fighting video game ever made. My first contact with it was during my elementary school days when I’d pass by the arcade cabinet residing outside of a local auto shop. There was always someone playing it, but I would look over their shoulder and see what the game was. Later on I learned to love the “Street Fighter II” on the Super Nintendo and I’ve had an interest in its universe for many years. “Street Fighter II” set the template for pretty much every fighting game ever consumed by mass audiences, and is still a brilliant fighter based around strategy and quick timing.
“25 Years of Inspiration” is the documentary that the video game has always needed and provides the legacy of the game with great respect. Originally a part of a special edition set for buyers of the anniversary edition, Capcom has thankfully allowed the documentary for mass consumption and the film works as a breezy seventy two minute ode to the influence of video games on pop culture. “I Am Street Fighter” is about the fans, and takes most of its run time interviewing a lot of hard core fans, many of whom have devoted their lives to worshiping the video game series. One man has an entire room filled with merchandise and various editions of the game series.
There’s also a hip hop artist devotes songs to the character Balrog, an African American boxer often considered the lesser of the characters in most circles. What Area 5 captures well is the tendency for the video games to catch momentum, resulting in a lot of underground video game tournaments, one of which exploded in to a massive fighting event attracting all kinds of players from America, and Japan. “I Am Street Fighter” works hard to lend credence to the idea that there is no fluid story line to the games, injecting monologues from the fans that swear the series conveys dramatic story lines and a fluid arc that no other fighting game has been able to duplicate.
Along with great testimonies, and very interesting analyses of the various characters from the game, there’s exciting looks at tournament game play, as well as a bittersweet look at how the communal experience of the arcade, and playing games with friends has all but disappeared and become a luxury in America. Sure, it’s partially a EPK for Capcom and their enduring contributions to gaming, but Area 5 manage to dive in to the experience of being a fan and discovering the art of the fighting game. “I Am Street Fighter” is the documentary the iconic video game has always deserved, and it’ll make for a quick and entertaining nostlalgiac blast for gamers or for folks that want to re-live a time where playing video games was about social connection more than anything.