Street Fighter practically made fighting video games what they are, thanks to a robust combination of in-depth play mechanics, imaginative characters, and addictive gameplay. Over the last few decades, the franchise has developed quite a cult following, and with it, a series of hilarious memes that best sum up the franchise.
Some of these memes are digs at the gameplay, but most of them mean no harm. However, they all speak volumes about the nature of the Street Fighter franchise and what role it plays in fighting game history. All of them are laugh-out-loud funny and sure to tickle any fan’s funny bone.
Every New Street Fighter Player, Ever
This meme sums up what every green Street Fighter player has to go through when they first get a hold of the controls. It can take quite a while for gamers to figure out the three basic kicks and punches in the game, not to mention the button combinations needed to pull off special moves.
That reality is demonstrated to hilarious perfection with this meme showing E. Honda doing his infamous hundred-hand slap in an attempt to win a match. Only the finest Street Fighter players realize the depth of the game’s fighting mechanics, and how the controls relate to them.
Hadouken The Laundry
This is an interesting meme that plays upon the classic “Hadouken” fireball attack used by Ryu and Ken in the Street Fighter games. The way the fireball is launched involves thrusting their arms outward with a double palm strike, which channels Hadou energy into a form of flame.
For everyone else incapable of such a feat, they can play pretend while doing menial chores around the house. Laundry might be a lot more fun if people take this meme to heart and unleash a little Street Fighter action on a quiet and mundane Sunday afternoon.
A Day In The Life Of A Street Fighter
Street Fighter’s characters are larger-than-life, to say the least. Some, like Sagat, defy the laws of physics with incomprehensible body proportions. That makes getting around in normal life a bit of a chore, as evidenced by this meme.
Of course, should Sagat ever find himself in the situation pictured above, he could simply rely on a classic Tiger Knee attack to gain the upper hand. After all, it’s doubtful either the passenger, or even a sky marshal, would have anything to say about it, seeing as how he’s one of the most powerful villains in the entire Street Fighter series.
The Life Of A Family Man
Guile is famous for goading his beaten opponents with the classic taunt “Go home and be a family man.” This meme tries to envision just what Guile means when says that, and how he might be projecting a bit. It’s not only a cute meme, but it’s highly detailed.
Here, Guile is busy baking cookies with Cammy, Chun-Li and Guile’s daughter. He doesn’t appear to be having much fun, but rather, he’s slogging through it to make the ladies in his life happy. He’d probably feel happier beating up his enemies on the streets, however.
Hazardous Bonus Stages
Capcom games like Final Fight and Street Fighter have given gamers plenty of chances to rack up bonus points by unleashing their inner wrecking ball. Street Fighter is more famous for this, especially in stages where they can total an automobile before the timer runs out.
Of course, nobody bothers to explain where these vehicles are coming from, or who owns them. Hopefully it’s someone bad, but if not, the real owner will have a painful time trying to explain the wreck to their insurance adjuster.
Bison’s Last Words
Raul Julia made a legacy for himself by starring in the live-action 1994 Street Fighter film shortly before his death. There, he spoke one of the best lines of the entire Street Fighter movie, which has since been tied irrevocably to his character.
This meme sums up the rivalry between Chun-Li and Bison by bringing the infamous “It was Tuesday” line into the game timeline. It’s no less effective, and a great nod towards the guilty pleasure flick from whence it came.
A Street Fighter Plot Hole
This meme best sums up Street Fighter in a very funny way, as nobody can quite explain when or where this supposed fad took place. The 1990s wasn’t known for young fighters going around and participating in street-based brawls, all for the sake of obscure credit.
Yet, Street Fighter bases a large chunk of the game on this premise. Sure, there’s a loose backstory involving a tournament, but every fight seems to take place in some remote location, with only a few bystanders in the background. This was not an MMA-style event with a large budget.
Shoddy Multiplayer Netcode
Street Fighter V is notorious for launching with some extremely dicey netcode, which caused a ton of problems for gamers who wanted to duke it out with each other online. This meme utilizes a scene from Terminator 2 in hilarious fashion to sell the idea.
Anyone who thinks SFV’s netcode was up to par was obviously a weird individual, and is best given a wide berth. It wouldn’t be the last Street Fighter title to suffer from this problem, either. Hopefully Capcom avoids this issue while adding in some new fan requests with the upcoming Street Fighter 6.
A Change Of Pace
This meme sums up the Street Fighter franchise by once again referencing the bonus stage where players can turn a car into a hunk of twisted metal. In this instance, it plays on a “what-if” scenario showing Ken and Ryu give a little red automobile a good cleaning, perhaps for a drive on the town.
It’s a funny reference to the classic Street Fighter II arcade phenomenon, and a nice break from the typical “smash everything in record time” approach of most bonus stages in the franchise.
Ryu The Invincible
Ryu has faced down the strongest opponents on Earth, over and over again, across a span of decades at this point, and he keeps coming back for more. Throughout that entire time, he looks no worse for wear, particularly when it comes to the pearly whites.
For all the brutal knocks Ryu has taken over the years, he’d surely have lost several teeth at this point. That, however, is the magic of video games, where characters can take Earth-rattling hits straight to the kisser, and still be ready to smile perfectly for the camera. There are a lot more crazy things fans don’t know about Ryu, as well.
