Street Fighter Games in Order: Complete Release List

The main Street Fighter series runs from the 1987 arcade original through Street Fighter II (1991), Alpha (1995), III (1997), IV (2008), V (2016) and 6 (2023). Capcom also released many revised editions, spin-offs and crossovers along the way, which is where most of the confusion about release order comes from.

This list follows first release dates, usually the arcade debut, and separates the numbered series from side games. Dates are given by year because console releases often followed the arcade by months or more. Regions differ, so treat single years as the first known release.

Quick overview

Era	Main titles	First release
First generation	Street Fighter	1987
Second generation	Street Fighter II and its revisions	1991 to 1994
Alpha series	Alpha, Alpha 2, Alpha 3	1995 to 1998
Third generation	New Generation, 2nd Impact, 3rd Strike	1997 to 1999
Fourth generation	Street Fighter IV and its updates	2008 to 2014
Current games	Street Fighter V, Street Fighter 6	2016, 2023

Street Fighter (1987)

The original arcade game introduced Ryu and Ken as the two playable characters and the special move inputs that would define the series. It is far cruder than its successors, and the pressure-sensitive pads on one cabinet version are a well-known curiosity. A detailed fact sheet is on the original arcade game page.

Street Fighter II and its revisions (1991 to 1994)

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior (1991) turned the series into a worldwide arcade success, with eight selectable fighters and four bosses. The World Warrior fact sheet lists the cast and technical details. It then received a string of upgrades:

Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (1992): made the four bosses playable and allowed mirror matches.
Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (1992): raised the game’s speed and added new moves.
Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993): added four new characters and updated graphics.
Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994): added a Super Combo gauge, a faster pace and one new hidden character.

Many later re-releases, such as HD remakes and collections, build on these versions.

The Alpha series (1995 to 1998)

Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors’ Dreams (1995) is set before Street Fighter II in the story timeline and introduced a redrawn art style, air blocks and a more elaborate Super Combo system. Alpha 2 (1996) and Alpha 3 (1998) added characters and fighting styles. Outside Japan, the games were often released as Street Fighter Alpha, with Zero used in the Japanese titles.

Street Fighter III (1997 to 1999)

Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997) replaced almost all of the earlier roster with new fighters and introduced the parry mechanic. 2nd Impact followed within the same year, and 3rd Strike came in 1999, which many players regard as the series’ high point for competition. See the Street Fighter III arcade facts for more on the system.

Street Fighter EX series (1996 to 2000)

The EX games, developed with Arika, brought the characters into 3D polygons for the first time. Street Fighter EX arrived in 1996, with EX2 and EX3 following. They play with 2D rules inside 3D graphics.

Street Fighter IV and later

Street Fighter IV appeared in arcades in 2008 and on consoles in 2009. It reintroduced the formula after a long gap in the numbered series, with 3D models on a 2D plane. Updates were Super Street Fighter IV (2010), Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition (2011) and Ultra Street Fighter IV (2014).

Street Fighter V launched in 2016 and received several seasons of added characters. Street Fighter 6 released in 2023 and introduced a new drive system and an open-world mode called World Tour. Check the publisher’s official site for details of current editions and platform availability, since content updates continue.

Spin-offs and crossovers

These are not numbered entries but belong to the wider history:

Final Fight (1989): a scrolling beat ’em up that began as a sequel concept to the first Street Fighter, though its characters later appeared in the series.
X-Men vs. Street Fighter (1996) and the Marvel vs. Capcom series: crossovers using Capcom’s tag-team engines.
Street Fighter: The Movie (1995): an arcade game based on the live-action film, with digitized actors in place of drawn sprites.
Street Fighter X Tekken (2012): a crossover with Namco’s franchise.
Compilations: collections such as the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (2018) gather older titles in one package.

Reading the titles

The naming can be confusing. “Turbo”, “Champion Edition” and “Super” all indicate updated versions of the same game, not new stories. “Alpha” and “Zero” are the same series under different regional names. Subtitles such as “New Generation” or “Warriors’ Dreams” help separate editions. When in doubt, check the year on the cabinet, the box or the publisher’s page.

Which order to play them

There is no required order, since the games are mostly self-contained. Players interested in history can start with Street Fighter II or Alpha 3 and move forward. For a broader view of every release up to 2017, the timeline page lays them out year by year.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first Street Fighter game?

Street Fighter, released to arcades by Capcom in 1987.

Is Street Fighter Alpha a prequel?

Story-wise, the Alpha series is set between the first game and Street Fighter II, although some characters appear that were introduced later.

How many Street Fighter games are there?

The count depends on whether you include revisions, spin-offs and crossovers. The numbered series has fewer than a dozen mainline releases, but the full list is much longer.

Which Street Fighter II version is best?

Opinions vary. Super Street Fighter II Turbo is commonly preferred for competitive play, while Champion Edition is simpler.