Although many praise Street Fighter II's innate playability and how it effectively defined the beat-'em-up genre for decades to come, one thing that's often overlooked is the beautiful artwork that went into its background.
While you couldn't necessarily interact with them - well, apart from breaking up boxes in Guile's stage or those statues in M. Bison's stage or the chicken-wire thing in Vega's stage - they were still distinctive enough that it really did act as an immersive experience when you played.
This, coupled with the gloriously infectious music, really helped to make Street Fighter II one of the most memorable games to this day. But where did the inspiration for the art come from? From real-life, of course.
This series, put together by Tumblr account Kturbio, showcases the real-life version and the in-game version of the various locales, including the Vegas Strip for Balrog, the reclining statue for Sagat and even Ryu's temple as well.
Take a look!
Balrog's Stage / Vegas Strip
Fei Long's Stage / Tiger Balm Gardens, Hong Kong
Ryu's Stage / Suzaku Castle, Japan
Sagat's Stage / Wat Phra Si Sanphet Temple, Thailand
T.Hawk's Stage / Cabañas Cultural Institute, Mexico
M. Bison's Stage / Wat Phra Kaew Temple
Via Tumblr
