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1UP COVER STORY
The Man Who Created Street Fighter
Page 2 of 6TN: My biggest contribution was pushing for the eight-directional joystick and six buttons. But initially I created a cabinet that used pressure-sensor mechanics. At the time, Capcom didn't have any experience making large arcade machines, only tabletop games, and we had a mission to make a large machine. So we worked with Atari to make a punching bag where the game used pressure-sensor mechanics to measure the player's punch strength.
Unfortunately, that didn't sell too well because it was expensive, and it had a low replay value because playing the game was exhausting. On top of that, Capcom didn't have expertise in selling large machines, so we shifted our direction and went for the joystick and buttons.
1UP: What about the fireball and dragon punch? Were those your ideas?
TN: Yeah, those were mine. I was inspired by anime and manga from the time, so for example the Hadouken was inspired by a Japanese anime called Space Battleship Yamato. In that, the battleship has a laser missile called Hadouho -- it collects energy and then blasts it into space, destroying the enemy. That that's where I got the idea for the Hadouken. The Shoryuken and Tatsumaki Senpuukyaku were original ideas -- I took martial arts moves and exaggerated them so they looked like special attacks.
Ever wonder where Street Fighter's main character got his name? It's because the symbol for the first Chinese character used to spell Nishiyama's name "Takashi" can also be pronounced "Ryu." Dimps submitted the above Sumi-e drawing showing off this trivia for this story.
TN: The most interesting story that comes to mind is that most games at the time used a joystick and two buttons, so when I proposed the joystick and six buttons, the sales team said that the game wouldn't sell because it was going to be impossible for players to control. But I forced the development team to make it and explained that although there were more buttons, the layout fit people's natural form. I remember struggling to convince people that it would work.
1UP: How did you convince them?
TN: I explained that the top three buttons controlled punches and the bottom three were kicks, so it felt natural for players to perform special moves by combining those -- at least that's what I thought. But since all six were attack buttons, and players would attack no matter what button they pressed, that helped convince them that having more buttons wouldn't make the game overly complicated.
1UP: Were there other big ideas that didn't quite make it into the game?
TN: There were a lot of things that didn't make it in. But I was headhunted by SNK after its release, and many members of the development team and I moved over. So we went on to make Fatal Fury, and we put in a lot of the things we couldn't in Street Fighter. So for me, Fatal Fury is my "Street Fighter II." And the actual Street Fighter II was created by someone else at Capcom after I left. So that's where the vision for Street Fighter diverged; the continuation of Street Fighter that I had in mind with Fatal Fury, and the Street Fighter II that Capcom created.
After Nishiyama left Capcom, a new team took over the sequel, with a heavier focus on combos.
TN: The depth of the characters that I mentioned earlier -- that was a big thing. The story and the character backgrounds were more polished in Fatal Fury. We came up with character details that weren't included in the game, and shared that information through the media, in magazines and books, to get the users more emotionally attached. We did a lot more marketing and strategic planning for that game.
Also, for me, the difference between SNK's Fatal Fury and Capcom's Street Fighter II is that Fatal Fury is more about special attacks. It's crucial when players release their special attacks, whereas in Street Fighter II it's more about combos. That's not something Capcom and I discussed ahead of time, but it happened to turn out that way.
See Also
|
Pac-Man, Mega Man Teased for Street Fighter X Tekken on Vita |
E3 2011: 6 Things I Just Learned About Street Fighter X Tekken |
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Comments (62)
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Wow what a blast from the past, more plz
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Suleman790
I cant believe so many of my favorite games are made by this man. I really wanna hear more from Dimps and Nishyama. Great job 1up but more plz!!
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I Agree there should be second part of this intrview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by supergamer8090
Like others havve said i cant get enough of these real facts behind the mysterries and myths, please do a second part of this discussion!
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This has been one of the best interviews I have read in a long while.....
Posted: userComment.createdDate by RoelofSetsFire
and by that I don't just mean videogame-related, but in general. It had plenty of depth, didn't require a ton of prior knowledge about the subjects discussed, was mostly focused yet allowed for tangents.....great work Matt!
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Excellent article...Now give us SNK Vs. Capcom 3
Posted: userComment.createdDate by EliteDarkMage
It would be pleasing to see Dimps involved in the development of the next SNK/Capcom clash. This man would definitely make an outstanding game, considering he is the one who basically created both franchises.
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Great Interview - More like this Please
Posted: userComment.createdDate by deafwing
Wow this is a great interview; 1up should focus more on things like this than a lot of the drabble that is posted out there on the webs in regards to games, gaming, and the gaming industry ... i really enjoyed this read but only wanted more.
Who's up to request that 1up do a second part on this and perhaps focus more on Dimps?
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Absolutely there should be a part 2 of this interview
Posted: 12/21/2011 by KutaBilla
I totally agree with you, after all these years, he finally sits down to tell a few stories of the epic history and it only left me wanting more!
I also request a part 2 to this interview, and if he could comment on his most notable games from each company like (1) Street Fighter at Capcom, (2) Fatal Fury, all the fuss behind Art of Fighting, Samurai Showdown, King of Fighters at SNK and then (3) his Sonic games, Rumble Fish, SFIV at Dimps.
How did he feel about coming back to Street Fighter after more than 20 years? How does he feel about the current state or iteration of games that he created? Would he consider working with Capcom and SNK again to make a sequel to Capcom vs SNK/SNK vs Capcom? More stories about the jokes that Capcom and SNK employees played on each other. What are his favorite games and what old and new games does he play? What kind of gameplay styles are his original IPs going to be?Please 1up, from all the comments, press coverage, hype, new users and traffic, its clear there should be a more focused continuation of this epic interview.
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Priceless History of the Renaissance of Video Games
Posted: userComment.createdDate by KutaBilla
While this was one of the best interviews i have ever read, if not the best, I wish more history was explored, especially stories about the interaction between Capcom and SNK during their "rivalry", how Ryu then Ryo and Dan came about, and how Mr. Nishiyama actually designed the games and more techicalities, things like how he adapted from 6 button Capcom fighting games to 4 button SNK fighting games.
I hope Mr. Nishiyama does more interviews, because he may not realize but countless people around the world have the fondest memories of that era when Mr. Nishiyama initiated the renaissance of the video games. And everyone has always wanted to know more of the behind the scenes and what the games actually meant and how their games were designed through what influences.
It was Mr. Nishiyama's work that shaped and affected countless lives in all countries of the world, it would be great to learn more and the only way for that to happen is for Dimps and Mr. Nishiyama to be more involved with the fans and media through social media.
I mean, just because of this interview I am now going to hunt down every title Mr. Nishiyama has worked on, and replay the games he designed that i have or played before.
PS: Did Mr. Nishiyama do this interview in English? Or was there a translator? If not, his English is flawless also.
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The original Street Fighter... Nishiyama
Posted: userComment.createdDate by midlifewrek0
From millions of quarters / tokens in arcades to millions of game system releases, Mr. Nishiyama entertains.
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...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by San_Andreas
...Great interview. Interesting that SF and SNK shared the same heritage through Mr, Nishiyama.
I would like to see an interview with Seiichi Ishii, who had a similar hand in 3-D fighting games like Virtua Fighter, Tekken, and Tobal.
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Street Fighter Insights
Posted: userComment.createdDate by RudoByNight
Great article, in the day I played Street Fighter, both in the arcade and the Turbo Graphics, as well as Street Fighter II in the arcades, and the SNES version. As well for Fatal Fury and Samurai Shodown. Until now, I understand that the same hand was behind Street Fighter and Fatal Fury, instead of companies copying each other tricks.
For him to be aware of the Central and South American markets being appaled by piracy, shows he is a very bright person, with a lot of insight. No wonder he kept away from the media.
In order to nurture this awareness of the video game global market and the respectfulness to his peers, this is a guy we should keep following just to see in what his up to next.
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Wonderful interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by muckymucks
I really enjoyed this interview. Nishiyama seems like a very intelligent, savvy, modest, classy, noble man. His work history is extraordinary. I really appreciate this level of coverage from 1UP.
My one complaint is that I would have liked to have known more about his involvement in the development of SNK vs. Capcom. Instead the subject changed to unsubstantiated rumors about his sexuality, which, ultimately, doesn't matter.
That aside the interview was a nice get and a fun read. Thanks!
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A new Direction for Dimps
Posted: userComment.createdDate by supergamer8090
My suggestion for a new direction for Dimps is to be more visible and they need to have a presence on the web where they can be heard and fans and gamers can also voice their opinions.
At least a Facebook and Twitter page for Dimps or Mr. Nishiyama
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Classic interview - this guy is a genius
Posted: userComment.createdDate by DarkSideSol
wow, never knew that this one man basically originated this genre of games. Lots of people at the time felt that the neo Geo games were derivitive of capcom but seeing that he designed both explains alot. Neo Geo dimps are not given the credit they deserve, things like parellex backgrounds and zooming in and out on a match are staples of that platform. Good read
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Thank You
Posted: userComment.createdDate by magicianlord
Great article, real gaming journalism. Best interview I have read in a long while.
What a fantastic work history Nishiyama-san has. I'll fire up my Neo-Geo today in honour, and in excitement of what I just read about!
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Great Interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by BULLETCONCERTO
It's nice to see this type of thing, bravo Matt Leone.
A great and very informative interview, with a man who in many ways, influenced all of us.
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Nice work.
Posted: userComment.createdDate by 1983parrothead
Too bad "Piston" Takashi didn't mention the game shown in the photo of him, The Rumble Fish, which that and its sequel, as well as Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV are what pop-up in my mind when I think of Dimps.
Not only SNK has connections with Capcom, but also Irem, not only because of what "Piston" Takashi mentioned, but also the fact that several former Irem Corporation employees left the company to found Nazca Corporation and develop mostly the Metal Slug series for SNK (spiritual successor of Irem Corp.'s GunForce and Geo Storm (released outside of Japan as GunForce II)).
It's quite interesting to know that the first side-scrolling beat 'em up(?) Kung-Fu Master (better known to most people for its NES port by Nintendo simply known outside of Japan as "Kung Fu") and the fairly popular Moon Patrol were created by "Piston" Takashi.
To further tone down the criticism of "clones", "a game doesn't necessarily need to be innovative to succeed." They just have to have at least easy-to-respond gameplay and easy-to-see graphics that's friendly enough for gamers to appeciate it. In other words, they have to make it "good". Visco's Breakers is a good example, which is currently its 15th Anniversary (December 17, 1996), and is arguably one of the best 3RD-Party fighting games for the Neo-Geo platform with Data East's Fighter's History Dynamite (known in the PAL regions as Karnov's Revenge). Speaking of the Fighter's History series, that's another good example, which isn't a "direct-copy" as Capcom (or was it specifically Capcom US?) argued, but a successful B-rated copy that was created by the company that created one of the earliest (if not, the earliest) successful fighting arcade games: the 1984 Karate Champ arcade, which was Data East's largest objection, saying it was the true originator of the fighting game genre. Before Fighter's History was sued for "copyright infringement", System 3's International Karate was sued by Data East USA for the same thing.
I wonder if "Piston" Takashi was involved in any of the development of Viccom's Fatal Fury 2 / Art of Fighting hybrid Wang Jhung Wang (Korean for "The King of Kings", possibly a reference to "The King of Fighters", which is known outside of Korea as Fight Fever) and the canceled Neo-Geo title The Eye of Typhoon? Viccom was SNK's Korean distributor, founded by Kim Kaph Hwan, the one the Fatal Fury character was named after. I heard that Viccom had to borrow certain things from SNK, even a few voice actors like Masaki Usui, who voiced Ryo Sakazaki from the Art of Fighting series and Haohmaru from the Samurai Shodown series.
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Really nice interview!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Alysandher
Just what I'm looking for in a video-game interview. A really nice mix of history, opinion, and personality. Keep up the good work!
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hope to hear from you again Mr. Nishiyama
Posted: userComment.createdDate by KutaBilla
This is the 3rd time, i'm reading this interview, i really hope we hear more from you Mr. Nishiyama.
You also made the beloved 2D Sonic Advance games, which are i think the best Sonic games after Genesis/Mega Drive.
Street Fighter, Samurai Showdown, Art of Fighting, Moon Patrol, Fatal Fury, Capcom vs SNK, SNK vs Capcom, Sonic Advance, Kung Fu Master, Rumble Fish, King of Fighters..wow that is like all my childhood and after..quite an impressive list
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A new Capcom SNK mix and match deal please!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by hardcoregamer90
Oh my God, he even created the Capcom vs SNK games!?! What game do i love that this man has not created?!!
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an EPIC interview, Thank you for all the good times Mr. Nishiyama !
Posted: userComment.createdDate by hardcoregamer90
Thank you mr. Nishiyama for this interview, please do more.
It was a such a good trip to think back to the wonderful golden age of 2D fighters and you really influenced so much of my child, from Spartan X (Kungfu Master) to Street Fighter to Art of Fighting to Samurai Showdown. I also liked your new game SFIV but 2D art style is much better.
I wish the interviewer didn't make that one mistake confused Ryo with Dan, and i wish that he asked more questions about that golden era, but still an EPIC INTERVIEW and hope to hear more from you Mr. Nishiyama!
Please do a game reuniting Capcom and SNK again PLEASE!!! (Capcom vs SNK 3 or Street Fighter vs. King of Fighters)
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Thank you
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Denim
i just registered in this site to say THANK YOU for this interview. Been with this interview in my mind for the past 2 days.Thank you very much.
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Haha, me too!
Posted: 12/16/2011 by Transfuse
I've read a lot of 1-up articles and just lurk, but this is the first article that's left me in awe to the point where I registered just to say "thanks" to 1-Up, Matt Leone, and especially to Mr. Nishiyama who had a HUGE influence in my life growing up.
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lol... what?
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Dreams_Of_Falling_Teeth
"
1UP: Do you remember any examples?
TN: Hmm... They were minute details, so I can't recall anything specific, but I know that things like that were going on at the time. For example, SNK made a character as homage to a Street Fighter character.
1UP: Dan?
"
-I don't get it? it was Capcom who created Dan. SNK created Ryo ... who is some dude who has Ryu's name but looks like ken.
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yes, this troubled and confused me too
Posted: 12/16/2011 by hardcoregamer90
I was confused and troubled for the past 2 days because of this misinformation, glad that it wasn't just me..
And Ryo is THE original Ryu clone that SNK created as the hero of the Art of Fighting games, after which Capcom responded with Dan which further deepened Capcom and SNK's roots and history! So EPIC!
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An incredible interview.!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by JyakotuKurayami
Fighting games are one of my favorite type of games to play and it's amazing how Street Fighter II really exploded into the arcade scene and surged fighters to popularity. There needs to be more interviews like this because it's always interesting to read how game developers got involved in the industry. For someone who wants to get into the industry, this really opens my eyes and makes me remember my passion.
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PLEASE make a new Capcom and SNK game!!!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by supergamer8090
Wow, its like a ghost from the past is speaking...so epic and nostalgic..
Please do more interviews Mr. Takashi!!!!!
I love all your games! Kung fu Master, Street Fighter, Art of Fighting, Samurai Showdown on on
I can't believe so much of my childhood and history of both companies Capcom and SNK are so deeply rooted and linked...wowowow
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Fantastic Interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by MonsterManiac778
My mind is Blown. Great job. That man is still a genius. Hopefully one day we'll see CvS3 XD.
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Incredible interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by ptrix4u2c
Thank you so much for doing this. The question about his sexuality totally caught me by surprise! As a gay guy who loves fighting games it would have been awesome to me personally if it were the case, but either way he's an amazing person! I'm awe-struck by this interview!
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great interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by chinpokoman
good questions & great answers. good job all around.
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Man alive...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by deep_search
...my mind is blown...Fatal Fury and SF so closely linked?! Too how he developed the idea of the interchangeable ROMs in Neo Geo Stations, and beyond that to be so humble and care so little about the media spotlight. Who else has so vastly and unknowingly impacted my video game experiences?
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Wow
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Wachenroder
Fantastic interview. The man was and still is a grand visionary. I had no idea he himself had such an impact on the hobbie that I have loved so much for so many years.
Thank you Mr. Nishiyama
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Nice Exclusive
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Pacario
Street Fighter 2's origins and history are talked about all the time, but one rarely ever hears about the unheralded original. And the bits on Fatal Fury and Street Fighter 4 were also interesting.
Here's hoping Dimps can continue to find its way in the future.
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Good One!!!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by sansores
I wrongly thought that SF1 and SF2 shared the same creator!!!
I always thought that capcom's SF was better in various aspects than Fatal Fury or Art of Fighting, but thinking in retrospect, SNK's Brawlers innovated in varios areas that Capcom implemented WAY later in thier games, come to mind: FF´s 2-plane swiching fighting areas, FF2 desperation moves, Art of Fighting Character damage (Amazing at the time how a direct blow at the face generated bruises, fallen teeth, sunglases, etc.), Samurai Shodown Charge Power Bar, KoF Teams and many many other stuff that I maked those games Fantastic!!
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This was a great interview
Posted: userComment.createdDate by fighterxaos
Couldn't pull away from it. It was really cool to know about "Piston" Takashi and his goals for Street Fighter and Fatal Fury.
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Moon Patrol!!
Posted: userComment.createdDate by D'ark Ouer
I used to play a game a lot when I was like 7 or 8... I had a Commodore 128 computer back then, and I remember always having a lot of fun with moon patrol... just prior to reading this article I still thought of it as an american-made game...
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LOVE LOVE LOVE these articles
Posted: userComment.createdDate by SNKrenaissance
Keep up the good work guys.
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I mean this guy may have made the first one...
Posted: userComment.createdDate by Grimbear13
but Street Fighter II was the REAL first one if we want to be honest here lol.
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You should really call it Fighting Street in the title
Posted: userComment.createdDate by V4Viewtiful
Just for the LOLs
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