Street Fighter: Canon storylines, rehashes, and "better" versions

[aclbandit]

Trying to sort through the flood of games that is the Street Fighter canon.

I think I'd like to (eventually) collect all the arcade boards that make up the Street Fighter "canon". This is, of course, a problem due to all of the "Super", "Turbo", and impact/strike, as well as Alpha/Zero(1/2/3).

I'd just like to know which are necessary to "see" the whole storyline. If in some case it doesn't matter (for example, AFAIK, all SF2's are the same story with GAMPEPLAY improvements), tell me so. In a case where it DOES matter (are the Zeros all different stories, are Zero-2 & Zero-3 "sequels" or just better versions of the first Zero, what the crap is the storyline of III -- do you need all three III's for the story, or just the latter two, ETC.), tell me as much info as you can.

A little confusing, to say the least.

Thanks!

(Also, I *think* this is the right forum, since "General Discussion" is for NeoGeo general ONLY; if I got it wrong, mods can feel free to move it wherever. Not that they need my permission :P).

EDIT: And I think I just found the answer to my own question in an EXCESSIVELY detailed FAQ. This is what I get for googling "Street Fighter story(/storyline)" instead of "Street Fighter canon." Do let me know if there's anything that's not quite right on this list.

pgIVMBSMB. Muscle Bomber & Super Muscle Bomber
pgIVSF1. Street Fighter 1
pgIVFF1. Final Fight 1 (Final Fight One)
pgIVSFZ1. Street Fighter Zero 1
pgIVSFZ2. Street Fighter Zero 2
pgIVFF2. Final Fight 2
pgIVSFZ3. Street Fighter Zero 3 (latest version being Street Fighter
Zero 3 Double Upper)
pgIVFFT. Final Fight Tough
pgIVSF2. Street Fighter 2 (Super Street Fighter 2 X Revival)
pgIVSF4. Street Fighter 4 A New Beginning
pgIVSF3. Street Fighter 3 New Generation/Second Impact
pgIVSF3TS. Street Fighter 3 Third Strike
pgIVFFSW. Final Fight Streetwise

Although, I'm not actually sure that SF4 goes in there; from what I'd heard it was a new canon?

SOURCE: http://fightingstreet.com/folders/variousinfofolder/variousinfopages/streetfighterplotguide.txt

 

[SouthtownKid]

I don't think anyone considers Final Fight Streetwise as being canon. Maybe a couple people, I guess. But I honestly don't thing Capcom Japan (or Japan at large, for that matter) is ever going to acknowledge a game made in the U.S. as being an "official" part of the storyline.

And I was under the impression that SFA2 replaced SFA in terms of story, but I could be wrong.

 

[KagerouSama]

There's negligible variation in the ending stories between Alpha 1 and Alpha 2.
Alpha 3, though?
Throw that whole damned mess out the window, because there ain't a lick of it that meshes with anything outside of a handful of endings. If that.
Though, I do enjoy when Birdie points out to Balrog (M. Bison) that "(he) can't even kick, so what does he possibly know about running an underground organization."

 

[aclbandit]

So, then, I would need the following, if that FAQ is right (leaving out Muscle Bomber, since I don't care too much, and that last Final Fight game):

1) Street Fighter (regular JAMMA, non-CPS... I think?)
2) Final Fight (CPS-1)
3) Street Fighter Zero 1 (CPS-2) (Since it's already in the mail -- story is "replaced" by zero 2)
4) Street Fighter Zero 2 (CPS-2)
5) Final Fight 2 (SNES)
6) Street Fighter Zero 3 (CPS-2) (Maybe? Is this one necessary? Seems like "probably not.")
7) Final Fight Tough/Final Fight 3 (SNES)
8) Super Street Fighter II Turbo (CPS-2)
9) Street Fighter 4 A New Beginning (PS3/360)
10)Street Fighter 3 Second Impact (CPS-3)("replaces" story of New Generation)
11)Street Fighter 3 Third Strike

How's that for a list?