Nearly 30 years ago, in 1987, the first "Street Fighter" video game was released in Japan.
It looked like this:
Capcom
It was groundbreaking at the time, both visually and in terms of what you could do. 30 years later, and the concept is still wildly popular. It's also much, much prettier.
You probably know "Street Fighter," even if you've never played one of the games. It's the classic franchise where characters don't just punch and kick each other, but also throw fireballs and other such madness: the classic "hadoken" move, for instance (pictured below).
This is "Street Fighter 2." It's the game that turned "Street Fighter" into a worldwide phenomenon, and helped boost the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis into ubiquity:
Capcom
In 2016, the Japanese company that originally created the "Street Fighter" franchise will launch a new entry: "Street Fighter V." It looks like this:
Capcom
Whoa.
To say that it looks prettier is a serious understatement, as you can see yourself. This is the difference that 30 years makes in video game creation.
Iconic characters Ken and Ryu are still staples of the franchise, even after all these years. Here's Ryu back in the first game, throwing his (in)famous hadoken:
Capcom
And here's Ryu now, in 2015, looking...bigger. Much, much bigger.
Capcom
There's a full new trailer showcasing the game, which we've dropped below. "Street Fighter V" is heading to Sony's PlayStation 4 and PCs everywhere at some point in 2016.