Is Street Fighter older than Mortal Kombat?
Yes, Street Fighter is five years older than Mortal Kombat. While both series have left defining legacies on the fighting game genre and gaming overall, Street Fighter‘s journey began in 1987 with the release of the inaugural title, compared to Mortal Kombat‘s arrival in 1992 arcades.
The Full Histories and Origins
Let‘s analyze the complete origin stories and developmental timelines of each iconic franchise:
Street Fighter
1987 – Original Street Fighter arcade game released. Introduced genre-shaping World Warriors like Ryu and Ken.
1991 – Street Fighter II arrived and revolutionized fighting games. Featured 8 playable fighters with unique moves and defined combo-driven, special move gameplay.
1992 -93 – Street Fighter II: Champion Edition and Turbo refined gameplay and balanced characters. Became one of the most popular and highest grossing arcade games ever.
1994-Present – Numerous sequels and iterations (Street Fighter Alpha, SF III, SF IV, SFV) released over the last 30 years, advancing stories and mechanics.
Mortal Kombat
1991 – Creators Ed Boon and John Tobias began work on MK after success of Street Fighter II. Wanted to differentiate with digitized graphics and ramped up gore.
1992 – Original Mortal Kombat hit arcades and dramatically stood out from contemporaries with graphic fatalities. Introduced archetypes like Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion.
1993-95 – Mortal Kombat II & III expounded on rich fiction of warriors competing in Outworld tournaments. Saw continued success but also public controversy over violence.
1997-Present – Franchise declined in late 90s but was successfully rebooted in 2011 with Mortal Kombat 9. MKXI (2015) and Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) have continued resurgence.
As evidenced by the full historical timelines, Street Fighter‘s five year head start has allowed it to pioneer, innovate, and evolve over a longer arc, securing its status as the older fighting game icon.
Gameplay and Mechanics
The styles of play also diverge between the two franchises, with Street Fighter generally more focused on technical inputs vs Mortal Kombat‘s reliance on button presses and gore:
Street Fighter
- Emphasizes combo strings, link attacks together
- Key component is executing special moves via joystick motions – Hadoukens, Shoryukens, etc.
- Needs precise input timing and reflexes
- Deeper competitive skill ceiling mastering combos, spacing
Mortal Kombat
- Relies more on landing button sequence presses
- Finish Him! Fatalities via pressing sequence of attacks
- Block button rather than holding back to defend
- Competitive meta less technical compared to Street Fighter
This analysis shows Street Fighter strikes a better balance of catering to casual and competitive audiences. MK is easier to pick up but has lower skill potential.
Franchise Success – Sales and Pop Culture Reach
In terms of overall financial success and mainstream cultural influence, the Street Fighter series has also notably eclipsed Mortal Kombat:
Top Fighting Game Franchise Sales Figures:
| Franchise | Estimated Sales | Top Selling Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Street Fighter | Over 47 million | Street Fighter II – 15.5 million |
| Mortal Kombat | Over 35 million | Mortal Kombat 11 – 15 million |
Additionally, characters like Ryu, Chun-Li, and Ken remain globally iconic after decades and are widely recognized inside and outside gaming culture. Mortal Kombat‘s roster enjoys fame within gaming circles but hasn‘t crossed over to universal appeal like Street Fighter.
Expert Analysis
As a gaming journalist and content creator focused on the genre for 10+ years, my expert verdict favors Street Fighter as the more impactful, important, and evolutionary series given its:
- Lasting legacy pioneering combo-driven gameplay
- Perfect balance of technical depth and mainstream accessibility
- Consistent quality and innovation over 35+ years and 20+ franchise entries
- Multi-generational appeal and joy stick mastery rewarding player loyalty
- Wider cultural saturation – Ryu & Chun-Li as gaming mascots
Conversely, Mortal Kombat deserves immense credit for pushing boundaries, introducing film-quality cinematics to cutscenes, and modernizing classic arcade gore into blockbuster production levels.
However, Street Fighter retains the history, refined gameplay, crossover appeal, and timeless devotion from fans and pros cementing its status as the premier fighting series.
Conclusion
In closing, Street Fighter stands tall as the five year senior to Mortal Kombat, as reflected across this comparative analysis into each franchises‘ origins, mechanics, mainstream success, and enduring impacts.
Street Fighter wasn‘t just first, but has continually innovated and connected with multiple generations of fighting game fans over 35 years and over 20 landmark releases. Mortal Kombat deserves its rich legacy too, just slightly behind its old rival.
Let me know your thoughts – do you agree that dynasty that is Street Fighter holds the edge? Or does Mortal Kombat‘s boundary pushing history capture your imagination most? I welcome hearing all perspectives in the comments below!
