Akuma (Street Fighter): Difference between revisions
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Akuma made his debut in ''[[Super Street Fighter II|Super Street Fighter II Turbo]]'', the fifth and final arcade iteration of the ''Street Fighter II'' games, where he appears as a hidden character. After meeting certain requirements, Akuma appears prior to the player's final match with [[M. Bison]] and obliterates Bison before challenging the player. He can also be selected by the player via a secret code. In the Japanese arcade version of the game, Akuma (or Gouki as he is called in Japan) would introduce himself to the player before the match. He also had two endings in the game as well: one for defeating Vega (M. Bison), and another against himself. While these endings were omitted from the overseas arcade version, they were edited into one ending and included in the English localization of ''Super Turbo Revival'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. |
Akuma made his debut in ''[[Super Street Fighter II|Super Street Fighter II Turbo]]'', the fifth and final arcade iteration of the ''Street Fighter II'' games, where he appears as a hidden character. After meeting certain requirements, Akuma appears prior to the player's final match with [[M. Bison]] and obliterates Bison before challenging the player. He can also be selected by the player via a secret code. In the Japanese arcade version of the game, Akuma (or Gouki as he is called in Japan) would introduce himself to the player before the match. He also had two endings in the game as well: one for defeating Vega (M. Bison), and another against himself. While these endings were omitted from the overseas arcade version, they were edited into one ending and included in the English localization of ''Super Turbo Revival'' for the [[Game Boy Advance]]. |
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Gouki, as Akuma is called in Japan, was characterized by Capcom as the younger brother of |
Gouki, as Akuma is called in Japan, was characterized by Capcom as the younger brother of [[Gouken]], [[Ryu (Street Fighter)|Ryu]] and [[Ken (Street Fighter)|Ken]]'s deceased master. Both trained under the same master, [[Goutetsu]], who taught the brothers an unnamed martial arts originally made for assassination. Gouki embraced the killing aspects of the art, eventually killing his master, and later his brother. |
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===''Street Fighter Alpha'' series''=== |
===''Street Fighter Alpha'' series''=== |
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Revision as of 19:40, 9 June 2008
 | It has been suggested that Shun Goku Satsu be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since March 2008. |
| Akuma | |
|---|---|
| Street Fighter series character | |
| File:Akuma (Street Fighter).jpg Akuma in Capcom vs. SNK 2 as illustrated by Kinu Nishimura. | |
| First game | Super Street Fighter II Turbo |
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Akuma (アクマ, "demon" in Japanese), known in Japan as Gouki (豪鬼, Gōki, "strong spirit", "strong demon" or "strong ogre"), is a video game character created by Capcom.
Originally appearing in Super Street Fighter II Turbo as a secret character and hidden boss, he has red hair, wears prayer beads around his neck, and wears a black gi (occasionally displayed as blue in artwork). The kanji 'ten' (天) - meaning "sky", "heaven", or "providence" - can be seen on his back when it appears during certain win animations. Capcom had stated that the symbol on his back meant "immortal" for Akuma even though there are many different translations. He is voiced by Tomomichi Nishimura in many of the games in which he has appeared.
History
Street Fighter II series
Akuma made his debut in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the fifth and final arcade iteration of the Street Fighter II games, where he appears as a hidden character. After meeting certain requirements, Akuma appears prior to the player's final match with M. Bison and obliterates Bison before challenging the player. He can also be selected by the player via a secret code. In the Japanese arcade version of the game, Akuma (or Gouki as he is called in Japan) would introduce himself to the player before the match. He also had two endings in the game as well: one for defeating Vega (M. Bison), and another against himself. While these endings were omitted from the overseas arcade version, they were edited into one ending and included in the English localization of Super Turbo Revival for the Game Boy Advance.
Gouki, as Akuma is called in Japan, was characterized by Capcom as the younger brother of Gouken, Ryu and Ken's deceased master. Both trained under the same master, Goutetsu, who taught the brothers an unnamed martial arts originally made for assassination. Gouki embraced the killing aspects of the art, eventually killing his master, and later his brother.
Street Fighter Alpha series
Akuma appeared in Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams once again as a hidden opponent and unlockable character. His backstory remains the same as in Super Turbo.
Akuma was added to the immediate roster in Street Fighter Alpha 2 and Street Fighter Alpha 3, with a powered-up version of the character named "Shin Akuma" appearing as a hidden opponent. The character's relation with other Street Fighter characters begins to be fleshed out, establishing rivalries with Adon, Gen and Ryu, who gains an alter-ego known as "Evil Ryu" who uses the same techniques as Akuma.
Street Fighter III series
Initially, Akuma was not included in the first iteration of Street Fighter III, as the designers originally wanted to focus on a new cast of characters and it wasn't until the second game, Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact, that Akuma was added. Like in his debut in Super Turbo, Akuma is both: a secret opponent who serves as an alternate final boss and unlockable character, with the CPU-controlled version being the "Shin Akuma" incarnation introduced in Alpha 2. He is a regular character in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike.
In the Street Fighter III games, Akuma now has white streaks on his hair. In his endings, he develops two new techniques: Kongō Kokuretsu Zan in 2nd Impact and Tenshō Kaireki Jin in 3rd Strike, neither which are actually used during gameplay.
Other games
Akuma has appeared in some form or another thorough many Capcom games outside the Street Fighter franchise. The first of such appearances was in the fighting game X-Men: Children of the Atom, where Akuma (in his Super Turbo incarnation) appears as a hidden character. He would appear in the later Marvel-licensed fighting games (see Marvel vs. Capcom series), including in Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, he appears in mechanized form as "Cyber Akuma" (in addition to his regular self}. In Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, Akuma appears as an alternate fighting style of Ryu.
In the SNK vs. Capcom series, Akuma appears in Capcom vs. SNK and Capcom vs. SNK 2 as regular Akuma, as a version of "Shin Akuma". He also appears in Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Pocket Fighter and in Cyberbots.
Gameplay
Akuma has the same moves as Ryu and Ken, only much faster. Akuma can perform the Hadōken (Gō Hadōken--Strong Surge Fist), including one performed mid-air (Zankū Hadōken--Air-Cutting Surge Fist). His Tatsumaki Zankūkyaku (Air Slashing Kick) knocks the opponent down instantly and can also juggle, his Shōryūken ( Gō Shōryūken, -- Strong Rising Dragon Fist) knocks down his opponent at the first hit and does 3 hits up close, and he can also juggle with a single Shōryūken in certain instances. Akuma also cannot be stunned in his first few appearances. To compensate for these advantages, he is usually saddled with extremely low stamina, and in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, he has an extremely short stun meter and no EX moves. These "flaws" reflect Akuma's ability to hold back his power so as to give opponents a fighting chance.
Akuma has other notable special moves that Ryu and Ken normally lack. The Ashura Senkuu is a teleport move with very short startup and recovery which allows him to escape the corner almost at will. The Tenma Kuujinkyaku is a downwards-angled kick that he can use at the peak of his jumps; it's very fast, hard to punish and allows for combos afterward. The Hyakki Shuu is a flip attack, similar to Cammy's Hooligan Combination, that allows Akuma to either attack or grab an opponent while moving forward. He also has the Zenpou Tenshin in the Alpha games, which makes him hop and roll forward a short distance.
Akuma's super moves consist of the Messatsu Gō Hadō (Destructive Strong Surge Fist), which is simply a high-powered Shinkū Hadōken, a Tenma Gō Zankū, a mid-air version of the Shinkū Hadōken, the Messatsu Gō Shōryū (Destructive Strong Rising Dragon Fist), which similar to Ken's Shōryū Reppa without the scorching effect, and the Messatsu Gō Rasen, an upward spiraling hurricane kick attack. There are also two other moves: in Street Fighter III 3rd Strike, he has the one named Kongō Kokuretsu Zan where Akuma pounds the ground producing waves of energy. In Capcom vs. SNK 2 and SvC Chaos: SNK vs. Capcom he has the Misogi, where he teleports above the opponent and delivers a fierce descending strike; this move homes in on the opponent's location. Akuma's most well known super move is the Shun Goku Satsu i.e. 'instant hell murderer' or 'Raging Demon', traditionally one of the strongest super moves in any game Akuma appears in.
Shin Akuma
Shin Akuma, or Shin Gouki (真・豪鬼, Shin Gōki, "True Gouki"), was created as a secret character and boss. The two versions operate very similarly, but Shin Akuma is faster, deals more damage and can throw two Zankū Hadoken at once. Also, his Shun Goku Satsu is much faster (making it harder to evade), and in some instances, inflicts more damage (e.g. Capcom vs. SNK 2). In some instances, Shin Akuma also has more life-threatening specials as well (e.g. Misogi). Shin Akuma's appearance is very similar to Akuma's; for example, in the Street Fighter Alpha series, Shin Akuma had a purple-blue gi instead of a black one.
Shin Akuma is a version of Akuma the players confront as a CPU opponent in Super Street Fighter II Turbo. To face Shin Akuma, the player must reach Bison without losing any rounds or using any continues (including having the second player join in) and achieving at least three perfect victories. He will then interrupt the final match by performing a Shun Goku Satsu on M. Bison, before challenging the player's character. As in his later incarnations, he has a purple gi instead of Akuma's standard black gi, is faster, does two Zankū Hadoken at once, and inflicts more damage. But, just like regular Akuma, his name is not displayed below the life bar and he does not have a super meter. Shin Akuma is, however, an unlockable playable character in the Game Boy Advance version of the game, Super Street Fighter II Turbo Revival. Shin Akuma reappears in Street Fighter Alpha 2, but only as a hidden boss. He was made into a selectable hidden character in the console ports of Alpha 2 (the code to unlock Shin Akuma forces the player to move their character select cursor in a "Z" pattern in the PlayStation version and an "X" pattern in the Saturn version). Shin Akuma reappears in the console ports Street Fighter Alpha 3 (and Zero 3 Upper), where his name is displayed as "Shin Akuma" on-screen. Storywise, Shin Akuma is merely Akuma using the full extent of his power, compared to the "in-game" version which is Akuma voluntarily holding back his power to avoid ending fights prematurely. Shin Akuma, not M. Bison, is Evil Ryu's final boss in Street Fighter Alpha 3.
In the Capcom vs. SNK series, a different form of Shin Akuma appears. This form of Akuma achieves a new level of power when a dying Rugal Bernstein pours his Orochi power into him. His name is spelled in Japanese as 神・豪鬼, or "God Gouki", rather than "True Gouki".
In Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, Shin Akuma was replaced by Cyber-Akuma (Mech-Gouki in Japan), a version of Akuma enhanced by Apocalypse. Cyber Akuma featured most of Shin Akuma's attacks in the Capcom "versus series" style as well as attacks involving the launching of his mechanical left arm.
In other media
Film appearances
- Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994) - Featured in a scene in Calcutta resting against a stone wall with one knee raised
- Street Fighter II V (1996) - Supposedly a running gag amongst the series' animators, Akuma has appeared as a part of many crowd scenes. Some notable appearances include being part of a group of criminal assassins in Hong Kong; standing in the baggage retrieval area of an airport in Bangkok, Thailand; and seeing off Ken and Ryu as they leave a small village in India.
- Street Fighter Alpha: The Movie (1999) - No longer a background character, the murder of Gouken and their master, Goutetsu, is what slowly drives Ryu towards the path of the Dark Hadō, ultimately leading up to a showdown during the ending credits of the film.
- Street Fighter Alpha: Generations The movie shows his past and how he killed his master Goutetsu and his brother Gouken. He appears later on in the movie and fights Ryu ending in a draw. He vowed that he would fight Ryu again.