Before there was Networked Quake, there was the Arcade. One of the finest examples of arcade gaming is Capcom’s Street Fighter II series; the depth of play, good balance, and great character animation made this game THE ARENA OF CHOICE in the early 1990s. Inhuman dexterity with the 6-button joystick controls and razor-sharp timing were the prequisites of the game, in addition to being able to memorize dozens of individual moves for any of 8 characters that you might play. To throw down, you would approach the machine, plunk your quarter down on the deck to signify you wanted to challenge, and then it was on! The Street Fighter machine was the social hub for my generation of gamers. I remember it fondly.

In recent years, I’ve been interested in dancing and rhythm, having worked my way virtually through games like Parappa the Rappa, Bust a Groove, and even a bit of Dance Dance Revolution. And in real life, any self-consciousness one might feel on the dance floor is trumped by the pleasure of being in the company of beautiful women. So it’s not a surprise that this video of a Korean Salsa competition has struck a chord. The participants are dressed up as two characters from Street Fighter II, Chun-Li and Ryu. And the crowd totally loves it. Everyone knows this game in Asia.

The routine itself is structured as two rounds, with Ryu winning the first and Chun-Li winning the second. You can hear the sound effects and see moves right from the game! Yeah, it’s kind of silly, but in execution and energy it’s just awesome. Makes me want twirl a few girls around the stage myself…a far more interesting game to be playing! :-)