They're remaking Street Fighter for HD! This is actually pretty cool. But they're (probably) fucking up the sprites. Details after the break. Before the break, though, let me note that this is not a burn on the franchise as whole. This is just a burn on sweat-shop art houses and the art directors that don't demand more from them.

Before we jump: it wouldn't be a new Street Fighter without at least two new modifiers in the name. The original was "Super Street Fighter II Turbo." The new remake for HD is "Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix." Damn, that is a lot of words.

First, let's check out a comparison of the SNES, Arcade, and HD Remix versions of the sprite, below. All of these images have been scaled to the correct aspect ratio. For those trying this at home: the arcade version did not use square pixels, so you'll need to scale things from MAME vertically by 129% to get correct aspect ratio. For the SNES we believe we have correct scale; if anyone can get a picture of actual output on a NTSC TV, we'd be interested in comparing.

Note the varying levels of quality and definition amongst the sprites. SNES definitely has the most contrast, while the arcade version has more detail. The chronology here is interesting. Arcade Guile is incredibly wide. SNES Guile is a lot skinnier. Why did they make him skinnier? Is it a technical limitation with SNES sprites? Probably not; plenty of characters in the SNES version are a lot wider than Guile. Maybe they realized he looks a lot more like a human being when he's capable of fitting through a standard doorway.

Then there's HD Remix Guile, who is the same width as the already-wide Arcade Guile, but who has lots of other interesting problems. Which leads us to our next image, the anatomy of a frighteningly huge man:

Pay particular attention to the muscles on this dude's forearms (highlighted in red) and around his wrists and hands. Got that shape firmly in your head? Good - now let's talk about Guile's anatomy, which is even more amazing than this guy's. Remember, the pixelated Guile is the original Arcade sprite. The other Guile, the HD Remix one with the bizarre proportions, is the one that they paid extra money for, and that didn't fix any of the original problems. You probably want to click here to view the comparison image at full size. What are some of those new changes?

• If he unfolded his arms, he would be able to tie his own shoes without bending over.
• This is aided by his left leg, which is a good four inches shorter than it was in the arcade version.
• HD Guile has been working out - his right forearm has doubled in size!
• He's also grown a new muscle from his elbow to his left pinky knuckle.
• Speaking of new body parts, he appears to have grown a second set of shoulder joints just past the first, complete with their own deltoids. We propose they be named the "metadeltoids", which, according to Google, is a word no one has ever used before.
• His right bicep appears to have stretched out and grown to attach to his fourth rib. This would lend plausibility to the Sonic Boom attack, since the added leverage would be considerable.
• His left bicep, however, has grown so large it would be impossible for him to put his left arm behind his body. This probably explains his awkward pose.
• The comb is a hold-over from the original sprite. It's obvious that one too many Yoga Flames have turned his hair into a keratinous mass. For HD Remix Guile, combing is now strictly optional.
• Arcade Guile had soulful blue eyes. HD Remix Guile has apparently had them removed, as only inky blackness wells from his eye sockets.
• You can literally see the meat melting off his bones, making them poke through his leathery skin. Even Mr. Universe up there keeps his muscles around his bones rather than hanging loosely under them.

Are we excited about the new HD Street Fighter? We sure are. It should be a great chance to relive old times, and remind yourselves of how the games you played as a child aren't as good as you remembered them. But we hope they take the time to do the art right.