BADCP - GPOW Tribute

Virtue Signals

DATE:
25 YEARS AGO

GPOW 25TH
A N N I V E R S A R Y



3DO	BAD	SUPER STREET FIGHTER II TURBO


			The 3DO is like a "time machine" when I play Super Street Fighter II Turbo on it. It "goes backwards and forwards" through time as the memory of the game takes me back, while its modern influence take me forward. In my personal experience, it is absolutely true that Super Street Fighter II Turbo on the Panasonic 3DO fills my conscience with heavy nostalgia that "takes" me "to a place" where I "ache to go again". It was such a magical time in my life, and in video game history. It was the dawn of Capcom's CPS-II hardware, which would go on to be a platform of countless masterpieces still revered today. It was a time when Capcom supported more than 3 platforms at a time; they were actively developing for GameBoy, Genesis, Super Nintendo, 3DO, 32X, Saturn, and PlayStation. There was a machine for everyone back then, and something by Capcom for many of them.

Capcom brought Super Street Fighter II Turbo to the 3DO's 32-Bit rivals (PlayStation and Saturn) later, but it was a lot later, and through Street Fighter Collection. Players who had never been able to get a 3DO and/or or SSFIIT for it had easier access to it with this release. This made it much easier to obtain SSFIIT, but it was at the cost of being late. So late, in fact, that the series had already made it up to Street Fighter Alpha 2 on Saturn and PlayStation by the time Super Street Fighter II Turbo had come to those same machines. The release of SSFIIT on the Saturn and PlayStation never snuffed-out the flame that burned in my heart for the 3DO version. Deep down, I still wanted it, and the pure nostalgia always fueled me to continue my search for it. Whatever game store I went to, I kept an eye out for it; not necessarily going out of my way to find it, but also not ignoring any possible chances to get it.

	21
	BEFORE
	Bomber jackets were cool.

	22
	WHO DOESN'T
	Love stacked blondes?

	23
	SSFIIT BOXER
	Used and abused by wanna-be hardcore players everywhere.

	24
	LIKE
	A Bruce Lee movie!

	25
	DOES VEGA
	Appreciate this?

The 3DO is one of the most difficult video game machines to find, and I didn't find one until 2007. They say that "good things come to those who wait", and it must be true because I didn't just find one - I found one new (as in, never used, never opened). At last, I found it in the most unlikely of places. No, I didn't find it at a thrift store (like so many have gotten lucky at), not at a game specialty store, and not at a rental store. I didn't find it at a toy store, either. I found it (in all places) at a music store I went to for a CD special order (Japanese hardcore band Dead-Reforce didn't widely distribute "The Dead One" album). It was literally a small "mom and pop" music store I discovered off the beaten path in the countryside of Kofu, Japan. The surrounding area was great; always sunny and filled with shops, yet pleasant, clean, and not crowded. The walk to and from the train station was always a breeze, and the people were nice. It was actually one of my favorite places in Japan.

	26
	M.BISON
	The hunter becomes the hunted.

They had a rather small selection of unsold stock which remained of their discontinued attempt at video game sales. They explained to me that the stock was rather burdensome, and they were looking to get rid of it. Some of the items were sealed games, while others were boxed accessories and hardware. Boxed accessories had dust so thick that they were almost unrecognizable. Of them, PlayStation and Saturn accessories that included memory cards and light-guns. I snagged two discontinued PlayStation memory cards, but something near the ceiling caught my attention. Dusty and filthy on the outside, but pristine and untouched on the inside, it was a new 3DO (FZ-10) console. I tried hard to contain my excitement; I just couldn't believe it.

	27
	THOT
	That Hawk Over There

	28
	HEADBUTT
	Explosion.

	29
	CAUGHT
	Off-guard.

	30
	KICK-BOXING
	Clash.

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