In 1999, Capcom released what many people consider the greatest fighting game of all time, Street Fighter III: Third Strike. The game was praised by critics and players alike and it quickly rose in popularity in Japan. With such a praised product one would think that it would strike that global recognition Street Fighter was known for, yet it barely made any impact in the West. This loss in popularity left a bitter taste in the mouth of Capcom and they left the series to only spin-offs and no main-line games.
After years of hiatus, Yoshinori Ono pitched the idea of Street Fighter IV to Capcom higher-ups to receive negative feedback. The franchise to Capcom was dying due to its lack of popularity from the recent titles in the West and how long it had been since releasing a new game in general. The 8-year gap between projects was the largest gap the franchise went without a new title, including spin-offs. This went on for a couple of months until the idea sat with the higher-ups for a bit and when they saw fans excited for the re-release of Super Street Fighter II Turbo onto Xbox 360, they decided to let the game go into development. After a while in development, Street Fighter IV came out on home consoles in 2009 and received extraordinary reviews.

The game was recognized by many to be the “Saviors of Fighting Games” due to how it brought millions of new fans to the franchise. It represented how games can stick to their roots while being so refreshing due to how Ono designed the game with a balance of strategic gameplay similar to Street Fighter II and the high skill ceiling of Street Fighter III. The mechanics of Street Fighter IV created a challenging yet rewarding system where every situation is new and the player is forced to figure out the game inside out to make it to the top. The game’s switch to 3D graphics turned out to be timeless due to how they chose a comic book-like style and vibrant colors making it really feel like its own thing compared to the other games during this time. 

This game showed Capcom that they should not be afraid of this genre with its hard mechanics and difficult skill curve but actually, they should embrace it. This led to Capcom finally deciding to get back into the genre and soon later they made more beloved games such as Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and Street Fighter V. The impact Street Fighter IV left on the franchise was huge, but the impact it left on the genre was massive. Millions of people started their love of this difficult genre with this game and it most likely resonates well with their opinions on the genre as a whole.