James Goddard saw the birth of the Street Fighter II phenomenon

James Goddard is a luminary in the fighting game community. He’s the creator of Weaponlord, design director on Killer Instinct (2013), and a Capcom alum who was co-lead on SF II Hyper. 

We talked to him for a roundup of comments on the 25th anniversary of Street Fighter II, and we learned that he was also there to witness how SF2 gave birth to the fighting game community.

Goddard encountered Streetfighter II a month before its official release on February 6th 1991. The game was being testmarketed at a Golfland in Sunnyvale. He got to witness the emergence of unique player behaviors, and the dawn of esports. 

Goddard shared some pics from a tournament he helped put together–the first ever Northern California SF2 tournament. They show the passion of the emerging community (and confirm the ubiquity of mullets in 1991.)

Contestants lining up to get into the Milpitas Golfland. (Note the personalized SF2 tee-shirts.)

Competitors square off on one of the fourteen cabinets

Waiting their turn. (That’s Goddard on the far left.)

Nor Cal SF2 champion Thomas Osaki