Two men face off against each other in martial arts matches held on streets in five different countries. The winner of two out of three rounds moves on to the next stage. Bonus stages enable the player to earn more points.

Street Fighter, designed by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto, made its debut in the arcades in 1987. In this game, the player takes control of martial artist Ryu, who competes in a worldwide martial arts tournament, spanning five countries and 20 opponents. A second player can join in at any time and take control of Ryu's rival, Ken.

The player can perform three types of punch and kick attacks, each varying in speed and strength, and three special attacks: the Hadouken, Shoryuken, and Tatsumaki Senpukyaku. These are performed by executing special button combinations with the controls.