© CapcomStreet Fighter II is one of those games that will stay connected to the SNES forever, thanks to the fact that Nintendo’s 16-bit console was the first home system to get a port of the arcade sensation. Who knows how many gamers have dropped their teeth on this edition instead of the coin-op? It’s a pretty legendary conversion, and one that ironically eclipses that the SNES also got a gate from the more advanced Street Fighter Alpha 2 later in life.
Street Fighter Alpha 2, released in 1996, was arguably better suited to the (then) newfangled 32-bit consoles like the Saturn and PlayStation, but the fact that the SNES got it at all was (and still is) impressive. What’s even more impressive is the fact that this oft-derided gate has been hiding a cheat code for a quarter of a century.
Programmer Gizaha from the Zeldix forums reverse-engineered the game and in the process discovered a previously unknown code that unlocks hidden boss Shin Akuma as a playable character.
The code has been verified by EventHub and requires you to complete the game’s Arcade mode and get a new high score. Once this is done you will need to enter the initials KAJ in the high score table, return to the title screen and press and hold the L, X, Y and Start buttons on a controller connected to the console’s second controller port while the player has used one pad to select the ‘Versus’ mode. From here, players can select one or two Shin Akuma by holding down the Start button while selecting normal Akuma. You know you have been successful because Akuma’s clothes will change color.
Did you personally pull this cheat out? Remember Street Fighter Alpha 2 is available on the Wii U Virtual Console, so it’s worth a try …