MAGIC: THE GATHERING SECRET LAIR X STREET FIGHTER CARDS

This year, the Street Fighter video game will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. So, to mark this great occasion, Wizards of the Coast have unveiled a series of limited-edition Magic: The Gathering curated cards, featuring eight iconic characters from the franchise. This includes…

Ryu

First appearance: Street Fighter
Birthplace: Japan
Fighting style: Karate based martial arts
Occupation: Martial Artist
Trivia: In a poll conducted by Capcom in 2017, Ryu was ranked ninth place in the entire list, and he's generally regarded as the most popular and memorable character from the Street Fighter franchise.

Blanka

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: Brazil
Fighting style: Feral movement and electric attacks
Occupation: Either Unemployed or a Plushies Mascot
Trivia: During the design stage, Blanka's skin color was pink, not green, but it was eventually changed because the main designer, Akira Yasuda, thought that it looked 'disgusting'.

Chun-Li

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: China
Fighting style: Chinese martial arts
Occupation: Interpol Officer
Trivia: Chun-Li was initially based on a character featured in the 1983 anime film, 'Harmagedon: Genma Wars'. The character was called Tao, and she was a psionic warrior from China, disciplined in martial arts.

Guile

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: United States
Fighting style: Martial arts and professional wrestling
Occupation: Major of the United States Air Force
Trivia: In an interview he gave to 'Game On!' magazine, Noritaka Funamizu, who was one of the producers behind Street Fighter II, stated that Guile was specially created so the game would appeal to American and western audiences, and in some cases, be considered as the game's main character.

Dhalsim

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: India
Fighting style: Esoteric Yoga
Occupation: Yoga Master
Trivia: The name, Dhalsim, was taken from an Indian restaurant located near Capcom's head office in Osaka, Japan: 'Dhal' = lentils, and 'shim' = hyacinth beans.

Edmond Honda

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: Japan
Fighting style: Japanese sumo wrestling
Occupation: Sumo Wrestler
Trivia: According to a report in 'Electronic Gaming Monthly', images of E. Honda were barred from a Street Fighter II Turbo tournament held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Japan, because 'his painted face was considered a sacrilege to the Japanese national sport'.

Ken Masters

First appearance: Street Fighter
Birthplace: Either Japan or the United States
Fighting style: Karate based martial arts
Occupation: Martial Artist and a Hotel-Business Tycoon
Trivia: Ken isn't a natural blond, because official sources state that he dyes his neck-length, shaggy hair this color, which doesn't match his dark brown eyebrows.

Zangief

First appearance: Street Fighter II: The World Warrior
Birthplace: Russia
Fighting style: Russian and American pro wrestling
Occupation: Professional Wrestler
Trivia: When Zangief was initially conceived, his designer, Akira Yasuda, wanted to call him 'Vodka Gobalsky', but it was eventually changed to avoid annoying Capcom's Russian audience.

This series of Magic: The Gathering Secret Lair x Street Fighter cards are now available via secretlair.wizards.com (£49.99 for the traditional foil version and £39.99 for the non-foil version). But if you would like to know more (including details about their secret card and other products), then please feel free to visit their official Website, Facebook, and Twitter pages.