Rising Sun removed from Street Fighter II in Capcom Arcade stadium

E. Honda Street Fighter II The baths stage is emblematic. On the back wall, a mural with Mount Fuji, a kabuki actorand the Rising Sun design. The mountain and the thespian stay at Capcom Arcade Stadiumis reissued, but not the spoke design.

This is how the scene appeared in the original Street Fighter II:

But as a Twitter user Pomegd (via Hachima) highlights, the Rising Sun design has been erased in Capcom Arcade Stadium.

This shouldn’t be too surprising. While the off-center rising sun might still be the official ensign of the Japanese Navy, the design is controversial, especially in Asia, as it was flown by Imperial Japan. Capcom seems to have decided that it is best not to offend players in the international gaming community.

Over the past few years, whenever the design has appeared in popular media, controversy has ensued. For example, when a character wore a Rising Sun shirt Bohemian Rhapsody, the outcry led to its digital deletion, while PUBGcreators of had to apologize after releasing an item pack that appeared to use the same images.

Previously, the radius design was deleted in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, but the sun remained. It seemed like a fair and tasteful compromise, while its latest iteration looks rather lopsided.

It’s not the only change Capcom Arcade Stadium. As Pomegd also points out, the flag of Hong Kong fighter Fei Long is now the People’s Republic of China instead of the regional one of the city as in 2018 Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection or, as in previous versions of the game, the British Hong Kong brand. Pomegd notes that Zangief has always the hammer and sickle of the USSR.