Football

Football theme by weisoli57

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Football Theme
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Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word football generally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly called football include association football (known as soccer in Australia, Canada, South Africa, the United States, and sometimes in Ireland and New Zealand); Australian rules football; Gaelic football; gridiron football (specifically American football, arena football, or Canadian football); International rules football; rugby league football; and rugby union football.[1] These various forms of football share, to varying degrees, common origins and are known as "football codes".

There are a number of references to traditional, ancient, or prehistoric ball games played in many different parts of the world.[2][3][4] Contemporary codes of football can be traced back to the codification of these games at English public schools during the 19th century, itself an outgrowth of medieval football.[5][6] The expansion and cultural power of the British Empire allowed these rules of football to spread to areas of British influence outside the directly controlled Empire.[7] By the end of the 19th century, distinct regional codes were already developing: Gaelic football, for example, deliberately incorporated the rules of local traditional football games in order to maintain their heritage.[8] In 1888, the Football League was founded in England, becoming the first of many professional football associations. During the 20th century, several of the various kinds of football grew to become some of the most popular team sports in the world.[9]

Common elements[edit]

The action of kicking in (clockwise from upper left) association, gridiron, rugby, and Australian football

The various codes of football share certain common elements and can be grouped into two main classes of football: carrying codes like American football, Canadian football, Australian football, rugby union and rugby league, where the ball is moved about the field while being held in the hands or thrown, and kicking codes such as association football and Gaelic football, where the ball is moved primarily with the feet, and where handling is strictly limited.[10]

Common rules among the sports include:[11]

  • Two teams usually have between 11 and 18 players; some variations that have fewer players (five or more per team) are also popular.[12]
  • A clearly defined area in which to play the game.
  • Scoring goals or points by moving the ball to an opposing team's end of the field and either into a goal area, or over a line.
  • Goals or points resulting from players putting the ball between two goalposts.
  • The goal or line being defended by the opposing team.
  • Players using only their body to move the ball, i.e. no additional equipment such as bats or sticks.

In all codes, common skills include passing, tackling, evasion of tackles, catching and kicking.[10] In most codes, there are rules restricting the movement of players offside, and players scoring a goal must put the ball either under or over a crossbar between the goalposts.

Etymology[edit]

There are conflicting explanations of the origin of the word "football". It is widely assumed that the word "football" (or the phrase "foot ball") refers to the action of the foot kicking a ball.[13] There is an alternative explanation, which is that football originally referred to a variety of games in medieval Europe that were played on foot.[14] There is no conclusive evidence for either explanation.

Early history[edit]

Ancient games[edit]

Ancient China[edit]

A painting depicting Emperor Taizu of Song playing cuju (i.e. Chinese football) with his prime minister Zhao Pu (趙普) and other ministers, by the Yuan dynasty artist Qian Xuan (1235–1305)

The Chinese competitive game cuju is an early type of ball game where feet were used, in some aspects resembling modern association football. It was possibly played around the Han dynasty and early Qin dynasty, based on an attestation in a military manual from around the second to third centuries BC.[15][16][17] In one version, gameplay consisted of players passing the ball between teammates without allowing it to touch the ground (much like keepie uppie). In its competitive version, two teams had to pass the ball without it falling, before kicking the ball through a circular hole placed in the middle of the pitch. Unlike association football, the two teams did not interact with each other but instead stayed on opposite sides of the pitch.[18] The Japanese version of cuju is kemari (蹴鞠), and was developed during the Asuka period.[19] This is known to have been played within the Japanese imperial court in Kyoto from about 600 AD. In kemari, several people stand in a circle and kick a ball to each other, trying not to let the ball drop to the ground.

An ancient Roman tombstone of a boy with a Harpastum ball from Tilurium (modern Sinj, Croatia)

Ancient Greece and Rome[edit]

The Ancient Greeks and Romans are known to have played many ball games, some of which involved the use of the feet. The Roman game harpastum is believed to have been adapted from a Greek team game known as "ἐπίσκυρος" (Episkyros)[20][21] or "φαινίνδα" (phaininda),[22] which is mentioned by a Greek playwright, Antiphanes (388–311 BC) and later referred to by the Christian theologian Clement of Alexandria (c. 150c. 215 AD). These games appear to have resembled rugby football.[23][24][25][26][27] The Roman politician Cicero (106–43 BC) describes the case of a man who was killed whilst having a shave when a ball was kicked into a barber's shop. Roman ball games already knew the air-filled ball, the follis.[28][29] Episkyros is described as an early form of football by FIFA.[30]

Native Americans[edit]

There are a number of references to traditional, ancient, or prehistoric ball games, played by indigenous peoples in many different parts of the world. For example, in 1586, men from a ship commanded by an English explorer named John Davis went ashore to play a form of football with Inuit in Greenland.[31] There are later accounts of an Inuit game played on ice, called Aqsaqtuk. Each match began with two teams facing each other in parallel lines, before attempting to kick the ball through each other team's line and then at a goal. In 1610, William Strachey, a colonist at Jamestown, Virginia recorded a game played by Native Americans, called Pahsaheman.[citation needed] Pasuckuakohowog, a game similar to modern-day association football played amongst Amerindians, was also reported as early as the 17th century.

Games played in Mesoamerica with rubber balls by indigenous peoples are also well-documented as existing since before this time, but these had more similarities to basketball or volleyball, and no links have been found between such games and modern football sports. Northeastern American Indians, especially the Iroquois Confederation, played a game which made use of net racquets to throw and catch a small ball; however, although it is a ball-goal foot game, lacrosse (as its modern descendant is called) is likewise not usually classed as a form of "football".[citation needed]

Oceania[edit]

On the Australian continent several tribes of indigenous people played kicking and catching games with stuffed balls which have been generalised by historians as Marn Grook (Djab Wurrung for "game ball"). The earliest historical account is an anecdote from the 1878 book by Robert Brough-Smyth, The Aborigines of Victoria, in which a man called Richard Thomas is quoted as saying, in about 1841 in Victoria, Australia, that he had witnessed Aboriginal people playing the game: "Mr Thomas describes how the foremost player will drop kick a ball made from the skin of a possum and how other players leap into the air in order to catch it." Some historians have theorised that Marn Grook was one of the origins of Australian rules football.

The Māori in New Zealand played a game called Kī-o-rahi consisting of teams of seven players play on a circular field divided into zones, and score points by touching the 'pou' (boundary markers) and hitting a central 'tupu' or target.[citation needed]

These games and others may well go far back into antiquity. However, the main sources of modern football codes appear to lie in western Europe, especially England.

Turkic peoples[edit]

Mahmud al-Kashgari in his Dīwān Lughāt al-Turk, described a game called tepuk among Turks in Central Asia. In the game, people try to attack each other's castle by kicking a ball made of sheep leather.[32]

Medieval and early modern Europe[edit]

The Middle Ages saw a huge rise in popularity of annual Shrovetide football matches throughout Europe, particularly in England. An early reference to a ball game played in Britain comes from the 9th-century Historia Brittonum, attributed to Nennius, which describes "a party of boys ... playing at ball".[33] References to a ball game played in northern France known as La Soule or Choule, in which the ball was propelled by hands, feet, and sticks,[34] date from the 12th century.[35]

An illustration of so-called "mob football"

The early forms of football played in England, sometimes referred to as "mob football", would be played in towns or between neighbouring villages, involving an unlimited number of players on opposing teams who would clash en masse,[36] struggling to move an item, such as inflated animal's bladder[37] to particular geographical points, such as their opponents' church, with play taking place in the open space between neighbouring parishes.[38] The game was played primarily during significant religious festivals, such as Shrovetide, Christmas, or Easter,[37] and Shrovetide games have survived into the modern era in a number of English towns (see below).

The first detailed description of what was almost certainly football in England was given by William FitzStephen in about 1174–1183. He described the activities of London youths during the annual festival of Shrove Tuesday:

After lunch all the youth of the city go out into the fields to take part in a ball game. The students of each school have their own ball; the workers from each city craft are also carrying their balls. Older citizens, fathers, and wealthy citizens come on horseback to watch their juniors competing, and to relive their own youth vicariously: you can see their inner passions aroused as they watch the action and get caught up in the fun being had by the carefree adolescents.[39]

Most of the very early references to the game speak simply of "ball play" or "playing at ball". This reinforces the idea that the games played at the time did not necessarily involve a ball being kicked.

An early reference to a ball game that was probably football comes from 1280 at Ulgham, Northumberland, England: "Henry... while playing at ball.. ran against David".[40] Football was played in Ireland in 1308, with a documented reference to John McCrocan, a spectator at a "football game" at Newcastle, County Down being charged with accidentally stabbing a player named William Bernard.[41] Another reference to a football game comes in 1321 at Shouldham, Norfolk, England: "[d]uring the game at ball as he kicked the ball, a lay friend of his... ran against him and wounded himself".[40]

In 1314, Nicholas de Farndone, Lord Mayor of the City of London issued a decree banning football in the French used by the English upper classes at the time. A translation reads: "[f]orasmuch as there is great noise in the city caused by hustling over large foot balls [rageries de grosses pelotes de pee][42] in the fields of the public from which many evils might arise which God forbid: we command and forbid on behalf of the king, on pain of imprisonment, such game to be used in the city in the future." This is the earliest reference to football.

In 1363, King Edward III of England issued a proclamation banning "...handball, football, or hockey; coursing and cock-fighting, or other such idle games",[43] showing that "football" – whatever its exact form in this case – was being differentiated from games involving other parts of the body, such as handball.

"Football" in France, circa 1750

A game known as "football" was played in Scotland as early as the 15th century: it was prohibited by the Football Act 1424 and although the law fell into disuse it was not repealed until 1906. There is evidence for schoolboys playing a "football" ball game in Aberdeen in 1633 (some references cite 1636) which is notable as an early allusion to what some have considered to be passing the ball. The word "pass" in the most recent translation is derived from "huc percute" (strike it here) and later "repercute pilam" (strike the ball again) in the original Latin. It is not certain that the ball was being struck between members of the same team. The original word translated as "goal" is "metum", literally meaning the "pillar at each end of the circus course" in a Roman chariot race. There is a reference to "get hold of the ball before [another player] does" (Praeripe illi pilam si possis agere) suggesting that handling of the ball was allowed. One sentence states in the original 1930 translation "Throw yourself against him" (Age, objice te illi).

King Henry IV of England also presented one of the earliest documented uses of the English word "football", in 1409, when he issued a proclamation forbidding the levying of money for "foteball".[40][44]

There is also an account in Latin from the end of the 15th century of football being played at Caunton, Nottinghamshire. This is the first description of a "kicking game" and the first description of dribbling: "[t]he game at which they had met for common recreation is called by some the foot-ball game. It is one in which young men, in country sport, propel a huge ball not by throwing it into the air but by striking it and rolling it along the ground, and that not with their hands but with their feet... kicking in opposite directions." The chronicler gives the earliest reference to a football pitch, stating that: "[t]he boundaries have been marked and the game had started.[40]

Oldest known painting of foot-ball in Scotland, by Alexander Carse, c. 1810
"Football" in Scotland, c. 1830

Other firsts in the medieval and early modern eras:

  • "A football", in the sense of a ball rather than a game, was first mentioned in 1486.[44] This reference is in Dame Juliana Berners' Book of St Albans. It states: "a certain rounde instrument to play with ...it is an instrument for the foote and then it is calde in Latyn 'pila pedalis', a fotebal".[40]
  • A pair of football boots were ordered by King Henry VIII of England in 1526.[45]
  • Women playing a form of football was first described in 1580 by Sir Philip Sidney in one of his poems: "[a] tyme there is for all, my mother often sayes, when she, with skirts tuckt very hy, with girles at football playes".[46]
  • The first references to goals are in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In 1584 and 1602 respectively, John Norden and Richard Carew referred to "goals" in Cornish hurling. Carew described how goals were made: "they pitch two bushes in the ground, some eight or ten foote asunder; and directly against them, ten or twelue [twelve] score off, other twayne in like distance, which they terme their Goales".[47] He is also the first to describe goalkeepers and passing of the ball between players.
  • The first direct reference to scoring a goal is in John Day's play The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green (performed circa 1600; published 1659): "I'll play a gole at camp-ball" (an extremely violent variety of football, which was popular in East Anglia). Similarly in a poem in 1613, Michael Drayton refers to "when the Ball to throw, and drive it to the Gole, in squadrons forth they goe".

Calcio Fiorentino[

Corey #2

Corey theme by slim502

Download: Corey_2.p3t

Corey Theme 2
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Corey
GenderMale
Language(s)Greek, Gaelic, Latin
Other names
Related namesCory, Cora, Coire, Corie, Corrie, Curry (surname), Correy, Cori, Kory (given name), Khouri, Kori, Korie, Corrado

Corey is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a masculine version of name Cora, which has Greek origins and is the maiden name of the goddess Persephone. The name also can have origins from the Gaelic word coire, which means "in a cauldron" or "in a hollow".[1]

As a surname, it has a number of possible derivations, including an Old Norse personal name Kori of uncertain meaning, which is found in Scandinavia and England, often meaning curly haired. As an Irish surname it comes from Ó Comhraidhe (descendant of Comhraidheh). Notable people or fictional characters named Corey include:

First name[edit]

A[edit]

B[edit]

C[edit]

D[edit]

E[edit]

F[edit]

G[edit]

H[edit]

I[edit]

  • Corey Ivy (born 1977), American football player

J[edit]

K[edit]

L[edit]

M[edit]

N[edit]

O[edit]

P[edit]

R[edit]

S[edit]

T[edit]

V[edit]

W[edit]

Y[edit]

Surname[edit]

Fictional characters[edit]

  • Corey Riffin, a character from Canadian animated TV series Grojband

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ "Cory Name Meaning & Origin". Baby Name Wizard. Retrieved 2019-11-25.

Corey

Corey theme by slim502

Download: Corey.p3t

Corey Theme
(1 background, different for HD and SD)

Corey
GenderMale
Language(s)Greek, Gaelic, Latin
Other names
Related namesCory, Cora, Coire, Corie, Corrie, Curry (surname), Correy, Cori, Kory (given name), Khouri, Kori, Korie, Corrado

Corey is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a masculine version of name Cora, which has Greek origins and is the maiden name of the goddess Persephone. The name also can have origins from the Gaelic word coire, which means "in a cauldron" or "in a hollow".[1]

As a surname, it has a number of possible derivations, including an Old Norse personal name Kori of uncertain meaning, which is found in Scandinavia and England, often meaning curly haired. As an Irish surname it comes from Ó Comhraidhe (descendant of Comhraidheh). Notable people or fictional characters named Corey include:

First name[edit]

A[edit]

B[edit]

C[edit]

D[edit]

E[edit]

F[edit]

G[edit]

H[edit]

I[edit]

  • Corey Ivy (born 1977), American football player

J[edit]

K[edit]

L[edit]

M[edit]

N[edit]

O[edit]

P[edit]

R[edit]

S[edit]

T[edit]

V[edit]

W[edit]

Y[edit]

Surname[edit]

Fictional characters[edit]

  • Corey Riffin, a character from Canadian animated TV series Grojband

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ "Cory Name Meaning & Origin". Baby Name Wizard. Retrieved 2019-11-25.

Street Fighter #2

Street Fighter theme by m0dus

Download: StreetFighter_2.p3t

Street Fighter Theme 2
(10 backgrounds)

Street Fighter
Genre(s)Fighting game
Developer(s)Capcom, Dimps (main series)
Arika (Street Fighter EX series)
Publisher(s)Capcom
Creator(s)Takashi Nishiyama
Hiroshi Matsumoto
Platform(s)
First releaseStreet Fighter
August 30, 1987; 36 years ago (August 30, 1987)[1]
Latest releaseStreet Fighter 6
June 2, 2023; 12 months ago (June 2, 2023)
Spin-offsFinal Fight

Street Fighter[a] is a Japanese media franchise centered on a series of fighting games developed and published by Capcom. The first game in the series was released in 1987, followed by six other main series games, various spin-offs and crossovers, and numerous appearances in other media. Its best-selling 1991 release Street Fighter II established many of the conventions of the one-on-one fighting genre.

Street Fighter is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time and one of Capcom's flagship series, with total sales of 54 million units worldwide as of March 2024.[2] It is also one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time.

Games[edit]

Release timeline
Main series in bold
1987Street Fighter
1988
1989
1990Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight
1991Street Fighter II
1992Street Fighter II: Champion Edition
Street Fighter II Turbo
1993Super Street Fighter II
1994Super Street Fighter II Turbo
1995Street Fighter Alpha
Street Fighter: The Movie (arcade)
Street Fighter: The Movie (console)
1996Street Fighter Alpha 2
X-Men vs. Street Fighter
Street Fighter EX
1997Street Fighter III
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter
Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact
1998Street Fighter EX2
Street Fighter Alpha 3
1999Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
2000Street Fighter EX3
2001
2002
2003Hyper Street Fighter II
2004Street Fighter Anniversary Collection
2005
2006Street Fighter Alpha Anthology
2007
2008Street Fighter IV
Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
2009
2010Super Street Fighter IV
Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition
2011Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
2012Street Fighter X Tekken
Street Fighter X Mega Man
2013
2014Ultra Street Fighter IV
2015
2016Street Fighter V
2017Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers
2018Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
2019
2020
2021
2022Capcom Fighting Collection
2023Street Fighter Duel
Street Fighter 6

Street Fighter (1987)[edit]

A Street Fighter arcade cabinet

Street Fighter, designed by Takashi Nishiyama and Hiroshi Matsumoto, debuted in arcades in 1987.[3][4] The player controls martial artist Ryu to compete in a worldwide martial arts tournament spanning five countries and 10 opponents. A second player can control Ryu's friendly American rival, Ken Masters. The player can perform three punch and kick attacks, each varying in speed and strength, and three special attacks: the Hadōken, Shōryūken, and Tatsumaki Senpūkyaku, performed by executing special joystick and button combinations.[5]

Street Fighter was ported to many popular home computers, including MS-DOS. In 1987, it was released on the TurboGrafx-CD console as Fighting Street.[6] In 2005, Street Fighter was included in Capcom Classics Collection: Remixed for the PlayStation Portable and Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. It is in the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection for eighth-generation consoles and Windows.[citation needed]

Street Fighter II (1991)[edit]

Street Fighter II was released in 1991 following an unsuccessful attempt to brand the 1989 beat 'em up game Final Fight as the Street Fighter sequel. It is one of the earliest arcade games for Capcom's CP System hardware and was designed by Akira Nishitani and Akira Yasuda, who also made Final Fight and Forgotten Worlds.[7]

Street Fighter II: The World Warrior is the first one-on-one fighting game to give players a choice from a variety of player characters with different moves, allowing for more varied matches. Each player character has a unique fighting style with approximately 30 or more moves, including new grappling moves and throws, and two or three special attacks. In the single-player mode, the player character is pitted sequentially against the seven other main characters before confronting the final four bosses, exclusively CPU-controlled. As in the original, a second player can join anytime for competitive matches.[citation needed]

The original Japanese version of Street Fighter II introduced an African-American boxer boss character that shared the physical characteristics and likeness of real-life boxer Mike Tyson. (The character was originally named "Mike Bison". To avoid a likeness infringement lawsuit, Capcom rotated the names of three of the boss characters for international versions of the game. The final boss, named Vega in the Japanese version, was given the M. Bison name, the talon-wielding Spanish warrior, named Balrog in the Japanese version, was renamed Vega and the boxer became Balrog.[8] In a 2019 interview, Mike Tyson himself was asked about the "Mike Bison" character design, and revealed that he was "honored by the impersonation".[9])

Street Fighter II eclipsed its predecessor in popularity, eventually turning Street Fighter into a multimedia franchise.[10] It had an unexpectedly phenomenal impact on gaming. More than $10 billion in inflation-adjusted revenue as of 2017 was grossed from all versions, mostly from arcades.[11] More than 14 million cartridges were sold for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive.[12]

The first official update to the series was Street Fighter II: Champion Edition, pronounced Street Fighter II Dash in Japan, as noted by the prime notation on the logo. The four computer-controlled boss characters are human-playable and two players can choose the same character, leaving one character with an alternate color pattern. It has slightly improved graphics, including differently colored backgrounds and refined gameplay. A second upgrade, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (Street Fighter II Dash Turbo in Japan), was produced in response to the various bootleg editions of the game. Hyper Fighting offers faster gameplay than its predecessors, different character costume colors and new special techniques. Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers, the third revision, gives the game a complete graphical and musical overhaul and introduces four new playable characters. It is also the first game for Capcom's CP System II arcade hardware. The fifth arcade installment, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Street Fighter II X in Japan, brings back the faster gameplay of Hyper Fighting, a new type of special techniques known as "Super Combos" and a hidden character, Akuma.[citation needed]

Numerous home versions of the Street Fighter II games have been produced following the release of the original game. The original version, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, was ported to the Super NES in 1992, which is Capcom's best-selling game as of 2008.[12] A Japanese-only port of Street Fighter II Dash for the PC Engine came in 1993. That year, two home versions of Hyper Fighting were released: Street Fighter II Turbo for Super NES and Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (Street Fighter II Dash Plus in Japan) for Genesis. The following game, Super Street Fighter II, was also ported to the Super NES and Genesis in 1994. That year, Super Street Fighter II Turbo was released for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer and for Windows, released by the now-defunct GameTek.[citation needed]

In 1997, Capcom released the Street Fighter Collection for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This is a compilation including Super and Super Turbo, and Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold (Street Fighter Zero 2′ (Dash) in Japan), an updated version of Street Fighter Alpha 2. It was followed by Street Fighter Collection 2 (Capcom Generation Vol. 5 in Japan), also released for the PlayStation and Saturn, which includes the original Street Fighter II, Champion Edition, and Hyper Fighting. In 2000, Capcom released Super Street Fighter II X for Matching Service exclusively in Japan for the Dreamcast. This version of the game features an online two-player versus mode. In 2003, Capcom released Hyper Street Fighter II: The Anniversary Edition for the arcades in Japan and Asia to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the series. As the final arcade installment, the game is a hybrid version of Super Turbo, which allows players to select between versions of characters from all five previous Street Fighter II games. Hyper was released in North America and the PAL region via its ports for the PlayStation 2 and the Xbox, released as part of the Street Fighter Anniversary Collection along with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. In 2005, the three games in Street Fighter Collection 2 were included in Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 1 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A version of Super Turbo, along with the original Street Fighter, was later included in the 2007 compilation Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2, also released for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Street Fighter II and Super Street Fighter II are also available as downloadable games for select cellular phone services.[citation needed]

An updated version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo came to the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade services in 2008.[13] The game, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, has fully redrawn artwork, including HD sprites 4.5x the original size, drawn by artists from UDON. This is the first time the Street Fighter characters have had new sprites, drawn by Capcom, since Capcom vs. SNK 2 in 2001. The game has several changes which address character balancing issues, but also features the original arcade version gameplay so that players can choose between the two.[14]

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers is an updated version of 1994's Super Street Fighter II Turbo for the Nintendo Switch. The game features two graphical styles—classic pixel art and updated high-definition art. New gameplay mechanics and modes have been introduced and tweaks have been made to the game's balance. It has two more characters, who are classic alternate evil form of the classic characters Ryu and Ken, Evil Ryu and Violent Ken, and Akuma is now playable.[citation needed]

Street Fighter Alpha (1995)[edit]

Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams (Street Fighter Zero in Asia and Mexico), was released in 1995. It uses the same character designs Capcom previously employed in Darkstalkers and X-Men: Children of the Atom, with settings and character designs heavily influenced by Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie. Alpha expands on the Super Combo system from Super Turbo by extending Super Combo meter into three levels, allowing for super combos to be stored up and introducing Alpha Counters and Chain Combos, also from Darkstalkers. The plot of Alpha is set between the first two Street Fighter games and fleshes out the backstories and grudges held by many of the classic Street Fighter II characters.[15] It has a playable roster of ten immediately playable characters and three unlockable fighters, comprising not only younger versions of established characters, but also characters from the original Street Fighter and Final Fight, such as Adon and Guy.[citation needed]

Street Fighter Alpha 2 has all-new stages, music, and endings for some characters, some of which overlap with those from the original Alpha.[16] It also discards the Chain Combo system in favor of Custom Combos, which requires a portion of the Super Combo meter to be used. Alpha 2 retains all 13 characters from the original and adds five new characters to the roster along with hidden versions of returning characters. Alpha 2 is followed by a slightly enhanced arcade release, Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha, released in Japan and Brazil, ported to home consoles as Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold and Zero 2′ Dash in Japan.[citation needed]

The third and final Alpha game, Street Fighter Alpha 3, was released in 1998 following the release of the original Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact and Street Fighter EX. Alpha 3 introduces three selectable fighting styles and further expands the playable roster to 28 characters.[17] Console versions of the three games, including the original Alpha 2 and Alpha 2 Gold, were released for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, although versions of specific games in the series were also released for the Game Boy Color, Super NES, Dreamcast, and Windows. The home console versions of Alpha 3 further expands the character roster by adding the remaining "New Challengers" from Super Street Fighter II. The Dreamcast version of the game was backported to the arcades in Japan as Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper. A version of Upper, titled Alpha 3 outside Japan, was released for the Game Boy Advance and added three characters from Capcom vs. SNK 2. A PlayStation Portable version, Alpha 3 MAX, or Zero 3 Double Upper in Japan, contains the added characters from the GBA version and Ingrid from Capcom Fighting Jam.[citation needed]

Street Fighter EX (1996)[edit]

In 1996, Capcom co-produced a 3D fighting game Street Fighter EX with Arika, a company founded by Street Fighter II planner Akira Nishitani. It was developed for the PlayStation-based ZN-1 hardware. EX combined the established Street Fighter cast with original characters created and owned by Arika. It was followed by an upgraded version, Street Fighter EX Plus, in 1997, which expanded the character roster. A home version with additional features and characters, Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha, was released for the PlayStation during the same year.[citation needed]

A sequel was released in 1998, Street Fighter EX2, developed for the ZN-2 hardware. Custom combos were reintroduced and the character roster was expanded upon even further. In 1999, EX2 also received an upgraded version, Street Fighter EX2 Plus. A port of EX2 Plus was released for the PlayStation in 1999.[citation needed]

The third game in the series, Street Fighter EX3, was released as a launch game for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. This game included a tag team system, a mode that let a single player fight up to three opponents simultaneously, and another mode that allowed players to give the new character, Ace, a selection of special and super moves after purchasing them with experience points. The cast included many characters from the previous game.[citation needed]

Some of the Arika-owned characters from the series were later featured in other games developed by the company. The Namco-distributed arcade game Fighting Layer featured Allen Snider and Blair Dame from the original EX, while Skullomania would reappear in the PlayStation game Fighter Maker. A spiritual successor to Fighting Layer, featuring an initial roster consisting entirely of Arika-owned EX characters, Fighting EX Layer, was released in 2018.[18]

Crossover series (1996)[edit]

Capcom produced fighting games involving licensed characters from other companies and their own properties. In 1994, Capcom released the Marvel-licensed fighting game X-Men: Children of the Atom, which features Akuma from Super Turbo as a hidden character. It was followed by Marvel Super Heroes in 1995, which features Anita from Night Warriors

The Games

The Games theme by goggles182

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The Games Theme
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The Marks

The Marks theme by weisoli57

Download: TheMarks.p3t

The Marks Theme
(9 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Grand Prix’s

Grand Prix’s theme by wjjeepman34

Download: GrandPrixs.p3t

Grand Prix’s Theme
(3 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu theme by Sygal

Download: Ubuntu.p3t

Ubuntu Theme
(1 background)

Ubuntu
Ubuntu 24.04 "Noble Numbat"
DeveloperCanonical Ltd.
OS familyLinux (Unix-like)
Working stateCurrent
Source modelOpen-source[1][2]
Initial releaseUbuntu 4.10 (Warty Warthog) / 20 October 2004 (19 years ago) (2004-10-20)
Latest releaseLTS: 24.04 LTS[3] Edit this on Wikidata / 25 April 2024; 2 months ago (25 April 2024)
Repository
Marketing targetCloud computing, personal computers, servers, supercomputers, IoT
Available inMore than 55 languages by LoCos
Update methodSoftware Updater, Ubuntu Software, apt
Package managerGNOME Software, dpkg (APT), Snap – graphical front-end: Snap Store
Platforms
Kernel typeMonolithic (Linux kernel)
UserlandGNU
Default
user interface
GNOME
LicenseFree software + some proprietary device drivers[6]
Official websiteubuntu.com Edit this at Wikidata

Ubuntu (/ʊˈbʊnt/ uu-BUUN-too)[7] is a Linux distribution derived from Debian and composed mostly of free and open-source software.[8][9][10] Ubuntu is officially released in multiple editions: Desktop,[11] Server,[12] and Core[13] for Internet of things devices[14] and robots.[15][16] The operating system is developed by the British company Canonical,[17] and a community of other developers, under a meritocratic governance model.[7][18] As of April 2024, the most-recent long-term support release is 24.04 ("Noble Numbat").

As with other Linux distributions, all of the editions can run on a computer alone, or in a virtual machine. An upgrade to Ubuntu is released every six months, with long-term support (LTS) releases every two years.[7][19][20] Canonical provides security updates and support for each Ubuntu release, starting from the release date until the release reaches its designated end-of-life (EOL) date.[7][21][22] Canonical generates revenue through the sale of premium services related to Ubuntu and donations from those who download the Ubuntu software.[23][24][25]

Ubuntu is named after the Nguni philosophy of ubuntu, "humanity to others" with a connotation of "I am what I am because of who we all are".[7] Since the release of the first version in 2004, Ubuntu has become one of the most popular Linux distributions for general purposes[26][27] and is backed by large online communities like Ask Ubuntu. Numerous community-editions of Ubuntu also exist.[28] It is also popular for cloud computing, with support for OpenStack.[29]

Ubuntu - Version History - Visual Timeline - 20231019

Background[edit]

Ubuntu is built on Debian's architecture and infrastructure, and comprises Linux server, desktop and discontinued phone and tablet operating system versions.[30] Ubuntu releases updated versions predictably every six months,[31] and each release receives free support for nine months (eighteen months prior to 13.04)[32] with security fixes, high-impact bug fixes and conservative, substantially beneficial low-risk bug fixes.[33] The first release was in October 2004.[34]

Current long-term support (LTS) releases are supported for five years, and are released every two years. Since the release of Ubuntu 6.06, every fourth release receives long-term support.[31] Long-term support includes updates for new hardware, security patches and updates to the 'Ubuntu stack' (cloud computing infrastructure).[35] The first LTS releases were supported for three years on the desktop and five years on the server; since Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, desktop support for LTS releases was increased to five years as well.[36][37][38] LTS releases get regular point releases with support for new hardware and integration of all the updates published in that series to date.[39]

Ubuntu packages are based on Debian's unstable branch, which are synchronized every six months. Both distributions use Debian's deb package format and package management tools (e.g. APT and Ubuntu Software). Debian and Ubuntu packages are not necessarily binary compatible with each other, however, so packages may need to be rebuilt from source to be used in Ubuntu.[40] Many Ubuntu developers are also maintainers of key packages within Debian. Ubuntu cooperates with Debian by pushing changes back to Debian,[41] although there has been criticism that this does not happen often enough. Ian Murdock, the founder of Debian, had expressed concern about Ubuntu packages potentially diverging too far from Debian to remain compatible.[42] Before release, packages are imported from Debian unstable continuously and merged with Ubuntu-specific modifications. At some point during the release process, the Debian Import Freeze is implemented. This prevents the automatic import of packages from Debian without an explicit request from a developer. In combination with other freezes, this helps packagers ensure that frozen features interoperate well together.[43][44]

Ubuntu is currently funded by Canonical Ltd. On 8 July 2005, Mark Shuttleworth and Canonical announced the creation of the Ubuntu Foundation and provided initial funding of US$10 million. The purpose of the foundation is to ensure the support and development for all future versions of Ubuntu. Mark Shuttleworth describes the foundation goal as to ensure the continuity of the Ubuntu project.[45]

On 12 March 2009, Ubuntu announced developer support for third-party cloud management platforms, such as those used at Amazon EC2.[46]

32-bit x86 processors were supported up to Ubuntu 18.04. It was decided to support "legacy software", i.e. select 32-bit i386 packages for Ubuntu 19.10 (since out of support) and 20.04 LTS.[47]

Features[edit]

A default installation of Ubuntu as of version 23.10 contains a minimal selection of software, namely a web browser (Firefox) and basic GNOME utilities.[48] Many additional software packages are accessible from the built-in Ubuntu Software (previously Ubuntu Software Center) as well as any other APT-based package management tools. Many additional software packages that are no longer installed by default, such as Evolution, GIMP, Pidgin, and Synaptic, are still accessible in the repositories and installable by the main tool or by any other APT-based package management tool. Cross-distribution snap packages and Flatpaks are also available,[49] that both allow installing software, such as some of Microsoft's software, in most of the major Linux operating systems (such as any currently supported Ubuntu version and in Fedora). The default file manager is GNOME Files, formerly called Nautilus.[50][51]

All of the application software installed by default is free software. In addition, Ubuntu redistributes some hardware drivers that are available only in binary format, but such packages are clearly marked in the restricted component.[52]

Ubuntu's default desktop changed back from the in-house Unity to GNOME after nearly 6.5 years in 2017 upon the release of version 17.10.[53]

Security[edit]

Ubuntu aims to be secure by default.[54][55] User programs run with low privileges and cannot corrupt the operating system or other users' files. For increased security, the sudo tool is used to assign temporary privileges for performing administrative tasks, which allows the root account to remain locked and helps prevent inexperienced users from inadvertently making catastrophic system changes or opening security holes.[56] Polkit is also being widely implemented into the desktop.[citation needed]

Most network ports are closed by default to prevent hacking.[57] A built-in firewall allows end-users who install network servers to control access. A GUI (GUI for Uncomplicated Firewall) is available to configure it.[58] Ubuntu compiles its packages using GCC features such as PIE and buffer overflow protection to harden its software.[59][relevant?discuss] These extra features greatly increase security at the performance expense of 0.01% in 64-bit.[60]

Ubuntu also supports full disk encryption[61] as well as encryption of the home and private directories.[62]

Installation[edit]

The system requirements vary among Ubuntu products. For the Ubuntu desktop release 22.04 LTS, a PC with at least 2 GHz dual-core processor, 4 GB of RAM and 25 GB of free disk space is recommended.[63] For less powerful computers, there are other Ubuntu distributions such as Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Ubuntu also supports the ARM architecture.[4][64][65][66][67] It is also available on Power ISA,[4][68][69][70] while older PowerPC architecture was at one point unofficially supported,[71] and now newer Power ISA CPUs (POWER8) are supported. The x86-64 ("AMD64") architecture is also officially supported.[4]

Live images are the typical way for users to assess and subsequently install Ubuntu.[8]

These can be downloaded as a disk image (.iso) and subsequently burnt to a DVD or USB flash drive and then booted. Other methods include running the live version via UNetbootin, Universal USB Installer, or Startup Disk Creator (a pre-installed tool on Ubuntu, available on machines already running the OS) directly from a USB drive (making, respectively, a live DVD or live USB medium). Running Ubuntu in this way is slower than running it from a hard drive, but does not alter the computer unless specifically instructed by the user. If the user chooses to boot the live image rather than execute an installer at boot time, there is still the option to then use the Ubuntu Desktop Installer once booted into the live environment.[72] The Ubuntu Desktop Installer replaced the former Ubiquity installer since Ubuntu 23.04.[73] Disk images of all current and past versions are available for download at the Ubuntu web site.[74]

Additionally, USB flash drive installations can be used to boot Ubuntu and Kubuntu in a way that allows permanent saving of user settings and portability of the USB-installed system between physical machines (however, the computers' BIOS must support booting from USB).[75] In newer versions of Ubuntu, the Ubuntu Live USB creator can be used to install Ubuntu on a USB drive (with or without a live CD or DVD). Creating a bootable USB drive with persistence is as simple as dragging a slider to determine how much space to reserve for persistence; for this, Ubuntu employs casper.[76][77]

Package classification and support[edit]

Ubuntu divides most software into four domains to reflect differences in licensing and the degree of support available.[78] Some unsupported applications receive updates from community members known as "Masters of the Universe" (MOTU),[79] but not from Canonical Ltd.[citation needed]

Free software Non-free software
Officially supported by Canonical Main Restricted
Community supported/Third party Universe Multiverse

Free software includes software that has met the Ubuntu licensing requirements,[78] which roughly correspond to the Debian Free Software Guidelines. Exceptions, however, include firmware, in the Main category, because although some firmware is not allowed to be modified, its distribution is still permitted.[80]

Non-free software is usually unsupported (Multiverse), but some exceptions (Restricted) are made for important non-free software. Supported non-free software includes device drivers that can be used to run Ubuntu on some current hardware, such as binary-only graphics card drivers. The level of support in the Restricted category is more limited than that of Main, because the developers may not have access to the source code. It is intended that Main and Restricted should contain all software needed for a complete desktop environment.[78]

In addition to the above, in which the software does not receive new features after an initial release, Ubuntu Backports is an officially recognised repository for backporting newer software from later versions of Ubuntu.[81]

The -updates repository provides stable release updates (SRU) of Ubuntu and are generally installed through update-manager. Each release is given its own -updates repository (e.g. intrepid-updates). The repository is supported by Canonical Ltd. for packages in main and restricted, and by the community for packages in universe and multiverse. All updates to the repository must meet certain requirements and go through the -proposed repository before being made available to the public.[82] Updates are scheduled to be available until the end of life for the release.[citation needed]

In addition to the -updates repository, the unstable -proposed repository contains uploads that must be confirmed before being copied into -updates. All updates must go through this process to ensure that the patch does truly fix the bug and there is no risk of regression.[83] Updates in -proposed are confirmed by either Canonical or members of the community.[citation needed]

Canonical previously hosted a partner repository that let vendors of proprietary software deliver their products to Ubuntu users at no cost through the same familiar tools for installing and upgrading software.[84] The software in the partner repository was officially supported with security and other important updates by its respective vendors. Canonical supported the packaging of the software for Ubuntu[85][86][87] and provided guidance to vendors.[84] However, in anticipation for the release of Ubuntu 22.04 LTS Canonical closed the partner repository, as the only package still hosted in it was Adobe Flash, which would not be released with 22.04.[88] Ubuntu developer Steve Langasek said in a development mailing list that he felt the "Snap Store has matured to the point that I believe it supersedes the partner archive".[89]

Package Archives[edit]

A Personal Package Archive (PPA) is a software repository for uploading source packages to be built and published as an Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) repository by Launchpad.[90] While the term is used exclusively within Ubuntu, Launchpad's host, Canonical, envisions adoption beyond the Ubuntu community.[91]

Third-party software[edit]

Some third-party software that does not limit distribution is included in Ubuntu's multiverse component. The package ubuntu-restricted-extras additionally contains software that may be legally restricted, including support for DVD playback, Microsoft TrueType core fonts, many common audio/video codecs, and unrar, an unarchiver for files compressed in the RAR file format.[92]

Additionally, third-party application suites are available for download via Ubuntu Software and the Snap store,[93] including many games such as Braid, Minecraft and Oil Rush,[94] software for DVD playback and media codecs.[95]

Releases[edit]

Currently supported releases
Version Code name Release date General support until Security support (ESM) until
14.04 LTS Trusty Tahr 2014-04-17[96] Old version, no longer maintained: 2019-04-25[96] Old version, no longer maintained: 2024-04-25
16.04 LTS Xenial Xerus[97] 2016-04-21[98] Old version, no longer maintained: 2021-04-30[99] Older version, yet still maintained: 2026-04
18.04 LTS Bionic Beaver 2018-04-26[100] Old version, no longer maintained: 2023-05-31[101] Older version, yet still maintained: 2028-04
20.04 LTS Focal Fossa 2020-04-23[102] Older version, yet still maintained: 2025-05-29[103] Older version, yet still maintained: 2030-04
22.04 LTS Jammy Jellyfish[104] 2022-04-21[105] Older version, yet still maintained: 2027-06-01 Older version, yet still maintained: 2032-04
23.10 Mantic Minotaur 2023-10-12 Older version, yet still maintained: 2024-07-11 unavailable
24.04 LTS Noble Numbat 2024-04-25[106] Current stable version: 2029-05-31 Current stable version: 2034-04-25
Legend:
Old version
Older version, still maintained
Latest version
Latest preview vers

PS3 Roses

PS3 Roses theme by HotPixelUS

Download: PS3Roses.p3t

PS3 Roses Theme
(2 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.

Grand Theft Auto Collection

Grand Theft Auto Collection theme by SanAndreas88

Download: GTACollection.p3t

Grand Theft Auto Collection Theme
(7 backgrounds)

P3T Unpacker v0.12
Copyright (c) 2007. Anoop Menon

This program unpacks Playstation 3 Theme files (.p3t) so that you can touch-up an existing theme to your likings or use a certain wallpaper from it (as many themes have multiple). But remember, if you use content from another theme and release it, be sure to give credit!

Download for Windows: p3textractor.zip

Instructions:

Download p3textractor.zip from above. Extract the files to a folder with a program such as WinZip or WinRAR. Now there are multiple ways to extract the theme.

The first way is to simply open the p3t file with p3textractor.exe. If you don’t know how to do this, right click the p3t file and select Open With. Alternatively, open the p3t file and it will ask you to select a program to open with. Click Browse and find p3textractor.exe from where you previously extracted it to. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename]. After that, all you need to do for any future p3t files is open them and it will extract.

The second way is very simple. Just drag the p3t file to p3textractor.exe. It will open CMD and extract the theme to extracted.[filename].

For the third way, first put the p3t file you want to extract into the same folder as p3textractor.exe. Open CMD and browse to the folder with p3extractor.exe. Enter the following:
p3textractor filename.p3t [destination path]Replace filename with the name of the p3t file, and replace [destination path] with the name of the folder you want the files to be extracted to. A destination path is not required. By default it will extract to extracted.filename.