Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition Review

Since Street Fighter’s move to 3D graphics, on a personal level, it has been a little difficult to enjoy the series as much as when it was a purely two-dimensional sprite-based fighting game. When Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008, it reaffirmed the notion that character models drawn with high-definition artwork was the way forward for the franchise. Capcom had other ideas, however, launching the very 3D Street Fighter IV around the same time as the HD iteration of one of its most popular titles.

It is devastating that HD Remix still hasn’t seen a rerelease since then, but the move to 3D set the stage for the future of the series. Subsequent entry Street Fighter V took many years and multiple updates to get to a standard worthy of the name, but with lessons learned from an initial barebones launch, Capcom eventually followed up with the much more respectable Street Fighter 6. With the release of Switch 2, the heavyweight of the genre now properly returns to Nintendo hardware for the first time since Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition on 3DS.

Those oversized limbs were never visually pleasing. Capcom’s insistence on covering the entire character selection screen with everyone’s giant hands and Ken’s banana hairlocks in Street Fighter V has finally been taken down a notch. At long last, this may be the game that finally justifies the switch from sprites to 3D models. Characters have undergone a makeover that still retain a slightly comedic and exaggerated appearance about them, but the sway to a more realistic graphical style and a move away from the plasticine look immediately makes Street Fighter 6’s combatants so much easier on the eyes. Except for Luke. He might have had a little glow-up since his debut, but the less time his forearms are on the screen, the better.

It isn’t always about looks, but there is a streets-like flair about this latest in the series that does its absolute best to come across “cool”, reverberating right through to the hip-hop soundtrack that will gel with some and get on the nerves of others. There is no doubt that Capcom is doing its best to engage with its younger audience, and there is very little wrong with that, as franchises can’t survive by only appealing to ageing fans, but it may be harder for older players to deal with the modern style that has been embraced here. What is very easy to bond with is just how great Street Fighter 6 is to play.

There is a more fluid feeling to combat as opposed to the last game, and there isn’t anything overly complex going on outside of the Drive system that provides a means to freely unleash and block attacks, albeit in a limited capacity with a simple gauge that drains as it is used. This is effectively Street Fighter as fans have always remembered it, but this iteration comes across in a more positive light when factoring in the combination of smooth animations, easy-to-understand risk-reward abilities, and sense of satisfaction from crunchy punches and kicks connecting with opponents.

In another example of appealing to the younger demographic, there is emphasis on a “modern” control scheme that effectively undoes everything experienced fans know about playing Street Fighter. Quarter-circle directional inputs be damned, as there is now a simple button to blast out those Hadokens and Shoryukens, while throws and combos can equally be unleashed with ease.

This may not resonate with everyone, but the option is there for the classic six-button control scheme, so veterans need not fear. There is no problem here with having an entirely separate setup for those that wish to utilise it. The frustration comes from the modern scheme being the default one that isn’t fully obvious how it can be changed in certain menus. It seems there are multiple instances across the game that the modern setup is standardised and switching it to another style in one area doesn’t always apply to another.

The World Tour also begrudgingly forces these controls until the opening chapter is completed. It seems Capcom is encouraging this style for the next generation of Street Fighter players, but as long as the classic setup remains an option, it should be looked at positively if it means more people pick up a controller and get battling.

The aforementioned World Tour is one of many modes in Street Fighter 6, but it is by far one of the most interesting. It effectively replaces the single-player story aspect of the previous game, which is somewhat disappointing, as there is always something appealing about ridiculous fighting game narratives featuring the main characters that don’t make any sense. That wackiness is sort of shifted onto World Tour, where a player-created avatar sets out to become the strongest fighter around in this pseudo-role-playing game that takes them from Metro City in the USA to all over the world.

There is an initial strong attraction to this mode from the outset. It is possible to challenge just about any NPC to a fight to gain experience points and increase stats, and with all manner of zany characters – particularly freaks with cardboard boxes on their heads that charge you down to cross fists – it is highly reminiscent of the Yakuza franchise, even down to the Kamurocho-esque vibe that is attained from running around Metro City.

Seeking out masters of the arts in the form of Street Fighter staples like Ryu and Chun-Li, one of the aims is to learn their combat styles, ultimately customising your fighter with a mixture of moves from a multitude of characters. It can be quite amusing to see your avatar adopt Blanka’s jungle-like stance while bashing out fireballs and spinning bird kicks.

Taking this character into other areas of the game can prove to be amusing, but ultimately, World Tour does start to grate with its repetition and obnoxious NPCs. In the end, it’s better to just play an actual Yakuza game.

Unlike Street Fighter V, there is plenty more to choose from when it comes to solo and multiplayer modes. Individual character storylines play out in the Arcade mode, and on top of the usual assortment of training and challenge areas that go into excellent depth to allow players to learn specific combatants’ fighting styles, there are Super Smash Bros. style Extreme Battles where all manner of silly goals and gimmicks can be selected for a break from the norm.

The online section is a very social experience, where hanging out in the hub as your player-crafted avatar means you can interact and chat with other users, and even challenge them to old-school fights in the arcade machines dotted around that feature classics like Final Fight and Street Fighter II. Online play itself is a pleasant experience, particularly when competing against fellow Nintendo Switch 2 players, but cross-play options exist, with further preferences for those searching based upon region or connection quality.

It is well worth noting that Street Fighter 6 looks the part on Switch 2, surpassing the visuals of the PlayStation 4 version. Online play and versus battles are where it matters most, though, and this is where Street Fighter 6 delivers top results. It isn’t without its issues, especially in World Tour mode where performance is reduced, and handheld is not the best way to experience things if looking for the smoothest gameplay. That said, casual players will be more than content at simply having Street Fighter in the palms of their hands.

Unfortunately, Street Fighter 6 is plastered with downloadable content and two currencies, one of which must be purchased using real money while the other can be earned from playing, confusing things that shouldn’t be confusing. Some items, such as music from past titles, can be bought with either currency, but then costumes and alternate colours are locked behind real coinage. Gone are the days of just simply completing modes and unlocking things. Instead, limited-time events are designed to keep players booting up their game during specific periods, tying them down to tediously complete tasks, rather than just being able to play when they want to unlock what they want.

The Years 1-2 Fighters Edition is terrific value for money when factoring in the eight additional characters that make for a tidy number of 26, and includes Fatal Fury guest fighters Mai Shiranui and Terry Bogard, as well as four extra stages and several colour options for base outfits. Lack of costumes for everyone in general leaves a lot to be desired, and it certainly would have been nice if the recently released get-ups would have been included in this bundle, but that was clearly too much to ask for.

Finally, there are two utterly unnecessary gyro-themed modes in the Switch 2 edition of Street Fighter 6. Tilting, twisting and shaking the Joy-Con 2 controllers in two-player battles to move and attack, as well as “burn calories” in one of the modes, there is barely any accuracy when performing in these battles and just as little fun. They might be played once to try them out, but they really do beg the question of what the point was.