Street Fighter 6isn’t far away now, and potential combatants around the world are trying out the demo available on all the game’s platforms. After a period of controversy concerningStreet Fighter 5’s rough launch, Capcom is poised to reclaim the fighting game throne with its most expansiveStreet Fightertitle to date. With a new style of story mode backed by loads of player customization,Street Fighter 6should be able to attract new fans while pleasing existing ones.
It’s a little unfortunate that this major entry in theStreet Fighterfranchise won’t come to the Nintendo Switch, but there are good reasons. Rollback netcode can be intensive, andStreet Fighter 6already sports cutting-edge graphics. There can’t be any performance compromises in a fighting game, so Nintendo’s portable platform will have to sit this entry out for now. However, it hasn’t missed out onStreet Fighter’s festivities in the lead-up. Thanks to a new addition to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, Switch owners still have a way to get ready forStreet Fighter 6.
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Nintendo Switch Online’s Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition is a Great Port
An April 18 update to NSO’s Expansion Pack brought four Sega Genesis titles.Kid ChameleonandFlickymay elicit some recognition in old Genesis owners, whilePulsemanis a Genesis title byPokemoncreator Game Freak. However, the final title in the set,Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition, was a head-turner given it is technically two games in one.
Special Champion Editionis based onStreet Fighter 2: Champion Edition, but with some extra features. Like the regularChampion Edition, this works as the first major title update forStreet Fighter 2, which means various balance changes, but also playable versions of theShadaloo bosses: Balrog, Vega, Sagat, and M. Bison, as well as mirror matches. It was superior to the originalWorld Warriorrelease in every way, and a six-button Genesis controller was even created specifically for theSpecial Champion Edition.
There’s More to Street Fighter 2: Special Champion Edition Than Meets The Eye
There was one more version ofStreet Fighter 2before it made the iconic jump toSuper Street Fighter 2: The New Challengers.Street Fighter 2 Turbo: Hyper Fightingreleased for arcades in December 1992, and came to SNES in July 1993.Champion Editionwas originally meant to arrive on Sega Genesis sometime around July as well, but upon theTurboannouncement for the SNES, Sega orderedSpecial Champion Editionto be delayed to September so that all ofTurbo’s content could be included alongsideChampion Edition.
For those looking to experienceStreet Fighter 2before it becameSuper Street Fighter 2, this may be the ultimate package. Both of these titles will probably feature inStreet Fighter 6’s Battle Hubarcade, so it’s worth trying them now - especially with the Nintendo Switch Online’s multiplayer features. There’s even a Group Battle mode exclusive toSpecial Champion Edition, in which teams of up to six characters fight using Match Play or Elimination rules.Street Fighter 6will include a similar mode, making its own package deal even more promising. Before6becomes the dominantStreet Fighterof this generation, going back to experience something likeStreet Fighter 2: Special Champion Editionmight demonstrate how far the franchise has come.
Street Fighter 6will be released on June 2 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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