When one of the launch games for a new console is a game that originally released 2 years ago, you might start to wonder what on earth Nintendo were thinking. That fear is quickly alleviated when you find out that the game is in fact Street Fighter 6. The seventh main game in the franchise, and one that was well received when it first released in 2023. How has Capcom done bringing it back once more? We are going to try and find out.
Round One, Fight!
Nintendo has done some fancy things with the latest iteration of everyone’s favourite fighter. Is it enough to give it a top score, or does it get knocked out before the round has even begun? We can only try to find out.
Gameplay
If you haven’t played Street Fighter 6 or even seen it playing, then I’ll give you a quick summary. With three game modes to choose from, I spent the vast majority of my time in the World Tour side of things. This single-player story features a fully customisable character to explore around the fictional nation of Nayshall as well as Metro City and more. There you will find so much to do that you will barely have any time for any of the other modes.
You will meet some pretty unique characters on your journey, as well as some well-known names. For example, pretty early on, you meet Chun-Li, who gives you a few missions to carry out for her. You also get access to her move set, which is a lot of fun! Levelling up your character is easy; you can pretty much challenge anyone to a fight so you can literally just fight your way around the city. That is, unless you want to proceed through the story. It’s a cheesy but enjoyable story that rewards you for listening to the dialogue, whether spoken in cut scenes or written through subtitles.
For newcomers to the game, there are a few different control types to choose from. The original classic control scheme, where 6 buttons are used to determine the power of either punches or kicks. Then the Modern scheme, this four-button layout assigned special moves to a single button when partnered with specific directional inputs. Then, finally and probably the neatest one, the Dynamic control scheme. Be aware that this one is only available in offline mode. This type requires you to just press a single button, and then the game’s AI will select the appropriate attack to carry out.
Outside of the World Tour mode in Street Fighter 6, you have the Fighting Ground. This mode is the typical 1 v 1 fights that you are probably more accustomed to with a Street Fighter game. Choose a character and then do your best to knock them out. Then, finally, you have the Battle Hub. This mode is the online mode and allows you to compete in ranked or casual matches. Aiming to be the best of the best and take down all comers.
Graphics & Audio
Being a launch title on the Switch 2, you would expect it to push the hardware to the limits, right? Well, unfortunately, that isn’t the case here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a beautiful port of the game, but I have a few niggles. The game’s native resolution when docked is only 960×540, but using DLSS it upscales to 1080p. If you are playing this on handheld it’s even lower at 640×360 with that magical DLSS upping that to 720p.
It isn’t all doom and gloom, as the Switch 2 does have some updates. The textures are a lot crisper and cleaner than the Xbox Series S version. I guess it really does then depend on what your priorities are.
Longevity
With a main story that will take you around 20 hours and a completion time over way over 50 hours, there is a lot of content to keep you entertained. Thankfully, this is one of those games that you can just jump into and play for a short period and still feel like you are achieving something. There is so much to do throughout Street Fighter 6, even if it’s just completing a bunch of side missions!
Final Thoughts
Even though Street Fighter 6 has been doing the rounds for the previous two years, it holds up incredibly well on the new Nintendo hardware. Yes, it has its limited graphical settings but the game is still crisp thanks to the incredible DLSS at work. With accessible control schemes that welcome even new players of the franchise, you will enjoy every fight, every special move, and every KO.
Street Fighter 6 gets the Thumb Culture Gold Award.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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