Greetings fellow fighting game fan! If you‘re anything like me, you‘ve eagerly awaited each tantalizing reveal for Street Fighter 6 over the past year. Well, the wait is nearly over – SF6 launches June 2nd, 2023!
To help pass the time until then, I‘ve compiled this list of seven excellent fighting games that capture aspects of the upcoming Street Fighter experience. They‘ll sharpen your skills and get you primed for SF6‘s dynamic new combat systems.
What‘s New in Street Fighter 6?
Let‘s quickly recap what Capcom has showed off from Street Fighter 6 so far. The development team worked closely with community players to build off the strongest SFV foundation yet.
Three all-new modes anchor the experience:
- World Tour – Embark on an immersive single-player globetrotting journey
- Battle Hub – Customize a personal hub and battle online/offline
- Fighting Ground – Jump straight into versus matches like classic titles
SF6 also introduces the Dynamic Control scheme alongside Classic input options. Special moves are now just a button press away, lowering the execution barrier without compromising depth.
And the starting roster will exceed previous Street Fighter launches with 18 fighters confirmed already. Fan favorites like Ryu, Chun-Li, and Luke join newcomers like Kimberly to showcase more diverse world warrior styles than ever before.
I don‘t know about you, but I‘m pumped! Now let‘s look at some great games releasing drip-feeds of SF6 hype until we can get our hands on it.
Soulcalibur VI
Soulcalibur VI continues the legendary weapon-based 3D fighting franchise with some of the best graphics the genre has produced. Built using Unreal Engine 4, fighters and stages shine with intricate details that really pop on modern displays.
Mechanically, Soulcalibur VI enhances the rock-paper-scissors foundation of horizontal attacks, vertical attacks, and kicks with two key systems:
| Soul Charge | Reversal Edge |
|---|---|
| Grants unique powered-up state for limited time | Parry and counter enemy attacks |
| Unleash deadly combos and properties | Initiate spotlight clashes to swing momentum |
The back and forth created by these offense and defense tools would suit Street Fighter fans nicely. Appropriately, Soulcalibur VI also lets you craft custom fighters with thousands of aesthetic and equipment options to forge your ultimate weapon-wielding warrior.
Over 2 million players joined the battle during Bandai Namco‘s latest revival of the beloved franchise.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
In the platform fighter genre, no series sits higher on its throne than Nintendo‘s Super Smash Bros. And Ultimate cements itself as one of the best collaborative crossover events in all of gaming with over 80 iconic playable characters from Pokemon, Mario, Sonic the Hedgehog, and countless other worlds.
Smash thrives on inviting casual players into riotous 4-8 player parties while rewarding dedicated competitors who dig into nuanced mechanics and matchups. I‘d absolutely recommend revisiting Smash Ultimate‘s delightfully quirky movesets and stage variety while waiting for Street Fighter‘s return.
Familiar faces like Street Fighter‘s poster boy, Ryu, and his longtime rival, Ken Masters, even join the crossover chaos. Unlock them both by clearing Classic Mode challenges:
| Fighter | Unlock Method |
|---|---|
| Ryu | Clear Classic Mode with any fighter, or play 10 VS matches |
| Ken | Clear Classic Mode once as Ryu, or play 100 VS matches |
Smash director Masahiro Sakurai directly cited Street Fighter II‘s diverse world warriors as an inspiration when crafting his celebration of gaming icons. And with over 29 million copies sold, I‘d say his collaboration vision paid off!
Tekken 7
While Street Fighter favors 2D arenas, Bandai Namco‘s Tekken series stands among the most renowned 3D fighters. And Tekken 7 represents the pinnacle of its gameplay evolution with mechanics competitive players swear by.
Similar to Ryu and Ken‘s Hadokens, Tekken integrates special moves with directional inputs and button combinations. Veteran Yoshinori Ono helped design Street Fighter rival Akuma as a guest character in Tekken 7 specifically because of the shared DNA. Check out some attack qualities compared below:
| Attack Type | Tekken 7 | Street Fighter 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Jab | 1 | LP |
| Straight | 2 | MP |
| Power | 3 | HP |
| Special | Command + Button | Quarter-circle/DP + Button |
Once movement and spacing intricacies click, Tekken 7 offers no shortage of show-stopping moments. Moreover, climaxing its deliberately paced story across nearly a dozen titles proves rewarding for series fans.
Give it a go if you crave more tactile and fluid fighting choreography leading up to Street Fighter 6!
Virtua Fighter‘s Pioneering Legacy
Modern 3D fighters owe a great debt to Sega‘s original Virtua Fighter franchise which revolutionized the genre over 25 years ago. Games like Tekken and Soulcalibur integrated concepts first introduced by Virtua Fighter‘s pioneering polygons.
While early models and animations understandably appear dated now, Virtua Fighter‘s realistic combat arts foundation and mechanical depth set wheels in motion driving future franchises.
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"It‘s incredible to reflect on how Virtua Fighter really wrote the blueprint for what we create today," says Michael Murray, lead designer for Tekken 7. "I have so much admiration for the work put into pioneering built-to-last mechanics and combos despite the 3D growing pains of that console generation."
I highly recommend revisiting Virtua Fighter 2‘s arcade mode for a pure dose of fighting game history!
Guilty Gear Strive
The anime arena has thrived thanks to Arc System Works‘ vivid Guilty Gear series. Brimming with attitude and style, Guilty Gear Strive represents a refined compilation of mechanical and stylistic progress since the franchise‘s late 90s debut.
While series veterans can still flex mastery over Roman Cancel combos and Dust attacks, Strive notably lowers the skill floor for curious newcomers to latch onto. Retooled tutorial modes thoroughly explain breadth behind input chains and fighting game lingo to fully engage audiences.
| Passive Skill | Effect |
|---|---|
| Faultless Defense | Push blocking that mitigates chip damage |
| Psych Burst | Escape combo pressure by expending Burst Gauge |
Accessibility options like these help ease fighting game anxiety for players scared off by execution barriers or sky-high skill ceilings. And Street Fighter 6 seems to share the mission of opening doors to let more players confidently enjoy its competition and community.
I applaud Strive‘s strides lowering entry barriers without compromising enjoying the journey toward technical mastery!
Mortal Kombat 11
When discussing fighting pedigree, Mortal Kombat enters every conversation. Having pioneered digitizing real martial artists for references, the series always struck a remarkably cinematic tone between supernatural powers and brutal hand-to-hand exchanges.
Mortal Kombat 11 continues that trademark spectacle, turning up visceral details thanks to modern graphics engines. Flowing hair and cloth sell the impacts of chained attacks leading up to gory finishing blows.
Speaking of Fatalities, Mortal Kombat‘s infamously shocking death maneuvers reach new levels of eliciting winces and laughs here. Spines ripped in two, zombie rising, head explosions galore – 300 different Fatalities add a morbid punctuation no other fighter can match.
| Fatality Type | Variants |
|---|---|
| Stage | Over 50 incorporating arena elements |
| Character-specific | 25 each across roster |
| Universal | Nearly 40 usable by all fighters |
That special brand of shocking violence strangely therapeutic while waiting for Street Fighter. Plus, customizing abilities through the new Variation system offers plenty of theorycrafting to explore optimal builds.
Give Mortal Kombat 11 a shot if you want brawling turned up to 11!
The King of Fighters XV
Tying our list together, The King of Fighters franchise shares an intrinsic bond and healthy rivalry with Street Fighter given their parallel Japanese arcade origins. Appropriately, Street Fighter‘s original director Takashi Nishiyama served as advisor shaping The King of Fighters XV gameplay systems according to reignite his vision.
Players can battle through a Story Mode catching up on this external canonical universe‘s lore across teams of three characters. Or cut to the competitive chase through tactically rich 3v3 Versus matches – a format still unique to King of Fighters 25 years later!
Beyond refined mechanics, The King of Fighters XV delivers slabs of style starting from its slick 3D visuals and lighting down to über-hype DJ Station soundtrack packed with over 300 metal and electronica tracks spanning franchise history. Guest musicians expand the musical palette:
KOF XV Soundtrack Guest Contributors
├─ EDM DJ "Slushii"
├─ Heavy rock band "Coldrain"
└─ Hip-hop artist "Mais Dans La Garde"Tapping shoulders with legends while pushing the genre‘s future forward, The King of Fighters XV makes a compelling case as a nostalgic companion leading into the Street Fighter 6 era this summer!
The Countdown Continues…
Part of what I love about the fighting game community lies in discussing and dissecting releases from myriad perspectives. And this collection of seven distinct recommendations only scratches the surface of notable titles carrying the genre‘s torch forward while Street Fighter 6 finishes development.
Have your own suggestions or insights into games that whet your SF6 appetite? Let me know in the comments below which fists of fury you plan to channel in the interim! My game backlog runneth over already, but I‘m always eager to dig up compelling fighting gems.
Regardless, the countdown continues as we approach June 2nd‘s Street Fighter 6 worldwide launch! Capcom seem to have analyzed modern expectations and fighting game landscape closely to shape their next defining title. I can hardly stand the wait to dive in myself and experience everything new awaiting World Warriors.
See you online soon! Now let‘s start warming up those quarter circle motions…
