Street Fighter 5: Arcade Edition PSX 2017 Preview: Quarter Up

After Capcom Cup 2017 ended, Capcom offered a glimpse into the future of Street Fighter V. That future centers around the upcoming Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, which is set to arrive in a matter of weeks.

Shacknews was as surprised as the rest of the gaming world to see the Season 3 roster. But prior to that, we were treated to a brief glimpse of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition on the PlayStation Experience floor.

The first thing to note is that the UI presentation, from top to bottom, looks to have been overhauled. That's everything including the main menu, the HUD, the loading screens, the "KO" display, and anything else that players have gotten used to seeing for the past two years. Arcade Edition visually looks like a different product, even though it's basically a giant update.

Beyond that, Arcade Edition looks to further celebrate Street Fighter's 30 year legacy. Taking a look at Arcade Mode, it isn't simply a matter of just playing against a row of opponents. There are multiple Arcade Mode paths to choose from, each one following a numbered entry in the Street Fighter series, as well as Street Fighter Alpha. These entries are also only playable by characters featured in those games. The original Street Fighter, for example, puts a focus on characters from the very first Street Fighter game, like Ryu, Ken, Birdie, and Balrog. (Okay, Balrog and Mike aren't the same character, but they're both boxers, so close enough.) Arcade Edition tries to further the nostalgia value by adding classic stages to certain Arcade Mode paths.

While I only got a taste of the Arcade Mode path, the idea will be that each path will get its own distinct Arcade Mode endings. Between straightforward victories and completing special conditions, players will have over 200 different Arcade Mode endings to unlock. Bonus stages will also be included, tasking characters with breaking 20 barrels, just like the old days. All that's missing is breaking a car.

The other major addition to Arcade Edition is entirely new V-Triggers for the entire roster. For those who missed the Capcom-Unity post last week, they are:

• Ryu (Kakko Fubatsu): Use HP+HK to counter opponents' attacks. If the follow-up shockwave connects, Ryu will strike the opponent.
• Chun-Li (Kikosho): Hit HP+HK to fire a two-handed fireball, which is capable of Crush Countering when charged.
• Nash (Stealth Dash): Nash gains speed and can use punch (Justice Corridor) as an overhead option or kick (Justice Shell) to launch his opponent.
• M. Bison (Psycho Nightmare): Use HP+HK to perform Bison's classic Psycho Crusher. Using a forward-to-back half-circle with kick performs a Psycho Charge command throw, which tosses the opponent and infuses them with Psycho Power that can be detonated at will.
• Cammy (Delta Ambush): HP+HK will give Cammy a special flying attack, while holding forward grants her a forward dash.
• Birdie (Birdie Time): Birdie is given new chain attacks, which hit high and low.
• Ken (Shinryuken): Ken's classic Shinryuken move catches opponents in a fiery Dragon Punch vortex, but the max-strength version can also be canceled for longer combos.
• Necalli (Clouded Mirror): Necalli lunges at his opponent and can launch them skyward, as long as he has enough time to charge it.
• Vega (Alegrias): HP+HK delivers a counter move that launches opponents. Holding forward with HP+HK allows Vega to use the move by itself, but it'll lose its counter properties.
• R. Mika (Steel Chair): This is what it sounds like, as Nadeshiko either chucks a chair at the opponent or she can come out and swing the chair twice.
• Karin (Tenha no Kata): Karin gains a counter move with HP+HK, opening up opponents for combos.
• Rashid (Easifa): Rashid's kick specials are boosted, while HP+HK performs Haboob, a different kind of wind projectile than his original V-Trigger.
• Zangief (Cossack Muscle): Screw Pile Driver and Borscht Dynamite hit harder. Screw Pile Driver can also be canceled and can combo (!), which should be interesting to see in action.
• Dhalsim (Yoga Sansara): Dhalsim puts a giant stationary fire orb in front of him, but can set it in motion with Yoga Flame or Yoga Gale.
• Laura (Shock Stance): Use HP+HK to perform a Matsuda Sway dodge move, which can be combined with another HP+HK button press for a new Shock Choke command throw.
• F.A.N.G. (Koryo Dokuda): Powers up Nishikyu and Ryobenda to increase the number of hits and their overall hitbox range.
• Alex (Rage Boost): HP+HK performs a Flying DDT, but hitting HP+HK after a Flash Chop will perform a Choke Sleeper.
• Ibuki (Fuma Shuriken): Ibuki tosses a comically-large shuriken at her opponent, which comes back for additional hits after going off-screen. Hitting back while hitting HP+HK will perform an anti-air version of this move.
• Guile (Knife Edge): Powers up Guile's Somersault Kick, creating a projectile that can travel across the screen and be on-screen at the same time as his Sonic Boom and Sonic Cross.
• Urien (Tyrant Pressure): Urien gains Tyrant Blaze, a tackle that hits multiple times and has super armor. A max-charge Tyrant Blaze can also Crush Counter.
• Juri (Feng Shui Engine Beta): Juri creates a field that drains her opponent's EX meter and adds it to her own.
• Balrog (No Mercy): Use HP+HK for a new B3 command throw that racks up the stun meter.
• Akuma (Shiretsu Hasshi): Akuma links his attacks with his V-Timer, instead of his EX gauge, leading to heavy-hitting attacks and combos.
• Kolin (Absolute Zero): Kolin's punch attacks and Hailstorm move are buffed. She can also slide across the floor on ice. HP+HK performs Frost Edge, which give her attacks dash properties.
• Ed (Enhanced Snatcher): HP+HK performs a spruced-up Psycho Snatcher, opening up opponents for longer combos.
• Abigail (Hybrid Charge): HP+HK performs the Metro Crash charge. The fully-charged version of the move gains hyper armor, allowing Abigail to withstand multiple hits and Crush Counter. (But it won't withstand throws or Critical Arts.)
• Menat (Prophecy of Thoth): Menat gains 6 Soul Power energy orbs and can toss them all at her opponent. She'll get two sets of these.
• Zeku (Karura Tenzan): Zeku will nail a launcher kick with HP+HK and change forms upon connecting.

There's a lot to be excited about with Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition and I was definitely excited by what I saw. One can reasonably argue that this is the package that Street Fighter V should have been from the beginning, so for those that were waiting for a full SFV experience, this looks to be it. For existing SFV owners, this will be the game's biggest update yet and should bring some new excitement to the game. Look for Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition to arrive on January 16 either as a retail disc or as a free update to SFV.

Ozzie Mejia

Senior Editor

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but he’s also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?