4 days ago
Street Fighter 6 Switch 2 Hands-On: Calorie Contest Is Knockout Fun
Street Fighter 6
Capcom
Street Fighter 6 is the kind of game that sounds like a dream to have fully supported, playable, and without compromises on a device like Switch 2 that features TV, handheld, and tabletop modes for flexible online and local multiplayer. Plus cross-play!
And now, after going hands-on with Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2, including its new platform exclusive modes alongside the base game itself, I can say with confidence this is really shaping up to be one of the standout launch titles for the entire platform.
A few days ago, Capcom invited me to their offices in San Francisco where they had several Switch 2 consoles setup in a conference room. I was able to try out the new Gyro Battle and Calorie Contest modes against another journalist with the Switch 2 docked, and then I got to test out playing 1v1 against the CPU in handheld mode.
First, I want to focus on the new game modes, then my impressions of the game and console overall.
It wouldn't be a third-party launch title for a new Nintendo console if it didn't have some wacky new ideas to take advantage of the hardware on display. While the entire game isn't built around these innovations, they're still there and much to my surprise actually work surprisingly well.
The two new modes coming to the Switch 2 version of Street Fighter 6 both use the same gyro control scheme pictured below. Essentially, you tilt the Joy-Con from side-to-side to move your character, you shake and shift the controller up and down to perform attacks, you twist the controller for Super Art attacks, you press the face buttons for Drive Impacts, and you press the shoulder buttons for Drive Parries.
That's it. Everything your character can do is condensed down into that control scheme. Obviously, this means these game modes are far less technical and have almost nothing to do with your ability to actually play the base game well and are more about your ability to adapt to the new control scheme and use your opponent's impatience against them.
Gyro Controls in Street Fighter 6
Capcom
This control scheme just feels very Nintendo and it's absolutely silly in the best ways possible. I found myself nearly jumping out of my seat from how hard I was shaking the controller, blissfully unaware of whether or not that was actually making a difference at first.
Well, turns out, specifically in the Calorie Contest mode, that's kind of the whole point. Instead of chipping away at your opponent's life bar with each successful hit, you instead build up your own meter that calculates your character's calories expended. Or maybe it's your own calories expended? Honestly, that part was unclear, but the confusion and uncertainty around what was even happening was a big part of the charm and laughter.
I flapped my arms up and down, excitedly hopped out of my seat, and flailed around like a little kid trying his best to finally beat dad. It's chaotic, it's ludicrous, and it's a blast. That's really all you can ask for in something like this.
The other mode, Gyro Battle, is basically the same thing but instead of burning calories you use the same control scheme to chip away at life bars instead just like in a normal match. I preferred the Calorie Contest mode because the whimsical objective matched the silly control scheme better. In Gyro Battle it's easier to get frustrated instead because you're often unable to actually perform the specific moves you're trying to do so it can sometimes come off as imprecise or broken instead of just wacky shenanigans.
Calorie Contest in Street Fighter 6
Capcom
Now, I'm far from an expert on fighting games or Street Fighter in general, but I had a lot of success with these new game modes at the press hands-on demo event simply by reading my opponent and being aggressive when given an opening.
Since all fighting games live and die by their communities, it's great that Street Fighter 6 will have full cross-platform multiplayer available from the jump on Switch 2. There's no cross-progression, however, so you won't get to carry your progress between platforms. I don't think many people would've expected that kind of feature, though.
The focus of the visit was on the software, not the console itself, but since it was my first-time getting to see and try the Switch 2 for myself in person, I've of course got some thoughts.
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I want to be very clear that I came away highly impressed overall with the Switch 2 and am very eager to get mine on launch day. I was lucky enough to secure an in-person pre-order am my local GameStop, so I'll be picking it up that night.
There's really nothing negative to share based on my brief time with the hardware. The things that stood out most to me are its increased weight compared to the original Switch, the large and vibrant LCD screen, and the overall more premium feel.
Street Fighter 6 on Switch 2
Capcom
Although, I will admit, I still wish it was an OLED screen instead. It's probably the best LCD on a handheld I've ever seen, but it's no OLED. The overhead lights in the conference room were glaring very noticeably and it was an extremely brightly lit office. This won't be much of an issue in a home setting or in darker interiors, but I'm curious how functional the Switch 2 will be outdoors during the daytime. That's a use case I could actually see being pretty popular for a game like Street Fighter 6 with people gathered around the console in tabletop mode.
Since the new Joy-Cons are magnetic, it feels much more secure than the rail-sliding connection of the original model. I don't feel like it's flimsy or delicate at all, but instead it has a heftier build quality that's most comparable to something like a Steam Deck in your hands.
I've always been a big fan of the Switch Pro controller, and thankfully the new Pro controller is even better in every way. Buttons feel great, the shape seems to be about the same, the weight is around the same, and everything from the triggers, to the buttons, to the analog sticks are precise and responsive. It's comfortable and genuinely seems to be an improvement upon what was already one of the best controllers on the market. I'm definitely eager to get mine alongside the console I've got preordered for launch night.
Street Fighter 6
Capcom
Overall, in my eyes Street Fighter 6 quickly went from a neat addition to see on the launch lineup to one of the most impressive showcases for everything the Switch 2 has to offer. The smoot framerate, excellent resolution, variety of play styles, amount of content, and new game modes definitely place this in the top tier of third-party games available.
Street Fighter 6 will be available on launch day alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. In addition to the standard edition of the game, you'll also be able to get the Street Fighter 6: Years 1-2 Fighters Edition as well, which includes all of the new stages, new characters, and more that've been released since the game's original launch. You can find more details on the official Street Fighter 6 for Switch 2 version here.
