Crossovers between different franchises have recently become commonplace in fighting games. The Street Fighter series has lent its characters to Tekken, Super Smash Bros, and other titles. Street Fighter 6 recently became the first game in the mainline series to get guest characters, with Fatal Fury and King of Fighters’ Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui joining the roster in Year 2. The latter’s gameplay trailer premiered on January 14, 2025, and it showed Mai’s iconic moves from previous games and some new maneuvers she seems to have picked up for her appearance in Street Fighter 6.
Mai’s release in the coming month comes off the heels of her SNK compatriot, Terry, who had a lukewarm welcome. He’s one of the darlings of the fighting game scene because of his flashy moves, cool outfits, and confident personality. However, some players like Kizzie Kay and iDom seem underwhelmed with his performance, putting him in the middle of the pack on most SF6 tier lists. Now, it’s up to Mai to help carry the torch for Fatal Fury in Street Fighter 6.
February 5 Is Going to be a Good Day for Street Fighter 6 Fans
Capcom releases a new trailer for Street Fighter 6 revealing brand new gameplay for SNK's Mai Shiranui and announcing her release date.
Mai Brings Her Iconic Fatal Fury and King of Fighters Moves to Street Fighter 6
Most of Mai's moves function similarly between Street Fighter 6 and Fatal Fury, but some have been tweaked to fit SF6's competitive standards.
Shiranui's Kachousen is Slightly More Complex in SF6
A key part of Mai's kit is her projectile called the "Kachousen," which players can activate using quarter circle forward plus punch. This is the same motion input used in Fatal Fury/King of Fighters. However, the Street Fighter 6 edition of this move is significantly different because it has two versions. The first is a quick throw that loses to projectiles and strikes and a slower throw that causes the fan to bounce when blocked by the enemy. The Fatal Fury version only does the bouncing fan variant, but it's easier to execute, as the player doesn't need to hold the punch button. This is an excellent tool for varying one's mixups in Street Fighter 6 or baiting jumps for Mai's signature air throws.
Mai's Fiery Special Moves
- Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi (quarter circle forward plus kick): Mai launches into a cartwheel and finishes it with an elbow strike toward the opponent. One can also do an OD version of this move, which adds an overhead follow-up.
- Ryuuenbu (quarter circle back plus punch): Mai spins a flaming tail in front of her. She can use the light version to zone, as the tip of this attack is safe on block. Meanwhile, the heavy and OD ones can be chained into follow-ups. This can also destroy projectiles in previous games, but the trailer and the official blog post don't state that it can do so in SF6.
- Musasabi no Mai (jump plus quarter circle back plus punch): This is Shiranui's signature dive, which she can only activate while jumping forward or at the end of her Hien Ren Kyaku target combo.
- Hishou Ryuuenjin (Z-motion plus kick): Mai does an upward kick as her anti-air, similar to Terry's Rising Tackle.
All of Mai's specials in Street Fighter 6 function similarly to their Fatal Fury versions, except for Musasabi no Mai. Mai can dive while jumping backward in King of Fighters and Fatal Fury, but not in Street Fighter 6. Some speculate that this is to discourage hyperdefensive gameplay.
Shiranui's Super Arts Call Back to Her Fatal Fury Specials and Ultimates
- Kagerou no Mai (Level 1): Mai engulfs a nearby enemy in flames and activates five Flame Stocks, which she can use to enhance her specials and her Level 2 Super. This move is near-identical to its Fatal Fury variant, but the Flame Stock buff is unique to SF6.
- Chou Hissatsu Shinobi Bachi (Level 2): Mai launches a souped-up version of her cartwheel and elbow strike. This is only a special move in the Fatal Fury series, but it's been upgraded to a Super Art in SF6.
- Shiranui Ryuu: Enbu Ada Zakura (Level 3): Mai goes into a cinematic super where she uses her fan to rapidly slice up her enemy. This seems to be an original Super move for this version of the character.
Street Fighter 6
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 91 /100 Critics Rec: 98%
WHERE TO PLAY
Play legendary masters and new fan favorites like Ryu, Chun-Li, Luke, Jamie, Kimberly and more in this latest edition with each character featuring striking new redesigns and exhilarating cinematic specials.
Dominate the Fighting Ground: Street Fighter 6 offers a highly evolved combat system with three control types - Classic, Modern and Dynamic - allowing you to quickly play to your skill level.
The new Real Time Commentary Feature adds all the hype of a competitive match as well as easy-to-understand explanations about your gameplay. The Drive Gauge is a new system to manage your resources. Use it wisely in order to claim victory.
Explore the Streets in World Tour: Discover the meaning of strength in World Tour, an immersive, single-player story mode. Take your avatar and explore Metro City and beyond. Meet Masters who will take you under their wing and teach you their style and techniques.
Seek Rivals in the Battle Hub: The Battle Hub represents a core mode of Street Fighter 6 where players can gather and communicate, and become stronger together. Use the avatar you create in World Tour to check out cabinets on the Battle Hub floor and play against other players, or head over to the Game Center to enjoy some of Capcom's classic arcade games.
- Engine
- RE Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Local Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, PS5, & Xbox Series X|S
- Franchise
- Street Fighter
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, Arcade
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
