So, here’s the wild tale of Street Fighter 6 dabbling into the bizarre. I mean, we’re talking a bizarre crossover blending with Rival Schools. Yeah, I know, it sounds totally bananas, right? Announced on April 1st, of all days. It wasn’t an April Fool’s gag though—Capcom really dropped this on us. People diving into Street Fighter 6 can now snag some shiny new goodies inspired by Rival Schools. There’s all this cosmetic shtuff – think avatars, tunes, stickers, and whatnot. Heck, it’s like a virtual flea market dedicated to the game’s vibe.
Catch this though: the whole gaming community basically did a double-take. Why? Because Rival Schools is essentially ancient history. I’m talking like the last game, Project Justice, saw daylight on the Sega Dreamcast in the year 2000! Yep, that dusty old thing. And now the whispers are that it’ll make a cameo in the Capcom Fighting Collection 2. So, is this Capcom’s way of teasing a Rival Schools resurrection? Who bloody knows? Maybe they’re dipping their toes in the water to see if there’s a smidgen of interest before diving in full force. Or it’s just a nostalgic nod. Fine line there.
A side note that might seem irrelevant (or is it?)—Rival Schools never really carved out its niche. I mean, three whole games in existence and one didn’t even leave Japan’s shores. That’s like making pancakes, but forgetting to serve them. Seriously, the series had a cast straight out of a wacky high school reunion. A mix of students, teachers, and mystery-led slugfests on campuses; a plot straight out of a teenager’s fever dream. Bizarre, but hey, I’d binge-watch that on a Saturday.
Now, Capcom’s having a bit of a mid-life crisis—it’s dusting off its old IPs and giving them a fresh lick of paint. They’ve said so themselves. In a briefing, throwing around fancy words like “reactivate dormant IPs.” Basically, promising fresher, better games. And quick off the bat, they’ve already teased stuff like Onimusha or popping out a sequel to Okami. Dead Rising and Dragon’s Dogma 2? Yep, those, too. Capcom’s gone into full swing like a caffeinated kid on a sugar high.
Still, Rival Schools faces a hiccup. Hideaki Itsuno, the mastermind, well he’s moved on to greener pastures. Him leaving kind of dims the party lights a bit. His passion? Create Rival Schools 3. But just because its captain has left the ship doesn’t mean Capcom won’t sail into uncharted Rival waters again. The collaboration with Street Fighter 6 is proof that the universe hasn’t forgotten it yet. How’s that for food for thought? It’s raw, and it’s messy. But that’s life innit?
