Zangief brings back some of his classic Street Fighter 2 win poses in Street Fighter 6
Zangief is making a grand return in Street Fighter 6 as one of the original eight world warriors to be on the game's launch roster. Just yesterday, Capcom unveiled more gameplay footage of Zangief and Marisa with a special developer match that gave us a closer look at what the giant wrestler can do.
Outside of seeing his full Drive Rush (multiple times) and some interesting techniques like a tick throw into SPD using standing medium punch, fans were also treated to his intro, some win poses, and his game win animation. What's interesting is that ol' Gief recreates a couple of his classic Street Fighter 2 win poses here in Street Fighter 6.
Now, we have seen Zangief's big win animation at the end of a game before, and with it, the Russian wrestler strikes a series of poses before hitting a big flex and blowing steam out of his nose. This victory cinematic was featured again in the new gameplay footage, and it's that last pose that might look pretty familiar.
Yes, Zangief's big forward-facing flex was originally first seen back in Street Fighter 2. When the grappler wins a round, he'll face the camera and flex by putting his two fists together, and we see this exact same pose in Street Fighter 6.
The newest Street Fighter 2 series reference for Zangief in Street Fighter 6 can be seen as one of his round win poses, though. At about 1:30 into the footage, Gief celebrates his victory by hitting a sideways flex where he lifts his right arm and hits his bicep with his left.
Again, this should look familiar as the same side-facing flex was taken straight from Street Fighter 2. With a side-by-side comparison, we see that the pose is virtually identical, with his feet placement even being mirrored between the two.
Though seeing classic aspects of Street Fighter being recreated for the latest generation is an absolute treat, it should come as no surprise. Capcom is clearly making it a point to drop little Easter eggs and direct references to the franchise's 35-year legacy into the upcoming fighting title.
Just last week, Capcom revealed what appears to be the final character select screen we'll be seeing in Street Fighter 6 at launch. Fans were quick to notice that even with this screen, the company threw in a special Street Fighter 2 Easter egg for players to find and enjoy.
There's no telling what other secrets Street Fighter 6 holds, and what all the community will find when it is finally in the hands of the public. There are even references and characters from other Capcom IPs in the game, and the world of Final Fight has a major presence as well.
Street Fighter 6 is scheduled for release on June 2, 2023. It will see a launch on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and arcade (Japan only).
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