In the much-awaited Street Fighter 6, Retsu, a character hailing from the original Street Fighter 1, makes a striking comeback in the World Tour mode. The soon-to-be-launched Street Fighter 6, touted as one of the most awaited fighting games, is slated to roll out across several primary platforms this June. Capcom, the game’s publisher, has been actively stoking excitement for the game, releasing a slew of trailers, move set highlights, and even an open beta and free demo for enthusiasts to explore. One of Capcom’s most daring innovations with this instalment is the introduction of the World Tour single-player mode.
For those new to the game, the World Tour mode of Street Fighter 6 propels players on a thrilling worldwide quest to claim the title of the ultimate fighter. Along this journey, players encounter various characters such as Chun-Li, Dee Jay, and Cammy, who impart their signature moves like Cammy’s Spiral Arrow or Chun-Li’s Spinning Bird Kick. Even some lesser-known characters from the franchise, like Retsu from Street Fighter 1, make surprise cameos in the World Tour mode.
Retsu: A Brief Dive into the Character’s History
In a recent gameplay footage of Street Fighter 6, shared by Capcom TV, the presenter encounters an elderly, bald man in a gi, ready for a street fight (timestamp for the VOD is 5:00). Recognising the character as Retsu from the original game, the presenter is taken aback by this nostalgic nod. After a brief interaction, a brawl ensues, culminating in the presenter’s defeat, much to the amusement of the onlooking team.
Retsu remains a relatively obscure character within the Street Fighter realm, with his only prior appearance being in the first game of the series, where he wasn’t even a playable character. However, he was one of the 10 non-playable adversaries that Ryu would face-off against. However, this encounter with a younger Ryu proved transformative for Retsu, leading him to refine his martial arts skills.
Finally, Capcom expanded Retsu’s backstory in additional content, revealing his connections to several central characters in the franchise, such as being chums with Ken and Ryu’s mentor Gouken, Dhalsim, and even Oro from Street Fighter 3. While Retsu doesn’t make a full-fledged appearance in Street Fighter 6, sharing Ryu’s move set in the game, his cameo has been well-received by fans. Many are hopeful that other lesser-known characters, like Captain Sawada from the live-action Street Fighter film, may make an appearance in the complete game.
Street Fighter 6 is set to be released on June 2 for PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.