Wishing to educate the world on the long-term benefits of a relaxing soak in the tub, E. Honda is re-opening his popular bathhouse – Honda Sento. But as steadfast as his devotion is to all things hot and steamy, his number one passion will always be sumo wrestling. In this respect, Honda-san’s transition to SFV: AE is comprehensive. His Hundred Hand Slap still requires a precise pianoing of punch presses (this time, four rather than five) to let loose with the open palm assault. His Sumo Headbutt still hits like a speeding bullet train, while being susceptible to projectile pressure. And his Oicho Throw still makes him dangerous up-close. But far from a relic of the past, Honda’s formidable V-Skill and V-Triggers take his iconic fundamentals to the next level.
[V-Skill – Neko Damashi]
Honda’s V-Skill is a heavy-handed clap that negates single-hit projectiles. It can cancel into his special moves on block and hit. V-Skill into light Hundred Hand Slap, for instance, is a true block string and leaves Honda at frame advantage.
[V-Trigger 1 – Onigawara]
His V-Trigger unlocks a more potent version of the Sumo Headbutt, called Oni-Daikaku. It can combo from any normal attack, has one hit of armor on start-up and can cancel into a second headbutt called Oni-Muso. Oni-Daikaku can also be used to guard crush the opponent on a full charge.
[V-Trigger 2 – Tajikarao]
Honda’s V-Trigger 2 unlocks a running command grab with one hit of armor. The grab can hit raw or as part of a combo, with Honda slamming the opponent into the nearest corner, gaining frame advantage and removing the opponent’s ability to perform a back recovery. This makes it a particularly strong tool for oki.
Lucia
Having received a tip off from Haggar about a possible plot to take out Mayor Cody, Officer Morgan hits the streets of Metro City in search of answers. Her Gun Smoke command run lets her close the distance quickly with one of four follow-ups – the Rough Chase shoulder barge, Tornado Spinner juggle kicks, Cyclone Spinner anti-air and the Braking dead halt. She also has access to the Dragon Punch-style Hurricane Spinner, the Fire Spinner spinning back kick and flaming projectiles with unconventional flightpaths courtesy of Flipper Shot. All these specials are unsafe on-block unless timed meaty or spaced correctly, but thanks to her strong V-Triggers and a cancellable low forward that hits from afar, she has many ways to combo into them.
[V-Skill – Tap-Kick]
Lucia’s V-Skill is a multi-hitting kick that can be cancelled from most of her normal attacks and leaves her at advantage on hit. You just need to be mindful that it’s very unsafe on block.
[V-Trigger 1 – Burning Fight]
Her V-Trigger 1 enhances all her kick-based special moves, and when combined with her EX command run, can lead to some flashy and highly damaging combos. It also causes her V-Skill to score a knockdown on the final hit, leading to more oki opportunities.
[V-Trigger 2 – Weapon Fury]
Lucia’s V-Trigger 2 equips her trusty baton and unlocks Tactical Weapon. This move can be cancelled from all her normal attacks, is safe on block and can combo into all her special moves. Suffice to say, it’s tailor made for frame traps and extending combos.
Poison
Feeling down in the dumps after parting ways with her former partner-in-crime, Poison returns to Metro City in search of a new headliner for the wrestling federation. She’s received a whip upgrade compared to the short-range slapper she sported in Ultra Street Fighter 4 – this time she’s wielding a looping lasher with lasso-like range. Gone are the rekkas and chargeable projectiles, which are replaced by a refreshing mix of far-reaching normals that are easily buffered into her high kicking and whip whirling specials. And we haven’t even detailed her V-Skill and V-Triggers yet!
[V-Skill – Perfume Swing]
Poison’s V-Skill is a swinging strike that can travel one of two distances. It can be cancelled from some of her normal attacks and allows for a follow-up strike. It can also travel over most projectiles if spaced correctly.
[V-Trigger 1 – Poison Cocktail]
Her V-Trigger 1 gives her access to Molotov cocktails. These can be thrown either straight up or ahead and cause steady chip damage by setting the ground on fire. They’re useful for setups and combo extensions.
[V-Trigger 2 – Poison Glamor]
Poison’s V-Trigger 2 unlocks two commands grabs – Toxic Hold and Toxic Bind. The former does more stun and damage, but has limited range. The latter can hit from over half a screen away, but has more start-up and recovery frames. Both can be used mid-combo.
“Honda Sento” Bathhouse Stage
This stage should be instantly familiar to anyone who played Street Fighter II in the 90s. “Honda Sento” is a modern remake of E. Honda’s iconic bathhouse stage from Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. Blue tiled flooring, individual showers and a sumo-sized onsen – filled to the brim with piping hot water from a nearby hot spring. What better place to kick back and relax with a towel on your head after a hard day of fighting in the streets. The new “Honda Sento” stage can be yours on August 4 th for MSRP $3.99 / €3.99 / £3.29 or 70,000 Fight Money.
Free Trial (Season 3 Character Unlock) and Sale
Haven’t yet taken the time to pull off a Shoryuken or Hadoken in Street Fighter V? Well, why not try out the latest instalment in Capcom’s premier fighting game series for FREE! An all-new Free Trial on PlayStation 4 and Steam runs now through August 11 th . And for the first time ever, the 16 characters from the launch roster are joined by the 6 characters from Season 3… all playable for free! By our count, that’s 22 reasons to jump into the Free Trial and see what you’ve been missing! Sales on both platforms also run now through August 13 th , offering huge savings on in-game content in addition to 60% off Street Fighter V and 50% off Street Fighter V: Arcade Editio n.
Extra Battle: Cody (Vergil)
His opponents may cry when Cody goes to battle in this Vergil costume for SFV: AE. This Devil May Cry inspired costume for Cody and accompanying Vergil, Dante and Nero battle music will be available in Extra Battle mode from August 30 th through September 27 th.
Fighting Chance: M. Bison
Backed up by the Psycho Drive in the Street Fighter Alpha series, M. Bison was not only at the peak of his power, but he also sported one of his most dominant looks. This menacing outfit returns to SFV: AE on August 4 th in Fighting Chance!
This is a sumo-sized update, so go hit the streets and enjoy all of this new content in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition !
