Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid will have a Street Fighter crossover, with Ryu and Chun-Li transformed into the Crimson Hawk Ranger and the Blue Phoenix Ranger respectively.
Announced exclusively with IGN, a Street Fighter DLC pack will arrive on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Stadia on May 25, 2021, with a price of 12.50 euros. The package will include both fighters and “exclusive skins to be revealed at a later date”. Ryu and Chun-Li will also be sold separately at € 5.99 each.
Check out a preview of the announcement below:
Ryu and Chun-Li each become their own Power Ranger in this DLC, with their designs originally added to the mobile game Power Rangers: Legacy Wars, and which have been added to Battle for the Grid at the request of fans.
Beyond the retro designs, they could bring some fresh ideas to the team fighting game. “The entire 2D fighting genre dates back to Chun-Li and Ryu (among others) who caused a stir in Street Fighter II”says Rose Silvestre of the nWay community and marketing team. “The team fighters, in particular, owe a spiritual debt to Capcom: the Marvel crossovers of the 90s, X-Men vs. Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom. While the Power Rangers in Battle for the Grid take the most Drawing from their inspiration from other media – shows, movies, and comics – Ryu and Chun-Li have decades of classic fighting game appearances to draw from.“.
“They fit in perfectly with the existing roster and mechanics, but they also work a little differently, like the Street Fighter styles and crossover series. We thought about it a bit about how Ryu and Ken (and other guest characters, like Terry Bogard ) were dealt with in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. There, Ryu and Chun-Li follow some of their own rules where it makes sense to inject that Street Fighter feel. Other than the simple fact that they are basically the king and queen of the 2D fighting games, that’s what separates them from the rest of the squad. “Silvestre continued.
A press release description of Ryu’s Crimson Hawk Ranger form explains that he “brings into battle his trademark stoic and reserved poise and a lifetime of Shotokan training. His fluid, almost water-like fighting style is deadly both at range and up close, with his moves executed using classic input commands. defining the genre. Keep opponents on their toes from a distance with the classic Hadouken, or punish aggressive play up close with his Tastumaki Senpukyaku or the iconic Shoryuken. “.
We also asked Silvestre how this unusual collaboration came about in the first place, and it turned out that it was due to an important figure on the Street Fighter side: “[El creador de Power Rangers] Saban introduced us [al equipo] to Capcom before Power Rangers was acquired by Hasbro. We caught up with Capcom and it turned out that Street Fighter producer Yoshinori Ono was a huge fan of Power Rangers. Capcom suggested that it would be great if Ryu and Chun-Li wore Power Rangers suits and we said yes. “.
The designs of the characters themselves were also a collaboration between the teams. “Capcom had originally unveiled the first concepts, which our team built in collaboration with their then comic book artist Udon Entertainment.”explains Silvestre. “Inspired by these designs, we then worked with Saban to develop more additional designs such as the Ranger Coin which also led all parties to agree on an animal theme, Crimson Hawk and Blue Phoenix. As a result, our art team was able to create a unique ranger outfit that would exist in both universes. “.
Finally, the developer nWay has also announced Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid – Super Edition, another release scheduled for May 25, 2021 (with a physical edition that will arrive in July). It will include the base game, the three current content season passes, the Street Fighter pack, and 4 bonus skins. Those with the base game will be able to upgrade to the Super Edition, but no pricing has been announced for this option.
