Street Fighter 6 continues its impressive Season 2 rollout with the highly anticipated arrival of M. Bison, the iconic villain from Street Fighter 2. Just a month after Akuma’s release, M. Bison steps into the arena as the fifth DLC character, joining Rashid, A.K.I., Ed, and Akuma from Season 1. This iteration of M. Bison sees the Psycho Power powerhouse grappling with amnesia, adding a layer of intrigue to his menacing presence.
After extensive time in training mode and real matches, delving into the nuances of M. Bison in Street Fighter 6 Season 2, this review will break down everything players can expect. We’ll explore his presentation, gameplay mechanics, strengths, weaknesses, and ultimately, whether adding M. Bison to your roster is a worthwhile investment.
Presentation: A Dictator Reborn, Yet Familiar
Capcom has consistently delivered high-quality DLC characters for Street Fighter 6, and M. Bison is no exception. His reveal trailer alone, showcasing his majestic horse-riding entrance and signature crossed-arms pose, generated significant hype. The attention to detail and love poured into crafting this character is evident from the outset.
However, some design choices feel less impactful. M. Bison’s story in Street Fighter 6 centers around his resurrection in his Street Fighter 5 body, now plagued by amnesia and searching for his purpose. This narrative direction, while functional in bringing him back, feels somewhat predictable and doesn’t explore particularly new ground for the character.
His default design reflects this amnesiac state, presenting a long-haired, cloaked M. Bison with tattered garments, alongside his classic red pants, shin guards, and boots. The resemblance to Sagat’s Street Fighter 5 default look, with the tattered cloak and similar wraps, was immediately noticed by fans.
While not inherently bad, M. Bison’s default appearance lacks a distinct spark of originality. The story, similarly, treads a safe path, quickly re-establishing him in a familiar villainous role.
M. Bison in SF6 showcasing his default costume, cloaked and long-haired, standing on the left, contrasted with Sagat in SF5 on the right, who is also cloaked, highlighting the visual similarities between the two characters.
Fortunately, M. Bison’s Outfit 2 rectifies any design reservations. Bringing back his iconic Street Fighter 2 look in stunning detail on modern hardware, the classic red color scheme truly pops. Capcom’s design choices here are particularly commendable. They have successfully reimagined M. Bison to be more akin to his earlier, agile iterations, rather than the slower, bulkier version seen in Street Fighter 5 or the hyper-muscular Alpha era. This return to a quicker, more menacing Bison is a welcome change.
The animations and visual effects are top-tier. Psycho Power infuses his attacks with vibrant energy, and the dynamic animations change when his Psycho Mine mechanic is active. From explosive Psycho Power bursts to faithfully recreated classics like the Psycho Crusher, M. Bison is visually spectacular, matching the high standards set by previous DLC characters.
Gameplay: Unleashing Devastating Psycho Power – At a Cost
M. Bison’s gameplay toolkit is where he truly excels in Street Fighter 6. Packed with reimagined classic moves and innovative mechanics, Season 2 Bison offers a potent and engaging fighting style.
Immediately apparent is M. Bison’s exceptional damage output. This incredible damage is intrinsically linked to his Psycho Mine mechanic, now a core element integrated into his special moves rather than a V-Skill. The Backfist Combo special move is key to this mechanic.
Landing Backfist Combo, either raw or within a combo string, plants a Psycho Power bomb inside the opponent. This bomb detonates after a short duration or when specific special moves connect with the opponent. The explosion launches opponents high into the air, enabling devastating juggle combos. Furthermore, several of M. Bison’s special moves gain enhanced properties and increased power when they detonate the Psycho Mine.
M. Bison in SF6 executing his Backfist Combo, visually planting a Psycho Power mine on his opponent, setting up for future devastating attacks and combos.
M. Bison’s game plan heavily revolves around setting up and capitalizing on the Psycho Mine. When executed effectively, the resulting damage is astronomical. Even in combo trials, M. Bison’s damage potential is staggering. His final trial combo inflicts a massive 7180 damage without using Critical Art or full Drive Meter. The current maximum damage recorded for M. Bison in a single combo reaches a staggering 8050, and surprisingly, these high-damage combos are relatively practical to execute in matches.
Typically, characters capable of exceeding 7000 damage in a single combo require full resource expenditure, Punish Counters, and Critical Arts. While Akuma is known for strong burst damage, even his maximum damage combos with full resources generally fall slightly short of 7000. M. Bison’s damage potential is therefore exceptionally high, especially considering the relative ease of execution for some of his most damaging combos. Juggle combos using Overdrive Head Stomp and forward heavy punch after a Psycho Mine-powered Overdrive Psycho Crusher are not overly complex, forming the backbone of his effective bread-and-butter combos.
HOLD UP! Bison’s last trial does 7180 damage without CA and doesn’t even burn him out?! Good lord! #SF6_Bison pic.twitter.com/E0BgcP84Lt
— Steven “Dream King” Chavez (@TheKingOfDremes) June 26, 2024
Beyond sheer damage, M. Bison boasts an impressive array of tools. His signature Scissor Kicks no longer require a charge input, mirroring Chun-Li’s approach and making this oppressive move accessible with a simple quarter-circle forward motion. Scissor Kicks are also advantageous on hit, allowing M. Bison to maintain offensive pressure. While technically punishable, skilled spacing of regular Scissor Kicks can make punishes whiff, opening up counter-punish opportunities.
M. Bison possesses many characteristics of a top-tier Street Fighter 6 character: exceptional damage, strong corner carry, tricky setups, relentless offensive pressure, excellent normals, an overhead attack, a safe-on-block target combo with built-in overhead/low mix-up potential, and the ability to bypass projectiles (including Supers) with Overdrive Psycho Crusher. He even has side-switch combo capabilities. However, this overwhelming offensive arsenal is balanced by a significant weakness: defense.
M. Bison’s defensive capabilities in Street Fighter 6 are his primary, and perhaps only, major flaw. However, this flaw is substantial. Being pressured, especially in the corner, is incredibly dangerous for M. Bison, arguably placing his defensive options on par with Lily’s, despite slightly better light attack options.
His defensive options are limited to wake-up Drive Reversal and level 1 Super, both of which are susceptible to baiting with meaty normal attacks, especially by characters with fast light attacks like Chun-Li or Ken. While not entirely ineffective, these options become predictable against experienced players who understand how to exploit M. Bison’s defensive vulnerabilities. Opponents who can apply relentless pressure and create inescapable situations will find success against M. Bison.
M. Bison’s gameplay is defined by extremes. He thrives on applying pressure and overwhelming opponents offensively, but he is equally vulnerable to being pressured and overwhelmed defensively. His matches often become a high-stakes battle of aggression versus vulnerability.
Dream King’s Early Tier Assessment: A Glass Cannon Dictator?
Despite M. Bison’s extensive list of strengths, some debate remains regarding his placement among the top tiers of Street Fighter 6. While he undeniably possesses the offensive firepower of a top-tier contender, his defensive shortcomings could ultimately hold him back and provide a necessary check to his otherwise overwhelming power.
Similar initial concerns were raised about Akuma and his lower health, but M. Bison’s defensive fragility might prove to be a more significant detriment than Akuma’s stamina issues.
M. Bison in SF6 triumphantly standing amidst Psycho Power energy, showcasing his powerful presence and hinting at both his offensive might and underlying vulnerability.
M. Bison certainly has the potential to be a top-tier character, especially in the hands of skilled players who can maximize his offensive strengths while mitigating his defensive weaknesses. However, his ultimate tier placement may depend on how effectively players develop strategies to counter his offense and exploit his defensive vulnerabilities.
It’s conceivable that top players like Nemo and Problem X could achieve significant tournament success with M. Bison, while other top-level players might gravitate towards characters with more robust defensive options. The baitable nature of his wake-up Drive Reversal and level 1 Super (with its 10-frame startup) suggests that pro players will develop effective counter-strategies to keep M. Bison on the defensive at high levels of play.
Final Verdict: Psycho Power Worth the Price of Admission
Like Akuma before him, M. Bison is a fantastic and welcome addition to Street Fighter 6 Season 2, enriching the legacy roster. This iteration of M. Bison is a meticulously crafted and highly enjoyable version of one of fighting game history’s most iconic villains, demonstrating the care and attention to detail players expect from a returning World Warrior.
M. Bison offers a wealth of potent tools and offensive capabilities that are readily accessible, allowing players to quickly inflict significant damage in matches. However, his suspect defense is a critical factor to consider. As players learn to effectively counter M. Bison’s offense and exploit his defensive weaknesses, his perceived overwhelming strength may diminish over time.
If you are a long-time Street Fighter fan or simply enjoy playing powerful and engaging characters, M. Bison is a highly recommended purchase. Similar to Akuma, acquiring M. Bison is also beneficial for learning how to effectively counter him, as he is likely to be a prevalent character in online and competitive play for the foreseeable future.
M. Bison in Street Fighter 6 Season 2 is undoubtedly worth the money, offering a thrilling, albeit defensively challenging, gameplay experience.
