You don't need Ryu or Ken; after all, there are guys like them all over the world.
While Capcom's Street Fighter series of 2D fighting video games arguably make for one of the company's biggest cash cows nowadays, the Street Fighter EX titles, responsible for introducing 3D character models to the series, have fallen by the wayside.
Developed by Arika, the games featured original characters and stories alongside Street Fighter veterans, which were seemingly going to be stuck in limbo after Capcom halted the series after Street Fighter EX3 in 2000... Until Arika made a completely unexpected decision decades later.
Students Outclassing Masters
The original Street Fighter (1987) was conceived by Capcom's Takashi Nishiyama, inspired by his earlier game Kung-Fu Master (1984). It introduced one-on-one fighting with a joystick and six-button layout, where players executed special moves through directional inputs. Street Fighter II (1991) with its multiple playable characters and combos then made fighting games mainstream.
In 1996, Capcom partnered with Arika, a studio founded by former Capcom staff like Akira Nishitani, to create Street Fighter EX, the franchise's first venture into 3D graphics, blending polygonal visuals with 2D gameplay. It played similarly to Street Fighter II and Alpha (1995), but added original characters and systems like Guard Breaks and a three-section super meter.
Subsequent entries Street Fighter EX2 (1998) and EX3 (2000) added additional gameplay features (like tag-team battles and custom moves) along with even more original characters created by Arika. However, due to general market fatigue and licensing issues with Arika, Capcom ended the series. With the next mainline entry Street Fighter IV (2008), 3D fighting game graphics had become the norm, eliminating the need for further EX games.
Taking Training Seriously
This, however, left the stories of recognizable faces like Kairi and Skullomania unconcluded, leading Arika to pitch new EX titles to Capcom multiple times, but always getting rejected. This would last until 2017, when members of the team assembled a 3D fighting game prototype – initially just to familiarize themselves with Unity Engine 4 – in which they then recorded a trailer and uploaded it as an April Fool's joke.
However, after a surprisingly positive reception by fans, it was decided that the prototype would be turned into a full game making use of Arika's original cast – without any of the mainline Street Fighter characters – seeing as the company handled development and publishing duties all by themselves. While an investment of this size put Arika as a whole at risk, they managed to quickly complete the project.
Fighting EX Layer was officially announced at Evo 2017, confirming that Arika's "joke" project was real. It launched digitally for PlayStation 4 in June 2018, with later releases on PC in arcades (where the EX games had gotten their start) and mobile platforms. A cheaper "light" version, which offered slightly less content, was eventually phased out in favor of the full release.
Winning The Tournament
Like most modern representatives of the genre, Fighting EX Layer is played in timed rounds with health bars, depicting 3D characters on a side-view plane, with normals, specials, and supers executed via directional inputs. It also features various chain combos as well as modes simplifying the controls to make them more newcomer-friendly.
Initially, the game's focus was exclusively on online and local versus play, but a classic Arcade Mode introduced with an update shortly after release included light framing from character bios, endings and interactions which elaborated on the stories of the playable cast. Said cast includes 17 of Arika's original characters from the Street Fighter EX games as well as guest fighter Terry Bogard from SNK's Fatal Fury series.
Mechanically, it preserves EX series staples like "Super Cancels" and juggle routes while adding a run option. Its signature twist is the Gougi system, where preselected "Gougi decks" unlock boosts to your character mid-match when certain conditions are met. Though some mechanics like tag-team battles from EX 3 were cut, the general style and pacing resemble its template.
Looking For New Challenges
Fighting EX Layer earned mostly positive critical feedback, though its appeal was obviously somewhat limited to people who already knew its characters. In general, the gameplay was considered fluid and satisfying, but the dual version release strategy and initial lack of modes somewhat detracted from the experience.
Arika iterated on the base game with updated versions, patches, and ports. They released Fighting EX Layer: Another Dash for Nintendo Switch in 2021, which notably removed the Gougi system and rebalanced characters, while simplifying systems for traditional players. The title also revitalized the original EX cast in general, with Skullomania becoming a playable guest character in SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy (2018) and EX costumes being added to Street Fighter V.
However, that crossover will likely remain the furthest extent of any future collaboration between Street Fighter and EX, as a new Street Fighter EX title grows increasingly unlikely, as both Arika and Capcom are keen to demonstrate that their respective casts can stand firmly on their own. With that in mind, we're eager to see what lies ahead for Kairi and the rest of the crew.