During EVO 2023, which took place this past weekend, Capcom and Nickelodeon revealed a collaboration that would bring the original green machine, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, into the world of Street Fighter 6. It makes sense, given that the TMNT movie “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” is out and is doing exceptionally well. So why not cash in on some of that with one of the more popular fighting games in 2023?
The arranged TMNT theme sounded amazing, the costumes looked damned good, and everyone I knew couldn’t stop talking about them. It was like, HELL YEAH, way to go! However, there was only one thing: they were pricey. They were coming in at $15 per costume. Compare that to the price of costumes for the SF6 roster, and we have a problem.
Karl Smart, a staffer at The Outerhaven, is a massive TMNT fan. He’s read all the comics and has one of the bigger TMNT collections I’ve seen as well. So you can imagine he was ecstatic when he heard about the Street Fighter 6 x TMNT crossover. Except, once he saw that price point, there were a few words I won’t repeat here and lots of frustration. Eventually, he cooled down. It wasn’t until I informed him that those TMNT costumes were only useful for walking around and wasting time in Street Fighter 6’s Battle Hub and the Avatar Battles. There were, then again, some choice words.
I’m not opposed to making the TMNT costumes only available via Fighter Coins, as this is why Capcom introduced them in the first place. Street Fighter fans are no strangers when it comes to paying real currency to get some in-game item or costume. The issue here is the amount these things cost and that these companies, such as Capcom, forget that not every country’s economy is the same. Sure, for us, it’s just $15 USD. But for my buddy Karl, it’s expensive, given that he lives in the “Land Down Under.”
If we don’t have Fighter Coins, we’ll need to purchase some, which starts the concern. Fighter Coins are sold in bundles of 250 ($6.99), 610 ($11.99), 1250 ($23.99), and 2750 ($49.99). If I wanted to purchase just one costume, I’d need 750 Fighter Coins, which comes out to me buying 610 + 250 Fighter Coins as the cheapest way to go. I’d need considerably more if I wanted to get all the costumes. If I wanted all of the TMNT costumes, I’d need 3000 Fighter Coins, which would equal nearly $50. That doesn’t even include if wanted all of the other accessories, emotes, or stickers. Let’s say that it gets mighty expensive.
So, let’s go back to my buddy Karl. A massive TMNT fan and player of Street Fighter 6. Thanks to his country’s lovely economy, it will cost him considerably more. Instead of $15 per TMNT costume, it will be $24. Instead of $60 for all of the costumes, he’s looking at close to $100, and if he wants all of the other stuff in the collab, he’ll be spending $125. That’s a steep buck to pay, and he’s not the only one in that situation.
I’m sure I’ll hear people going, “You don’t have to pay for it. You don’t need it.” This is true, but at the same time, maybe this collab content could be cheaper. The USA isn’t the only country in the world; sometimes other countries’ economic situations are forgotten, and the USD to whatever conversion is sometimes ridiculous.
That said, I’ve already seen people who have decided not to pay those prices and have made their own versions of the TMNT crew. Given the fantastic character creator in SF6, I’m surprised I haven’t seen more before the reveal of this TMNT collab.
I’m all for this promo, but I think Capcom and Nickelodeon were all about the money and less about showing some love to a franchise that has been kept alive by fans after all these years. Maybe drop the prices a bit; that would be a nice gesture.
