Street Fighter 6’s release couldn’t have gone any better, as it’s seen high praise from critics and fans alike for its diverse control options, unique drive mechanic, snappy animations, great netcode, and an amazing cast of characters at launch. One of the rising stars in the game’s cast is Jamie Siu, a fighter with an unconventional yet familiar martial arts style that the franchise’s fans may have seen before. He’s also marketed as a friendly rival to Street Fighter 6’s new poster boy, Luke.
This Street Fighter installment was officially announced during the Game Awards 2022 with a 2023 release date. Since then, Capcom has released various trailers and ran various Street Fighter 6 open beta tests in early 2023. Jamie has been a popular pick among pros like Brian_F and SonicFox and hardcore players since the beta because of his aggressive fighting style and drink mechanic.
How Street Fighter 6’s Jamie is Linked to Street Fighter 3’s Iconic Duo
According to Street Fighter 6’s official character page, Jamie is a self-styled peacemaker who defends his hometown in Hong Kong using his martial arts skills. Fans of the franchise may find this description familiar, as it was also the job of twin brothers Yun and Yang Lee from Street Fighter 3. Both characters are skateboarders from Hong Kong who practice the Bajiquan or Eight-Extremities Fist and Kung Fu.
Jamie looks up to the twins and aspires to have the same positive impact on his community as they did. His admiration for Yun and Yang is evident in his fighting style. His Swagger Step is similar to Yun’s Zesshou Hohou, as both moves have the character do a lunging punch. Luminous Dive Kick also looks similar to the twins’ Raigeki Shu move, which has them do a dive kick in midair as well. While Jamie takes inspiration from Yun and Yang, his full set of moves isn’t a complete clone of the two’s. He also uses breakdancing and drunken boxing techniques to make his fighting style truly unique, and his moves get even more interesting as he gets more inebriated from his ki-unleashing drink.
Street Fighter 6: A Look at Jamie’s Unique Drink Mechanic
Every time Jamie takes a swig of his gourd, he gains access to new special moves and does more damage. This makes him a technically challenging character that rewards players who take the time to master his unique mechanic. It takes skill to know when to take a drink and to use his new moves properly.
Players need to press down twice and hit a punch button to get Jamie to drink. The first drink unlocks the Luminous dive kick, which can be performed with a quarter circle back and kick in the air. This also lets players do a target combo of light punch, light kick, and medium punch. With a second drink, Jamie can do a Bakkai breakdance special move with a quarter circle forward and kick, which is reminiscent of the slippery kick that Tekken 7's Eddy Gordo is famous for. A third swig gives Jamie a command grab that players can use to get combos in.
When Jamie gets to four drinks, he gets so drunk that his hair unravels from its braid and his skin glows red. Using this final form, Jamie can perform a heavy kick-and-punch target combo with a lot of damage. He can still take swigs to restore his drive gauge and improve recovery from burnout. Some combos also require him to take a drink in between moves.
Jamie is the perfect character for veterans of the game and for new players who want to hone their fighting game fundamentals. His familiar moveset means that players who previously mained Yun or Yang in Street Fighter 3 or Street Fighter 4 can pick him up easily. They just need to get familiar with the character’s drinking mechanic. As for newer players, it’s best to start playing him once they’ve learned the fundamentals of the game on easier characters like Street Fighter 6's Luke or Ryu.
Street Fighter 6 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
