Fansided

Red Bull Battle Grounds giving fans opportunity to smash virtual car

By Derek Helling

MONTMELO, SPAIN - MARCH 01: The Red Bull Racing logo reflected in the a truck of the Mercedes GP team during day three of Formula One winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on March 1, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
MONTMELO, SPAIN - MARCH 01: The Red Bull Racing logo reflected in the a truck of the Mercedes GP team during day three of Formula One winter testing at Circuit de Catalunya on March 1, 2017 in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

At the final Street Fighter tournament ahead of the Capcom Cup, guests will be able to live a classic part of an earlier incarnation of the game.

Gamers who played Street Fighter II in the 1990s will remember a single-player mode which set a clock and put the character of choice next to a car, then awarded points to the player based on how much damage he/she could do to the car before the clock ran out. At the Red Bull Battle Grounds next month, select attendees will have the chance to replicate that experience in greater detail with a special virtual reality area.

Using the HTC Vive headset in the activation, users will be immersed in the stage and take on the persona of Ryu in order to destroy the virtual car. The experience will be limited to competitors, guests and media at The Castle in Boston on Nov. 18-19. The event will feature the Capcom Pro Tour North American Finals at Red Bull Battle Grounds. The space has been created to represent the “Union Station” in Street Fighter V, a perfect setting for the 512-player open bracket tournament.

It’s the latest in a growing trend of using virtual reality to enhance the experience of competition in live venues. Fox has recently used VR to broadcast its college football games, and the Arizona Diamondbacks used VR at Chase Field last season.

It’s a fitting way to celebrate three decades of Street Fighter, which is further done with the inclusion of a stunning mural at the activation. The 5-piece creation of Boston artist Merk Those will be unveiled on Friday, Nov. 17 at the Balance Patch gaming café in Boston.

Next: 30 Biggest Hip Hop Feuds of All-Time

Over the three decades, there has never been a Street Fighter experience like this, putting fans into the very fists of one of the game’s iconic characters.