The reasoning of having every suit variation requiring a sliding sprite might be the best explanation. There is a mechanic in the game that is used only once (World 1-5) that forces Mario to slide without player input. It probably could have been for that reason alone.

Counterpoint: No it doesn’t.

People have had access to several SF5 betas over the past 6+ months and through various press events. Daigo, a SF veteran that mainly played Ryu could easily hop into this game and dominate. SF core fundamentals like blocking, spacing, and anti-airing remain the same as previous games in the franchise and now it’s…