Although most people will just take new Street Fighter 6 characters through Arcade mode or online, that isn’t the only new content added with them. They also become available in the World Tour mode, making it possible for your Avatar character to become their disciple. Increasing your bond with them will give you fun interactions, new moves to use, and even their secondary outfit. While you can impress the recently added Mai Shiranui by using her moveset in fights and partaking in exclusive missions, showering her with gifts can be a fast track to getting a cool new fit.
This functions the same way it did with Terry Bogard and every other character before her. Most gifts will only increase the bond level by one or two points, but a couple of items in particular will raise it by five or forty points. With a maximum bond level of 100 to reach, believe me when I say that knowing how to get these will save you a lot of time.
How to Get Mai’s 40-Point Gift
Every character has a specific one-of-a-kind gift that is solely meant for them and will increase their bond level by a massive 40 points. This takes a while for the base roster, but it’s thankfully a lot easier with the DLC characters. Mai’s 40-point gift is an Ornamental Hairpin that can be unlocked by completing The Legendary Supporting Cast sub-mission.
I unlocked this mission soon after becoming Mai’s disciple. All you need to do is return to Beat Square and talk to Alice. She’ll challenge you to go around the area and “talk” to various people. Naturally, talking equates to fighting with a bunch of NPCs who are all passionate fans of various Fatal Fury characters. These fights are spread out across day and night, but they’re easy to find thanks to being marked with blue sub-mission icons. Defeating the last one will reward you with a couple of cosmetics for your avatar along with the Ornamental Hairpin.
How to Get Mai’s 5-Point Gift
There is a good chance you still have a bit to go before maxing out Mai’s bond level. Throwing everything in your inventory at her or buying pre-paid cards are the typical ways to increase her bond, but that can take a while since you have to gift items individually. A more effective way is to give her Heavy Metal Demo Tapes, Mai’s exclusive 5-point gift.
There are a few NPCs that can offer these through bonus objectives. The first and quickest is the ninja NPC named Chichi in Mai’s Aokigahara area. Simply head to the right, take the short foreground walkway, and you’ll find them next to the shrine. You can collect and grind out even more once you’ve unlocked the Traveling With Mai! Master mission. Completing this will unlock the following areas for the One Fateful Day scenario:
- Colosseo, Italy
- Fete Foraine, France
- Ranger’s Hut, Brazil
- Tian Hong Yuan, China
Just like Beat City, these areas are a bit different in the One Fateful Day scenario. Merchants and NPCs alike can offer new things than what’s available in the regular World Tour version of these locations. You’re sure to find plenty of Heavy Metal Demo Tapes if you check all the NPCs.
You’re bound to have Mai’s alternate costume in no time once you’ve acquired her exclusive gifts. That isn’t the extent of her content in Street Fighter 6's World Tour mode either - there are plenty of fun references, special moves to teach your Avatar, and even a hidden cave with five ninja masters to challenge.