Capcom makes the somewhat controversial decision to remove close-up crotch shots of characters in Street Fighter 5, as well as Rainbow Mika's butt-slapping animation.

Part of the fun of anticipating a new game in the Street Fighter series is the announcements of the new and returning characters. This is no different for Street Fighter 5, with many fans excited to see characters such as Zangief and Street Fighter Alpha 3's Rainbow Mika return to the fray. However, in the case of R. Mika, she's going through a bit of an alteration before the game launches proper.

Sadly for butt-slapping enthusiasts, R. Mika's ridiculous butt slap, activated by winning a match with her super attack, is being removed from the final version of Street Fighter 5. While Capcom didn't state why the butt slap is being axed, it's safe to assume that it was decided that the butt slap was in poor taste.

R. Mika's victory butt slap isn't the only thing that's being removed from the game ahead of its February 2016 release, however. Various other instances of sexual/sexy content have also wound up on the cutting room floor, mainly in the form of close-up crotch shots of the fighters.

While most people will probably not have much of an issue with Rainbow Mika's butt slap being removed, there will likely be a vocal minority that decries Capcom's decision. Some people view a move like this as censorship or giving in to the demands of the politically correct crowd. Similar rumblings came about when it was revealed that the North American version of Fatal Frame ditched the skimpy bikinis found in the Japanese version, and when the rumors cropped up that Nintendo was going to censor the NA version of Xenoblade Chronicles X. But from the company's standpoint, these decisions are made to boost mass appeal, as opposed to malicious censorship.

For example, in the case of Street Fighter 5, there is a very large portion of the audience that find things like frivolous butt slaps to be juvenile and obnoxious, and may not bother with the game if they see content like that in the game. Furthermore, in the case of Xenoblade Chronicles X, the "censorship" that Nintendo is rumored to be taking part in is removing revealing outfits that a 13-year old character wears in the game. Content like that is more accepted in Japan, but in western cultures, such content could result in bad press for the companies involved.

At any rate, as long as Capcom is freely making the decision to remove the crotch close-ups and the butt slaps, then there's no reason to get angry. It's not as though a government entity or one of the console manufacturers are forcing Capcom to make this decision. Plus, there's still fan service galore in the game for those that are interested in that sort of thing, even with the removal of R. Mika's butt slap.

How do you feel about the Rainbow Mika's butt slap being removed for the final version of Street Fighter 5? Did you find the butt slap obnoxious, or do you think Capcom should have left it in? Sound off in the comments below and let us know your thoughts on the somewhat controversial matter.

Street Fighter 5  will be available on February 16th, 2016 for PC and PlayStation 4.

Source: Destructoid