Street Fighter X Tekken gems powers detailed

Capcom's introducing a new character customisation system in Street Fighter X Tekken with gems, little perks that can affect a fighter's speed, attack damage, gauge building speed, and more. The full list of gems and all their effects has now been revealed, including, unpleasantly, a number of retailer-exclusive pre-order bonus gems.

Gems come in two flavours, Boost and Assist. The effects of Assist gems are always active, but come with a drawback, such as dealing less damage. Boost gems, meanwhile, are triggered by meeting certain conditions, for example, landing a counter hit or connecting with five special moves.

The big long list of gems is over on Capcom's blog. Over thirty gems are exclusive to various retailers and special editions, which hardly makes for an even playing field when it comes to online multiplayer. We'll doubtless see the gem packs sold separately as downloadable content after launch, but that's hardly something to celebrate.

Street Fighter X Tekken will launch for Xbox 360 and PlayStation on March 6, 2012. PC and PlayStation Vita versions are also in the works.

For more info on the gem system, check out this demonstration by Capcom senior product manager Matt Dahlgren: