96 is when a lot of series staple mechanics emerged. It's here we see the movement options with short hops becoming a thing adding a lot of versatility to approach options. The neutral is also fast and hard-hitting, making matches generally exciting and the game is decent balanced outside of Mature and Iori. However, the systems in this game aren't all great. While the roll mechanic has been expanded, it's worthless in this game and characters can feel a bit one-dimensional at times.