Street Fighter Alpha 3

The best 2D fighter just made its better-than-arcade-perfect landing on PlayStation.

In the long line of PlayStation fighters, Street Fighter always has played a major role. Second to Tekken 3 in some folks' minds, Street Fighter on the PlayStation always had one problem, it was almost always better on the Saturn. Well, now that Saturn is dead, Capcom finally got serious about SF on PlayStation. The efficient programming team has, in its own slow plodding way, mastered the PlayStation and slain it like a quivering beast. Street Fighter Alpha 3 is easily the best 2D fighter on the system, and vies with Tekken 3 as the best overall fighter on the PlayStation.

With cross-overs, counters, juggling, aerial combat, a speedy frame rate, lots of gameplay modes, and a perfect arcade port to the PlayStation, Street Fighter Alpha 3

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quite simply rocks the PlayStation fighting genre to its very core.

First off is the long list of characters, of which there has never been so many in one Street Fighter game. The depth of the lineup is certain to titillate the hardcore fans, but it means that a younger generation of gamers can come in and take part, too. The standard SF celebrities are there, including Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Charlie, Dhalsim, Zangief, Sagat, Akuma, Sakura, Guy, Gen, Adon, Dan, Rolento, Sodom, Birdie and M. Bison. Old SF favs Fei-Long, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Juni and Juli, E. Honda (from SF2), Blanka (from SF2), Vega (from SF2), Cammy (from SF2), Cody (from Final Fight), and the newbies Karin and R Mika are also in for good measure. To unlock more characters, players need to beat certain levels; these bonus characters include Guile, Evil Ryu, and Shin Akuma. Just the idea that 31 characters are selectable conveys the wealth of stories inside the game, as well as serves as a reminder of Capcom's phenomenal library of games and characters.

In regard to pure single-player replay value, Street Fighter beats nearly every other fighter on the block. It's got replay value to spare. The many modes include

  • World Tour
  • Arcade mode
  • Versus Mode
  • Training
  • Entry mode

First, World Tour Mode enables gamers to play around the world against fighters in their homeland. It's an adventure mode that harks back to the early Street Fighter II days when players traveled to each new city and fought that territory's best fighter. With such a strong cast of characters, Capcom has certainly put the emphasis back on variety and depth. World Tour weaves power-ups, defensive and offensive strengths, and a choice of "Isms" into your travels with genius. For example, after beating Chun-Li, a power up such as "makes one strong against dizziness" might appear on your screen. You've now earned a new strength, and can add it to your list of skills, or exchange it for another more apt skill best used against a specific opponent. Changes of this kind are done in between fights. There are three Isms, too, each providing a different kind of super.

What World Tour mode exemplifies so well is the challenge of Street Fighter specific skills. Example: Playing as Ken, you'll face Charlie (with a power bar emptied less than half way), and the only way to beat him is through Combos. Beating the pulp out of him without a Combo won't do a damn thing. In other matches, players must only pull off Supers. And in other fights, players will have to fight against two Chun lis simultaneously, or even four Cammys, two at a time! Whereas Street Fighter used to be a great game for two players and only minimally good for one (against the computer), these simple yet clever challenges make the game a whirlwind of fun for one.

Arcade mode is just what you think it is, a single-player against the computer. But it also is actively waiting for another player to jump right in for two-player mayhem. By playing alone, you'll receive the full story of each character as they fight their way to the top.

Practice is just what it says it is, a good place to practice against a dummy and get your combos, supers, and Isms down pat. The only problem here is that too often the dummy characters get backed up against a wall and it's difficult to get them to come back to the center of the ring.

Entry mode is cool because it encourages players to save their built-up characters from World Tour and then save them into Entry mode afterward. By doing so, players can access their super-human characters in other modes!

Containing aerial attacks (air throws), counters, cross-overs, taunts, recoveries, and a range of combos, Street Fighter Alpha 3 has it all. To start off, players can perform Counter Attacks and Alpha Counters, which can surprise and even upset the momentum of the fight. Critical in breaking up massive multihit combinations, Counters stop opponents flat and then enable players to set up their own multihit combos.

Links, Two-in-Ones, and Juggles: Two-in-ones, which set up linked combos, set you up another offensive attack. By starting with a kick or hit and then immediately begin a super move, players will link their hits. If pop-ups or juggles are your bag, then you'll be psyched to play Street Fighter Alpha 3. These are initiated by counters, basic moves, and special moves. And just for fun, players can taunt their opponents. Hit Select, and with some characters, hit the D pad and Select for a second taunt. It's just never been this damn good!

Recovery and Guard gauge: There are three kinds of recoveries. When downed by a high attack, use the roll recovery; when attacked in mid-air, use the air recovery; and when your opponent attempts a throw, access the tech recovery, to prevent too much damage. Last but not least is the Guard Power Gauge system, which decreases while blocking your opponent, and when it runs out, you (or your opponent) are vulnerable for a few seconds.

The 2D/3D debate has really ended, in my opinion. Three dimensional fighters have made their way into the world, and their strengths, mobility, 3D graphics, and realism, are all well founded. But fighting games started their great heritage in the 2D realm, and their qualities are equally as valid as those of 3D fighters. There is a place for both, and Street Fighter Alpha 3 exemplifies the best qualities of the 2D universe yet. With gorgeous, highly detailed anime-style animation, characters are as responsive as Jet Li in a bad mood. The game also contains perfectly tuned character balance set in an arena in which the z-axis doesn't need to exist. This perfectly honed world has its place in the fighting world, legitimately equal to any 3D fighter. This is easily the best looking Capcom fighter ever.

Running at a perfect 30 frames per second, the game only drops animation sequences when two or more characters are on screen, but it's hardly noticeable and doesn't impede gameplay. A few animation cells were dropped from the arcade, but it's so nit-picky to mention it, given the scope and great looks of the game, it's barely worth mentioning.

What's more is that no matter where players are in the game, they're staring at Street Fighter sketches, beautiful stills, or seeing little flashes of light and color. The stills are particularly cool, because the anime has gotten so good, it's art.

Backgrounds are, if you've played the arcade game, perfect. They are still flat 2D scenes, but they're the best ones ever, with multiple animated people, birds, cats, and little odds and ends that are charming and fresh. Chun Li's background, lined up with Shao Lin fighters practicing their moves over and over, is a perfect example of the beauty and movement in these rich environments.

Capcom's standard Virtual Audio sound is better than ever. When I first played through this in Arcade mode, I thought someone else had a stereo on that played serendipitously in synch with the game. Well, obviously I was wrong. The game uses the stereo, bouncing sounds back and forth from side to side, and is wonderfully rich and deep.

The sound effects are especially awesome. The mesh of metal clashing and bells chiming is the central sound heard when menus are switched, and it's as cool and unique as Godzilla's original weird roar. Lots of grunts and yells are placed in so that each character seems to have at least five or more in his or her arsenal.


I played this so much about a month ago I got blisters. This game is blissful in every way.

I particularly love the World Tour mode simply because it seems like such a logical way to extent and deepen a fighting game. Also, beating the later characters is harder than you think. You've got to be, eh-hem, bad-ass to finish off this game.

The extra characters are way cool. Fei Long is Bruce Lee, and I just watched Enter the Dragon again the other night, so I wanted to play a character like the long-gone martial arts star, and Fei Long is as close as I will get. His hilarious quivering hits and high-pitched screams are classic.

The only thing about the character list is that I will never play all those characters. I mean, who cares about stupid Sodom? (Sorry to those of you who play him. I just have one question... Why?)

Oh, and PocketStation support is in the game, it's just hidden. Capcom will release the information as soon as Sony is ready to launch its campaign here in the US. Hopefully, that's soon!

Street Fighter Alpha 3 is a quintessential, must-have fighting game.


In This Article

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Release DateAugust 1, 1998
PlatformsArcade, PlayStation, Dreamcast, Saturn, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Street Fighter Alpha 3