Street Fighter Alpha

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams
Developer(s)
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Java ME
Release
June 5, 1995
  • Arcade
    • JP: June 5, 1995
    • NA: June 27, 1995
    • AU: July 14, 1995
    • EU: July 27, 1995
    • SA: November 9, 1995
    CPS Changer
    • US: July 27, 1995 (Publicity)
    • JP: October 20, 1995
    PlayStation
    • JP: December 22, 1995
    • NA: February 7, 1996
    • AU: April 12, 1996
    • EU: May 3, 1996
    Saturn
    • JP: January 26, 1996
    • EU: May 22, 1996[1]
    • NA: 1996
    Windows
    • NA: June 14, 1998
    Game Boy Color
    • EU: December 17, 1999
    • NA: March 24, 2000
    • AU: October 27, 2000
    • JP: March 30, 2001
Arcade system
CP System II

Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams, known as Street Fighter Zero

1991
. The working title for the game was Street Fighter Legends.

The game introduces several new features, expanding on the Super Combo system previously featured in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, with graphics drawn in a similar art style to the one Capcom employed in Darkstalkers and X-Men: Children of the Atom.[2][3] The plot of Street Fighter Alpha is set after the original Street Fighter but before Street Fighter II and thus the game features younger versions of established characters, as well as characters from the original Street Fighter and Final Fight, and a few who are new to the series.

Gameplay

Street Fighter Alpha revamps the Super Combo system introduced in Super Street Fighter II Turbo by adding a three-level Super Combo gauge. Like in Super Turbo, the Super Combo gauge fills in as the player performs regular and special techniques. When the gauge reaches Level 1 or higher, the player can perform a Super Combo technique. The number of punch or kick buttons pressed simultaneously when performing a Super Combo determines the amount that will be used. In addition to Super Combos, the player can also perform a special counterattacking technique called an Alpha Counter (Zero Counter in the Japanese version) after blocking an opponent's attack, which consumes a level of the Super Combo Gauge.[4]

There are two playing styles that can be selected after choosing a character: "Normal" and "Auto". Auto differs from Normal in that the character automatically guards against a limited number of attacks (provided the character is not in the middle of performing an attack). Auto also allows the player to perform an instant Super Combo by pressing a punch and kick of the same strength simultaneously, but at the expense of reducing the maximum level of the Super Combo gauge to one.[4]

There are also new basic techniques such as Air Blocking, the ability to guard in mid-air, and Chain Combos (also known as Alpha Combos, or Zero Combos in Japan), which are combos that are performed by interrupting the animation of one basic move by performing another of equal or greater strength. In addition to recovering from an opponent's throw, the player also has the ability to roll on the ground when they fall to the ground after an attack.

The single player mode consists of seven random computer-controlled opponents and a final opponent whose identity depends on the storyline of the player's selected character. M. Bison is the final boss for half of the characters. There are also two hidden characters: Akuma, who returns from Super Turbo as an alternate final boss only after certain in-game requirements are met, and a new character named Dan (a popular Capcom spoof character), who challenges the player during the course of the game if certain requirements are met.

The game also features a secret two-on-one Dramatic Battle mode in which two players as Ryu and Ken fight against a computer-controlled M. Bison, a match inspired by the final fight between the characters in Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie[5] (the Japanese arcade version of the game plays an instrumental rendition of the movie's battle theme, "Itoshisa to Setsunasa to Kokoro Zuyosa to", which was replaced by M. Bison's regular theme in the overseas releases, due to licensing issues).

Characters

The immediate character roster includes

Rose
, an Italian female fortune teller who uses an energy known as "Soul Power".

In addition to the ten regular characters, there are also three

Robert Garcia
, makes his first appearance in this game. All three characters can be selected by the player by inputting a specific code for each.

Development

Production for the game started in October 1994, after the release of Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors.[7] The development team was given only three months to complete a game from scratch, but took six months to develop Street Fighter Alpha.[8]

Due to Capcom's practice of buying back CPS-1 boards from arcades (a tactic to help sell the CPS-2 model), Capcom had built up a stockpile of CPS-1 boards. The Street Fighter Alpha project was initiated in order to make use of the stockpiles of CPS-1.[8][9] However, Capcom later realized they also had excess stock of CPS-2 boards, so they created versions for both systems.[8] Creating a slightly downgraded CPS-1 version also enabled Capcom to sell the game to arcades which could not afford to upgrade to CPS-2.[10] The CPS-1 version features a different soundtrack with less sound effects, among other differences.[10]

The prototype name was Street Fighter Classic, since it was meant to take place between Street Fighter and Street Fighter II.[citation needed] The name eventually changed to Street Fighter Zero. Capcom Public Relations in North America disliked the name, as it sounded very negative. The title was announced in the U.S. market as Street Fighter Legends, and then renamed Street Fighter Alpha in western territories (except Brazil), to sound more like a new beginning.[8]

Release

Versions of Street Fighter Alpha were initially released for the PlayStation and the Sega Saturn. Due to the small amount of character animation data in Street Fighter Alpha, Capcom was able to do a relatively straight port to the

1998
, based on the PlayStation version.

A

1999
, featuring downscaled graphics and sound. The Game Boy Color version has no link cable support and is single-player only. The Japanese version of the Game Boy Color version was released using the Alpha name, rather than the Zero name.

The original Street Fighter Alpha and its sequels are featured in Street Fighter Alpha Anthology for the PlayStation 2. The version of Alpha in this compilation features Arcade, Versus and Training modes like the previous PlayStation and Saturn versions, as well as Survival and Dramatic Battle modes. The Dramatic Battle on the main menu differs from the one in the original arcade game in that the player can select any pair of characters and face against a series of four computer-controlled opponents (Adon, Sagat, M. Bison and Akuma), not just Ryu and Ken against Bison. Furthermore, the player can turn on an option to allow Super Cancels, that is, canceling a special move into a Super Combo.

Street Fighter Alpha was one of the twelve games released as part of the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection in its emulated arcade form. This version is on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam with the feature of save states.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Street Fighter Zero on their August 1, 1995 issue as being the second most-successful arcade game of the month.[33] It went on to be the second highest-grossing arcade game of 1995 in Japan, below Virtua Fighter 2.[34] In North America, RePlay reported Street Fighter Alpha was the most-popular arcade game in August 1995.[35]

In the United Kingdom, it was among the nineteen best-selling PlayStation games of 1996, according to HMV.[36]

Reviewing the arcade version, Computer and Video Games praised the improved sprite graphics and innovative gameplay features such as the revamped Super Combo system and the new Alpha Counter mechanic. The review said it is "fast, exciting, visually explosive and for our money a dead cert hit."[14] A critic for Next Generation criticized the game's lack of major changes from previous iterations of the series, but concluded, "Capcom's right, in a way. Street Fighter only needs subtle changes for now; it's already got the most important thing: great gameplay."[25]

Electronic Gaming Monthly gave the PlayStation version their "Game of the Month" award, and reviewers for Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro, and Maximum all hailed it as being virtually identical to the arcade version,[16][29][37] though some of them complained about the load times.[16][29] GamePro called it "easily the best argument that the PlayStation is not just a polygon-based system",[37] while Maximum deemed it "the next logical evolvement of the most popular fighting game of all time."[29] Reviewers were also pleased with Alpha's new gameplay mechanics such as alpha counters.[16][29][37]

Reviewing the Saturn version, Sega Saturn Magazine commented: "The graphics are great, the sound's great, it plays very well indeed and it's tough enough to keep you going for ages even without a second player to hand." However, they also remarked that the game was outclassed by the recently released X-Men: Children of the Atom and that most gamers should get that one instead.[31] GamePro criticized that some of the game's new characters were not as powerful or fun to play as the series regulars, but praised the gameplay additions and deemed the Saturn version "a near-perfect arcade conversion."[38] Maximum argued that while the game has fewer characters and backgrounds than Super Street Fighter II Turbo and makes few innovations to the series, it is refined to the point where "Everything that Street Fighter does so well has been taken to new levels in Alpha." They commented on the accuracy of the Saturn version[30] and gave it their "Maximum Game of the Month" award.[39] Both GamePro and Maximum particularly applauded the coloration of the Super Move shadows in the Saturn version.[38][30] In 1996, GamesMaster ranked the game 43rd on their "Top 100 Games of All Time."[40]

The Game Boy Color version was a runner-up for

Dragon Warrior I & II and Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000, respectively.[41]

Legacy

Sequels

Street Fighter Alpha was followed by two sequels:

2006
.

Related media

A manga adaptation based on the original Alpha and Alpha 2 by

UDON in 2007. Two different animated adaptations were also produced: Street Fighter Alpha: The Animation in 1999 and Street Fighter Alpha: Generations
in 2005.

Notes

  1. ^ Japanese: ストリートファイター ZERO(ゼロ)

References

  1. ^ Lomas, Ed (June 1996). "Checkpoint - EVENTS AND SOFTWARE RELEASES". Computer and Video Games. No. 175. p. 61.
  2. ^ "The History of Street Fighter: The Games". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  3. ^ "Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 1. October 1995. pp. 48–58.
  4. ^ a b Street Fighter Alpha Anthology - Instruction Manual
  5. ^ "Two Players Can Now Challenge M Bison!! His Psycho Power Can Utterly Destroy You!!". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 2. November 1995. p. 55.
  6. Mean Machines Sega
    . No. 40. p. 23.
  7. ^ All About Series Vol. 11 – Street Fighter Alpha. Interview with several Capcom staff members about the recently released Street Fighter Alpha/Zero. October 25, 1995.
  8. ^ a b c d Leone, Matt (November 23, 2020). Street Fighter Alpha: An oral history. Polygon. Retrieved 2022-06-25
  9. Youtube. Archived
    from the original on July 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-07-30
  10. ^ a b "Street Fighter Producer Yoshinori Ono on His Love Affair With the Games". Wired.com. 2015-12-10. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  11. ^ "The Maximum Street Fighter Alpha R&D Interview". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 4. March 1996. pp. 68–69.
  12. ^ "PlayStation Version Confirmed". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 2. November 1995. p. 51.
  13. ^ "Grant > Manage Blog". Capcom-unity.com. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  14. ^
    EMAP
    . 12 July 1995. pp. 72–3.
  15. ^ a b "Computer and Video Games - Issue 173 (1996-04)(EMAP Images)(GB)". Archive.org. April 1996. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  16. ^ a b c d e "Review Crew: Street Fighter Alpha". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 79. Ziff Davis. February 1996. p. 30.
  17. ^ "ストリートファイターZERO まとめ [PS] / ファミ通.com". Famitsu.com. 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  18. ^ "ストリートファイターZERO まとめ [セガサターン] / ファミ通.com". Famitsu.com. 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  19. ^ a b GameFan, volume 4, issue 2 (February 1996), page 16
  20. ^ GameFan, volume 4, issue 3 (March 1996), page 11
  21. ^ "Review: Street Fighter Alpha". Game Informer. 1997-01-17. Archived from the original on 1997-01-17. Retrieved 2016-08-02.
  22. ^ GamesMaster, issue 40 (March 1996), pages 42-43
  23. ^ GamesMaster, issue 42 (May 1996), pages 50-51
  24. Mean Machines Sega
    , issue 43, pages 74-77
  25. ^ a b "Street Fighter Alpha: Warrior Dreams". Next Generation. No. 10. October 1995. p. 130.
  26. ^ Play, issue 5 (March 1996), pages 32-34, published 21 February 1996
  27. ^ Play, issue 7 (May 1996), pages 64-65, published 25 April 1996
  28. ^ Review, PSM, Issue 5, April 1998
  29. ^ a b c d e "Maximum Reviews: Street Fighter Alpha". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 4. 1996. pp. 146–7.
  30. ^
    EMAP
    , pages 146-147
  31. ^ a b Automatic, Rad (April 1996). "Review: Street Fighter Alpha". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 6. pp. 74–75.
  32. ^ Gamest, The Best Game 2: Gamest Mook Vol. 112, pp. 6-26
  33. ^ "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 500. Amusement Press, Inc. 1 August 1995. p. 25.
  34. ^ 第９回 ゲーメスト大賞 [9th Gamest Awards]. Gamest (in Japanese). Vol. 162 (January 1995). December 27, 1995. pp. 36–53. alternate url
  35. ^ "Player's Choice - Top Games Now in Operation, Based on Earnings-Opinion Poll of Operators: Best Video Software". RePlay. Vol. 20, no. 10. RePlay Publishing, Inc. August 1995. p. 6.
  36. EMAP
    . 10 January 1997. pp. 6–7.
  37. ^ a b c "ProReview: Street Fighter Alpha". GamePro. No. 90. IDG. March 1996. p. 46.
  38. ^ a b GamePro, issue 91 (April 1996), page 74
  39. ^ "The Essential Buyers Guide Reviews". Maximum: The Video Game Magazine. No. 5. April 1996. p. 145.
  40. ^ "Top 100 Games of All Time" (PDF). GamesMaster (44): 76. July 1996.
  41. ^ GameSpot Staff (January 5, 2001). "Best and Worst of 2000". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 13, 2002.

Sources

  • Erik Suzuki; Matt Taylor; Graham Wolfe (1996). Street Fighter Alpha Strategy Guide. Dimension Publishing.
  • Studio Bent Stuff (Sep 2000). All About Capcom Head-to-Head Fighting Games 1987-2000. A.A. Game History Series (Vol. 1) (in Japanese). Dempa Publications, Inc.
    ISBN 4-88554-676-1
    .

External links
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Street_Fighter_Alpha&oldid=1227297866"