Street Fighter Alpha 3

If there is a game capable of keeping a fan of two-dimensional fighters busy for weeks on end, it is Street Fighter Alpha 3. Here Capcom served up one of the most extensive classic portions from its legendary series.

The most striking feature is the massive roster, which counts over thirty characters. That makes Alpha 3 one of the richest classic Street Fighters ever released. You will find old familiar faces as well as less common fighters, so the room for experimenting with different play styles is virtually inexhaustible. Each character has their strengths and weaknesses, and finding yours is entertainment for long hours in itself.

The heart of the gameplay, however, is the system of three fighting styles, the so-called ISM (A-ism, X-ism and V-ism). Each of them fundamentally changes the combat mechanics, from the way you charge super attacks to your options for blocking and defense. Before a match, the player thus chooses not only a character but also an entire philosophy of how they want to fight. This layer adds unexpected depth and sets Alpha 3 apart from many other installments of the series.

The console version for PlayStation also became famous for containing the most content of all the versions at the time. Added characters, game modes and options made it the definitive release for home players who did not have to regularly visit the arcades.

Street Fighter Alpha 3 thus remains a celebration of everything that makes two-dimensional fighters so addictive. It combines a tremendous amount of content with thoughtful mechanics and a visual style that ages gracefully. For lovers of the genre it is a little treasure.

Why play: A huge roster of over thirty characters and three distinct ISM fighting styles give one of the most extensive classic Street Fighters depth to last for weeks.