Street Fighter Alpha Anthology

Jun 12, 2006

In spite of the rallying cries among hardcore gamers across the Internet, a fresh supply of '90s-style 2D fighting games continues to go fairly unheard. Sure, there's Guilty Gear, but the amount of learning required to play it would be better spent working on a Bachelor's Degree. However, the most popular publisher, Capcom, hasn't thrown a fresh bone out in quite some time. On the other hand, they've been awfully consistent in creating compilations destined to ensure that gamers won't have to track down that missing, scratched copy of Street Fighter Alpha 3 to have a go. So, with Street Fighter Alpha Anthology, direct ports of previous Alpha games get their first lumping together. Granted, it's not a reinvention of the wheel, but as a whole, 2D fighting fans should be happy with the offerings here.

This is the second title that Capcom has released entailing the greatest games of the Street Fighter series. 2004's Street Fighter Anniversary Collection was a boon for gamers looking for yet another excuse to put the Dreamcast in the attic with the inclusion of the stellar but underrated Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike. Unfortunately, on PS2, there was no online play as there was with the Xbox version. The same, unfortunately, applies here, as the game is confined to couch warfare.

It feels a bit strange to say it, but it's been eleven years since the first Street Fighter Alpha dropped in American arcades, and ten years ago on the PlayStation. Since then, Capcom's 2D fighters got faster, more aggressive, and more complex, but it's nice to go back and sample a taste of 1995 again. The port looks good -- what would one expect from an 11-year-old game? -- so it seems that the most important elements in running this title would be optimized load times, which are quite good for this title and can be optimized even more for those few in possession of the PS2 hard drive.

Also included are both Street Fighter Alpha 2 and its upgraded successor, Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold, which threw in bonus characters. Originally only included for US release on the PlayStation Street Fighter Anthology in 1998, it now makes its PS2 bow alongside the rest of the series. The 1997 cartoony-style Super Gem Fighter: Mini Mix, also known as Pocket Fighter in Japan, is also thrown in for good measure. Of course, the most famous of the Alpha series, Street Fighter Alpha 3, is on the disc as well. Casual gamers might enjoy having a pack of old school 2D fighting action, including the 2-on-1 Dramatic Battles, while Alpha completists will do their best to unlock hidden characters for the arranged versions and crack the key to secret menus.

All around, the titles are excellent ports that run at a great frame rate. Visually, they're adjustable in proportion to the TV players are using, so if someone on an HD can handle having less viewing room, they won't have a case of the "Fat Ken" image. They're classic arcade titles that look quite good for their age; nothing more, nothing less. Controls are the same as they've been since Street Fighter ported to PS2; there isn't much different in that department. In fact, if there's any true weakness regarding Alpha Anthology, it's the "been there, done that" feeling that casts a pall over the game. The compilation is good by default, as it's essentially a collection of some of the best fighting games of last decade, and is a veritable museum exhibit and love letter to the 1990s on one DVD-ROM. However, even with the addition of Super Gem Fighter: Mini Mix, it still feels like a title designed to consolidate a few games on anyone's CD rack into one DVD.

As mentioned before, those who already own or have been considering picking up a cheap used PS2 hard drive will be in luck. While the game loads nicely off the disc, it runs arcade-smooth in regard to loading up a fight off the hard disk. After dropping each game on the HDD, it seems like the DVD itself is better suited for booting up the PS2. Each game takes a mere few seconds to fire up with the hard drive, and players will be jumping into the action in no time. It's a very small touch that Capcom didn't even mention, but it's a very nice touch to have.

The multiplayer is good, but again, it's restricted to two people next to one another. Street Fighter Alpha Anthology does not support online play, much like Street Fighter Anniversary Collection for PS2 didn't go online. However, knowing that the Xbox Live game went to the next level is a tad disheartening. Maybe it would've taken longer to release, but it would have been a great touch to have online Alpha action.

So, for those wondering if it's worth their time, Street Fighter Alpha Anthology is a great game that compiles all of the super-popular Alpha games from the PlayStation era. Alpha fanatics will love the five games and the arrange modes available. If they own a hard drive, the load-time difference is rather dramatic (fractions of the disc load times) and pulls up games in a matter of split seconds. It's a shame that the game doesn't have online capabilities, but for playing against a friend, it's unbeatable. All around, gamers looking for something to keep them going during the slow summer months would likely find themselves satisfied with what Capcom's got cooking here.