Street Fighter Alpha Anthology
Verdict: It’s still got that Shin-sho-ryu-ken magic.
Platform: PS2.
Rating: 4/5
I remember my street fighting years with a wistful look into the distance as treasured memories of a miss-spent youth hanging out in the local arcade flood back. Mastering the art of Street Fighter II was a skill to boast about and the first times I pulled off moves like Ryu’s ‘Dragon Punch’ or Dhalsim’s ‘Yoga Flame’ had me in awe of the game and at my gradual mastering of it.
Times have changed of course, I still thank Street Fighter II for allowing an angry teen to vent some fury but the arcade’s days have dwindled as the home console has become part of the mainstream.
The Alpha Anthology is a collection of the arcade versions of the Street Fighter II prequels and oddly, Super Gem Fighter. Notable for their Manga stylings, fast gameplay and deeper combat they’re regarded as some of the best 2D beat-em-ups and this time round were responsible for my miss-spent years at university.
Introducing Alpha Counters, Air Blocking, Guard Meters, Custom Combos, the three stage Super Combo Gauge and some great new and re-invented characters meant that the series really had moved on from Super Street Fighter II Turbo for the better. Despite Street Fighter III eclipsing the Alpha series with its higher quality animation, its slower speed and more clinical and strategic parry based game play meant that Alpha remained most fans favourite.
While the ports compiled here are accurate they do lack some of the features of the console versions and only the die hard fans will really appreciate the differences in the games beyond different character rosters.
The diamond in the collection for some though is Super Gem Fighter, the little known super deformed beat em up whose simplified controls and over the top cartoon animation makes it easy for any one to have a fun blast with. Its lack of depth may bore some quickly though.
With the arcade style absence of load times, multiple games, hidden features and lashings of nostalgia it’s certainly a bargain at £20. I just wish Capcom would hurry up and make that pipe dream that still lingers in the heart of every fan a reality - Street Fighter IV.