Street Fighter Alpha Capcom Sony PlayStation

Ryu, Ken, Chun Li, Sagat, and M.Bison. They are all the familiar names from the new, alpha-driven fighting game, Street Fighter Alpha by Capcom. Die hard fans of the Street Fighter series will remember these fighters as well as six other fighters. Called Street Fighter Zero in Japan, Street Fighter Alpha is a very close translation from its arcade counterpart. The timeline for these game is set before the first Street Fighter game, thus it's name, Alpha(Zero). The old familiar figures of Ryu and Ken have been redesigned and look really anime-like. The player will find four old fighters and two new ones, a refreshing addition to their already favorite game. Charlie, a friend and part of Guile's military team, is back in Guile's place with his moves and a few new ones. Guy, previously from Final Fight, is the sleek, silent ninjitsu fighter, comes into the game with the goal of fighting evil whereever it rears its ugly head. Birdie, previously from Street Fighter, is the large, mohawked street fighter, uses his chain and brute strength to trounce is opponents. Sodom, another Final Fight alumni, is a student of Japan and former henchman of the Mad Gear Gang, comes with his sharp Sais and revenge for Guy who spelt the downfall of the gang. Adon, also from Street Fighter, is a master in the art of Muay Thai, who trained with Sagat and is now his enemy. He has the speed of the jaguar and his fighting style mirrors it. Rose uses her inner chi to defeat her opponents, and her intentions are shrouded in mystery.

New features in Street Fighter Alpha include the Alpha Counter (stopping an opponents attack with another), Taunt (where the player can taunt their opponent with the SELECT button), Defensive Fall (use the above throw buttons to reduce the damage on a fall), and Avoid Being Floored (where the player can avoid being floored and land gently on the ground). One of the cooler things a player can do is a Super Combo Level Gauge which can go up to three levels. If you finish off your opponent with a super combo, you're in for a surprise. Street Fighter Alpha uses all eight buttons, Low/Medium/High/X3 Punches and Low/Medium/High/X3 Kicks. If the player uses the X3 button with a Super Combo you can inflict more damage and more combo hits which gives the player more points. There are other modes of play, Vs. Mode, Training Mode, and the special Team Mode where you can play with another person to defeat the evil M.Bison just like the ending of Street Fighter II: The Movie. There are also secret characters that you can play: Dan, Akuma, and Nash, Guile's other friend. If you are a fan of the Street Fighter series, Street Fighter Alpha is a refreshing and new incarnation of the Street Fighter series. Definitely buy this one! -- Maria "Akane" Munoz