REVIEW:  A true successor in every way to SFA1 and SFA2, Street Fighter Alpha 3 was a dream come true for long-time fans of the series in 1998-1999. In SFA3, previously missing fan-favorites like E. Honda, Blanka, Balrog, and Vega make their epic debuts into the Alpha saga, making for the most robust and colorful character roster in any Street Fighter title to date. Naturally, the classic fighters were given completely new sprites, animating smoother than ever before and even boasting new moves. FUN FACT:  The art style and animation of SFA3 was so influential to the Street Fighter series, that 2D character sprites from SFA3 would later appear in a variety of other Capcom fighting game series, including: Marvel Vs. Capcom, Capcom Vs. SNK and Capcom Fighting Evolution.
 

 
The returning veterans are joined by 3 newcomers: Karin - Sakura's rival who first appeared in the manga Sakura Ganbaru, R. Mika - an acrobatic Japanese female wrestler who idolizes Zangief, and Cody - one of the protagonists from Capcom's classic arcade beat-em-up, Final Fight (1989). Cody's Street Fighter debut is particularly epic (especially to any old school Capcom fan), since he appears as an escaped convict (which makes perfect sense, considering he relentlessly beat the hell out of 100's of street thugs in Final Fight)... On a side note, one of Cody's super moves is even a throwback to his classic "jab infinite" in Final Fight. That level of epic fan service is unprecedented, and it's only one example of many in SFA3.
   

  
The core gameplay system from the prequels has been streamlined in Alpha 3, keeping most of the gameplay trademarks intact, but giving returning players a host of new options to play with. Alpha 3 discards the "Manual" and "Auto" modes from the prequels, introducing 3 different playing styles known as "isms". After selecting their character of choice, players choose from "A-ism" (three-tiered super combo meter), "X-ism" (one-tiered super meter style based on SSF2T), or "V-ism" (custom combo style based on SFA2's system).

These isms allow players to play SFA3 characters how they want to, as X-ism is based on a more classic formula, while A-ism and X-ism offer the newest and freshest mechanics of the Alpha series. There are tons of tiny nuances that change for each character depending on which ism is chosen, ranging from animation changes, to alternate move commands, and of course how specific attacks function. These new modes of play add awesome customization value never before seem in a fighting game, and allows each fighter to be used very differently depending on their "ism". Each character also has 6 different color options (and in the arcade version, character color depends on which "ism" is selected).


Aside from the Ism System, innovative mechanics such as Air Blocking, Air Recoveries, and Guard Breaks provide a very different Street Fighter experience from what returning fans might expect. All of the unique gameplay elements combined create a very unique experience in Alpha 3.
   

  
The home versions of Street Fighter Alpha 3 weren't simple ports like previous installments, and actually include some great bonus modes and even new characters. The console exclusive World Tour mode allows players to choose a character and level them up with various power-ups and abilities as they fight their way through the roster (and even some 2-VS-1 battles). Dramatic Battle is a 2-VS-1 battle mode which enables 3 characters on screen at once... and considering all of SFA3's flashy gameplay mechanics, the action can get pretty crazy at times.


Additionally, the home versions also include the final three characters from Super Street Fighter 2 (who were previously missing in the Alpha series): Dee Jay, T. Hawk and Fei Long, along with the old school SF2 icon, Guile... completing the original cast from Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Balrog also makes his way onto the default roster (previously a secret character in the arcade version), along with console-exclusive characters: Evil Ryu and Shin Akuma.


There are two sequels to the original version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 which add even more characters to the superb roster, and they can both be found on handheld systems. Street Fighter Alpha 3: Upper on Gameboy Advance adds Yun, Maki & Eagle and the later Street Fighter Alpha 3: Max adds those same 3 characters to the line-up, plus Ingrid! On that note, don't miss TFG's full review of Street Fighter Alpha 3: Upper and SFA3: Max!
 

Page Updated: July 28th, 2024 Developer(s): Capcom Publisher(s): Capcom Designer(s): Noritaka Funamizu Haruo Murata Hideaki Itsuno Akiman    Character Design Artwork by: Bengus    Character Art Harumaru     Saturn Box Art Hideki Ishikawa     Posters Platform(s): Arcade, Dreamcast, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance (SFA3: Upper), PSP (SF3: Max), PS2 (SFA: Anthology), PSN Release Date(s): June 29th 1998                   /    Arcade December 1998                   PS1 Apr. 30th, 1999                    PS1 July 8th, 1999                        Dreamcast Aug. 6th, 1999                      Saturn 2000                                            PlayStation May 31st, 2000                     Dreamcast Sept. 29th, 2000                   Dreamcast Sept. 27th, 2002                   GBA as SFA3: Upper Nov. 29th, 2000                    GBA as SFA3: Upper Dec. 1st, 2002                       GBA as SFA3: Upper Jan. 19th, 2006                     as SFA3: Max Feb. 7th, 2006                       as SFA3: Max Mar. 10th, 2006                    as SFA3: Max Characters:  Ryu, Chun-Li, Cody, Rainbow Mika, Karin, Adon, Guy, Ken Masters, Dhalsim, Gen, Sakura, Rolento, Zangief, Charlie, Birdie, Rose, Sodom, Sagat, M. Bison, Dan Hibiki, E.Honda, Vega, Blanka, Cammy, Juli, Juni, Balrog, Evil Ryu, Akuma, Shin Akuma, Guile (console), Fei Long (console), Thunder Hawk (console), Dee Jay (console) Featured Video: Related Games: Street Fighter Alpha 3: MAX, SFA3: Upper, Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter Alpha Anthology, Street Fighter, Street Fighter 2, SF2: CE, SF2 Turbo, Super SF2, Super SF2 Turbo, SSF2T: Revival, SSF2T HD Remix, Ultra SF2, SFIII: New Generation, SFIII: 2nd Impact, SFIII: 3rd Strike, SFIII: 3S OE, Street Fighter 4, Super SF4, SSF4: 3D Edition, SSF4: AE, Ultra SF4, Street Fighter V, SFV: AE, SFV: CE, Street Fighter 6, SF: Anniversary Collection, SF30th Anniv. Collection, Street Fighter EX, SFEX2, SFEX3, SF: The Movie, Super Puzzle Fighter 2 Turbo, Super PF2T HD Remix, Pocket Fighter, Darkstalkers 2, Darkstalkers 3, Rival Schools, Final Fight Revenge, Real Bout Fatal Fury 2, Last Blade 2, KOF '98, KOF '99, SNK Vs. Capcom: MOTM, Final Fight Revenge, Capcom Vs. SNK 2, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, Capcom Fighting Evolution    Gameplay Engine  9.5 / 10 Story / Theme  9.5 / 10 Overall Graphics  9.0 / 10 Animation  9.5 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  9.5 / 10 Innovation  9.5 / 10 Art Direction  9.5 / 10 Customization  9.0 / 10 Options / Extras  8.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation  9.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun  9.5 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  8.5 / 10 Characters  9.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE 9.5 / 10  Review based on Arcade / Dreamcast version       Final Words: At the time (1998), Street Fighter Alpha 3 was a fighting game that was "thinking outside the box" for Street Fighter. For people expecting the typical Street Fighter formula of the early 90's... SFA3 likely changed their perspective, offering a fresh art style, interesting newcomers, and new gameplay nuances which allowed returning fighting game veterans to play the game exactly how they wanted. For those who really dived in... SFA3 provided a very different gameplay experience, not to mention one of the best presentations from the series to date. SFA3 was no doubt an important stepping stone in the series history, throwing some incredible new (and veteran) characters into the mix. Future fan favorites such as R. Mika and Karin Kanzaki got their start in SFA3... and damn are they impressive! As an old school Capcom fan growing up in the 80's, of course seeing Cody Travers punch through his jail cell to finally enter the Street Fighter universe (alongside his old comrade, Guy) was an incredible moment in time. If you ask this fighting game veteran, I'll tell you Street Fighter Alpha 3 is still one of the finest iterations of Street Fighter known to man. The unique and customizable gameplay mechanics via the 3-Ism System, the excellent roster, the hard-hitting original soundtrack, the beautiful and diverse backgrounds, the incredibly memorable artwork by Bengus, (and the list goes on)... pretty much every aspect about SFA3 makes sense and just feels "right". Feng shui if you will. I put 100's of hours into SFA3 competitively back in the day. Decades later, Alpha 3 is still one of my "all time" favorite Street Fighter games... and I know I'm not the only Street Fighter fan with that opinion. SFA3's brilliant art style and soundtrack is also something special. Everything about this game screams EPIC. Many fighting games after SFA3 didn't quite match the "hype" this game (and the announcer) brought to the table. SFA3 was succeeded by 2 handheld ports which added new characters to the roster: SFA3 Upper in 2002 and SFA3 MAX in 2006. In addition to new playable characters like Maki, Yun, Eagle, and Ingrid, these upgraded versions also added new stages and features to the game, and should not be overlooked! ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen    Click Here for more Animated Stages!                       Posters / Box Artwork / Movelists / etc. Click Here for all Concept Sketches! Click Here for all Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES