I think you make an interesting point about the lack of evolution, but I disagree with it. Although cool when it was new, Street Fighter Alpha was horribly underdeveloped. Alpha 2 added a few key characters, improved on the mechanics a bit, and GREATLY improved on the presenation, demonstrating how amazing Alpha could (should) have been from the very beginning.
Alpha 3 was an entirely different beast altogether, scrapping much of what made Alpha 2 awesome and replacing it with a ridiculously overwrought ISM system that stomps on the series' once-fine name. Unlike Alpha 2's added characters, most of the additions to part 3 are either (A) stupid, or (B) sacrilege.
Although I disagree, I think it's a nice piece of writing.
I feel that while Alpha 2 upped the refinement and smoothed out the mechanics (and added those custom combos), I still felt it was more similar than different. For me, it was just polish.
If I was reviewing Alpha 2 during its time and not as a part of an anthology, I would have probably given it more props.
I do have to say that things like Guard Crush and V-ism is quite silly in Alpha 3, but I felt that a risk reward was in order. At that point in the series and in this anthology, anything new was amazing even if it had some issues.
zigfried Aug 18, 2006
I think you make an interesting point about the lack of evolution, but I disagree with it. Although cool when it was new, Street Fighter Alpha was horribly underdeveloped. Alpha 2 added a few key characters, improved on the mechanics a bit, and GREATLY improved on the presenation, demonstrating how amazing Alpha could (should) have been from the very beginning.
Alpha 3 was an entirely different beast altogether, scrapping much of what made Alpha 2 awesome and replacing it with a ridiculously overwrought ISM system that stomps on the series' once-fine name. Unlike Alpha 2's added characters, most of the additions to part 3 are either (A) stupid, or (B) sacrilege.
Although I disagree, I think it's a nice piece of writing.
//Zig
draqq_zyxx Blogger Aug 18, 2006
I feel that while Alpha 2 upped the refinement and smoothed out the mechanics (and added those custom combos), I still felt it was more similar than different. For me, it was just polish.
If I was reviewing Alpha 2 during its time and not as a part of an anthology, I would have probably given it more props.
I do have to say that things like Guard Crush and V-ism is quite silly in Alpha 3, but I felt that a risk reward was in order. At that point in the series and in this anthology, anything new was amazing even if it had some issues.
honestgamer Staff Aug 18, 2006
Genj Aug 18, 2006