Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper
"Classic arcade action on the run!"
Ported by Crawfish Interactive, the GBA version of Street Fighter Alpha 3 has all the characters of the console versions, plus it includes three exclusive characters: Yun from Street Fighter III, Maki from Final Fight 2, and Eagle from the original Street Fighter. The grand total of characters, including the hidden ones, is a whopping thirty-seven!
Visuals:
The graphics in Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper are pretty good. The backgrounds are detailed and look good. The downsized character sprites are pretty good as well, but the sprites don�t look as well as their console counterparts, obviously.
Sounds:
The background music has been reduced to MIDI-quality and there are only a few different tracks. Voices sound okay, but not great. Many characters share the same voice.
Gameplay:
SFA3U plays surprisingly well, once you get used to the GBA controls. Gameplay is fast (you can set the speed) and the AI can be challenging. In SFA3, there are three �ISMs� that you can choose from: A, X, and V. Each one is different and affects the way your character operates. In A-ISM, you can have three levels on your Super Meter. In X-ISM, you have a long Super Meter, but it goes up faster and you can only use a specific Super Move. Your character deals out but takes in more damage than A-ISM. In V-ISM, you only have access to original combos. SFA3U has several modes: Single, Survival, Dramatic, Training, Final Battle, and the obligatory Training Mode. The GBA version lacks some modes from its console counterparts, most notably the World Tour mode.
Replayability:
There are several fighters and modes you can unlock in the game. There are also different game modes to choose from if you get bored with the Single Mode, not to mention a two-player link-up mode that you can play against an opponent who also owns SFA3U.
Bottom Line:
Those who are looking for a good portable fighter should pick up Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper. Some music, animations, and a bunch of the stages were removed due to memory restrictions, but SFA3U on the GBA is still a solid fighter.
If you�d like to pick up a console version, the Dreamcast version is the best one to get.
Final Score: B
Also recommended...
Street Fighter Alpha 3 (DC)
Super Street Fighter II Turbo: Revival (GBA)
The King of Fighters EX: Neo Blood (GBA)
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Developer: Crawfish Interactive
Publisher: Capcom
Genre: Fighting
Year released: 2002
Number of Players: 1-2 simultaneous w/ link-up (Multi-Pak only)
ESRB: Rated T (Violence)
Save: Game Pak
Misc: N/A
Last Updated ::
6/1/2005