This.
And I actually disagree with most of you including the OP. I really enjoy A3 music, though 3S is my favorite.
Meh A2 > A3 on music and some stages. Nothing beats ST though.
Is one of the sickest themes ever. Anyone notice the strong simliarities to A2 games and Megaman games? A2 is the only SF game that I hear it.
Depends on the stage. For Guy, I prefer No More Swinging to his A2 theme, and Rose’s Schala to A2, but Charlie’s A2 instead of Decisive Bout. Sakura’s A2 is better than A3.
Which game you like better is a matter of opinion, but Alpha 2 completely blows away Alpha 3 in aesthetics: music, backgrounds, announcer voice, endings… everything.
Rose’s alpha 3 theme is good imo
SVN4
23
I like the final round and the ending of A3, but i agree A2 is superior. I have to say it was interesting how they put a great emphasis on counters in A3, and how they improved (imo) the Custom Combos. But i’m A2 guy (not the character, lol) all the way.
Sad that in this gap of generations SFIV is the first game where they could make the “heavy damage” (when one guy has 1/4 HP or something around that) segments really cool. In 3S for example, i feel that it wouldnt fit nicely. But in SFIV they had the chance but they made most songs bad, and with very “soft” heavy damage segments (compared to SFII).
Also, in aesthetics only the 3 Japan stages and Drive-in are good (only the stages added in Super that are very good), and the Npcs are ugly. About the models, they were trying to imitate Ikeno’s art; it’s not like making Tekken and VF. I agree that Bengus is better, but i guess there is no other veteran artist around (Ikeno began from ST or Alpha?). There is the fact that Ikeno’s drawings make the characters bulkier so that is one of the things that they didn’t make good; and which they tried to “hide” in some way, making use of the constant sideways perspective.
Akiman, who made some illustrations for the 2011 calender, and Kinu, whose SF4 work is slightly more abundant, are still around at Capcom. Even Bengus made an illustration or two for the company for SF4’s release. Ikeno has work dating back to the 3DO version of ST.
SVN4
25
Hm, thanks. Then do you know, or have any idea of why they choose Ikeno’s designs to follow?
I’d be interesting if they decide to keep using this art style in the next game, but choosing another designer.
Richard
26
You have a good point about most stages - SFA2 is much better than A3 for graphics (variety, parallax effects, memorability) and music (classic themes, not generic techno) and overall sound (less intrusive announcer).
However, to pick on Guile isn’t fair. His A3 stage is very good - maybe one of the best in the game. Graphically, it reminds me of some of the other '80s scrolling beat 'm ups. In fact, [media=youtube]s6J-D0_gzF8[/media]!
I kind of hate A3. it had some good stuff going for it but i love the stages and music for A2 way too much. It just felt it came together. A2 is definitely CPS2 gold, when CPS2 was in its prime. Plus, I love the secret Australia and Venezuela stages (unfortunately i didnt know about Venezuela until i got Anthology years later haha)
Favorite tracks: Gen, Cammy, Adon,…pretty much everyone
if you ask me, charlie’s stage in A2 was the most memorable, with sakura’s being the least.
That said, charlie’s theme is epic, when i play with rolento i keep super jumping (to not get hit) just to hear the music
^ Hmm, [media=youtube]D7Ubg-Xka2M[/media]…
M.D
30
You guys are sleeping on A3’s content
While most of the themes were stage-inspired, some of them were pretty decent.
- Ryu
- Balrog
- Shin Bison
- Dan
- Cammy
- Blanka
- Dee-jay
- Feilong
- X-ism Sodom
- Guy
And I felt alot of them were very fitting for the stage.
- Ken’s theme went well with his stage
- Guy’s theme really fits the atomsphere.
- Cody’s theme, although not that great, was very fitting.
Alpha 2 music and stages were more jazzy and traditional. I like it, but it’s not better than A3; just different. It’s a different vibe.
I play HSFA sometimes and when I see/hear the Alpha 3 HUD/announcer on an Alpha 1/2 stage with Alpha 1/2 music, it doesn’t fit.
jsun2k
31
something is arong with you guys. You got your heads stuck up nostalgias butt and Alpha 3 has great music. Just because its not the same songs they have been using ( minus Sagat’s theme bc they know better than to change perfection) for years and years you wanna hate on it. I like the fact they did something different with the CPS2 soundchip and went the techno route. Its more hard edged. The backgrounds are sweet too. You guys are just being too biased and comparing it.
Alpha 2 wasn’t even that great to me. Alpha 3 improves on so many levels and has everyone on it. Alpha 2 has like 16 characters at most and the system isnt refined yet. I actually had more fun with Alpha 1 then 2.
Nothing beats ST music??? Hahahah dont make me laugh. Soon as they turned sf2 over to the cps2 board the awesome FM music of sf2 turned crappy and high pitched. The music sounds wayyy worse. Esp Kens song and Blanka. They changed the music too much and it sounded thin. The original cps1 street fighter 2’s had the better music. In my opinion.
kedawa
32
I prefer the CPS1 audio in the SF2 games as well, and I’m not just talking about BGM. The sound effects are also much heavier sounding. The same thing happened to KoF; 94 sounds boss, while later games sound light and insubstantial.
The only thing I really dislike about A3 is the terrible art for the character portraits and victory illustrations.
Other than that, I really like the presentation.
A2 is like a nostalgic love letter to SF2 and Final Fight, and just refines existing tunes.
I have a hard time choosing one style over the other, but A3 is where the Alpha series really got its own identity.
Looks like they either had planned for another stage or didn’t know where to place lighting storm stage.
I really don’t think it has anything to do with nostalgia. And something must be wrong with you if you personally had more fun with the first Alpha game over the 2nd when it really wasn’t as fine tuned as it could have been. I like Alpha 3 and the backgrounds are comparatively just as good but you sound mad confused and just disagreeing to be a hipster.
