Street Fighter Alpha 3: this is madness! Madness? This is SPARTA

Current Fighting Games Fighting Game Discussion
1

I am so confused. what’s the best version of the game?

Street Fighter Zero 3 / Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Arcade, CPS2)

Street Fighter Zero 3 / Street Fighter Alpha 3 (PlayStation)

Street Fighter Zero 3 / Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Dreamcast)

Street Fighter Zero 3 (Saturn)

Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper / Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper (GBA)

Street Fighter Zero 3: Double Upper / Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max (PSP)

Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper (Arcade, NAOMI GD-ROM release of the
Dreamcast version)

Street Fighter Zero: Fighter’s Generation / Street Fighter Alpha
Anthology (PS2)

(I might have missed a few versions)

I’ve heard that the Dreamcast, GBA, PSP, re-released arcade “Zero 3 Upper” and PS2 Alpha Anthology (when Upper is unlocked) have the most fighters, but that the Saturn (w/ 4 MB RAM cart) version has the best looking sprites.

The Saturn version supposedly was worked on after the Dreamcast version, added a backward walking animation for T. Hawk. the sprites are said to look better and larger, even though the Dreamcast is more powerful, Saturn was a better sprite-pushing system, and the Dreamcast version is said to be an upgraded port of the good-yet-not-arcade-exact PS1 version.

I’ve played the Dreamcast version. was thinking about picking up Anthology for
PS2.

is it worth it to track down the rare Saturn version? thanks :sweat:

2

The best version to get right now is the Anthology version. With the dipswitches, you can set it to near-arcade perfection. Probably the best and easiest way to get it.

The Saturn version is pretty damn expensive. It’s the equivalent of Marvel for the PS2 when it comes to pricing. And it’s much more rare as well.

3

If you have a PSP, hit up SFA3 MAX; it’s amazingly sharp, and the mode choices are endless…

4

Plain and simple: pick up Anthology and you’ll never have to worry about buying another Alpha game again.

5

i traded my sfa3 for the gba a while back for ff IV or V, I forget but it was free :O)

6

I’m not sure about the other versions but I do know that the original PS1 version is ridiculously different from arcade version (aside from extra chars). I think they tried to modify the hitboxes (possibly making some weirder than they already were), and gief’s walking backwards animation is eerily familiar (hint: it’s his walking forward animation).

7

Though I agree Anthology is the way to go, there will always be a place in my heart for the PSX version… love that World Tour Mode. I really liike the PSP version too, but it’s not exactly fighter-ergonomic if you know what I mean (and can someone explain to me why Yun is in it?).

8

THIS

IS

SPARTAAA!!!

:mk:

9

PS2 version is the best version you can get. People also say that the saturn’s sprites are better. The PS2 sprites also seem comparable with the right TV settings. On the DC, the sprites look weird, a little rough and thin. The DC version’s music and sound effects don’t sound crisp. PS1 version has missing animations as usual.

10

Get the PS2 version, deffinately. I’m a huge Alpha fan and am very, very happy with it. I recommend using this thread as a resource for dip switch settings for 3upper:

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=125036

11

ps2 is the only version to get for any alpha game, and for pocket fighter as well. every version of regular a3 is shit on all consoles. only ps2 version is good

12

I concur.

Addition to more characters, it plays fairly well on a portable system.

13

This is such a loaded question.

What is the best to you?

If you are looking to get good enough for the rare seen A3 tournament scene then you absolutely must go CPS2 since that is currently the only accepted platform for competitive A3.

There are so many differences in the different versions of this game.

If you think playing handheld is better than console then the choice is easy.

If you want maximum number of characters and options go with Anthology.

I’ve owned most versions of A3 and I guess I stick with CPS2 because that is the version I am most familiar with, but do what works best for you and you’re fellow gamers…and yeah, Saturn SFA3 is awesome…still love playing on my old PS1/Saturn MAS stick…that’s old school!

Ted

14

just get MAME + stick + ROMS goo luck:sweat:

15

Also for some weird reason the Training Mode CPU on the PS1 version doesn’t seem to safe fall out of corner combos:

i.e.: Ryu’s Corner J.Roundhouse - C.Strong - Level 2 Shinkuu Hadouken - Juggle C.Strong - Juggle Level 1 Shinkuu Hadouken

For some weird reason on SFA Anthology, the CPU always safe fall after the Level 2 Shinkuu, while on the PS1 version, it sometimes does and sometimes doesn’t.

16

I picked up Anthology on Friday. love it!

I unlocked Alpha 3 Arrange (Upper), beat it and all the other games to unlock Hyper Alpha which has a HUGE sound test with many tracks from other SF games

T. Hawk has his backward walking animation.

Question, in Alpha 2 Gold, I know how to get Cammy but I noticed the artwork shows all the New Challengers, T.Hawk, Dee Jay, Fei-Long. Are those guys playable in A2G or just Cammy?

Also I noticed that Karin’s 2nd background is on a ship on PS2. on Dreamcast, its just the same market/street background at a different time of day. I’ll have to check the arcade to see what that did.

still interested in the Saturn version, but price, rarity and compatibility issues will make it prohibitative. I’ve got an ST-Key for my standard U.S. Saturn for which I use to play Capcom Generation 5
(SFII The World Warrior, Dash/Champion Edition and Turbo/Hyper Fighting).
don’t know if I can run 4MB games even if I had the 4MB RAM cartridge.

I think I’ll just stick with Anthology.

I also noticed that in most (not all) cases, Alpha 2 backgrounds are nicer than Alpha 3.

17

PSP has tons of modes, portable, but has bad control.
PS2 is arcade perfect, has good control, but not many modes.

18

Karin’s ship background is also present on the Dreamcast version, I don’t remember the conditions to fight her on the market at night on any of the console versions, by the way I think you are perfectly fine with Alpha Anthology, I have many versions of Alpha 3 (an Alpha games in general) and can tell you that the Anthology is not only good because of practical purposes, since the versions are spot on.

The version of Alpha 3 that I play the most is the Saturn one because I like the controller and the bigger than arcade sprites, nothing that relevant really

19

thanks, I printed out your whole post for reference :wgrin: will try messing around with the dip switch settings tonight.

20

Just Cammy, they used the wrong artwork.

In the arcade version they used a darker version of Sakura’s stage without the people in the background. She got her own background in the console versions, though I think you still get the old stage if you play the CPU Sakura vs Karin, or something like that.

Saturn version is expensive and rare, though some people loved it because it was the most arcade-perfect of all the ports, and still had the extra stuff from the other console versions (except for the special Saikyo mode from the later Dreamcast version). If you’re looking for the extra stuff, you might as well get the PSP version since you already have he optionally-arcade-perfect PS2 version, though I hear PSP control requires some modifications, at best.