STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3 - History of the GREATEST Street Fighter of all time!?

#FightingGameHistory #RetroGamingHistory #StreetFighterHistory
Today, Top Hat Gaming Man discusses the history of Street Fighter Alpha 3, a game many people consider the best Street Fighter of all time.
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Gameplay Sources if you fancy subscribing for original gameplay ! -
Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper Gameplay - SF Alpha Plus - www.youtube.co...
Street Fighter Alpha 3 Arcade Gameplay - Michaelpf08 - • Street Fighter Alpha 3... Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper Arcade Gameplay - Sid Retromania - • Street Fighter Zero 3 ... SSF2T Gameplay - kwingsletsplays- • Super Street Fighter I... Pocket Fighter Gameplay - NintendoComplete - • Pocket Fighter (PS1) P... Street Fighter 3 Second Impact - TheInnocentSinful - • Street Fighter III: 2n... SSF2T Gameplay - TheInnocentSinful - • Video Steet Fighter 3 New Generation - DrewTonyZ - • Street Fighter III: Ne... Tekken 3 - Playstation Classics - • Tekken 3 (1080P) - Jin... Street Fighter Alpha 3 Gameplay - Krizalid99v2 - • Street Fighter Alpha 3... SFA3 World Tour Mode - Derek Turner - • [Classic] Street Fight... SFA3 Sega Saturn - Jornada Games - • Video SFA 3 Sega Saturn Dramatic Battle - Tempest Way - • Street Fighter Alpha 3...
Additional Information Sources
en.wikipedia.o... www.ign.com/ga... www.gamespot.c...

[@alejandromolinac]

I must say Capcom 2d games of the 90's are so timeless..... And just looking at the art directions is a visual delight.....

[@duke2go558]

These graphics were so good I've been basing my concept art for my own IP off of them. At least in preparing the playable demo. It's not a fighting game, but the poses and movements Capcom came up with for the Alpha series/type games were fluid and still hold up today.

[@alejandromolinac]

@@duke2go558 Oh I hear you! You can get so much inspiration and reference on the body proportions, stances, flow of movement, gesture on any character..... Also the backgrounds are so well put together with Foreground and background elements; It gives so much depth......

[@joaokiwi2543]

I strongly dislike the characters in street fighter overall, the pixel art backgrounds are gorgeous tho.

[@nerto5425]

I prefer 2d figthing games to 3d

[@auditoryproductions1831]

Capcom really dropped the ball in terms of the aesthetic direction of both SF4 and 5. I almost wish Capcom would just let Arcsys make SF Alpha 4. If Capcom makes its probably going to look corny as shit.

[@Superdimensional]

“Triumph or die!” 😆” Go for it, man!” 🤣 “that was great, super, excellent!!!!” 🤣🤣🤣

[@cdubbart]

"It all depends on your skill!" "Go for broke!"

[@OctoBuddah009]

"Beat' um up guy! Go for broke!"

[@OctoBuddah009]

@@cdubbart "Face his strength!"

[@xaviersantiago3774]

"What a terrible fighter!"

[@dogg-paws]

"You have fists of God!"

[@DJ239]

I'll never forget that M. Bison boss fight, I used to throw the controller when I was younger playing Alpha 3! His Psycho Crusher X-ism takes like 60 or 70% of your health!

[@neoncreator]

This is the game that made me start playing fighting games

[@unstoppableExodia]

Same

[@dragonking5071]

Agreed

[@animer.3243]

Same

[@bryanc7094]

yes

[@johndewberryiii9925]

I been playing since SF2 but it was alpha 3 and Garou that made me take it more seriously. I was so proud when I finally was able to pull off 720 motion super combos and raging demon. Those games really made me want to start stepping up my skills beyond the cross ups and two in ones

[@NobodyNewsNetwork]

I had Dreamcast and my best friend and I mostly played Panzer Dragoon, and Alien. I got Alpha 3 around 8pm one night and called him over to play. We almost instantly decided we had to cut school the next day to really get into it. It was pouring that morning and we came up with the plan to stand near a huge puddle and wait for a car to splash us so we had a "reasonable excuse" to turn back. Worked like a charm! 🤣

[@FidFighter]

This is the best Street Fighter Alpha game ever. The Dreamcast and PSP versions hands down greatest

[@martiniracing930]

Which is the one for PSP?

[@auditoryproductions1831]

Capcom really dropped the ball in terms of the aesthetic direction of both SF4 and 5. I almost wish Capcom would just let Arcsys make SF Alpha 4. If Capcom makes its probably going to look corny as shit.

[@phoenixforce6595]

Definitely not. The Saturn version wipes the floor with both of them

[@antra21]

@@phoenixforce6595 Lies.

[@antra21]

@@martiniracing930 Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max.

[@billcook4768]

How can you go over the roster and all but ignore the greatest fighter of them all - Dan.

[@DaGleese]

Dan was covered briefly in SFA2's video

[@doctormasterdevil]

Schooling your friends specially the ryu or ken fanboys with Dan was the ultimate humilliation

[@nilesstark]

Dan was a beast in Alpha 3.

[@hiranom20]

The video even started with his stage music from alpha 3 lol

[@Max-zv8hm]

Cause he’s a pleb and not a gamer

[@kevinfranks8439]

Alpha 3 on the dreamcast was and still is a great game

[@PrimitiveBaroque]

I still have the disk and also Third Strike for DC. Two of my faves, next to Cap vs SNK

[@MadCircle01]

Dreamcast was a fighting game fan's dream.

[@TyreseJackson]

Street Fighter Alpha 3 Saikyo Dojo

[@johnfire3194]

True but i remember those dream cast controllers were god-awful for this game. Big fan of the dual-shock2 on ps2

[@TyreseJackson]

@Yellow Flash No, Street Fighter Alpha 3 MAX was the best version

[@edgelord8337]

This probably is one of the greatest game of all time This is also my favorite street fighter game with 2 and 4 not to far behind. Truly a gem.

[@willznuts]

Hmmm SF2 is legendary but I prefer SFA/SFZ 3 over it although I still believe SFIII is the GOAT (I stink at it the most too). Lastly, I think V is better than IV, well at least now compared to when it first came out. Cheers!

[@blackmanta2527]

The sound track 👌👌👌. I just did like the air movement in this game 😕

[@LouDominquez21]

@@willznuts I hear you. Sf3's look amazing and play great, but I'm the worst at those. Just awful.

[@jjjsalang]

SF Alpha series is my favorite SF series

[@willznuts]

@AaronRoberto3 killed the franchise? Sureeee you can make that argument as its sales supported that. Trash? I respectfully disagree! Tee Hee!

[@myworld4576]

This is my favourite title in the Street Fighter series Alpha 3 had almost every character that was playable in the series at the time I wish we have another SF game with every single character similar to Mortal Kombat Armageddon and the Tekken Tag Tournament games.

[@nickharris5231]

Ultra SF4 had pretty much everyone from SFII and Alpha series by the end. Missing some SFIII characters though.

[@conradojavier7547]

I want those Missing Characters to Borrow Some of the Pre-existing Characters. Joe = Prisoner Cody minus the Criminal Upper Retsu = Makoto mix with Gouken Geki = Claw mix with Ibuki Lee = the Lee Brothers' Moves fused as One Mike = a Pallet Swap for Boxer Eagle = based on his CVS2 Moves

[@shadowpresident4203]

It's amazing how much more gracefully the 1990's-early 2000's Capcom and SNK 2D fighting games have aged, relative to early 3D polygonal fighters like Tekken and Battle Arena Toshinden. I remember being absolutely blown away the first time I saw a Tekken cabinet at the arcade. It must have been 1994. I thought to myself, "I bet it'll be like five or ten years before we get graphics this good on any home system." Less than two years later, we had a near-perfect port on the PSX (which is what we called the original PlayStation back then, as it didn't become known as the PS1 until after the PS2 came out). Now looking back at the original Tekken, with its low resolution textures, with barely a single pass of anti-aliasing to cover up the jagged edges of those pitifully low poly count models it's hard to believe just how awesome I thought it looked. I thought Tekken's arcade contemporaries like the original KOF, Super SFII, and other SNK fighters were old news, and apparently that was what most everyone else was thinking at the time. It makes me wonder which games considered amazing from a graphical standpoint today will suffer the same fate, and which are the equivalent of SF3 that we're currently overlooking.

[@LastBastian]

Agreed. I can barely stand to look at any PS1 era 3D game now. Yet so many older 2D games still look beautiful and timeless to me.

[@lunarstain7545]

I just had my grandfather's funeral. I needed this. Thank you

[@angrytheclown801]

You have my sympathies man, take care.

[@songoku9348]

So sorry to hear my friend. Stay strong. 👍

[@malant2719]

The saturn was probably the best version. Mostly on the basis that u could battle the entire roster 2 on 1 against the computer

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

I gotta get it for my Saturn.

[@aldoespinosa6767]

Best is PSP Alpha Max !!

[@armyofninjas9055]

I prefer arcade and psx because that's what I played. XD

[@the757general2]

Saturn port also had Reverse Dramatic Battle which allowed 1 vs 2 fights against the entire roster

[@Simeautomatic100]

*You know what I'm such a sucker for?? The different Now Loading screens Alpha 3 has on the PS1 Verison. Just like how Rival Schools on the PS1 also has various Now Loading screens. I LOVE THAT SOO MUCH!!*

[@AnonymousC2218]

Yeah man I loved the loading screens thats what I loved about the Ps1 version over the rest

[@clutchfrench96]

I loved those as well and just overall loved the artwork of this time on SFA3 , it was such a perfect game. I cant believe now so many years later people believe 3rd strike to be the best SF 2 d classic game all because of the Daigo Parry moment and revisionist history. I never even knew anyone with 3rd strike in 98/99 . ! million sold copies to what was it like 40 50 thousand by 3rd strike yet the FGC says that 3rd strike is the best with its limited roster and modes?? smh, it is good and a top SF to me but not A 3 . Even Daigo himself says that.

[@jinsaotome3607]

dude seriously!!! no one brings this up! it added such a cool feel to the game, and the level of detail in those character pics were amazing. especially sagats. his was so fire. the detail they put in the folds of his shorts for example. his drawing looked so realistic.

[@mscottjohnson3424]

I don't know how I never realized that A in A-ism is for Alpha and Z is for Zero. It's so obvious. My guess would then be the X in X-ism, being the Super Street Fighter II Turbo style, comes from the Japanese name for that game being Super Street Fighter II X. Wonder why they didn't change that one to T-ism in the west for Turbo.

[@TheodoreManthovani]

Some people do think SF Alpha is the original name. Lolz. Same goes with Vega, Balrog, Bison name switched by america version.

[@unstoppableExodia]

Theodore Manthovani IKR

[@mscottjohnson3424]

@@TheodoreManthovani Don't forget Gouki to Akuma and Nash to Charlie!

[@mr.checkyourself4672]

My FAVORITE game of the franchise

[@gameboi20]

3rd strik and 4

[@Queeg500RD]

same

[@haydengittins2836]

Love the Saturn version. The Saturn was a 2D fighting beast. Still one of my favourite consoles ever as a result

[@jakelam5089]

I didn't even know that the Saturn actually got a release of SFA3

[@NozomuYume]

@@jakelam5089 Yup, pretty much arcade-perfect port with the 4M RAM expansion.

[@stevesteve0521]

Jake Lam A fantastic port, of course almost all the great Saturn games are Japanese exclusive because japan had about 850 more Saturn games than NA.

[@stevesteve0521]

sfzero3 I’ll have the psp version at number one and I’ll actually have the arcade version as my least favorite because all the home ports (even the gba version which I played a ton of and is very impressive for the hardware it is on) has more characters and more modes.

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

@@jakelam5089 Sega low-key is perfect for Street Fighter games.

[@Densetsu13]

I'm not big on fighting games but this is THE ONE that I played to the point of blisters, specifically World Tour mode. As a JRPG gamer, that mode kept me coming back for more with it's RPG elements and is what made me master multiple characters and play styles! ❤️

[@tasjalo1411]

Not even started the video, and I just said YESSSSS on seeing the title.

[@peterbarnes8492]

Oh and that PSP version is brilliant.

[@Stylez-13]

I'm impressed how well it ran on the gameboy advance I was wow back then lol

[@leecroft7311]

Oh it really is, it really, really is.

[@znmrtns]

I just don't like the extra characters

[@blok--head7472]

If only they ported that version to other systems.... Well that and the Power Stone collection now that I think of it.

[@CarlosPerez-wt8ff]

I have damaged my hands playing it on the PSP.

[@sunquestenergyhomesolution96]

Street Fighter Alpha Anthology for the PS2 was the ultimate. Change my mind.

[@RapidShotz00]

WT Mode was absent from SFA3 in this compilation. This automatically puts it below the DC/SAT/PS console versions in terms of gameplay value-for-money.

[@mattcorbin2112]

@@RapidShotz00 totally agree

[@etrotm12thebluewolf15]

But the japanese version (Street Fighter Zero Fighter's Generation) is FAR better since you get more games in that one, plus different flyers on the selection screen and move lists in every game.

[@sunquestenergyhomesolution96]

@@RapidShotz00 Alpha Anthology had Hyper Street Fighter Alpha which is better than the World Tour.

[@etrotm12thebluewolf15]

Yeah aside the minor differences in graphics, im more talking about Street Fighter Zero 2 Alpha, and then unlocking Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold. I recently last year played that one because according to cheats on GameFaqs SFA2-2 Alpha has "Arrange modes" so i wanted to see for myself.

[@busywl69]

Got it on the PS1. Amazing game. We will never see something like this ever again. Complete full roster, bug free,, fun and easy to unlock stuff.

[@duke2go558]

The World Tour mode was also phenomenal!! It definitely gave the game a lot of replayability. Anybody else play as Akuma or Evil Ryu and use 1 raging demon as soon as the fight starts against a weakened opponent and defeat them in one hit?

[@joltzyclayton8674]

How is this even possible when you need meeter to pull off a raging demon? And don't you need to damage an opponent first, for them to be weakend? Lol hmmm

[@clutchfrench96]

@@joltzyclayton8674 Alpha 3 was basically Alpha Turbo in that it already gave you a full bar going into a match as well as the comp. That coupled with the sheer speed of the game and its many modes plus air guard, and air recovery made it the greatest SF to me. Being able to jump like a maniac because you can just block and not attack to bait DPs on a jump in added another layer to the game. I hate in all other fighting games pretty much that you have to be rooted to the ground or jump at exactly the right time or be punished. On Alpha you could just block jumping in and if you were hit while jumping in you could instantly air recover after the hit the and shoot S.Akumas Air Gadoken Super Combo for instance to demolish people which was awesome as well. A 3 is still tops to me , playing 3rd strike just feels so slow compared to what I call Alpha Turbos speed lol

[@jinsaotome3607]

@@clutchfrench96 exactly! gotta go with alpha 3.

[@clutchfrench96]

@@jinsaotome3607 Thanks Jin its seems that there arent many people these days of our opinion because of revisionist history building up 3rd strike or the Diago Parry moment also building up the game as well. Honestly 3rd Strike is an awesome game but it pales in comparison to A 3. You couldnt only even pick one Super Combo move per match as well on 3rd strike wheras Alpha 3 had like 3 per character on A-ism with the varying strengths for each S Combo as well with light meg and heavy strikes. I will always go to bat for A 3 , matter of fact about to play it tonight with my bro haha

[@KillahManjaro]

The Alpha series was by far my favorite. I love the chain combo system in 1 and 3 was where I had the most fun. I hope Capcom makes Alpha 4 using the same system that's in Alpha 3 and bring back some of the characters they had in Street Fighter 3 Alpha Upper, also make the art style like look like Guilty Gear.. ...Deejay and Fei Long ftw.

[@khamankhoma8232]

Which is the best?!? Obviously the one that introduced R. Mika and her flying butt attack

[@SFAlphaAus]

Links for anyone who wants to check out our full play-throughs seen in Top Hat Gaming Man's video at: 7:00 & 10:26 & 17:53 - V-ism Dee Jay play through - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKa1nJ5-Z7Obptk 8:49 - A-ism Fei Long play through - kzbin.info/www/bejne/p2GYkpacbNR5oZI 9:29 & 15:06 - V-ism T-Hawk play through - kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqjbl6dpaJitZtE Nobody blink...go for broke!!

[@LuisOrtiz-xo5kc]

The best 2D fighting games came out the same year: Street Fighter Zero 3 and King of Fighters 98.

[@JustinLeeper]

This is my favorite fighting-game of all time. It has so much depth for a console fighting-game. It kept me engaged longer than any other. Usually, fighters bore me after a while.

[@TheStriderSyd]

SF: Alpha 2 Gold is still my favorite in this series, even though it doesn't have all the all the fighters and modes of Alpha3.

[@kendrickjobe2149]

Agreed. Mine also. Alpha 2 had more charm.

[@similaritiesendhere]

2 is better than 3 competitively but, 3 is more fun to play casually or in single player.

[@LightningPuppet]

"History of the GREATEST Street Fighter of all time!?" Third Strike: Am i joke to you?

[@mooontheto]

I love 3rd strike but I hate the rooster

[@shindean]

There have been more ports of SFA3 than Third Strike. The people have spoken, just look at the last Street Fighter game and you'll find more Alpha 3 characters.

[@LightningPuppet]

@@shindean Yet more people are playing Third Strike online 🤔

[@LightningPuppet]

@@mooontheto Yet it introduces some SF best like Urien, Dudley, Q and Makoto

[@xGunbladeKnightx]

I think that 3rd Strike is just the best SF in terms of playability but nothing more.

[@SFAlphaAus]

Awesome video! Cool to see Alpha 3 Upper footage featuring from our channel . There's not a lot of Upper and Max footage going around - so fellow fans of the Alpha series who are also interested in Upper/Max, feel free to come check out our channel SF Alpha Aus (kzbin.info) :) We're an Australian group with videos of live and online tournament footage, combo/character guides, playthroughs and even a podcast. We've also found a way to host local tournaments for SFA3 Max with no lag and intend to post footage in the future!

[@WickedGamerCollector]

Street Fighter 3 Alpha did play it first on PS1 a lot... then again on PSP this game was awesome !! 😎 By the way .... awesome review like always, enjoy your vids Mr. Top Hat Gaming Man. hope your are doing better now a days 😀

[@LouDominquez21]

I love how every alpha/zero is different from each other. I love the seriousness of alpha 2, but 3 was that loud in your face game.

[@CorruptionDee]

Definitely my favorite feature packed Street Fighter. As a hardcore fan of the franchise, when it comes to the retro entries, it's very hard to choose. It's like someone asking "Which one of your hands are better?". They are both great in one aspect or another. Street Fighter 2 is the most iconic. Street Fighter 3rd Strike has the best graphics, animations, and control. Zero 3 is the most feature packed. I love them all. Even EX.

[@konstantinosmoutzouris7488]

Amazingly, I was searching for such a video during the week without success. And this just popped up today :)

[@antgto]

Still my favorite Street Fighter game. Took it for another spin just a few days ago.

[@sharkdude7]

Street Fighter Alpha 3 is awesome. It had a great version of Vega(he’s my main in every Street Fighter) and it’s glorious.

[@scottpalma3967]

I think SF Alpha 3 is probably the best, however I found the backgrounds to be a bit drab and the music inferior to that of Street Fighter Alpha 1 & 2. I'd love to see a mash up with all the characters, music and backgrounds from the Alpha series in one game.

[@jjjsalang]

I tried to like the music of Alpha 3, but I still like Alpha 2 better. Most of the Alpha 3 music seems chaotic to me or similar to each other.

[@zakafx]

I used to go to the local arcade (rip) many years ago and play this. When I was a teen and it was the weekend, this was my thing. Miss playing the cabinet!

[@Lord_Deimos]

A3 on the Saturn was a thing of beauty. So glad that my 15 year old self appreciated A3's 2D sprites over the 3D models of EX.

[@tiagofernandes8389]

Japan only...

[@jjjsalang]

I liked the SF Alpha series better than SF EX. I was not into the 3D models of the characters in EX.

[@Shimazaki00]

I was shock to hear the sintetized music that CPS2 can produce with this game, that simply blown me away!

[@davidwilliams5649]

Even though I always claimed Street Fighter 3: Third Strike as my favorite Street Fighter game, I've come to realize Street Fighter Alpha/Zero 3 is my favorite SF game! It just feels perfect. SF3:TS is my second favorite SF game now. Wish I could play these again! (Being poor sucks)

[@XXtheJUMPoffXX]

Buy a Switch Lite & SF 30th Anniversary Collection

[@mscottjohnson3424]

I hope all-a-ya'll got yourselves a Saturn and a Dreamcast.

[@LowellLucasJr.]

While im not a fan of the games art direction( it feels too flashy while alpha 2 felt like an art renaissance piece) I will say the gameplay was phenominal and really pushed gameplay to new heights!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

In case anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about , here's what im referring too. The character selection in Alpha 2 shows a full illustration of the character with the game sprite vs a simple headshot for Alpha 3. Alpha 3s art directions also feels more commercialized like it's a stadium fight versus Alpha 2 more mellow atmosphere. Bengus and other artists would do a more cartoony approach to the character designs for Alpha 3 versus the almost realistic yet anime esque art in 2.

[@sunquestenergyhomesolution96]

​@@LowellLucasJr. I totally agree with you on that aspect but when it comes to the most important part "stage design" Alpha 3 was better. Alpha 3 stages was mush more vibrant and most importantly polished which made background animation look more smoother. Alpha 2 stages was a little pixelated and the color pallet looked a little stale for my taste. Alpha 3 obviously had more characters which means more stages. Take a look at Guile's stage for example. You're fighting on top of a moving train with great background animation. That stage alone beats every stage on Alpha 2.

[@sinicalypse]

I seem to remember this being the pinnacle of the 1 on 1 street fighter games, as street fighter 3 was always "some other ish" and SFZ3/SFA3 was essentially the epitome of the "modern" vs/2-on-2 feel. In other words, SFA3 can basically drop the A/Z cuz it's essentially SF3

[@vhscrust7872]

lol

[@rooneye]

Cannot wait for 6! The way they revived the series with 4 was genius.

[@khalidibrahim7726]

I love Street Fighter Alpha 3 that perfection fighting games ps1 ps2 and psp games my favorites character karin kanzuki my memories excellent.

[@kyleharrison713]

Because of nostalgia, the only thing I wanted from the 2nd game that didn't make it to the 3rd was the field stage. Probably because of the 2nd animated movie. Soo good.

[@incognito_donut]

This makes so much more sense always thought Alpha 3 was Street Fighter 3 as a kid and always confused why the roster for SF3 hardly had any of the iconic fighters

[@mgoVEX]

Remember “Cannon Spike” for the Dreamcast? Cammy even references her time there in Street Fighter V. “Cannon Spike” was a weird gun game with Nash, Cammy and Author from Ghost ‘n Goblins. What’s up with that?

[@darthwisner47]

Yep, still have it. 😁

[@ShinSeikiEvan]

Never heard of it. That means it needs a video!

[@etrotm12thebluewolf15]

You forgot to mention Rockman/Megaman is in there.

[@ScanlineCity]

That was an awesome game

[@angrytheclown801]

I've always liked these chunky designs over the original designs. Just my personal choice.

[@joeystaley3181]

I like Apha 2 the best, and it's not based on the complaints of Alpha 3 that you addressed in this video. I've got two that you didn't discuss: 1. The music: everyone in the game got the techno treatment. At least in the previous Alphas, every theme complimented the character and the stage that it was associated with very well. In Alpha 3, Rose and Vega are the only two characters you can say that about. 2. Bison was restored as the final boss for all characters; whereas, in the previous Alphas, the final battle for each character was with their main rival - this made for a more dramatic story that got taken away in Alpha 3. Were it not for those two things, I'd agree 100% that Alpha 3 was the best. But they messed with those two things.

[@michiganjack1337]

Oh I remember putting in hours in this game on the PS1 and eventually the Dreamcast. It was what made me finally buy the Dreamcast arcade stick. That Dreamcast D-Pad was like rubbing your thumb over broken glass.

[@shaunstephen9761]

Using analogue triggers instead of buttons is a chore too!

[@aljongreat1900]

"select your character, select your fighting sign." So nostalgic

[@ShinryuMasaki]

World Tour Mode was a blast! I wish they brought it back in a new SF game, as well as the Tournament Mode that was in the SNES version of Super SF2. Though I did like the WTM of the Dreamcast better than the one on PS.

[@volcanickjoe08]

What made World Tour so special?

[@ShinryuMasaki]

@@volcanickjoe08 It was like going on an adventure type mode, where you unlocked fights around the world that had special things to them sometimes, like fighting 8 Ryu one after the others, fighting two opponents at once, and some other stuff I don't quite remember since it was long ago. You could also win special boosts to your character that gave more damage, or made your Super bar fill up automatically without doing anything. It added a LOT of replay value, and it also unlocked console exclusive characters too on the PlayStation at least, like Guile for example.

[@volcanickjoe08]

@@ShinryuMasaki Thanks for the info!!

[@cubanref9670]

This game is pretty well balanced compared to the others. Even Dan is a threat in the right hands. I agree. It’s also a personal fave of mine. My local video store had this when I was growing up.

[@sukmykrok3388]

Best Alpha game in the series! Still one of my favorites to this day!

[@kaiser9321]

I prefer A2 over A3, the -isms in this game feel mostly pointless, there are fighters in A3 who take way too long to beat, and can crush you instantly, (Zangief and Chun-Li are pretty annoying), and having to completely restart from the beginning if you lose to M. Bison, which is completely unfair if you fight him for the first time. I feel A2's difficulty was better balanced than A3, as I find myself dying way less in A2 than A3. The alpha counter changes done to A3 feel unnecessary as it is harder to perform (at least it is for me personally). There are exploits in A2 and A3 that can allow you to completely bypass fighters that otherwise would actually require you to defeat them, one example I can give is by using Balrog, if you can manage to knockdown an opponent once you can just crouch under them and spam your weak jab and combo them with dash ground straight to constantly knock them down until you win the round. Another exploit I found which works with most opponents (which is basically the only way to beat Zangief) is to wait for them to approach you, press weak jab, and hit them back with any move that can counter them while they jump over you. Although you don't need to use these exploits in A2, they are absolutely vital to you winning A3, which feels like there was some polish missing.

[@stevesteve0521]

Kaiser9321 Alpha 2 on the sega Saturn is perhaps the best port of the game period in my opinion. If Alpha 3 Max never existed on the psp then I would’ve agreed with you

[@mjaustin9772]

Alpha 2 is certainly a better game than 3. Alpha 2 is played more on the tournament scene than 3.

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

@@mjaustin9772 I didn't know that! I love Street Fighter Alpha 2.

[@olschoolTonyCarter]

Alpha 2 just look more serious and has a better playing feel to me.

[@mr.monkey354]

A2 also has superior music

[@bman8363]

Hi Top Hat, Thanks for the info on the SFA3 UPPER. You just taught me something. I am impressed with your research. It's disappointing that this version is not in the 30th Anniversary.

[@GrizzlyAdams94]

I never had anyone to play with when I was a kid playing A3 Max, but I still put so many hours into that game. World Tour Mode, Dramatic and Reverse Dramatic battles, working my way through arcade mode to get another shot at Bison. I have so many fond memories of this game

[@danielwarr7010]

My all time favorite Street Fighter iteration. I started with the psp version. Excited to know you're considering covering it seprately.

[@discostu333]

This is my favourite Street Fighter game by far. I owned the NTSC version on PS1 and it was amazing how well the game ran on that system considering its limitations.

[@kadosho02]

SFA3 was a gem when it was released. Just funky to see, not everyone was happy with it. Because of the added systems, and options. I don't know about them, but I love it. It was a refined edition, feels amazing to play, and master

[@tropixx_xlr1549]

I agree, I love 2, but 3 was just a gem!

[@allwell06]

Great series. I would love to see you do one on my new FAVORITE fighting game of ALL TIME! The Last Blade. Just got it a couple of weeks ago and I’m hooked.

[@TheodoreManthovani]

It's weird to hear people saying "Japan alternate name" since Alpha is the alternate name for me in asia where SF Zero came out first.

[@rymill2jazz]

I love this game with all of my heart. Thank you for giving it the coverage it deserves. Top notch!

[@tempanon8672]

Oh yeah, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max standalone video! :D Good luck making it if you do~!

[@K0nc3pt10n]

Had this on Playstation. Never knew there was an arcade release. It seems like at that time it was all vs games Street Fighter III and Teken 3

[@youngking9783]

Mann same on the Psone slim 🤦🏽‍♂️ glory days

[@BM-wf8jj]

I had Alpha 3 on PS1 and I used to play that so intensively everyday after school that I was constantly dealing with nasty blisters on my thumbs all throughout my freshman year in high school. Still my favorite 2D fighter and version of standalone (non-crossover) Street Fighter game to this day. The intense uptempo music, atmosphere of the stages, special intros between rival characters, and ultra fast pace of the fighting on 2x Turbo was everything ❤ And it was so satisfying seeing my opponents still getting juggled by my V-ism shadow combos post K.O. 😂😁 That game was a complete and total masterpiece.

[@dravenvandross8281]

Hell yeah Street Fighter Alpha 3 was an amazing game for its time I still play it and this game still holds up Alpha 3 it's just a phenomenal fighting game in the street fighter series of games.

[@thebotbuilder]

My very first Street Fighter game and I have a lot of fond memories of it. I had the PSP which in my opinion is the best version of Alpha 3 as it has all of the characters as well as the addition of Eagle and Ingrid. I mostly played in the Dramatic Battle and World Tour mode more than the actual arcade mode as both of those modes were tones of fun and the roster was brilliant, there were so many good characters I enjoyed playing as, from Akuma to Sakura to Cammy and even Cody who are still my main in any street fighter game he's in, it is still my favourite street fighter and I wish we get another street fighter game with the same massive roster and vast amounts of modes Alpha 3 had, I would love to play dramatic battle or variable battle mode in 2.5d.

[@tygrus3495]

I played with my friends with one single rule: no Ryu or any Ryu clon, and the game is amazing, since it pushes you to give a chance to master other characters like Guy, Rolento, Blanka, and the matches are pretty fun.

[@jjjsalang]

The Ryu-type characters are iconic and easy to learn, but, yes, I try to avoid using them so that the other characters can have a chance.

[@Dani-xi4uv]

the thing I most like in Alpha series is that you can use various supers during the battle and even if the supers aren't helping use custom combos(if it's alpha 2 or 3 a-ism or v-ism)

[@enriquepinero707]

A bit dissappointing how awesome it was to get a significant amount of additional characters for the home ports; only to get shafted now, when releasing a complete Street Fighter Collection , composed of only arcade ports.

[@JoeyJ0J0]

The best of the series, The PSP version was great, it added new characters and I think had the GBA exclusive characters too

[@DragoonMS]

The PSP version (Street Fighter ZERO3^^/Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max) was essentially the GBA version (Street Fighter ZERO3^/Street Fighter Alpha 3^) with the addition of Ingrid and the Dreamcast version's World Tour Mode.

[@JoeyJ0J0]

@@DragoonMS Nice, I figured as much , I never played the GBA port

[@madspunky]

As far as I know, John Choi, Justin Wong, and David Sirlin (old school champs) preferred Alpha 2. I never understood why. Personally, I find SFA3 much more dynamic (Alpha 2 is a lot of footsies, A3 is all over the place).

[@mjaustin9772]

Because Alpha 2 is an overall better game than 3. Alpha 3 has a ton of new stuff (too much stuff, really) , but just wasn't as balanced. The tourney players still play 2 over 3.

[@AzureSymbiote]

Don't forget the great arcade mode and incredible music.

[@MrXabungle]

The craziest thing about SFA3 is the project lead later went on to direct Ape Escape 2 and 3.

[@andremalerba5281]

One thing that I think should be mentioned is that the first Alpha 3 game were a CPS2 game while the Alpha 3 Upper was a Sega Naomi game and the Alpha 3 Max (Double Upper) was never released for other plataforms than the PSP. As some have said, the Alpha Anthology game on the PS2 is one of the greatest compilations of the Alpha games as it includes the Alpha 2 Gold Edition and the Alpha 3 Upper, while the latest Street Fighter collection ignores those and just emulates the CPS1, CPS2 and CPS3 games, and leave behind the Sega Naomi versions. TBH the Street Fighter Alpha 3 Upper is waaaaaaay better than the original CPS2 release, specially for someone who loves to play as Fei Long.

[@dominickk5293]

All the different isms were a bit overwhelming but I like having both of Gen's fighting styles and all 4 of his superfinishers. The later sequals with their pick your ONE super art is for hand holding newbs.

[@jgabel]

I prefer Alpha 2 for the story, presentation, and overall tone. They nailed it in that game. The music, the backgrounds, the intro video were just perfect. For Alpha 3, it was like, ok let's just have fun now, and threw everything in. For competitive play, Alpha 3 is the clear winner. I think Alpha 2 also strikes a more nostalgic note with me since I played it a lot on the SNES and didn't get a good chance to play Alpha 3 for several more years as I didn't have a PS1.

[@Sos4real]

Most definitely my favorite in the whole series. I've been waiting for this video for quite some time.

[@redjaguar6883]

I was actually addicted to this once upon a time! World Tour Mode was on another level! They still never brought that back!

[@davidolivier1983]

In 1998, we had 2 GREAT 2d fighting games: Street Fighter Alpha 3 and The King Of Fighters 98! Both still play and look good! It's really hard to choose between these two games! Capcom and SNK did a really good job this year!

[@ckingli]

one of the things i loved about this game was its unique rock style soundtrack. It Pretty much ditched the overly used traditional soundtrack from the previous sf games

[@DetroitAlan01]

What made SFA3 for me was World Tour mode. Capcom found a way to inject slight RPG elements into the game in a way that not only worked but enhanced the overall gameplay experience.

[@oil_moon]

Hands down my favourite game. Everything about the way it feels just clicked with me. Spent countless hours on the PS1, GBA and then PSP versions throughout my childhood. Btw, if you ever want a game via Fightcade, hit me up!

[@paulrozanski7117]

i heard the gba ports were crap. were they?

[@diegoldsnake]

Excelent video Top Hat! Remember on 2003 i was insane with this game in the PS1. My Fei Long was unbeatable, super fast !!! Also love the world tour mode, a unique feature!

[@tropixx_xlr1549]

I have it on PSP and it's a damn gem!

[@808frm2]

I’m a sucker for pro wrestling references !!!

[@laserdiscphan]

My friends who were all PS1 owners weren't aware of how superior the Saturn version of SFZ3 was to the PS1 port until I brought my Saturn over for a gaming gathering once. They all wanted to get a Saturn and the game, but at that point, the game was going for way more than they were willing to spend. They still ask me to bring the Saturn by every gaming gathering as a result!

[@danthemancushecan]

One thing you forgot to mention is SFA3's SPECTACULAR soundtrack!! When you play this game you play it LOUD!!!

[@thecunninlynguist]

Absolutely LOVED the home port with additional characters and slight leveling up mechanics. As for Greatest SF...eh out of all iterations...I'd say it's top 10

[@festushaggen2563]

I think Alpha 3 is the absolute best of the SF series. The characters, art style, backgrounds, music and game play. Just perfect. Loved the arcade version and spent a lot of time and quarters on it. I still have the PS1 version for the World Tour mode and the PS2 version for its arcade perfect graphics and quick load times. "Go for it man!"

[@zakafx]

I also owned the GBA version and for what it was, it was super impressive. Couldn't believe they were able to have the large character selection in that version. Also at the time, it was the only way to play sfa3 on the go (minus psx emulators on pocket PC, I did have an axim x51v that had psx support).

[@mitchnissen7175]

My favorite Street Fighter game, my favorite fighting game, and among my top favorite video games across all genres and systems. I was eagerly awaiting this video.

[@JamesCloudvaping]

Alpha 3 Max on PSP is my all time favorite SF title. Nothing else compares. Plays like a champ on the Pi 4 and Retro Pie, especially with a Retro Bit Saturn pad. What a game!

[@c.s.hayden3022]

Ah, vivid feather display in the arcade wilderness. You can tell they had fun giving the characters character.

[@josecarlosxyz]

PS1 version as usual was crap compared to arcades and Saturn port.

[@Old_Man_Jay]

Sadly, I owned the PS1 version as a kid and You're right that it was the inferior version. Fortunately, I now own the Saturn version and it's such a joy to play to this day. Especially with that saturn D-pad!

[@campoacceso6892]

Wrong. The ps1 version is solid, except for minor lacks of frames and other invisible things. It's a freaking awesome game.

[@armanifuller8461]

Marcello Silver in terms of arcade perfect no the ps1 was no where near great when it comes to ports. The SEGA Saturday/Dreamcast were close to the best port as possible to play. Non the less I grew up with the PS1 version and I agree with you that it was such awesome game

[@sinshenlong]

my fav sf but i only played the ps1 version- i wonder if that's why the execution was so hard back then

[@LouDominquez21]

Played the ps1 version until I got my hands on the saturn version. That 4 mb cart made it better than the dreamcast version. Good times

[@ikagura]

I love the Alpha serie. I'm enjoying myself on Alpha 3 Max but I think I still prefer Alpha 2 overal