Street Fighter Alpha 3

"AAAARRGGHH!! This game is HARD!!"

How shall I start? Oh yeah: I'm one of those people who play the fighting style Videogames just for fun. I like to get the chance to do the neat special moves in said game. But Capcom's one of those companies that's just driving me NUTS!!

Street Fighter Alpha 3, the latest in the line of Capcom fighting games. I don't know if they SHINE or are just burned out. First off, the new guys aren't really as interesting as they seem: Cody (Final Fight) is a "criminal!" Why? Rainbow Mika (new) is another 360 joystick grappler, so I'm bittered even more. (Capcom, take a lesson from SNK, please! Shermie throws better than Mika anyday.) And Karin (Sakura's Rival). It've been better if they stated her as an official "anti-Shotokan fighter," pitting her revenge on those who fireball, dragon-punch, and hurricane-kick their way to victory. Juni and Juli, I'm sorry to say, are just Cammy clones.

Now, gameplay-wise, Capcom has made this game harder to beat than a table with your head! It seems that it must take real skill, or some real cheap moves, to defeat said opponents and beat the game. But still, before I can even get off the ground, I was being beaten to a pulp mercilessly (By the CPU!!!).

Now don't get me wrong. On a good day, Capcom can make a pretty good game (Rival Schools). Even the Street Fight series can be a pretty good game to play at times. I have Alpha 2 for the SNES and the Saturn. But these guys must be pretty tired of doing this series as some of us are of playing it. I guess until SFZ3 makes it to the Saturn, I'll have to play the Rival Schools game (the only one in my city). Until then, lets find a way to kick these guys over there at Capcom USA in the butt to produce some better games for us.

Reviewer's Score: 5/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99