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Street Fighter Alpha 3

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This sequel adds more new fighters and brings back some characters from the original second series game. You can choose your fighting style in this version. Street Fighter Alpha 3, the third game in the Alpha series, has a total of 31 fighters, the most in the series so far. New characters inc...

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Developer
Capcom

Released on
1998

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Fighting

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

This sequel adds more new fighters and brings back some characters from the original second series game. You can choose your fighting style in this version.

Street Fighter Alpha 3, the third game in the Alpha series, has a total of 31 fighters, the most in the series so far. New characters include old favorites E. Honda, Blanka, Vega, Cammy, T. Hawk, Dee Jay, Juni and Juli. Some of the newest fighters on the block include a former Final Fight character (Cody, who has been in jail since the last Final Fight game, or so his clothing suggests), Karin Kanzuki and Rainbow Mika. The major difference between this Alpha and the last two are the new play modes World Tour, Arcade, VS, Training and Entry.

Street Fighter Alpha 3

Overview & History

Released by Capcom to arcades in 1998 on the powerful CPS2 hardware, Street Fighter Alpha 3 (known as *Street Fighter Zero 3* in Japan) stands as the absolute pinnacle of the *Alpha* trilogy. Serving as a narrative bridge between the original *Street Fighter* and *Street Fighter II*, the game explores a sprawling storyline where the nefarious Shadowlaw organization, led by the resurrected dictator M. Bison, hunts down world warriors to harness the mysterious power known as Psycho Drive. Capcom expanded the roster to a massive 31 characters, introducing fan-favorites like Karin Kanzuki, Juli, Juni, and the legendary grappling veteran Birdie, alongside returning staples like Ryu, Ken, and Chun-Li.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

The defining innovation of Alpha 3 is the introduction of the "ISM" (or "Ism") system, which allows players to drastically alter a character's fighting style before a match. Selecting the **X-Ism** grants higher attack power and access to a traditional Level 3 Super Combo reminiscent of *Super Turbo*, though it removes blocking in the air and custom combos. The **A-Ism** (Alpha-Ism) is the standard tournament-balanced mode featuring three levels of super meters and custom combos. The **V-Ism** (Variable-Ism) discards traditional super moves entirely, replacing them with a custom combo gauge that lets players chain virtually any normal or special attack into a devastating, fluid onslaught. Furthermore, the game features an innovative Guard Meter; if a player blocks too many consecutive attacks, their guard breaks, leaving them completely vulnerable to punishment. Character move lists were expanded with unique command normals, air-recoveries, and Alpha Counters, making offense and defense infinitely more nuanced than its predecessors.