Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams - Saturn & PSX Review

Capcom

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With all the street fighting games available today, along comes "Street Fighter Alpha: Warriors' Dreams" by Capcom. An exact reproduction of its arcade equivalent, the game places itself somewhere between Street Fighter 1 and 2. The purpose of this game is, of course, to knock your opponents energy bar to smithereens.

Enthusiasts of Street Fighter 2 should have no trouble enjoying the Alpha version which has improved the look of the characters. The Alpha in the name identifies a new move called the Alpha Counter which is used while blocking an attack and performs a quick counter move against your vulnerable adversary. Using an Alpha Counter will consume a level on the Super Combo Gauge found at the bottom of the screen. This gauge has three levels and builds up every time you execute normal and special moves. You will then be able to administer Super Combos where the damage inflicted depends on the level of your gauge and how many buttons you press simultaneously.

There are three game modes that you can choose from and they are Arcade, Versus and Training. The Arcade mode allows you to choose a character and fight against eight other computer-controlled opponents chosen at random from the 13 available. This is the one player mode, but a second player can join in at any time by hitting the start button, just as it's done in the Arcades. The versus mode is for two players and allows you to change your character at the end of each fight. The number of wins, losses, and draws each player has had with the characters is indicated at the end of the fight. Practice makes perfect and that's what you'll be able to do in the Training mode. Here you'll choose a character and fight against an opponent that doesn't fight back. Your enemy will never block your first hit. Here you'll be able to study and practice special moves and combos.

Eight difficulty levels are available to provide a challenging game every time you play. The first three levels are quite easy to win without knowing too many special moves. The higher levels require some skills and knowing how to execute special punches and kicks. It's difficult to pull off a combo by chance without knowing how it's done.

Of the thirteen characters, only ten of them are available to you for fighting. Their names are Ryu, Chun-Li, Charlie, Ken, Guy, Birdie, Sodom, Adon, Rose, and Sagat. The other three characters, M. Bison, Dan, and Akuma, need to be earned in order to play the game using them. They will often be the final fighter of the eight in a game.

Graphics in the game are in 2D with sprites for characters that look like cartoons. The animation is very well done and brings the characters to life. As the name implies, the backgrounds are all street scenes that contain few animations and details. Some of the backgrounds contain tall city buildings with a crowd cheering you on, as others are back alleys, the wall of China, and store fronts. The screen contains a power bar for your strength, timer for the match, the level bar and the amount of Auto Defense you have left if selected.

The sound in the game consists of music, sound effects, and a few voices that all sounds great together. The music is a mix of techno, disco, jazz, orchestral, and some of the tunes provide a fell of suspense. There are 49 audio tracks in all that can be listened to using the CD Player for the console. Within the game you can set the sound to stereo or mono, and original arcade or remix music. The sound effects consist of punches and kicks with groans from each of the players and the occasional yell such as "That Was Too Easy". The announcer's voice is heard at the beginning and end of each round. He'll say things such as, "Round 1, Fight, You Win, You Lose, Perfect, K.O., etc.

Conclusion:

The game is identical on both the Saturn and PSX except for loading times with the PSX being a little slower and that the Saturn has a better button layout. Street Fighter Alpha is an addictive fun game that is recommended to the ages of 10 and above. Although the game doesn't use all the capabilities of the platforms, it will still provide endless hours of entertainment.

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