Fighting games have evolved a lot in the last decade. Fighters like the famed Mortal Kombat series are incorporating 3D levels, a variety of fighting styles that can be changed in game, and we've even seen RPG elements make an appearance. Sometimes it feels great to journey back to a much simpler time, a time when 2D fighters reigned supreme. Thankfully, Capcom released the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology; a collection of five timeless classics all bunched together onto a PS2 DVD.

What’s in the Anthology?

First and foremost, you're probably wondering what games this anthology actually comprises first. As the title might've led you to believe, this game features the complete Street Fighter Alpha Collection - Alpha, Alpha 2, Alpha 2 Gold, Alpha 3, and the bonus SD favorite Pocket Fighter (also known as Super Gem Fighter MiniMix). Coin-op fanatics will be glad to learn that all of these games are direct ports of their arcade counterparts, except for Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold which was previously released on the PS One and Sega Saturn. Special options will even allow you to edit virtual dipswitches, allowing you to edit a variety of in-game rules and options. In addition, this collection includes an unlockable arrange version of Alpha 3, which tweaks various gameplay aspects.

Once you beat your way through the games, you can unlock the Hyper Street Fighter Alpha Mode. This cool feature allows you to mix and match characters from all different versions to create the fight of your dreams. Hidden "Isms", as they are referred to, can also be changed to bring in fighting styles from other games including Street Fighter III. This anthology is packed with plenty of unlockables, such as new levels and hidden characters, to further make it a worthy title.

Classical Complexion

Being true to these timeless classics, the PS2 anthology retains the same retro appearance that we all grew to love. Considering this entire collection is alomst 10 years old now, everything looks sharp. The original Alpha looks significantly weaker than the rest with its anime-inspired look, but the rest of the collection has a more conventional SF look. The frame rates are as smooth as anybody could hope for. The best feature has to be the loading times, or lack thereof for that matter. Aside from the initial time it takes to boot up each individual game, you can expect to enjoy the same fast-paced action without having to wait. Obviously you aren’t going to be blown away by high definition visuals and state of the art lighting technologies, but instead you can enjoy games with a more artistic feel.

Likewise, the soundtrack is filled with some memorable tunes and you can be sure that your character’s favorite catch phrases will make a comeback. Everything tends to sound a little muffled and grainy like it did back at the arcade, and this probably isn’t the best way to test out your new surround sound system. Nonetheless, the audio experience is sure to bring back fond memories of your quarter spending days.

Get Ready for the Sonic Boom!

With everything else out of the way, all that's left to do is sit back and enjoy some classic fighting. Although each individual title is built on the same foundation, each member of the Alpha series has its own unique touch. It's a great start for introducing some characters and levels, but it doesn't quite hold up as well as the other titles here. The game really kicks off with Street Fighter Alpha 2, which features new characters, beautifully detailed environments, and a revamped battle system. This game marked the beginning of high and low Alpha counters as well as more combos for every character. Also, the Custom Combo system allows players to charge up a power meter to unleash some life-bar draining attacks. The new system helped balance the overall gameplay and proved to be much more appreciated than Chains in the original Alpha. Street Fighter Alpha 2 Gold isn't essentially just a slightly enhanced version with the new character named Cammy.

The series really takes a big step in Street Fighter Alpha 3. This "ultimate" game features every last character from the previous Alpha titles as well as a bunch of exclusive never-before-seen contenders. The introduction of the "Ism" selector allows gamers to choose and customize their fighting style based on personal preferences. You can choose to fight the traditional Alpha way, using techniques from Street Fighter II, or by taking advantage of the newly designed customized combo system. Certain gameplay changes, such has having to push two buttons at the same time for recovery moves, weren't too popular with SFII fans, but irregardless they're to stay. Unfortunately the World Tour mode isn’t featured in Alpha 3, so you won’t be able to earn new abilities by winning matches in this release.

Perhaps the most interesting title in bunch is Super Gem Fighter MiniMix. This comical fighter is much simpler than the others because it only uses three action buttons. This childish game features some of your favorite characters in their earlier years. Although it lacks depth, Pocket Fighter brings some humor to the fighting scene and is a great addition to the Anthology in small doses, but don't expect to spend too much of your time here.

This is definitely a great assortment of games, but it’s not without some flaws unfortunately. It would’ve been nice if we saw a little more history about the Alpha series like we’ve come across in various Namco Museum titles. The multiplayer mode is unfortunately limited to two players on the same PS2, and it would’ve a lot more exciting to see some sort of online play with leaderboards, tournaments and the like. The lack of certain features doesn’t detract from what’s already there, but it definitely shows that Capcom could’ve gone the extra mile to bring this collection over the top.

The Bottom Line

Although the Street Fighter Alpha Anthology probably won’t make any SF disparagers have a change of heart, there are plenty of unlockable features and gameplay modes to keep veterans busy for a long time. This collection is the quintessence of 2D fighting, and with the slim price of $29.99 USD there’s no reason for hardcore fighting fans to not have this anthology in their possession.