Street Fighter Alpha 3

Game Boy Advance
  • Publisher: Capcom
  • Release Date: Dec 1, 2002
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 13 out of 17
  2. Negative: 0 out of 17
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  1. The four-button (as opposed to six-button) control scheme takes some getting used to, but the game captures the spirit, the fun, the intensity, the depth, and the overall look and sound of the original remarkably well.
  2. Cheat Code Central
    90
    Almost unbelievable. It looks like the darn arcade version.
  3. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    70
    Anyone expecting to reliably pull off a 20-hitter with Adon: Forget it. [Oct 2002, p.204]
  4. It really is impressive seeing Street Fighter Alpha 3 running on the GBA hardware.
  5. The audio doesn’t live up to the visuals. Digitised audio has been a standard fixture of SF titles for years, but the infamous “Hadoken!” and “Shoryuken!” are both scratchily rendered for SFA3, and the music isn’t much better.
  6. 80
    Such a vast amount of data has been squeezed into this tiny cartridge that it is nothing short of technical wizardry.
  7. Game Informer
    95
    Capcom has reproduced nearly every component that made Alpha 3 the best Street Fighter, despite the GBA's obvious deficiencies. [Sept 2002, p.94]
  8. The audio effects and soundtrack have been pared down, but this is as close as Nintendo's handheld will get in recreating the arcade experience.
  9. GameNow
    91
    Slightly busted control aside, this is an exceptional port. [Nov 2002, p.74]
  10. 90
    Wow! Steet Fighter Alpha 3 looks and plays great on the GBA with very few compromises made for the handheld. [Oct 2002, p.76]
  11. While Street Fighter Alpha 3 for the GBA does cut a few corners here and there, it takes a discerning fan to notice any real difference between this version and the arcade original--and that's pretty amazing.
  12. 85
    A masterpiece in almost every aspect, even if it is a conversion of a game from an increasingly long-in-the-tooth fighting series.
  13. A fantastic port on the GBA, but the controls hold it back from being a great title on the system.
  14. 90
    An excellent conversion of an already outstanding fighting game. The only real downsides are on a physical level, most notably the system's button layout.
  15. Nintendo Power
    70
    It's perfect fighting fun for fighting game afficioniados but could be confusing for players who are new to the genre. [Nov 2002, p.228]
  16. Pocket Games
    80
    An excellent translation of its arcade classic. A true pleasure to play. [Winter 2002, p.45]
  17. In a nutshell this can be described as the best GBA fighting game on the shelves.

Awards & Rankings

13
18
#18 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
23
#23 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2002
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 24 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 18 out of 24
  2. Negative: 1 out of 24
  1. May 7, 2023
    8
    A huge roster of fighters and fantastic graphics make for probably the best fighting game on the system.
  2. May 16, 2022
    7
    I was actually surprised to see I still remember this game after so many years.
  3. Jul 12, 2021
    9
    Great game far better than the **** that is ssf2 turbo revival the ai (still hard) both much more balanced and the controls (still clunky) areGreat game far better than the **** that is ssf2 turbo revival the ai (still hard) both much more balanced and the controls (still clunky) are much better Full Review »