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Review: Street Fighter Alpha [Game Boy Colour] |
You sort of wonder how Street Fighter Alpha would end up on the Game Boy Colour, and you would wonder still if it would retain any of the original’s flair and gameplay. Well, I myself was very skeptical about the transition, or rather, the watering down. How to shove a big game like that into a GBC cart?
It’s safe to say though that SFA made a safe trip retaining it’s core assets. From the moment you turn it on, you’ll be greeted by a pleasant theme, and I see no better way to start off this review than by complementing the phenomenal musical score. Keep in mind it’s still a primitive 8-bit system, but the music is lovely enough to hook you straight away. Even Ken’s beloved theme is a perfect example of the how the music can set the mood, even when pounding out from the GBC’s tiny speakers.
Thankfully, the other elements are retained well enough to be enjoyable as well. As you enter your first fight, you might not even notice the lack of a six button configuration. When you punch, you just do, and everything seems to work out just fine. The hits all take on the speed and damage of a MP or MK, and some characters even retain their roundhouses. A low kick will always sweep, so if you’re just looking to poke, go for the punch instead. Easy as that. Light presses of the buttons give smaller hits apparently, but I hard time lightly pressing such small buttons. It works out anyway, but good to know those with a more delicate touch can take advantage of it.
The alphas are a mixed bag however. Some are effective enough, such as Akuma’s, and others are utterly useless, such as Chun-Li’s Kikoushou, which deals a pathetic amount of damage, and isn’t worth being within throwing distance of your enemy. Now some of you might be wondering, why I just cited Akuma. Well, he is in the game, and so is M.Bison. Akuma is apparently only selectable through random character select, though I’ve only fought against him. The super moves themselves are quite well executed, and closely resemble the originals.
The graphics are decent, the sprites are obnoxiously small, but then again, the system is limited, and I have to keep that in mind. Even through this problem, they somehow manage to slide in taunts, which resemble their original counterparts quite well.
The big drawback to this game is definitely the lack of replay value. It’s quite bothersome to see no versus mode available, and from the looks of it, I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a pretty big omission. A very basic training mode and arcade mode are all you get, and with no saving, it’s a joke they even give you the option to register your initials after you’ve wrapped up the final battle.
All in all, Street Fighter Alpha on Game Boy Colour is a solid game, a simple yet well rounded fighter for those on the go, despite it’s few rough spots.
