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Gavin Eke 's profile
Retrobate Name:
Gavin Eke
Game Title:
Street Fighter Ex Plus Alpha
Released: 1997
Developer/Author Name: Arika
Publisher: Capcom
Format Reviewed: PlayStation
Genre: Beat-’em-up
Game Profile:
By the time Street Fighter Ex Plus Alpha was released, 3D fighters had already overtaken Capcom's stalwart franchise in popularity. So, with tentative baby steps, Capcom entrusted external developer Arika to move the series into the third dimension. However, we are talking about the fighters themselves rather than the actual gameplay which resolutely stuck to a 2D plane.
The fighting action was made notable by a canceling system that allowed your fighter to link specials & super moves seamlessly. Each character had a three tiered super bar which built up during the course of fighting. It is possible to play SFEPA as any Street Fighter game in the series. Many of the trademark combos are still possible with old favourites such as Ryu & Ken. However, more advanced play would require the player to master the canceling system that could link moves together creating a devastating attack.
Although Arika wisely kept characters such as Chun Li, Guile & Zangief in the line up, there were new fighters to master. Fortunately, these new characters didn't include a slew of Shoto clones but had their own distinctive style. A couple of them even looked they were attending a fancy dress party not a fist fight (I'm looking at you Skullomania!). M.Bison was his usual bossy self but this time was joined by a final boss called Garuda, who used sharp looking spikes to hurt his opponents.
The usual play modes are available from Arcade, survival, versus & even a watching option. Graphically, SFEPA has not aged particularly well but has a style similar to Tekken 2. Backgrounds are flat as are the battlegrounds on which the fights take place. You can easily argue that a 2D fighter would've aged better, however, the new polygon coat does allow for some dramatic close ups & camera angles when characters go flying backwards. The accompanying music is a mixture of "Jazz Club" & "Easy Listening" which is quite strange at first considering the pain being dished out, but does grow on you.
SF purists may baulk at this cannon of the popular series, stating that it lacks the responsiveness of it's 2D peers & feels a little "floaty". However, rather than copying Capcom's template wholesale, Arika gave SF it's own interpretation. The new characters are nice additions to the franchise & give the impression that SFEPA is very much a different beast to previous titles. Together with the music, profile artwork & a canceling system that has featured in other Capcom fighters since, SFEPA is very much it's own game.
It may not have been a pinnacle of SF, but I certainly enjoyed the polygon pugilism on display.
